CT-ISG: Trustworthy Network Eavesdropping and Countermeasures (TNEC)

University Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Abstract

Abstract Proposal Number: 0524047 PI: Blaze, Matthew Institution: University of Pennsylvania Title: Trustworthy Network Eavesdropping & Countermeasures (TNEC) The TNEC project examines the problem of Internet traffic interception from the point of view of the eavesdropper. It investigates whether the very properties that make it unwise to depend on networks for confidentiality can be turned on their head to effectively frustrate eavesdropping. Network interception is usually framed as a problem of sensitivity -- preventing traffic "evasion." In TNEC, on the other hand, the focus is on selectivity against misleading noise. The project introduces a new concept, called "confusion," in which a second- or third- party directs artificial noise at the eavesdropper that is difficult to distinguish from targets' traffic. Confusion has the novel property that it does not require end-to-end cooperation by the communicating parties in order to achieve eavesdropping resistance. TNEC will formalize confusion and study specific networks and eavesdropping configurations for susceptibility to confusion techniques, leading to tools for measuring and quantifying the "fidelity" of intercepted traffic streams even in the presence of active countermeasures. More broadly, the project will examine the network architectures for exacerbating confusion, possibly leading to networks that inherently resist eavesdropping without the need for end-to-end encryption.