Anonym-O-Meter

The Anonym-O-Meter informs the user about

Own Traffic

For the user's information and as evidence of working correctly, the Anonym-O-Meter shows how much data in the current session has been transferred via the anonymizing service. If the user surfs anonymously, the number of bytes in Amount increases and the bar Activity deflects to the right.

Level of Anonymity

By clicking the button Activate anonymous web access the user determines whether JAP should be able to send anonymous web requests (if no error occurs). The actual level of anonymity is displayed. By clicking the Change button the address of the anon service can be changed in the window Configuration (register card Anonymity).

Details

The lower part of the Anonym-O-Meter informs about

• the anon service (mix cascade) currently chosen.
• the number of currently active users who are connected to the anon service.
• the traffic situation i.e. the amount of data per time unit that is processed and transmitted by the anon service.

From this information, a partly subjective risk of observation and protection level can be derived. The more users that are active and send or receive messages, the larger is the anonymity group. Every single message sent to the web is anonymous within this anonymity group. Assuming that the attacker controls a certain number of users or simulates apparent users, his difficulties with controlling all users except one increase with the growth of the anonymity group.

In future versions, the protection will be increased by a new registration procedure. The users will register at the mixes by so-called tickets, i.e. digital permissions given to pseudonyms by use of so-called blind digital signatures.