No Falling Back

The following is a guest post by i2Coalition Board of Directors member, Melinda Clem.

We may have set the clocks back, but there is much to look forward to: i2Coalition Board meetings, influencer meetings, best practices working groups and Internet industry events. The Coalition has been very effective in its inaugural years, and there are myriad existing and new issues for us to tackle over the next three.

I joined the i2C Board of Directors representing Afilias (www.afilias.info)  – the world’s second-largest Internet domain name registry managing over 20 million domains – and bring our depth of business, technical and policy experience to fulfill the i2C mission. We will offer strategic guidance in several areas with broad Internet Infrastructure business implications.

The security of the Internet dominates technical, business and government news, with stories about cybersecurity, the growth, and complexity of DDOS attacks and zero-day exploits. As a leader in the standards development and deployment of DNSSEC, Afilias continues to advocate for its widespread adoption. We will see an increasing need for DNSSEC and other types of security as we consider the expansion of TLDs and role the DNS can play in the Internet of Things (IoT).  Afilias will work with the i2 Coalition to advance DNSSEC and other security-related best practices.

The current framework of Internet Governance is based on collaboration and the shared goal of a widely available Internet. Working with ICANN since its formation almost 17 years ago and being an active member of the Internet Society since 2001, Afilias will share our experience with these open, international multi-stakeholder models. With IGF renewal, CCWG-Enhancing ICANN Accountability updates and the IANA transition in front of us, there are many ways for the Coalition to advance principles for collaborative governance models anchored in broad-based participation.

If I talk about Internet infrastructure and best practices and don’t mention privacy, no one that knows me would believe I wrote this! Utilizing technology in ways to streamline our lives, share resources and advance the flow of information without jeopardizing privacy is another track I am excited to explore with i2C. We’ve begun work in this arena by commenting on privacy/proxy service recommendations and making contributions to the USA Freedom Act and we will continue to monitor WHOIS/registry data service and surveillance reforms.

The days may be growing shorter, but there is no shortage of important work to be done. And fortunately for me, lots of smart and energetic people at Afilias and i2C to work alongside.