Datacom (.MN ccTLD) team participated in ICANN78. It is a Policymaking multistakeholder forum where entities run internet numbers and names. There were many things from experts that we can share with each other in the Domain Name Industry.
We must mention the ICANN coordination staff, they had well-organized arrangements for everything around ICANN78 in Hamburg, Germany. ICANN community was very welcoming to newcomers, as well as the ccNSO sessions were great grounds for improving understanding of domain market case studies from all around the world. For instance, we [.mn Team] did a presentation at the session "Corporate Social Responsibility" about how.MN ccTLD implemented data accuracy on the Whois database for the safe Internet project.
Furthermore, Datacom Ltd shared its projects that were already implemented prior to the Covid-19 pandemic years.
Capacity Building Program: provided basic yet essential online business skills to SMEs. So far, the company has helped nearly 9,000 local entrepreneurs.
Social Impact on Edu Sector: It also partners with Google to bridge the digital skills gap in the community. As part of this initiative, it has collaborated with 59 universities and schools, and trained over 20,000 teachers and 140,000 students.
Safe Internet: In addition, Datacom Ltd's Safe Internet program is aimed at raising awareness among registrants and ensuring a clean online environment.
What we have discussed at ICANN78:
First 3 days:
ICANN78 focused on Working Groups' sessions, including those of ccNSO, to check their bearings and map their activities for 2024. The first day began with the opening session, celebrating ICANN's 25th anniversary, followed by the ccNSO TechDay. A research team from the University of Grenoble presented on Building a Resilient Domain Whitelist to Enhance Phishing Blocklist Accuracy, arguing that blocklists can be inaccurate due to false positives, phishing simulation URLs, and malicious URLs associated with special services' domain names. The team suggested methods to combat this problem, while the overall effort focused on a small number of domains examined for whitelisting. A representative of.SE reported on the change to management of AuthCode, which was delegated to registrars but faced drawbacks such as weak authcodes, exposure to registrants, and never expiring. The team decided that it is up to the registry to create authocodes, which should be recognizable for the registry and expire within 14 days. DENIC hosted a presentation on its record in delivering on its mission, transitioning to the advanced cloud-based Registry-Registrar Interface.
Day-4:
The IANA/PTI update discussed the situation with.LB of Lebanon, where the founder and only person to manage it died. The ICANN/IANA decided to temporarily take over control over the registry operation, triggering a need for better communication between IANA and ccNSO. The ccNSO Council discussed the situation to prepare for future unknowns and close policy gaps. The next session focused on ccTLDs' corporate social responsibility strategies, with representatives from different regions discussing DNS Belgium's strategy inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and ISO 26000..NG focuses on child online safety, capacity development, and R&D, while Datacom focuses on the Capacity Building Program, Social Impact on Edu Sector, and Safe Internet.
Two sessions focused on Internet Governance and the WSIS+20 process, with DENIC arguing for the ccTLD community to continue participating. JPRS suggested everyone should better understand the matter and engage in dialogue with other stakeholders. The 20th-anniversary session was a team exercise to examine six topics, with each group participating in 10 10-minute-long sessions to share their thoughts.
Day-5:
At ICANN78, the African ccTLDs saw increasing interest from governments, with 24 overseen by them and 32 under private sector management. The focus is on self-sustainability, with African ccTLDs predicting robust growth over the next decade due to increased infrastructure coverage, digitalization, and increased reliance on DNS. The European Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) was highlighted as a collaborative approach to cybersecurity challenges. The ISAC facilitates collaboration on threat intelligence, analysis of technical and non-technical security information, and provides access to a MIPS platform. The.AU registry presented its Internet Governance Roadmap, focusing on shared principles, broader cooperation, new goals, technical community leadership, and institutional innovation. The Ukrainian registry faced challenges but managed to sustain operations and ensure uninterrupted service. NIC.EC introduced a benefits club for.EC domain owners, providing exclusive benefits from companies with.EC domains. The.DK team transitioned from DK Hostmaster to Punktum dk, highlighting the importance of ccTLDs as symbols of national identity.
