Interim Whois Solutions

1
Interim Whois Solutions

• ICANN Workshop
• October 29, 2003

2
Issue

• The Whois database contains full contact details
  for registrants and their administrative and
  technical contacts.
• This contradicts certain privacy laws.
• Consumers complain about breaches of privacy and
  spam.
• The Whois database is used to harvest addresses
  for spam, credit card fraud, and other fraudulent
  purposes.

3
Interim Solutions

• While long term technical solutions, such as
  CRISP, are encouraged, interim industry-wide
  solutions are also available.
• Web-based Whois password protection
• Port 43 Whois
• Limited list of IP addresses
• Tiered access

4
Web-based Whois

• Registrar uses a mechanism to make the Whois
  output non computer readable.
• Examples
• eNom (output email and other information is a
  gif)
• GoDaddy / NSI (enter a number displayed as gif
  before getting access to the Whois information).
  
• Impact on registries
• In case of fat registries, also use mechanism
  to make the output information not computer
  readable, or display only thin registries
  output.
• In case of thin registries, no change.

5
Port 43 Alternatives to Prevent Data Mining

• Limited List of IP addresses.
• For registrars, registries, approved IP and law
  enforcement users, and other limited list of
  licensees, based on agreed rules.
• Approved list maintained by registrars not
  ICANN. List based on central list of criteria.
• Tiered access data output tiered according to
  the type of user requesting access.
• E.g., registrar gets full data, vetted IP user
  gets full data, non-vetted requestor does not get
  email addresses.

6
Port 43 ad hoc approach todayRegistrars can
any of these

• Block specific IP addresses associated with
• Spikes in usage or
• Known mining of data,
• Return truncated responses in such cases, or
• Slow down response time in such cases.
• Return text-based responses that are more
  difficult to mine.