The Darknet and the Future of
Content Distribution
by
Shruthi B Krishnan
Agenda
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Introduction
What is darknet?
Features of darknet
Evolution of darknet
Introducing content into darknet
Methods of policing
Conclusions
Introduction
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Copying or distributing content in digital format is
easier
Legal vs. illegal distribution of content
Terms used
• Objects
• Users
• Hosts
What is darknet?
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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
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Infrastructure requirements
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Input facilities
Transmission facilities
Output facilities
Search mechanisms/ database
Caching mechanism
Target infrastructure requirements to fight darknet
Evolution of darknet –
Early Small-World networks
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“Sneaker net” of floppy disks and tapes
Limitations
• Latency
• Lack of search engines
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Interconnected Small-World networks
Evolution of darknet – contd
Central Internet Servers
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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)
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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)
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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
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• Downloading objects without sharing them
• Some users sacrifice their resources, free-riders
don’t
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Lack of anonymity
• Server end-points can be determined
Fully distributed darknets –
Attacks
Introducing content into darknet –
Conditional Access systems
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Subscribers are given access to objects based
on a service contract
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Customers have no access to channels they are
not entitled to
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Can freely use channels subscribed for
Introducing content into darknet (contd) –
DRM systems
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Client obtains
• Encrypted content
• License specifying how to use
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BOBE-strong vs. BOBE-weak systems
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Renewability
Introducing content into darknet (contd) –
using software
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Mainly used to secure computer programs
Bind software to a host – program won’t work on an
unlicensed machine
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Machine id should not be virtualizable
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Code to perform bind-checks should be resistant to
tampering
Policing hosts –
Watermarking
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Embeds an indelible, invisible mark on content
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Concerns about the robustness of the
embedding layer
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Key management
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Watermark detectors in software or hardware
Policing hosts (contd) –
Fingerprinting
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Supplier marks the object with an individualized
mark identifying the purchaser
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If shared on darknet, purchaser is identified
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No key-distribution needed
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Expensive
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Collusion attacks
Conclusion
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Technological implications
• Even strong DRM systems can fail
• Watermark detectors have not made an impact
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Competition to legal commerce
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Evidence that darknet will continue to exist
Questions….