Experimental analysis of the socio-economic phenomena in the BitTorrent ecosystem

BitTorrent is the most successful Peer-to-Peer (P2P) application and is responsible for a major portion of Internet traffic. It has been largely studied using simulations, models and real measurements. Although simulations and modelling are easier to perform, they typically simplify analysed problems and in case of BitTorrent they are likely to miss some of the effects which occur in real swarms. Thus, in this thesis we rely on real measurements. In the first part of the thesis we present the summary of measurement techniques used so far and we use it as a base to design our tools that allow us to perform different types of analysis at different resolution level. Using these tools we collect several large-scale datasets to study different aspects of BitTorrent with a special focus on socio-economic aspects. Using our datasets, we first investigate the topology of real BitTorrent swarms and how the traffic is actually exchanged among peers. Our analysis shows that the resilience of BitTorrent swarms is lower than corresponding random graphs. We also observe that ISP policies, locality-aware clients and network events (e.g., network congestion) lead to locality-biased composition of neighbourhood in the swarms. This means that the peer contains more neighbours from local provider than expected from purely random neighbours selection process. Those results are of interest to the companies which use BitTorrent for daily operations as well as for ISPs which carry BitTorrent traffic. In the next part of the thesis we look at the BitTorrent from the perspective of the content and content publishers in a major BitTorrent portals. We focus on the factors that seem to drive the popularity of the BitTorrent and, as a result, could affect its associated traffic in the Internet. We show that a small fraction of publishers (around 100 users) is responsible for more than two-thirds of the published content. Those publishers can be divided into two groups: (i) profit driven and (ii)fake publishers. The former group leverages the published copyrighted content (typically very popular) on BitTorrent portals to attract content consumers to their web sites for financial gain. Removing this group may have a significant impact on the popularity of BitTorrent portals and, as a result, may affect a big portion of the Internet traffic associated to BitTorrent. The latter group is responsible for fake content, which is mostly linked to malicious activity and creates a serious threat for the Bit- Torrent ecosystem and for the Internet in general. To mitigate this threat, in the last part of the thesis we present a new tool named TorrentGuard for the early detection of fake content that could help to significantly reduce the number of computer infections and scams suffered by BitTorrent users. This tool is available through web portal and as a plugin to Vuze, a popular BitTorrent client. Finally, we present MYPROBE, the web portal that allows to query our database and to gather different pieces of information regarding BitTorrent content publishers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BitTorrent es la aplicación peer-to-peer para compartición de ficheros de mayor éxito y responsable de una fracción importante del tráfico de Internet. Trabajos previos han estudiado BitTorrent usando técnicas de simulación, modelos analíticos y medidas reales. Aunque las técnicas analíticas y de simulación son más sencillas de aplicar, típicamente presentan versiones simplificadas de los problemas analizados y en el caso concreto de BitTorrent pueden obviar aspectos o interacciones fundamentales que ocurren en los enjambres de BitTorrent. Por lo tanto, en esta tesis utilizaremos como pilar de nuestra investigación técnicas de medidas reales. En primer lugar presentaremos un resumen de las técnicas de medidas usadas hasta el momento en el ámbito de BitTorrent que suponen la base teórica para el diseño de nuestras propias herramientas de medida que nos permitirán analizar enjambres reales de BitTorrent. Usando los datos obtenidos con estas herramientas estudiaremos aspectos diferentes de BitTorrent con un enfoque especial de los aspectos socioeconómicos. En la primera parte de la tesis, realizaremos un estudio detallado de la topología de los enjambres reales de BitTorrent así como de detalles acerca de las interacciones entre peers. Nuestro análisis demuestra que la resistencia de la topología de los enjambres reales de BitTorrent es menor que la ofrecida por grafos aleatorios equivalentes. Además, los resultados revelan que las políticas de los Provedores de Internet junto con la incipiente utilización de clientes de BitTorrent modificados y otros efectos en la red (p.ej. congestión) hacen que los enjambres reales de BitTorrent presentan una composicin de localidad. Es decir, un nodo tiene un número de vecinos dentro de su mismo Proveedor de Internet mayor del que obtendría en una topología puramente aleatoria. Estos resultados son de interés para las empresas que utilizan BitTorrent en sus operaciones, así como para los Provedores de Internet responsables de transportar el tráfico de BitTorrent. En la segunda parte de la tesis, analizamos los aspectos de publicación de contenido en los mayores portales de BitTorrent. En concreto, los resultados presentados muestran que sólo un pequeño grupo de publicadores (alrededor de 100) es responsable de hacer disponible más de dos tercios del contenido publicado. Además estos publicadores se pueden dividir en dos grupos: (i) aquellos con incentivos económicos y (ii) publicadores de contenido falso. El primer grupo hace disponible contenido protegido por derechos de autor (que es típicamente muy popular) en los principales portales de BitTorrent con el objetivo de atraer a los consumidores de dicho contenido a sus propios sitios web y obtener un beneficio económico. La eliminación de este grupo puede tener un impacto importante en la popularidad de los principales portales de BitTorrent así como en el tráfico generado por BitTorrent en Internet. El segundo grupo es responsable de la publicación de contenidos falsos. La mayor parte de dichos contenidos están asociados a una actividad maliciosa (p.ej. la distribución de software malicioso) y por tanto suponen una seria amenaza para el ecosistema de BitTorrent, en particular, y para Internet en general. Para minimizar los efectos de la amenaza que presentan estos publicadores, en la última parte de la tesis presentaremos una nueva herramienta denominada TorrentGuard para la pronta detección de contenidos falsos. Esta herramienta puede accederse a través de un portal web y a través de un plugin del cliente de BitTorrent Vuze. Finalmente, presentamos MYPROBE, un portal web que permite consultar una base de datos con información actualizada sobre los publicadores de contenidos en BitTorrent

