another perspective on internet privacy

[Doug Hathaway]

	Here's a letter to the editor of the Sept issue of Maximum PC, and
the reply.  I thought it was pretty funny, though apparently both parties
are serious.

								--Doug

			
Truly Anonymous E-Mail

Q.  I recently set up an account with Hotmail in order to correspond with
some people I met in chat rooms on the web.  However, I noticed that with
Hotmail I could display advanced header, which show the original IP.  If I
take that number and go on an IP search on the internet, I can recieve the
provider of this service.  This was a surprise to me.

	Should I be paranoid that I leave a footprint every place I go?
Is there a way to keep your originating IP from being transmitted with
email?

News Editor Gordon Ung replies;

	For general flaming, you'd be OK if you used a dial-up account.
Most ISPs assign dynamic IPs, so they rotate every time you log in.

	Having your own IP shown in the header can easily lead the FBI,
the Microsoft Police, or the hacker you've been flaming to your door in no
time.  There's a few ways to reduce the chances that you'll have to move:
first, use only public terminals, like those at a public library, to
access Hotmail-and make sure there are no surveillance cameras, traffic
cameras, or ATMs nearby that could capture your face on tape.  Don't
consider a disguise to be out of the question.  Second, surf using a
privacy-conscious web-browsing service, such as Anonymizer.com.  It should
strip your IP, browser type, and any particulars out, and make you fairly
immune on Hotmail, because if Hotmail doesn't have your IP, it can't pass
it on.  Keep in mind, though, that entities such as Anonymizer.com would
have to open their books and logs if faced with a court order.

######

							--Doug


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