The routing system of the Internet is vulnerable to many security threats such as:

1.  Prefix Hijacks
2.  Route Leaks
3.  IP Address Spoofing

MANRS addresses these security threats through technical and collaborative actions from many players across the Internet.

MANRS participants believe the only way to strengthen the core routing system is by:

1. Network Operators and IXPs applying the MANRS actions which are;
   • Global Validation,
   • Filteting, AntiSpoofing and
   • Coordination); and
2. Enterprises demanding these actions are applied by their service providers.

I am a recipient of the Internet Society training on Securing Global Routing in order to work with Internet Society Zimbabwe Chapter and the local community to champion the MANRS initiative at local level.

Below is my Video of the training I received from Internet society;

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Source: NextGen@ICANN Program Opens Application Round for ICANN59 

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ICANN 57 is a forthcoming ICANN Meeting which will be held in Hyderabad, India.

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A domain name is a human readable and memorable representation of an IP address. For example instead of typing the IP address for name.co.zw, one uses the domain name which is easy to remember than the IP address. The use of domain names eliminates the hassle to memorise the long string of the numerical addresses that is used by computers to locate each other and other Internet resources on the Internet.

Properties of a Good Domain Name

Your domain name becomes your brand online and a gateway to your company’s products/services storefront. This therefore calls for proper considerations when registering a domain name. Here are some of the things to consider when choosing a domain name,

1. Keep it short and simple – this makes customers easily remember your web address and eliminates the possibility of misspellings.
2. Make it easy to convey – Avoid the use of hyphens, the domain name should be easy to say in a phone conversation.
3. Meaningful and Descriptive – your domain name should be descriptive of your industry or business.
4. Avoid copyright issues
5. Make it brandable – your domain should be easy to brand for example Google and Yahoo
6. Avoid the use of numbers – by all means avoid domains like mycompany67.co.zw unless it’s part of the branding
7. Avoid the use of slang like urcompany.co.zw instead of yourcompany.co.zw
8. Not easily misspelled – avoid using domains which can easily be misspelled such as carz.co.zw instead of cars.co.zw
9. Choose an extension related to your industry for example if you are an NGO operating in Zimbabwe choose .org.zw, an academic institution .ac.zw.

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The Domain Name System (DNS) is a distributed database that translates domain names like google.com into IP addresses such as 74.125.225.128. The use of domain names like google.com now makes it possible for people to locate a website or other Internet resources using a human readable and memorable format instead of typing in a string of numerical addresses like 74.125.225.133. A domain name is therefore a human readable and memorable representation of an IP address.

Structure of the Domain Name System

At the highest level of the domain name system is the Root zone which is nameless. This root zone is managed by Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) through the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority(IANA) function and is maintained by Verisign. Below the root zone comes the Top Level Domains (TLDs) i.e .com, .org, .net e.t.c. These Top Level domains are managed by different registries.

The DNS processes domain names following their hierarchical structure. A domain name is composed of different parts separated by “dots” and each part represents a hierarchy in the domain name structure and this hierarchy descent from the right to the left part of the domain name. The different parts that make up a domain name are called labels. The furthest right or the rightmost label is known as the Top Level Domain. In example.com “.com” is the Top Level Domain (TLD), “example” is the Second Level Domain (SLD) and in training.example.com, “training” is the third level domain.

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Registering domains should be viewed as a first line of defense against brand abuse online. Online brand abuse causes substantial brand erosion , lost revenue, reduced marketing ROI, diminished customer trust, and tarnished reputation, therefore everyone have the greatest stake when it comes to protecting brands online.  Implementing a comprehensive domain strategy and being vigilant about how your brands are represented online is of significance in protecting your brand online.

A domain is your Internet/ web address which your customers type in the address bar of a web browser for example yourcompany.com. Because the name can be requested by any business, the name may be available for a short time only or may be already taken. It is therefore of significance to register a domain name that relates to your company name in the earliest time possible. Imagine if coca cola Company’s domain was owned by someone else. Here is an example of a case in which a company’s name was used as a domain name by its competitor in order to get more customers riding on their reputable name; Sole Rebels domain name case.

Your company’s domain names enable customers to interact and transact with you online and, as a result, are a valuable corporate asset that needs protection against cyber crimes such as;

Cybersquatting

This is an act where one rides on your goodwill or trademark in bad faith by using your domain name for his profit.

Typosquatting/ URL Hijacking

Internet users sometimes make typing errors when inputting a website address in the address bar in the browser like repeating a character or omitting a character. This error can lead one to a different website designed to capture users who commit such errors.

Phishing Attacks

This is a method used by cyber criminals where they send emails pretending to be a credible company with the intention to get personal information or steal money. Phishers use email and channels such as social media, riding on the trust people have in a brand in order to obtain personal details like credit card numbers.

