Internet is much more fragile than it seems

There is a widespread belief that, once something has been uploaded to the Internet, it will be there forever.Probably because many do not conceive of a world without the network of networks.Ignoring phenomena such as computer subduction, the data seems eternal to us.had to invent the right to be forgotten.

However, Internet is much more ethereal and fragile than it might seem at first .Not many people know that this great network depends on key nodes for its operation. Or limited access protocols , which make the Internet less robust than it appears.

Internet, Tier networks and onions

As Shrek would say, the Internet is like an onion.Like ogres, The Internet is made up of a series of layers linked together.We could say that they contain themselves within different levels.These levels are called Tier 1 , Tier 2 and Tier 3.

Let's give an example.The red node is a blog hosted on that server, and the orange one is your mobile.When you visit the blog, the data moves along the blue lines and nodes.There are several paths, some longer than others For example, the interiors are faster (and usually cover more physical distance).

Internet is much more fragile than it seems

Basic Internet Structure.Source: Telecommunications Networks Luis Lopez Fernandez, 2006 .

For the example, the data has to go through two level 2 nodes ( Tier 2 ) before reaching your phone.But, what happens if either of the two nodes goes down? Or what happens if a level 1 node falls and we are the orange dot? The content is inaccessible to us .

Luckily for users, each node (your computer, your office switch, a router...) connects with many level 2 nodes and at least one level 1 pair.This redundancy provides robustness and security to the network.If you make sure that, even if several nodes fall, there is always another backup.

But let's keep imagining, the light goes out in a neighborhood close to ours, a nearby transformer burns, or simply maintenance work is done on the level 1 node that we usually use.It is necessary to have at least one other exit possible.

This is where one of the Internet weaknesses appears.Every time a node falls (for example through a computer attack) extra workloads the nearby nodes This can lead to a chain collapse like the ones that cause DDoS attacks.

Internet is much more fragile than it seems

Bridge of the Braces, Pontevedra.Source: innoxiuss .

You can see with the example of the bridge of braces.The Internet traffic is represented with the weight of the bridge, and the servers as the braces on which it hangs.If you remove a brace, you load the remaining ones but the bridge resists.But if you keep removing braces, especially those that support more weight, the bridge will fall.

Domain names (DNS)

Another of the disadvantages of the Internet is that it needs addresses, something like a phone number or a address so as not to be wrong as a recipient.decentralized network system, the DNS hierarchy uses a tree-like structure :

Internet is much more fragile than it seems

This means that if the top part fails, the entire chain will fail .It would be worrying if the root servers that save this data were few.In 2006 there were only 13 root servers, although these were not they were in only 13 points on the planet:

There were copies, sections or roots ( roots ), of them distributed around the globe.If not, every time a node fell (something that happens with certain frequency due to problems from maintenance until power cuts) a huge part of the Internet would fall with them.

However, the security structure is hierarchical.Root servers They are the source of all Internet addresses.That makes them the perfect target of any attack, and that is why they are so safely reinforced.

Blocking these servers can be worrisome for Internet traffic, as happened in 2016 but there is something even more dangerous: manipulate the original DNS file called root.zone.

Manipulate this file and convince the nodes that copy it that this manipulation is legitimate is really complex.Almost impossible.But there is no perfect security, and the manipulation of key DNS (such as Wikipedia or Twitter) would be enough to check many users .

It is convenient to start demystifying the Internet .For example, the cloud is not up and if it takes up space , that the websites are not forever, or that the Internet has mass (and weighs).The Internet is a set of connections.And, as such, it has its plus and minus, as the two structural weaknesses seen.

But there are many more.As a fragility of a mechanical nature, since the Internet works thanks to a solid union of global fiber optic; electric, because the Internet requires constant pumping of electricity; physical, being vulnerable in its nodes to high radiation; personal, because the Internet can get sick from our misuse...

Images | Alexas_Fotos, DNS Tree

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