Platform for Teaching Hands-on End-to-End Anonymity Algorithms

This full paper presents an innovative approach in teaching anonymity algorithms. Teaching end-to-end anonymity algorithms, such as onion routing, has been a challenging task. This is primarily because of the inaccessibility of all the components that make up the end-to-end anonymity network. For example, an onion is the data structure formed by "wrapping" a message with successive layers of encryption to be decrypted by as many intermediary computers as there are layers before arriving at its destination. The intent of the onion routing algorithms is to protect the privacy of its users as well as their freedom and ability to conduct confidential communication by keeping their Internet activities from being monitored. In recent years, community research, specifically at the university level, into onion routing has ground to a halt and the limited resources for establishing private testing networks have fallen into a derelict state. The proposed solution is an elaborate walk-through, detailing the construction of an isolated onion routing network in which onion routing can be observed and verified in a controlled environment. Achieving this will require the configuration of several Directory Authorities, multiple nodes configured as Entry, Middle, and Exit relays, and the generation of a consensus. Once the consensus has been generated, the network will be able to build circuits across the nodes and fulfill the client's requests for information. When a packet capturing tool is applied to the various entities, the life of the packet as it traverses the network will be observed. The product of this endeavor was the creation of a complete virtual environment and detailed documentation of the steps necessary to construct a private onion routing network that can be readily utilized by educators and students to teach and learn the innerworkings of the OR algorithms. Constructing an isolated OR network, where all the network traffic is observable, is an essential first step in peeling back the next layer of onion routing.