Comments on: Anonymized Logs of 500000 AOL users on the net http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/ A technology blog covering software, mobile phones, gadgets, security, the Internet and other relevant areas. Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:35:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Cornflakes http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-45506 Cornflakes Sun, 20 Aug 2006 20:33:38 +0000 http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-45506 A *quick* site where you can search the AOL Logs for yourself, is here: http://www.frogspy.com A *quick* site where you can search the AOL Logs for yourself, is here:

http://www.frogspy.com

]]> By: ty http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-42344 ty Sat, 12 Aug 2006 14:55:36 +0000 http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-42344 A site where you can search the data is here: http://www.datablunder.com/logitems/query/ A site where you can search the data is here:

http://www.datablunder.com/logitems/query/

]]> By: Peter Huesken http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-41615 Peter Huesken Wed, 09 Aug 2006 19:43:15 +0000 http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-41615 Regarding encryption: ok. But between User and Proxy it could work, couldn´t it ? Regarding breaking the AOL semi-anonymised logs: New York Times journalists have broken the first one already... Cheers, Peter Regarding encryption: ok. But between User and Proxy it could work, couldn´t it ?

Regarding breaking the AOL semi-anonymised logs:
New York Times journalists have broken the first one already…

Cheers,
Peter

]]> By: Martin http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-41170 Martin Tue, 08 Aug 2006 16:18:44 +0000 http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-41170 well Peter, the problem with encryption is that both sides have to support it. It does no good if you encrypt your data and the other side is not able to decrypt it and send encrypted data back. That means, there is no such thing for firefox. It is possible to use encryption in email with friends for example, or encryption on your hard drive but not the way you want it to be. well Peter, the problem with encryption is that both sides have to support it. It does no good if you encrypt your data and the other side is not able to decrypt it and send encrypted data back.

That means, there is no such thing for firefox. It is possible to use encryption in email with friends for example, or encryption on your hard drive but not the way you want it to be.

]]> By: Peter Huesken http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-41145 Peter Huesken Tue, 08 Aug 2006 13:17:56 +0000 http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-41145 Yes, I see. So is there a good overall firefox encryption extension that you would advise ? Cheers, Peter Yes, I see.

So is there a good overall firefox encryption extension that you would advise ?

Cheers,
Peter

]]> By: Martin http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-41133 Martin Tue, 08 Aug 2006 12:18:30 +0000 http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-41133 I stand corrected ;) I really think they wanted to improve their image by releasing the data. They made one mistake though, forgot about the rights of their customers, forgot about privacy at all. Big blunder, I suppose some people will loose their jobs over this. The secretmaker software would not have changed the logfiles. Your ISP always knows what you are up to. Well, unless you use encryption for your traffic that is. Let us take a look at a proxy for example: Normal connection. You < --> ISP < --> Destination Proxy Connection You < --> ISP < --> Proxy < --> Destination The only possible solution is encryption, everything else can be read and logged. I stand corrected ;)

I really think they wanted to improve their image by releasing the data. They made one mistake though, forgot about the rights of their customers, forgot about privacy at all.

Big blunder, I suppose some people will loose their jobs over this.

The secretmaker software would not have changed the logfiles. Your ISP always knows what you are up to. Well, unless you use encryption for your traffic that is.

Let us take a look at a proxy for example:

Normal connection.

You < --> ISP < --> Destination

Proxy Connection

You < --> ISP < --> Proxy < --> Destination

The only possible solution is encryption, everything else can be read and logged.

]]> By: Peter Huesken http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-41125 Peter Huesken Tue, 08 Aug 2006 11:50:20 +0000 http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-41125 Wow, "20.000.000 million web queries from about 500.000 AOL users in the course of three months", that´s *a lot*. As in: more than 5 queries per second per user 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. You might mean 20 million ;-) Only kidding, nice piece you wrote today. Absolutely unbelievable that AOL does a stupid thing like this (Or maybe I don´t know AOL well enough and than maybe it *is* believable ;-) We now just have to wait for someone to: break the unique code and create a mashup with other databases (say: phonebook) I guess this will happen before September Wanna bet ? ;-) Was it this schandal that prompted you to post about the secretmaker software ? Cheers, Peter Wow, “20.000.000 million web queries from about 500.000 AOL users in the course of three months”, that´s *a lot*. As in: more than 5 queries per second per user 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
You might mean 20 million ;-)

Only kidding, nice piece you wrote today.
Absolutely unbelievable that AOL does a stupid thing like this (Or maybe I don´t know AOL well enough and than maybe it *is* believable ;-)

We now just have to wait for someone to:
break the unique code and create a mashup with other databases (say: phonebook)
I guess this will happen before September
Wanna bet ? ;-)

Was it this schandal that prompted you to post about the secretmaker software ?

Cheers,
Peter

]]> By: Terminally Incoherent » Blog Archive » AOL Privacy Blunder http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-40763 Terminally Incoherent » Blog Archive » AOL Privacy Blunder Mon, 07 Aug 2006 15:19:41 +0000 http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-40763 [...] True to their destructive mission, AOL has publicly released semi-anonymised logs from their search site. This essentially means that all the search queries made of over 500k users between the months of march and may 2006 were posted out in the open. [...] [...] True to their destructive mission, AOL has publicly released semi-anonymised logs from their search site. This essentially means that all the search queries made of over 500k users between the months of march and may 2006 were posted out in the open. [...]

]]> By: Elliott Back http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-40625 Elliott Back Mon, 07 Aug 2006 08:42:48 +0000 http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-40625 <strong>AOL Gate: Search Query Data Scandal</strong> Techcrunch notes that AOL has released a file containing 20,000,000 queries from “anonymized” users. However, this is a problem because anything those users typed into AOL search–social security numbers, names, drug deals, etc can be... AOL Gate: Search Query Data Scandal

Techcrunch notes that AOL has released a file containing 20,000,000 queries from “anonymized” users. However, this is a problem because anything those users typed into AOL search–social security numbers, names, drug deals, etc can be…

]]> By: The Paradigm Shift http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-40613 The Paradigm Shift Mon, 07 Aug 2006 08:20:11 +0000 http://www.ghacks.net/2006/08/07/anonymised-logs-of-500000-aol-users-on-the-net/#comment-40613 <strong>AOL Search Data Shows Users Planning to commit Murder.</strong> http://research.aol.com released a list of 20 million + searches by 500,000 AOL users.  Contained in this list are social security numbers, credit cards and other personal information.   There are some truly scary things in this database. There are... AOL Search Data Shows Users Planning to commit Murder.

http://research.aol.com released a list of 20 million + searches by 500,000 AOL users.  Contained in this list are social security numbers, credit cards and other personal information.   There are some truly scary things in this database.
There are…

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