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 | | Friday, 28 September, 2001, 14:52 GMT 15:52 UK Net body targets web security  Icann changed agenda after devastating attacks The group which oversees the internet plans to devote its annual summit to online security following the US terror attacks. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann) said it would use its November meeting to assess the security of the domain name system, which is crucial to directing web traffic and e-mail. During the meeting, the body will look at how the web, e-mail and instant messaging can be used in times of global crises. At their summit, Icann had planned to look at expanding the number of internet suffixes and consider how to make its board more democratic. But following the devastating attacks in New York and Washington on 11 September, Icann said it would be irresponsible if it did not conduct an in-depth assessment of the stability and security of the internet's naming and addressing systems. Internet's essential role "The events of 11 September offered a stark and tragic reminder of the incalculable importance of a reliable and secure naming and addressing system to support emergency response, personal and other communications, and information sharing," it said in a statement on its website.
Central to the domain name system is a set of 13 root servers containing a list of 255 internet suffixes, such as .com, .info and .co.uk. They are distributed throughout the world, though about half are in the United States. The root servers are key way stations in the routing of internet traffic. When a web browser tries to reach a site such as www.bbc.co.uk, it has to ask the root server to locate the corresponding internet protocol address - a string of numbers. If all the servers were to fail simultaneously, the internet could be disabled over for period of time. Icann oversees the institutions that manage and house the computers which assign and coordinate internet protocol numbers. As a result, it can demand better security, as well as more frequent and comprehensive backups. The three-day annual meeting will start on 13 November at Marina del Rey, California. | |
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