How safe are you on the internet?


Ad: Buy Girls Und Panzer Merch from Play Asia!

InuyashaX

-Hokage
Kouhai
Hello all, it's been mabey years since I last made a thread here, but a recent story really got to me and that is the "boxxy story". Most of you probably have no clue what I'm talking about as it seemed to have happened in 2008 and ended back in 2009, I only found out about it mabey a couple months ago.

To sum it up, its about a teenage girl who posted a couple video's of herself online for some friends she met playing Gaia Online, the vid's drew large interest mainly due to the nature of her personality and appearance. Didn't take long before 4chan got a hold of this and ruined her life through a huge internet investigation conducted by a rouge group which was created through 4chan but separate from it, in the hopes of finding boxxy's true identity. They succeeded in a way as they managed to leak her email, address, phone #, full name, pictures and older youtube accounts of herself to the web.

It's really brilliant and quite disturbing at what 11 strangers with a lot of time can do, they managed to find her old youtube account containing vids of a younger boxxy which led to finding her myspace account which led to finding out where she lived, her age and name which led to finding more myspace accounts which led to finding her email which led to hacking her youtube account and delivering a threat via a video on her own account to never post videos again. Mind you all her myspace accounts were wiped clean and changed up, but thanks to a google cache, they managed to find the original pages.

Many people seem to post their phone #'s, where they work, home adresses, ect for all to see on facebook and myspace, ect. Boxxy did not of that and still got caught, just think what the internet could do to each and every one of us if they decide to hunt you down, yea... no matter how private you are, even 1 shred of leaked info can lead to tracking you down.

I'm just curious on whats your take on internet privacy, should people be more cautious on the internet? As the world is becoming more dependent on the internet, it seems we seem to be getting more comfortable as well. I mean the only difference between this girl and us is that she put her face out there, while we dont, but lets say someday we do? Lets say we make some enemies in our future on the web, so many things can happen in life and you may forget about that account you made 2 or 10 or even 20 years ago.

I'm a pretty private guy, but I'm about to get more private, I've taken numerous steps to increase my privacy by making my social networking accounts locked for friends only, deleted addresses or locations I may have posted, heck I even cleared my fansub profile.

Remember, all it takes is 1 forum or 1 chat log or 1 online game, and your info could be exploited without you even knowing it.

If you want to find out more about boxxy and her rise and downfall, google "the boxxy story". Although I may just be contributing to her downfall eh...
 
you hear more and more about people who's lives are destroyed or significantly altered because of their activities online. There are people who are fired for going to BBS and forums while at work and posting, and careers damaged because they up pictures and video online.

It's the day and age we live in. And it's a message to everyone that what you do online stays forever somewhere on some server (or on someone's hard drive.) It makes me scratch my head that I read and hear about all the teenage girls who use their webcams, do a strip tease which goes viral on places like 4chan and before you know it even the people at your school or college have images of them buck naked.

Even here, your IP address is recorded. Based upon that address one could determine a general area like the city and state (and country) you're located in. Using email services like Yahoo! and Gmail aren't nearly as "safe" as using something like Outlook because of the way the email is processed. A "man in the middle" attack could easily intercept your email sent through Yahoo! and capture whatever info is contained there because the form itself isn't encrypted before passing it on to the actual destination.

Scary stuff which is why I'm gunning to get into the field of IT and Network Security. But back to Boxxy, ya I've seen the videos on her and the "troll" remix. I got a laugh from it however I do feel a bit bad for her. Unfortunately, it serves as an example of what you should and shouldn't do online unless you're willing to accept the potential consequences. If you Facebook and add complete strangers to play their games, be wary of what private information you have listed. Email, address, parent and sibling names, phone number, high school, junior high, college, even pet names. Those things can be key for accounts you might have as well as identifying yourself.

A little prevention can go a long way.
 
I just heard about this Zeus virus which attaches itself to your browser and waits for you to one day enter your bank details online (if you bank online), and then it can easily mimic you and make unauthorised payments.

Or how about a fledging model/tv personality who dump her obsessive boyfriend. One day on her facebook page she announced her daily activity like most stupid facebookers do, and her ex decided to use that information to meet her and throw acid in her face.

