Quboid : a workstation for safer web interaction

Abstract

As more of the world moves towards online technologies, users are exposed to the increasing threat of cyberattacks. Studies show that most of these attacks begin with a phishing attack. Phishing emails and websites may compromise user credentials or download unsolicited and malicious software. This thesis presents the design and implementation of Quboid, a workstation for safer web interaction. Quboid helps users better defend against phishing attacks by providing several security mechanisms. The design of Quboid is based on the principle of isolation and restricted communication. The system enforces isolation by using virtualization to restrict browser instances to show dierent websites in separate virtual machines. For example, Quboid isolates a user's bank website and social networking website in separate VMs. It uses deep-packet inspection to implement a HTTP/HTTPS proxy filter to ensure virtual machines only communicate with specfic web servers. It also provides users with a secure interface and provides cues to help them recognize phishing attacks.