Sally,

"You - AUSREGISTRY - provide the tools and instructions on how to
download the whois database."

Not sure I understand - please explain.

"As for issuing challenges, you are basically asking everyone out there
to hack your systems."

Not true - I simply challenged someone to contact my CTO with their
methodology! It would be stupid to propose such a challenge.

My reasoning is this.

One of the primary missions of AusRegistry is to maintain the integrity
of the .au database. Since taking over last July we have worked very
hard to ensure this is so. We do, however, work within a policy
framework and some "weaknesses" are beyond our control.

We police where we can and are permitted to. I honestly believe we have
been successful in curbing the abuse of the whois that was rampant
before we took over.   

To say that the system is worse now is a slight upon our company. I do
not believe this is so.

We are, as I said before, open to suggestions on how we can improve.

In working with auDA we hope to ensure that the database we managed is
done so in a way that benefits all and limits abuse where it can. I am
not saying it can't be done ever - just that we are doing our best to
make sure it doesn't happen and to date there is no evidence to assume
our system has been compromised.

Regards, 


Adrian Kinderis
MD - Sales and Marketing
Level 6, 10 Queens Rd
Melbourne Victoria 3004
P: 03 9866 3710
F: 03 9866 1970
E: adriank§ausregistry.com.au
W: www.ausregistry.com.au

-----Original Message-----
From: Sally Jonas [mailto:sally_jonas§yahoo.co.uk] 
Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2003 3:05 PM
To: dns§lists.auda.org.au
Subject: RE: [DNS] Young Mr Guy

Adrian,

I am sure the new system may have some advantages over the old, I would
assume mainly in
functionality for the Registrars who pay you for these services. However
for the average
Registrant who infact pays for all your wages, including the $200,000
salaries of auDA, does not
gain from the new system at all. I imagine they don't even care.

You - AUSREGISTRY - provide the tools and instructions on how to
download the whois database.
Everything is in the public domain.

As for issuing challenges, you are basically asking everyone out there
to hack your systems. (By
the way this is not necessary and I would not know how to anyway).

Obviously Guy Fawkes (not me) knows how to get information so I am not
alone.

Perhaps auDA should start listening to people (those not in the old boys
club) when it starts
debating and issuing policies. I have heard many suggestions put forward
on this list that are
totally ignored. Many are put down by those who gain the most out of the
current system. The board
members (not all) are only interested in serving themselves (many are
reigstrars or have a vested
interest in the system). The current system is not "open and
transparent" or to the "benefit of
all".

I could go on but who cares. Nobody listens. Everybody breaks the rules.









 --- Adrian Kinderis <adriank&#167;ausregistry.com.au> wrote: > All,
> 
> Please elaborate on how it is easier now than it was two years ago to
> mine the .au database.
> 
> I am extremely confident that the system has maintained and will
> continue to maintain significant advantages over what existed
> previously.
> 
> The integrity of the database is our primary concern... and believe me
-
> it is intact!
> 
> Please feel free to contact Chris Wright (CTO). He is happy to hear
how
> you are able to obtain any information - in fact challenges you to
tell
> him so. 
> 
> Adrian Kinderis
> MD - Sales and Marketing
> Level 6, 10 Queens Rd
> Melbourne Victoria 3004
> P: 03 9866 3710
> F: 03 9866 1970
> E: adriank&#167;ausregistry.com.au
> W: www.ausregistry.com.au
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sally Jonas [mailto:sally_jonas&#167;yahoo.co.uk] 
> Sent: Wednesday, July 23, 2003 12:07 PM
> To: dns&#167;lists.auda.org.au
> Subject: RE: [DNS] Young Mr Guy
> 
> 
> > 
> > After control of the AUNIC Registry was moved to auDA, auDA made the
> > decision to stop the uncontrolled access to the database.  This made
> things
> > more difficult for scammers, as they had to work from old copies of
> the
> > database which were gradually going out of date, or try and keep
them
> > up-to-date by querying aunicstatus for the latest data.
> > 
> This is a misconception. The way ausRegistry has structured and
> developed the new Whois database
> has infact made it easier for scammers to maintain and update their
> copies of the database.
> 
> > Restrictions were also introduced on the number of queries entities
> could
> > make.  This also made life harder for dodgy operators.  But, data
> fields
> > such as the 'expiry date' were still visible.
> > 
> It takes only a few lines of code to circumvent the number of queries
> restriction
> 
> > When the .au Registry was moved to the new AusRegistry system, the
> 'expiry
> > date' (the critical field used by scam 'domain name renewal'
> operators) was
> > no longer visible - making things still more difficult for the dodgy
> folks.
> > 
> 
> While the 'expiry date' no longer is available it doesn't take a
genius
> to work out expiry dates.
> a) renewals are based on a 2 year cycle so the renewal dates fr the
> 300,000 domains previously
> registered to july 2002 can be simply calculated.
> b) it is fairly simple to, for example, work out what names where
> registered this week.
> 
> > 
> > 
> > So the history of the .au Registry under auDA's supervision is a
> history of
> > changes that have gradually made things much more difficult for
shonky
> > domain name renewal operators.
> > 
> > 
> 
> Again the opposite infact it now makes it easier.
> 
> Perhaps ausRegistry should spend some of their well publicised profits
> into creating a secure
> system. If they are not aware of the flaws inbuilt into their systems
> then we should all be
> concerned.
> 
> Perhaps auDA should consider making the whois database available only
to
> registered entities. 
> 
> The current system is open to abuse and while auDA has some control
over
> domain name scammers it
> still leaves the whois database open to spammers (A bigger problem for
> the average user).
> Unfortunately this leads to government policies being put in place
which
> IMHO restrict freedom of
> individuals. I'm sure Josh will disagree on this one.
> 
> Sally
> 
> 
>
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