[LINK] Browse the web anonymously with Torpark

[Roger Clarke]

At 15:03 +0800 21/9/06, brd at iimetro.com.au wrote:
>Torpark
>http://torpark.nfshost.com/
>Download Torpark and put it on a USB Flash keychain. Plug it into 
>any internet terminal whether at home, school, or public.
...
>Have I got this right? If I don't trust the internet I can use a system from
>Tor, about whom I know nothing?

Do I trust the various forms of crypto, incl. applications like SSL 
and DigiCash?  What, with my seriously declined mathematical 
capability??

What I *do* have rational trust in is that natural jealousies among 
mathematicians are very likely to ensure that any serious problems 
would come to light.  It's one thing to talk about the 'many eyes' 
criterion, but 'many capable sceptics with an interest in exposing 
inadequacies' is what delivers the value.  (Gawd, I sound like a 
rationalist economist!?).

Onion routing was a topic at the early CFP conferences.  Paul 
Syverson was and remains a stalwart of the PET community:
http://chacs.nrl.navy.mil/projects/onion-routing/
http://www.onion-router.net/
http://www.onion-router.net/Summary.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion_Routing

(And there was *especial* attention paid to *his* proposals, because 
he worked and works for the US Naval Research Lab, and they took out 
a patent on an aspect of it - for what he claimed, and I think we all 
have to believe, was defensive purposes, not to lock people out of 
using it.  The military have demonstrable needs for the kinds of 
security and anonymity it provides - and they're much more realistic 
than the national security community and acknowledge that other 
people do too, and will get it, and will use it).

The [Second-Generation] Onion Router (TOR) is an implementation of 
onion routing, driven by another stalwart of the PET community, Roger 
Dingledine:
http://tor.eff.org/
http://tor.eff.org/overview.html.en
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion_Routing#Tor:_the_second-generation_onion_router

Declaration:  I had a few beers with Paul and Roger in Dubrovnik last 
year, at the only PETWorkshop that I've ever managed to get to.  Oh 
yes, and onion routing is based in part on David Chaum's mix 
networks, and I had a beer with David in Ottawa last year too - ooh, 
ain't name-dropping *fun*!!

Finally, I'm delighted that Bernard is exercising the requisite 
scepticism, so that we all keep one another honest!!

-- 
Roger Clarke                  http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/

Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
                    Tel: +61 2 6288 1472, and 6288 6916
mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au                http://www.xamax.com.au/

Visiting Professor in Info Science & Eng  Australian National University
Visiting Professor in the eCommerce Program      University of Hong Kong
Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre      Uni of NSW