Re: [ga] Net security's a losing battle

["Roberto Gaetano" <ga_list@hotmail.com>]

Hi.

I concur with Sandy's post, but would also add a comment.

The most spectacular effect that the terrorist attack has created is the 
collapse of the Twin Towers, and the most sad effect are the thousands of 
casualties, but there is another effect that has not to be underestimated: 
the critical situation in which the western economy has been put. I speak 
about the impact on airline industry, the burden on insurance companies, the 
drop in the stock market, and other things that will impact us for the years 
to come (higher insurance premia, higher cost of travel, longer boarding 
times, etc.).

The terrorists of the new millennium might well concentrate on these kind of 
damages, that are less likely to create horror for their acts, and therefore 
less likely to create a consensus front against them.
Our Net has been built and is being operated in a way that will survive well 
nuclear attacks, but less well electronic sabotage.
Somebody has asked in this forum what would have happened if a root server 
would have been located in lower Manhattan (or, for this purpose, even in 
the Twin Towers). The answer is, IMHO, "Nothing, the other 12 would have 
been more than sufficient". In fact, the Net would have suffered under 
(physical) attack to half a dozen of roots at the same time much less than 
what it suffered under Kashpureff's electronic attack few years ago.

I do believe that it is a responsible answer from ICANN to address these 
issues before the terrorists find out how they can attack the DNS and 
jeopardize its functioning, creating billions of damage to the western 
economy. The big problem is, IMHO, that a lot of people see the DNS as a 
milk cow, and are very little motivated to deploy secure procedures (more 
costly and requiring higher expertise) if they see this as a risk for their 
profits. Therefore the only way to progress on this is to include security 
requirements in the contracts ICANN has with the different parties 
(Registries and accredited Registrars).

I am saddened by the delay that this may have on other issues, on which I am 
contributing and I would see progressing (like the AtLarge), but I am also 
looking forward to see an open debate on security, as a vital subject for 
the survival of the Net as we know it today.

Regards
Roberto
(Sandy's excellent post cut for bandwidth)



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