THE PRESIDENT’S NATIONAL SECURITY TELECOMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE NETWORK GROUP Internet Report An Examination of the NS/EP Implications of Internet Technologies JUNE 1999 President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee INTERNET REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................................ES-1 1.0 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................1 1.1 Background....................................................................................................................1 1.2 Purpose..........................................................................................................................1 1.3 Definitions .....................................................................................................................2 1.3.1 National Security and Emergency Preparedness Services.........................................2 1.3.2 Severe Disruption ....................................................................................................2 1.3.3 Reliability................................................................................................................2 1.3.4 Availability..............................................................................................................2 1.4 Approach .......................................................................................................................2 2.0 NS/EP OPERATIONS AND INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES......................................4 2.1 Background....................................................................................................................4 2.2 NS/EP Community’s Dependence on Dedicated TCP/IP Networks................................6 2.2.1 NIPRNET and SIPRNET.........................................................................................6 2.2.2 Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System............................................6 2.2.3 Intelink ....................................................................................................................7 2.2.4 Open Source Information System ............................................................................7 2.3 NS/EP Community’s Current Dependence on the Internet..............................................7 2.3.1 Remote Access ........................................................................................................8 2.3.2 Secure Web Sites.....................................................................................................8 2.3.3 Conclusion...............................................................................................................9 2.4 NS/EP Community’s Current Use of the Internet .........................................................10 2.4.1 National Communications System .........................................................................10 2.4.2 FEMA ...................................................................................................................10 2.4.3 DOD......................................................................................................................10 2.4.4 GSA ......................................................................................................................11 2.4.5 Other Agencies ......................................................................................................11 2.5 Future NS/EP Dependence on the Internet ...................................................................11 2.5.1 Evolving Technologies and Applications ...............................................................12 2.6 Critical Infrastructures’ Dependencies on the Internet and Consequent Impacts on NS/EP Operations .........................................................................................................15 2.6.1 Financial Infrastructure..........................................................................................16 2.6.2 Gas and Electric Power Industries..........................................................................16 2.6.3 Telecommunications Industry ................................................................................17 2.6.4 Medical Services ...................................................................................................18 INTERNET REPORT i President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee 2.6.5 Emergency Services...............................................................................................18 2.6.6 Conclusion.............................................................................................................18 2.7 Summary......................................................................................................................19 3.0 INTERNET OVERVIEW.............................................................................................20 3.1 Internet Terminology....................................................................................................20 3.2 Internet Functional Components...................................................................................20 3.3 Internet Infrastructure Operational Overview ...............................................................22 3.3.1 Interexchange Points..............................................................................................24 3.3.2 National Backbone Providers.................................................................................26 3.3.3 Regional Service Providers....................................................................................27 3.4 Interconnections...........................................................................................................27 3.5 Organizations Guiding Management and Development of Internet Architecture...........28 3.5.1 Internet Assigned Numbers Authority....................................................................28 3.5.2 National Science Foundation (NSF).......................................................................28 3.5.3 Network Solutions, Inc. (NSI) ...............................................................................28 3.5.4 Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) ................................................................28 3.5.5 Internet Architecture Board (IAB) .........................................................................29 3.5.6 Internet Society......................................................................................................29 3.5.7 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) ......................................................29 4.0 INTERNET VULNERABILITIES AND FAILURE IMPLICATIONS .....................30 4.1 Vulnerabilities: Management ......................................................................................30 4.1.1 IP Parameters and Addresses .................................................................................31 4.1.2 Domain Name System (DNS)................................................................................32 4.2 Vulnerabilities: Infrastructure Components .................................................................33 4.2.1 Interexchange Points (IXP)....................................................................................33 4.2.2 Routers..................................................................................................................34 4.2.3 ISP Infrastructure ..................................................................................................35 4.2.4 Software ................................................................................................................36 4.3 Malicious Exploitation of Internet Vulnerabilities ........................................................37 4.4 Procedural Errors .........................................................................................................38 4.5 Natural Hazards ...........................................................................................................39 4.6 Trends..........................................................................................................................39 5.0 INTERNET INITIATIVES AND EVOLVING TECHNOLOGIES...........................42 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................42 5.2 Internet2 and NGI ........................................................................................................42 5.3 Internet2 ......................................................................................................................42 5.3.1 Internet2 Goals ......................................................................................................43 5.3.2 Internet2 Architecture............................................................................................43 INTERNET REPORT ii President’s National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee CONTINUED 5.3.3 Internet2 and NS/EP ..............................................................................................45 5.4 Next Generation Internet..............................................................................................46 5.4.1 NGI Goals .............................................................................................................47 5.4.2 NGI Architecture...................................................................................................48