[LINK] Rod Beckstrom appointed ICANN chief

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

Rod Beckstrom appointed ICANN chief
By Nate Cochrane
Jun 26, 2009 11:12 AM
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/148607,rod-beckstrom-appointed-icann-chief.aspx

Australian out, cybersecurity expert in.

America's former cybersecurity "czar", Rod Beckstrom, is expected to be 
confirmed today as chief executive officer of the global organisation 
that oversees web addresses, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names 
and Numbers.

An ICANN spokeswoman said the board was still voting in Sydney at 
10.40am AEST on a replacement for Paul Twomey, the Australian who has 
led the group that allocates internet protocol numbers and top-level 
domain names for six years.

Dr Twomey was head of the National Office for the Information Economy 
before joining ICANN.

Beckstrom (pictured), an author, high-tech entrepreneur and Fulbright 
scholar, was expected to take up duties soon after he was presented to 
media and analysts at ICANN's meeting in Sydney this afternoon.

He left the position as head of the US' National Cyber Security Centre 
(part of the Department of Homeland Security) in March after a year, 
claiming that the civilian agency was infiltrated by spooks from the 
super-secret National Security Agency.

Dr Twomey said in March that he would step down from the chief executive 
officer's role this month but would continue as president until the end 
of the year.

Dr Twomey was suggested as chairman for the Federal Government's $43 
billion National Broadband Network, expected to be announced next month.

Other front-runners were National ICT Australia chief executive officer 
David Skellern and Former Optus chief executive officer Chris Anderson.

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Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Canberra Australia
brd at iimetro.com.au