REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT
BIG DATA AND PRIVACY:
A TECHNOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVE
President’s Council of Advisors on
Science and Technology
May 2014
PART TWO: PRIVACY
IS 376
OCTOBER 16, 2014
ENCRYPTION
NETWORKS ARE SET UP TO SEND MESSAGES RIGHT PAST
STATIONS THAT AREN’T AUTHORIZED TO READ THEM, BUT
WHAT’S TO PREVENT SUCH UNAUTHORIZED VIEWING?
message
from
to
message
from
to
THE MOST COMMON SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM IS
ENCRYPTION, WHERE THE MESSAGE IS CODED IN SUCH A WAY
THAT ONLY THE RECEIVING STATION CAN DECODE IT.
IS 376
OCTOBER 16, 2014
BIG DATA: PRIVACY
PAGE 2
PUBLIC-KEY ENCRYPTION
FIRE BAD!
FRIEND GOOD!
1.
CREATE
MESSAGE
XSJB2DHDKWB$XZDUND&H
SNQABI?DSJSG%
IS 376
OCTOBER 16, 2014
XSJB2DHDKWB$XZDUND&H
SNQABI?DSJSG%
2.
LOOK UP
RECIPIENT’S
PUBLIC KEY
3.
ENCRYPT MESSAGE
WITH RECIPIENT’S
PUBLIC KEY
FIRE BAD!
FRIEND GOOD!
5.
DECRYPT MESSAGE
WITH RECIPIENT’S
PRIVATE KEY
BIG DATA: PRIVACY
PAGE 3
AUTHENTICATION
HOW CAN A RECEIVING STATION BE SURE THAT A RECEIVED
MESSAGE CAME FROM THE SPECIFIED SOURCE?
message
from
to
THE MOST COMMON SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM IS
AUTHENTICATION, WHERE THE MESSAGE IS CODED IN A WAY
THAT ONLY THE REAL SENDING STATION COULD HAVE
ACCOMPLISHED.
IS 376
OCTOBER 16, 2014
BIG DATA: PRIVACY
PAGE 4
KEY-BASED AUTHENTICATION
MA3NDHVYR#BCJAQWPFQKG
UIORKFOHSKXI8VCE%FPGKJF
HIKFVDAMXXYEMFIDEYCHSSF
HSGDHAHDM$DLGLYN7BUCHS
O
BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU
REMOVE THOSE BANDAGES,
DUDE. THEY’LL RIP THE HAIR
RIGHT OFF YOUR SKIN!
2.
ENCRYPT MESSAGE WITH
SENDER’S PRIVATE KEY
1.
CREATE
MESSAGE
MA3NDHVYR#BCJAQWPFQKG
UIORKFOHSKXI8VCE%FPGKJF
HIKFVDAMXXYEMFIDEYCHSSF
HSGDHAHDM$DLGLYN7BUCHS
O
IS 376
OCTOBER 16, 2014
BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU
REMOVE THOSE BANDAGES,
DUDE. THEY’LL RIP THE HAIR
RIGHT OFF YOUR SKIN!
4.
DECRYPT MESSAGE
WITH SENDER’S
PUBLIC KEY
BIG DATA: PRIVACY
PAGE 5
SYMMETRIC CIPHERS
ENSURE PRIVACY AND AUTHENTICATION VIA DOUBLE
ENCRYPTION!
&SADBS1KFBADAA
&SADBS1KFBADAA
APRFDGH9SIJCHZJZ
J%NDMSDNDS4ZZP
IS 376
OCTOBER 16, 2014
I’M SHOPPING
FOR A DOLL FOR
MY YOUNGUNS!
TSG#DFJ4FUDBSZ
VDH?WGFDJED8S
DKJFI
1.
CREATE
MESSAGE
2.
ENCRYPT MESSAGE
WITH SENDER’S
PRIVATE KEY
APRFDGH9SIJCHZJZ
J%NDMSDNDS4ZZP
3.
ENCRYPT MESSAGE
WITH RECIPIENT’S
PUBLIC KEY
I’M SHOPPING
FOR A DOLL FOR
MY YOUNGUNS!
TSG#DFJ4FUDBSZ
VDH?WGFDJED8S
DKJFI
5.
DECRYPT MESSAGE
WITH RECIPIENT’S
PRIVATE KEY
6.
DECRYPT
MESSAGE WITH
SENDER’S
PUBLIC KEY
BIG DATA: PRIVACY
PAGE 6
NOTICE AND CONSENT
THE MOST COMMON
APPROACH TO
ENSURING PRIVACY
ON THE WEB, “NOTICE
AND CONSENT” GIVES
USERS “NOTICE” THAT
WHAT THEY ARE
ABOUT TO DO
(INSTALLING
SOFTWARE,
ACCESSING DATA,
ETC.) CONSTITUTES
THEIR “CONSENT”
THAT THEIR PRIVACY
BE VIOLATED.
