[NA-Discuss] Conversation with Dave Piscitello

[Bret Fausett]

In my limited experience, I've found that secure, authenticated  
communications -- over the web, by email, IM, what have you --  are  
difficult because both sides to the communication need to have a  
shared understanding and common implementation of the security  
protocol. Even in my business, dealing lawyer to lawyer and lawyer to  
client (both situations where you'd think security, confidentiality  
and trust would demand secure and authenticated communications), I  
find that most lawyers and clients ask me to *stop* sending them  
messages with a digital signature...because their blackberry or some  
other handheld won't read it correctly...or because a webmail app  
won't read it correctly. So I see a real need to get apps in the  
hands of users that can handle security in an easy, transparent way  
and then to educate users about what the technology is, what it means  
to them, and how to use it. As far as ALAC and ICANN are concerned, I  
suppose I see the value ALAC could add as pushing information from  
ICANN security working groups out to the users.

      Bret