What the PRISM program really is, and why there's nothing much you can do about it

1. PRISM
What the hell is it

2. Some background
Little intro to the internet

3. This is your internet connection
Client Web Server

4. Client
Client Web Server

5. Connection
Client Web Server

6. Web Server
Client Web Server

7. For anonymity and privacy you need to
secure all 3:
 Secure your Client
 Secure your connection
 Secure your Web server

8. Client
 If someone manages to install spyware on your machine they can see
everything you do on your client
 So it’s your job to make sure there’s no spyware on your client
 You are responsible to secure this, and you can--because you own it
Client Web Server

9. Connection
 Someone performing a wire-tap can see everything you do online
 If you want to remain secure you can encrypt the data flow
 SSL connection to the Web Server or VPN would resolve this
Client Web Server

10. Web Server
Client Web Server
• Your Web server in most cases stores a huge amount of data on you
• But you don’t own it and can’t control the security of it
• However, Google and Facebook have better security than you

11. If I secure them all…am I safe?
 Even if you secure them all…
Client Web Server

12. The NSA has figured out…
 The internet is Public
 And the NSA has tapped the Public Internet just before the likes of Google,
Facebook, Microsoft…
 While most of the data is encrypted, some of it isn’t.

13. What is PRISM
How it works

14. So what did they do?
Client Web Server
Your email exiting
Gmail is not
encrypted… so they
tapped it.

15. And they stored it…
Prism
NSA datacenter

16. And there’s more
 Email
 Photos
 Chats
 File transfers
 Login activity
 Social media Profiles

17. All stored here
 And stored for eternity
 Could include encrypted data (for decryption when future computing
power allows it)
 Unfortunately, we don’t know anything for sure.
 They have HUGE storage capacity and no qualms about storing data for
non-Americans…i.e. 80% of the users of these services

18. Why is it called PRISM
Because a PRISM splits light

19. Why is it called PRISM?
Client Web Server
• Your internet connection is Fibre-Optic
• Which means the signal is light
• To split light…you use a PRISM

20. Why is it called PRISM?
Client Web Server
Prism
• Light split between the webserver you want to access and;
• The NSA Datacenter

21. Why is it called Prism?
Prism
NSA datacenter
Prism

22. Does TOR protect you?
Client Web Server
NO! TOR doesn’t help

23. Does VPN protect you?
Client Web Server
VPN doesn’t help
either

24. YES!
You should be worried

25. Nothing much
You can do about it

26. Thanks to
Steve Gibson for his AMAZING Analysis on Twit Security
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX8CSMPiTs4
https://www.grc.com/

27. Bye
keithrozario.com