See also: http://blog.internetgovernance.org/blog/_archives/2011/1/29/4737705.html
- ferg On Sun, Jan 30, 2011 at 3:49 PM, Shawn Merdinger <shawn...@gmail.com> wrote: > http://opencrs.com/document/97-868/ > > Summary > > Navigating the Internet requires using addresses and corresponding > names that identify the location of individual computers. The Domain > Name System (DNS) is the distributed set of databases residing in > computers around the world that contain address numbers mapped to > corresponding domain names, making it possible to send and receive > messages and to access information from computers anywhere on the > Internet. The DNS is managed and operated by a not-for-profit public > benefit corporation called the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names > and Numbers (ICANN). Because the Internet evolved from a network > infrastructure created by the Department of Defense, the U.S. > government originally owned and operated (primarily through private > contractors) the key components of network architecture that enable > the domain name system to function. A 1998 Memorandum of Understanding > (MOU) between ICANN and the Department of Commerce (DOC) initiated a > process intended to transition technical DNS coordination and > management functions to a private-sector not-for-profit entity. While > the DOC has played no role in the internal governance or day- to-day > operations of the DNS, ICANN remained accountable to the U.S. > government through the MOU, which was superseded in 2006 by a Joint > Project Agreement (JPA). On September 30, 2009, the JPA between ICANN > and DOC expired and was replaced by an Affirmation of Commitments > (AoC), which provides for review panels to periodically assess ICANN > processes and activities. Many of the technical, operational, and > management decisions regarding the DNS can have significant impacts on > Internet-related policy issues such as intellectual property, privacy, > e- commerce, and cybersecurity. With the expiration of the ICANN-DOC > Joint Project Agreement on September 30, 2009, and the announcement of > the new AoC, the 112th Congress and the Administration may continue to > assess the appropriate federal role with respect to ICANN and the DNS, > and examine to what extent ICANN is positioned to ensure Internet > stability and security, competition, private and bottom-up > policymaking and coordination, and fair representation of the global > Internet community. A related issue is whether the U.S. government's > unique authority over the DNS root zone should continue indefinitely. > Foreign governments have argued that it is inappropriate for the U.S. > government to have exclusive authority over the worldwide DNS, and > that technical coordination and management of the DNS should be > accountable to international governmental entities. On the other hand, > many U.S. officials argue that it is critical for the U.S. government > to maintain authority over the DNS in order to guarantee the stability > and security of the Internet. The expiration of the JPA, the > implementation of the Affirmation of Commitments, and the continuing > U.S. authority over the DNS root zone remain issues of interest to the > 112th Congress, the Administration, foreign governments, and other > Internet stakeholders worldwide. Other specific issues include the > possible addition of new generic top-level domain names (gTLDs), .xxx > and the protection of children on the Internet, the security and > stability of the DNS, and the status of the WHOIS database. How all of > these issues are ultimately addressed could have profound impacts on > the continuing evolution of ICANN, the DNS, and the Internet. > _______________________________________________ > Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts. > https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec > Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list. > -- "Fergie", a.k.a. Paul Ferguson Engineering Architecture for the Internet fergdawgster(at)gmail.com ferg's tech blog: http://fergdawg.blogspot.com/ _______________________________________________ Fun and Misc security discussion for OT posts. https://linuxbox.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/funsec Note: funsec is a public and open mailing list.
