[ncdnhc-discuss] No new LA agenda

[Dave Crocker]

At 10:38 PM 9/29/2001, Vany Martinez wrote:
> > There is no evidence whatsoever of an imminent threat to DNS.
>And?  Terrorist actions in USA has opened the eyes to
>ICANN that it is also wise to think in Security issues

Correct.  If the only effort to consider security issues is to respond to 
known, imminent threats, then security work will always fail.

The nature of serious security planning to is to anticipate all threats 
that seems likely or reasonable.  Ultimately, security experts note that it 
is never possible to provide perfect security.  The goal is to anticipate 
likely threats and design a set of prevention mechanisms that balance cost, 
versus benefit, versus likelihood.


> > The particular terrorists we are dealing with are not interested in 
> disrupting web sites and email.
>This is outside the scope or ICANN...This is not the

I am extremely impressed that Milton is so certain about the goals of the 
terrorists.

The recent actions show a desire to attack icons of "western" commerce and 
power.  Infrastructure services for the Internet would seem an entirely 
plausible outlet for such intentions.  (As others have noted, the only real 
pressure against their attacking the Internet is their own demonstrated use 
of it.)


> > They want to kill people, large numbers of them. I have not
> > yet heard of a way one can become a martyr by hacking.
>You see? Still insisting.   Milton...this is not about Hacking or Cracking 
>a server.

Continuing to give in to the tendency to believe that any of us really 
understands the terrorists' goals and styles, I'll note that killing people 
well might not be a requirement.

In terms of social damage it is worth noting that the effect of the attack 
on the World Trade Center was probably far more serious for the physical 
disruption of major businesses than for the total number of people 
killed.  Yes, killing people carries the drama they seem to want, but it is 
not the only way to achieve that notariety.

Perhaps the most important point to consider is that these terrorists have 
shown astonishing and appalling creativity.  We all need to be very, very 
careful about the assumptions we make, when trying to predict their behavior.

d/

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Dave Crocker  <mailto:dcrocker at brandenburg.com>
Brandenburg InternetWorking  <http://www.brandenburg.com>
tel +1.408.246.8253;  fax +1.408.273.6464