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OCTOBER 16, 2014
BIG DATA: PRIVACY
PAGE 7
ANONYMIZATION
EFFORTS TO ANONYMIZE DATA BY EXCLUDING THOSE DATA
FIELDS THAT ARE CONSIDERED DIRECTLY TIED TO AN INDIVIDUAL
HAVE MET WITH QUESTIONABLE SUCCESS.
THE PERSONAL GENOME
PROJECT (PGP) WAS DESIGNED
TO ACCUMULATE AND
PUBLICLY DISPLAY DNA
INFORMATION, BEHAVIORAL
TRAITS, MEDICAL CONDITIONS,
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS,
AND ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTORS OF THOUSANDS OF
VOLUNTEERS IN AN EFFORT TO
AID RESEARCHERS IN
ESTABLISHING CORRELATIONS
BETWEEN CERTAIN TRAITS
AND TREATMENTS IN
PERSONALIZED MEDICINE.
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OCTOBER 16, 2014
PGP Data
Medications
Name
Birth
Date
Gender
Diagnoses
Procedures
Zip
Code
Address
Party
Affiliation
Voter
Registration
Data
Date
Registered
WHEN CROSS-CHECKED AGAINST VOTER REGISTRATION
RECORDS, ANONYMIZED PGP VOLUNTEERS WERE
CORRECTLY IDENTIFIED 84% OF THE TIME.
BIG DATA: PRIVACY
PAGE 8
NON-RETENTION
ONE MECHANISM FOR ENSURING PRIVACY HAS BEEN TO DELETE DATA AFTER A
CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, BUT SUCH RESTRICTIONS ARE INCREASINGLY
DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE TECHNOLOGICALLY.
SNAPCHAT IS A PHOTO
MESSAGING APPLICATION
DESIGNED TO ALLOW
USERS TO SEND PHOTOS
THAT WILL ONLY BE
AVAILABLE TO RECIPIENTS
FOR A FEW SECONDS.
IS 376
OCTOBER 16, 2014
TO HELP ENSURE
PRIVACY, SNAPCHAT
NOTIFIES THE USER
WHEN A RECIPIENT
TAKES A SCREENSHOT OF
THE RECEIVED IMAGE.
BIG DATA: PRIVACY
VARIOUS NEW
APPLICATIONS (SUCH AS
SNAP-SAVE) HAVE BECOME
AVAILABLE THAT PERMIT
RECIPIENTS TO SAVE SNAPS
PERMANENTLY WITHOUT
INFORMING THE SENDER.
PAGE 9
CONTEXT & USE
THE PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL OF ADVISORS ON SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY ADVOCATE LESS EMPHASIS ON RESTRICTING THE
COLLECTION OF DATA AND MORE ON RESTRICTING ITS USE.
Virtru allows users
to send encrypted
e-mail and
attachments.
IS 376
OCTOBER 16, 2014
Users may revoke
messages, restrict
forwarding, and add
expirations.
BIG DATA: PRIVACY
Administrative functions
allow the sender to see
how and where
information has traveled.
PAGE 10
ACCOUNTABILITY
AS AN EXAMPLE OF RESTRICTING DATA USE RATHER THAN DATA
COLLECTION, THE FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT IS A FEDERAL
LAW THAT REGULATES THE USE OF CONSUMER CREDIT
INFORMATION.
•
•
CREDIT BUREAUS ARE
REQUIRED TO PROVIDE
CONSUMERS WITH ANY
INFORMATION THEY
HAVE ABOUT THE
CONSUMERS AND TO
VERIFY THE ACCURACY
OF INFORMATION
DISPUTED BY A
CONSUMER.
UNDER AN
AMENDMENT TO THE
FCRA, CONSUMERS
ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE
ONE FREE CREDIT
REPORT PER YEAR.
IS 376
OCTOBER 16, 2014
•
CREDIT BUREAUS MAY
NOT RETAIN NEGATIVE
INFORMATION FOR AN
EXCESSIVE PERIOD OF
TIME, SEVEN YEARS FOR
LATE PAYMENTS AND
TEN YEARS FOR
BANKRUPTCIES.
BIG DATA: PRIVACY
•
CREDIT BUREAUS MAY
PROVIDE INFORMATION
ONLY TO THOSE WITH A
LEGITIMATE NEED, SUCH
AS WHEN THE
CONSUMER HAS MADE
AN APPLICATION TO A
CREDITOR, A LANDLORD,
OR AN INSURER.
•
CREDIT BUREAUS MAY NOT
GIVE OUT INFORMATION
TO AN EMPLOYER OR A
POTENTIAL EMPLOYER
WITHOUT THE
CONSUMER’S WRITTEN
CONSENT.
PAGE 11
CONSUMER PRIVACY BILL OF RIGHTS
The purpose of the Consumer Privacy
Bill of Rights is to deter Internet
companies from indiscriminate
collection of personal information for
targeted ads.
In response, Internet companies such as
Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and
AOL promised to provide a "do not
track" mechanism so that customers can
choose whether they want to participate
in online behavioral advertising.
The Obama Administration encouraged
Congress to grant the Federal Trade
Commission the authority to enforce
each element of the Consumer Privacy
Bill of Rights.
IS 376
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BIG DATA: PRIVACY
PAGE 12