Privacy in

Cyber Space

DEEPAK SINGH TOMAR

Department of Computer Science & Engineering
Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (M.A.N.I.T)
Bhopal , Madhya Pradesh

Computer Security
Secure computing platform, designed so that agents (users or
programs) can only perform actions that have been allowed.
This involves specifying and implementing a security.
Computer security is the effort to create a policy

Information Security
Information security is not confined to computer systems, nor
to information in an electronic or machine-readable form. It
applies to all aspects of safeguarding or protecting information
or data, in whatever form.

Network Security
Protection of networks and their services from unauthorized
modification, destruction, or disclosure, and provision of
assurance that the network performs its critical functions
correctly and there are no harmful side-effects.

Information Protection

Information are an important strategic and
operational asset for any organization

Damages and misuses of information
affect not only a single user or an
application; they may have disastrous
consequences on the entire organization

Additionally, the advent of the Internet as
well as networking capabilities has made
the access to information much easier

Information Security: Examples

Consider a payroll database in a
corporation, it must be ensured that:
Salaries of individual employees are not
disclosed to arbitrary users of the
database
Salaries are modified by only those
individuals that are properly authorized
Paychecks are printed on time at the end
ofeach pay period

Information Security: Examples

In a military environment, it is important that:

the target of a missile is not given to an
unauthorized user

the target is not arbitrarily modified

the missile is launched when it is fired

Information Security - main

requirements
Confidentiality - it refers to information protection from
unauthorized read operations the term privacy is often
used when data to be protected refer to individuals
Integrity - it refers to information protection from
modifications; it involves several goals:
 Assuring the integrity of information with respect to the
original information (relevant especially in web
environment) often referred to as authenticity
 Protecting information from unauthorized modifications
 Protecting information from incorrect modifications
referred to as semantic integrity
Availability - it ensures that access to information is not
denied to authorized subjects

Information Security
additional requirements

Information Quality it is not considered
traditionally as part of information security
but it is very relevant

Completeness it refers to ensure that
subjects receive all information they are
entitled to access, according to the stated
security policies

Information Security How?

Information must be protected at various
levels:

The operating system

The network

The data management system

Physical protection is also important

Information Security Mechanisms

Confidentiality is enforced by the access
control mechanism

Integrity is enforced by the access control
mechanism and by the semantic integrity
constraints

Availability is enforced by the recovery
mechanism and by detection techniques
for DoS attacks an example of which is
query flood

Information Security How?

Additional mechanisms

User authentication - to verify the identity of
subjects wishing to access the information

Information
authentication
to
ensure
information authenticity - it is supported by
signature mechanisms

Encryption - to protect information when being
transmitted across systems and when being
stored on secondary storage

Intrusion detection to protect against
impersonation of legitimate users and also
against insider threats

Data vs Information

Computer security is about controlling access to
information and resources

Controlling access to information can sometimes
be quite elusive and it is often replaced by the
more straight forward goal of controlling access
to data

The distinction between data and information is
subtle but it is also the root of some of the more
difficult problems in computer security

Data represents information. Information is the
(subjective) interpretation of data

Data vs Information

Data vs Information

Protecting information means to protect
not only the data directly representing the
information

Information must be protected also against
transmissions through:

Inference

It is typical of database systems

It refers to the derivation of sensitive
information from non sensitive data

Components of a Security Policy

Who can use resources

Proper use of the resources

Granting access & use

System Administrator privileges

User rights & responsibilities

What to do with sensitive information

Desired security configurations of systems

Policies and Mechanisms

Policy says what is, and is not, allowed
This defines security for the information
Mechanisms enforce policies
Composition of policies
If policies conflict, discrepancies may
create security vulnerabilities

Attacks, Services and

Mechanisms

Security

Attack:

Any
action
that
compromises the security of information.

Security Mechanism: A mechanism that is
designed to detect, prevent, or recover from a
security attack.

Security Service: A service that enhances
the security of data processing systems and
information transfers.
A security service
makes use of one or more security mechanisms.

