On February 19-20, the Moscow Aviation Institute hosted the annual Internet Technologies Day, focusing on domains and information security. The event was organized by the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ in collaboration with the MAI IT Center and Department 316. Experts from the Coordination Center and its partner organizations delivered lectures.
On February 19, Maria Kolesnikova, chief analyst of the Coordination Center, introduced students to the structure of postal and domain addressing. She discussed Internet multilingualism and the principles of universal acceptance for non-Latin domain names and email addresses.
“There are over 7,000 languages and dialects worldwide, yet English remains the dominant language of the internet, used by 1.5 billion of the 5.7 billion internet users. Additionally, 49.2% of all websites are in English. However, the next billion internet users are expected to come from regions where English is not the primary language for most residents. This is why it is essential to advance software internationalization and localization, as well as develop machine translation and language models for the most widely spoken languages,” Maria Kolesnikova said.
She introduced students to the core principle of universal acceptance: ensuring that all valid domain names and email addresses function seamlessly across all software. She also discussed ongoing efforts to implement universal acceptance and invited students to participate in the Coordination Center’s youth projects, which offer valuable opportunities for professional growth and development.
Vadim Mikhailov, consultant on Coordination Center infrastructure, examined threats associated with the visual similarity of domain names and email addresses. He provided examples of fraudulent schemes and discussed protective measures against such attacks. Ivan Vlasov (MSK-IX) also participated in the event, explaining the structure of the DNS system and the different types of resource records.
On February 20, students attended lectures by Andrey Yarnykh, ROCIT board member and information security expert, and Yevgeny Pankov, analyst from the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ. Andrey Yarnykh discussed modern cybersecurity threats, emerging technologies, and system vulnerabilities. He highlighted that Windows remains the primary target for attackers, with approximately 85% of detected malicious files aimed at this platform. Additionally, in 2024, the daily share of malicious files in Microsoft Office formats doubled. He also explained how to create strong, reliable passwords and provided real-world examples of security system failures in companies and organizations.
Yevgeny Pankov explained the mechanics of phishing attacks, provided examples, and shared effective protection strategies. To conclude the event, he hosted the quiz Explore the Internet & Govern It, where participants tested their knowledge and received souvenirs from the Coordination Center.
“We have been collaborating with the Moscow Aviation Institute for a long time, and this year’s Internet Technologies Day once again highlighted the importance of maintaining strong ties with universities. It is crucial to provide students with the latest information and understand what interests them most and what else we should teach them. We plan to continue participating in similar projects, sharing our knowledge and experience with both students and faculty,” Maria Kolesnikova said.
In 2023, the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ and the Moscow Aviation Institute signed a cooperation agreement. This partnership focuses on developing joint educational programs in IT, conducting research initiatives, implementing professional retraining programs within MAI’s Digital Department, providing career guidance for students at the MAI Pre-University Center, and organizing master classes and other events.
