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IT risks that can occur on social networks

Updated: Oct 21, 2021


The longest break in the functioning history of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp

On the evening of October 4, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp crashed simultaneously. When users who can't use their accounts start to worry, Facebook spokesman Andy Stone said they are working to resolve the issue as soon as possibleçand get everything back to normal.


The first issue that came to the minds of users who could not access their social media accounts was hacker attacks. If the main concern of users was data theft, every minute that the problem was not solved would mean billions of dollars in damage to the company. A few hours later, news came out on both issues. The process, which lasted about 7 hours, cost Mark Zuckerberg about $ 7 billion. The rest of the news was about the threat of cyber attacks that bothered users.


Some IT experts have linked the simultaneous collapse of three social networks to DNS and BGP problems. DNS, the Domain Name System, is simply the telephone directory of the Internet. The main role of DNS is to convert IP to a name. The Domain Name System was the first thing that came to mind in the last case, as such incidents have been observed many times due to a problem with the DNS server.However, the DNS server needs another system called BPG to operate. If DNS is an Internet phonebook, BGP is its navigation system. The Border Crossing Protocol determines the direction of data as well as the speed with which it is transmitted. As a result, the task of both is to steer the Internet in the right direction.


What role did DNS and BGP play in the collapse of Facebook?

When the DNS address is changed or deleted, the website is disconnected from the server, as we have seen in the last case of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp incident, it is impossible to access the site, even if there is an Internet connection. Designed to keep you comfortable on the Internet, BGP allows for extensive data exchange between different systems. It can also be described as an internet map. There are many BGP systems that serve billions of users. Facebook has even set up its own BGP system to better serve its users. But despite the company's efforts, why was there a problem that took about 7 hours to solve?


First, Facebook told BGP to delete itself from the internet map. Within 6 hours, neither DNS nor BGP could find Facebook. Simply put, as a result of this error, Facebook deleted itself from the Internet map. An official statement said the reason for the error was a configuration error. Although this incident is somewhat unpredictable and takes some time to resolve, such errors are extremely natural and are often resolved in a short time. Once a DNS server error is detected, several methods are used to troubleshoot the problem. One of the biggest causes of DNS server errors is overloaded Internet Network or possible hassles in the program. The source of errors on the DNS server can be antivirus software, TCP / IP / DHCP problems, routers or modems. Of course, there is a question that concerns people in this situation. What causes a DNS error?


Frequently expired addresses or server problems make it difficult to access the website. This is also known as a DNS error. DNS is sensitive to a number of errors and attacks. In particular, incorrect forwarding notifications can deny access to the DNS service or redirect DNS requests to a malicious scammer


With a budget of billions of dollars and more than 58,000 employees, Facebook's case shows that IT risks are expected for any company with any budget. To avoid such problems, it is necessary to take measures to prevent risks in advance. By taking advantage of the consulting services provided by DEFSCOPE, you can be aware of the risks that await your company.


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