Trusted Notifier
- CyberSecurity
- Trusted Notifier
Trusted Notifier
What is “Trusted Notifier”?
Trusted Notifier (TN) is one of the solutions relied upon by registries and registrars to address DNS Abuse issues as well as website content abuse questions that fall within their respective policies (including those beyond ICANN’s remit). The concept has existed for several years now, and has been recognized as a best practice to enhance abuse monitoring. ICANN’s Registries and Registrar Stakeholder Groups have developed a voluntary Trusted Notifier Framework, serving as a guide for parties considering to enter into TN arrangements.
A TN is a designated entity entering into a written understanding with a registry or registrar on a defined process for notifying alleged malicious online activities (e.g. illegal activity, content, and/or DNS abuse associated with a domain name). These abuse notices will be reviewed by the registry/registrar, and it is the responsibility of the registry/registrar to take action on verified forms of abuse.
Goals of Trusted Notifier Agreements
- Reduce societal harm over DNS abuse –
TN is a cooperative scheme developed by the domain name industry (registries and registrars) to build a safer Internet. - Leverage on expertise and enhance review process –
TNs, as subject matter experts, could enhance abuse review processes as registries and registrars may not always have the resources and expertise to make judgement on all abusive content. The review process could also be expedited through the TN arrangement. - Reduce cost and operational resources –
TNs could reduce overall operating cost and operational resources required for registries and registrars through its due diligence on evaluating the accuracy of abuse reports. - Distributing legal requirements –
Registries/registrars and TNs could agree on the sharing of legal implications in relation to actions taken on verified abuse.
*DNS Abuse is defined as five broad categories of harmful activities as they intersect with the DNS: malware, botnets, phishing, pharming, and spam (when it serves as a delivery mechanism for the other forms of DNS Abuse).