[arin-ppml] IPv6 and WHOIS - Work Needed?

[Robert E. Seastrom]

Chris Grundemann <cgrundemann at gmail.com> writes:

> Hail PPML!
>
> Many of you have likely seen this article (or a similar one[1][2]) by
> now: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57453738-83/fbi-dea-warn-ipv6-could-shield-criminals-from-police/
>
> The question it seems to raise for us is: "Will ARIN and the other
> RIRs maintain accurate WHOIS for IPv6 long term, or will law
> enforcement feel the need to step in directly?"

The issue in this article seems to boil down to an assumption that
coming back to ARIN every 15 years for more space is a step away from
goodness when it comes to keeping whois data up to date.

There's no difference in billing interval for IPv6 (vs existing IPv4)
and everyone's under RSA so everyone gets a ping in the form of a bill
and a check.  That represents a huge step forward from the status quo
for IPv6.  My guess is that the aggregate accuracy of whois data in 10
years will be "somewhat better" to "much better" than IPv4 is today,
but not miraculously perfect.

No NAT means a prayer of figuring out exactly whose computer was doing
misdeeds (even with privacy hacks, far better than one pipe).  The
Bureau's gotta be excited about that, at least I hope they are.

The thing these guys need to be worried about is CGN.  You can't get a
search warrant issued for a whole zip code.  For better or worse, IPv6
is the way out of the woods.

My take is that the article is much ado about nothing.  Wish Declan
had called someone for deep dive rather than sound bites.  Then again
that may not sell advertising hits.

-r