Security Attacks

Interruption: This is an attack on
availability

Interception: This is an attack on
confidentiality

Modification: This is an attack on
integrity

Fabrication: This is an attack on
authenticity

Security Attacks

Security Attacks
Interruption: This is an attack on availability
Interception: This is an attack on
confidentiality
Modification: This is an attack on integrity
Fabrication: This is an attack on authenticity

Security Services

Confidentiality (privacy)

Authentication (who created or sent the data)

Integrity (has not been altered)

Non-repudiation (the order is final)

Access control (prevent misuse of resources)

Availability (permanence, non-erasure)
 Denial of Service Attacks
 Virus that deletes files

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Methods of Defence

Encryption

Software Controls (access limitations
in a data base, in operating system
protect each user from other users)

Hardware Controls (smartcard)

Policies (frequent changes of
passwords)

Physical Controls

Basic Terminology

plaintext - the original message

ciphertext - the coded message

cipher - algorithm for transforming plaintext to
ciphertext

key - info used in cipher known only to sender/receiver

encipher (encrypt) - converting plaintext to ciphertext

decipher (decrypt) - recovering ciphertext from
plaintext

cryptography - study of encryption principles/methods

cryptanalysis (codebreaking) - the study of principles/
methods of deciphering ciphertext without knowing key

cryptology - the field of both cryptography and
cryptanalysis

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Privacy
Privacy is the ability of a person to
control the availability of information
about and exposure of him- or herself.

Where is my data?

How is it used?

Who sees it?

Is anything private anymore?

Privacy

Additionally, the advent of the
Internet as well as networking
capabilities has made the
access to information much easier.

Damages and misuses of information affect
not only a single user or an application; they
may have disastrous consequences on the
entire organization

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Privacy in Cyberspace

The Internet offers many benefits:
Electronic mail
instant messaging
Chat rooms

Internet also creates many threats

to our personal privacy.

YOU
Search for
medical
information

Buy book

Set
cookie
Ad

Search
engine

Read
cookie

With cooperation
from book store, ad
company can get
your name and
address from
book order and
link them to
your search

Ad

Book
Store

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Cookies
Cookies can be useful
used like a staple to attach multiple parts
of a form together
used to identify you when you return to a
web site so you dont have to remember a
password
used to help web sites understand how
people use them

Cookies can be harmful

used to profile users and track their
activities
without
their
knowledge,
especially across web sites

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Karens Cookie Viewer

:- The Tool will automatically start analyzing
the cookies and give you the result

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Cross Side Scripting

( XSS)
Detection of XSS require the correlation of
event recorded by
Web Server logs
Browser logs
Windows event log

Cross Side
Scripting ( XSS)

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Cross Side
Scripting ( XSS)
<script>document.location="hack.html"</script>

SQL Injection Attack

Web applications take user input from a form
Often this user input is used literally in the
construction of a SQL query submitted to a
database. For example:
SELECT productdata FROM table WHERE
productname = user input product name;
A SQL injection attack involves placing SQL
statements in the user input

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Enter 100

SQL Injection
Attack

12' or '1'='1
(OR condition pass as parameter
to make where clause true )

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Firewall Limitation

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Multi-Step Attack

Multi-step attack involve group of action where

some of these actions may be legitimate but
when combine together constitute malicious
activity.
Code Injection attack is a type multi-step
attack which is carried out by suspicious user
via entering vulnerable code into web form or
address bar of browser

Code Injection Attack Scenario

Vulnerable
Web Site

2. Post malicious Code On

web Site Suggestion
box/Guest book

3. Browse the malicious

Code posted on web site
4. Cookies & Private
information stolen

1. Find Vulnerable
web Site

Victim

Attacker

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Information Security:
Solution

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Privacy
How Did They Get My Data?

Loans
Charge accounts
Orders via mail
Magazine subscriptions
Tax forms
Applications for
schools, jobs, clubs

Insurance claim
Hospital stay
Sending checks
Fund-raisers
Advertisers
Warranties
Military draft
registration
Court petition

Privacy
How Did They Get My Data?

