On Tuesday 21 December 2010 00:42:53 Matthew Toseland wrote: > On Friday 17 December 2010 15:50:11 Matthew Toseland wrote: > > On Tuesday 07 December 2010 17:21:07 Matthew Toseland wrote: > > > On Friday 03 December 2010 19:15:22 Klaus Koch wrote: > > > > > > It is a hard problem. But our traditional approach hasn't been > > > > > > terribly > > > > > > honest IMHO. > > > > > > > > We were talking on #freenet on how to explain new users in a few words > > > > (installer?) what freenet's security is all about and how to "warn" > > > > them of > > > > the shortcomings of opennet. I came up with the following text: > > > > > > > > "Freenet's security and anonymity is based on the idea that users > > > > connect to > > > > people they trust. Opennet mode (=LOW security level) is a convenience > > > > feature > > > > for new users who don't have trusted peers yet and it's security is not > > > > as > > > > strong as darknet (= MEDIUM/HIGH security level). Use this mode to > > > > befriend > > > > people you think you can trust. Get the highest security out of freenet > > > > by > > > > connection to your reallife friends!" > > > > > > > > somehow there's still missing that even connecting to a coworker is > > > > better > > > > than a random stranger, but I still struggle to put it into one of the > > > > sentences... > > > > > > IMHO that is precisely what people misunderstand most frequently. How > > > about: > > > > > > Generally on Freenet you are only vulnerable to the users your node is > > > connected to. > > > Do you want Freenet to connect only to your friends? > > > > > > YES (DARKNET MODE): > > > If you have 5 or more friends who run Freenet, you should enable darknet > > > mode, and add them on the Friends page. Freenet will send your traffic > > > through them to their friends and the rest of the network. This greatly > > > improves your security, because you choose who you connect to. You should > > > only add people you know personally, online or offline. > > > > > > NO (OPENNET MODE): > > > Freenet can connect to other users automatically, if you don't know > > > anyone on Freenet. However, this is a convenience feature offering only > > > minimal security against a determined attacker. In opennet mode, the bad > > > guys can choose to connect to you, whereas in darknet mode, you choose > > > who you connect to. > > > > > Ian suggested creating an ietherpad page for the wording so we can > > collaborate. Please have a look: > > http://ietherpad.com/qq8WQKFr7o > > > This has gone through several iterations between me and ian. My favourite so > far: > > == > People your Freenet software connects to may be able to spy on your Freenet > activities. If you only connect to your friends (even casual acquaintances), > it will be extremely difficult for outsiders to trace your usage of Freenet > back to you. > > Only connect to friends: > Advantage: Very hard for outsiders to trace your posts, files, etc back to > you. > Disadvantage: You need at least 5 friends that already use Freenet. > > Connect to friends and strangers: > Advantage: You don't need to know anyone else that already uses Freenet. > Disadvantage: Much easier for outsiders to trace your posts, files, etc back > to you. > == > > IMHO talking about outsiders tracing your posts 1) means we don't have to use > "bad guys", "attackers" or other iffy or technical language, and 2) expresses > the key point: Opennet does *not* mean you connect to random nodes some of > whom might be malicious. It means that an active attacker can find you very > fast, involving impersonating a lot of nodes to increase his chances, and/or > by actively moving towards you. > > The point is not really the security you have against those you are connected > to. It's how hard it is for an outsider to find you with your node initially > indistinguishable from any other node. THAT is Freenet's threat model, and > IMHO the above sums it up reasonably. > > Ian's version immediately prior, which is remarkably concise: > > == > People your Freenet software connects to may sometimes be able to spy on your > Freenet activities. > > Should Freenet only connect to your friends? > > YES (DARKNET MODE): > Advantage: Much more difficult for strangers to spy on your use of Freenet > Disadvantage: You need at least 5 friends that already use Freenet > > NO (OPENNET MODE): > Advantage: You don't need to know anyone else that already uses Freenet > Disadvantage: Freenet will connect to strangers, who may then spy on your use > of Freenet > == > > My original long, reasonably clear version: > == > On Freenet you are only vulnerable to the users your node is connected to. > Do you want Freenet to connect only to your friends? > > YES (DARKNET MODE): > If you have 5 or more friends who run Freenet, you should enable darknet > mode, and add them on the Friends page. Freenet will send your traffic > through them to their friends and the rest of the network. This greatly > improves your security, because you choose who you connect to. You should > only add people you know personally, online or offline. However even if they > are only casual acquaintances this is probably still safer than opennet. > > NO (OPENNET MODE): > Freenet can connect to other users automatically, if you don't know anyone on > Freenet. However, this is a convenience feature offering only minimal > security against a determined attacker. In opennet mode, the bad guys can > choose to connect to you, whereas in darknet mode, you choose who you connect > to. > == > This has been deployed in master:
== Freenet first time wizard! - Who should Freenet connect to? Who should Freenet connect to? Freenet is designed to prevent your chat messages, downloads, browsing etc from being traced back to you. Freenet can only provide strong protection when you know the people you are directly connected to. Only connect to your friends: Advantage: Very hard to trace anything on Freenet back to you. Disadvantage: You need at least 5 friends that use Freenet. Connect to strangers: Advantage: No need to know anyone that uses Freenet. Disadvantage: Much easier to trace your messages, files, etc back to you. == The second page, based on the old network security levels, is a bit clumsy though. Darknet version: == Freenet first time wizard! - Network security settings Protection against a stranger attacking you over the internet (only connect to friends) Freenet will only connect to your friends, making it very difficult for anyone to trace your Freenet usage. How concerned are you about serious, expensive attacks by people you don't know? HIGH: I would like to make it much more difficult for others to monitor my communications, or I am worried about ISPs and/or governments trying to block Freenet. Only connecting to Friends massively improves security, but Freenet will be slow unless you add at least 5-10 friends. MAXIMUM: I intend to access information that could get me arrested, imprisoned, or worse. I understand that Freenet is experimental and cannot ensure security against certain known attacks, but I accept the risks compared to the alternatives. Freenet will be significantly slower than in HIGH, as well as only connecting to Friends. Adding people as Friends who you don't know outside of Freenet will not improve security and will reduce performance! == Opennet version: Freenet first time wizard! - Network security settings Protection against a stranger attacking you over the internet (connect to strangers) Freenet will connect to strangers, so security will be relatively low. You can add friends later if you want. How concerned are you about attacks against by people you don't know? LOW: I do not care about monitoring and want maximum performance. It may be quite easy for others to discover your identity! NORMAL: I live in a relatively free country, but I would like to make it more difficult for others to monitor my communications. Freenet will be reasonably careful to protect your anonymity, at some performance cost. You should add friends running Freenet and upgrade to HIGH when you are able.
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