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DHS Wants Master Key for DNS

An anonymous reader writes "At an ICANN meeting in Lisbon, the US Department of Homeland Security made it clear that it has requested the master key for the DNS root zone. The key will play an important role in the new DNSSec security extension, because it will make spoofing IP-addresses impossible. By forcing the IANA to hand out a copy of the master key, the US government will be the only institution that is able to spoof IP addresses and be able to break into computers connected to the Internet without much effort. There's a further complication, of course, because even 'if the IANA retains the key ... the US government still reserves the right to oversee ICANN/IANA. If the keys are then handed over to ICANN/IANA, there would be even less of an incentive [for the U.S.] to give up this role as a monitor. As a result, the DHS's demands will probably only heat up the debate about US dominance of the control of Internet resources.'"

2 of 266 comments (clear)

  1. Re:No, it's not a joke. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    What part of hardcoded do you not understand? You would have to spoof IP addresses, not domains, to send bogus updates to Windows machines.

  2. Re:Another "Internet" by bendodge · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    For as many mistakes and bad choices the US government has had, I think it is still by far the best entity to control the internet. The UN would cencor it, China would propagandize it, France would tax it, and Britain would botch it technically.

    When it all boils down, a network like the internet requires centralized control, and it's often best to stick with the devil you know.

    --
    The government can't save you.