Why?
The stable, safe and secure operation of the DNS has proven to be the foundation for the global expansion of the Internet as a universal public resource. However, like any other innovation and every technology, the Internet and the DNS are vulnerable to abuse, such as malware, botnets, phishing, pharming or spam. The topDNS initiative and its members are committed to fighting DNS abuse.
How?
To achieve this goal, the topDNS initiative rests on two main pillars:
Education & Awareness
- Promoting existing efforts to fight abuse online
- Educating policy & decision makers
- Involving hosting providers and their abuse teams
- Amplifying the messages of the industry
Collaboration & Operationalisation
- Collaboration with eco, a trusted Internet platform
- Sharing best-practice guidance on abuse management
- Standardising reports, use cases, data & definitions
- Developing a Trusted Notifier Framework
Supporters
Among the many eco members who are fighting abuse on the Internet every day, we would like to thank our sponsors of the topDNS Initiative.
Please email topdns@eco.de if you are interested in joining!
Steering Committee
The topDNS Initiative is lead and guided by a group of leading industry experts:
Vice President, General Counsel
Public Interest Registry
VP of Policy & Government Relations
Verisign
Head of Policy and Compliance – Online Division
Team Internet
Chief Commercial Officer
IQ Global
CIPP/E Privacy & GRC Officer
Realtime Register
Competence Lead DNS & Domain Abuse
SWITCH
CEO
nic.at
News & Articles
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Fighting Cybercrime and DNS Abuse: An Interview with Theo Geurts of Realtime Register
What’s your name, organisation and role? Theo Geurts, Realtime Register B.V. GRC Officer Where do you work and live? Zwolle, Netherlands What is your personal and Realtime Register role in the DNS industry? We are a wholesale registrar and provide registrar backend services to other ICANN registrars. Why do you…
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eco Survey Shows: One in Four Germans Has Been a Victim of Illegal Websites
The Internet is a daily companion for billions of people worldwide, enabling them to make their lives more connected, efficient and flexible. However, the World Wide Web also has its dark side: one of these is illegal websites, which can harm those affected by data misuse or malware, among other…
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GAC Communiqués and Community Activity on DNS Abuse
This blog is a repost from the DNS Abuse Institute, reproduced with permission. This blog and the associated report aim to provide an overview of DNS Abuse related issues the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC), part of the ICANN multi-stakeholder model, has identified. We also summarize the relevant community activity taking place to address these…
Events
topDNS Best Practice Series: Navigating Web3 Domains
Webinar: DNS Training Session for ISPs: DNS related threats
2025 Abuse Workshop @ Nordic Domain Days
Videos
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topDNS Best Practice Series: Best Practices for Handling Abuse Reports and Takedowns
Spamhaus, Team Internet, and eco’s topDNS Initiative hosted the eighth in a series of topDNS Best Practice webinars, which highlighted the domain name industry’s efforts to combat DNS abuse. The session featured Spamhaus and Team Internet, who explored critical issues and solutions surrounding abuse management and domain takedowns: During the…
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“Take-Down Instead of Blocking” – eco Releases New Explainer Video With the topDNS Initiative on Effectively Combating Illegal Internet Content
The Internet is an integral part of our daily lives, driving efficiency in various areas, fostering the development of cutting-edge technologies, and connecting people worldwide. However, alongside these positive effects, the Internet is also misused for criminal activities, such as distributing illegal content, making online threats, and harming Internet users…
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topDNS Best Practice Webinar: A partnership to empower domain name registries to disrupt CSAM
Public Interest Registry (PIR), Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) & eco’s topDNS Initiative held the seventh in a series of topDNS best practice webinars highlighting what the domain name industry is doing to fight DNS abuse. In February 2024, Public Interest Registry, the US non-profit organisation that operates the .ORG top-level…
