What Is DNS and Alt Roots?

Architecture and Background

Mike Scher - What is DNS and alt roots? What are alternate roots and why does Internet suck.

Vulnerability Analysis

Recently, the overlaping space among DNS, the design of browsers and search engines, international, national, and local trademark interests andlaw, have come to a head. A sprawling organization dubbed ICANN has taken over what used to be a task that sat squarely on one man's shoulders.

Exploitation and Demonstrations

The tensions are largely the result of ignorant (and purposeful) confusions of the purposes and functions of the various Internet name and resource locating systems. In this talk, we will discuss what a DNS root fundamentally IS, and the factors that keep a unified name service root in place despite many pressures to decentralize DNS root services.

Remediation and Defensive Strategies

We'll then look at the ways in which decentralized or alternate roots could be (and have been) implemented, and their implications for trademark and software politics and design. Mike Scher is an attorney and network security consultant working on both the policy and technology fronts. He has designed private DNS roots and TLD systems for international Fortune 500 companies, and worked with public alternative DNS root projects. Most recently, Mr. Scher has become infrastructure technology and policy manager for a fast-growing startupcompany in Chiago.