On September 9, 2025, the 88th conference of the Asia Pacific Top-Level Domain Association (APTLD88) commenced in Belgrade, Serbia, bringing together country-code top-level domain (ccTLD) registries from across the Asia-Pacific region. Representatives from the Coordination Center for TLD .RU/.РФ participated in the event.
At the conference opening, Mikhail Anisimov, ICANN’s representative for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, outlined the organization’s current priorities and preliminary results of preparations for the next round of the New gTLD program. He noted that the application window for Registry Service Provider (RSP) status has closed, while the Applicant Support Program (ASP) – designed for small businesses and underrepresented internet communities – remains open until November 19, 2025. The general application period for all interested parties will begin in April 2026.
Mikhail also highlighted the extensive community discussions underway regarding the WSIS+20 program. The year 2025 marks the final year of the current Internet Governance Forum (IGF) mandate, and a decision on its renewal or restructuring is expected during the UN General Assembly meeting in New York this December.
RIPE NCC Managing Director Hans Petter Holen focused on the organization’s technical projects, including new research on the RIPE Atlas platform and the ongoing expansion of DNSAuth infrastructure, which supports DNS reverse zones. He also shared several initiatives under discussion within the technical community, such as new governance models for regional internet registries and the DNS root server system. His presentation concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between RIPE NCC and APTLD.
In the ccNSO news segment, Coordination Center Deputy Director Irina Danelia discussed the work of the Strategic & Operational Planning Committee (SOPC) and its importance for ccTLD registries, inviting community members to participate in the committee’s activities.
Olga Baskakova, Project Manager at the Coordination Center, spoke at the session Empirical Analysis of DNS Abuse Cases at a ccTLD, detailing the evolution of phishing tactics – exemplified by the notorious Mammoth scheme familiar to Russian internet users.
According to Olga Baskakova, the shift toward automated services and the proliferation of phishing page builders continues to endanger users, with thousands of templated domains registered monthly for such attacks.
“This scheme demonstrates that phishing is no longer the scattered work of individual bad actors but has grown into a full-fledged industry. Combating it requires not only proactive analytics and close collaboration with banks, registrars, and security experts but also public education to deter potential victims and those tempted by quick profits from reckless actions,” she emphasized.
The APTLD88 conference continues – stay tuned for further updates!
