Eugene Kaspersky wants no net anonymity

Eugene, the eponymous Russian CEO of Kaspersky Labs is promoting Internet passports and Internet police. He argues that anonymity causes security headaches and should be outlawed. In IT Blogwatch, bloggers paraphrase Benjamin Franklin.

By Richi Jennings. October 19, 2009.

Your humble blogwatcher selected these bloggy morsels for your enjoyment. Not to mention the best ATtN yet...
 
 
Evgeniy Valentinovich Kasperskiy opines on what's wrong with the Internet:

Anonymity. Everyone should and must have an identification, or Internet passport. The Internet was designed not for public use, but for American scientists and the U.S. military. ... Then it was introduced to the public and it was wrong ... to introduce it in the same way.
...
I'd like to change the design of the Internet by introducing regulation ... about following Internet standards. And if some countries don't agree with or don't pay attention to the agreement, just cut them off. ... Think about cars--you have plates on the cars, but you also have driver licenses. ... The Internet does not have borders. It's a new world in which we have to think differently. That's why ... [we need] Internet Interpol.

Dan Goodin adds:

The CEO of Russia's No. 1 anti-virus package has said that the internet's biggest security vulnerability is anonymity, calling for mandatory internet passports that would work much like driver licenses. ... He rejected the notion that internet protocol numbers were sufficient for tracking a user.
...
In Kaspersky's world, services such as Psiphon and The Onion Router (Tor) - which are legitimately used by Chinese dissidents and Google users alike to shield personally identifiable information - would no longer be legal. ... to paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, those who sacrifice net liberty for incremental increases in security no doubt will get neither.

Gavin Stuart quips, "Kaspersky always gives a good interview":

[It's] a fascinating – if brief – interview with the co-founder and CEO of Kaspersky Lab. ... The 44-year old Russian is known for his outspoken opinions, and when asked about what steps need to be taken to make the Internet a more secure place he’s typically forthright.
 
Kaspersky’s position is that the single biggest problem in policing the web comes when faced with users’ anonymity. ... He doesn’t have much hope of such a system becoming reality anytime soon though.

glen campbell's big brother is watching YOU:

The Internet has become essential for ordinary people’s business, communication and entertainment needs. It is the ultimate expression of real democracy in our society – anyone can run a business or be a media pundit with just a few computers and a good server. What is the point of making us obtain “web passports”? The only reason that I can see is to monitor our usage of the Net. I, for one, am SICK OF BEING ASSUMED TO BE AND TREATED LIKE A CRIMINAL by our government and degenerates like this Kaspersky.

Rob Sandling ponders pragmatism:

Anyone that believes you have anonymity on the Internet needs to have thier skulls examined. Come visit a web server I control... I can tell you what is running on your computer, the physical location of the computer within 5 miles, and with the proper paperwork... the name address and phone number of the person who owns the Internet account in question.

A standardized authentication mechanism isn't a bad thing, and there are several Open Source initiatives going to do just that. OpenAuth anyone?

But theshowmecanuck points a finger:

From the Wikipedia article on Kaspersky, it says, "Kaspersky graduated from the Institute of Cryptography, Telecommunications and Computer Science, an institute co-sponsored by the Russian Ministry of Defence and the KGB."
...
A product of the KGB and defence ministry of the Soviet era. His views make sense then... for a KGB apparatchik. ... And he runs the company that many people are 'securing' their computers with. Think about it folks. About as smart as North American bankers offshoring the programming of their financial systems to Chinese and Indian programmers.

And cerberusss barks sarcastically:

It should also not be possible to anonymously put mail in mailboxes. The harm that is done through postal mail is incredible!

So what's your take?
Get involved: leave a comment.
 
 
And finally...

• Gordon Brown sounds better auto-tuned
  

Richi Jennings is an independent analyst/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and security. A cross-functional IT geek since 1985, he is also an analyst at Ferris Research. You can follow him as @richi on Twitter, or richij on FriendFeed, pretend to be richij's friend on Facebook, or just use good old email: itblogwatch@richij.com.

 
 
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