SIP Trunking

Security Featured Article

July 02, 2009

Open Internet Advocates to Congress: Take a Hard Look at DPI

By Erin Harrison

Concerned about the possible use of what they describe as spying technology in Iran, advocates for the so-called “open Internet” this week say they want U.S. legislators to examine deep packet inspection.

 
Generally speaking, DPI is a form of computer network filtering that examines data as it passes an inspection point, and can search for things such as spam, viruses or some type of pre-defined criteria. DPI is at the forefront of advanced network security functions – a hot topic – as well as Internet “eavesdropping,” censorship and data mining.
 
In a letter this week to Congress, groups including the Open Internet Coalition, Free Press, Public Knowledge (News - Alert) and the ACLU urge members to conduct hearings as soon as possible.
 
“We believe that the unchecked use of deep packet inspection technology has the potential to have detrimental impact on our user privacy and choke off the decentralized, edge-based innovation that has made the Internet the most successful toll for free expression, democracy and innovation ever invented,” the letter said.
 
Jay Stanley, a spokesman for the ACLU, told TMCnet in an interview that DPI’s use in Iran demonstrates abuses but that even in the United States, it’s “not always used for great purposes.”
 
“Hearings are very likely because of the great implications technology has for the Internet,” Stanley said. “Hopefully those will be sooner and not later and Congress will get out ahead of the problem.”
 
Even so, it isn’t clear whether Congress will pursue the coalition’s request. Sen. Rick Boucher (D-Va.), chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet, could not immediately be reached for comment.
 
As the Iranian government continues its crackdown on protests of the disputed presidential election there, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) announced Friday that they will introduce bipartisan legislation to sanction any company that sells sensitive technology aiding the Iranian regime in monitoring or blocking the Internet connections or cell phone conversations of the protesters.
 
“It is utterly outrageous that Western companies sell equipment that allows the Iranian government to spy on their citizens, prevent communications between citizens and thwart any type of uprising against the regime,” Schumer said in a statement. “This legislation is going to crack down on these companies so that we can do our part in preventing this regime from controlling the Iranian people.”
 
The senators also released a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging President Barack Obama’s administration to press the European Union at the upcoming G-8 summit to do more to stop European-based companies from trading with Iran.
 
“The actions of the Iranian government to infringe upon its citizens’ rights to privacy and free speech are deeply troubling,” Schumer wrote and Graham to Clinton.
 
Yet any legislation around DPI should be focused on specific use cases, and not targeted at the technology or term itself, according to Kyle Rosenthal of San Francisco-based dPacket.org, a nonprofit corporation that supports progress in deep packet inspection.
 
“In addition, a more detailed taxonomy needs to be adopted around DPI related topics to support effective multi-stakeholder collaboration,” Rosenthal said. “The term DPI used alone leaves itself open to broad and often confusing interpretations. In regards to the U.S. government, our country needs to explore the relevance of all technical innovations in respect to their implications on modern warfare and protecting our culture and liberties. An increase in programmable computational capability entering our global network infrastructure is a reality, and we need to work together to make the best of it.”
 
Largely, DPI technology is still in the “hype” phase, where vendors must prove that their equipment does what is promised, according to the group. However, many reports have pointed out the inefficiency or inaccuracy of systems.
 
Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users.


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