Static Web content distribution and request routing in a P2P overlay

The significance of collaboration over the Internet has become a corner-stone of modern computing, as the essence of information processing and content management has shifted to networked and Webbased systems. As a result, the effective and reliable access to networked resources has become a critical commodity in any modern infrastructure. In order to cope with the limitations introduced by the traditional client-server networking model, most of the popular Web-based services have employed separate Content Delivery Networks (CDN) to distribute the server-side resource consumption. Since the Web applications are often latency-critical, the CDNs are additionally being adopted for optimizing the content delivery latencies perceived by the Web clients. Because of the prevalent connection model, the Web content delivery has grown to a notable industry. The rapid growth in the amount of mobile devices further contributes to the amount of resources required from the originating server, as the content is also accessible on the go. While the Web has become one of the most utilized sources of information and digital content, the openness of the Internet is simultaneously being reduced by organizations and governments preventing access to any undesired resources. The access to information may be regulated or altered to suit any political interests or organizational benefits, thus conflicting with the initial design principle of an unrestricted and independent information network. This thesis contributes to the development of more efficient and open Internet by combining a feasibility study and a preliminary design of a peer-to-peer based Web content distribution and request routing mechanism. The suggested design addresses both the challenges related to effectiveness of current client-server networking model and the openness of information distributed over the Internet. Based on the properties of existing peer-to-peer implementations, the suggested overlay design is intended to provide low-latency access to any Web content without sacrificing the end-user privacy. The overlay is additionally designed to increase the cost of censorship by forcing a successful blockade to isolate the censored network from the rest of the Internet

Flying the Pirate Flag: Understanding the Fight Against and Prevalence of the Internet Gift Economy

The number of citizens affected by common internet access makes arguments over its governance of primary concern to all. Peer-to-peer file sharing, oftentimes allowing for copyright infringement, is currently a major use of internet infrastructure. A review of the legislative and technological attempts to prevent such infringement, as well as the reasoning behind its prevalence, provides insight into the tension created by present intellectual property rights; this is a tension between those it intends to protect and to reward

Improving Security and Performance in Low Latency Anonymous Networks

Conventional wisdom dictates that the level of anonymity offered by low latency anonymity networks increases as the user base grows. However, the most significant obstacle to increased adoption of such systems is that their security and performance properties are perceived to be weak. In an effort to help foster adoption, this dissertation aims to better understand and improve security, anonymity, and performance in low latency anonymous communication systems. To better understand the security and performance properties of a popular low latency anonymity network, we characterize Tor, focusing on its application protocol distribution, geopolitical client and router distributions, and performance. For instance, we observe that peer-to-peer file sharing protocols use an unfair portion of the network’s scarce bandwidth. To reduce the congestion produced by bulk downloaders in networks such as Tor, we design, implement, and analyze an anonymizing network tailored specifically for the BitTorrent peer-to-peer file sharing protocol. We next analyze Tor’s security and anonymity properties and empirically show that Tor is vulnerable to practical end-to-end traffic correlation attacks launched by relatively weak adversaries that inflate their bandwidth claims to attract traffic and thereby compromise key positions on clients’ paths. We also explore the security and performance trade-offs that revolve around path length design decisions and we show that shorter paths offer performance benefits and provide increased resilience to certain attacks. Finally, we discover a source of performance degradation in Tor that results from poor congestion and flow control. To improve Tor’s performance and grow its user base, we offer a fresh approach to congestion and flow control inspired by techniques from IP and ATM networks

