[iwar] [fc:Warnings.over.net.stalking.danger]

From: Fred Cohen (fc@all.net)
Date: 2002-02-25 06:33:23


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Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2002 06:33:23 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [iwar] [fc:Warnings.over.net.stalking.danger]
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Warnings over net stalking danger

By Mark Hughes-Morgan, This is London, 2/24/02
<a href="http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=504204&in_review_text_id=466883">http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/dynamic/news/story.html?in_review_id=504204&in_review_text_id=466883>

It is an internet user's worst nightmare: that just by going online, you
lay yourself open to the attentions, and even malicious actions, of a
cyber stalker. Now a new investigation has revealed how easy it is to
find intimate details of someone's life within minutes, starting with
nothing but their e-mail address.

Using technology available to anyone, researchers compiled a dossier on
a Net user chosen at random from the message board of a web forum,
including address, phone number, personal interests - even the car he
drove.

They began by typing his e-mail address - found in the signature at the
bottom of his message board postings - into groups.google.com, a service
provided by search engine Google. This revealed all the news-group
messages he had ever put online, and provided a wealth of personal
information.

"The first fact we were able to establish was that 'John' was a big fan
of Coronation Street," says Dan Oliver of .net magazine, which compiled
the investigation in its latest issue. "He described himself as a
'lurker' on a newsgroup for fans of the soap."

From a posting on an education newsgroup they discovered he was a school
governor. After finding his comments on a newsgroup for those interested
in importing cars, they learned "John" had bought a Ford in Calais and
he lived in Swansea.

By linking this information with directories such as infobel.com and by
subscribing to 192.com - which gives access to the electoral roll - they
discovered his address and phone number. They also found his internet
portal address - the computer identity with which he accesses the Net,
which could make him vulnerable to hackers.

"Most of us are too dull to merit this attention, but it doesn't mean
these things aren't happening every day," says Oliver.

Tim Burchell, a private investigator who uses the net to track people
legitimately, said: "Many people are ignorant to the power of the Net.
Using the right tools, anyone can track most people down within
minutes."

To deter stalkers, experts say you should use several e-mail addresses,
keeping a personal one secret from all but friends and family. You
should avoid revealing information online you wouldn't want a stranger
to know.

If you have been stalked and know the offender, you should send them a
warning to stop. You should report the incident to the system
administrator of your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the ISP of the
stalker, sending both a copy of offending e-mails.

A US-based cyber crime reporting site, www.cybersnitch.net, has links to
investigators in the US and the UK.

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