============================================================================== ISOC Document 94-312 Title: Report and recommendations of the IAB Chair Author(s): Christian Huitema Date: 1994.12.13 Body: Board of Trustees Document: 94-312 Revision: basic Supersedes: - Status: released Maintainer: Christian Huitema Access: unrestricted ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) February 1994. Conveyed a workshop on "security in the Internet architecture". The results of the workshop are detailed in RFC-1636. The workshop produced short term recommendations as well as long term research directions. In the short term, we recommended that nobody send passwords in the clear anymore. This recommendation has been well publicized. The IETF working groups on OSPF, RIP and IDRP have worked to provide alternatives to clear-text passwords in their protocols. Together with the security features of SNMPv2 and the forthcoming secure version of the DNS, this should result in making the Internet a safer place. Further additions to security will come with the new IP. 2) June 1994. Obtained agreement from SC6 on a liaison statement. This statement was then endorsed by ISO/JTC1 in November. It provides a framework for cooperation between the ISO/JTC1/SC6 and the IETF. JTC1 would like to organize a formal signature ceremony with the president of the Internet Society. 3) October 1994. Conveyed a workshop on the Information Infrastructure, to explore architectural issues involved in various information applications and systems currently being used on the Internet, including the WorldWide Web, Gopher, Mosaic, archie and WAIS. This workshop helped clarify the architectural requirements of this class of applications and to foster consensus amongst various groups of developers. A presentation was made to the 31st IETF by John Romkey. An extensive report is being prepared. The IAB also worked on a large set of miscellaneous topics, providing guidance and architectural advice to several working groups, notably those working on the next generation of the Internet protocol. We are currently concentrating on the impact of commercialization on the Internet's architecture. One last point, the Internet census. The IAB believes that having firm data on the number of internauts is highly desirable. The current measurement methods rely on counting connected hosts and applying an arbitrary multiplier. this is entirely inadequate. We suggest to proceed by a sampling of the general population, e.g. adding questions such as "Have you used the Internet" to one of the periodics opinion polls. The IAB does not have resources to fund this study, but it could certainly be undertaken by the Internet Society. Dave Sincoskie synchronized with you on this. Christian Huitema