Internet Society Chief Internet Technology Officer Olaf Kolkman will be speaking this week in both Washington, DC, and New York City on the Internet of Things (IoT), collaborative security, and our recent merger with the Online Trust Alliance. Two of the three events will be livestreamed and all have open registrations to attend in person.
The 2017 CIGI-Ipsos Global Survey on Internet Security and Trust paints a bleak picture of the current state of trust online. A majority of those surveyed said they are more concerned about their privacy than the year before, with an almost even split between those “much more concerned” and those only “somewhat more concerned”. When asked whether they agree with the statement “overall, I trust the Internet”, only 12% of respondents strongly agreed and a further 43% somewhat agreed. This means only a little more than half agreed that they trust the Internet, and some even expressed some reservation by choosing to respond “somewhat agree”.
What are the best ways to reduce spam? How can we work together to reduce this threat and create a more trusted Internet?
Last October, in the vibrant city of Bangkok, the Internet Society joined regulators for an in-depth conversation about how to eliminate spam and its harmful effects. Our kind hosts were the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and the International Institute of Communications (ICC).
Yesterday’s decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) should be welcomed by advocates of net neutrality. Though not an ideal decision in certain respects, and continuing to make clear the need for specific, updated legislation on online connectivity and communication, it does nevertheless enshrine some of key principles of net neutrality in the CRTC’s regulatory framework.
Do you want to understand more about how the Internet is connected in Africa? Today we are pleased to announce the African Route-collectors Data Analyzer (ARDA) system. This new systems aims to present data collected at African IXPs in ways that can be easily extrapolated into practical business, policy, developmental, technical, or research opportunities for everyone involved in the peering and interconnection ecosystem.
The year 2016 was indeed a successful year for the Internet Society (ISOC) Asia-Pacific (APAC) Team. We were able to leverage many opportunities throughout the year across the region, and together with our members, chapters and partners, we worked towards ensuring that the Internet kept growing and evolving.
For me personally, there were a couple of things that stood out. One was InterCommunity 2016 where we had 11 nodes located throughout the region engaged in robust intra-regional discussions on topical issues.
Last week, the G20’s ministers responsible for the digital economy met in Düsseldorf to prepare this year´s G20 summit, scheduled for Hamburg, July 2017. Building on important strides initiated two years ago during the G20 summit in Antalya and based on the G20 Digital Economy Development and Cooperation Initiative (DEDCI), which was adopted last year under the Chinese G20 presidency, the Düsseldorf meeting adopted a “ G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Declaration” which includes also a “Roadmap for Digitalisation”.
On 7 April, the Russian Internet Governance Forum (RIGF) took place in the new city of Innopolis, near Kazan. My main takeaways from this 8th RIGF converge around three themes: digital economy, trust and the next generation of Internet aficionados.
Philippines is the 4th most disaster-prone country in the world. When a natural disasters hits we are completely wiped out. In remote and rural parts of the Philippines, telecommunications networks can be spotty most of the times. This scenario is willing to change thanks to the Internet Society’s Philippines Chapter new project supported by Beyond the Net Funding Programme.
My colleague Robin Wilton and I participated in the recent Trust and Internet Identity Meeting Europe (TIIME) in Vienna, Austria, co-sponsored by the Internet Society and organized by long-time notable identeratus Rainer Hörbe.
This meeting brought together approximately 100 people who are engaged in advancing the state of the art and strengthening trust around online identity. Structured as an “unconference,” it was up to the attendees to set the agenda and lead the sessions. As you can see from the session list the meeting covered a lot of ground.
As G20 leaders from around the world gather this week, Germany wants them to agree to a concrete plan – one that includes affordable Internet access across the world by 2025, common technical standards and a focus on digital learning.
Today, the G20 economies, like so many other economies around the world, are digital and interconnected. Digital services have opened up new avenues for sustainable economic growth. But, the digital economy will only continue to thrive and generate opportunities for citizens if the Internet is strong, secure, and trusted. Without this foundation, the global digital economy is at risk.
Mankosi, in the Eastern Cape Province, is one of South Africa’s most economically disadvantaged communities. Most of the 3,500 residents live on less than $2 per day. In spite of this, residents spend an average of 22 percent of their income on the ability to connect and communicate. Unfortunately, less than a quarter of residents are online in any given month. Mankosi needed an alternative to expensive, spotty service. Zenzeleni Network was set up in 2012 to provide voice service to the community, using analog phones connected to WiFi routers and Voice over IP (VoIP) technology.
Imagine if all your business contracts were sent to customers written on postcards. Everyone who happened to see the postcard could see exactly what you were going to charge the customer, how many of your product the customer is going to order - and all of the information about the customer.
Your competition, naturally, could take that information and send a contract to that customer of yours that undercuts your proposal and offers better terms. They could also share that information with others to let them know that this customer buys from you. (Or, at least, they used to!) Your customer, too, could potentially see what you are charging other customers.
Now... STOP imagining - THIS IS HOW THE INTERNET WORKS TODAY!
Online trust and the fundamental need to collaborate to address its challenges is an issue I care about deeply. Today I’m excited to share some important news about a new Initiative at the Internet Society that we believe will help us get to the next level in addressing online trust.
The Online Trust Alliance (OTA) is an organisation with objectives very dear to ISOC’s heart. OTA’s mission is to enhance online trust, and its goal is to help educate businesses, policy makers and stakeholders while developing and advancing best practices and tools to enhance the protection of users' security, privacy and identity. OTA has a history of being principled, pragmatic and actionable.
Do you know someone who has made an outstanding contribution to the development of the Internet?
We are pleased to announce that candidate nominations for the 2017 Jonathan B. Postel Service Award are open.
This annual award is presented to an individual or organization that has made outstanding contributions in service to data communications and places particular emphasis on those who have supported and enabled others.
Nominations are encouraged for individuals or teams of individuals from across the data communications industry around the world who are dedicated to the efforts of advancing the Internet for the benefit of everybody.
About twenty years ago, people here at the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy started thinking about what happens to the people who come here after they go home. Specifically, what happens to the academics and researchers from the developing world who come to work with us.
[Editor’s Note: A limited number of student grants are available to help pay for travel, accommodations, and NDSS Symposium registration fees for full-time students attending the 24th annual Network and Distributed System Security (NDSS) Symposium. Watch the NDSS website at https://www.internetsociety.org/events/ndss-symposium for information and deadlines as the process opens for NDSS 2018 in February of next year. The following post is a guest contribution from one 2017 grantee.]
I'm grateful to Christian de Larrinaga, from the Internet Society's UK Chapter, for pointing me to a recent publication by the World Bank: "Principles on identification for sustainable development: toward the digital age".
The premise of the report is this: full participation in today's societies and achievement of one's desired potential are increasingly likely to depend on the ability to identify oneself; however, some 1.5 billion people are reckoned to lack "legal identification", and action should be taken to remedy this.
As a country, Yemen is among the least with Internet connectivity in the Middle East. This is particularly troubling given the rise of Internet access across the globe. Furthermore, the youth in Yemen constitute the majority of the population yet are being left behind because of the lack of Internet access in schools due to poor economic conditions coupled with other priorities that supersede Internet access.
Privacy has been a top-of-mind issue in the United States for the past couple of weeks. Last Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted to repeal privacy rules (pdf) passed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last year. The vote was close, 215-205, but it appears likely that the President will soon sign the resolution into law.