White House asks agencies to step up internet routing security efforts, ET Telecom

ARCHIVE PHOTO: A view of the White House in Washington, U.S., July 20, 2024. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/Archive photo

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON: The White House said Tuesday it wants federal agencies to beef up internet routing security on networks, amid concerns expressed by U.S. officials about China’s ability to redirect internet traffic.

The White House Office of the Director of Cybersecurity in a report outlined a series of actions to address a major security flaw related to the Border Gateway Protocol, or BGP, which is a key element of the global information routing system on the internet.

The office has stated that federal agencies should implement routing security measures on their networks and is seeking to compel service providers working for the U.S. government to implement current, commercially viable Internet routing security technologies.

“Traffic can be inadvertently or intentionally rerouted, potentially exposing personal information, enabling theft, extortion, and state-level espionage, disrupting security-critical transactions, and disrupting critical infrastructure,” the report reads.

The Internet is made up of over 70,000 interconnected networks, and the BGP protocol is used to exchange information and direct traffic.

The White House report states that “BGP’s original design features do not adequately address the threats and resilience requirements of today’s Internet ecosystem.”

In June, the Federal Communications Commission unveiled a proposal to strengthen BGP security after U.S. agencies reported that China Telecom exploited BGP vulnerabilities “to misdirect Internet traffic in the United States on at least six occasions.”

The Departments of Defense and Justice said BGP gave China the “capabilities to disrupt, intercept, study, and alter U.S. traffic.”

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in June that “these ‘BGP hijacks’ could expose personal information, enable theft, extortion, and state-level espionage.”

In April, the FCC said it was ordering the U.S. operations of China Telecom, China Unicom, China Mobile, and Chinese telecommunications company Pacific Networks and its subsidiary ComNet to stop providing fixed and mobile broadband services in the U.S.

The commission has previously banned Chinese companies from providing telecoms services, citing national security concerns.

The FCC previously banned approval of new telecommunications equipment from Chinese companies Huawei Technologies and ZTE, saying they posed an “unacceptable risk” to U.S. national security.