Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s recent complaint has brought up the topic of ‘BGP Hijacking’ (BGP Hijacking) or Internet routing disruption. In the tech world, the question has arisen, what exactly is BGP hijacking and how can it affect the security and performance of the Internet?
BGP or Internet Traffic Guidance
BGP or Border Gateway Protocol is a traffic guide for the vast network of the Internet. It determines the path that Internet data takes to reach its destination. Networks of thousands of telecom companies, universities and technology institutes around the world are connected to each other through this protocol. Many call it the ‘GPS’ of the Internet for this important role. Much like a courier service, where a parcel travels through different networks to reach its destination, data on the Internet is exchanged in the same way.
How BGP Hijacking Happens
Developed in the 1980s, this protocol is primarily based on a trust-based system. Networks easily trust each other’s claims. BGP hijacking occurs if a network takes advantage of this vulnerability to mistakenly or intentionally advertise routes that are not its own. This can cause Internet traffic to flow in the wrong direction, slow down the website or app, and cause major service disruptions.
A cause for concern among experts
BGP hijacking means that the user’s personal information will be stolen—this is not always the case. In many cases this is considered a technical routing outage. But the main concern of technology experts is that a system as important as the Internet is still dependent on such a trustless protocol. A small mistake or intentional misuse can have far-reaching effects, which has led to several routing outages at different times around the world. Hence, beyond the Telegram-Jio controversy, this technical vulnerability is a major topic of discussion and caution among tech experts around the world.
Share this news as a Photo Card
Generating high-quality image, please wait…
