REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT

BIG DATA AND PRIVACY:

A TECHNOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology

May 2014

IS 376OCTOBER 16, 2014

PART TWO: PRIVACY

BIG DATA: PRIVACYIS 376OCTOBER 16, 2014 PAGE 2

ENCRYPTION

messagefrom to

messagefrom to

NETWORKS ARE SET UP TO SEND MESSAGES RIGHT PAST STATIONS THAT AREN’T AUTHORIZED TO READ THEM, BUT

WHAT’S TO PREVENT SUCH UNAUTHORIZED VIEWING?

THE MOST COMMON SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM IS ENCRYPTION, WHERE THE MESSAGE IS CODED IN SUCH A WAY

THAT ONLY THE RECEIVING STATION CAN DECODE IT.

BIG DATA: PRIVACYIS 376OCTOBER 16, 2014 PAGE 3

PUBLIC-KEY ENCRYPTION

1.CREATE

MESSAGE

FIRE BAD!FRIEND GOOD!

CHUCKY AMNSGFYDDKDDRACULA DBRIUGNDLWGFREDDY HGWDNCHSGSHJASON HWBSGCYDHZX

2.LOOK UP

RECIPIENT’S PUBLIC KEY

3.ENCRYPT MESSAGE WITH RECIPIENT’S

PUBLIC KEY

XSJB2DHDKWB$XZDUND&HSNQABI?

DSJSG%

4.

TRANSMIT ENCRYPTED

MESSAGE ACROSS

NETWORK

XSJB2DHDKWB$XZDUND&HSNQABI?

DSJSG%

5.DECRYPT MESSAGE WITH RECIPIENT’S

PRIVATE KEY

FIRE BAD!FRIEND GOOD!

BIG DATA: PRIVACYIS 376OCTOBER 16, 2014 PAGE 4

AUTHENTICATION

messagefrom to

HOW CAN A RECEIVING STATION BE SURE THAT A RECEIVED MESSAGE CAME FROM THE SPECIFIED SOURCE?

THE MOST COMMON SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM IS AUTHENTICATION, WHERE THE MESSAGE IS CODED IN A WAY

THAT ONLY THE REAL SENDING STATION COULD HAVE ACCOMPLISHED.

BIG DATA: PRIVACYIS 376OCTOBER 16, 2014 PAGE 5

KEY-BASED AUTHENTICATION

1.CREATE

MESSAGE

BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU REMOVE THOSE BANDAGES, DUDE.

THEY’LL RIP THE HAIR RIGHT OFF YOUR

SKIN!2.

ENCRYPT MESSAGE WITH SENDER’S PRIVATE KEY

MA3NDHVYR#BCJAQWPFQKGUIORKFOHSK

XI8VCE%FPGKJFHIKFVDAMXXYEMFIDEYCHSSFHSGDHAHDM$DLGLYN7BU

CHSO

3.

TRANSMIT

ENCRYPTED MESSAGE

MA3NDHVYR#BCJAQWPFQKGUIORKFOHSK

XI8VCE%FPGKJFHIKFVDAMXXYEMFIDEYCHSSFHSGDHAHDM$DLGLYN7BU

CHSO

4.DECRYPT MESSAGE

WITH SENDER’S PUBLIC KEY

BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU REMOVE THOSE BANDAGES, DUDE.

THEY’LL RIP THE HAIR RIGHT OFF YOUR SKIN!

BIG DATA: PRIVACYIS 376OCTOBER 16, 2014 PAGE 6

SYMMETRIC CIPHERS

1.CREATE

MESSAGE

I’M SHOPPING

FOR A DOLL FOR MY

YOUNGUNS!3.

ENCRYPT MESSAGE WITH RECIPIENT’S

PUBLIC KEY

&SADBS1KFBADAAAPRFDGH

9SIJCHZJZJ%NDMSDNDS4

ZZP

4.

TRANSMIT DOUBLY

ENCRYPTED MESSAGE

&SADBS1KFBADAAAPRFDGH

9SIJCHZJZJ%NDMSDNDS4

ZZP

2.ENCRYPT MESSAGE

WITH SENDER’S PRIVATE KEY

TSG#DFJ4FUDBSZVDH?WGFDJED8S

DKJFI

5.DECRYPT MESSAGE WITH RECIPIENT’S

PRIVATE KEY

TSG#DFJ4FUDBSZVDH?

WGFDJED8SDKJFI

6.DECRYPT

MESSAGE WITH SENDER’S

PUBLIC KEY

I’M SHOPPING

FOR A DOLL FOR MY

YOUNGUNS!

ENSURE PRIVACY AND AUTHENTICATION VIA DOUBLE ENCRYPTION!

BIG DATA: PRIVACYIS 376OCTOBER 16, 2014 PAGE 7

NOTICE AND CONSENTTHE MOST COMMON

APPROACH TO ENSURING PRIVACY ON

THE WEB, “NOTICE AND CONSENT” GIVES USERS “NOTICE” THAT

WHAT THEY ARE ABOUT TO DO (INSTALLING SOFTWARE,

ACCESSING DATA, ETC.) CONSTITUTES THEIR “CONSENT”

THAT THEIR PRIVACY BE VIOLATED.

