Advanced Search Engine Techniques/Privacy and

Computers

Topics

• How to use the advanced search features of Google

• Privacy on the web and some implications for investigators

This is Google...This is Google...

Google is your Google is your Friend!Friend!

• Google isn’t just yer plain ole vanilla Search Engine.

• Google can be used to search news groups...

• Google can do reverse telephone lookups...

• And much more….

Google Searchs

Google Searchs

• Google can be used to search files with a specific DOS extension.

• This can be done with the following syntax in the search field– Search terms filetype:ext– e.g. elmer fudd filetype:doc– The only limit is your imagination

Google Searches

• You can also use google to search through a site for specific content.

• This can be done with the following syntax– search terms site:anysite.com– e.g. staroffice site:sun.com

Google Searches

• Google can also be used to search links to a specific site or search a specific title to restrict hits.

• This is done with the following syntax– Search terms link:anysite.com– allintitle: search terms– e.g. linux link:sun.com– e.g. allintitle: linux

Google Searches

• Google can also do reverse telephone lookups with the following syntax– area code ###-####– e.g. 517 321-6595

Google Searches

• Google also caches pages and saves them as html so if if you can’t get into a document one way you may be able to by clicking on the link and viewing Google’s copy.

• There is also a GUI Web interface for advance searching.

Google Searches

• Google currently has the capability(beta) to translate text or sites or to search specific languages.

Google in Hacker…..

And Google in Elmer Fudd….

Questions???

Privacy Issues and The Internet

• Cookies, web bugs and GUID• Configuring your browser to

use a proxy server• Spyware

• What types of information are you leaking to the internet.

• Http://www.leader.ru/secure/who.html

• http://www.anonymizer.com/snoop.cgi

Privacy Issues and The Internet

• Cookies-contain username/ID, computer type, IP address and server location

• Web Bugs- extremely small, transparent gifs placed on web sites. Lets the site hosting the ad banner to know your IP and correlate cookie information that may be sent by your browser.

Privacy Issues and The Internet

• Browsers also contain other data such as hit logging and GUID.

• Hit logging keeps track of all your offline activites; when you click on a banner , how long you looked at it, what ad you clicked on as well as any information stored in your I.E. browser

Privacy Issues and The Internet

• Hit logging cont’d- Hit logging will also call the server the server that created it.

• GUID numbers are unique. They will remain even if you get rid of cookies and Spyware.

• They are on your system and can be retrieved at any time.

Privacy Issues and The Internet

• GUID cont’d– Microsoft keeps it on all its databases

along with your name, address and other registration details.

– Office 97 attaches its own permanent GUID you create.

– Author of the Melissa Virus was caught by the identification of his GUID

Privacy Issues and The Internet

• For a free software utilities that will find GUIDs visit the following link– http://www.digital-detective.co.uk/

freetools.asp

Privacy Issues and The Internet

Http://www.rosinstument.com/proxy

Http://www.whatismyip.com

Http://www.all-nettools.com/tools1.htm

• Spyware-in a nutshell programs that you install on your computer that track you.

• Instances of spyware– Realjukebox– Pkzip– zbubbles– Cuteftp

Privacy Issues and The Internet

• Spyware continued…– Surfmonkey is an applcation that’s

supposed to block inappropriate sites for kids but also keeps their personal ID, phone number and email address.

– Many applications come with Spyware by Radiate embedded in them

– Comet Cursor

Privacy Issues and The Internet