Improving MANRS: Call for Working Group Participation

MANRS is looking for volunteers to join a new working group to explore the idea of creating a second, elevated tier of MANRS participation for organizations that comply with more stringent requirements and auditing. We’re calling this MANRS+ at the moment, though that’s only a working title. The working group will evaluate:

1. In addition to the current MANRS actions, what additional actions could network operators provide that would show a compelling business case worthy of investment in routing security technologies and compliance? 
2. What would make MANRS+ valuable enough to enterprises that they would include MANRS+ requirements in their procurement processes? 
3. How do we provide high assurance of compliance to expanded actions to make MANRS+ credible?

MANRS has traditionally been focused on peer-to-peer relationships – forming a community of operators to make the Internet better and do the right thing for everyone. The strategy has been successful, as there are now more than 800 MANRS participants across four programs. However, we need significantly more networks implementing MANRS actions to stop routing security incidents in their tracks.

We believe MANRS has been missing a powerful driving force: customer demand. If we can enhance the business case for MANRS, customers will demand better routing security of their network connectivity providers and the providers will make the necessary investment to ensure they’re following best practices and staying in compliance with the MANRS actions that stop routing security incidents. 

We’ve had some preliminary discussions and hear interest in moving this idea forward. Will you join the working group and play an active role in the evolution of MANRS? MANRS participation is not required to join the working group (though join MANRS if you can!) and we actively encourage enterprise-level connectivity customers to get involved. 

Email us at [email protected] by 23 September to join the MANRS+ working group. A draft charter is available, and the group’s first task will be to review, revise, and finalize it. 

We look forward to hearing from you!