A Day in the Life of a Man with a Key to the Internet
dotmagazine’s Judith Ellis talks to Olaf Kolkman of the Internet Society about the Domain Name System and his key to the Internet.
The Key to the Internet (Credit: Olaf Kolkman)
Olaf Kolkman
For most of us, the Internet is that magical connectivity that somehow emanates from plugs in the wall, yet it is a vast global network of interoperable networks, geographically distributed, and robust enough to withstand nuclear attack. dotmagazine’s Judith Ellis talks to Olaf Kolkman of the Internet Society about the Domain Name System and his key to the Internet.
Listen to the around 32-minute interview above, read the transcript, download the audio for later, or jump to the individual questions here:
- As one of the seven main keyholders protecting the DNS root zone, you literally and metaphorically have one of the keys to the Internet in your hands. What would be the repercussions of these keys fell into the wrong hands?
- Have you ever had any evidence of tampering for any of the keys?
- How is the Domain Name System protected?
- How often do you attend the Key Signing Ceremony, and what is your most memorable incident relating to it?
- Still talking about the Key Signing Ceremony, which security measures do you find most inconvenient?
- So, how did someone who studied astronomy end up becoming a central figure in Internet administration? How and why did you become a keyholder?
- Tell us something about your work for the Internet Society – what does the Internet Society do, and what is your role?
- One last question, what are your hopes or vision for the further development of the Internet?
... but in the meantime, we’re all locked in this room (Credit: Olaf Kolkman)
Please note: The opinions expressed in Industry Insights published by dotmagazine are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of the publisher, eco – Association of the Internet Industry.
