Map of the internet could make it stronger

Previous attempts to map the internet have been from within, using "sniffer" software to report the IP addresses of devices visited along a particular route, which, in theory, can then be translated into geographical locations. But this approach doesn't work, says Paul Barford at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "After 15 years nobody can show you a map of the internet," he says.

For example, Honolulu stands out in the Internet Atlas as an important hub because of its mid-Pacific location, used to link countries across the ocean. Damage there would have knock-on effects throughout the Pacific Rim.