This brief discussion talk brings forth and supports the thesis that Internet Peering improves network security.

1. Peering Improves Security
William B. Norton
Chief Strategy Officer, IIX
Executive Director, DrPeering International
wbn@iixPeering.net
wbn@DrPeering.net
US Telecom Webinar
Live from Silicon Valley
October 30, 2013 10AM PST

2. Meet the Presenter
• Started working on Internet (NSFNET) in
1988
• 1st “Chairman” of North American
Network Operator Group (NANOG) (19941998)
• 1998-2008 Co-Founder & Chief Technical
Liaison, Equinix Inc. (NSDQ: EQIX)
• 2008-Present - Executive Director, DrPeering
Int’l
• Two-day On-Site Peering Workshops (EU/Africa)
• The 2013 Internet Peering Playbook
• 2013 Chief Strategy Officer, International
Agenda…

3. Agenda
• Introduction: What you need to know about
Peering for this talk
• Thesis: How Peering Improves Security
1. Less vulnerable to DDOS side affects
2. Fewer network elements make peering less
vulnerable
3. Security response and recovery time are
improved with peers
• Discussion: Q&A
What you need to know…

4. Section I: Introduction
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
PEERING

5. Internet Transit Service Model
• 99.9% of all
• Announce
Reachability
• Metered
Service
• Simple
• “Internet
This Way”
5
95th
percentile measurement

6. •
•
•
•
95th Percentile Billing Calculation
5 minute samples
Month of deltas
95th percentile
Max(in,out)
6
Transit Prices Drop

7. Internet Price Declines (U.S.)
•
•
•
•
“Can’t go lower”
“No one is making $”
Pricing varies widely
Trend unmistakable
7
Internet Peering…

8. What is Internet Peering?
• Definition: Internet Peering is the business relationship whereby two
companies reciprocally provide access to each others’ customers.
8

9. Internet Peering
3 Key Points
1. Peering is not a transitive relationship
2. Peering is not a perfect substitute
3. Peering is typically settlement free
9

10. The Top 5 Motivations to Peer
1. Lower Transit Costs
(#1 ISP Motivation to Peer)
2. Improve end user experience
(#1 Content Motivation)
3. Better control over routing-strategic
(Yahoo!, NetFlix 2008)
4. Usage based billing – make more money by peering
(AboveNet)
5. Sell more underlying transport capacity
(Telecom Italia)
NEW 6. Peering Improves Security!
10

11. Section II: Thesis
HOW PEERING IMPROVES
SECURITY: 3 TENETS

12. On the Commodity Internet
T
$
$
P
C
B
T
A
D
$
T
E
B
$
T
F
$
T
G
Traffic traverses
potentially many networks
before reaching its destination
intermingled

13. All traffic in the Commodity Internet is
intermingled
T
$
$
P
C
D
B
$
T
B
E
$
T
T
A
F
$
T
G
Which works fine when
there is plenty of interconnection
Bandwidth, networks have plenty of
Memory, CPU, etc. Aggregation Efficiency are great.
Works fine until

14. But when there are DDOS attacks…
T
$
$
P
C
$
D
T
B
E
B
$
T
T
A
X
F
$
T
G
…anywhere along the transit path,
Packet loss, latency,
poor performance.
Result: DOS: AG Unable to establish a secure channel.
Spot events…

15. But when there are Spot Events…
T
$
$
P
C
$
D
T
B
E
B
$
T
T
A
X
F
Note:
Not just DDOS
Spot Events (MS Update, Oprah interview, etc.)
$
T
G
…anywhere along the transit path,
Packet loss, latency,
poor performance.
Result: DOS: AG Unable to establish a secure channel.
Peering bypass

16. 1) Peering Bypasses the Commodity
Internet
T
$
$
P
C
D
$
T
B
E
B
$
T
T
X
A
“Important Traffic is Peered”
– Andreas Sturm (DE-CIX)
1) By making specific traffic Immune
from the side affects of DDOS,
Peering Improves Security
F
$
T
G
Peering
Point (IXP)
2nd: vulnerability

17. Commodity Internet has many points
of vulnerability
Networks can be hijacked
T
$
$
P
C
B
D
$
T
B
E
$
T
T
A
No visibility to upstream compromises
May be in protected IDC or
On the top of a telephone pole
F
Interconnects can be
tapped, mirrored,
redirected, captured
$
T
G
Peering bypass

18. 2) Peering Reduces the network
vulnerability
Networks can be hijacked
T
$
$
P
C
D
$
T
B
E
B
$
T
T
A
F
Interconnects can be
tapped, mirrored,
redirected, captured
For the subset of peered traffic.
Hardened building
Better Visibility, peers should notice disruption.
Peering Improves Security
$
T
G
Peering
Point (IXP)

19. 3) Peering Improves Recovery Time
Networks can be hijacked
T
$
$
P
C
D
$
T
B
E
B
$
T
T
A
F
Interconnects can be
tapped, mirrored,
redirected, captured
Practical Matter – peers exchange
Contact Info, NOC #’s, network maps,
Escalation procedures, cell phone #’s
You met the personfaster resolution times.
$
T
G
Peering
Point (IXP)

20. Peering Improves Security
1. Internet Transit intermingles traffic
– Vulnerable to DDOS side affect
– Peering bypasses the “wild wild west commodity
Internet”
2. Internet Transit more points of vulnerability
– Interconnects and networks along the path
– Peering involves fewer network elements between
content and eyeballs
3. Security response is faster with peers
– Upstream NOCs won’t take your call

21. Thank you for your time!
Email me !
Talk about (agree/disagree) the thesis “Peering Improves Security”
How peering might help your situation
wbn@iixPeering.net