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What Web Surfers Can Find Out About You

Posted by kdawson on from the private-first-class dept.

cweditor writes in with an updated version of a story the likes of which you might have read before, What the Web Knows About You. But reporter Rob Mitchell found out vastly more about himself (his research subject) online than he could have even a year or two ago. The big difference is that state and local governments are putting online digitized records, often with Social Security numbers and other personal details intact. Mitchell ends by questioning how much good it does for banks or credit card companies to require 4, 5, or more independent identity "factors" before providing access to account details, when most or all of the factors they request can be found online about nearly anyone.

11 of 234 comments (clear)

  1. Bad News by El+Torico · · Score: 5, Funny

    I googled my name and found 3 obituaries.

    --
    In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is usually crucified.
    1. Re:Bad News by geobeck · · Score: 5, Funny

      Phone conversation overheard in a bank:

      "Hello, Mr. Anderson? This is Washington First National Citi Wells Fargo Mutual. I'm afraid we are unable to process your loan request. Well, unfortunately it appears that you're dead. Yes, it is surprising. My sincerest condolences on your recent loss.

      Well, according to your obituaries, you initially died on October 12, 1982, of trauma resulting from a car accident. Wow, that looked like a terrible accident. I hope you didn't suffer too much. Then on February 23, 1997, you were decapitated in an industrial accident... oh, I'm glad to hear you're feeling much better. Except for being dead, of course.

      "Mr. Anderson, no, I'm sorry, we cannot approve a loan to a dead person. You may be feeling fine, but Google says you're dead. Well, killed by an IED in Iraq most recently. 2005? You don't remember being there? Well, that doesn't prove anything because you're dead; I wouldn't expect you to remember it.

      "Mr. Anderson, please calm down. It's not healthy to get so agitated. I mean, it's definitely not healthy to be dead, but there's no need to make matters worse... Yes, as a matter of fact I did find an obit for myself. Died after a lingering coma. Fortunately, it's not a problem, because being brain dead is not an impediment to my line of work. Yes, I'm sorry, please feel free to re-apply when you're not dead. Goodbye."

      --
      Find environmentally and socially responsible products on http://buy-right.net
    2. Re:Bad News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think we've all made the "mistake" of linking a pseudonym to our given name at some point. Im posting as AC because I can't figure out how to log in on this terminal, but my real name is Jason Levine

    3. Re:Bad News by ccady · · Score: 5, Funny

      I got better.

      --
      J'aime mieux les méchants que les imbéciles, parce qu'ils se reposent. -- Alexandre Dumas
  2. ID information available to the public by LoadWB · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I have complained about this crap for years to my credit card companies, phone companies, mortgage company, and even my college. How can they claim to protect your account information when their verification questions are all publicly available information? (In the case of the colleges, students are often asked to sign in for roll or exams using a social security number, and that sheet is either passed around or otherwise completely viewable.)

    At least some allow you to select a special pass phrase. Only one of my vendors will not allow me access to the account if I do not provide the pass phrase. Every one else has a way around that.

    Security. Pfah.

    1. Re:ID information available to the public by CannonballHead · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm always surprised that more "secure" websites don't let users use their own security question. It makes no sense to just always use "mother's maiden name" or "city of birth" or whatever. Why can't I use my own security question and pick something that I actually am one of the few people that know (me and maybe my wife or something)?

      I'm not sure adding one more column to a database is going to produce a ton more overhead :)

    2. Re:ID information available to the public by siriuskase · · Score: 5, Interesting

      The secret is that they don't ever check to see if it really is your SS#. they just need a uniquie 9 digit number. Make one up.

      --
      If you must moderate, please moderate as irrelevent, not something bad, because I'm sure someone will find this interest
    3. Re:ID information available to the public by LaskoVortex · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If you made up a name, how do you remember it 3 years later?

      The idea is to have a set of false, made up answers that you *always* use to the same old security, so you don't forget them. No one is going to find that stuff on line because it's not affiliated with you except in your imagination. If you are afraid of forgetting your passwords and to remember passwords like "d8u*mF@3KowcCR", use an encrypted password keeper.

      --
      Just callin' it like I see it.
  3. pipl by Finallyjoined!!! · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Check it out, you will all be surprised what it will find:

    http://www.pipl.com/

    --
    If I had an Ass, I'd call it Fanny Bottom, then I could slap my Ass; Fanny Bottom, on the Arse.
  4. Stupid Slashdot. by Creepy+Crawler · · Score: 5, Informative

    <Page 1>
    Why
    Cant
    You

    <Page 2>
    Provide
    A
    Link

    <Page 3>
    So
    Everything
    is

    <Page 4>
    on
    One
    Page?

    how abut a link here

    --
  5. Search all you want by MarkusQ · · Score: 5, Funny

    Mitchell ends by questioning how much good it does for banks or credit card companies to require 4, 5, or more independent identity "factors" before providing access to account details, when most or all of the factors they request can be found online about nearly anyone.

    Psha. Search all you want, and you'll never discover whether "rw^j8*=1IF9d" is my mother's maiden name, my favorite desert, or where I got my first kiss. And it won't matter anyway, 'cause that's not actually one of the strings I use.

    --MarkusQ

    P.S. And for an added level of security, I'm not really me, nor am I the person I told the bank I was.