The Number Resource Organization (NRO) has published a new reference page to help network operators and other members of the Internet technical community learn how to create Route Origin Authorizations (ROAs) through each of the five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs). The process of creating ROAs through each RIR portal brings together links to each RIR’s official ROA documentation, support contacts, and a high-level summary of differences across RIRs.
It’s a small but meaningful step toward making the Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) ecosystem easier to navigate, more transparent, and ultimately more consistent across RIR regions.
Why this matters for routing security
RPKI is a critical building block for improving the security and resilience of the Internet routing system. It helps prevent route hijacking and misorigination, situations where Internet traffic is accidentally (or intentionally) routed through the wrong network.
ROAs are a key component of RPKI. A ROA is a digitally signed statement that authorizes a specific Autonomous System Number (ASN) to originate routes for a given set of IP prefixes. When network operators create ROAs for their prefixes, other networks can validate the corresponding Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routes and make better decisions about which ones to accept.
Despite RPKI’s importance, adoption is still a work in progress. A common challenge for operators who interact with multiple RIRs is navigating operational differences. Each RIR has its own member portal, terminology, and process for creating and managing ROAs. These differences can be confusing and time-consuming for newcomers and multi-region operators. That’s where the NRO reference page helps.
Beyond convenience, this initiative supports a broader goal: enhancing consistency in RPKI service provision across the RIR system. The five RIRs collaborate closely on RPKI, yet natural variations exist, shaped by regional policies, historical systems, and member needs.
A single reference point for all RIRs
The new NRO page doesn’t attempt to replace or rewrite any of the RIRs’ existing documentation. Instead, it acts as a trusted index, providing direct pointers to where each process is explained in detail by the RIR itself.
This approach keeps each RIR’s website as the source of truth, while reducing friction for anyone asking, “Where do I go to create a ROA?”
The page includes links to:
- Official ROA creation documentation for AFRINIC, APNIC, ARIN, LACNIC, and RIPE NCC.
- Contact or support pages where operators can reach their RIR for help.
- A high-level summary of process differences across RIRs.
By consolidating these resources, the NRO aims to make it easier to get started, simpler to compare processes, and quicker to take action to secure your routes.
What comes next
This page is part of a broader effort under the NRO RPKI Program to document, analyse, and improve consistency in RPKI implementations across the RIRs. Additional documents and comparative analyses are planned to give the community a clearer, data-driven view of how RPKI services are operated and where alignment could bring the most benefit.
As with all work in this space, community feedback is essential. The NRO encourages network operators, researchers, and security experts to explore the page and share thoughts on how it could be made more useful. If you have suggestions, questions, or ideas for improvement, please reach out to rpki_program@nro.net.
Sofia Silva Berenguer is the RPKI Program Manager for the NRO.
This post was originally published by MANRS.
The views expressed by the authors of this blog are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of APNIC. Please note a Code of Conduct applies to this blog.