Using Topological Mapping to Manage

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Using Topological Mapping to Manage Secure
Large NetworksNANOG23 October 23,
2001karl_at_lumeta.com
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Lumeta What we do

• Connect to a client network, send and receive
  lots of packets, and deliver maps and data
• It all started with mapping the Internet...

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The Internet
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Why is this Important?

• Images convey more information in less real
  estate.
• Maps call attention to anomalies more clearly.
• You cant secure what you cant manage. You cant
  manage what you cant define.

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A Typical Intranet
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Specifics for ISPs

• Order Matters For an ISP, the network is their
  business
• The business portions of ISP networks are highly
  organized and methodically laid out
• Yet, there are still organic components, e.g.,
  the corporate intranet

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What an ISP Looks Like
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What can be Found?

• Undocumented infrastructure or incomplete mergers
• Legacy connections to forgotten business partners
  or spun off business units
• Mismanaged firewalls and routers

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Routing Table Errors
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Incomplete Divestitures
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Another Look at the ISP
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Conclusion

• Network maps condense complex structural
  information into a manageable form
• Topological features can readily point out
  anomalies
• Assertion Any large network can be improved by
  being mapped