<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CANNE-R%7E1.INN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="Edit-Time-Data" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CANNE-R%7E1.INN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_editdata.mso"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CANNE-R%7E1.INN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CANNE-R%7E1.INN%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1107304683 0 0 159 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:swiss;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073750139 0 0 159 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;}
h2
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
mso-outline-level:2;
font-size:18.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
p
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;}
span.Heading2Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-locked:yes;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2";
mso-ansi-font-size:18.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:18.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;
font-weight:bold;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<h2><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">News
Alert</span></h2>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-12feb09-en.htm">http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-2-12feb09-en.htm</a></span></p>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 15pt; text-align: center;" align="center"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">
<hr align="center" size="2" width="100%">
</span></div>
<h2 style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Microsoft
Collaborates With Industry to Disrupt Conficker Worm</span></h2>
<p style="margin: 11.25pt 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">12
February 2009</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Today, Microsoft announced a
partnership with technology industry leaders and academia to implement a
coordinated, global response to the Conficker (aka Downadup) worm. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Together with security
researchers, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN),
and operators within the Domain Name System, Microsoft coordinated a response
designed to disable domains targeted by Conficker. Microsoft also announced a
$250,000 reward for information that results in the arrest and conviction of
those responsible for illegally launching the Conficker malicious code on the
Internet. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"As part of Microsoft's
ongoing security efforts, we constantly look for ways to use a diverse set of
tools and develop methodologies to protect our customers," said George Stathakopoulos,
general manager of the Trustworthy Computing Group at Microsoft. "By
combining our expertise with that of the broader community we can expand the
boundaries of defense to better protect people worldwide." </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">As cyberthreats have rapidly
evolved, a greater level of industry coordination and new tactics for
communication and threat mitigation are required. To optimize the multiple
initiatives being employed across the security industry and within academia,
Microsoft helped unify these broad efforts to implement a community-based
defense to disrupt the spread of Conficker. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Along with Microsoft,
organizations involved in this collaborative effort include ICANN, NeuStar,
VeriSign, CNNIC, Afilias, Public Internet Registry, Global Domains
International Inc., M1D Global, AOL, Symantec, F-Secure, ISC, researchers from
Georgia Tech, the Shadowserver Foundation, Arbor Networks and Support
Intelligence. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"The best way to defeat
potential botnets like Conficker/Downadup is by the security and Domain Name
System communities working together," said Greg Rattray, chief Internet
security advisor at ICANN. "ICANN represents a community that's all about
coordinating those kinds of efforts to keep the Internet globally secure and
stable." </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"Microsoft's approach
combines technology innovation and effective cross-sector partnerships to help
protect people from cybercriminals," Stathakopoulos said. "We hope
these efforts help to contain the threat posed by Conficker, as well as hold
those who illegally launch malware accountable." </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">More information about how to
protect yourself from Conficker can be found at <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/conficker">http://www.microsoft.com/conficker</a>.
Customers interested in learning more about staying safe online can visit <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/protect">http://www.microsoft.com/protect</a>. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Microsoft's reward offer
stems from the company's recognition that the Conficker worm is a criminal
attack. Microsoft wants to help the authorities catch the criminals responsible
for it. Residents of any country are eligible for the reward, according to the
laws of that country, because Internet viruses affect the Internet community
worldwide. Individuals with information about the Conficker worm should contact
their international law enforcement agencies. </span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">About ICANN: </span></strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">ICANN is responsible for the
global coordination of the Internet's system of unique identifiers like domain
names (like .org, .museum and country codes like .uk) and the addresses used in
a variety of Internet protocols that help computers reach each other over the
Internet. Careful management of these resources is vital to the Internet's
operation, so ICANN's global stakeholders meet regularly to develop policies
that ensure the Internet's ongoing security and stability. ICANN is an
internationally organized, public benefit non-profit company. For more
information please visit: <a href="http://www.icann.org/">www.icann.org</a>. </span></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Media Contacts: </span></strong><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">ICANN: <a href="mailto:press@icann.org">press@icann.org </a></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">International: Andrew
Robertson <br>
Edelman (London) <br>
Phone: +44 7921 588 770 <br>
Email: <a href="mailto:andrew.robertson@edelman.com">andrew.robertson@edelman.com
</a></span></p>