BIG DATA: PRIVACYIS 376OCTOBER 16, 2014 PAGE 8

ANONYMIZATIONEFFORTS TO ANONYMIZE DATA BY EXCLUDING THOSE DATA

FIELDS THAT ARE CONSIDERED DIRECTLY TIED TO AN INDIVIDUAL HAVE MET WITH QUESTIONABLE SUCCESS.

THE PERSONAL GENOME PROJECT (PGP) WAS DESIGNED

TO ACCUMULATE AND PUBLICLY DISPLAY DNA

INFORMATION, BEHAVIORAL TRAITS, MEDICAL CONDITIONS, PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS,

AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS OF THOUSANDS OF

VOLUNTEERS IN AN EFFORT TO AID RESEARCHERS IN

ESTABLISHING CORRELATIONS BETWEEN CERTAIN TRAITS

AND TREATMENTS IN PERSONALIZED MEDICINE.

ZipCode

BirthDate

Gender

VoterRegistration

Data

Name

Address

Party Affiliation

Date Registered

PGP Data

Medications

Diagnoses

Procedures

ZipCode

BirthDate

Gender

WHEN CROSS-CHECKED AGAINST VOTER REGISTRATION RECORDS, ANONYMIZED PGP VOLUNTEERS WERE CORRECTLY

IDENTIFIED 84% OF THE TIME.

BIG DATA: PRIVACYIS 376OCTOBER 16, 2014 PAGE 9

NON-RETENTIONONE MECHANISM FOR ENSURING PRIVACY HAS BEEN TO DELETE DATA AFTER A

CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, BUT SUCH RESTRICTIONS ARE INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE TECHNOLOGICALLY.

SNAPCHAT IS A PHOTO MESSAGING APPLICATION

DESIGNED TO ALLOW USERS TO SEND PHOTOS

THAT WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE TO RECIPIENTS

FOR A FEW SECONDS.

TO HELP ENSURE PRIVACY, SNAPCHAT NOTIFIES THE USER WHEN A RECIPIENT

TAKES A SCREENSHOT OF THE RECEIVED IMAGE.

VARIOUS NEW APPLICATIONS (SUCH AS

SNAP-SAVE) HAVE BECOME AVAILABLE THAT PERMIT

RECIPIENTS TO SAVE SNAPS PERMANENTLY WITHOUT INFORMING THE SENDER.

BIG DATA: PRIVACYIS 376OCTOBER 16, 2014 PAGE 10

CONTEXT & USETHE PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL OF ADVISORS ON SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY ADVOCATE LESS EMPHASIS ON RESTRICTING THE COLLECTION OF DATA AND MORE ON RESTRICTING ITS USE.

Virtru allows users to send encrypted

e-mail and attachments.

Users may revoke messages, restrict

forwarding, and add expirations.

Administrative functions allow the sender to see

how and where information has traveled.

BIG DATA: PRIVACYIS 376OCTOBER 16, 2014 PAGE 11

ACCOUNTABILITYAS AN EXAMPLE OF RESTRICTING DATA USE RATHER THAN DATA

COLLECTION, THE FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT IS A FEDERAL LAW THAT REGULATES THE USE OF CONSUMER CREDIT

INFORMATION.

• CREDIT BUREAUS ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE CONSUMERS WITH ANY INFORMATION THEY HAVE ABOUT THE CONSUMERS AND TO VERIFY THE ACCURACY OF INFORMATION DISPUTED BY A CONSUMER.

• UNDER AN AMENDMENT TO THE FCRA, CONSUMERS ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE ONE FREE CREDIT REPORT PER YEAR.

• CREDIT BUREAUS MAY NOT RETAIN NEGATIVE INFORMATION FOR AN EXCESSIVE PERIOD OF TIME, SEVEN YEARS FOR LATE PAYMENTS AND TEN YEARS FOR BANKRUPTCIES.

• CREDIT BUREAUS MAY PROVIDE INFORMATION ONLY TO THOSE WITH A LEGITIMATE NEED, SUCH AS WHEN THE CONSUMER HAS MADE AN APPLICATION TO A CREDITOR, A LANDLORD, OR AN INSURER.

• CREDIT BUREAUS MAY NOT GIVE OUT INFORMATION TO AN EMPLOYER OR A POTENTIAL EMPLOYER WITHOUT THE CONSUMER’S WRITTEN CONSENT.

BIG DATA: PRIVACYIS 376OCTOBER 16, 2014 PAGE 12

CONSUMER PRIVACY BILL OF RIGHTSThe purpose of the Consumer Privacy

Bill of Rights is to deter Internet companies from indiscriminate

collection of personal information for targeted ads.

In response, Internet companies such as Mozilla, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, and

AOL promised to provide a "do not track" mechanism so that customers can choose whether they want to participate

in online behavioral advertising.

The Obama Administration encouraged Congress to grant the Federal Trade Commission the authority to enforce

each element of the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights.