Kristina and all,
Following are responses below from staff
where we can. I believe some of your questions highlight the need for
further study (possibly in more areas than we’ve identified in the
report, as some of your questions suggest).
Happy to try to answer further where we
can, if you have more questions. I just want to note again too that given
the short time frame to prepare the report, the breadth of sources we were able
to draw upon were necessarily limited. I really like your idea about
noting sources and including a bibliography when we prepare issues reports in
the future, and I’m going to add this as a suggestion in our GNSO
improvements process so that we capture this idea to consider in the
development of a new policy development process.
Liz
From:
owner-council@gnso.icann.org [mailto:owner-council@gnso.icann.org] On Behalf Of Rosette, Kristina
Sent: Thursday, April 17, 2008
7:00 AM
To: council@gnso.icann.org
Subject: [council] Fast Flux
Report - questions
All,
Here
are some initial questions/requests about the report. I will forward
additional questions soon.
Page
1: The report states that staff "consulted other appropriate and
relevant sources of information". In the interest of transparency, I
would appreciate having those sources be identified. As a general
note, it may be helpful to all readers of the report if the issues reports
included a bibliography or sources consulted section.
LG -- staff
considered the SAC Advisory (SAC 025) and I also consulted extensively with Lyman
Chapin. We referred to the email exchanges on the SSAC list during the period
of time in which the SSAC folks were discussing fast flux and preparing
SAC 025, the presentations and transcripts from the SSAC workshops in
and
Pages
6, 14: One interpretation of the reference to "domains in ccTLDs are
targeted as well" is that there is no "lasting value" to
developing gTLD policy regarding any issue that occurs in both gTLDs and
ccTLDs. Is this interpretation intended?
LG -- Chuck’s comment was right. There
could be a benefit to coordinating with the ccNSO. Not making a judgment
on “no lasting value”.
Pages
6, 14: Similarly, one interpretation of the reference to "static
rules through a policy development process might be quickly undermined by
intrepid cybercriminals" is that there can be "no lasting value"
to developing gTLD policy regarding any issue that results from or is
associated with cybercriminals because they move more quickly than the PDP and,
as interpreted by one IPC member, "are smarter than we are". Is
this interpretation intended?
LG – That is why we mention the importance of
developing best practices, which then can be enhanced and upgraded over time to
keep up better with new techniques developed to undermine existing deterrent techniques.
Perhaps a policy outcome might point to the need to adopt rigorous best
practices and refresh on an ongoing basis. But my understanding on fast
flux is that these best practices do not necessarily exist today, so the
question might be how to encourage their development in a structured and
focused way, as a necessary precursor to deciding how to encourage or require
their widespread adoption. Might the GNSO Council take on a convening
role here? Or encourage or direct in some other way? In this
context, the inference of concern about “lasting value” of imposing
a specific practice is intended.
Page
8: For how long and on what scale has proxy redirection been used to
maintain high availability and spread the network load?
LG – We need to study this more. The key question
I was raising is, “are there valid uses that need to be considered, that
could be undermined if certain deterrent steps were imposed?” It is
not clear from our cursory view how broadly this is used – seems also unlikely
that there would be need for such constant and frequent fluxing in this context,
but we couldn’t determine for sure either way.
Page
9: Did more than one person describe evasion of "black holing"
"anecdotally as a possible 'legitimate use'" of fast flux? Any
evidence or research to suggest that it actually happens?
LG -- This is anecdotal and may only be one entity, another potential
subject of further study.
Page
10: How likely is that fast flux hosting "could be significantly
curtailed by changes in the way in which DNS registries and registrars
currently operate"?
LG – Would need to study further.
Page
11: Is it technically possible now for registries and registrars to act
in two ways set forth in report? Practically possible? If so, do
they? If not, have reasons for not doing so been provided and, if so,
what are they?
LG – Would need to study further.
(I
have not included a scope clarification question because I understand that it
has already bee posed.)
Many
thanks.
Kristina