Identikey: A Distributed Social Network Dept. of CIS - Senior Design 2015-2016∗ Drew Fisher Jacob Henner Vamsi Jandhayala drewfi
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Univ. of Pennsylvania Univ. of Pennsylvania Univ. of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia, PA ABSTRACT There are several computers (routers) between the user Online social networks | such as Facebook and Twitter | and the network's server that have access to data and meta- have become an essential tool for communication. Their data communicated between the user and the network. There ease-of-use and the associated network effect have made them are also additional links between the network's web servers, ubiquitous. Unfortunately, they often do little to protect user its file servers, its database servers, etc. privacy. Instead, they frequently sell user information to Unfortunately, this model is inadequate to protect user advertisers, and provide it to governments when requested. privacy. An adversary, whether a \hacker", cyber-criminal, They comply with government requests for censorship, and abusive government, or other abusive regime, can attack this in authoritarian states, they may be blocked entirely. This network at several points: is clearly unacceptable, especially since the communication 1. Between the user and the network's web servers | the these networks facilitate often inspires needed social change. adversary can either eeveesdrop on the connection be- We propose Identikey, an encrypted and distributed social tween the user and the network, or launch an active network. Instead of the conventional model | where user man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack. In both cases, the data is stored by a central entity (e.g.