isoc

IETF Fellowship (IETF 82 and 83) – Application Deadline is July 15

isoc next generation leadersThe Internet Society has announced that it is inviting applications for its latest Internet Society Fellowships to the IETF, part of its Next Generation Leaders (NGL) programme (www.InternetSociety.org/Leaders). The Fellowship programme allows engineers from developing countries to attend an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) meeting.

The IETF is the Internet’s premier standards-making body, responsible for the development of protocols used in IP-based networks. IETF participants represent an international community of network designers, operators, vendors, and researchers involved in the technical operation of the Internet and the continuing evolution of Internet architecture.

Fellowships will be awarded through a competitive application process. The Internet Society is currently accepting fellowship applications for the next two IETF meetings:

* IETF 82, 13 – 18 Nov 2011, Taipei, TW
* IETF 83, 25 – 30 March, Paris, FR

Info: http://www.isoc.org/educpillar/fellowship/index.php

Fellowship applications for both IETF meetings are due by 15 July 2011.

We encourage you to pass on information about this program to individuals involved in your network that have a keen interest in the Internet standardisation activities of the IETF.
Continue reading

Don’t take the Internet for granted, Internet Society warns at INET conference

ISOC logo23 Frankfurt 2011, FRANKFURT – The Internet Society warned today that taking the Internet for granted would be one of the surest ways to ruin it.

At its INET conference in Frankfurt on the threats, challenges and opportunities facing the Internet, the Internet Society cautioned users that they would take it for granted at their peril.

“The future success of the Internet is heavily dependent on its openness, access and transparency,” said Frederic Donck, director of the Internet Society’s European Regional Bureau. “Remove any of these core attributes, and the Internet will be become virtually useless as a platform for communication and innovation.”

The Internet Society called on all users to take urgent steps to ensure that the future development of the Internet takes a course that is in the best interests of everyone.
Continue reading

ISOC Community Grants Programme – apply by March 18 2011

The ISOC Community Grants Programme will start accepting applications for it’s next round of awards on Monday, 21 February 2011.  The application round will close Friday, 18 March with award notifications made in mid-May 2011.

ISOC’s Community Grants Programme is open to the creativity and imagination of the ISOC Community. The only parameters of the Program are the Criteria. The selection Committee favors Projects that strengthen and support the health of the Internet as well as Projects that further support ISOC’s mission, goals, and Strategic Initiatives. Grants are awarded twice a year.

ISOC-NY members considering making applications are invited to attend  WebEx conference calls scheduled for 1 February 2011 at UTC 10:30 and 20:00 (5.30am and 3pm EST)
to discuss the application forms & criteria.

In the meeting, Programme Manager Connie Kendig will go over the guidelines on how to apply for funding and hold a Q&A session.  There is also additional information posted on the website regarding telecentres/Internet cafe projects and will be discussed during the call as well.

Those participating in a conference call are urged to read over the programme webpages in advance of the meeting. Connecting to the meeting will be by WebEx:  http://isoc.org/wp/chapter-meetings/?p=986 Any questions regarding the Community Grants Programme, please send them to projects@isoc.org.
Continue reading

Markus Kummer appointed ISOC VP of Public Policy

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND and RESTON, VIRGINIA, USA – 19 January 2011 – An internationally recognized leader in a broad range of Internet policy issues will join the Internet Society as head of its public policy department. As the Internet Society’s Vice President of Public Policy, Markus Kummer will advance key Internet Society policy positions on issues such as privacy, cybersecurity, and network neutrality. Most recently the Executive Coordinator of the Secretariat supporting the United Nations’ Internet Governance Forum, Kummer has extensive experience with Internet policy at the global, regional, and national levels
Continue reading

Internet Society issues statement on Wikileaks

ISOC logoThe Internet Society has issued a statement criticizing recent technical efforts to suppress the Wikileaks website.

It reads as follows:

Recently, we have witnessed the effective disappearance from the Internet of a website made infamous through international press coverage and political intrigue.

The Internet Society is founded upon key principles of free expression and non discrimination that are essential to preserve the openness and utility of the Internet. We believe that this incident dramatically illustrates that those principles are currently at risk.

Recognizing the content of the wikileaks.org website is the subject of concern to a variety of individuals and nations, we nevertheless believe it must be subject to the same laws and policies of availability as all Internet sites.  Free expression should not be restricted by governmental or private controls over computer hardware or software, telecommunications infrastructure, or other essential components of the Internet.

Resilience and cooperation are built into the Internet as a design principle. The cooperation among several  organizations has ensured that the impact on the Wikileaks organizational website has not prevented all access to Wikileaks material.  This further underscores that removal of a domain is an ineffective tool to suppress communication, merely serving to undermine the integrity of the global Internet and its operation.

Unless and until appropriate laws are brought to bear to take the wikileaks.org domain down legally, technical solutions should be sought to reestablish its proper presence, and appropriate actions taken to pursue and prosecute entities (if any) that acted maliciously to take it off the air.

Continue reading

ISOC Community Grants – Apply now!

ISOC logoThe  current round of Internet Society Community Grants is open for applications until Sept  30 2010.

The Community Grants Programme has been established to assist ISOC chapters and members specifically in projects that will:
*  Advance ISOC’s mission and goals specifically those aligned with ISOC Major Strategic Initiatives
*  Serve the Chapters? communities
*  Nurture collaborative work among Chapters/Individual Members
*  Enhance and utilize knowledge sharing in the global internet community and
*  Encourage Chapters? sustainability and relevance.
For the upcoming 6 month cycle, any one Project may be eligible for an award of up to US $10,000.

