Analyzing the global internet

The Internet is commonly thought of as an amorphous entity that enables file sharing – whether it be photos over Facebook, or actual files via DropBox – across the world in a somewhat haphazard fashion. The popular perception of the Internet contrasts with the the view put forth by Doug Madory, who is the Director of Internet Research at Dyn Research and hailed as “the man who can see the internet.”

According to Madory, the World Wide Web is a network that has a definite, yet dynamic structure. This notional Internet layout, or the Internet’s “backbone,” defines the routes by which data travel. This structure has three separate layers of operation: the physical layer, the data layer and the control layer. The physical layer is composed of satellites and cables, the data layer involves the flow of information, and the control layer determines the routes by which data may travel throughout the world. (1)

The functional unit of the Internet is any device (such as a computer) that has an IP address. Data routing is orchestrated by blocks of IP addresses, such as prefixes (which specify a range of IP addresses) and Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs), which are composed of one or more prefixes (1).

Internet traffic movement is governed by the Border Gateway Protocol, or BGP. This is the single protocol that governs the flow of information across the 50,000 ASNs that make up the entirety of the Internet (1).

This global routing system can be (and already has been) manipulated by various parties to orchestrate cyber attacks. In 2013, for example, a Belarus incumbent redirected the Internet traffic of institutions in several countries, including the US. These were “Man-In-The-Middle” attacks whereby data is intercepted, analyzed and then delivered back to its intended destination; this mechanism makes it very difficult to detect such attacks (2).

The structure of the Internet is also impacted by political events. For example, Ukraine was still providing telecommunications services to Crimea when Russia annexed Crimea in March 2014. Russian Prime Minister Medvedev ordered that telecommunications systems be built such that routing between Russia and Crimea bypasses Ukraine. The resulting changes to the structure of the Internet caused faster Internet speeds for Russia and slower Internet speeds for Ukraine and Europe (1).

Madory’s work on the routing of information across the internet is crucial in being able to detect fraudulent and malicious activity. His work is also important in analyzing the effects of political events on the accessibility of information across the world.

References:

1. “The New Threat: Targeted Internet Traffic Misdirection – Dyn Research.” Dyn Research. 19 Nov. 2013. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.

2. Madory, Doug. “Analyzing the Global Internet.” Charles C. Jones Seminar. Spanos Hall, Cummings Hall, Hanover, New Hampshire. 18 Sept. 2015. Lecture.