Seminar - The Debate - Future of the internet

In this week students were placed into 4 groups where they had to prepare a presentation on their assigned topic as to why they think that would be the future of the internet. For the purpose of the activity, my group’s topic was that the future of the internet is based on the adoption of IPv6 and the rollout of the associated security measures (DNSSEC, HTTP/3, IPsec, etc.)

The below information is taken from the PP presentation slides, created by Mohammed Younes and myself.

IPv6 advantages

-IPv6 provides valuable benefits to organizations by facilitating an improvement in operational efficiencies. Examples of IPv6 benefits include: -Addressing and Routing: IPv6’s extremely large address space enables global connectivity to many more electronic devices – mobile phones, laptops, in-vehicle computers, televisions, cameras, building sensors, medical devices, etc. -Security: IPv6’s security comes in the form of IPsec, which allows authentication, encryption, and integrity protection at the network layer. -Support for Mobile Devices: IPv6 enabled applications can benefit from seamless mobility. The mobility comes in the form of Mobile IPv6, which allows devices to roam among different networks without losing their network connectivity.

IPv6 adoption and the implementation of associated security measures like DNSSEC, HTTP/3, IPsec, and others certainly play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the internet. IPv6 provides a vast address space, essential for accommodating the growing number of devices connecting to the internet. Its adoption is crucial as IPv4 addresses become increasingly scarce. Moreover, security measures like DNSSEC (Domain Name System Security Extensions) help in securing the DNS infrastructure, reducing the risks of various cyber threats such as DNS spoofing and cache poisoning. HTTP/3, a protocol based on QUIC, aims to enhance web performance and security by optimizing data transmission over the internet. IPsec ensures secure communication by authenticating and encrypting IP packets. These technologies collectively contribute to a more secure, efficient, and scalable internet infrastructure.

As this was a debate activity, the below was also preseted as a disadvantage to other peer’s group topics.

Content Centric Networking and Named Data Networking

Although content centric networking (CCN) and Named data networking (NDN) are currently evolving, here are some disadvantages: Although content centric networking (CCN) and Named data networking (NDN) are currently evolving, here are some disadvantages: Although content centric networking (CCN) and Named data networking (NDN) are currently evolving, here are some disadvantages: Although content centric networking (CCN) and Named data networking (NDN) are currently evolving, here are some disadvantages: Although content centric networking (CCN) and Named data networking (NDN) are currently evolving, here are some disadvantages:

-Security & Privacy - Ideology behind CNN is that it focuses on content rather than traditional host-centric networking where communication is based on the addresses of the parties. Similarly, NDN focuses on content retrieval by name. This involves caching content which raises risks of unauthorized access to sensitive data. Making sure the integrity of the data is kept as it travels through the network which is cached by various nodes can be a challenging task. -Content Naming & Routing Issues - It can be difficult to create and implement a content naming strategy that is both scalable and effective, and ineffective methods can negatively affect CNN’s overall performance. Complex routing algorithms may result from the decentralized structure of CNN, especially in situations when the network circumstances are changing. -Transitioning Challenges - Making the switch from IP based networks to CNN might be difficult. One major problem is ensuring combability with current applications that are already existing and dominant, as well as infrastructure.

Peer-to-peer overlay networks, BitTorrent, tor & freenet

-Legal & Ethical Issues - Peer-to-peer networks such as Freenet and BitTorrent can be abused and used to distribute illegal or copyrighted content, facing legal repercussions if they are used to distribute content that is unlawful or protected by copyright. This can be challenging in situations where Tor is used, as it is designed to provide anonymity. -Performance Fluctuations - BitTorrent and other per-to-peer networks rely on the availability and upload speeds of other users to function properly. Because of this, download speeds may differ and cause delays, even resulting in corrupted data. -Content Availability and Network Conditions - Peer to peer networks operate in a dynamic setting where peer’s availability can fluctuate quickly and unexpectedly. This can result in network conditions to become unpredictable. On the other hand, content that is less popular or less known might have a fewer peers available for sharing, which could result in slower download times or even unavailability.

Mobility first architecture

-Connectivity Dependency - Reliable and strong connectivity is essential to a mobility first architecture. The architecture may not work as well in places with inadequate network coverage or in circumstances where connectivity is interrupted. -Privacy Concerns - Concerns about privacy may arise from devices constant mobility. Even for justifiable reasons, gathering and handling location data necessitates careful consideration of user consent and privacy laws. -Transitioning And Adopting To The New - It may take some time for users and IT staff to get used to the new architecture. Programs for education and training might be required to guarantee that users know how to take full advantage of the mobility features and that IT personnel can operate the system efficiently.

Reflection: This was a very different and interesting debate in which peers presented some very good and interesting points as to relates to the future of the internet. Regardless of which approach is considered, for something like this to be implemented fully will require a new perspective and implementation inluding major adjustments of already available softwares and applications on the market.