The latest news from and about SWITCH
Here you will find a summary of the media releases from SWITCH. Please note that the use of any of this content (even just as excerpts) is only permitted provided SWITCH is expressly acknowledged as the source.
07.02.2012
Switzerland's young people chatting day and night
The SWITCH Junior Web Barometer survey looks into the behaviour of children and young people in the Internet. As the latest survey shows: the older those questioned, the more time they spend chatting. All those included in the survey are former participants in the Junior Web Award who created a homepage of their own for the award. Since 2009, this anonymous annual survey has focused on the pupils' assessment of themselves: How do they rate their Internet know-how, and that of their parents and teachers? What do they use the Internet for, and how often? Have they got their Internet consumption under control? And which social media platforms are they active in? A total of 274 pupils answered this time round.
30.01.2012
SWITCH offering an online check for DNS-Changer malware
Internet users in Switzerland and Liechtenstein will do well to check their PC on the www.dnscheck.ch website before 8 March 2012. If a PC is infected with the "DNSChanger" malware, it will no longer be able to access the Internet as of 8 March 2012. With www.dns-check.ch, SWITCH is thus offering an effective protection against surprises. "DNSChanger" is the name of the malware that has infected thousands of PCs here too. On the PCs in question, the domain name system (DNS) has been changed in such a way that the user is diverted to other websites without noticing it. In November 2011, America's FBI was able to catch the fraudsters and replace the DNS servers used by the criminals by correctly-operating servers. These servers are now to be switched off as of 8 March 2012, however. As a result, infected computers will no longer be able to access the Internet.
Read on16.01.2012
2011: SWITCH intensively fighting malware
Last year, SWITCH fought malware on more than 1500 Swiss websites. Ninety-four percent of these were cleaned up – 81 percent within a single day. The registry for .ch and .li domain names sees this as highly positive and is continuing with its firm stand against malware in 2012. In 2011, SWITCH contacted the holders and operators of 1547 websites that were spreading malware. The aim was to clean up manipulated .ch and .li websites as rapidly as possible so that the malware could not spread any further.
Read on28.11.2011
New gTLDs: a new address structure in the Internet in 2012
The Internet address structure is being extended. As of 2012, it will be possible to apply for any desired terms to be used as the address ending. This will mean that addresses like "www.timetable.sbb" and "www.studies.eth" will become possible. Experts are discussing the opportunities and dangers for business and the public administration at today's "New gTLDs" information event in Bern, which has been organised by SWITCH and the Swiss Federal Office of Communications. To date, the address endings in the Internet, the so-called Top Level Domains, have been limited to country endings, such as .ch, or terms like .com, .org or .info. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is responsible for the international coordination of the Internet addressing system. As of 2012, it will be permitting any desired terms as address endings. Applications can be submitted to ICANN for the so-called new generic Top Level Domains (new gTLDs) as of 12 January.
Read on