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The Internet grows exponentially as new devices connect every day. As older technologies
reach their limits, new technologies must be developed to keep up with this growth. Internet Protocol
version 4 has played a major role in helping pave the road for today͛s Internet, but has reached its limits.
Every device that connects to the Internet must have its own unique address to have data packets
routed to them successfully. As more devices connect to the Internet, we are running out of public IP
addresses. This has forced the development of a new and upcoming protocol, Internet Protocol version
6 (IPV6).
IPv6 was developed by the Internet Engineering Task force to improve IPv4 security issues and
also address the rapid depletion of IP addresses. When IPv4 was first created, security was not
considered, leaving it open to exploitations from the start. Per Howarth (2008), ͞Examples of the sorts
of attacks to which IPv4 networks are particularly vulnerable include denial of service attacks, and
flooding or broadcast amplification (smurf) attacks especially, malicious code distribution and man-in-
the-middle attacks.͟ This forced network administrators to implement security techniques like Secure
Socket Layer (SSL) and Internet Protocol Security (IPSEC) to help protect against these types of exploits.
Over time, hackers along with other network security specialists have discovered exploits even in these
security strategies. With this in mind, the Engineering Task force was not only tasked to correct the IP
depletion issue, but also driven to create a solution that focused on security from the start, which was
accomplished with IPv6. Per Barr (2009), ͞Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) provides easier
administration, an expanded addressing scheme, and, most importantly, tighter security than its
predecessor (IPv4), with some proponents suggesting that IPv6 "was built with security in mind."͟ IPv6
provides a virtually a limitless address space, which makes it harder for hackers to use brute force or
port scan methods to obtain network information that can be used to infiltrate the network.
Implementing IPv6 still contain drawbacks, as it is still a new technology, and has bugs and
exploits of its own. Older networking devices and technologies may not support IPv6, and some worry
that this will allow network attackers to hide traffic and payloads in IPv6 headers, which may not be
detected by these older networking solutions. Also, during the transition between IPv4 and IPv6 while
both protocols are in use, the network is open to cross-contamination leaving the network vulnerable
for unauthorized access and traffic. These vulnerabilities are commonly known as Dual Stack Attacks.
Overall, as the Internet grows, so does the need of technologies like IPv6 to handle the growth
and along with the constant concern of security. IPv6 is still in its early stages, and will need to evolve as
Barr, J. (2009, July 1). IPV6 Security Implications. Faulkner Information Services. Retrieved December 05,
Howarth, F. (2008, October 1). Security Implications of IPv6. Faulkner Information Services. Retrieved