Disruptions and Emergencies on the Internet

Peter H. Salus and John S. Quarterman

peter@matrix.net, jsq@matrix.net

Matrix NetSystems, Inc.

ZIP, PDF

Abstract

Natural traumas have included earthquakes (e.g. Northridge, CA, in 1994) and hurricanes (e.g. Floyd in 1999). Physical traumas have included terrestrial and marine cable cuts (Ohio and the China Sea) and outright assault (9/11). In addition, there are SYN flood, viral, and DDoS attacks.

Different types of trauma have different effects upon the Internet in terms of latency and packet loss. Recognition of the patterns of such effects can be of both interest and value to those involved in the fabric of the Internet and routing of packets.

Security must be far more than merely firewalls and passwords. The future of security on the Internet will need to pay attention to virtual and physical damage of both adventitious and malicious origin.

Packet switching networks are hard to destroy. This is implicit in their very design. A network of packet switching networks -- the Internet -- is even less fragile. However, a number of events have disrupted Internet service over the decades. Some disruptions have been large, some small.