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Generic TLDs Threaten Name Collisions and Information Leakage
CowboyRobot writes "As the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) continues its march toward the eventual approval of hundreds, if not more than 1,000, generic top-level domains (gTLDs), security experts warn that some of the proposed names could weaken network security at many companies. Two major issues could cause problems for companies: If domain names that are frequently used on a company's internal network — such as .corp, .mail, and .exchange — become accepted gTLDs, then organizations could inadvertently expose data and server access to the Internet. In addition, would-be attackers could easily pick up certificates for domains that are not yet assigned and cache them for use in man-in-the-middle attacks when the specific gTLD is deployed."
Another way to look at it: why were they using invalid domains in the first place?
I used to work for a company where some uncommon but in use domain names where being used on the intranet, and where overriding the internet ones.. A real pain in the ass.
You have 5 Moderator Points!
Which Helpless Linux zealot/MS basher do you want to mod down today?
That's why I have been giving my internal domains silly like .zyxprivnet for at least 15 years...
It would be nice to reserve some domain names for internal use although, just like internal ip addresses.
Everything I write is lies, read between the lines.
why were they using invalid domains in the first place?
Because they could and nobody had warned them that ICANN was eventually going to go for a massive AOLisation of the DNS.
Even without these objections, ICANN is just fscking around (for money, it ain't cheap to sup at their table), and blaming what the rest of the world may or may not have done is not really constructive here.
Seriously, the internet has reached a level of growth where ANY major change like that WILL invariably break something that grew along with it. And we didn't even reach the point yet where this alone is obviously a serious business advantage or drawback, depending on who gets certain TLDs. Who gets to have .mail? Who gets .web? Who is the lucky dog who gets that license to print money? And, worse, to keep certain people from using it at all, preferably those that would present a competitor to them?
Who gets to use .$well_known_name? .exchange? .office? Or how about .gates? .jackson?
If this does anything, it just opens up a new round of domain name turf wars and domain squatting. Only this time, there is no escape from the squatter. There is no $name.$land when $name.com is held for ransom.
We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
Have you ever worked for IBM or any other big corporation? You will have to go through 7 levels of approval, impact analysis, cost analysis, get about 50 people involved etc. and wait several months, Nah ;-)
Note that, of course, I always create subdomains when I have control of the domain or when it is easy to get in touch with the person who does. Read: smaller companies.
Everything I write is lies, read between the lines.
Just imagine if company A asks for a certificate for mail.corporate, but then uses it for industrial espionage against company B's mail.corporate server...
The internet is critical infrastructure now.
Would you suggest changing the mains voltage for the US power grid? "Evolving" to 220v would reduce substation transformer requirements and reduce copper usage in residential construction. Or perhaps people don't know how to use electricity properly, so screw them when nothing works.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?