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Information Protection

Protecting information means to
protect not only the data directly
representing the information

Information must be protected also
against transmissions through:

Inference

It is typical of database systems

It refers to the derivation of sensitive
information from non sensitive data

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Inference - Example
Assume that there is a policy stating that the
average grade of a single student cannot be
disclosed; however statistical summaries can
be disclosed Suppose that an attacker knows
that Carol is a female CS

PET ( Privacy Enhancing

Technology)

PET = Privacy Enhancing Technology technology
that enhances user control and removes personal
identifiers
 Users want free Privacy
 Hundreds of new technologies developed

Cf. Electronic Privacy Info Center www.Epic.org

4 categories of PETs:
Encryption Tools (e.g., SSL)
Filtering Tools (e.g., Cookie Cutters, Spyware)
Anonymity Tools (e.g., Anonymizer, iPrivacy)
Policy Tools (e.g., P3P, TRUSTe)

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Encryption Tools

Encryption tools
 File encryption
 Email encryption
 Encrypted network connections
 Examples: SSL, PGP, Encryptionizer

Pros:
Inexpensive (free) / Easily accessible

Cons:
 Encryption Software isnt used unless it is built-in to the
software
 Both parties need to use the same software

Conclusions:
 Easy access
 All parties need to use the same tool
 Good start but not sufficient enough

Encryption tools

File encryption

Email encryption
available as plug-ins
Web-based encrypted email
Email that self-destructs Disappearing, Inc.

Encrypted network connections

Secure socket layer (SSL)
Secure shell (SSH)
Virtual private networks

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Disappearing, Inc.

Filtering Tools
Cookies Cutter
Programs that prevent browsers
from exchanging cookies
Can block:
Cookie /Pop-ups
http headers that reveal sensitive info
Banner ads / Animated graphics
Spywar
Spyware Killer
Spyware programs gather info and send it to
websites
Downloaded without user knowledge

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Anonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ,
meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In
colloquial use, the term typically refers to a person,
and often means that the personal identity, or
personally identifiable information of that person is
not known.
"anonymous message"

The term "anonymous message" typically refers to

message (which is, for example, transmitted over
some form of a network) that does not carry any
information about its sender and its intended
recipient. It is therefore unclear if multiple such
messages have been sent by the same sender or if
they have the same intended recipient.

ANONYMITY
Anonymous Remailer. These
systems either give you an
anonymous address, to which
other people can send you mail,
which is then forwarded to your
real address (this is sometimes
referred to as a pseudonymous
server
Email spoofing :A spoofed
email is one that appears to
originate from one source
but actually has been sent
from another source.

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Anonymizing proxy

Acts as a proxy for users

Hides information from end servers
Request

Browser

Request

Proxy
Reply

Reply

End
Server

Sees all web traffic

Free and subscription services available

Some free services add advertisements to web
pages

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http://www.anonymizer.com

Pseudonymity tools
Automatically generate user names, passwords,
email addresses, etc. unique to each
web site you visit

quote.com

mfjh

Proxy

username

asef
dsfdf

Enable users to communicate

anonymously
Mask the IP address and
personal info

nytimes.com

expedia.com

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Autonomy Enhancing Technology

Examples:
Anonymizer, Freedom by Zero Knowledge

No user information is stored by anybody but its
owner

User has complete control

Anonymizer:
One of the first PETs
Not concerned with transaction security
Provides anonymity by:
Routing through a proxy server
Software to manage security at the owners PC
Erases cookies and log files, pop-up blocker, kills
Spyware, unlisted IP

Steps for email forging

Start the shell prompt or the command line and type
the command below:
C:\telnet www.manit.ac.in 25

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Steps for email forging

Once you are connected to the email daemon of a
remote mail server, you would to greeted with a
message similar to the following

Steps for email forging

Now you can type the various commands for making
forged mail

Help

Helo

Mail from

Rcpt to

Data

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Steps for email forging

Email Spoofing / Email Forging

Each time an email is sent on the internet it not only

carries the message body but also transmit relevant

information on the path taken by it, this information
is known as email header

The most effective and easiest way to trace and

email forging is to analyze its email header

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Email Spoofing / Email Forging

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Fakesend.com(to send fake mails)

