Cybersecurity Internet topology classification

Question

I am trying to draw some insights on a set of Autonomous System (AS) relationships given to me. Data looks like this -

as1   as2   relationship

 4     567      0       

14     6079     0

18     276      0

18    26468     0

24     293      0

24    6509      0

24    7575      0

24    10343    -1

24    11537     0

24    19401     0

24    27750     0

26    19401     0

31    567       0

32    71       -1

I believe that 0 and -1 indicate whether relationship is c->p or p->p, but I am not sure. Please help me identify what this data actually means and what insights could I possibly draw from a set of 250000 such points spread over 2 days and how?

Answer 1

From the data you provided, it appears that the three columns represent the Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs) of two ASes and their relationship. The values "0" and "-1" are likely indicating the relationship type where "0" means a customer-to-provider (c->p) relationship, and "-1" indicates a peer-to-peer (p->p) relationship.

In an AS relationship, an AS may provide transit services to other ASes (c->p relationship) or establish a direct connection with another AS without one being the provider of the other (p->p relationship). For example, if AS1 provides Internet connectivity to AS2, then AS1 is the provider, and AS2 is the customer (c->p relationship). On the other hand, if AS1 and AS2 both have similar sizes and traffic levels and connect to exchange traffic, then they are peers (p->p relationship).

To draw insights from the set of 250000 data points, you can perform various analyses, such as:

1. Identify the ASNs with the highest number of customer and peer relationships.
2. Determine the distribution of c->p and p->p relationships across different regions or countries.
3. Identify the ASNs with the highest level of interconnectivity in the network.
4. Analyze the relationship changes over time and identify any significant events or trends that might have affected them.
5. Identify any patterns in the types of ASNs that tend to have p->p relationships.
6. Analyze the degree of connectivity between ASNs and identify any potential bottlenecks in the network.

To perform these analyses, you may need to use tools such as graph theory algorithms or network visualization software. Additionally, you may need to explore other datasets to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the AS relationships, such as BGP routing tables, routing policies, and peering databases.