The internet feels seamless when it works—but behind the scenes, it’s a complex web of routes and protocols. One of the most critical, yet vulnerable, protocols is BGP—the Border Gateway Protocol. It’s the system that tells internet traffic where to go. But when it goes wrong, the consequences can be massive.

One major threat to this system is BGP hijacking—a serious problem that can disrupt, intercept, or reroute global internet traffic, often without anyone noticing at first.

What Is BGP, and Why Does It Matter?

BGP is like the GPS for the internet. It’s used by large networks (called autonomous systems or ASes) to exchange routing information. When your data travels from your device to a website, it likely crosses multiple networks. BGP tells each of those networks how to reach their destinations.

But here’s the problem: BGP was built on trust—and it doesn’t have built-in security. That means a bad actor can advertise false routes, claiming to own IP address ranges they don’t actually control. This is BGP hijacking.

What Happens During a BGP Hijack?

In a BGP hijack, a malicious or misconfigured network tells the internet, “Hey, I can deliver traffic for this IP range!” If other networks believe that false announcement, they’ll start sending traffic down the wrong path.

This can result in:

• Traffic redirection (data takes a longer or malicious route)

• Data interception or surveillance

• Complete service outages

Imagine if someone rerouted traffic meant for Google or Facebook through their own servers. They could spy on it, modify it, or block it entirely.

Real-World Examples of BGP Hijacking

BGP hijacks happen more often than most people realize. Some notable cases include:

• YouTube outage in 2008: A Pakistani ISP accidentally hijacked YouTube’s IP block while trying to censor it locally, causing a global blackout of YouTube.

• MyEtherWallet attack in 2018: Hackers hijacked BGP routes to steal over $150,000 in cryptocurrency by rerouting traffic to a fake website.

• China Telecom incidents: There have been multiple allegations of Chinese networks accidentally or intentionally hijacking global traffic, raising concerns about surveillance and state-sponsored interference.

The Global Impact of BGP Hijacking

1. Security Risks
   Sensitive data can be intercepted, especially if it’s unencrypted. BGP hijacking opens the door to man-in-the-middle attacks.

2. Service Disruption
   Large-scale hijacks can cause websites or online services to become unavailable in certain regions, or even globally.

3. Loss of Trust
   When the internet becomes unreliable due to hijacks, businesses and users lose confidence in its security.

4. Economic Damage
   Downtime or data theft caused by hijacks can cost companies millions in losses and damage reputations.

What Can Be Done About It?

Efforts like RPKI (Resource Public Key Infrastructure) and BGP monitoring tools aim to secure routing and prevent false announcements. But adoption has been slow, and the internet remains vulnerable.

Final Thoughts

BGP hijacking is one of the internet’s hidden dangers. It doesn’t just affect a few websites—it can ripple across global internet infrastructure, slowing down or even stopping traffic, stealing data, and undermining trust.

For a protocol as essential as BGP, the stakes couldn’t be higher. As more services move online, securing our routing systems is no longer optional—it’s urgent.