Business use of a new Internet protocol

SCION stands for “Scalability, Control, and Isolation On Next-Generation Networks”. It is a secure and reliable inter-domain routing protocol, designed to enhance network control and transparency for communicating parties. SCION offers three unique properties critical for business communication:

• path control,
• reliability,
• and security.

The SCION protocol guarantees that data flows along the most efficient and trustworthy routes, and it can operate side-by-side with today’s Internet infrastructure. In contrast to the existing Internet, the sender can select the desired data pathways and thereby exercise complete control over the data flow.

SCION was invented and developed at ETH Zurich by Adrian Perrig, Professor of Computer Science, and his Network Security Group. In collaboration with partner institutions and ETH spin-off Anapaya, this technology is now being applied in practice. The finance industry is currently deploying SCION to support critical communication among financial institutions, with the Swiss National Bank taking the lead, while Switzerland's government, military and healthcare systems are evaluating the technology for their use.

In 2022, the SCION Association was launched to establish SCION technology as an alternative to the current Internet standard. The founding members of the Association are ETH Zurich, SNB, SIX and Uli Sigg. The Association is tasked to promote further development and implementation of the technology, standardize it, institute certification criteria, perform certification services, and provide practical training in SCION and its technology. In addition, the SCION Association promotes industry collaboration and supports an open-source community of implementers.