Safeweb allows visitors to its free site to connect their
computer to any other web sites securely and privately, making
monitoring of surfing activity impossible. Recently, the government
of China tried to block access to the site to prevent access by
Chinese nationals to unapproved sites. The government maintains a
list of restricted sites, including CNN.com and BBC Online, blocked
by filtering software which is run by the country’s ISPs. SafeWeb
fought back with a program called Triangle Boy.
This peer-to-peer application prevents anyone - including
corporations, governments and schools - from blocking access to
SafeWeb. Volunteers can turn their PCs into "packet reflectors," or
proxies, for SafeWeb by installing Triangle Boy.
The CIA’s venture capital arm In-Q-Tel has already given $1
million funding to SafeWeb to support and promote Triangle Boy
through the purchase of servers and paying for bandwidth
improvements.
Two US citizens have been arrested in connection with the
alleged smuggling of encryption technology into China, according to
the US Customs Service.
The technology, known as KIV-7HS and designed exclusively for
use by the US military, is used to encode sensitive classified
government communications. It cannot be legally exported without
permission from the US State Department.
If convicted, both men face a maximum of ten years in prison or
a $1million fine.
