[Nets-seminars] Talk in EE 4:00 Wednesday 12th November

[Richard G. Clegg]

We have a guest speaker in EE next Wednesday, Laurent Mathy from Lancaster.

Title: Securing Internet Coordinates Systems.

Abstract:
Internet coordinate-based systems allow easy network positioning. In 
such systems, the basic idea is that if network distances between 
Internet nodes can be embedded in an appropriate space, unmeasured 
distances can be estimated using a simple distance computation in that
space. Recently, these coordinates-based systems have been shown to be 
accurate, with very low distance prediction error. However, most, if not 
all, of current proposals for coordinates systems assume that the nodes 
partaking in the system cooperate fully and honestly with each other – 
that is that the information reported by probed nodes is correct. This 
could also make them quite vulnerable to malicious attacks. In 
particular, insider attacks executed by (potentially colluding) 
legitimate users or nodes infiltrating the system could prove very effective.
As the use of overlays and applications relying on coordinates 
increases, one could imagine the release of worms and other malware, 
exploiting such cooperation, which could seriously disrupt the 
operations of these systems and therefore the virtual networks and 
applications relying on them for distance measurements.

In this talk, we present a method to secure the embedding (i.e. 
coordinates computation) phase of Internet Coordinate Systems, based on 
anomaly detection in node behaviour. We also show how coordinates can 
then be certified for safe use by overlays and applications.

-- 
Richard G. Clegg,
Dept of Elec. Eng.,
University College London
http://www.richardclegg.org/