Enhancing Border Gateway Protocol Security Using Public Blockchain

Area of Science:

• Computer Science
• Network Security
• Distributed Systems

Background:

• Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is crucial for internet routing but vulnerable to attacks like BGP hijacking due to inherent trust.
• Existing security solutions, often centralized, face slow adoption and their own vulnerabilities.
• Decentralized blockchain alternatives offer improved security but typically only validate incoming BGP updates.

Discussion:

• This paper proposes a novel module design for Autonomous System (AS) border routers, enhancing network device management.
• The solution leverages the public Ethereum blockchain (Ropsten testnet) for decentralized validation of BGP updates.
• Prefix verification occurs before BGP updates are announced, proactively eliminating fraudulent origin announcements.

Key Insights:

• The system prevents fraudulent BGP origin announcements by verifying prefixes prior to announcement.
• Utilizes blockchain for secure storage of edge router configurations and an immutable history of changes.
• Enables historical analysis of router settings to detect and investigate incorrect information dissemination.

Outlook:

• This approach strengthens BGP security by integrating public blockchain technology into network management.
• Offers a more robust and decentralized security model compared to existing centralized Public Key Infrastructure solutions.
• Provides a foundation for more secure and auditable internet routing infrastructure.