MANRS launches new IXP programme to promote routing security

The Mutually Agreed Norms for Routing Security (MANRS) initiative, supported by the Internet Society, has announced the launch of a new IXP Programme. The IXP Programme broadens support for the primary objective of MANRS  to implement crucial fixes needed to eliminate the most common threats to the Internet’s routing system.

DE-CIX is one of the ten founding participants of MANRS, together with Asteroid, CABASE, CRIX, INEX, MSK-IX, Netnod, RINEX, TorIX, and YYCIX.

MANRS was initially established by and for network operators, but IXPs also play a vital role in Internet security. The MANRS IXP Programme introduces a separate membership category for IXPs with a set of security actions to address the unique needs and concerns of IXPs. Programme participation provides an opportunity for an IXP to demonstrate its attention to the security and sustainability of the Internet ecosystem and, therefore, its dedication to providing high-quality services.

Participation in the MANRS IXP Programme requires an IXP to implement and document a majority of the IXP Programme Actions (at least three out of five). Actions 1 and 2 are mandatory, and the IXP must implement at least one additional action. Here are the five actions:

1. Facilitate prevention of propagation of incorrect routing information
2. Promote MANRS in the IXP’s membership
3. Protect the peering platform
4. Facilitate global operational communication and coordination between network operators
5. Provide monitoring and debugging tools to members

The IXP Programme founding participants have taken these actions, which establish a security baseline that many IXPs may already surpass and from which others can build. 

Routing security is vital to the future and stability of the Internet. In 2017 alone, 14,000 routing outages or incidents ­– such as hijacking, leaks, spoofing and large-scale Denial of Service (DoS) attacks ­– led to stolen data, lost revenue, reputational damage and more. MANRS addresses these threats through technical and collaborative action across the Internet. The security of the Internet as a whole depends on routing security.