[18159] in North American Network Operators' Group
Re: small vent
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (David R. Conrad)
Sun Jun 28 20:02:03 1998
Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 08:27:17 +0800
To: Jon Lewis <jlewis@inorganic5.fdt.net>
From: "David R. Conrad" <davidc@apnic.net>
Cc: Mark Milhollan <mlm@ftel.net>, nanog@merit.edu
In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.3.95.980628144922.723y-100000@tarkin.fdt.net>
Hi,
>> "David R. Conrad" writes:
>> >b) someone has dummied up a prefix in a mail header or something (typical)
>> >c) there is a bug in the database software (happens)
>What about d). Perhaps someone temporarily announced routes for
>unallocated space, setup a mail/spam server in that IP space, sent out
>their mail, and stopped exporting the route.
Actually, that was "a", what I call prefix theft. I figure it is becoming
more and more common, and I know of at least one case where it was an
actual policy of a large network.
<CYNICAL>
However, this isn't a problem anymore given we have not one, but two
proposals on how to authenticate routing announcments. All the rest is
just a small matter of programming.
</CYNICAL>
As an aside, it always amazes me that the Internet even works (particularly
for an infrastructure that the unwashed masses seems to think will replace
the existing telephone network), but I guess the same could be said of any
chaotic (in the non-linear sense) system...
Regards,
-drc
