The Serious Threats of Proxy Cache.

Link to us:http://snipr.com/proxyca



New Media Musings website, online privacy in digital age, by New Media Musings [Online]
Retrieved 11 February 2010
URL: http://www.newmediamusings.com/2006/08/online_privacy_.html

Hey Readers, Happy Chinese New Year. I was here to continue last week topic which is web cache. Last week we have finished the topic of browser cache so this week we will discuss how proxy caches can threaten your online privacy?

First, proxy cache function as a computer system serves many internet users in the same time and proxy cache maintains as relay between client and server. Proxy cache can prevent attack from invalid private network by build up a firewall. The word of proxy means “to act on behalf of another” and proxy cache is same as what meaning of proxy which is acts on behalf of the user.

Second, proxy cache is a serious threat to Internet users due to poorly developed application code and session management can cause security problem arise. For instance, a cases study of a Internet users using the Google Doc for business usage but suddenly realize that in his Google Doc account list obtain a lot of documents are not belong with him which means his Google Doc has been intrude by another Internet users.

Except that, if users make inappropriate use of proxy cache for web application can cause a serious consequence. For instance, when user A seek behind a web proxy log in and log out in a web application and user B log in the website and log out but are you sure user B can completely logged out the web application? On the server side, the ‘logout’ page is control by user A and user B log in session will be invalid and he/ she cannot access the actual page without logging in again.

Lastly, Internet user should pay attention to web caching and proxy cache even it can improve users accessibility of website and reduce network traffic but we should be guard to against become one of the victims of web caching.

References:

Cyberstrategics, A New Security Breach in Google Docs Revealed, by Tim Bass [Online]
Retrieved 11 February 2010
URL: http://www.thecepblog.com/2008/09/15/a-new-security-breach-in-google-docs-revealed/

Slide share website, proxy caches and web application security, by Tim Bass [Online]
Retrieved 11 February 2010
URL: http://www.slideshare.net/TimBass/OWASPTAIPEIThailandTBass

The Truth Revealed: The Cookies In Cyber

Link to Us: http://snipr.com/revealed1

Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! Are you guys enjoy eating the Chinese New Year cookies? Now I am continue with my discussion on cookies, but not that cookies you guys eating. The cookies are the browser cookies or the cookies save inside your browser. If you want to know what are the cookies, you could refer to our old post 'Cookie? Biscuit?'. It tells what are the cookies in cyber world.

Let's start with something quite boring first - the history of browser cookies. Do not worry, it is just a brief history on cookies. Actually, the browser cookies are invented by Netscape Communication in 1994. Cookies also known as 'magic cookies' but nowadays, we keep it short therefore, we just call them 'cookies'.

Next, some arguments stated that browser cookies are harmless because they are just a text file without exceed 4kb and they are not virus or spy ware and they do not even store any viruses and spy wares. There are two types of cookies, one is session cookie which is temporary save inside your browser. When you turn off your computer, those session cookies are bye bye (disappear)! The other one is persistent cookie which can save until one month and even years. We do not care which type of cookies and their differences, they could be privacy risk to Internet users because cookies could be used to track an user's online shopping habits, browse the web sites habit and others.

Cookies are specialized to keep information for online shopping sites such as 'shopping basket', personalize web sites, and give information on how users use the web sites to the web owners or servers. They could be a big risk to online shoppers because when they shop through online, they do not have any privacy actually. It is all because the online shopping site's server could track their purchase habits and their browse habits. Would you feel comfortable when someone is tracking you when you do your shopping either online or outlet. Since cookies are invented to keep information on your shopping basket therefore, the web servers could retrieved the items you have saved inside the shopping basket. If other people hack into your browser cookies, they might know what you have purchased and even what sites you have visited. If you buy a lingerie to your girl friend, they might know too.

On the other hand, cookies can affect your online privacy especially to those online shoppers, their online shopping histories might be tracked but users could always protect them by disabling the browser cookies. This can be done inside the browser setting. Some users disable all the cookies from all the web sites, deny some of the cookies from certain web sites, or enable all the cookies but some web sites require cookies otherwise they would not perform well. Sometimes it is very hard to avoid browser cookies for certain web sites like Blogger (http://www.blogger.com) because it needs cookies to help you personalize or modify your blog. Believe or not? Cookies enables tracking and stalking through the Internet, through your browser.

References:

Primary Search

1. Grey Elmer, (2002). Critical Perspectives on the Internet, Rowman & Littlefield Publisher, Inc., United Kingdom.

2. Mark Ciampa (2009). Security + Guide to Network Security, Course Technology, Cengage Learning, Boston, USA.

How Web Cache Threaten You and Your Online Privacy?

Link to Us: http://snipr.com/uaefo

Secure Business Infrastructure website, Network Security Auditing Solutions, by Secure Business Infrastructure website. [Online]

Retrieved 05 February 2010

URL: http://www.sbi-secureit.com/network-security-auditing-solution.htm

Web cache stores representation (it has been discussed in previous post). There are two types of web caches which are browser caches and proxy caches, they work differently in the client-server computers. So now, let's discussion how browser caches can threaten your online privacy?

