PIA Creates Blockchain Alternative to DNS

[akimbonautilus]

Source: https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/blog/2019/08/private-internet-access-users-can-now-resolve-internet-names-with-the-handshake-naming-system-hns/

I've never posted on the forums here before so I hope I'm doing this right. I thought this would make for a good WAN show topic or sponsored video idea and I thought if any of you don't already have a VPN, maybe this will convince you to finally make it seem worth it to you.

 

PIA has introduced a blockchain-based system that assigns easy to remember names to ip addresses that it calls Handshake Naming System or HNS or Handshake for short.  This is meant to replace the corporate-owned Domain Naming System, or DNS.  PIA says:
 

Quote

The shorter urls are easier for humans to memorize and share in real life – but this is just a tiny benefit of using handshake names. The real benefit lies in censorship resistance. While DNS is already fairly decentralized, the centralization exists because of ICANN’s gatekeeper control of issuing top level domains (TLDs) and maintenance of the DNS root zone file which is used by all DNS root servers. ICANN ultimately has control over what internet names are acceptable – and serves as a singular point of failure.The shorter urls are easier for humans to memorize and share in real life – but this is just a tiny benefit of using handshake names. The real benefit lies in censorship resistance. While DNS is already fairly decentralized, the centralization exists because of ICANN’s gatekeeper control of issuing top level domains (TLDs) and maintenance of the DNS root zone file which is used by all DNS root servers. ICANN ultimately has control over what internet names are acceptable – and serves as a singular point of failure.

In the whitepaper, Handshake is further described as:
 

Quote

to replace centralized trusted internet infrastructure, with a decentralized Certificate Authority and globally unique namespace composed of a decentralized blockchain and cryptographic proofs backed by cryptoeconomic mechanisms. This construction enables the namespaces to point directly to a compact certificate representing a trust anchor which does not rely upon a single trusted authority to create attestations as in the existing federated Certificate Authority model.

1

 

[PCgamer324]

hasn’t this already been done in the early days of blockchain technology with NameCoin: https://namecoin.org/   (which failed for obvious reasons)

 

 

Nothing new really  

[elfensky]

I mean, as usual the issue is widespread adoption and implementation.

[rcmaehl]

Haven't read the full article yet but:

 

Would I have to mine the entire block to update my DNS? Sounds resource intensive.

 

How long does this take to update compared to existing DNS? Once again, sounds resource intensive.

What about local devices? 

What about existing implementations (TOR)?

 

Hopefully this isn't PGP based either as that's under attack and known to be easily DoS'd as well... https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2019/07/05/openpgp-experts-targeted-by-long-feared-poisoning-attack/

 

EDIT: PIA is blocked at work (why am I not surprised, it's a VPN), so I'll read when I get off work

[mr moose]

I know people are very well intentioned with stuff like this, but there are benefits to centralization and regulation that people tend forget about.  It just not with human abilities to operate outside of a managed environment.