how easy is it to figure out who is posting what?

[KarmaPolice]

How easy is it to figure out the name of someone on a msg board like this? My friend and I were having an arguement. He said that no matter what you put online someone like the government can trace it back to increadibly easily. He is kinda a consipiracy lover and avoids using the internet for this reason...


Thoughts?

 

[Flammable]

they would have to go to the admin i suppose and request ip logs

 

[yllus]

If you're smart and careful, you can zero down on a person's geographical location to the city level within about ten minutes. Based on that, an approximate idea of their age/ethnicity and usually their first name... Not too difficult.

 

[FoBoT]

it depends

if you can access the web logs (like you own the site or are an admin) and get the IP address, then you can narrow it down depending on what type of ISP they use

the other angle is social, if can cross check that the same person posts other places or has web sites or figure some other way to read stuff about them. for example maybe they use a similar screen name at another site where they sold something to someone and that references a feedback like heatware that has an email or somehow links to an physical address or phone number

so it really depends on a lot of factors

and another trick to get their IP address without direct access to the forum ip logs is to post a link to a site you own/host , if you can get them to click on a page of a web site you do have ip log access to , then you can narrow it down to a small number of ip addresses and then use other means to cross check and eliminate ips until you figure theirs out

 

[KarmaPolice]

Originally posted by: yllus
If you're smart and careful, you can zero down on a person's geographical location to the city level within about ten minutes. Based on that, an approximate idea of their age/ethnicity and usually their first name... Not too difficult.

you personally could do that? I don't really care but I was hoping to prove my friend wrong

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Originally posted by: KarmaPolice
someone like the government can trace it back to increadibly easily. He is kinda a consipiracy lover and avoids using the internet for this reason...

You post the right (or wrong I guess) thing and I bet you could have people knocking or breaking down your down within a couple of hours.

 

[KarmaPolice]

but if you use a public computer, live in a college, or share a place with 4 other people...i image it would be hard.

 

[yllus]

Originally posted by: KarmaPolice

Originally posted by: yllus
If you're smart and careful, you can zero down on a person's geographical location to the city level within about ten minutes. Based on that, an approximate idea of their age/ethnicity and usually their first name... Not too difficult.

you personally could do that? I don't really care but I was hoping to prove my friend wrong

Well, let's say your profile info is mostly correct.

Your first name is Tom, you live in NC, USA. To zero down on the city information that lets me proceed to the next step, I embed a link to an image in a private message that I send to you.

I then check my server logs to see what IP accessed that image. Now I've got your first name, IP address, state and country. I can use a site like http://www.ip2location.com/ or better yet, a geolocation DB w/demographics info to figure out your city.

Now I can start Googling your name to see what else comes up. If that fails, depending on how determined I am, I can start trying the major utilities and service providers in your area, either posing as you or as your son, brother, etc. That'll probably net me a last name and possible a phone number.

I was actually going to demonstrate all of this for real with you, but my webserver is down so I can't send you a PM with an image in it that I can look up.

 

[olds]

Whatever you are planning to do, don't do it. You will get caught.

 

[Xavier434]

Most of it boils down to tracing an IP and linking user names across common social grounds on the internet.

It sounds like your friend is more of a conspiracy theorist than anything. The government has ways of doing things, but the vast majority of them are the same ways that tech geeks write articles and instructions about all over the internet. The difference is that the government has access to databases of information on all registered citizens such as your SS#, address, etc etc etc. What they do is create custom software tools which make it easy to utilize many of the proven techniques that are available to you after 5 minutes of searching on Google. Combine the techniques with their databases and there you have it.

Here is something to wet your appetite:

Simply visit this site to see a map showing an estimate of where your computer is located.


If you want more then google "IP Trace"

 

[preCRT]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Whatever you are planning to do, don't do it. You will get caught.

QFT

 

[KarmaPolice]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Whatever you are planning to do, don't do it. You will get caught.

I am not doing anything....just trying to get my friend to stop freaking about that kind of stuff...but apparently this wont help lol

 

[TallBill]

My name is Bob Scott, and I'm from Downers Grove, IL. Technically Robert.

 

[SoulAssassin]

My little sister was getting harassed by someone online a few years ago. She sent me the site they posted the stuff on and within a few minutes I found postings they had made on another site and traced it back to someone who lived two houses away from my parents. The evidence was actually admitted into court (it was more than just online harassment).

 

[sygyzy]

Do you guys that keep promoting IP geolocating actually believe it's accurate or just assume it is because everyone else talks about it? I used to be that way until I was convinced that it's not as pin point accurate as people may believe. It may serve as a good guess and other times be entirely off.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Originally posted by: KarmaPolice

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Whatever you are planning to do, don't do it. You will get caught.

