July 2010

Watchdog International Ltd

Internet Filtering Presentation July 2010

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Presentation Overview

• Introduction • Undesirable Internet Content • Pornography Filtering and Technologies • Nationwide Deployment • Pornography filtering Implementation Challenges • CSA Content • CSA Filtering and Technologies • CSA Implementation Challenges • Summary and the Way Forward July 2010 Filtering 2

Introduction – Peter Mancer

• Peter Mancer • Founder and Managing Director of Watchdog based in New Zealand • Previously Board Chairman of child protection NGO ECPAT (NZ) Inc • 30 years experience in the IT industry • 15 years experience in the internet Industry • 11 years experience in internet filtering • Specialist in internet safety • Father of a 15 and 12 year old boy July 2010 Filtering 3

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Introduction - Watchdog

• Specialist internet filtering organisation • Founded in 1999 • Provides managed internet services to 1400 New Zealand schools under govt contract • Internet service provider • Watchdog International provides internet filtering solutions to ISPs and governments • Values-based organisation – we care about children • Have worked in NZ, Australia, Canada, UK, Ireland, Sweden, France, Philippines, Mauritius • Vendor independent July 2010 Filtering 5

Undesirable Internet Content

• Web Sites • Pornography, hate/racial, criminal/terrorist, harmful (anorexia etc), violent • Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Content • Instant Messaging and Social Networks • User-generated content • Cyberbullying • Peer-to-Peer networks • Pornography, copyright infringement content July 2010 Filtering 6

Pornography Filtering Technologies

• Technologies usually have a “black list” of rated sites and means of classifying unrated ones • PC-Based filters – very unsuitable • Proxy-based filters - unsuitable • Packet Inspection filters - ideal • Important features: • Accurate and current blacklist • Anonymous proxy detection • Safesearch enforcement • Search keyword filtering July 2010 Filtering 7

Pornography Filtering Around the World

• Filtering porn as well as social and political content • CIS – many countries eg Belarus • Most countries in North Africa and Middle East eg: Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen & Iran • Many in Asia eg: China, Burma, Vietnam, Thailand • In Europe only Turkey • Singapore only country just to filter porn but only partially • Australia looking at voluntary scheme July 2010 Filtering 8

Common Misconceptions About Filters

• They will slow the internet down • They block unwanted sites • They will log all of my activity • They can be easily bypassed • They don’t work July 2010 Filtering 9

Technology Requirements - Porn

• Robust, automatic failover • Introduce minimal latency and scale to millions of users • Multiple installation modes • Solid company with 24 x 7 support • Proven elsewhere • Good administration, reporting and diagnostics • Reputable blacklist updated daily • Dynamic categorisation • Anonymous proxy signature recognition July 2010 Filtering 10

Nationwide Deployment

• Implemented at Tier 1 ISPs and Telcos so that they can filter Tier 2 ISPs that use their services • Tier 1 ISPs can on-sell the service to Tier 2s to help offset cost • Install a centralised system that can support a number of smaller ISPs who do not fit above Tier 2 remotely to avoid the cost of each one having to install filter • Also block anonymous proxy servers • This will be a 95% solution July 2010 Filtering 11

Internet on Cellphones

• Web traffic is web traffic whether accessed via a computer, cellphone, iPod or whatever so our filtering solution will work if implemented in their networks • Vodacom and MTN have parental controls available to block undesirable content – see www.virtuenet.co.za and click on “resources” July 2010 Filtering 12

Deployment Costs

• Costings from both Optenet and NetSweeper based on installations at Tier 1 ISPs and hosted service for other ones based on 6.2 Million internet connections in SA (

source – Budde.com

): • Setup and 1 st year costs R4 per connection • Annual on-going costs R2 per connection • Could possibly be covered by ISPs keeping prices steady for a period as costs are coming down July 2010 Filtering 13

Pornography URL Lists

• Complete and current list is critical • Every manufacturer’s list has different category definitions • Need to define this clearly for standardisation to match the law • Tens of millions of URLs • Anonymous proxies as well July 2010 Filtering 14

Oversight Organisation

• Ensure that the content on the list matches the definitions under the law • Create and administer an appeal process where sites that are blocked can be reviewed • Same for porn sites not blocked to be added • Ensure that list is being updated at all filtering locations • Add URLs to list from FPB Pro-Child Hotline • Transparent process to the public • Independent industry organisation – ISPA? July 2010 Filtering 15

Pornography Filtering Implementation Challenges

• Law approval – world first for democracy • Cost • Managing the URL list • Anonymous proxies July 2010 Filtering 16

Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Content

• Web sites usually commercial ones with subscription • Drive the demand for children to be abused • 50% hosted in USA – most of the rest in Eastern Europe, CIS and Asia.

• If takedown is not possible then block • A few thousand sites on URL list • Illegal in SA and most other countries July 2010 Filtering 17

CSA Filtering Technologies

Technology Security DNS Poisioning Cleanfeed Hybrid BGP and URL Filter low high high Ease of Implentation easy complex easy Effectiveness Cost low high high Very low medium low July 2010 Filtering 18

CSA Filtering Implementations

• UK – voluntary BT Cleanfeed since 2004 • Scandinavia – voluntary, mainly DNS poisoning but some hybrid BGP • Canada – voluntary modified Cleanfeed • Switzerland – voluntary, DNS poisoning • Italy – mandatory, DNS poisoning • France & Germany – laws being passed • New Zealand – voluntary with BGP • Philippines – mandatory, BGP July 2010 Filtering 19

CSA URL Lists

• UK – Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)– from hotline reports • Scandinavia – police in each country • Canada – Cybertip.ca hotline • New Zealand – DIA list from law enforcement • Philippines – IWF list • South Africa – FPB Pro-Child July 2010 Filtering 20

CSA Organisation Partnerships

• UK – Industry (ISPA), IWF, police, government (Home Office) • Sweden – Industry, ECPAT (hotline NGO), police, government • Canada – industry, RCMP, Cybertip.ca

• New Zealand - industry, ECPAT (hotline NGO), government (DIA) • Philippines – Government, NGOs July 2010 Filtering 21

CSA Implementation Challenges

• Cost – but only about 10% of UC filtering • ISP involvement • URL list management • Usually very little opposition if communicated correctly • Requires enforcement and compliance testing • If pornography was filtered as per previous proposal then CSA would be included July 2010 Filtering 22

Summary

• Effective pornography filtering on a nationwide basis is possible but it is not without its challenges • Requires co-operation between industry, NGOs and government • Filtering is only PART of the solution • Education for both parents and children is imperative – Internet safety taught in schools July 2010 Filtering 23

The Way Forward

• Industry consultation • Technology and implementation expertise available through myself and Mark Khoury from VirtueNet as my local representative • [email protected]

• www.watchdoginternational.net

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