All i know is the internet is a digital society with little rules or guidance. Its basically survival of the fittest. It is as safe and as dangerous as you make it. If you expose yourself dont be afraid to get burned.
 
This is how lax people are about the way they are on Facebook. I know a guy who does this:


<His Facebook name>: I'm at Pigman's Bar-B-Que and Ye Olde Ham Shoppe (1606 South Croatan Highway, Kill Devil Hills). http://4sq.com/bLJvT0 Posted 6 hours ago via Twitter.

The guy even puts up a MAP of how to get to where he's at! And he isn't the only one that does this. People do it all the time on their internet social outlets. They announce where they're going, if they're gone from home and even who's with them. Hell it's like putting a huge sign on your house saying "I'm going to be gone for this length of time!"

I use Facebook, however I keep a lot of stuff personal because I don't trust the net. If the site isn't secure, I don't use it.

@ franzoir: Ya, here's a link to a news article about it.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/art...k-accounts.html

Scary stuff. And it doesn't take a genius to do these things. You search hard enough, you'll find people and places online that specialize in cyber scamming and all it takes is 1 hacker and a bunch people willing to help deploy the coordinated attack. Hell, the hacker doesn't even need help; he can just dummy it by scripting trojans to "zombie" random computers.

For those of you who don't know who boxxy is, here's a link to one of the videos her adoring fans made:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bMLrA_0O5I&feature=related
 
Thats amazing what creeps and freaks do Its preety scary acutally when u think about it though technology is getting better and better and now no one is ever safe on the internet
sad.gif
 
It's actually rather easy to track someone, provided you can figure out where they are to begin with. Most people these days just leave their DSL up and running 24/7, though that is likely to change very soon with the move AT&T and Comcast made last week. Being that your IP doesn't change so long as your DSL remains active on the network, once someone knows where to find you, your IP address, they can do a tracert or traceroute to find out what routers you hit on the network, then stick a sniffer on one of them looking for your ip traffic. BAM, you've been followed. Other ways include spyware/adware/malware which will actually save the sniffer, which should be detected if it remains up for a long period of time. Now they have a program on your computer, telling them exactly what you are doing on the internet, including password, bank accounts, etc etc.

BTW, the AT&T and Comcast thing I mentioned. AT&T and Comcast are now limiting internet usage. AT&T personal DSL comes with 120GB. Comcast I don't know, but probably in the same ball park. Looks like yOumamabama is going to get his way and be able to finally get governmental control over the internet, since the major providers are just going to lay down and give it to them. No word on whether Roadrunner is set to follow into this yet or not, but I can imagine they will be getting pressure to do so.
 
Anything you do on the internet stays there forever. Anything. Every email you sent goes through multiple nodes and gets copied numerous times before arriving in an inbox. I've just learned Gmail scans images of all incoming/outgoing emails (it's apparently in their privacy policy, if you go looking for it), and of course even if you delete something it can still appear in Google's cache. My instructors have all been very clear that you should never do or say anything online that you wouldn't do or say in real life, because it CAN come back to you. I know someone who was told point blank in an interview that the company looked for her facebook account (but couldn't find it since she used a fake name).

Of course, the other argument is that the Internet is no longer going to be about privacy. I've heard theories that in 15 years, you'll need a facebook account to get a mortgage because that's how the bank will verify your identity. Our ideas of the internet and privacy are certainly shifting, and still will. Having grown up with the "never reveal who you are online" mentality, it's a difficult shift ...

Mowerman, I think America is one of the few countries that has unlimited internet usage so I'm not sure it'll really make a huge difference? If that number is 120GB a month, that's double what I get from my internet provider.
 
I understand the concern many people have about internet, censorhsip and privacy. However I feel that if you dont do anything shady online, then you have nothing to fear.

I will never get in trouble with the law for discussing terroristic acts with my friends in msn or facebook, I dont download new movies, games and other software. It is true that in the past I used to download anime and that could be considered illegal activity, but I have been streaming for a while now instead of downloading and I dont plan to change that, it is comfortable and legal (at least I think... please correct me if wrong). I also use an altered name on FB, so people who dont know, wont find me. I dont put any details online about my private life..... I never understood the obsession some people have with FB and who feel the irresistible urge to inform others they had cornflakes for breakfast and they find the ride to work/school boooooooring.

