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CyberCivics

August 18, 2008

What is CyberCivics?

❒ Study of contemporary social and political issues that grow out of computer-science related technologies

❍ Examples: Privacy of digital communications, electronic voting, data mining, digital surveillance, digital rights management, and more

❒ Being an engaged citizen of the modern world requires an understanding of computing technologies

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Evaluate proposed uses of technology❒ Citizens must consider proposed uses of

technology❍ Should we replace paper ballots with electronic

voting systems?❍ Should we have a national identification card?

Should it have an RFID tag?❍ Should public records be available online? ❍ Should emails be admissible evidence in court?

❒ Difficult to weigh the issues without understanding the technologies themselves, right?

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Watch for impact of technology on our rights ❒ Citizens should know how technology impacts

their traditional rights ❒ Examples?

❍ Do we have a right to sell our copy of a movie if we no longer want it?

❍ Do we have a right to know when our files/emails are searched? If they are stored in our home? at our Internet service provider?

❍ Do we have a right to understand/investigate the process through which our votes are counted?

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Shape our society for the better❒ Citizens need to advocate for regulations

that control misuse of technology ❒ Do we want a world where

❍ Where companies track and sell private information about individuals?

❍ Someone’s web browsing and media consumption habits are linked to their credit report?

❍ Where people’s location is tracked at all times?❒ Technology easily enable these abuses

❍ Do companies or the government have vested interest in preventing them?

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CyberCivics = Contemporary Issues + Hands-on Computer Science

❒ Curricula that discusses contemporary issues and engages students in hands-on activities that help them better understand emerging technologies

❍ Computer networking❍ Programming❍ Databases

❒ Dual benefits ❍ Be a more informed citizen ❍ Gain skills that prepare them for high-tech careers

Institute Overview

❒ Day 1: Overview of CyberCivics, Network Security and Privacy

❒ Day 2: Database Privacy❒ Day 3: RFID and Surveillance❒ Day 4: Electronic Voting❒ Day 5: Computer Science Careers, Lesson

Planning and Tools Overview

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Activities

❒ Network tracing and analysis❒ Wireless network configuration❒ Writing database queries❒ Writing simple computer programs❒ Analyzing a “hacked” computer program for

vulnerabilities❒ Along the way

❍ Discussions, readings, films, useful web sites, useful tools

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Deliverables

❒ Each day, you take notes about what you think would work in your classroom❍ Turn in notes and 1 page comments days 2-5

❒ Write a “citizen’s response” ❍ What will you take away personally as a citizen?

❒ Day 5❍ In teams write plan for lesson segment

including a hands-on computer science activity❍ Give 10 minute demonstration of your lesson

segment

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❒ Two Activities to Highlight Two Pieces of CyberCivics

❒ Headline search❒ Fake Email

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Headline search

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HeadlinesVeterans Administration Loses Data on 1.8 million

-- Consumer Affairs, 2/13/07Sony BMG Hacking into CD Buyers’ Computers

-- FOX News, 11/3/05Audit Finds Many Faults in Cleveland’s ’06 Voting

-- NY Times, 4/20/07Machines Record Votes Inaccurately in Tests

-- Dayton Daily News, 3/20/07

Experts: Wi-Fi Eavesdropping Persists…-- Boston Globe, 8/7/07

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Fake Email

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Protocol

❒ If two people are going to communicate, they must agree on a language

❒ Protocol = language defining the expected order and meaning of messages they exchange.❍ Hi …Hi…Got the time?….two oclock

SUCCESSFUL EXCHANGE❍ Hi…Don’t bother meXX ABORTED Allo…

Hello..Quelle heuere a’til …..XX<blank stare> MISMATCH

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Layered Architectures

❒ Human beings are able to handle lots of complexity in their language processing.❍ Ambiguously defined❍ Many interactions all at once

❒ How do computers manage complex protocol processing?❍ Specify well defined protocols to enact.❍ Decompose complicated jobs into layers that

each have a well defined task

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Layered Architectures

❒ Break-up big job into smaller, more manageable jobs.

❒ Different entity does each job

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Physical Mail

Assistant X

Secretary X

Mailroom X

Post Office X

CEO X

Assistant Y

Secretary Y

Mailroom Y

Post Office Y

CEO YLunch?

Schedule?

Important Note?

Internal mail info

External mail info

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Physical Mail

Assistant X

Secretary X

Mailroom X

Post office X

CEO X

Assistant Y

Secretary Y

Mailroom Y

Post office Y

CEO Y“Lunch?”

“Lunch?”

“Lunch?”

“Lunch?”

“Lunch?”

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Envelopes Exercise

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Layered Architectures

❒ Break-up big job into smaller, more manageable jobs.

❒ Different entity does each job

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Computer Networking

Web browser

TCP server

IP server

ethernetdriver/card

user X

HTTP

TCP

IP

Web server

TCP server

IP server

ethernetdriver/card

user Y

IEEE 802.3 standard

electric signals

English (?)

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Computer Networking

Web browser

TCP server

IP server

ethernetdriver/card

user X, wants page

Web server

TCP server

IP server

ethernetdriver/card

user Y, posted pageGet page

Get page

Get page

Get page

Get page

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First Look At Wireshark

❒ Capturing❒ Get a web page❒ Look At One Package❒ Look At One Conversation

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One more complication

Assistant

Secretary

Mailroom

outgoing

CEO A

Post office

in out

Assistant

Secretary

Mailroom

incoming

CEO B

Post office

outin

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Computer Networking

HTTP

TCP

IP

ethernet

Host A

IP

ethernet

Router R

link

HTTP

TCP

IP

ethernet

Router W

Host B

IP

ethernetlink

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Traceroute/tracert

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Graphical Traceroute (plus DNS information )

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Another Look At Wireshark

❒ http vs https❒ Pop

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Trace Your Own

❒ Rules for tracing❒ Answer questions❒ Discussion of privacy concerns

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Know your network neighborhood❒ Hubs vs Switchs❒ Do you trust the administrator?

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Wireless networks

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Outtakes

Day 1: Overview and Networks

❒ Overview of CyberCivics❒ Hands-on exercises with open source

network protocol analysis software ❒ Hands-on exercises illustrating the

weaknesses of typical wireless network configurations

❒ Network communication in the headlines

Day 2: Database Privacy

❒ Readings on data mining and privacy❒ Hands-on exercises writing simple

database queries❒ Hands-on exercises with inference control

and database privacy❒ Documentary: “No More Privacy, All About

You”❒ Database privacy in the headlines

Day 3: RFID and Surveillance❒ Readings on RFID, video surveillance, and

REAL-ID❒ Hands-on exercises with RFID experiment

kits❒ RFID and surveillance in the headlines❒ Documentary: “Hacking Democracy”

(preparation for Day 4)

Day 4: Electronic Voting

❒ Readings on electronic voting ❒ Hands-on exercises with Python

programming❒ Hands-on exercise reading source code for

electronic voting system and running mock election

❒ Electronic voting in the headlines

Day 5: CS Careers, Lesson Planning and Tools❒ Exploration of on-line Occupational

Outlook Handbook❒ Hands-on exercises with CyberCivics tools

and “kits” (virtual machines, LiveCDs)❒ Lesson planning activity and feedback

Kits❒ Materials budget to provision “kits” that teachers

can check out and use ❒ Kits will include

❍ CDs with virtual machine images and LiveCDs❍ Collections of readings (loose leaf for ease of copying)❍ Hardware such as wireless access points and RFID kits❍ Copies of relevant DVDs and books

❒ On-line “kit” supplements will contain downloadable files, pointers to on-line resources including where to buy materials, etc.

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