Making a name for Anonymous. Digital culture , anonymous publics and transgressie subjectivities

Recently, researchers from various domains of social sciences have been particularly concerned with the social, cultural, and political impacts of digital media. To give an account of the specific processes behind the formation of Anonymous, I develop a microsociological framework for the analysis of disembodied global forms – anchoring such forms in intersubjective reciprocity. In order to move beyond interpretative sociology’s emphasis on language as society’s integrative function, I privileged the dimensions of temporality, rhythms and patterns. I also focused on how “disembodied” internet collectives are enacted and assembled within computer screens, terminals, and the digital networks that connect them. My analysis takes into account those temporalities, projections and reflections, which point to the non-symbolic components of mediated sociality. Those dynamic interconnections behind the Anonymous collective are approached through the notions of publics, networks or even swarms.Recientemente, investigadores de diversos campos de las ciencias sociales se han enfocado en los impactos sociales, culturales y políticos de los medios digitales. Para dar cuenta de los procesos específicos detrás de la formación de Anonymous, yo desarrollo un marco microsociológico para el análisis de formas globales “desencarnadas” de sociabilidad, anclando estas formas en la reciprocidad intersubjetiva mediada. Para ir más allá del énfasis en el lenguaje como función integrativa de la sociedad de la sociología interpretativa, privilegié las dimensiones de la temporalidad, los ritmos y los patrones en mi análisis. También me enfoqué a ver cómo los colectivos de Internet "desencarnados" se construyen en pantallas de computadora, terminales y las redes digitales que los conectan. Mi análisis tiene en cuenta esas temporalidades, proyecciones y reflexiones, que apuntan a los componentes no simbólicos de la socialidad mediada. Esas interconexiones dinámicas detrás del colectivo Anónimo se acercan a través de las nociones de públicos, redes y enjambres.Recentment, investigadors de diversos camps de les ciències socials s'han enfocat en els impactes socials, culturals i polítics dels mitjans digitals. Per donar compte dels processos específics darrere de la formació d'Anonymous, jo desenvolupament un marc miocrosociològic per a l'anàlisi de formes globals "desencarnades" de sociabilitat, ancorant aquestes formes en la reciprocitat intersubjectiva intervinguda. Per anar més enllà de l'èmfasi en el llenguatge com a funció integrativa de la societat de la sociologia interpretativa, privilegiï les dimensions de la temporalitat, els ritmes i els patrons en la meva anàlisi. També vaig focalitzar a veure com els col·lectius d'Internet "desencarnats" es construeixen en pantalles d'ordinador, terminals i les xarxes digitals que els connecten. La meva anàlisi té en compte aquestes temporalitats, projeccions i reflexions, que apunten als components no simbòlics de la socialitat intervinguda. Aquestes interconnexions dinàmiques darrere del col·lectiu Anònim s'acosten a través de les nocions de públics, xarxes i eixams

"The authority of the steam" : power dynamics of digital production in the Bitcoin blockchain

This thesis offers a critical investigation of the Bitcoin currency and the operation of its technical structure, i.e. blockchain technology. The main objective of the research is to identify and describe the specific power dynamics performed by and through this digital phenomenon. “Power dynamics” are framed in this work largely in terms of authority and sovereignty. To structure an exploration of such dynamics, the narrative is overarched by four different notions of “utopia” —as paradox, ideal, no-place, and imagined governance— that address the following main questions always underpinned by the general inquiry on power: What is the Bitcoin Blockchain? Where is it located? How are power relations performed in it? And how are power relations modified in relation with previous institutional systems? The thesis addresses distinct notions of authority in Bitcoin through the observation of its historical, spatial, and organizational characteristics. It maps the techno-political emergence of the blockchain system, the geographical distribution of Bitcoin’s infrastructural network, and the strategies for governance involved in its development as software. Based on the observation of these settings, this thesis argues that Bitcoin posits a restructuration of power dynamics through the automation of code, in particular, through its process of production. In order to develop this restructuration, the power dynamics of the Bitcoin blockchain are weighted against authority models of the state’s institutions. The thesis builds upon existing political theories of Empire (Hardt and Negri), protocol (Galloway), and the Stack (Bratton) to develop a critical account of Bitcoin’s power dynamics. The work sits in between the disciplines of Media Theory, Software Studies, Political Theory, and Digital Methods, and makes use of qualitative and quantitative methods to empirically support the former argument

The Whitworthian 2008-2009

The Whitworthian student newspaper, September 2008-May 2009.https://digitalcommons.whitworth.edu/whitworthian/1093/thumbnail.jp