A new Secure Domain Foundation (SDF) devoted to the identification and prevention of Internet cyber crime was launched at ICANN’s 49th Public Meeting in Singapore this week.
The SDF plans to provide no-cost tools, technology, research, and security intelligence to an initial market segment of Internet domain name registrars, registries, ccTLD operators, and gTLD operators. In the coming months, the SDF plans to expand services to hosting providers, DNS operators, CERTs, law enforcement and other Internet infrastructure operators.
The first step is a free API service that domain name registrars and registries can use to obtain an instant domain or registrant “credit score” based on security reputation and contact data validation. The API could be used during domain name transactions such as new account creation, domain registration, and record updates.
The SDF is backed by some of the industry’s leading Internet and Domain Name infrastructure companies and organizations including: Facebook, Verizon, Verisign, Enom, Name.com, CIRA(.ca), CO Internet(.co), CrowdStrike, the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG), Emerging Threats, ESET Anti-Virus, DomainTools, Internet Identity, CoCCA, Mailshell, Blacknight Solutions, Foreground Security, and the SecDev Group.
“ICANN has recently mandated that domain registrars must validate postal addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses that are provided as contact information during the domain registration process,” said Norm Ritchie, Chairman of the SDF. “And many new gTLD registries have already pledged to take a more proactive role in combating domain abuse within their TLDs. The SDF provides an entirely free service that not only validates the contact registration data provided but also lets the registrar and registry know if we have seen that data used previously in relation to cyber crime.”
