Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: HP, Darknet, Broswer, Google, Firefox | Themes: The Internet, Software, Networking
HP plans to demonstrate the power behind JavaScript using a browser-based darknet.
InformationWeek is reporting that HP researchers have developed a browser-based darknet, and plans to debut the prototype--entitled Veiled--at the Black Hat USA 2009 security conference next week. The researches didn't intend to release the software or make the darknet source code available to the public, but rather intends to demonstrate how advanced web browsers have become as an application platform.
For the uninitiated, a darknet is a closed, private network mainly used for secure communications within a private group, however the term has expanded to include file sharing. Normally software is used to establish a darknet--GNUnet, Freenet, and The Onion Router to name a few--however thanks to the latest generation in JavaScript engines (Mozilla's TraceMonkey, Google's V8), darknets can be established using a browser on PCs or mobile phones.
Matt Wood, senior security researcher at HP, said that the Veiled darknet is a hybrid of peer-to-peer and client-server models. Veiled still relies on servers to negotiate communications, however those servers only perform as routers. Clients on different servers can actually communicate directly, as Veiled can merge servers together.
Wood also added that Veiled isn't meant to replace darknet software such as The Onion Router, but rather serves as a tool for "creating instant, online communities to serve a flash mob."
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P2P file sharing on a darknet? I've found any kind of traffic on TOR to be pretty slow, - so seeing is believing for me.
Thats not the point. The point is anonymity for whistleblowers, etc. Besides, P2P isn't just used for downloading large files...
There is no anonymity on the web. You can make it difficult but it's all traceable to an IP or some hardware address somewhere. But still this is an interesting topic I would like to see more articles about. Like you said gho3t it isn't just for p2p stuff.
There is no anonymity on the web. You can make it difficult but it's all traceable to an IP or some hardware address somewhere.
That is correct but not a problem. The point of anonymous networks is to randomly route encrypted traffic through several nodes so it is very difficult to identify the source and sink nodes for any given communication. If the nodes are in different countries with some having dynamic addresses or masquerading with some else's address then it takes a unrealistic amount of effort to follow the entire chain. The more nodes there are the more difficult it gets.
Note: Freenet is not a P2P network. It is a distributed data storage system with encryption. Nodes don't provide bandwidth as much as storage space. It still can be used for communications through applications like Frost. It's slow but the priority is anonymity. The penalty for anonymity is that you don't know what is stored on your system or when. Warez, movies, MP3s, pr0n, child porn, malware, poetry, and persectuion videos from those crazy pro-democracy types in China are all in there somewhere.
You don't search for file names as it doesn't use them. Instead it uses data hashes which don't rely on names. Some of the RIAA/MPAA tricks on other networks of sharing bogus files isn't effective on Freenet as the hash more accurately identifies the files.
jhansonxi you are correct! I did know that Freenet uses hash instead of filenames though, furthering anonymity and snaffuing RIAA/MPAA tricks is always good. I will have to give Freenet/Frost a look see now!
So HP is now specialist on P2P? Lol!!
They're just trying to find a new market to sell more and more...