Switzerland built an alternative to BGP. Nobody noticed
14 hours ago
- #Internet Routing
- #BGP Security
- #SCION Architecture
- BGP lacks native security verification, making route hijacks, leaks, and nation-state interception recurring threats despite patches like RPKI and BGPsec.
- SCION redesigns internet routing from the ground up, featuring multi-path routing for millisecond failover, isolation domains to prevent cascading failures, and cryptographic path validation for sender/receiver control.
- The Secure Swiss Finance Network (SSFN), built on SCION, handles 220 billion Swiss francs daily with sub-millisecond failover, replacing a 20-year-old MPLS network and demonstrating real-world viability.
- Adoption barriers include lack of IETF standardization, chicken-and-egg network effects, vendor concentration (only Anapaya offers commercial implementation), and the psychological difficulty of renewing functioning infrastructure.
- SCION supports digital sovereignty through isolation domains and optionality, but risks misuse for control; global adoption may depend on major BGP failures or state-sponsored attacks accelerating change.