But my point is, that if somebody tried to spy on me to see what bad things I do, that someone would be sorely disappointed.

@Chiisai Hana Facebook for getting a mortgage? Interesting idea, but surely FB must change until then. The way it is now, anybody can open a FB account and loads of people have more than one account. Usually the way it works is, they open an account when they are 12 or 13, do loads of idiotic stuff on it and then when they are older, they open another one ....Also, the majority of people use FB to self glorify themselves and I dont see where the bank would in all of the trivial information people post about their lives look for relevant information.
 
QUOTE (warita200 @ Dec 09 2011, 06:50 AM) @Chiisai Hana Facebook for getting a mortgage? Interesting idea, but surely FB must change until then. The way it is now, anybody can open a FB account and loads of people have more than one account. Usually the way it works is, they open an account when they are 12 or 13, do loads of idiotic stuff on it and then when they are older, they open another one ....Also, the majority of people use FB to self glorify themselves and I dont see where the bank would in all of the trivial information people post about their lives look for relevant information.
The discussion was about how people who use fake accounts (or don't have accounts) will be punished in the future for not using their real identity on facebook. The theory was that facebook will become a form of ID, rather than an institution trying to actually use any of the information on it (although employers certainly would). So if you had an account when you were 13, and still used it at 25 to get a mortgage, the bank could verify your identity (using a photo, date of birth, etc). It was part of a larger discussion talking about photo recognition technology and stuff, and about how your facebook photo (if you use a real one) can be verified as accurate. But yes, how we use facebook needs to change first. I think their point was that facebook WANTS to become a mainstay in our society, where everything from online banking to applying for mortgages requires verifying your identity through them. Facebook does already have "rules" about requiring a real name, etc so the leap was it would require real dates of birth, address information, etc. Basically, if facebook doesn't reinvent itself and become "necessary", it will eventually fall out of use like social media platforms before it. So this is one potential strategy for its future.

Also, it's less about illegal activity and more about people who do stupid things online. Like a teacher who would have an alias, make a blog, and rant about their students, thinking they would never be caught. But they are caught, and lose their job. A lot of people use the internet to vent about real life, thinking it's a safe forum.
 
QUOTE (chiisai_hana @ Dec 09 2011, 08:37 AM) The discussion was about how people who use fake accounts (or don't have accounts) will be punished in the future for not using their real identity on facebook. The theory was that facebook will become a form of ID, rather than an institution trying to actually use any of the information on it (although employers certainly would). So if you had an account when you were 13, and still used it at 25 to get a mortgage, the bank could verify your identity (using a photo, date of birth, etc). It was part of a larger discussion talking about photo recognition technology and stuff, and about how your facebook photo (if you use a real one) can be verified as accurate. But yes, how we use facebook needs to change first. I think their point was that facebook WANTS to become a mainstay in our society, where everything from online banking to applying for mortgages requires verifying your identity through them. Facebook does already have "rules" about requiring a real name, etc so the leap was it would require real dates of birth, address information, etc. Basically, if facebook doesn't reinvent itself and become "necessary", it will eventually fall out of use like social media platforms before it. So this is one potential strategy for its future.

Also, it's less about illegal activity and more about people who do stupid things online. Like a teacher who would have an alias, make a blog, and rant about their students, thinking they would never be caught. But they are caught, and lose their job. A lot of people use the internet to vent about real life, thinking it's a safe forum.
I just see so many things going wrong with this idea. Given all the hacking issues this past year alone and lack of privacy the internet already provides, it simply provides a greater form of insecurity. I personally already find myself using facebook less and less since it's beginning several years back simply due to privacy concerns. Granted that Facebook has not walked down the path of myspace, xanga, etc..., and is indeed taking a different and more "strategic" route to keep itself afloat, I don't like where it's going. Sure there are a bunch of people who do/post stupid stuff on Facebook, but at that point it's common sense over anything else. Anything you put on the web is for the public to see.

