Joining the Scholarly Networks Security Initiative
Joining the Scholarly Networks Security Initiative
Earlier this year I had the privilege of joining the Steering Group for SNSI (the Scholarly Networks Security Initiative). Chairing the SG was an easy decision for me, as I’ve long admired the approach that the group has made to this important question of infrastructure, cybsersecurity and (anti)piracy work, all in the context of stakeholder engagement. That approach involves multiple layers and approaches— from the purely legalistic (mostly focused on site-blocking) to communications, education and awareness-training. Importantly this has also involved technology and library/information resource professionals. All of these threads need to work together to be effective, as I believe the group has been!
The web-sites in question (Sci-Hub; LibGen; Z-Library; Anna’s Archive; STC/Super Pirate) are often based in countries such as Russia where transparency and the rule of law are thin or non-existent. That lack of transparency makes it difficult for the general public or the university community to understand who the actors are behind these sites, and what connections they might have to scammers, fraudsters or for that matter to Russian government & security operations. The risks of such non-transparent sites to personal and institutional information are sometimes hidden by the messaging of these sites that they are all about providing free access to scholarly published content.
These risks are particularly highlighted in the current cybersecurity climate, when phishing and ransomware attacks are increasing significantly against the university and library sectors (examples and news stories are noted on the SNSI web site). In addition, we have also been able to analyze funds received by Sci-Hub and some of its online financial transactions, which establish links to “dark” net market sites (for illegal goods and services) and suggest money laundering activities.
Site-blocking is a form of legal action permitted in certain countries where Internet service providers have confirmed that a particular site is used exclusively or primarily for infringing or illegal activities.
Legal actions have had to take the form of requests for site-blocking in countries with greater respect for the rule of law, which can be a challenge when such services take on different forms and establish new sites and fronts. Site-blocking is a form of legal action permitted in certain countries where Internet service providers have confirmed that a particular site is used exclusively or primarily for infringing or illegal activities. SNSI has obtained site-blocking decisions in 11 countries and is looking to obtain further decisions.
SNSI puts huge efforts into communications and education. This year the SNSI web-site has gone through a significant refresh aimed at putting more information out, targeting that information more to particular audiences, and updating that information more rapidly. SNSI has also participated in a number of key library and security oriented meetings and conferences this year. Such conferences included the April UKSG meeting (see notes and UK Research Integrity Office tweets here), the October TNCon2 and Educause conferences, and finally at the November Charleston conference (with a debate on whether “Campus network security is not the library’s job”). SNSI also sponsored itself an online cybersecurity conference (“GenZ, Cybersecurity, and New Security Measures on User-Facing Tech – an SNSI Security Summit” recording here), These efforts are vital to counteract the lack of transparency of such sites and the security risks to personal and institutional information.
Finally the professionals that work with SNSI to analyze the technology, legal and educational needs and tools bring incredible expertise and attention to detail to this project. Even more impressive when you realize that the team members have other full-time jobs! I’m honored to work on such a project and with such colleagues.
MARK SEELEY (@marklseeley) consults on science publishing and legal issues through the SciPubLaw LLC entity , and speaks and comments regularly on publishing, licensing and copyright issues on the site including recently on international publishing contracts, the EU Digital Single Market copyright directive, and Open Access and Transformative Agreements.