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<TITLE>Former U.S. cybersecurity chief Rod Beckstrom is top candidate to head ICANN, sources say</TITLE>
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<P><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2>This may be of interest to those who have not seen it already.</FONT>
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<P><SPAN LANG="en-ca"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2>cheers/Rick</FONT></SPAN>
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<P><SPAN LANG="en-ca"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2>Rick Anderson</FONT></SPAN>
<BR><SPAN LANG="en-ca"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2>EVP, InterBorder Holdings Ltd.</FONT></SPAN>
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<P><SPAN LANG="en-ca"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2>randerson@interborder.ca</FONT></SPAN>
<BR><SPAN LANG="en-ca"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2>cell: (403) 830-1798</FONT></SPAN>
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<P><SPAN LANG="en-ca"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2>------</FONT></SPAN>
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<P><B><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE=6>Former U.S. cybersecurity chief is top candidate to head Internet oversight agency, sources say</FONT></SPAN></B>
<BR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">Wed Jun 24 2009<BR>
Byline: BY ANICK JESDANUN </FONT></SPAN>
<BR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">NEW YORK - Rod Beckstrom, the former U.S. cybersecurity chief who resigned in March amid persistent turf battles, is the leading candidate to run an international organization with oversight of the monikers behind every website and email address, The Associated Press has learned. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">Beckstrom's approval as chief executive of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers could come with a board vote Friday as ICANN caps weeklong meetings in Sydney, Australia, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions. They spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement has yet to be made, and negotiations could still fall through. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">Beckstrom has been attending some public sessions and meeting privately with board members this week. </FONT></SPAN>
<BR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">If approved, he would replace Paul Twomey, ICANN's third and longest-serving chief executive. Twomey, an Australian who became CEO in March 2003, plans to stay with the organization until the end of the year to help with the transition. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">The U.S. government, which funded much of the Internet's early development, selected ICANN in 1998 to oversee policies on domain names _ the ``.com'' and other suffixes that define zones on the Internet. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">The organization is in the midst of revamping procedures for adding domain name suffixes, a move likely to spawn hundreds or thousands of new Internet addresses in the coming years. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">ICANN had wanted to start taking applications for new names early this year, but that timetable proved too ambitious as objections were raised over such issues as whether trademark owners could wind up having to buy thousands of new domain names simply to protect their intellectual-property rights. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">A launch next year is more likely, under the new chief's tenure. </FONT></SPAN>
<BR><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">ICANN also is close to allowing entire Internet addresses to be in languages besides English for the first time. That could begin as early as year's end. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">In recent years, ICANN also has expanded its role to tackle security issues, given the importance of domain names in allowing computers to find websites and route email. Minute changes in the directories of domain names could lead users to a fake Facebook site or even make all websites under country-specific domain name unreachable. ICANN has been working with other technology groups to promote ways to authenticate entries. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">Beckstrom brings security experience, having served as the first director of the Department of Homeland Security's National Cybersecurity Center, which was formed in 2008. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">This past March, less than a year after taking the job, Beckstrom complained in a blunt resignation letter about a shortage of money for the centre and a clash over whether the National Security Agency should control Internet-security efforts. The role of the NSA in protecting domestic computer networks has triggered debate, particularly among privacy and civil-liberties groups that oppose giving such control to U.S. spy agencies. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">Previously, Beckstrom served as chairman of Privada Inc., a company that developed Internet privacy technology. He also co-founded software companies and has co-authored four books. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">Beckstrom's service with the U.S. government could help him navigate upcoming negotiations with the Department of Commerce over the future role of ICANN. Commerce retains oversight of ICANN under an agreement that expires Sept. 30; some parties, including governments abroad, have pushed for independence. </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P><SPAN LANG="en-us"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman">An executive search firm hired by ICANN, Egon Zehnder International, had received more than 100 applications and approached hundreds of others. ICANN's board interviewed eight finalists before settling on Beckstrom, according to the people with knowledge of the talks. </FONT></SPAN></P>
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