A model for foxy peer-to-peer network investigations

Abstract

In recent years, peer-to-peer (P2P) applications have become the dominant form of Internet traffic. Foxy, a Chinese community focused filesharing tool, is increasingly being used to disseminate private data and sensitive documents in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, its scattered design and a highly distributed network make it difficult to locate a file originator. This paper proposes an investigative model for analyzing Foxy communications and identifying the first uploaders of files. The model is built on the results of several experiments, which reveal behavior patterns of the Foxy protocol that can be used to expose traces of file originators.