BitTorrent Sync: Network Investigation Methodology

The volume of personal information and data most Internet users find themselves amassing is ever increasing and the fast pace of the modern world results in most requiring instant access to their files. Millions of these users turn to cloud based file synchronisation services, such as Dropbox, Microsoft Skydrive, Apple iCloud and Google Drive, to enable "always-on" access to their most up-to-date data from any computer or mobile device with an Internet connection. The prevalence of recent articles covering various invasion of privacy issues and data protection breaches in the media has caused many to review their online security practices with their personal information. To provide an alternative to cloud based file backup and synchronisation, BitTorrent Inc. released an alternative cloudless file backup and synchronisation service, named BitTorrent Sync to alpha testers in April 2013. BitTorrent Sync's popularity rose dramatically throughout 2013, reaching over two million active users by the end of the year. This paper outlines a number of scenarios where the network investigation of the service may prove invaluable as part of a digital forensic investigation. An investigation methodology is proposed outlining the required steps involved in retrieving digital evidence from the network and the results from a proof of concept investigation are presented.Comment: 9th International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security (ARES 2014

An investigation of the intention to share files over P2P Networks

In this research we take a comprehensive view of file-sharing over peer-to-peer (P2P) networks in order to develop a model of the intention to share files. P2P file-sharing once consisted largely of music files which, when downloaded, were an infringement of copyrights. For this reason models of file-sharing intentions often included factors and constructs representing ethical concerns. However, these models did not produce a broad agreement about whether or not those ethical concerns had significant effects on intentions. Furthermore, files now shared over P2P networks represent a significant portion of both legitimate and non-infringing files. The model we propose applies to P2P file-sharing of all files, regardless of media type, and regardless of whether they are shared legally or illegally. Lastly we present the factors from the model that were suggested to be significant from an initial pilot study

Behavioural Evidence Analysis Applied to Digital Forensics: An Empirical Analysis of Child Pornography Cases using P2P Networks

The utility of Behavioural Evidence Analysis (BEA) has gained attention in the field of Digital Forensics in recent years. It has been recognized that, along with technical examination of digital evidence, it is important to learn as much as possible about the individuals behind an offence, the victim(s) and the dynamics of a crime. This can assist the investigator in producing a more accurate and complete reconstruction of the crime, in interpreting associated digital evidence, and with the description of investigative findings. Despite these potential benefits, the literature shows limited use of BEA for the investigation of cases of the possession and dissemination of Sexually Exploitative Imagery of Children (SEIC). This paper represents a step towards filling this gap. It reports on the forensic analysis of 15 SEIC cases involving P2P filesharing networks, obtained from the Dubai Police. Results confirmed the predicted benefits and indicate that BEA can assist digital forensic practitioners and prosecutors

Digital Piracy of MP3s: Consumer and Ethical Predispositions

Purpose – Illegal downloading of music has become an inexorable and rampant activity particularly among college students who have been little deterred by industry legal actions. The purpose of this research is to examine the present state of downloading and how ethical orientation and attitudes towards MP3 piracy impact such activities. The paper also aims to use ethical scenarios as a way of understanding the ethical reasoning in illegal downloading. Design/methodology/approach – Key research questions are proposed that are related to illegal downloading. A sample of 364 university students was used to examine each research question. Statistical results are reported. Findings – The results clearly show that downloading continues at a high rate today driven by a strong belief that it is not ethically wrong. Ethical orientation was found to be positively associated with awareness of the social cost of downloading, consequences of downloading, and ethical belief in downloading. Ethical scenarios show that ethical orientation is also associated with downloading activities and with stealing. Other results indicate that respondents believe that their peers are more prone to stealing music and downloading MP3s illegally. Fear of consequences does seem to have an impact on the propensity to download illegally. Practical implications – The paper contributes to inform industry representatives that appeals to ethics or guilt are not likely to deter illegal downloading measurably. The use of punishment for downloaders may have a short-term effect but other (more positive) measures are required. Originality/value – No research has examined downloading of MP3s in the manner developed in this paper. The paper contributes to a better understanding of consumer behavior among those who download. The results provide insight into a serious problem in the recording industry that is likely to persist in the distant future unless sound measures are developed

Hail to the thief: a tribute to Kazaa

THIS PAPER CONSIDERS THE ONGOING LITIGATION against the peer-to-peer network KaZaA. Record companies and Hollywood studios have faced jurisdictional and legal problems in suing this network for copyright infringement. As Wired Magazine observes: “The servers are in Denmark. The software is in Estonia. The domain is registered Down Under, the corporation on a tiny island in the South Pacific. The users—60 million of them—are everywhere around the world.” In frustration, copyright owners have launched copyright actions against intermediaries—like against Internet Service Providers such as Verizon. They have also embarked on filing suits against individual users of file-sharing programs. In addition, copyright owners have called for domestic- and international-law reform with respect to digital copyright. The Senate Committee on Government Affairs of the United States Congress has reviewed the controversial use of subpoenas in suits against users of file-sharing peer-to-peer networks. The United States has encouraged other countries to adopt provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act 1998 in bilateral and regional free-trade agreements

