The DNS Research Federation (DNS RF) is an Oxford-based, market-leading organisation that uses evidence-based research to provide policy recommendations and outcomes for the Internet industry globally. The data landscape for the Domain Name System (DNS), which underpins the Internet, is fragmented and lacks open, objective data making it hard for researchers, academics, standard developers and social scientists to understand what is going on at the technical layer of the Internet. 

The DNS RF has recently joined forces with Google and the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) to tackle online scams, fraud and abuse through a data platform called the Global Signal Exchange. 

Emily Taylor comments: "Fighting scams is a collaborative effort. It requires the Internet industry to cooperate with business, civil society and government to take on bad actors and protect users. A key part of that fight is sharing abuse data and related information (signals).  The Global Signal Exchange is a collaboration between the three leading organisations and is open to anyone with a legitimate interest in, or ability to act against, online scams.

"Verified partners not only gain access to the latest fraud intelligence but also receive a customised dashboard that spotlights data most relevant to their organisation. Those with access to their own scam intelligence are encouraged to contribute to the collective effort by sharing it with the exchange. The system also incorporates a feedback loop that rewards swift reporting, threat mitigation, and quality control.

"As the DNS Research Federation, our strategic role will be to power the Global Signal Exchange through our DAP.live platform. This is a mature, robust, secure signals sharing platform that aggregates more than 90 million threat signals from 100 feeds and shares that data  with hundreds of users. The platform is hosted on Google's Cloud Platform, lending scalability and resilience.

"The timing of launching The Exchange is important. Online scams have a devastating impact on people's lives and cause real-world harm to users. If cybercrime were a country, it would have the third highest GDP in the world. Further, recent data we commissioned revealed that the average UK adult now receives around 240 scam emails or texts a year, with one in eight receiving double this."

Lucien Taylor, Chief Technology Officer adds: "Recent years have seen an explosion in online fraud, fed by the fact that more of our lives are online than ever before, and that the global technical and legal frameworks for tackling it are, at the moment, insufficient.

"The Global Signal Exchange is a step toward correcting that imbalance by putting a spotlight on where scams are happening online, in real time, and by sharing information about online scams and fraud across the Internet ecosystem. We aim to help stop malicious activities faster, making them less effective and so less profitable. 

  • DNS Research Federation has built the data analytics gateway at DAP.live to support our academic and policy work by offering free, open and transparent data sharing. 
  • As a world leader in online services and a key player in the Internet ecosystem, Google has considerable experience fighting online scams, and as the first Founding Member contributed relevant abuse signals, funding and its AI capabilities to establish the GSE as the global clearinghouse for scams and fraud abuse signals. 
  • GASA was established specifically to tackle the growing threat of online fraud and has built a global alliance of businesses focused on protecting consumers. It will provide the organisational centre of the Global Signal Exchange. 

"Our tracking DAP.LIVE data reveals that major brands from all industry sectors are having their brands infringed by the scammers, who rely on using familiar brand names to attract their victims. The solution requires everyone to work together. Scammers work together, they share and they move quickly. The days are long-gone when individual brands can tackle online crime alone. The Global Signal Exchange marks a new chapter in the fight-back against online crime. We invite businesses to get involved, support our work and be part of the change we all want to see to make the free and open Internet a safer place for us all."

"We are delighted to be one of the strategic founders of the first Global Signal Exchange, and the collaboration between the brands signifies a step-change in the fight against online scams and facilities a new culture of co-operation and collaboration."

Please visit the DNS Research Federation's DAP.live platform for more information and to follow news on the Global Signal Exchange.