Measuring the Gap between Standardization, Implementation and Adoption of Internet Standards

Internet standards have been around since the beginning of the Internet in the 1970s. They define how computers communicate with each other and are regularly updated to include new functionalities. For example, over 500 different standards are at play when an email is sent, yet to the average user, this process is as simple as a few clicks in the browser.

The primary goal of my thesis is to make these standards visible by measuring how they are implemented by operators and whether they do so securely. My research examines standardization from three different angles with three unique contributions.

First, by building the platform email-security-scans.org, users can now verify their email providers' setups and get a ranking of their adopted standards.

Second, I explore the underlying change at the network layer to IPv6. I introduced BValue steps to the research community, narrowing down the search space for hosts in the IPv6 Internet.

Third, I investigate widespread standard adoption. By leveraging the numerous ICMP-responsive hosts on todays Internet, CountryMonitor tracks Internet connectivity and outages of remote countries. This was particularly useful for tracking and verifying the impact of the war on Ukraine's Internet.

My measurements follow good Internetcitizenship, I set up a dedicated scanning hardware that is now also avalable to other students, I include a website explaining the reason for our measurements, and I never overload target networks. All the code and tools are made publicly available.

In summary, my thesis aims to make Internet standards and their adoption status more visible to the Internet community.