Introduction

Hello, future tech innovators! Ever wondered what happens to your digital breadcrumbs as they throw across the internet? It's not magic; it is because of two important players of the internet that we call protocols. Protocols are the invisible architects of the internet that set rules about how your data travels across the network. And in our hyper-connected world the important question is: are these protocols providing you with internet privacy that you can rely on? Let's find out!  

Implementing the Digital Handshake: What are Protocols?

You can think of protocols as the protocols of the internet – they make sure that as long as devices adhere to its rules, they can communicate.

• TCP/IP: Two of a Kind. TCP is the delivery mechanism for data (like you can expect reliable service when you pay for a tracked package to be delivered to your address), protocol IP is responsible for the addressing (where you want to ship the package).

• HTTP/HTTPS: Communication for the Web. HTTP was invented for devices to get (fetch), web pages while HTTPS adds a really important level of encryption for better internet privacy when you browse the web.

Puzzle of Internet Privacy: So, Where do Protocols come into play?

As a concept, internet-privacy is about the right of controlling how your online information is collected, used, and shared. Where do the invisible architects of the internet, the protocols fit into this?

Although protocols are intended to serve their purpose – that is to switch data from point A to point B without delays – they have a significant indirect influence on your internet-privacy. Encryption protocols such as HTTPS act as digital padlocks; ruining your data while in transit. 

That said, protocols such as IP will implicitly identify the location of your device and the destination server. Authentication and other protocols will share appropriate identifying information during login procedures. Thus, protocols are the first step in our internet privacy; for good or for bad. 

Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and Its Lessons

The tale of one-time wired equivalent privacy (WEP) can serve as a stark reminder that our earliest forays into security did not always stand the test of time. Its weaknesses will only solidify the importance and need for proper encryption and key handling for internet privacy.

A brief summary of the takeaways can be found in the table below:

DNS: A Potential Blind Spot for Internet Privacy

We can think of DNS as the telephone book of the internet; it translates the mittal website names (like "example.com") into the numerical IP addresses. In the past, these lookups were often unencrypted. 

When you request a website, your computer is making an unencrypted DNS lookup to the DNS server, in a "shout out loud” sort of way. So your ISP and whoever else is monitoring that ISP can see where you are visiting, and this can cause some serious internet privacy issues. 

For example, if you go to "https://www.google.com/search?q=mysecretdiary.com" there will be an unencrypted DNS query sent from my computer to the DNS server, which the ISP will keep track of, of course.

It is a little more complicated than that. These days there are DNS protocols called DNS over HTTPS (DoH) and DNS over TLS (DoT), which encrypt the lookup and create anonymity in regard to the lookup process. Thus, what used to be a "shout it out loud” style of communication is now “a private conversation as a coded message”. 

This type of communication means that the snooper does not know the website you are requesting – not slipping on URLs helps massively to enhance privacy since the snooper can avoid your potential "blind spot" in online life. 

Balancing Act: Functionality vs. Digital Privacy in Protocol Design

During design and developing these protocols you are always scaling where to land in the spectrum of functionality (pun intended), and features versus digital privacy.

Conclusion: Building a Future with Improved Internet Privacy

The internet protocols that govern access online are the foundation for our online presence, and it will be important for future computer scientists and IT professionals to educate themselves on how they work and what they don't offer for privacy on the internet.

As you innovate and create technologies for tomorrow, it will also be important to build digital privacy into the design and implementation of new protocols. Ultimately, we need to continue to develop and evolve these invisible infrastructures when we think about internet-privacy for everyone going forward.

To gain a deeper understanding of these crucial concepts, consider exploring Computer Science and IT programs at SERI. As you innovate and create technologies for tomorrow, it will also be important to build internet privacy into the design and implementation of new protocols. Ultimately, we need to continue to develop and evolve these invisible infrastructures when we think about internet privacy for everyone going forward.