September 3, 2024 at 08:29PM
The White House aims to improve internet routing security, particularly the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), which currently lacks adequate security features. This vulnerability has led to incidents of route hijacking and poses national security risks. The government plans to accelerate the adoption of the Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) to address these concerns.
The meeting notes indicate a clear emphasis on the need to address the weak security of internet routing, particularly concerning the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). The White House’s Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) published a roadmap highlighting the vulnerabilities of BGP and the risks associated with the lack of security features. It mentioned instances of BGP route hijacking that have led to serious consequences, including exposure of personal information, theft, espionage, and disruption of critical infrastructure operations.
The notes also outlined a cryptographic authentication scheme called Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI), which includes Route Origin Validation (ROV) and Route Origin Authorization (ROA) to mitigate these risks. Despite the availability of this safety mechanism, its universal deployment remains a challenge. The meeting notes expressed the need to accelerate the adoption of RPKI in the US public and private sectors.
Additionally, the notes mentioned the endorsement from the US Justice Department and the Defense Department regarding the need to address BGP risks, citing instances of erroneous traffic routing and emphasizing the importance of secure internet routing.
The White House’s roadmap aims to push for a rapid increase in the adoption of BGP security measures, with a particular focus on the adoption of RPKI. This initiative has received support from both the federal government and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has been working on rulemaking to address BGP security for internet service providers.
Overall, the meeting notes make it clear that addressing the weaknesses in internet routing security, particularly concerning BGP, is a top priority for the US government and private sector, with a specific emphasis on the adoption of RPKI to mitigate these risks.