Anonymity and Networks Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Anonymity and Networks - Essay Example Though anonymity is a desirable security feature, it has certain disadvantages. Anonymity can be achieved through various security protocols like Single Socket Layer (SSL) protocol, Secure Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (SHTTP) and Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol among others. Security protocols allow the establishment of secure channels across two communicating parties that are linked through an insecure network. Though the various protocols have many similarities, each of the security protocols has inherent strengths, weaknesses and vulnerabilities. While encryption offers some anonymity, there are certain limitations. The major challenge is the possibility of eavesdropping by local ISP or a local system administrator. The internet security protocols allow transfer of some networking information like the traffic flow route and the source-destination pair which is revealed through traffic analysis. Traffic analysis allows transmission of times data packets. The challenges asso ciated with internet security protocols can be overcome by utilizing authentication and key agreement (AKA) protocols which provide a random-shared key that can be used to uphold confidentiality and anonymity and have less vulnerabilities. ... .13 Section VI: Proposed solutions to the challenges of internet security protocols†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦14 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..15 Works Cited†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦16 Introduction In the wake of increasing dominance of internet as the preferred mode of communication, there has been a lot of interest on the use of anonymity as a means of ensuring user privacy and security. The unprotected nature of internet networks makes them vulnerable for eavesdropping by unauthorized persons. Though anonymity can exist without the internet, the increase in internet us age has made it easier for distribution of anonymous messages. The free information flow facilitated by increased internet communication poses potential security risks to individuals, businesses and government departments as well as the entire nation. As a result, various software and hardware security features have been suggested to address the issue of anonymity. This paper examines the issue of anonymity during internet use with focus on why, how, what and when anonymity should be exercised. The paper critically examines different security protocols involved in anonymity on the internet with regard to the hardware and software components involved. Additionally, the potential problems arising from anonymity and the possible solutions shall also be addressed. Section I: Anonymity in the context of internet communication: what does it imply? One of the major concerns in internet use is the extent to which their privacy shall be