[dnssec-deployment] Computer Wire story on DNSSEC Deployment

[Szykman, Simon]

Hi all,

I personally disagree that bad press is better than no press, and I disagree that the worst that can happen is that people ask clarifying questions.  The worst that can happen is that people accept misinterpretation or mischaracterized coverage as truth, and take positions based on misinformation.  Because of perceptions in some parts of the international community the US owns or acts like it owns the Internet, issues of Internet governance, and already propagated misperceptions among some people that DHS is some black agency rather than a protective one, this is a problem we certainly don't want to have.

While I do agree that the story could have been quite a bit worse, that simply highlights the fact that we want to avoid stories that stray too far from the real message.  Sufficiently inaccurate coverage that gets propagated and creates a stir could potentially create significant obstacles to moving forward with following the DNSSEC deployment roadmap.

In my opinion, we need to develop a set of talking points for DHS-funded DNSSEC deployment participants who are speaking publicly about the DHS-funded DNSSEC activity, which includes all the things we want to be sure are said (that the private sector and not the government is leading the roadmap development, that this is being done with immense vetting and collaboration with the international community, that the DNSSEC standard itself is the result of international consensus-based standards development, etc.).

- Simon

-- 
Simon Szykman, Ph.D.
Director, Cyber Security R&D
Department of Homeland Security
Science and Technology Directorate
Washington, DC 20528
Phone: 202-254-5802
Fax: 202-254-6176