MEMORANDUM

TO: FNCAC MEMBERS

FROM: SID KARIN, CHAIR

SUBJECT: DEVELOPMENT OF 1997 FNCAC WORK PLAN

OVERVIEW AND WORKING ASSUMPTIONS

The FNCAC proposes to:

• continue the working group structure establishedin 1995/96;
  1. Network Transitions and Scalability working group(including international networking issues)
  2. Internet Security & Privacy working group
  3. Education and Training working group (traininghas been added to broaden the focus of this working group)
  4. Intellectual Property working group
• concentrate on a small number of key issues withineach of these working groups;

• develop and discuss relevant issues between meetings;

• have working group leaders champion each issueat meetings;

• encourage the FNCAC to speak out on major issues,through their representatives on the Steering Group, Working GroupChairs, and statements by the entire FNCAC; and

• allow ample time for discussion and action oneach issue during the FNCAC meetings.

PROCESS

1. Steering Committee. The FNCAC SteeringCommittee, consisting of the FNCAC Chair, past Chair, and ChairDesignate, participates in setting FNCAC priority areas and definingthe work plan, working and championing specific issues, and developingmeeting agendas. The Steering Committee represents the FNCACbefore various forums, including Federal Networking Council, theCommittee on Computing, Information and Communications (CCIC),and others.

2. Working Groups. Working Group Chairsare responsible for framing discussion topics and identifyingissues pertinent to the scope of their working groups. They areresponsible for communicating the views of their working groupmembers and the full FNCAC (as appropriate) on these issues toother groups -- including the FNC, the CCIC, and others. Theyare also responsible for the follow-up on action items assignedto their working groups during FNCAC meetings.

PRIORITY AREAS AND WORKING GROUPS

The 1997 priorities and membership of the four workinggroups are summarized below.

1. NETWORK TRANSITIONS AND SCALABILITY

This working group will focus on the strategic andevolving nature of the global Internet infrastructure, with particularemphasis on the implications of these changes for federal researchand education networks.

The 1997 priority areas of this group will include:

• Economic and infrastructure models for networkingservices for the R&E community, including the higher educationcommunity's proposed Internet II effort
• The Administration's Next Generation Internetinitiative
• Technical development and evolution of the Internet,including topics such as…
  • the need for enhanced understanding of Internettraffic behavior and performance
  • challenges relating to infrastructure scalability

The co-chairs for this working groups are GeorgeBrandenburg and Stewart Personick. Members include: Alan Blatecky,Carol Henderson, Sidney Karin, Kenneth Klingenstein, Stu Loken,Bob Moskowitz, Ike Nassi, Ed Oliver, Mike Roberts, and SteveWolff.

2. INTERNET SECURITY & PRIVACY

This working group will work closely with the FNC'sPrivacy & Security Working Group (PSWG) and their prioritiesrelated to implementation of the Federal Internet Security Plan(FISP) and the Collaboration in Internet Security (CIS) effortand to addressing general issues relating to Internet securityand privacy. The priorities of this group include:

• Developing FNCAC statements on encryption, keyrecovery, and related issues
• Providing guidance and recommendations to theFNC's CIS participants on project design and goals, industry participation,and technology transfer of project findings and products (fordetails on the CIS, see: http://www.fnc.gov/cis_page.html)

This working group is chaired by Matt Blaze. Membersinclude: Ken Flamm, John Gage, Sidney Karin, Paul Mockapetris,Robert Moskowitz, Ike Nassi, Stewart Personick, and Tom Rindfleisch.

3. EDUCATION AND TRAINING

This working group will focus on issues relatingto the Internet's use in the K-12 community and in community collegeson the higher education's Internet II initiative. Topics of particularinterest include:

• Implementing the universal service provisionsof the Telcom Bill, as they relate to federal K-12 networkinginitiatives
• Improving Internet engineering training at communitycolleges and elsewhere
• Developing clearinghouses for K-12 Internet information
• Improving educational content on the Internetand expanding the availability of education-related applications

This working group is co-chaired by Connie Stoutand Ken Klingenstein. Other members include: Susan Estrada,Ed Oliver, Mike Roberts, Harold Thompson, and Steve Wolff.

4. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Intellectual property issues (e.g., copyrights andtrademarks), as they relate to the electronic environment, arebecoming increasingly important and are directly relevant to issuesof Internet administration and governance. In 1996, the FNCACpassed two resolutions urging federal agencies to sponsor a studyby the National Research Council on "Intellectual Propertyin the Networked Environment". A key element of this workinggroup's activities in 1997 will be to act as the liaison betweenthe FNCAC and the NRC on development of this study.

In addition, this working group will monitor andprovide recommendations to the FNC on issues related to the nation'semerging copyright policy, particularly on its consistency withthe rapidly evolving global information infrastructure. Key topicsfor this working group during 1997 include:

• Providing input and advice to the National ResearchCouncil (NRC) relating to its study on IP in the NetworkedEnvironment
• Developing FNCAC statements on domestic and internationalcopyright policy and legislation, including on the proposed WIPOdatabase treaty

The working group is chaired by Carol Henderson. Other members include Henriette Avram, Alan Blatecky, Ken Flamm, Dick Leibhaber, and Tom Rindfleish.

STATUS OF FNCAC ACTION ITEMS AND FOLLOW-UP

Network Transitions and Scalability:

1. The FNCAC requests that the FNC respond toKahin's letter with all due speed. (G. Strawn - Pending)

2. The Network Transitions and Scalability workinggroup will expand its focus to include international networking. (Done)

3. NSF/FNC should contact ISOC concerning USgovernment representation on the Internet Society's InternationalAd Hoc Advisory Committee. (Done - FNC represented on IAHC,see: http://www.iahc.org)

4. The FNCAC Working Group on Network Transitionsand Scalability will formulate its recommendations on statistics/metricsvia e-mail over the next month and will send them to the FNCACfor discussion and approval. (Done)

Internet Security and Privacy:

5. The FNCAC's draft resolution concerning encryptionwill be discussed and refined via e-mail by members of the FNCACprivacy and security working group, and then distributed to thefull FNCAC for their review and approval. (K. Flamm - pending)

6. FNCAC members are invited to provide the WhiteHouse (Mike Nelson) with recommendations on topics related toInternet security and encryption. (Done - invitation extended)

7. The FNC invited input on expanding participationwithin the CIS and leveraging experiences and findings from theCIS into the commercial sector operations. (All - pending)

Education:

8. FNCAC Education Working Group will reportat the next FNCAC meeting on the status and specifications forK-12 clearinghouses. (K. Klingenstein / C. Stout - pending)

9. Kathy Brown of the NTIA will be invited tobrief a group of FNCAC / FNC members (via a conference call) onthe agencies FCC filing concerning the Universal Service provisionsof the Telecommunications Act. (Done)

Intellectual Property:

10. The FNCAC will finalize its draft recommendationon the Intellectual Property Rights in Networked Environmentsstudy via e-mail following this meeting. (Done)

General:

11. The FNCAC Steering Committee (Sid Karin, CarolHenderson, and George Brandenburg) will draft the 1997 FNCAC Workplanand distribute to FNCAC members for review/discussion. (S.Karin - in progress)