Your leadership will be that much more important in the coming two years when 1,400  new top level domains (TLDs) – the text to the right of the dot in an Internet address – join  the 22 now commonly used in the U.S., including .COM, .EDU, .ORG, and .INFO. This  infusion of top-level domains will vastly increase the size of the Internet, and while new  TLDs present an opportunity for new online experiences and innovation, some will also  increase opportunities for consumer and user harm. Several registries that applied for new top-level domains, including Donuts, Afilias, and Uniregistry, have taken admirable steps to secure the domains they will control. Unfortunately, they and other responsible parties will not be alone in exploring this new territory.

Cybersquatting, as you know, is the bad-faith registration and use of domain names that are  the same or confusingly similar to trademarked names. Cybersquatting siphons traffic away  from legitimate websites, depriving businesses of revenue that could be spent on  innovations and job creation. Cybersquatters often prey on innocent Internet users, posting seemingly legitimate content that lures users into divulging personal information, purchasing counterfeit goods, or exposing their computers to harmful malware.

In an effort to alert the business community, its customers, and Internet users to the coming Internet changes, CADNA and the Council of Better Business Bureaus have collaborated on a public safety awareness campaign to disseminate through websites, social media, and webinars educational materials such as best practices and tips on how to navigate the Internet safely. The Know Your Net campaign was launched on September 18 at an event that featured Representative Tom Marino (R-PA) and representatives of the Council of Better Business Bureaus, AARP, and National Cyber Security Alliance, who shared stories of their struggles against cybersquatters. CADNA subsequently participated in a Twitter chat with the National Cyber Security Alliance and has scheduled three webinars with different business constituencies.

A safe and flourishing Internet requires that all stakeholders – policymakers, businesses, and Internet users – do their part to contribute to the health and security of this increasingly dominant force. We would be grateful if Congress joined in our effort and respectfully request that the appropriate committee hold a set of hearings to call attention to cybersquatting and ways to ensure Internet users are adequately protected from online perils, including but not limited to privacy intrusions, malware, phishing schemes, trademark infringement, online counterfeit sales, and other harms caused by cybersquatting.