Understanding Music Sharing Behavior in China: Development of an Instrument

In this paper we propose a research model, set of constructs, and instrument for collecting data in China to investigate online behavior in the usage of file sharing technologies by music consumers. Recent studies associated with music download were focused, for the most part, on highly infrastructure-developed countries. Since technology maturity, market conditions, and economical situations in developing countries are different from those of developed countries; we developed a model for investigation online behavior in Chinese music consumers. As a pilot study to test the constructs in our model and its suitability for use in China, we surveyed 152 people the United States. We found the constructs robust for further investigation. The instrument was revised based upon the results of factor analysis and reliability testing and translated into Chinese. Data was further collected from 439 people in China. Results show that the constructs satisfy the reliability testing as well as preliminary regression analysis for the Chinese sample

Understanding information needs of Australian business organisations

Over the past decade, universities have used repositories as channels to create access to research outputs. Increasingly government and universities are seeking to optimise the impact of their research, particularly to improve public policy. This study looks at the impact of access to research from the perspective of business associations and researchers. It finds that business organisations value trusted timely, relevant research. Accessibility and peer-reviewed research outputs are highly valued but little used. Barriers to use of the research include availability (material not openly accessible), discoverability (ranking on search engines) and knowledge by trusted mediators and connectivity (presentation as part of a cohort of scholarly knowledge). Barriers for researchers include lack of rewards and recognition for research outputs focused on these organisations. The theories used in the study include triple helix, Kautto-Koivula and Huhtaniemi’s model for knowledge and competence management and actor network theory. The study concludes that significant work is required to improve the accessibility and discoverability of research. In particular, the search paradigm is insufficient to provide optimal awareness of and impact of research.Australian Library and Information Associatio

Online Peer-to-peer Communities: An Empirical Investigation of a Music Sharing Network as a Dynamic Two-sided Network

Online peer-to-peer communities and online social networks have become increasingly popular. In particular, the recent boost of online peer-to-peer communities leads to exponential growth in sharing of user-contributed content which have brought profound changes to business and economic practices. Understanding the formation and sustainability of such peer-to-peer communities has important implications for businesses. We develop a dynamic two-sided network model that relates growth of communities to interactions between contribution and consumption of resources in online sharing activities. Using online music sharing data collected from a popular IRC music sharing service over five years, we empirically apply the model to identify dynamics in the music sharing community. We find that the music sharing community demonstrates distinctive characteristics of a two-sided network. Contribution in the community leads to more consumption and consumption leads to more contribution, creating positive network effects in the community. Moreover, we find significant negative externalities among consumption activities and among contribution activities. The combination of the positive and negative externalities drives the underlying dynamics and growth of online sharing communities. Using the dynamic model, we quantify equilibrium growth rate of the community. We find that the equilibrium growth rate changes over time, possibly as a result of legal actions taken by the music industry. Our study provides a first glimpse into the mechanism through which peer-to-peer communities sustain and thrive in a constantly changing environment

Mapping South African internet user's opinions about the use of peer-to-peer file sharing technology to infringe on copyrighted films and/or television series content

The aim of this study was to investigate the various reasons consumers continue to infringe on copyrighted content, specifically in the South African context, even if the law forbids it. This investigation is two-fold since it also recognises that there are many individuals who do not infringe on copyrighted content even though they have access to peer-to-peer file sharing technology. This information could prove valuable since it can then be used to find comprehensive market-led solutions to the problem that targets the end-user. This study adopted a mixed method approach in order to cross validate findings and to reveal aspects of empirical reality. The target population for this study consisted of 100 adult South Africans who have access to the internet. Data was collected through an online, self-administered questionnaire. Quantitative data was analysed through descriptive statistics, while qualitative data was analysed through thematic analysis. The results show that there are variety of factors that influence respondents’ attitudes towards copyright infringement of films and/or television series through peer-to-peer file sharing technology, each of which is discussed in detail. The study concluded by identifying 24 factors that favourably influence people’s attitudes towards copyright infringement, including high prices of legitimate goods, historical inequality in South Africa, and perceived low risk of being caught and punished. Based on the conclusion above, the study recommends that policy makers such as government officials, boards of directors, managers, committees, and executives use the results of the study when making decisions and determining policies, especially in the South African context.Communication ScienceM.A. (Communication Science