Why Google Went Offline Today and a Bit about How the Internet Works

#1

Post by ColinWright » Tue, Nov 06, 2012, 11:17 AM UTC

Why Google Went Offline Today and a Bit about How the Internet Works
blog.cloudflare.com

Re: Why Google Went Offline Today and a Bit about How the Internet Works

#2

Post by hayksaakian » Tue, Nov 06, 2012, 11:38 AM UTC

It really makes one wonder about the fragility of the internet.

Re: Why Google Went Offline Today and a Bit about How the Internet Works

#3

Post by killermonkeys » Tue, Nov 06, 2012, 11:47 AM UTC

Why wouldn't PCCW preventing its customers from publishing routes outside its whitelist work? It has been a long time since I worked on BGP but that was common practice from back haul carriers to ISPs even at that point (2003). Given the same back haul provider has allowed this twice, it seems like a reasonable ask.

Re: Why Google Went Offline Today and a Bit about How the Internet Works

#4

Post by stingraycharles » Tue, Nov 06, 2012, 11:56 AM UTC

For what it's worth, this is quite a vulnerability in the internet's routing system. It's also the reason Youtube went offline after Pakistan was deliberately announcing the wrong routes a few years ago because it didn't agree with some videos being broadcasted by Youtube.

http://www.ripe.net/internet-coordination/news/industry-deve...

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9878655-7.html

Re: Why Google Went Offline Today and a Bit about How the Internet Works

#5

Post by lini » Tue, Nov 06, 2012, 11:59 AM UTC

And nothing will change. At least not until someone does this with malicious intent - script kiddie A knocks out big site, or a censoring state decides that it should block a free speech site from the entire Internet.

Re: Why Google Went Offline Today and a Bit about How the Internet Works

#6

Post by jhull » Tue, Nov 06, 2012, 12:00 PM UTC

Couldn't a rogue government easily take down the internet this way? Seems like if one guy in Indonesia can take out Google by accident, a government entity could do the same.

Re: Why Google Went Offline Today and a Bit about How the Internet Works

#7

Post by forgotusername » Tue, Nov 06, 2012, 12:05 PM UTC

lini wrote: post #5

And nothing will change. At least not until someone does this with malicious intent - script kiddie A knocks out big site, or a censoring state decides that it should block a free speech site from the entire Internet.

Evil routing has been employed a whole bunch of times going back decades, most visibly a couple of years ago when IIRC Iran (?) started advertising bad routes for a bunch of big sites, including Google

Re: Why Google Went Offline Today and a Bit about How the Internet Works

#8

Post by sudhirj » Tue, Nov 06, 2012, 12:06 PM UTC

jhull wrote: post #6

Couldn't a rogue government easily take down the internet this way? Seems like if one guy in Indonesia can take out Google by accident, a government entity could do the same.

The moment people realize that the rogue network was being malicious, they'd stop trusting it - ignoring all announcements it might make. It might take a few hours for order to be restored, though.