Bloggers may not be as anonymous as they think

[IDemo]

By Matt Liebowitz
updated 2 hours 0 minutes ago
2011-11-29T00:07:31

Bloggers and online activists who shroud their digital identities may not be as anonymous, or safe, as they believe.

In a proof-of-concept hack called a "Reverse Lookup," security researcher Andy Baio took a random sample of 50 anonymous blogs, and, in less than 30 minutes, revealed the identities — names, addresses, employers and photos — of seven blog authors.

On his website, Waxy.org, Baio explained that lifting the bloggers' veil of anonymity was not a highly technical exploit; all he needed to expose them was Google's simple, free and ubiquitous search engine optimization tool, Google Analytics.

Baio discovered that even when a blogger took all the necessary steps to obfuscate himself by blogging from a different IP address than his other sites and hiding personal information in the domain record, the bloggers often used the same Google Analytics ID across several of their sites, making themselves easily traceable.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45469858/ns/technology_and_science-security/

[MADem]

1. Good ole datamining Google!

If you want to ensure your online anonymity, Baio suggests not using Google Analytics or any other embedded third-party service. He also recommends turning on "domain privacy" with your IP registrar and not sharing IP addresses across different blogs.

[AntiFascist]

2. You realize that Google was founded by a CIA-related VC firm? n/t

[vixengrl]

3. My online anonymity is definitely compromised--

with a little Google-fu, I've figured out lots of ways people could get from Blog-me to to the workaday me--but I guess I'm partially a little on the side of supposing there's no one who'd really need to give it the college try. Consider it a form of naivete--I think I'm just too low-profile on-line as a blogger to give anyone any "nevermind". Yay--not popular!

On the other hand, as a writer, I have a trace of exhibitionism as a part of my makeup. I want to be accessible to anyone who did find something I wrote meaningful--in a way, it's a sacrifice I'm ok with. I regret that I have but one identity to give for my first amendment--or whev.

Some of the on-line porn I've written I'm a little concerned about....

[Modern_Matthew]

4. No respect for anonymous blogging...

If I take the time to write something, I want my name all over it.

[unionworks]

5. oh, well f@ck me!

You b@stards may soon find out you wish you DIDN'T know who we are.

[unionworks]

6. clarification

The bastards I am referring to are google and clients, not fellow posters. So you know. :-)