The numbers say it all: In 2009, there were 148,000 zombie computers (spammers, botnets, etc.) created per day, over 2.6 million known malicious code threats at the start of 2009, and by the end of the year, nearly 1 million new ones were created. In other words, to quote the illustrious Stewart Baker: “[The security threat] is worse than we even thought.”

As we head into 2010, it’s no secret that the issues of security and the prevention of internet identity theft in all its forms are of critical importance. That’s why .ORG, the Public Interest Registry, was honored to host the First .ORG Forum in Washington, D.C.

.ORG CEO Alexa Raad, Rod Beckstrom (CEO and President of ICANN), Stewart Baker (Partner at the law firm of Steptoe & Johnson), Michael Nelson (visiting Professor of Internet Studies at Georgetown University), Douglas Maughan (Program Manager at the Department of Homeland Security) debated the future of ICANN, grappling a series of burning questions like: What roles should ICANN, government and private industry play to ensure that new TLD remain safe and secure? How should they interact or collaborate to solve some of the major security threats prior to releasing new TLD? In the continuum between regulatory policies and technical oversight, where do you think ICANN should focus on as a priority to increase internet security?

Interested in hearing their thoughts and comments first-hand? Good news! You can watch the roundtable discussion by clicking here. The recorded session is broken into four parts, click on the play button to see the introduction (Part 1) below. Comments, thoughts and, of course, ideas for future Forums are welcome.

We thank all of you who were able to join us in-person and online for yesterday’s inaugural event. Most importantly, our deepest appreciation goes out to Rod, Stewart, Michael and Douglas for lending their unparalleled insight and helping make our first annual Forum an overwhelming success.

Stay tuned for details on our next Forum!