The Darknet and the Future of Content Distribution

1
The Darknet and the Future of Content Distribution

• by
• Shruthi B Krishnan

2
Agenda

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

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Introduction

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

4
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

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Evolution of darknet Early Small-World networks

• Sneaker net of floppy disks and tapes
• Limitations
• Latency
• Lack of search engines
• Interconnected Small-World networks

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Evolution of darknet contdCentral 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

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Evolution of darknet contdPeer-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

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Evolution of darknet contdPeer-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

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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

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Fully distributed darknets Attacks
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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

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Introducing content into darknet (contd) DRM
systems

• Client obtains
• Encrypted content
• License specifying how to use
• BOBE-strong vs. BOBE-weak systems
• Renewability

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Questions.