Advancing Our Commitment During Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Every October, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a reminder that protecting the Internet is a shared responsibility. For Public Interest Registry (PIR), that commitment extends far beyond one month. As the nonprofit registry operator of the .ORG Family of Domains, we work year-round to help keep the Internet a place where mission-driven organizations and individuals can safely connect, share, and make an impact.
Through our own policy initiatives, partnerships, and programs, PIR focuses on reducing online harm, strengthening trust in .ORG, and supporting a safer Internet for everyone.
Expanding Protections Through Partnership
We’ve just announced our expanded partnership with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). This builds on PIR’s first-of-its-kind collaboration with IWF which makes IWF’s tools that help identify and disrupt sites associated with the commercial distribution and exploitation of online Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) available to registries, and now registrars, at no cost. By making these tools available to ICANN-accredited registrars, we’re extending their reach across the DNS, helping prevent the operation of domains tied to CSAM and strengthening protections for vulnerable users throughout the Internet.
Advancing Our Programs to Strengthen Trust
Our commitment to safety also extends to how we manage and protect the .ORG namespace itself.
In 2019, PIR launched the Quality Performance Index (QPI), a program which provides recognition for registrars that demonstrate healthy registration patterns, such as low DNS Abuse rates. These registrars qualify for incentives on .ORG registrations, helping ensure a more trustworthy .ORG namespace. Over time, QPI has helped registrars strengthen their approaches to DNS Abuse prevention and has helped reduce malicious .ORG registrations.
Most registrars have embraced QPI and strengthened their practices, but some isolated cases of persistent, high levels of DNS Abuse remain. Even limited instances can have a significant impact on trust in .ORG and the broader Internet ecosystem. Addressing these cases requires a clear, consistent, and transparent approach that the entire community can understand and trust.
The Abuse Intervention Program
That’s why PIR is advancing its efforts through a new initiative, the Abuse Intervention Program (AIP). Building on the foundation of QPI, AIP will provide additional support and accountability where needed and reinforce a consistent, predictable approach to addressing persistent DNS Abuse and promote healthy registration practices. The purpose of AIP is to ensure that every .ORG registrar meets baseline expectations for protecting end users and the Internet ecosystem.
As part of that commitment, PIR recognizes that a vast majority of registrars demonstrate strong anti-abuse practices, but a small number continue to maintain unacceptably high levels of abuse. AIP is designed to help address those cases and ensure every registrar meets baseline expectations for protecting end users and the Internet ecosystem. The AIP will provide structure, clarity, and fairness while encouraging those registrars to take meaningful steps to reduce abuse.
PIR will work directly with registrars identified through AIP to help them address abuse-related issues and strengthen their practices. The goal of the program is to encourage collaboration and ongoing progress.
In practice, this structure aims to create a clear and collaborative process for addressing chronic issues when they arise. Only when necessary, PIR may temporarily limit a registrar’s ability to register names in .ORG. These interventions are designed to be short-term and focused on helping registrars make measurable improvements. It will create space to review and strengthen their anti-abuse practices and return to full operations, while not impacting their ability to manage existing registrations.
PIR’s goal is to help registrars succeed, not to restrict their operations. But when serious abuse persists, consistent with our other anti-abuse policies and initiatives, we will take measured steps to protect the integrity of the .ORG namespace.
Together, QPI and AIP represent a balanced approach to strengthening trust: one program that celebrates excellence and another that provides structure and accountability when intervention is necessary. By combining incentives, transparency, and accountability, PIR aims to help ensure that .ORG remains a safe, trusted, and resilient home for mission-driven organizations around the world.
PIR plans to roll out the AIP in April 2026 and will be working with the registrar community on the details in the coming months.
Our Ongoing Commitment
Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a good reminder of how much collaboration matters in keeping the Internet safe. For PIR, that work continues every day, through our partnerships, programs, and ongoing commitment to protecting the integrity of the .ORG Community.