DNSSEC Launched Today by EDUCAUSE and VeriSign

[Matt Larson <mlarson () verisign com>]

With Becky Granger's permission, I'm pleased to share the announcement
below.

Matt


----- Forwarded message from Becky Granger <rgranger () educause edu> -----

From: Becky Granger <rgranger () educause edu>
Subject: [Dnssec-deployment] DNSSEC Launched Today by EDUCAUSE and VeriSign
To: dnssec-deployment () dnssec-deployment org, DNSSEC () internet2 edu, dnssec () educause edu
Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2010 11:06:01 -0600

Hello all -

I wanted to let you know that DNSSEC is now supported in the .edu domain. Please feel free to pass the word!

  --Becky

Becky Granger, CAE 
Director, Information Technology and Member Services 
EDUCAUSE - Uncommon Thinking for the Common Good
(303) 939-0334 
www.educause.edu

EDUCAUSE Annual Conference - The best thinking in higher ed IT 
October 12-15, 2010  |  Anaheim, CA
www.educause.edu/e10


-----Original Message-----
From: EDUCAUSE [mailto:educause () educause edu] 
Sent: Monday, August 02, 2010 10:32 AM
To: Staff
Subject: DNSSEC Launched Today by EDUCAUSE and VeriSign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Greg Jackson
Vice President
EDUCAUSE
gjackson () educause edu
202-331-5351

 
***********************************************
DNSSEC Launched Today by EDUCAUSE and VeriSign
***********************************************

August 2, 2010, Boulder, Colorado--EDUCAUSE and VeriSign announced the deployment of a security system known as Domain 
Name Security Extensions (DNSSEC) within the .edu portion of the Internet, which EDUCAUSE manages under a cooperative 
agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce. Institutions whose domain names end in .edu will now be able to utilize 
digital signatures to mitigate certain DNS security vulnerabilities, such as cache poisoning and man-in-the-middle 
attacks.

The Domain Name System (DNS) is the part of the Internet that translates names such as "example.edu" into numeric 
addresses (for example, 198.59.61.90). All Internet applications-from electronic mail to online banking-depend on the 
accuracy and integrity of this translation. Over the years, Internet security experts have discovered a variety of ways 
that DNS translation may be compromised. The DNSSEC security system limits the problem by allowing owners of domain 
names to use digital signatures to add an extra level of authentication to the translation process.

Deploying DNSSEC for .edu furthers the initiative to enhance domain name security throughout the broader scope of the 
internet. As a precursor to deployment, EDUCAUSE and VeriSign hosted a testbed environment which allowed end-to-end 
testing by selected .edu domain holders in a non production environment.

Brian Voss, vice chancellor for IT and CIO at Louisiana State University and current chair of the joint 
EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Higher Education Information Security Council, noted, "I am proud that LSU is at the forefront of 
this exciting development and that our contributions and efforts as a testbed for .edu deployment have laid a 
foundation for the ubiquitous adoption of DNSSEC, so that the research and education community can eventually realize 
its full value," Voss also added, "DNSSEC represents an evolution in Internet reliability and security, and I know that 
my CIO colleagues recognize that our university communities expect our networks to be secure, and improving the 
security of our root Domain Name System through cryptography is something we all will embrace."

EDUCAUSE President and CEO Diana Oblinger said, "EDUCAUSE has appreciated the opportunity to work with VeriSign and the 
U.S. Department of Commerce to advance the security and integrity of the Internet through early testing and deployment 
of DNSSEC. Dating from the creation of ARPANET through the present day, the higher education technology community has 
played a leading role in the development of the Internet as a platform for learning, discovery, and engagement. We have 
been happy to continue that role by being a lead partner in the launch of DNSSEC."

Pat Kane, vice president of VeriSign, stated, "VeriSign's partnership with EDUCAUSE to test and deploy DNSSEC in the 
.edu domain demonstrates our ongoing commitment to a secure Internet infrastructure. VeriSign appreciates the close 
collaboration with EDUCAUSE and the U.S. Department of Commerce that allowed for success with this process and the 
opportunity to generate lessons learned which we are actively sharing with other domain registrars, thereby enhancing 
overall Internet security."

*************************************
About EDUCAUSE
EDUCAUSE is a nonprofit association and the foremost community of IT leaders and professionals committed to advancing 
higher education. EDUCAUSE programs and services are focused on analysis, advocacy, community building, professional 
development, and knowledge creation because IT plays a transformative role in higher education. EDUCAUSE supports those 
who lead, manage, and use information technology through a comprehensive range of resources and activities. For more 
information, visit www.educause.edu.


----- End forwarded message -----