[Clips] Spies in the Server Closet

[R. A. Hettinga]

If this most recent darknet-as-IP-bogeyman meme persists, Hollywood et al.
is probably going to make Tim May famous.

*That* should be interesting.

:-)



Cheers,
RAH
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 Delivered-To: clips at philodox.com
 Date: Sun, 13 Nov 2005 12:59:42 -0500
 To: Philodox Clips List <clips at philodox.com>
 From: "R. A. Hettinga" <rah at shipwright.com>
 Subject: [Clips] Spies in the Server Closet
 Reply-To: rah at philodox.com
 Sender: clips-bounces at philodox.com

 <http://www.cio.com/archive/110105/tl_filesharing.html?action=print>

 NOVEMBER 1, 2005 | CIO MAGAZINE
 FILE SHARING
 Spies in the Server Closet
 BY MICHAEL JACKMAN



 The Supreme Court might have stirred up a bigger problem than it settled
 when it ruled last June that file-sharing networks such as Grokster could
 be sued if their members pirated copyrighted digital music and video.

 Since then, some programmers have announced they would pursue so-called
 darknets. These private, invitation-only networks can be invisible to even
 state-of-the-art sleuthing. And although they're attractive as a way to get
 around the entertainment industry's zeal in prosecuting digital piracy,
 they could also create a new channel for corporate espionage, says Eric
 Cole, chief scientist for Lockheed Martin Information Technology.

 Cole defines a darknet as a group of individuals who have a covert,
 dispersed communication channel. While file-sharing networks such as
 Grokster and even VPNs use public networks to exchange information, with a
 darknet, he says, "you don't know it's there in the first place."

 All an employee has to do to set one up is install file-sharing software
 written for darknets and invite someone on the outside to join, thus
 creating a private connection that's unlikely to be detected. "The Internet
 is so vast, porous and complex, it's easy to set up underground networks
 that are almost impossible to find and take down," says Cole.

 He advises that the best-and perhaps only-defense against darknets is a
 combination of network security best practices (such as firewalls,
 intrusion detection systems and intrusion prevention systems) and keeping
 intellectual property under lock and key. In addition, he says, companies
 should enact a security policy called "least privilege," which means users
 are given the least amount of access they need to do their jobs. "Usually
 if a darknet is set up it's because an individual has too much access,"
 Cole says.



 --
 -----------------
 R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah at ibuc.com>
 The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/>
 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
 "... however it may deserve respect for its usefulness and antiquity,
 [predicting the end of the world] has not been found agreeable to
 experience." -- Edward Gibbon, 'Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'
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-- 
-----------------
R. A. Hettinga <mailto: rah at ibuc.com>
The Internet Bearer Underwriting Corporation <http://www.ibuc.com/>
44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
"When I was your age we didn't have Tim May! We had to be paranoid
on our own! And we were grateful!" --Alan Olsen

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