Listeners, please note that this episode was recorded before the show’s name changed to Found in the Machine, so you’ll hear the old name in this episode. Four times a year, a small group of people fly to a secure facility in either Virginia or California. They submit to retina scanners and palm readers. They enter a metal cage in a signal-proof room. They turn keys in unison.These people are volunteers, and they're there to perform a ritual to secure the internet's core directory. If you build a master key for the internet, who do you trust to hold it?In this episodeThe Ceremony of the Keys - the 700-year-old nightly ritual at the Tower of London, and what it has to do with cyber securityThe Crypto Officers - who they are, and what they carryThe Ritual - over 100 scripted steps, a self-destructing lockbox, and a laptop with no memoryThe things that went wrong - because they doEpisode MusicJames Opie / Nihilore, CC BY 4.0"Like an Empty Kaleidoscope""Single Lane Tunnel""The Absurd""Iconoclast"Additional NotesThis episode is the follow-up to "Poison in the Cache." If you want to see this ritual for yourself, you can. The root signing relies on radical transparency, so every step is shared. The list of ceremonies is available via the IANA along with the full list of Crypto Officers.Additional ReadingInternet Assigned Numbers Authority. (2026, February 10). Root Zone KSK ceremony 60 annotated script [Ceremony script]. https://data.iana.org/ksk-ceremony/60/AT60_Annotated_Script.pdfInternet Hall of Fame. (2014, March 25). Our online safety is protected by one "stubborn lady." https://www.internethalloffame.org/2014/03/25/our-online-safety-protected-one-stubborn-lady/McCarthy, K. (2020, February 13). Internet's safe-keepers forced to postpone crucial DNSSEC root key signing ceremony. The Register. https://www.theregister.com/2020/02/13/iana_dnssec_ksk_delay/--Support the showFound in the Machine is a narrative technology podcast about the forgotten history of computing, software, and the internet. Hosted by Daina Bouquin, each episode uncovers the true story behind a piece of computer history. These are the forgotten people, decisions, and accidents that quietly shaped the digital world. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can support the show and independent booksellers by purchasing from the show's bookshop at bookshop.org/shop/foundinthemachine.You can also support the show by donating at buymeacoffee.com/foundinthemachine.