White House Cyber Official Announces Plan to Augment Federal Data Transmission Algorithm

National Cyber Director Harry Coker said augmentations to a backbone data transmission algorithm will take effect in more than half of federal IP addresses by the end of 2024 to protect sensitive data from being rerouted to untrusted transmission paths.

The algorithm, called the Border Gateway Protocol, was developed in 1989 to accelerate data transfers between computers using the fastest, least resistant transmission path. Changes to the protocol, however, are needed as BGP hijacking attacks become more sophisticated, Nextgov/FCW reported.

Speaking at a National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee meeting, Coker shared that several bureaus within the Department of Commerce have signed contracts to establish route origin authorizations that will ensure that a BGP routing pathway comes from a trusted source.

The White House cyber official said the effort will provide a model for other agencies set to begin similar actions in the coming months.

The BGP augmentations are expected to use the Resource Public Key Infrastructure encryption framework that can increase the protocol’s defenses against malicious attackers.

According to Coker, BGP hijacking attacks allow hackers to steal account credentials or install malware.