Privacy In File Sharing Networks
Peer-to-peer file sharing (P2P) systems like Gnutella, KaZaA, and eDonkey/eMule, has become extremely popular in recent years, with the estimated user population in the millions. An academic research paper pointed out some weaknesses of two popular P2P networks in protecting user's privacy. The research analyzed Gnutella and eMule protocols and found weaknesses in the protocol; many of the issues found in these networks are fundamental and probably common on other P2P networks. Users of file sharing networks, such as eMule and Gnutella, are subject to monitoring of their activity. Clients may be tracked by IP address, DNS name, software version they use, files they share, queries they initiate, and queries they answer to.
Much is known about the network structure, routing schemes, performance load and fault tolerance of P2P systems in general and Gnutella in particular. This document concentrates on the user privacy that reveals by the Gnutella and eMule networks. It might be surprising, but the eMule protocol does not provide much privacy to the users, although it is a P2P protocol which is supposed to be decentralized.
Read more about Privacy In File Sharing Networks: Countermeasures, See Also
Famous quotes containing the words privacy, file, sharing and/or networks:
“There is a privacy I love in this snowy night.
Driving around, I will waste more time.”
—Robert Bly (b. 1926)
“A common and natural result of an undue respect for law is, that you may see a file of soldiers, colonel, captain, corporal, privates, powder-monkeys, and all, marching in admirable order over hill and dale to the wars, against their wills, ay, against their common sense and consciences, which makes it very steep marching indeed, and produces a palpitation of the heart.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The meaning of the Street in all ways and at all times is the need for sharing life with others and the search for community.”
—Virginia Hamilton (b. 1936)
“The community and family networks which helped sustain earlier generations have become scarcer for growing numbers of young parents. Those who lack links to these traditional sources of support are hard-pressed to find other resources, given the emphasis in our society on providing treatment services, rather than preventive services and support for health maintenance and well-being.”
—Bernice Weissbourd (20th century)