The Darknet and the Future of Content Distribution

by

Shruthi B Krishnan

Agenda

Introduction What is darknet? Features of darknet Evolution of darknet Introducing content into darknet Methods of policing Conclusions

Introduction
Copying or distributing content in digital format is easier Legal vs. illegal distribution of content Terms used
Objects Users Hosts

What is darknet?

Darknet is a collection of networks and technologies used to share digital content Assumptions
Any widely distributed object is available to some users in a form that permits copying Users copy available and interesting objects Users have high-bandwidth channels

Infrastructure requirements
Input facilities Transmission facilities Output facilities Search mechanisms/ database Caching mechanism

Target infrastructure requirements to fight darknet

Evolution of darknet
Early Small-World networks

Sneaker net of floppy disks and tapes Limitations

Latency Lack of search engines

Interconnected Small-World networks

Evolution of darknet contd

Central Internet Servers

Internet displaced sneaker net reduced latency and powerful search mechanisms Centralized storage and search Efficient for legal online commerce Poor support for illegal object distribution

Evolution of darknet contd

Peer-to-peer networks (Napster)

Distributed storage of objects injection, storage, distribution & consumption of objects done by users Centralized database for searching became the legal target

Evolution of darknet contd

Peer-to-peer networks (Gnutella)

Distributed object storage and distributed database To reach any host on Gnutella darknet, a peer needs one or few participating peer-IP addresses Open protocol

Fully distributed darknets

How robust are they? Free riding

Downloading objects without sharing them Some users sacrifice their resources, free-riders dont

Lack of anonymity
Server end-points can be determined

Fully distributed darknets

Attacks

Introducing content into darknet

Conditional Access systems

Subscribers are given access to objects based on a service contract Customers have no access to channels they are not entitled to Can freely use channels subscribed for

Introducing content into darknet (contd)

DRM systems

Client obtains
Encrypted content License specifying how to use

BOBE-strong vs. BOBE-weak systems

Renewability

Introducing content into darknet (contd)

using software

Mainly used to secure computer programs

Bind software to a host program wont work on an unlicensed machine

Machine id should not be virtualizable Code to perform bind-checks should be resistant to tampering

Policing hosts
Watermarking

Embeds an indelible, invisible mark on content Concerns about the robustness of the embedding layer Key management Watermark detectors in software or hardware

Policing hosts (contd)

Fingerprinting

Supplier marks the object with an individualized mark identifying the purchaser If shared on darknet, purchaser is identified No key-distribution needed Expensive Collusion attacks

Conclusion

Technological implications
Even strong DRM systems can fail Watermark detectors have not made an impact

Competition to legal commerce Evidence that darknet will continue to exist

Questions.