“This report provides a chronology of events related to the containment of the Conficker worm. It provides an introduction and brief description of the worm and its evolution, but its primary focus is to piece together the post- discovery and -analysis events, describe the containment measures chronologically, and describe the collaborative effort to contain the spread of the worm. The author captures lessons learned during a containment period spanning nearly a year and describes recent activities that attempt to apply the lessons learned so that the security and DNS communities can be better prepared for future attacks that exploit the global DNS.”

….

“On 12 February, Microsoft published a press release announcing partnership with technology industry leaders and academia to implement a coordinated, global response to the Conficker (a.k.a. Downadup) worm and offering a $250,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Conficker’s writers. The announcement acknowledged the participation and cooperation of ICANN, registry operators (NeuStar, VeriSign, CNNIC, Afilias, Public Internet Registry) as well as Global Domains International Inc., M1D Global, AOL, Symantec, F-Secure, ISC, researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology, the Shadowserver Foundation, Arbor Networks and Support Intelligence. At this point, Arbor Networks joined to complement sinkhole operations. Following this announcement, the press began referring to the ad hoc partnership as the Conficker Cabal. The partnership later preferred and continues to use the name Conficker Working Group.”

To read the full report, go to ICANN’s Conficker Summary and Review.

“GDI is proud to be part of this year’s National Consumer Protection Week campaign,” said Alan Ezeir. “In times like these, information is one commodity that retains its value. We invite everyone to visit http://consumer.gov/ncpw for the tools they can use to make smart choices in the marketplace.”

According to the Federal Trade Commission, scam artists, fraudsters and four flushers follow the headlines, and are likely to be using the economic downturn to take advantage of consumers who may be underwater financially. The NCPW website has tools people can use to recognize a ripoff, sniff out a scam, and make smart choices for today’s market.

Partner organizations have tips on a wide range of topics, from how to get a free credit report to how to spot a telemarketing scam, from how to deal with debt to how to deter and detect identity theft, from how to avoid home and auto repair scams to how to file a consumer complaint with the appropriate authorities.

National organizers of this year’s NCPW include AARP, the Comptroller of the Currency, the Consumer Federation of America, the Council of Better Business Bureaus, the Federal Citizen’s Information Center, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Trade Commission, the National Association of Attorneys General, the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators, the National Consumers League, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Postal Service.

For more information about NCPW, visit http://consumer.gov/ncpw.

“As part of Microsoft’s ongoing security efforts, we constantly look for ways to use a diverse set of tools and develop methodologies to protect our customers,” said George Stathakopoulos, general manager of the Trustworthy Computing Group at Microsoft. “By combining our expertise with that of the broader community we can expand the boundaries of defense to better protect people worldwide.”

As cyberthreats have rapidly evolved, a greater level of industry coordination and new tactics for communication and threat mitigation are required. To optimize the multiple initiatives being employed across the security industry and within academia, Microsoft helped unify these broad efforts to implement a community-based defense to disrupt the spread of Conficker.

Along with Microsoft, organizations involved in this collaborative effort include ICANN, NeuStar, VeriSign, CNNIC, Afilias, Public Internet Registry, Global Domains International Inc., M1D Global, AOL, Symantec, F-Secure, ISC, researchers from Georgia Tech, the Shadowserver Foundation, Arbor Networks and Support Intelligence.

“The best way to defeat potential botnets like Conficker/Downadup is by the security and Domain Name System communities working together,” said Greg Rattray, chief Internet security advisor at ICANN. “ICANN represents a community that’s all about coordinating those kinds of efforts to keep the Internet globally secure and stable.”

“Microsoft’s approach combines technology innovation and effective cross-sector partnerships to help protect people from cybercriminals,” Stathakopoulos said. “We hope these efforts help to contain the threat posed by Conficker, as well as hold those who illegally launch malware accountable.”

More information about how to protect yourself from Conficker can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/conficker. Customers interested in learning more about staying safe online can visit http://www.microsoft.com/protect.

Microsoft’s reward offer stems from the company’s recognition that the Conficker worm is a criminal attack. Microsoft wants to help the authorities catch the criminals responsible for it. Residents of any country are eligible for the reward, according to the laws of that country, because Internet viruses affect the Internet community worldwide. Individuals with information about the Conficker worm should contact their international law enforcement agencies.

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

This year’s theme of “Financial Literacy” will focus on providing consumers with the tools and materials needed to face the challenges of today’s rapidly changing marketplace while helping consumers build a firm financial foundation by making informed decisions about their personal and business finances. Consumers conduct some type of financial transaction requiring an educated decision every day: shopping for a mortgage or auto loan; understanding and reconciling credit card statements and telephone bills; choosing savings and retirement plans; comparing health insurance policies; understanding their credit report and how that affects their ability to get credit and at what cost; or simply deciding how to pay for a purchase. Education is the first line of defense for consumers to manage their money wisely and protect themselves.

NCPW efforts will provide practical – and tactical – tips so consumers can learn how to make well-informed financial decisions and avoid credit scams. Consumers can boost their financial IQ at http://dsef.org/ncpw/.

Stay tuned as more exciting improvements continue to launch!

The process to become a DSA member is not easy: It is a rigorous, year-long interview process with only the best companies being approved for membership. We are proud of our new partnership with the DSA. As a cherished customer, you can take comfort in knowing you are being serviced by our company with the DSA’s seal of approval. If you partake in our affiliate program, you can promote our offerings with an even greater sense of pride and confidence than before.

