Anonymity on the Internet Jess Wilson
Anonymizing Proxy What is a proxy? – An intermediary between you and the internet How does it make you anonymous? Types – Open – Access – Hostile or Intercepting
Benefits Server cache Resource/Load balancing Scan inbound/outbound content Content Filters
Open proxy Open to any internet user ex:Zend2.com Attempts to anonymize surfing Still the server needs admin’s Limits accessibility to sites False sense of security
Access Proxy Requires a login Limits ability of abuse Trust needed with the Admin’s
Hostile or Intercepting Proxy The user can “eavesdrop” the dataflow Caches all data SSL helps prevent this Intercepting Proxy Forces the user to use the proxy Acceptable use policies
TOR TOR is a free software used to mitigate against traffic analysis using “onion routing” Originally sponsored by the U.S. Navy Bounces you off of a network of volunteers world wide - “virtual tunnels” Prevents identity between you and the sites your accessing Does Not encrypt your data
TOR and Governments Used by departments of the military intelligence community China and Iran have restrictions on internet usage – TOR allows freedoms for citizens The U.S. government can monitor both ends of a TOR transmission, just nothing in between.
elgooG is a tunneling proxy used by chinese citizens that is target specific. TOR helps them access wordpress and wikipedia Scroogle allows users to search both yahoo and google without giving up their IP
Government Censorship
Right or Wrong? Helps protect freedom of speech Freedom of communication Allows the convenience and efficiency of the internet without compromise Double-edged blade – Can be abused – Can protect the abusers – Is Not 100% fail-safe
Sources Proxy Servers: Governments and Internet Censorship: Online Privacy Controversy: s.html TOR’s Official Site: Zend2 Homepage – The Freedom of Speech: Iranian Protestors and Censorship: technology-to-avoid-censorship/ Privacy and Scroogle