Perspective on Root Server Attack

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Let me make it VERY clear. I send out things which I find interesting.
Sometimes because they are right on -- sometimes right off. I let the
reader decide by listening to the sides which I try to balance.
Sometimes one "side" responds by cursing and screaming -- in that case I
ignore it. (not the case here (yet). I try for some rough balance when
possible.

Dave  


-----Original Message-----
From: Rodney Joffe <[mailto:rjoffe () centergate com]> 
Sent: Friday, October 25, 2002 2:43 PM
To: dave () farber net
Subject: Re: <[IP]> Perspective on Root Server Attack

Dave,

David Farber wrote:
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Brenton <<[mailto:brentonj () swbell net]>>
> Sent: Friday, October 25, 2002 5:43 AM
> To: dave () farber net; farber () cis upenn edu
> Cc: 'Bob Alberti'
> Subject: Perspective on Root Server Attack
>
> Dave,
>
> Here is another perspective on the Root Server Attack this week and
the
> efficacy of ICANN to fulfill their important role.

I can't tell if your correspondents are endorsing or rejecting the CNet
story. However, the lack of technical or political clue in the article
is astounding. Equating ICANN and IANA is preposterous, as you yourself
know. ICANN had nothing to do with the apparent "success" or "failure"
of the attacks. And despite what ICANN may believe, they don't control
the Internet. Not yet anyway. And the fact that there are 13
root-servers (itself a misnomer - there are many more than 13 machines)
is by design. The number 13 is not arbitrary.

The number 13 is not arbitrary. And the defense of the root servers is
an Internet wide issue, not a root-server operator's sole problem. ICANN
had nothing to do with the apparent "success" or "failure" of the
attacks. The machines themselves can cope with the packets. Its the
networks getting there that have trouble.

A large portion of the challenge lies with the networks that allow and
carry damaging traffic. If only we could get them to filter traffic
appropriately. And of course, ICANN doesn't control them either.

Disclaimer: I operate TLD servers for 7 g-TLDs and cc-TLDs. These are
often incorrectly referred to as root servers. They are not, but they
look just like the actual root, and fulfill a similar function one level
down. 

Regards,
-- 
Rodney Joffe
CenterGate Research Group, LLC.
http://www.centergate.com
"Technology so advanced, even we don't understand it!"(SM)

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