However, think about it this way given the current state of the world: if employers are already using such social media as part of their screening process to determine who they should/shouldn't hire, it makes the entire job application process not only more competitive but also more discriminatory. Many people have not realized this yet and think that they're "profile" is safe from employers via Facebook's privacy settings but employers do make subtle decision simply by looking at the content and photos of stuff posted on say LinkedIn, Facebook, etc... People, in general, often judge strangers based on their appearance and what not before actually conversing or meeting them face to face. If the employer doesn't like your face, your interests, etc..., they won't even bother to meet/interview you now even if you are more qualified than other candidates. With LinkedIn and Facebook, this barrier that protects the applicant is removed, and the idea of "only a sheet of paper" that identifies the individual is no longer there.

So while Facebook does want to be the "ID" of everyone around the globe, I don't see it happening all that likely. If it attempts to do so so, whether explicitly or implicitly, I see a very large revolt coming its way not just by the technologically illiterate generation but also the literate generation. In fact, you would have a lower chance of getting your private information stolen now than if Facebook went and became the ID norm.
 
It creeps me out, but there's a lot of talk about whether our perceptions will hold any sway once the "native digital generation" comes of age (ie: people born now who are growing up without our past experiences).

I read this term that some people now put their passwords for facebook/online sites in their wills so that family can control their identity/data online after death. This might actually be a smart move, if it stops other people from manipulating your data and using it for identity theft once you're deceased.

And your point about employers scares me ... it's true. It's already so hard to get jobs (at least in my field) because you need to be networking and know people in the profession. Thinking that they'll judge you at face value from your facebook account?
ph34r.gif
 
QUOTE (chiisai_hana @ Dec 08 2011, 07:56 PM) Anything you do on the internet stays there forever. Anything. Every email you sent goes through multiple nodes and gets copied numerous times before arriving in an inbox. I've just learned Gmail scans images of all incoming/outgoing emails (it's apparently in their privacy policy, if you go looking for it), and of course even if you delete something it can still appear in Google's cache. My instructors have all been very clear that you should never do or say anything online that you wouldn't do or say in real life, because it CAN come back to you. I know someone who was told point blank in an interview that the company looked for her facebook account (but couldn't find it since she used a fake name).

Of course, the other argument is that the Internet is no longer going to be about privacy. I've heard theories that in 15 years, you'll need a facebook account to get a mortgage because that's how the bank will verify your identity. Our ideas of the internet and privacy are certainly shifting, and still will. Having grown up with the "never reveal who you are online" mentality, it's a difficult shift ...

Mowerman, I think America is one of the few countries that has unlimited internet usage so I'm not sure it'll really make a huge difference? If that number is 120GB a month, that's double what I get from my internet provider.
I agree with you 100% on the internet usage thing. My brother, who was attending Full Sail University (A popular gaming and entertainment industries privates studies college) was told, if you did it on the internet, we will find it. If it does not reflect well on you as a student, who are considered to represent Full Sail, then you will be expelled with no return of funds spent to date.

Why shouldn't America have unlimited access to the internet? 85%+ of the internet resides inside the U.S. That number goes down daily, but the U.S. data structure is still the hub for the world wide web and will continue to be that way until another country steps up and puts out the money to lay down an equally impressive network for communication.

We, as taxpayers, have paid for this network structure and should have the right to use it.
 
QUOTE (Mowerman @ Jan 11 2012, 11:15 AM) Why shouldn't America have unlimited access to the internet? 85%+ of the internet resides inside the U.S. That number goes down daily, but the U.S. data structure is still the hub for the world wide web and will continue to be that way until another country steps up and puts out the money to lay down an equally impressive network for communication.

We, as taxpayers, have paid for this network structure and should have the right to use it.
Oh I'm not saying you shouldn't, just that most countries don't provide unlimited access and it hasn't stopped anyone from being online constantly! But it certainly is a problem for some users. My brother is constantly going over his monthly limit because he plays online games. Since I primarily use the internet for blogging and school work, I'm not even hitting a quarter of my monthly quota despite being online for almost 12 hours a day.
 
Playasia - Play-Asia.com: Online Shopping for Digital Codes, Video Games, Toys, Music, Electronics & more
Back
Top