Accessing information freely online is crucial for democratic societies. However, this privilege is not available everywhere, and many people face restrictions.

To address this issue, a recent study conducted by researchers from Paderborn University and the Technology Innovation Institute in Abu Dhabi explores how modifications in encryption protocols can help bypass internet censorship. The focus is particularly on systems like China’s “Great Firewall” and similar mechanisms in Iran.

The researchers suggest a need to further explore “censorship research,” which not only has practical implications but also contributes to the academic discourse. Their work received recognition at the IEEE Symposium on Security and Privacy in San Francisco in mid-May.

Creating a Freer Internet

The team has developed an open-source tool called a censor scanner that encrypts web requests in a way that makes them hard for censorship systems to detect or block. They also examined various techniques to ensure that original websites can still interpret the requests properly, which is essential for displaying restricted pages successfully.

One notable mechanism explored is the use of TLS (Transport Layer Security), which typically encrypts data to keep it secure. However, it is vulnerable to censorship.

Professor Juraj Somorovsky, who leads the System Security research group at Paderborn University, explains that censors can block TLS connections by analyzing the first unencrypted message sent, which reveals the website the user wishes to visit. This gives them the ability to interrupt the connection at the outset.

The research highlights that one effective method for bypassing censorship is called TLS fragmentation.

“This breaks up the initial TLS request, which contains the targeted website’s name, into smaller parts that are difficult for censorship systems to analyze,” said lead author Niklas Niere from Paderborn University. Other techniques include altering or masking aspects of the requests.

Additionally, some methods completely remove certain details from web requests. All of these strategies have a common goal: to evade censorship while still being easily understood by internet servers, ensuring that responses are delivered successfully.

A Global Perspective

The findings from this research offer hope to individuals living under oppressive regimes that lack free internet access. These strategies may lead to new technologies that help people circumvent online restrictions worldwide. However, the researchers caution that censorship techniques are constantly evolving. For instance, they found that China’s “Great Firewall” involves three distinct systems that need to be outsmarted for successful access.

As the world improves encryption and security methods, achieving freedom online is a continual struggle between technological advancement and government control. This study provides a foundation for further research and tool development aimed at ensuring free internet access for all.

Provided by
Universität Paderborn