For more information on the application and criteria, go to:   http://www.isoc.org/isoc/chapters/projects/
Continue reading

ISOC applauds DNSSEC root implementation

ISOC logoInternet Society Applauds Key Milestone in Domain Name Security Technology

The Internet Society welcomes the significant milestone recently reached in implementing DNSSEC at the highest level of the Domain Name System (DNS), and applauds the efforts by ICANN, Verisign, and the U.S. Department of Commerce that made it possible.

Leslie Daigle, chief Internet technical officer for the Internet Society, said, “We’re excited to see this capstone element of DNSSEC deployment put in place. It signals a new era for operational security of the Internet, and we look forward to new levels of user confidence in network activities using DNSSEC and the services built out from it.”
Continue reading

NEW SIERRA LEONE INTERNET EXCHANGE POINT ESTABLISHED

ISOC logo25 June launch builds on sustained Internet Society efforts to expand and improve Internet access in Africa

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone – 1 July 2010 – In a significant development for the Internet and Internet users in Sierra Leone, leaders from business, government, and the national Internet community gathered in Freetown last week to launch a new Internet exchange point (IXP). The new facility, know as the Sierra Leone Internet Exchange, or SLIX, will allow Internet service providers to interconnect and exchange local data traffic within the West African country rather than over international links. This will promote more efficient, resilient, and less costly connectivity by improving local Internet performance and reducing international bandwidth costs.
Continue reading

Remote participation: ISOC Chapter & Members meeting at ICANN 38 – Jun 21 2010

ISOC logoBelow are the details for remote participation in the ISOC Chapter and member meeting on Monday, June 21 at 1.30pm EST.

This meeting will take place at the ICANN 38 meeting in Brussels, and thus ICANN issues may well predominate, but the agenda is open. All ISOC-NY members are welcome to attend.

Details are also available at: http://isoc.org/wp/chapter-meetings/?page_id=762

Topic: ISOC Chapters and Members Meeting
Date: Monday, June 21, 2010
Time: 7:30 pm, Central European Time (Brussels, UTC+02:00)
Meeting Number: 920 627 959
Password: chapters0610
Continue reading

Internet Society lends initial support to Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (BITAG)

The Internet Society’s North American Bureau, to which ISOC-NY is affiliated, is lending initial support to a U.S. industry effort to form a Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (BITAG) to develop consensus on broadband network management practices or other related technical issues that can affect users’ Internet experience. This is a collaborative industry effort to identify and address operational issues that have been at the heart of some of the recent issues attracting governmental attention. Constructively, this activity could result in organized, forward-looking discussion driven by key stakeholders and also provide opportunities to educate and inform policy makers by shedding light on underlying technical issues from the perspectives of diverse stakeholders.

Continue reading

ISOC news: New Internet leaders take to the global stage

ISOC logo[Geneva, Switzerland and Washington D.C., 8 June 2010] – As the Internet rapidly evolves into a truly global medium central to all aspects of human affairs, the need intensifies for future leaders to be drawn from all regions of the world and all walks of life. The Internet Society, uniquely positioned to meet this need, today announced the list of potential leaders joining its programmes for 2010.

The Internet Society’s Next Generation Leaders programme blends coursework, practical experience, and mentorship to help prepare young professionals from around the world to become the next generation of Internet technology, policy, and business leaders.

“We are pleased to have 24 promising students currently in the eLearning phase of our programme,” said Bill Graham, responsible for strategic global engagement at the Internet Society. “Five of those will also join 32 others in the coming months, expanding their leadership skills while they learn about the Internet and the Internet Society’s principles, either as Fellows to the Internet Engineering Task Force meetings or Ambassadors to the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).”
Continue reading

Internet Society Funds Projects to Support Internet Access, Security, and Policy Development

ISOC logoCommunity Grants Programme’s 11th round helps extend Internet’s reach and promote key technologies

[Washington, D.C., USA and Geneva, Switzerland – 25 May 2010] The Internet Society (ISOC) today announced it is funding community-based projects around the world addressing issues such as Internet leadership, education, core infrastructure, local governance, and policy development, with a strong focus on currently underserved communities.

“The diversity of projects awarded highlights the profound importance of the Internet in so many aspects of our lives, in all parts of the world,” said Jon McNerney, Chief Operating Officer of the Internet Society. “The passion and creativity of those developing the projects within their communities drives the Internet Society’s commitment to help bring the benefits of the Internet to people everywhere.”

As part of the ISOC Community Grants Programme, each project will receive up to US$10,000 for efforts that promote the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet for the benefit of all people throughout the world.
Continue reading

Internet Society calls for wider consultation on ICANN DNS CERT proposal

In February the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) set out its Proposed Strategic Initiatives for Improved DNS Security, Stability and Resiliency (SSR) and, specifically, proposed the establishment of the Domain Name System-Computer Emergency Response Team (DNS-CERT).

At the  March ICANN meeting in Nairobi CEO Rod Beckstrom endorsed the proposals, citing increased attacks on the DNS system.

The Internet  Society (ISOC) has filed comments stating that 1) there is no evidence of a sudden increase in attacks, increased vulnerability or inadequacy of current arrangements, and 2) that ICANN has jumped the gun with its proposals which are not necessarily within its purview. Indeed it is suggested that ICANN did not even gain the full backing of its own supporting organizations and advisory committees before making the proposals, and this is backed up by the comments of At-Large Advisory Committee Chair Cheryl Langdon-Orr.

ISOC recommends that the proposals be tabled while further consultation is made with the many institutional, national and regional organizations, including existing CERTs, that are already involved in maintaining DNS stability.

ISOC believes it is vital to rely on the Internet model to get the best result. The Internet model relies on open, bottom-up, freely accessible, public, multi-stakeholder, and knowledge-based processes for both technology and policy development.
Continue reading