[ncdnhc-discuss] proposed resolution on sec&stab.

[Michael Froomkin - U.Miami School of Law]

I think this resolution has strengths and weaknesses.

If we are going to have recitals, I'd also like to see mention of the
greatest strength of the Internet -- it's distributed nature -- and call
on the Board to emphasize solutions that reinforce this character rather
than centralizing matters in a single point of failure which becomes
vulnerable and attractive to attack.

I also particularly wish to see a 3-step process: 

1) People identify the threats that need to be addressed.  I have
seen remarkably few concrete examples discussed so far -- the chief one
being the failure of ICANN to actually implement the escrow for which a
policy was I gather agreed more than 2 years ago?

2) Work items are parceled out properly.  I would like to see the
resolution request the Board to identify the work items that are properly
ICANN's, and those properly directed to standards bodies and other
institutions.

3) Concrete proposals are brought forward and discussed.

Thus, I'd amend the resolution to make it clear that this is the initiation
of a process, not an (unreasonable) demand that everything be done
yesterday (I'm sure that's not the author's intention, but it reads that
way).


On Tue, 2 Oct 2001, Alejandro Pisanty - CUAED y FQ, UNAM wrote:

> Hi!
> 
> a lot has ben said and done about security and stability in the NCDNHC
> these days. We have seen questions, answers, knowledgeability, expedrtise,
> etc. It may be time to see what the NCDNHC can offer to the community.
> This need not derail other significant issues, of course. Only focus on
> many of our members- preoccupations and capabilities. We are offering,
> not only demanding.
> 
> For other issues that have been mentioned (e.g. the .org divestiture) it
> would be nice to see some of the background work that has been done on
> them in order for the constituency to decide which go first.
> 
> I hope we can work from this draft:
> >
> >I move to consider and, after appropriate procedure, pass the following
> >resolution:
> >
> >The recent, tragic events and their fallout have heightened the need to
> >assess the stability and security of the Internet's centrally coordinated
> >resources, and also of the need of strong international cooperation for
> >this purpose regardless of the lucrative or non-commercial nature of all
> >organizations active and dependent on the Internet.
> >
> >The non-commercial organizations and entities which are represented in the
> >NCDNHC of ICANN's DNSO may stand to suffer disruptions in their
> >functioning from a variety of disruptions in the operations of the DNS and
> >the allocation processes for domain names and IP addresses, from which
> >the expense and work of recovery may be much less available than for
> >large, commercial organizations.
> >
> >While a significant portion of the non-commercial interests in the DNS and
> >IP allocation system is embodied in universities and research institutes
> >with high levels of technical expertise around the world, many other
> >non-commercial organizations have very limited financial and technical
> >resources to reroute around or recover from a crisis, and to train for
> its prevention and recovery.
> >
> >Also, the expertise embodied in non-commercial organizations is frequently
> >made available to a wider community by publications and advice and not
> >protected from public access to secure proprietary interests or knowledge,
> >so academic and other non-commercial organizations may become optimal
> >poles for the diffusion of knowledge referred to threats to the stability
> >and security of the systems under ICANN's purview and the ways to avoid
> >such threats and the damage that could result from their materialization.
> >
> >Therefore the NCDNHC calls upon the Names Council, the ASO, the PSO, and
> >the ICANN Board, to promptly assess the threats to the stability and
> >security of the matters under ICANN's coordination, and to establish
> >measures to address these threats, their avoidance, and the avoidance of
> >the collateral damage they may produce, in order that non-commercial
> >organizations with limited technical, human and financial resources be
> >least affected by the materialization of such threats, and have affordable
> >access to the corresponding preventive measures.
> >
> >Further, the NCDNHC calls upon its technically strong members, and their
> >peers, as well as on organizations with appropriate policy orientation and
> >expertise, to aid ICANN in the aforementioned effort to assess the threats
> >to stability and security of the DNS and address allocation system and to
> >provide the community with their expertise. The NCDNHC organization
> representatives will call on people from their communities to provide
> further assistance.
> >
> >The NCDNHC offers the technical and policy expertise of its members, the
> >high standing of some of them in their societies, and the intercultural
> >experience of the constituency, to the process of assessing and securing
> >the stability and security of the matters under ICANN's purview.
> >
> >Alejandro Pisanty
> >
> >.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
> >      Dr. Alejandro Pisanty
> >UNAM  -  Educacion Abierta y a Distancia
> >Av. Universidad 3000, 04510 Mexico DF Mexico
> >Tel. (+52-5) 622-8713, 622-8633 Fax 550-8405
> >
> >http://www.cuaed.unam.mx
> >---->> Unete a ISOC Mexico, www.isocmex.org.mx, www.isoc.org
> >=====>>> Participa en ICANN, www.icann.org
> >---->> Internet y Sociedad? www.istf.org
> >.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .
> 
> 
> 
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> Discuss at icann-ncc.org
> http://www.icann-ncc.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
> 

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