BGP Hijacking and How to Prevent It
BGP internet hijacking happens when cybercriminals reroute traffic by falsely claiming ownership of IP prefixes. Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) assumes that connected networks honestly share the IP addresses they control. Although BGP attacks are nearly impossible to fully eliminate, implementing strong cybersecurity measures makes it harder for hackers to take control of a BGP router.
BGP is a complex process that requires time and skill. The good news is that there are preventative measures that can help reduce the risk of a BGP hijack in your network. Keep reading to learn what a BGP is and what steps you can take to prevent an attack.
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What is BGP?
Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) manages internet traffic to ensure it moves efficiently from one IP address to another. When a user types a website name into a browser, the browser finds and loads the website. All of these actions and responses are communicated through IP addresses.
The Domain Name System (DNS) is the server that provides IP addresses, while BGP offers the fastest route to reach the destination. This combination enables us to quickly look up websites without long load times. Without BGP, browsers would have no roadmap to guide users to their desired destinations.
How BGP Works
BGP routers store information in a routing table that offers the simplest available routes between autonomous systems (AS). An autonomous system is a large network or a group of networks managed by a single organization. Many autonomous systems include subnetworks but follow the same routing policy. These tables are constantly updated as each AS shares its owned IP prefixes.
BGP always chooses the shortest and most direct path from one AS to another to reach IP addresses with as few network hops as possible. When an AS falsely claims an IP address space belonging to another AS to redirect internet traffic, this is called a BGP hijack. Once the traffic is wrongfully directed to the attacker’s AS, it can be intercepted, monitored, and manipulated, leading to larger cyber attacks.
Sometimes BGP hijacking is unintentional, such as the 2008 Pakistan YouTube censorship incident. This is known as a BGP leak, where internet traffic is accidentally redirected to different locations and can potentially expose sensitive information. Although leaks like this are accidental, they can create more vulnerabilities for hackers to find and exploit. Some hijack attempts may result from both deliberate and unintentional factors, leaving the true intent of the incident unclear.
BGP Hijacking Prevention
BGP hijacking can’t be fully prevented, but you can take steps to lower the chance of a traffic attack. Techniques like detection, mitigation, and limiting incorrect routes are effective ways to gain better control over BGP.
IP Prefixes
Networks should only accept IT prefix declarations when necessary and should restrict their IT prefixes to specific networks instead of the entire Internet. An IP prefix includes an IP network address along with its subnet mask, which defines a range of IP addresses that a BGP router shares with its peers. Adopting specific acceptance and declaration practices helps prevent accidental route hijacking and stops the autonomous system from accepting incorrect IP prefix declarations.
This process can be challenging to enforce for several reasons. It may negatively affect routing performance, needs daily updates that can be time-consuming, and can be resource-intensive for larger networks.
Securing BGP Routes
BGP was created to help the internet run smoothly, and while it achieves this, it offers little to no route protection or security. Solutions to improve route security are starting to be developed, but none have been fully adopted yet. For now, BGP remains vulnerable to hijacking and will continue to be that way until secure routing solutions are put in place.
Until then, consistent BGP monitoring and incident response plans are essential for preventing BGP leaks or hijacks. Regular monitoring helps teams detect unusual activity and potential leaks, while an incident response plan allows your business to respond quickly and mitigate risks if problems arise.
BGP Detection
Detecting BGP hijacks or leaks can be challenging, as it demands continuous monitoring to spot anomalies like increased latency, reduced network performance, or misrouted traffic. Usually, larger networks keep an eye on BGP updates to ensure their clients do not experience these problems.
Teams can also analyze IP advertisements and monitor route availability and outages. Advanced tools that examine the advertised AS can help detect hijacked prefixes and use path analysis to verify correct routing in real-time. While teams can gain a better understanding of their usual internal traffic, they can also start to identify when it behaves abnormally.
Strengthen Your Security
Enhance your business’s security with a trusted partner. With Applied Tech, you can safeguard data, back up your systems, and gain better visibility with a team of IT security experts.
Protect Your Internet Traffic With Proactive Security Measures
BGP hijacking poses a serious threat to the stability and security of your internet traffic. Although it cannot be fully prevented, proactive measures can significantly reduce the chances of success for hackers. Implementing strong detection, mitigation, and incident response strategies will help organizations lower the risk of a hijack by building a more secure IT infrastructure.
Our regulated security services enhance your defenses, offer expert insights, and implement proactive strategies to lower the risk of hijacking and keep your critical operations secure. As a trusted partner, we ensure your teams can carry out daily operations without disruptions. Contact us today to learn more about our regulated security services.
About Applied Tech
Applied Tech is a leading IT and cybersecurity services provider dedicated to helping businesses protect their digital assets. Our proactive and strategic services include cloud management, security, productivity, and IT growth strategy. With a team of experienced professionals, we provide unique solutions tailored to your IT needs.
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