Preparations for securing the domain name system root zone using the DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC ) protocol are entering a key phase. At the 76th meeting of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in Hiroshima, the design team from VeriSign, the internet administration authority ICANN and the US NTIA presented the strict security conditions under which the various keys required will be generated, held and renewed. IETF developers expressed concern about the lack of channels for both explaining the DNSSEC rollout, scheduled to commence in January, to ISPs and for collecting reports of anything untoward from the ISPs.. In October, ICANN and VeriSign surprised many observers with their proposed timetable for DNSSEC root zone signing. Signatures will be used internally from as early as 1st December and the first root server will serve the zone to the outside world from January. Cryptographically secured DNSSEC signatures are intended to prevent DNS information from being changed en-route from sender to recipient. If a response comes from the wrong domain, this will be revealed by checking private against public keys. The link for this article located at H Security is no longer available. . The collaboration between ICANN and VeriSign regarding the deployment schedule for the DNSSEC root zone sparks concerns and obstacles related to cybersecurity.. DNS Security Extensions, Root Zone Signing, DNSSEC Implementation, ICANN, VeriSign. . Anthony Pell
Cybersecurity czar Richard Clarke will step down next month after he finishes a comprehensive Internet-security plan, industry and government sources said Tuesday. Clarke, a longtime White House aide who has led efforts to combat terrorism and bolster the security of the nation's computer systems. . .. Cybersecurity czar Richard Clarke will step down next month after he finishes a comprehensive Internet-security plan, industry and government sources said Tuesday. Clarke, a longtime White House aide who has led efforts to combat terrorism and bolster the security of the nation's computer systems , will look for work in the private sector rather than take a position in the new Department of Homeland Security, people close to the situation said. Sources suggested that Clarke was unsatisfied with the new positions offered him, as they would be a step down from his current role as national point man for cybersecurity efforts. A spokesman with Clarke's office declined to comment. Clarke will announce his resignation after presenting the final version of the National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, a wide-ranging document that seeks to encourage "safe computing" practices among business, government and individual users, the sources said. The product of more than a year of discussion with a wide range of experts, the report has been the subject of intense lobbying by privacy advocates worried about online surveillance and businesses who fear excessive regulation. Security experts, meanwhile, have criticized the plan as toothless because it imposes few hard rules on users who operate in an online environment still rife with security holes. Cybersecurity concerns have mounted in the face of devastating attacks such as last weekend's "SQL Slammer" virus, which knocked out wide swaths of the Internet, forcing Korean stock brokers to trade with paper and pencil, and shutting down many automatic teller machines in the United States. Critics say the state of online security will remain dismal as long asbusinesses do not make it a priority. At the same time, Clarke and others on the President's Critical Infrastructure Board say the government cannot browbeat the industry into compliance because 85 percent of the Internet is privately owned. The link for this article located at News.com is no longer available. . Cybersecurity chief Richard Clarke is set to resign next month upon completing a detailed online-safety strategy.. Richard Clarke, National Security, Cybersecurity Strategy. . Anthony Pell
Microsoft Corp.'s vulnerability-handling plan is a good start but may end up being insufficient as the specter of government regulation of Internet security looms, according to security experts. As IT security administrators and CIOs were absorbing the details of Microsoft's plan . . . . Microsoft Corp.'s vulnerability-handling plan is a good start but may end up being insufficient as the specter of government regulation of Internet security looms, according to security experts. As IT security administrators and CIOs were absorbing the details of Microsoft's plan last week (see "Cracking Down on Hackers"), the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Department of Commerce's Subcommittee on Commerce Trade and Consumer Protection was holding hearings to determine whether the industry was doing everything possible to secure the nation's computing infrastructure. The link for this article located at eWeek.com is no longer available. . The security framework of Microsoft Corp. might overlook certain weaknesses in light of increasing regulatory examination.. Microsoft Security, Vulnerability Management, IT Administration. . Anthony Pell
Get the latest Linux and open source security news straight to your inbox.