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Solved problem? Sorry to harp on about this but I'll go all out and say it's an _unsolvable_ problem. If you store IP addresses, in any form whatsoever, and you
by sho 18y ago
Solved problem? Sorry to harp on about this but I'll go all out and say it's an _unsolvable_ problem. If you store IP addresses, in any form whatsoever, and you have a process that can take an IP and consistently convert it to the form in your store for lookup - without which, of course, there is no point storing them at all - then because of the small possible set of IPv4 addresses, that system can be quickly and easily brute-forced and the records recovered in full.
The only way to store IP addresses such that they cannot be recovered with sufficient leverage (ie, govt) is to not store them at all. Even storing them in memory is not safe - just ask TorrentSpy.
The article is light on details but I have a strong suspicion that the ground-breaking "technological development" they are referring to is otherwise known as the "cookie".
- axod 18y agoWell. Storing anything securely depends on some 'secret' information. If you're assuming the 'secret' information can be made public, then of course, it's an unsolvable problem - you can never store anything securely.
- sho 18y agoI think we're talking about different things : ) When I consider a search engine obscuring the IP addresses for its search records, I assume the "enemy" is the government. It's governments who want to know who's been searching for child porn and bomb-making instructions. They want the IPs, and they can get the algorithm. Now if you're talking about someone with less resources, who can get the obfuscated records but not everything else, your arguments make perfect sense, but I can't imagine who'd be interested other than governments.