First, browser caches is functioned to keep images, HTML pages, and files in your browsers temporary. Internet users always can check what types of file are being cached inside their web browsers by typing about:cache in the address text box.

Next, since browser caches store those representations temporary, you can always refresh the current page, back to previous page easily and faster without requesting response from the server again. Actually browser caches can be harmful only if you key in your private data and your computer contains viruses and spyware. It is all because when you key in your private data, browser cache would store every data you have enter. If other users, viruses, and spyware hack into your browsers and duplicate the cache files then, your private data would be dangerous. If you check your cache files inside your web browsers, you might think those cache files are some text that you could not understand but there are some specify applications that could read the content of the cache files. Therefore, hackers can read your private data by using that particular application.

Moreover, if you did not clear your web cache frequently, the chances to expose your data would be higher especially what are the web pages you have visited. Browser caches record the content which is the representation and also each representation's URL link and the pages' URL inside your browsers. When hackers intrude your computers and copy your browser cache, they might know what web sites you have visited, what images you have seen, what text you have inserted and many more. Maybe you would not care browser cache could threaten you or not but it can be a online privacy issues because others can know what sites you are visiting now and ease other people to track your Internet usage. You have no online privacy as you could be spied by the hackers if they steal your browser cache files. Hackers look through all your browser cache files and they know what you have visited even those censored web sites or web pages. Thus, be careful when you surf the net, browser cache files in your browsers could lead you zero online privacy.

Reference:

Caching Tutorial for Web Authors and Webmasters, Mnot.net [Online]

Retrieved on 6th January 2010

URL: http://www.mnot.net/cache_docs/#DEFINITION

Cookie? Biscuit?

Link to Us: http://snipr.com/wcookie

Remember the last two week's poll "What Is A Cookie"? Actually, not much blog visitors knows about the cookie or may be too much of visitors thought it is just a piece of sweet biscuit but obviously, since this blog is talking about online privacy, the cookie we talk at here is the web browser cookie. So, what is the cookie? Who "bake" the cookie?

In most of the computers, once they connect to the Internet, there are not only one cookie. It is a lot of cookies stored inside your computer if you surf the Internet frequently and visit different web sites. Basically, Cookies are those small file size text which contain the information such as identity, your name, your interests, users ID and others inside your computer. The servers "bake" the cookies and store inside your computer if your browsers did not disable the cookies. These cookies store inside your browsers therefore, the browsers send cookies to the web site's server and the server could identify you.

For example, blogger.com requires Javascript and cookies because it needs cookies to identify which user are you, your name and other log in information to let you do change of setting or make changes of posts. If your browser has disable the cookies, when you log in to blogger.com it would show message like this:

On the other hand, cookies can be harmless because they are text files with bits information only but some arguments said that cookies ease to track people. Let's analyze it briefly. Since cookies store your identity, it is possible cookies could reveal your information easily to third party then, you would no have online privacy? What are the truths? All these would be discussed on the next time.

Remember, web browser cookies are not those biscuits that we eat.

Reference:

What Is An Internet Cookie?, HowStuffWorks.com [Online]

Retrieved on 4th February 2010

URL: http://www.howstuffworks.com/question82.htm

Is Cache Related to My Online Privacy?

Link to Us: http://snipr.com/cachenprivacy

Nowadays, it is very important for every Internet users to protect their online private information but for the new users, how many of them are really aware of the online privacy issues? If you as a Internet user, do you realize one setting in your web browser which is cache setting? So, how does cache relate to online privacy?

Cache is pronounced as "cash" but it is not the money we use everyday. Cache has many different types since our blog is discussing about online privacy therefore, let's start with web cache or known as browser cache. Internet users can always change their cache setting within their web browser. Basically cache is technology or tool that copies responses temporarily from the site that you are visiting such as images, URL, and files. It is like a middleman and it observes the requests and all the responses from clients (you) and servers (the web site or page server). Moreover, it helps to store responses from the server at your computer thus, during the next time when you visit the same site, it respond faster because cache could refresh the responses or data it kept.

Due to the function of cache which is store data or responses from the web site server, is it safe to enable cache within your browser when you use the Internet? Many arguments said that web caching could bring dangers to security, copyright and also privacy because it copies data even just temporary. an URL which starts from https:// is cannot be cached. The responses from https:// site cannot be copied because the process of transmitting data is being blocked and guarded therefore, cache would not affect the privacy of data from https:// sites. Then, what about the non secured site? Based on a book "Web Caching" written by Duane Wessels, he says

"One way in which users' privacy can be compromised is by cache access log."1

Hmm... it sounds like it can protect your online privacy. On the other hand, topics like threats, advantages, and disadvantages of a browser cache would be discussed on next and also included possible solution.

1_________________________________________________________________________

One way in which users' privacy can be compromised is by cache access log.

Duane Wessels, (2001) Web Caching, O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., Morris Street, United States of America

References:

Primary Search

1. Duane Wessels, (2001). Web Caching, O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., Morris Street, United States of America

Secondary Search

2. Caching Tutorial for Web Authors and Webmasters, Mnot.net [Online]

Retrieved on 31st January 2010

URL: http://www.mnot.net/cache_docs/#DEFINITION