I am not doing anything....just trying to get my friend to stop freaking about that kind of stuff...but apparently this wont help lol

Depends on the intent of your post.

Say you want to see how hard it would be for someone to find you and kick your ass for making fun of him is one thing.

You post something about your last will since you are off to set off a nuke somewhere and it'd be quick.

I mean jeez a mod could just make a big ass thread in FS/FT or spam the whole first few pages asking if anyone has dealt with you. Or could search heatware, find users on here you've dealt with, get the real info from good trades, etc.

If you were to intentionally throw poop into the fan, someone could find you quick I'd bets.

 

[SearchMaster]

I'm on DSL and about 50 miles from where the previously linked site thought.

I'm anonymous, and going on a rampage!

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: sygyzy
Do you guys that keep promoting IP geolocating actually believe it's accurate

Who said it was accurate? Personally, my word choice was "estimate". Some software used for IP tracing is better than others and many times it is really off. If I were a government investigator, I would use a lot of different tools and techniques available which I know that they do. The end result would probably be enough to accomplish my goal or at least get really close. Like most things in the "hacking" world, it just takes time.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: SearchMaster
I'm on DSL and about 50 miles from where the previously linked site thought.

I'm anonymous, and going on a rampage!

Hehe ya it does that. My results came out to be about 5 miles away. Still, 50 miles or even 500 miles is a great filter to start with when you consider that square one is most of the planet.

 

[nweaver]

Originally posted by: Xavier434
Most of it boils down to tracing an IP and linking user names across common social grounds on the internet.

It sounds like your friend is more of a conspiracy theorist than anything. The government has ways of doing things, but the vast majority of them are the same ways that tech geeks write articles and instructions about all over the internet. The difference is that the government has access to databases of information on all registered citizens such as your SS#, address, etc etc etc. What they do is create custom software tools which make it easy to utilize many of the proven techniques that are available to you after 5 minutes of searching on Google. Combine the techniques with their databases and there you have it.

Here is something to wet your appetite:

Simply visit this site to see a map showing an estimate of where your computer is located.


If you want more then google "IP Trace"

not even the right state...not even next to the right state.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

A lot depends on the knowledge of the person posting and how much effort they're putting forth towards not getting caught. If some Scriptkiddie is posting from his parents basement it's probably going to be easy to IP trace to the server, subpoena that servers records to trace the user to a specific address, etc.

If a person is paranoid and knows they're doing something illegal, is smart, net-savvy and takes the necessary steps involving proxy servers, IP spoofing and/or public access computers he's not going to be found.

 

[Xavier434]

Originally posted by: nweaver
not even the right state...not even next to the right state.

Again, I only claimed it was an estimate. I have seen these things in action in the past and have gotten both crappy and accurate results. This particular tool is something I posted after spending about 2 minutes on Google knowing that they exist and my results happened to be within 5 miles. Considering the tool is free and a click away from Google, I don't imagine it is the best out there.

Regardless, the point to understand and the point I was making to the OP is that there is no single easy way to do what his friend was proposing. However, combining many techniques and doing them properly will eventually get you somewhere. Usually, the hardest part is acquiring your initial few pieces of usable data and knowing where to begin.

 

[sygyzy]

Originally posted by: Xavier434

Originally posted by: sygyzy
Do you guys that keep promoting IP geolocating actually believe it's accurate

Who said it was accurate? Personally, my word choice was "estimate". Some software used for IP tracing is better than others and many times it is really off. If I were a government investigator, I would use a lot of different tools and techniques available which I know that they do. The end result would probably be enough to accomplish my goal or at least get really close. Like most things in the "hacking" world, it just takes time.

It wasn't a personal attack on you. It just is kind of funny when all these part-time P.I's come out of the wood work and they are not too sure about tools themselves.

 

[LordMorpheus]

Originally posted by: KarmaPolice
but if you use a public computer, live in a college, or share a place with 4 other people...i image it would be hard.

Especially if you rent a room in a friends house with cash, don't list it as your address anywhere, don't pay for utilities at the location, or anything like that.

I bet the feds could still track me down without too much trouble, though.

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: sygyzy
Do you guys that keep promoting IP geolocating actually believe it's accurate or just assume it is because everyone else talks about it? I used to be that way until I was convinced that it's not as pin point accurate as people may believe. It may serve as a good guess and other times be entirely off.

yes, it does depend, it isn't the only thing you go on
and some people use proxies and stuff, so it really depends