Publications about tracking and spying technologies
Publications about tracking and spying technologies
Defending Privacy at the U.S. Border: A Guide for Travelers Carrying Digital Devices
Abstract: Anytime you travel internationally, especially into the USA, you risk a broad, invasive search of your laptop, phone, and other digital devices – including the copying of your data and seizing of your property for an indefinite time. To help travelers protect themselves and their private information during the busy holiday travel period, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) released a report with important guidance for safeguarding your personal data at the U.S border. Use a second mobile phone without any personal data inside, and remove any sensitive data from your laptop. Encryption is not a good and sufficient idea, as it usually results in pasword request, and theft of the device if you refuse to reveal the password.
Download: EFF.org (local cache) 1/2 MiB PDF, 24 pages, English, released 2011-December
Opinions on the "Staatstrojaner" (Germany)
Abstract: checking the "Staatstrojaner" against German law and recent judgements of the constitutional tribunal
Download: linksunten.indymedia.org (local cache) 2.8 MiB, 66 pages, German only, released 2012-February
Schutzlücken durch Wegfall der Vorratsdatenspeicherung? Data retention in Germany
Abstract: Investigations by Max-Planck-Institut (MPI) für ausländisches und internationales Strafrecht (Institute for criminal law) about effect of preventive data retention. The conclusion is that there is no significant benefit (reduced occurrence of crime or improved investigation success rate) of data retention.
Download: Gutachten des MPI (local cache) 2.4 MiB, 292 pages, German only, released 2011-July
Identifying anonymous email authors (Stylometry)
Abstract: A team of researchers from Concordia University has developed an effective new technique to determine the authorship of anonymous emails. Tests showed their method has a high level of accuracy - and unlike many other methods of ascertaining authorship, it can provide presentable evidence in courts of law.
Download: p42-iqbal.pdf (lokale Kopie) 460 kB, 10 pages English, released 2011-March
Flash Cookies and Privacy II: Now with HTML5 and ETag Respawning
Abstract: In this followup study, we reassess the Flash cookies landscape and examine a new tracking vector, HTML5 local storage and Cache-Cookies via ETags. We found over 5,600 standard HTTP cookies on popular sites, over 4,900 were from third parties. Google-controlled cookies were present on 97 of the top 100 sites, including popular government websites. Seventeen sites were using HTML5, and seven of those sites had HTML5 local storage and HTTP cookies with matching values. Flash cookies were present on 37 of the top 100 sites. We found two sites that were respawning cookies, including one site – hulu.com – where both Flash and cache cookies were employed to make identifiers more persistent. The cache cookie method used ETags, and is capable of unique tracking even where all cookies are blocked by the user and "Private Browsing Mode" is enabled.
Download: Social Science Research Network (local cache) 1.7 MiB PDF, released 2011
Find me if you can
Abstract: Improving geographical prediction with social and spatial proximity. The paper presents a measurement of the home position of facebook user by known position of friends. In case of 5 or more friends with known home position it outperforms geolocation by IP addresses.
Download: PDF (local cache), 1,6 MB, 10 pages English, released 2010
Challenges in Measuring Online Advertising Systems
Abstract: This paper takes a first principled look at measurement methodologies for ad networks. It proposes new metrics that are robust to the high levels of noise inherent in ad distribution, identifies measurement pitfalls and artifacts, and provides mitigation strategies. It also presents an analysis of how three different classes of advertising - search, contextual, and social networks, use user profile information today. (gay users outed to advertisers)
Download: Saikat Guha (local cache), 240kB, 7 pages, English, released 2010-November
Privacy-Violating Information Flows in JavaScript Web Applications
Abstract: The dynamic nature of JavaScript web applications has given rise to the possibility of privacy violating information flows. We present an empirical study of the prevalence of such flows on a large number of popular websites. Our survey shows that several popular sites, including Alexa global top-100 sites, use privacy-violating flows to exfiltrate information about users’ browsing behavior: cookie stealing, location hijacking, history sniffing, and behavior tracking.
Download: University of California, San Diego (local cache), 440kB, 14 pages, English, released 2010-October
Feasibility and Real-World Implications of Web Browser History Detection
Abstract: In a recent scientific paper, security researchers have shown any normal web page is able to get potentially private information from your Internet browser like your zipcode and your search queries' history (you will find a summary of this paper here). This attack uses the browser feature that shows links to web pages which you have seen before in a different color than "unvisited" links. This browser attack on your privacy seems extremely dangerous for the reason that it even works without JavaScript and active browser plugins.
Download: PDF (local cache) 220 kB, 8 pages, English, released 2010-Mai
Certified Lies - Detecting and Defeating Government Interception Attacks against SSL
Abstract: C. Soghoian and S. Stamm introduced a new attack, the compelled certificate creation attack, in which government agencies compel a certificate authority to issue false SSL certificates that are then used by intelligence agencies to covertly intercept and hijack individuals’ secure Web-based communications. They reveal alarming evidence that suggests that this attack is in active use.
Download: EFF.org (local cache) 630 kB, 19 pages, English, released 2010-April
A Practical Attack to De-Anonymize Social Network Users
Abstract: Deanonymisation in the Social network Xing.
Download: Isec Forschungslabor für IT-Sicherheit (local cache) 550 kB, 15 pages, English, released 2010-January
Remote physical device fingerprinting by TCP timestamps
Abstract: The paper introduce the area of remote physical device fingerprinting, or fingerprinting a physical device, as opposed to an operating system or class of devices, remotely, and without the fingerprinted device's known cooperation. Example applications include: computer forensics, tracking (with some probability), counting the number of devices behind a NAT even when the devices use constant or random IP IDs and unanonymizing anonymized network traces.
Download: CAIDE, UC San Diego (local cache) 700 KB, 15 pages English, released 2005
