Experts Accuse Bush Administration of Foot-Dragging on DNS Security Hole (Wired)

[kpete]

Experts Accuse Bush Administration of Foot-Dragging on DNS Security Hole
By Ryan Singel EmailAugust 13, 2008 | 3:44:24 PMCategories: Hacks and Cracks, Threats


Despite a recent high-profile vulnerability that showed the net could be hacked in minutes, the domain name system -- a key internet infrastructure -- continues to suffer from a serious security weakness, thanks to bureaucratic inertia at the U.S. government agency in charge, security experts say.

If the complicated politics of internet governance continue to get in the way of upgrading the security of the net's core technology, the internet could turn into a carnival house of mirrors, where no URL or e-mail address could be trusted to be genuine, according to Bill Woodcock, research director at the nonprofit Packet Clearing House.

.......................

The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority -- which coordinates the internet -- has been prototyping a system to sign the root-zone file for the last year, but they can't do the same for the internet's top servers without approval from the Department of Commerce.

That's where the rub is, according to Kolkman.

more at:
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/08/experts-accuse.html

[DBoon]

1. I heard Paul Vixie speak at USENIX Security a few weeks ago

the refusal to sign the root zone file has been a huge impediment to implementing DNSSEC

He didn't say much, but intimated that it was a major political obstacle.

[magellan]

2. It's incredible that nothing's been done about this

It's as if the US Gov wants it to happen....

:think:

[barbtries]

3. typical bush world shit

they probably do wish the web would explode. then they could feed the people a steady diet of nothing but their own propaganda. really dumb 'em down, and get 'em where they want 'em.

it's pathetic.