30 Mar 2007
Internet oversight body Icann should set up a new, secure, top level domain (TLD) for the banking industry, to boost the security of online transactions and reduce the incidence of banking fraud over the internet, according to web security vendor F-Secure.
Mikko Hyponnen, chief research officer for the Finnish firm, explained that if a new domain was created and locked down so that only registered and authentic banks could join, it would make it easier for security providers to filter fake sites more efficiently, and give customers more confidence in their banking brands.
"The domain .museum is a secure TLD for example – you can only get one if you are a museum - so why not with banks?" Hyponnen said. "It would have to cost more money, to put off the criminals from registering their own fake banks, but would mean banks could put more services online."
Lesley Cowley, chief executive of .uk registry Nominet, explained that the organisation is likely to discuss the issue at an upcoming meeting of its Policy Advisory Body on phishing.
"In the meantime, we strongly feel that end-user education is the key," Cowley added.
The thinking behind this is very simple; we know that no normal person can pretend to be the US Government on the Internet - as they cannot get a .gov domain.
I am somewhat expert in this area - and have long advocated a global solution for registered trademarks (that authorities hide) i.e. the .reg Top Level Domain.
But there is no reason not to have a UK only solution i.e. .reg.uk - other than the fact that people have to realise that other countries have not adopted this solution (they may be scammed by .reg.[insert country code] ).
To explain global solution:
Many businesses legally share the same registered trademark - just in different goods and services even in same country e.g. Barclay isn't just a bank in UK.
If the authorities *really* do not want confusion between registered marks and others - why does he not label these domains - replace the 'R' in a circle with .reg Top Level Domain (TLD).
Trademark Law is UNAMBIGUOUS - a mark is allowed for SPECIFIC goods or service ('classification') in SPECIFIC country - current rules are being used to allow overreach.
If "confusion" is to be removed then the classification and country - along with trademark label (.reg) has to be included e.g. name.class.country.reg
As UK solution - this would be name.class.reg.country e.g. barclay.bank.reg.uk - obviously not just banks are protected.
Nominet could bring in .reg.uk - they have similar solution for schools i.e. schoolname.area.sch.uk
I use wipo.org.uk to complain and expand further - no connection with UN's WIPO.org (the people that made UDRP rules to allow overreach and have been adopted or adapted by different countries) - but you can likely guess that.
Garry ~ skilful.com
Posted by: Garry Anderson 30 Apr 2007
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