Challenges of the Interconnectedness of the World Wide Web
The interconnectedness of the web is great for doing research and finding new information. However, this same framework can cause problems to propagate quickly through an entire network. We can see this in the recent cyberattack that took place on Twitter, Netflix, and other sites. In the cyberattack, the DDos was impaired and the hackers tried to increase traffic to the point where normal service was impaired. While the hackers only targeted a few sites, the attack caused disruption to “a large number of online services” (CNN Money).
The decision to make the resources appear as a web was a great decision in some respects. Benefits of the current World Wide Web include being able to easily share documents on the internet, and ease of accessibility. Today, the World Wide Web does not just include websites that hyperlink to other sites, it includes websites that rely on the services of other sites. For example, General Electric, News Corp, and Capital One all rely on Amazon Web Services. Amazon Web Services was includes a victim of the aforementioned cyberattack and began “experiencing connectivity issues.” These same issues propagated to the companies that rely on Amazon Web Services, including GE, News Corp, and Capitol One.
While the structure is great for accessing information, the interconnectedness presents challenges in stopping cyberattacks.