Brand Hijacking

Is an activity whereby someone acquires or otherwise assumes the online identity of another entity for the purposes of acquiring that person’s or business’s brand equity.

How to Protect Your Brand Online

First register a domain which describes the name of your business as best as possible and register all the popular Top Level Domains (TLDs) for the brand and the country code Top Level Domains (ccTLDs) in the countries you operate. The Top Level Domains entails domains such as .com, .net, .biz, .org domains related to your business and forward/point them to your primary domain. Secondly you have to register domains that evolve around your brand or company. For example; Google have registered most of the domains evolving around their name. If you type in the Google address and omit a letter that domain may still fall under Google’s ownership. Just try to type in www.gogle.com, or www.gooogle.com.

Implement proper management of your domain portfolio. Too many companies spread their domains across multiple registrars which give room for domainers and other scam artists to exploit the improper management.  I have had numerous occasions where companies no longer know who registered their domain name and who is managing it, and they end up registering domains unrelated to their products and losing the relevant domain. Do whatever you must to ensure your organization has a single view of your domains, enabling it to ensure early renewals and quickly assess both opportunities and threats related to the brand.  And when you are developing a new brand you can as well register new domains for the particular brand well before launch time.

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Africa Domain Name System Forum

The 2015  Africa Domain Name system Forum will be held at the Sarova Pan Afric Hotel in Nairobi Kenya

The Africa Domain name system is an annual open event for stakeholders in the Domain Name Industry in Africa. The forum enables registries , registrars and other stakeholder in Africa to share experiences, interact and learn from each other about the domain name system.

As a Multistakeholder forum ,the meeting seeks to foster cross border collaboration between registries , registrars and registrants as well as other stakeholders the objectives being inter alia to inspire and encourage local stakeholders (government, registrars, registries, and registrants in the domain name industry to interact at local and International level as well as equipping African Registries and Registrars with the requisite domain name industry business strategies.

To register for the Africa Domain Name System Forum  click on the following link:
https://www.internetsociety.org/form/dns-forum-africa

Local Host

Organizers

       
Endorsed By

Sponsors

Source: AfTLD – Africa Domain Name System Forum

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A global meeting of the Internet Society, on the Internet, for the Internet.

This one-of-a-kind community event will give you the opportunity to share your unique perspectives on key Internet topics and issues.

• Connect with the Internet Society Board of Trustees
• Exchange ideas with Members around the globe
• Join lively discussions about Collaborative Governance, Collaborative Security, and Access & Development
• Hear insights from the 2nd annual Global Internet Report
• Share your views on critical issues facing the Internet

How do I participate?
You can participate online or in-person at a Regional Event in your area.

Participate Online:
Join the meeting from wherever you are.  The only thing you need is an Internet connection and a computer.  Since we’re all over the world and active nearly everywhere, and nearly all the time, we needed to get creative in our scheduling. We’ll offer two different session times to join online – one on 7 July and one on 8 July. The topics in each session will be repeated, but the speakers and participants will be different.

Regional Nodes:
These Interactive Regional events are key to InterCommunity.  Join in person at your Regional Node to interact with your local community.  Plus, each Regional Node will have the ability to interact with other Nodes, and our Board of Trustees, who will be joining from the Node in Auckland, New Zealand.

Mark your Calendar!  Register today!

Source: https://www.internetsociety.org/intercommunity2015/

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What is the Internet?

The Internet is a network of networks that enables computers to connect from wherever they are located, it may be from the same room or one country to another country. It is an independent global interconnection of electronic devices and networks through the communication protocols. The Internet provides the infrastructure/platform for sharing information and communication over email, communicating via voice (Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)), text, audio and video communications.

How does the Internet work?

The Internet is composed of networks that are connected to each other globally irrespective of who owns the network, allowing computers and other electronic devices to communicate. The Internet uses protocols or communication technical standards Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). Here is a video explaining how the Internet works;

Who owns the Internet?

The Internet is not owned by a single entity, Government or Organisation. The governance of the Internet takes a multi – stakeholder approach where everyone is involved in shaping the Internet ecosystem. The multi stakeholders include the civil society, the private sector, governments, the academic and research communities and national and international organizations. This multi-stakeholder approach to Internet Governance provides the basis for an open Internet.
However the administration of the technical and policy aspects that makes the Internet run is under the jurisdiction of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). ICANN is responsible for the names and numbers aspects of the Internet and this entails the issues of assigning names and numbers and maintaining Domain Name System through its IANA function. ICANN takes a multi -stakeholder approach in managing the Internet ecosystem as it emphasizes on Open Internet.

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