EMAIL HEADER
Delivered-To: ranjansingh06@gmail.com Received: by 10.115.55.2 with SMTP id h2cs59002wak; Wed, 8 Apr
2009 10:38:05 -0700 (PDT) Received: by 10.210.53.5 with SMTP id b5mr3667848eba.12.1239212284303;
Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:38:04 -0700 (PDT) Return-Path: <manmohansingh@gmail.com> Received: from
Bumba.profithost.net ([89.248.172.66]) by mx.google.com with ESMTP id
8si8244998ewy.109.2009.04.08.10.38.03; Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:38:04 -0700 (PDT) Received-SPF: neutral
(google.com: 89.248.172.66 is neither permitted nor denied by domain of manmohansingh@gmail.com) clientip=89.248.172.66; Authentication-Results: mx.google.com; spf=neutral (google.com: 89.248.172.66 is neither
permitted nor denied by domain of manmohansingh@gmail.com) smtp.mail=manmohansingh@gmail.com
Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1] helo=fakesend.com) by Bumba.profithost.net with esmtp (Exim 4.67)
(envelope-from <manmohansingh@gmail.com>) id 1Lrcf9-0007hi-8i for ranjansingh06@gmail.com; Wed, 08 Apr
2009 13:38:15 -0500 Date: Wed, 8 Apr 2009 13:38:15 -0500 To: ranjansingh06@gmail.com From: dr
manmohan singh <manmohansingh@gmail.com> Subject: appointment Message-ID:
<ddbe7ca7a7f3766f4b133647a88e0d4b@fakesend.com> X-Priority: 3 X-Mailer: PHPMailer [version 1.73]
MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
congaratulation.............

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headertool.apelord.com

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iPrivacy private shipping labels

CUSTOMER PC
Public Identity
John Doe
1 MAIN ST
Kansas City, KS
11122
Doe@ isp .com

Private Identity
iPrivacy ABCDEF
1 dQg85xP26
Kansas City, KS
11122
ABCDEF@iPrivacy.com

WEB e- Tailer
Order Entry System
Submit Credit Card
If Authorized Ship Product

Shipping Subsystem

WEB FORM
Name : iPrivacy ABCDEF
1 dQg85xP26
Address:
:
City : Kansas City
State : KS
Zip : 11122
Email : ABCDEF @iPrivacy.com

Input Private Identity

Decode Address
PRINT LABEL

iPrivacy ABCDEF
1 MAIN ST
Kansas City, KS 11122

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Incogno SafeZone
The merchant offers Incogno
SafeZone from its site

Upon checkout, the buyer

enters personal information
into The Incogno SafeZone
a separate server.

Incogno SafeZone
Incogno reinforces that the
purchase is anonymous.

The anonymous purchase is

complete with no added
software installation or
setup for the buyer.

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Privacy policies

Policies let consumers know about
sites privacy practices

Consumers can then decide whether or
not practices are acceptable, when to
opt-in or opt-out, and who to do
business with

The presence or privacy policies
increases consumer trust

Policies
Policy says what is, and is not, allowed
This defines security for the information
Component of a security Policy

Who can use resources

Proper use of the resources

Granting access & use

System Administrator privileges

User rights & responsibilities

What to do with sensitive information

Desired security configurations of systems

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Policy Tools
P3P (Platform for Privacy Preferences)
Developed by World Wide Web Consortium
Usage:
Users declare their privacy policy on their browsers
Websites register their policy with Security agencies
The website policy is compared with user policy and the
browser makes automated decisions

Benefits:
Might help uncover privacy gaps for websites
Can block cookies or prevent access to some sites

Built into IE 6.0 and Netscape 7 as of July 2002

Privacy policy problems

BUT policies are often
difficult to understand
hard to find
take a long time to read
change without notice

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Basic P3P Concepts

proposal
user
agent

service

user
agreement

user data
repository

data
practices

preferences

Privacy policy

P3P policy

Designed to be read by a human

Designed to be read by a computer

Can include as much or as little

information as a site wants

Must include disclosures in every

required area

Easy to provide detailed

explanations

Limited ability to provide detailed

explanations

Sometimes difficult for users to

determine boundaries of what it
applies to and when it might
change

Precisely scoped

Web site controls presentation

User agent controls presentation

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The Internet
Anonymizing agent

Regulatory
and
self-regulatory
framework

User

Secure
channel

Cookie cutter

P3P user agent

Service
Regulatory
and
self-regulatory
framework

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"Private" Services

Virtually all online services offer some sort of
"private" activity that allows subscribers to send
personal e-mail messages to others.

The federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act
(ECPA)
makes
it
unlawful
under
certain
circumstances for someone to read or disclose the
contents of an electronic communication.

But, ECPA is a complicated law and contains many
exceptions.

