RPKI (Route Origin Authorization)

Complete Guide to BGP Route Security - Preventing IP Address Hijacking

What is RPKI (Route Origin Authorization)?

RPKI (Resource Public Key Infrastructure) is a security framework that uses cryptographic certificates to verify the authenticity of BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) route announcements. It prevents attackers from hijacking IP address space by announcing unauthorized routes.

The internet's routing system (BGP) was designed without security. Anyone can announce routes for any IP address space, making route hijacking trivial. RPKI solves this by:

  • Creating cryptographic proof of IP address ownership
  • Authorizing which networks (ASNs) can announce routes
  • Enabling validation of route announcements
  • Preventing unauthorized route hijacking

The BGP Route Hijacking Problem

Without RPKI, attackers can announce routes for your IP addresses, causing all internet traffic intended for your servers to be redirected to the attacker's servers. This happens at the routing level, bypassing DNS and other security measures.

Why RPKI is Critical for Your Business

1. Prevents Route Hijacking

RPKI prevents attackers from:

  • Announcing unauthorized routes for your IP addresses
  • Redirecting traffic intended for your servers
  • Intercepting all communications
  • Performing man-in-the-middle attacks at the routing level
  • Completely taking over your internet presence

2. Infrastructure Security

Route hijacking can cause:

  • Complete service disruption
  • Data interception and theft
  • Brand impersonation
  • Financial losses
  • Widespread security compromise

3. Industry Standard

RPKI is becoming an industry standard:

  • Major ISPs are deploying RPKI validation
  • Government agencies require RPKI
  • Industry best practices mandate RPKI
  • Future internet security depends on RPKI

What Can Go Wrong Without RPKI?

Complete Route Hijacking

Without RPKI, attackers can:

  • Announce routes for your entire IP address space
  • Redirect all internet traffic to their servers
  • Intercept all communications
  • Completely take over your internet presence
  • Cause widespread service disruption

Data Interception

Hijacked routes enable:

  • Interception of all traffic
  • Theft of customer data
  • Stealing of credentials
  • Financial fraud
  • Complete security compromise

Service Disruption

Route hijacking causes:

  • Complete website inaccessibility
  • Email delivery failures
  • API and service outages
  • Business operations halt
  • Massive financial losses

How RPKI Works: Technical Deep Dive

ROA Records

ROA (Route Origin Authorization) records specify:

  • Which IP address prefixes you own
  • Which ASNs (Autonomous System Numbers) are authorized to announce routes for those prefixes
  • Maximum prefix length allowed

ROA records are cryptographically signed and published in RPKI repositories.

RPKI Validation

When a network receives a BGP route announcement:

  1. Checks if ROA records exist for the announced prefix
  2. Verifies the announcing ASN is authorized in the ROA
  3. Validates the prefix length is within allowed range
  4. If valid, accepts the route; if invalid, rejects it

RPKI Hierarchy

RPKI uses a hierarchical certificate structure:

  • Root: IANA (Internet Assigned Numbers Authority)
  • Regional Internet Registries (RIRs): ARIN, RIPE, APNIC, etc.
  • Local Internet Registries (LIRs): ISPs and organizations
  • End Users: Organizations with IP address space

RPKI Best Practices

1. Create ROA Records

Create ROA records for all IP address prefixes you own, authorizing your ASN(s) to announce routes.

2. Work with Your RIR

Coordinate with your Regional Internet Registry (ARIN, RIPE, etc.) to set up RPKI and create ROA records.

3. Monitor ROA Status

Regularly verify that ROA records are valid and route announcements are being validated correctly.

4. Coordinate with ISPs

Ensure your ISPs and hosting providers support RPKI validation and are properly configured.

How PrismWeb Ensures RPKI Protection

At PrismWeb, we perform comprehensive RPKI validation:

  • ROA Record Verification: We check that ROA records exist for your IP address space
  • Route Validation: We verify route announcements are valid according to RPKI
  • ASN Authorization: We check that authorized ASNs match your infrastructure
  • RPKI Status Monitoring: We continuously monitor RPKI validation status

When you host with PrismWeb, RPKI is properly configured, ROA records are maintained, and route security is continuously monitored. We ensure your IP address space is protected from route hijacking. This is one of our 16 comprehensive security checks that most providers skip entirely.