Protecting the Internet's Core

Why and how the foundational infrastructure and protocols that guarantee the functioning of the Internet are under threat—and what states can do to protect it.

Protecting the Internet’s Core brings together an international group of renowned scholars to advance discussions on the public core of the Internet. They tackle questions such as: What is “public” about the public core, if most critical Internet resources are governed or managed by private actors? What does protection of the core actually entail from states? Should they commit simply to refrain from cyber operations targeting core infrastructure, or do they also have certain positive obligations to monitor and stop threats that impact the Internet beyond their borders? Why have some major powers embraced the concept, while others remain reluctant to adopt it?

The world has built its digital existence on top of core logical standards and protocols, like the TCP/IP suite, the Domain Name System and routing protocols, and core physical infrastructure like subsea cables and their landing stations, DNS servers, and Internet exchange points (IXPs). It is vital that the stability and integrity of these core protocols and infrastructure are safeguarded. This is no longer a hypothetical concern, as the war in Ukraine has powerfully demonstrated. While threats to core protocols have long existed, they have acquired a heightened degree of sophistication and severity in recent years.