Friday’s Food for Thought: Mapping the Internet

Computer scientists from the University of Wisconsin created the first public map locating long distance fiber-optic cable infrastructure across the United States, reports Smithsonian Magazine. The team collected data from public records of when the cables were first installed in order to produce the map. On the map, readers can see the lines represent the cables, while the red squares represent where the cables connect.

The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate made the map and its data available via PREDICT (Protected Repository for the Defense of Infrastructure Against Cyber Threats), a project offering developers and evaluators a source of data collection and cybersecurity research. The map’s data paired with PREDICT will help contribute to the security of the U.S.’s communications sector of its critical infrastructure.

According to an article via MIT Technology Review, the University of Wisconsin researchers believe the public map of the infrastructure could help it stay secure as well as lead a conversation on transparency of Internet policy issues.

Photo Credit: Michelle Stocker, The Capital Times