Thank you for your support and sharing in celebration of this great accomplishment!

Wonder how many domain names are registered out there? Here are some recent stats.

.com – 72,030,416
.net – 10,659,956
.org – 6,384,488
.info – 4,954,131
.biz – 1,908,317
.us – 1,379,472
As you can see there are a lot of domain names: millions in fact! .Com is the most popular, with the result that it is very difficult to get the .com domain name you want. Even .biz and .us have well over a million names off the market. One not mentioned above is .WS. Originally designated for Western Samoa, this small pacific country realized it could put its domain extension to broader use. It entered into a licensing arrangement with Global Domains International to sell the extension on the worldwide market and remarket .WS as “WebSite,” much as .com stands for commercial, and .biz for business.

How much is a domain name worth? Well, some domain names have sold for more than $100,000. Those days are behind now that there are more available endings, like .org, .biz, and .WS. However, a two letter domain may still go for $50,000 or more. How much is a domain name worth to an internet business? It’s debatable, but most agree that a WebSite with a poorly thought out domain name will not perform as well as a WebSite with a great domain name. Some domain names are instantly associated with certain things – for example, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out .nyc.com would stand for New York city. Take the time when creating a domain name to ensure it is easy to remember, easy to associate with your WebSite, and catchy.

If you are struggling to find the domain name you want because it’s already taken, .WS is a great option. Take advantage while you still can.

Every computer user knows about ‘dot-com’, the most popular top level domain. A domain forms the essential part of all internet addresses. Did you know that there are now 20 million plus dot-com domains and 34 or more million domains worldwide rising to 500 million in the next few years. It is anticipated by Intel apparently that every computer will have its own domain name, or rather the name of its owner, in the future.

Now since the 1990s country codes have been in use – like .au (Australia), .ie (Ireland), .uk (United Kingdom) and .hu (Hungary) and so on. Recently .WS has become internationally available. Research shows that .WS is Western Samoa’s country code top level domain.

So what is going on?
Well, in 2000 two bright entrepreneurs (the founders of GDI) managed to persuade the Samoan Government to allow them to be the registry for .WS, using the obvious global appeal of .WS as WebSite. Western Samoa, a tiny island nation of 200,000 souls in the Pacific receives a percentage of the sales.

Obtain one of these global domains from GDI (Global Domains International) for any purpose – businesses, personal sites, clubs, schools, communities, churches or temples, etc. – it has never been easier to join the revolution.

GDI sells Web domain names ending in .ws, and provides Web site creation and monthly hosting with e-mail service, all for less than most others charge for any one of these services. As you read this story and when you see the company’s informational DVD, you’ll understand why we at Network Marketing Business Journal (NMBJ) make this phenomenal statement.

There are approximately one billion people with global access to the Internet with hundreds of millions logging on each day, and this number is growing. There are 200 million existing Web sites currently, but experts predict that there will be 500 million domain names and Web sites active globally within the next decade. If you could earn just $1 per month on 100,000 customers, that would be a lot of money. If you could make $1 per month on one million customers, that would be an insane amount of money. Direct sales/network marketing industry experts believe it is possible to have one million people in a downline with this wide-appeal type of product. And certainly 100,000 in a GDI downline would not be out of the question.

The dot.ws boom is just getting underway and is starting to have a global impact on business, and marketing. Inc., Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazines have all written that dot.ws is poised to replace the commonly known dot.com suffix. Realizing this current market condition, greenroom.ws has begun to position itself as one of the first nationally recognized Website with the dot.ws suffix. While many people are not yet familiar with the new domain name, others are taking full advantage of the new suffix. One such company is GDI. Global Domains International, Inc., (www.WebSite.ws) based in Carlsbad, CA, has been named one of America’s entrepreneurial growth leaders by Inc magazine, which released its Inc 500 ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.

Growth in the dot.ws “web site” domain namespace is stronger on a percentage basis than dot.com domain names, and greenroom.ws is banking on the uniqueness of the dot.ws name to garner the attention of potential online shoppers to its stylish e-boutique. However, their distinguishing qualities don’t end their. greenroom.ws in itself is all together a uniquely different online shopping experience. The boutique offers one of kind objects and unique products of beauty and function from around the globe. Adding to this, the company employs a probable, but different business model which subsidizes selects charity groups. greenroom.ws has pledge to donate ten percent of it’s annual revenue to select charities that tackle children’s and women’s issues, arts and education, and inner city youth.

To further bring awareness to its online boutique, greenroom.ws plans to deliver swanky and clever PR campaigns that will initially target L.A.’s elite and the media. One such concept is to launch a fleet of stylish silver Vespa scooters that will haul mobile billboards around the city. The two sided billboards will house well lit advertisements that will surely gain the attention of any driver or pedestrian in key geographic areas. What makes this a great form of advertising, besides the fact that a scooters are hauling mobile billboards, is the fact that the scooters are very versatile. Their multipurpose functionality allows them to go places you would never imagine. The scooters can park on sidewalks, travel up and down boardwalks, and even travel indoors under the right conditions.

As a Web based company, greenroom.ws naturally will coordinate online marketing initiatives to promote itself, but the company is also integrating offline marketing activities to bring awareness to its brand.