Some exceptions to the ECPA:

The online service may view private e-mail if it
suspects the sender is attempting to damage the
system or harm another user.

The service may legally view and disclose private email if either the sender or the recipient of the
message consents to the inspection or disclosure.

If the e-mail system is owned by an employer, the
employer may inspect the contents of employee email on the system.

Services may be required to disclose private
information in response to a court order or subpoena

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Privacy in Cyberspace
The Internet offers many benefits:
Web sites provide a vast world of information,
entertainment, and shopping at our fingertips.
Electronic mail, instant messaging, and chat rooms
enable us to communicate with friends, family, and
strangers in ways we never dreamed of a decade
ago.

But the Internet also creates many threats to our

personal privacy.

Online Communications

Information sent over this vast global network may

pass through dozens of different computer systems
on the way to its destination.

Each of these systems is operated by its own
administrator and may be capable of capturing and
storing online communications.

Furthermore, Our online activities can potentially be
monitored by Internet Service Provider (ISP) and by
web sites that you visit

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Public Activities
Newsgroups.
For example, a message you post to a public
newsgroup or forum is available for anyone to
view, copy, and store.
In addition, your name, electronic mail (e-mail)
address, and information about your service
provider are usually available for inspection as
part of the message itself.
Before you post a message to a public forum, ask
yourself if want an employer or family member to
be able to read your posting in years to come.

Public Activities
List serves.
Other public activities may allow message to be
sent to multiple recipients.
Online newsletters and "listserves" are sent to a
mailing list of subscribers.
If you wish to privately reply to an individual who
has posted a message in an online newsletter or
listserve, be sure you address it specifically to that
person's address, not to the newsletter address.

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Public Activities
Subscriber directories.

Most ISPs provide online
member
directories
that
publicly list all subscribers to
the service.

Some of these directories may
list
additional
personal
information.
Most
service
providers will allow users to
remove their information from
these
directories
upon
request.

Be aware that some service
providers may sell their
membership lists to direct
marketers.

Public Activities
Domain registration.
Many individuals obtain their own website
name, called domain names, for example,
www.XYZfamily.org.
Domain registrations are public
information. Anyone can look up the owner
of a domain name online by using a
service such as www.checkdomain.com or
www.internic.net/whois.html.
Don't use personal e-mail or home address
information when you register for a
personal domain name.

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Protect privacy in
cyberspace?

Do not use public terminals :- Publiclyavailable Internet terminals are not likely to
be closely supervised to ensure online
privacy and security. They are used by
many individuals every day.

Create passwords with nonsensical
combinations of upper and lower case
letters, numbers and symbols, for example
tY8%uX.

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Protect privacy in
cyberspace?

Look for the privacy policy of the online
services you use. . If you are not satisfied
with the policy, or if there is no policy or
seal logo posted, avoid using the site.

Check your browser's cookie settings.

Shop around. Investigate new services
before using them. Post a question about a
new service in a dependable forum or
newsgroup.

Protect my privacy in
cyberspace

Do not provide sensitive personal information

Be cautious of "start-up" software that
registers you as a product user and makes an
initial connection to the service for you.
Typically, these programs require you to
provide financial account data or other
personal information, and then upload this
information automatically to the service.

Use a pseudonym and a non descriptive email address when you participate in public
forums.

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Protect my privacy in cyberspace

The "delete" command does not make
your e-mail messages disappear..

Your online biography, if you create
one, may be searched system-wide or

remotely "fingered" by anyone. If for any reason you
need to safeguard your identity, don't create an online
"bio.

If you publish information on a personal web page,
note that marketers and others may collect your
address, phone number, e-mail address and other
information that you provide. If you are concerned
about your personal privacy, be discreet in your
personal web site.

USB
devices
plugged
into this
machine

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Firewall log

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References
1. Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PET), Bobby
Vellanki Computer Science Dept. Yale University
Oct . 2003
2. Overview of Information Security Elisa Bertino
CERIAS and CS &ECE Departments Purdue
University.
3. Online Privacy Technologies Dr. Lorrie Faith
Cranor
AT&T
Labs-Research

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Email :-

deepaktomar@manit.ac.in

By

DEEPAK SINGH TOMAR

Deptt. of Computer Science & Engg.
M.A.N.I.T. , Bhopal

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