High level prevention of traffic analysis

Abstract

The paper gives a mathematical model for prevention of traffic analysis in network security and suggests an approach for prevention of unauthorized release of information concerning traffic patterns. The model assumes that an eavesdropper may read the contents of all links, including the source and destination, and that all countermeasures are performed at the transport layer. The goal of the countermeasures is to prevent the eavesdropper from gaining any useful information regarding the traffic patterns in a cost efficient and feasible manner. Countermeasures performed at the transport level include encryption a limited form of message rerouting delaying messages and sending dummy messages as needed within resource capacities. By formulating the problem in terms of systems of equalities and systems of inequalities linear programming methods may be used to find solutions to the traffic analysis security problem.<>