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ITU and Internet Society collaborate to combat spam
Spam accounts for 80 per cent of global e-mail traffic
Busan, 06 November 2014 – ITU and the Internet Society
today signed a letter of agreement to collaborate on combating the global
problem of spam. Spam now accounts for a significant amount of all global
e-mail traffic and presents particular difficulties in areas where bandwidth
is insufficient to handle the congestion that spam creates.
“Combating the growing menace of spam and the protection of data is a
global concern for legitimate Internet and smartphone users,” said ITU
Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun I. Touré. “We need to find global solutions to
curtail the flow of intrusive junk mail which not only clogs up the Internet
but also carries huge cost implications.”
Under the new agreement, the Internet Society and the ITU
Telecommunication Development Sector (ITU-D) will identify the best ways to
build long-term capacity for addressing spam in developing countries. This
collaborative partnership will explore and identify potential joint
cooperative activities to address the growing need for information on how to
address the issue of spam.
“We look forward to working with ITU-D as partners in capacity building
programmes that will bridge the gaps in understanding so that all countries
can have access to the tools and knowledge they need to combat spam,” stated
Kathy Brown, President and CEO of the Internet Society. “The costs
associated with spam related to wasted bandwidth, storage and network
infrastructure, as well as the increased security risks are amplified in
developing regions. By collaborating with ITU-D, we hope to make a real and
positive impact on the world’s most vulnerable economies.”
The agreement will extend the work that the Internet Society initiated
last year to hold workshops that address the various roles in developing and
maintaining an effective anti-spam process, as well as leverage the
strengths and efforts of ITU-D in the area of building capacity. Without
such proactive global work, the problem of spam, particularly given the
growing use of mobile devices and social media, will intensify rather than
abate.
The organizations have agreed to preliminarily focus their efforts on
three areas:
- Facilitating greater regional access to technical
experts from the global Internet community who can share
anti-spam knowledge and experiences on an ongoing basis
- Providing educational training and information on
effective anti-spam policies, technical solutions and
operational requirements
- Documenting anti-spam best practices
“Spam is a worldwide obstacle that requires innovative solutions to
minimize the burden for countries, network operators, and end users,” notes
Brahima Sanou, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau.
“While the telecommunication industry and Internet communities have made
great strides in creating best practices and developing technical tools to
combat spam, there is a need to build awareness in developing countries of
the ongoing technical, industry and policy developments in this regard, and
to centralize the knowledge and expertise available. This partnership aims
to fill that need.”
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About ITU...
About the Internet Society
The Internet Society (http://www.internetsociety.org)
is the trusted independent source for Internet information and thought
leadership around the world. It is also the organizational home for the
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). With its principled vision,
substantial technological foundation and its global presence, the Internet
Society promotes open dialogue on Internet policy, technology, and future
development among users, companies, governments, and other organizations.
Working with its members and Chapters around the world, the Internet Society
enables the continued evolution and growth of the Internet for everyone.