[ga] Go Daddy Go (was "DNS default helps hackers")

["Patrick Corliss" <patrick@quad.net.au>]

On Mon, 24 Jun 2002 09:33:32 -0400, Ross Wm. Rader wrote:

> Patrick - very few DNS operators (globally) allow zone transfers. This has
> very much become a de facto best practice.
>
> What is it that you are bringing to our attention specifically?

Hi Ross

No particular hidden agenda - I just thought that comments about a security
issue might be interesting to list participants.

Just as people might be interested in the Go Daddy suit against Verisign.

This is what Mark Hollands wrote in The Australian today (Tuesday, 25 June
2002) under the title "Dark days as industry comes under scrutiny":

"Staying on the same side of the Pacific, the brilliantly named company Go
Daddy, which sells domain names, has thrown 800lb gorilla Verisign in the
dock.

"Verisign is accused of writing to all Go Daddy customers saying "come to
momma coz your contract is about to run out with daddy".  It did not put it
quite like that, but you get the drift.

"Verisign doesn't deny the acccusation and it took a federal court order to
stop the firm sending out expiry notices to Go Daddy customers.

"Once the owner of the domain name monopoly in America, Verisign now struggles
to maintain market share.  According to Reuters, it faces a crop of court
claims "seeking class action status that accuse the company of inflating the
stock price and misleading investors about organic growth".

"Its idea or organic growth apparently includes letters telling Go Daddy
customers their domains will expire if they fail to send Verisign $US29
immediately.  Those who responded unknowingly switched accounts.  Verisign,
incidentally, charges almost three times more than Go Daddy -- and a bunch of
other rats and mice in this space -- for a similar service.

"Cheeky, or unethical?  The US District Court in Arizona will decide.

"When Reuters rang Verisign spokesman Brian O'Shaughnessy to ask him what on
earth was happening, he declined to comment.

"Enough said, Mr O'Shaughnessy . . . "

Mark Hollands in an Asia-Pacific vice-president for the research and
consulting group, Gartner.  He is a former editor of Australian IT.  His views
are not endorsed by Gartner.

See also:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=go+daddy+verisign


Best regards
Patrick Corliss



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