What ISPs can do

Sean Donelan sean at donelan.com
Fri Oct 19 23:10:35 UTC 2001



1. Keep the net running
    During any crisis keeping the lines of communications working is
a key requirement.  Almost every review of crisis and emergency response
showed the importance of keeping communication systems working.
(http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2001wmd/scalingi.pdf)  Unplugging things
without reason seems to always make things worse.

2. Maintain the integrity of net data
    Implement procedures to assuring the integrity of the control data
used in the net.  This isn't the content of communications, but the
routing and control data.  This can be as simple as setting and
synchronizing clocks used to generate timestamps, verifying IP address
announcements, anti-spoofing filters, use routing passwords, patching
known security holes.

3. Single point of contact
    A crisis is not the best time to learn that an ISP has decided
to implement a voice mail system which won't allow any outside contact
with their NOC until a 17 digit customer number is entered.  All
communciation providers need a reliable method to contact each other
during a crisis.

4. Standardized law enforcement assistance forms
    Both law enforcement and ISPs need to work on specifying what the
ISP needs from law enforcement and what law enforcement expects back
from the ISP.  There are a lot of language problems between the two
groups, and often they don't understand what the other side is saying.
It would also speed up the process of verifying the lawful authority
for releasing the information if law enforcement knows ahead of time
what ISPs expect.  I understand we're not lawyers, that's why it needs
to be decided ahead of time by the lawyers.  But as engineers we can
figure out what information is required to respond to specific, though
generic, types of actions.  It will also cut down on the mistakes which
have happened.








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