Affiliation: Principal, DMB Associates
Country: USA
Email: don[at]donblumenthal.com
Website:

   http://www.donblumenthal.com

LinkedIn:    Don Blumenthal
Currently a member
of ICANN's NomCom


Currently a member
of ICANN's RySG


Currently a member
of ICANN's SSAC


Featured in the ICANN 47 - Durban playing card deck

Don Blumenthal is a lawyer and consultant. He is an expert in law, technology, and policy development, particularly data security and privacy issues, electronic data discovery, cybercrime and civil fraud, Internet evidence development, spam, and malware. He is the current Senior Policy Advisor of PIR, the registry operator of the .org TLD. Blumenthal is also a Senior Principal for Global Cyber Risk, LLC., and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Michigan School of Information and at Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice.[1][2]

ICANN Involvement[edit | edit source]

Blumenthal is an active participant in the ICANN community. He represents PIR at the GNSO's RySG. He is also a member of various Working Groups such as the Joint DNS Security and Stability Analysis (DSSA) Working Group,[3] GNSO Whois Survey WG,[4] and Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC).[5]

Career History[edit | edit source]

Blumental has previously worked for the Federal Trade Commission as a Trial Attorney at the Cleveland Regional Office and Federal Maritime Commission, as well as Legislative Director for a Member of the House of Representatives. From 1992 until 1998, he worked as Attorney-Advisor on Information and Technology Management for the Federal Trade Commission, following which he served as Internet Lab Coordinator for FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection until 2006. The Internet Lab was a pioneer in implementing a systematic method of collecting and indexing illegal activity over the Internet for prosecution. He also managed the Commission's FTC’s Consumer Protection Technical Support Group and developed the Consumer Protection’s Litigation Support Group. After leaving the FTC, he began private practice work as a consultant and lawyer.[6] In 2010, he joined PIR as Policy Advisor.

Organizational Membership[edit | edit source]

Blumenthal is a member of the following organizations:

  • Board of Advisors; Legal Affairs SME, Centre for Assurance Studies, University of Detroit Mercy
  • Advisory Committee, Infragard - Michigan Chapter
  • Member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania
  • American Bar Association
  • International Association of Privacy Professionals
  • Information Systems Security Association
  • Healthcare Information Management and Systems Society[7]

Other Activities[edit | edit source]

Blumenthal contributed to the ABA publication International Guide to Cyber Security, the International Guide to Privacy and Roadmap to Enterprise Security. In 2005, he served as Co-Chairman of the Roadmap to Government and Private Sector Cyber Security Program and became the Moderator of the Roadmap to Enterprise Security Panel. In 2003, he helped organize the program Doing Business Around the Globe: New Guides to Protecting and Securing Your Data and Network, and participated as panelist during the ABA annual meeting. In 2004, he was the keynote speaker of the Third European IT-Forensics Meetings which was held at Rome, Italy. He is q contributor to FTC's publication, the Fraudbuster, under the Computer Sentinel Program.[8] A complete list of his outreach activities can be found here.

Awards[edit | edit source]

Blumenthal has received the following awards from FTC:

  • FTC Distinguished Service Award (2006)
  • Bureau of Consumer Protection Director’s Award (2003 and 2005)
  • FTC Outstanding Team Effort Award for Local Area Network Design and Installation Team (1992), Online Staples/Office Depot Merger Litigation (1997), Privacy Initiative (1998), Home Owners Equity Protection Act Study (1998), Internet Training (2001) and Rulemaking (2004)
  • FTC Mead-Johnson Award for Outstanding Support Activities (Litigation Support and Development of Law-related Technologies) (1998)[9]

Education and Certification[edit | edit source]

Mr. Blumenthal graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and received his Bachelor's Degree in Government from Oberlin College. He received his Certificate in Systems and Project Management from The American University.

References[edit | edit source]