Historical Resolution Tracking Feature » Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) Member Appointments

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Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC) Member Appointments


Resolution of the ICANN Board
Meeting Date: 
Thu, 2 Nov 2017
Resolution Number: 
2017.11.02.02 – 2017.11.02.04
Resolution Text: 

Whereas, Section 12.2(b) of the Bylaws states that the Board shall appoint the Chair and the members of the Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC).

Whereas, the three-year term for Patrik Fältström as SSAC Chair ends on 31 December 2017.

Whereas, Patrik Fältström has decided not to stand for a further term of office.

Whereas, the SSAC has completed its process of selecting a Chair and requests that the Board appoint Rod Rasmussen as SSAC Chair for a three-year term to begin on 01 January 2018.

Whereas, the Board, at Resolution 2010.08.05.07 approved Bylaws revisions that created three-year terms for SSAC members, required staggering of terms, and obligated the SSAC Chair to recommend the reappointment of all current SSAC members to full or partial terms to implement the Bylaws revisions.

Whereas, in January 2017 the SSAC Membership Committee initiated an annual review of SSAC members whose terms are ending 31 December 2017 and submitted to the SSAC its recommendations for reappointments in September 2017.

Whereas, on 25 September 2017, the SSAC members approved the reappointments.

Whereas, the SSAC recommends that the Board reappoint the following SSAC members to three-year terms: Greg Aaron, Benedict Addis, Don Blumenthal, Lyman Chapin, KC Claffy, Geoff Huston, Russ Mundy, Rod Rasmussen, and Mark Seiden.

Whereas, the SSAC Membership Committee, on behalf of the SSAC, requests that the Board should appoint Bobby Flaim to the SSAC for a three-year term beginning immediately upon approval of the Board and ending on 31 December 2020.

Resolved (2017.11.02.02), the Board accepts the recommendation of the SSAC and appoints Rod Rasmussen as Chair of the SSAC for a three-year term beginning on 01 January 2017 and ending on 31 December 2020.

Resolved (2017.11.02.03), the Board accepts the recommendation of the SSAC and reappoints the following SSAC members to three-year terms beginning 01 January 2018 and ending 31 December 2020: Greg Aaron, Benedict Addis, Don Blumenthal, Lyman Chapin, KC Claffy, Geoff Huston, Russ Mundy, Rod Rasmussen, and Mark Seiden.

Resolved (2017.11.02.04), that the Board appoints Bobby Flaim to the SSAC for a three-year term beginning immediately upon approval of the Board and ending on 31 December 2020.

Rationale for Resolution: 

According to Section 12.2(b) of the ICANN Bylaws, the ICANN Board of Directors shall appoint the Chair and the members of the Security and Stability Advisory Committee (SSAC). The SSAC has completed its selection process for the role of Chair and requests Board consideration of the appointment of Rod Rasmussen as the SSAC Chair.

The SSAC is a diverse group of individuals whose expertise in specific subject matters enables the SSAC to fulfill its charter and execute its mission. Since its inception, the SSAC has invited individuals with deep knowledge and experience in technical and security areas that are critical to the security and stability of the Internet's naming and address allocation systems.

The SSAC's continued operation as a competent body is dependent on the accumulation of talented subject matter experts who have consented to volunteer their time and energies to the execution of the SSAC mission.

Bobby Flaim is well known for his tenure with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. He has been a member of the GAC and the Public Safety Working Group. He has been actively working to reduce abuse and crime related to the DNS. Earlier this year, Bobby Flaim left government employment and assumed a role in Amazon Web Services Security. The SSAC believes that Bobby Flaim will bring important skills and breadth of experience to the Committee.

ICANN's mission is to ensure the stable and secure operation of the Internet's unique identifier systems, and the appointment of SSAC members assists in fulling this mission. This Board action is in the public interest as it contributes to the commitment of the ICANN organization to strengthen the security, stability, and resiliency of the DNS.