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Covert channels and countermeasures in computer network protocols
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Covert channels and countermeasures in computer network protocols

S. Zander, G. Armitage and P. Branch
IEEE Communications Magazine, Vol.45(12), pp.136-142
2007
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Abstract

Covert channels are used for the secret transfer of information. Encryption only protects communication from being decoded by unauthorized parties, whereas covert channels aim to hide the very existence of the communication. Initially, covert channels were identified as a security threat on monolithic systems such as mainframes. More recently, focus has shifted toward covert channels in computer network protocols. The huge amount of data and large number of different protocols in the Internet is ideal as a high-bandwidth vehicle for covert communication. This article provides an overview of the existing techniques for creating covert channels in widely deployed network protocols, and common methods for their detection, elimination, and capacity limitation.

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Citation topics
4 Electrical Engineering, Electronics & Computer Science
4.101 Security, Encryption & Encoding
4.101.639 Digital Watermarking
Web Of Science research areas
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Telecommunications
ESI research areas
Computer Science
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