1:11 PM
Kinsz
A new "geolocation information generator" has been launched on the internet. Its creator, Yiannis Kakavas, has given it the interesting name of Creepy. Many privacy rights advocates have raised their fears about the probable impact of this application to individual privacy. What can this new application do and why should it cause such concern?
Creepy is an application package for Linux or Windows. The third package that is still in the process is planned for Mac OS X. As a geolocator, this app makes use of data from social networking services in order to pinpoint a user's location. It gathers the information provided by the user to the network and puts these pieces of information together. Although somewhat new in the internet, the software consistently shows its efficiency in doing the job.
Kakavas embedded a search utility in the app to find any individual of interest. A user can simply input the Twitter or Flickr username of that person then hit the "Geolocate Target" button. What Creepy does is download all photos or tweets that the individual has furnished online. From each of the downloaded resources, Creepy will look for the user's location at the time the information was uploaded.
The software then gathers every piece of information existing to make up a meaningful array of data. After processing, a map showing the user's different locations is presented. Taken one by one, these data locations do not tell any important information, but when gathered jointly as a whole, it will really tell much about the target. The user's "publication" history is exposed, comprising his or her most frequented places or hang outs, the area around his or her residence, and even his or her workplace.
Kakavas was able to finish the program in just three months. He used the resources found in publicly obtainable libraries like osmgpsmap, pyexif2, and tweepy. In his mind, Kakavas believes that he has produced something that will make people think seriously about their privacy. He would like to raise realization among users about how fast they share their personal information online.
He explains that it is not that complicated to collect small pieces of data in order to create larger, more meaningful information. Ironically, it would be too late for users to realize that it would have been better if they did not share those bits of information at all. Some of these are home addresses, places of work, the places they hang out most often when they are not at home, and many others.
He added further that he created Creepy also for social engineers to have a method for information gathering. Specifically for security analysts, Creepy can be used to carry out penetration testing. The information that they gather now can be used for different purposes later.
Creepy is an application package for Linux or Windows. The third package that is still in the process is planned for Mac OS X. As a geolocator, this app makes use of data from social networking services in order to pinpoint a user's location. It gathers the information provided by the user to the network and puts these pieces of information together. Although somewhat new in the internet, the software consistently shows its efficiency in doing the job.
Kakavas embedded a search utility in the app to find any individual of interest. A user can simply input the Twitter or Flickr username of that person then hit the "Geolocate Target" button. What Creepy does is download all photos or tweets that the individual has furnished online. From each of the downloaded resources, Creepy will look for the user's location at the time the information was uploaded.
The software then gathers every piece of information existing to make up a meaningful array of data. After processing, a map showing the user's different locations is presented. Taken one by one, these data locations do not tell any important information, but when gathered jointly as a whole, it will really tell much about the target. The user's "publication" history is exposed, comprising his or her most frequented places or hang outs, the area around his or her residence, and even his or her workplace.
Kakavas was able to finish the program in just three months. He used the resources found in publicly obtainable libraries like osmgpsmap, pyexif2, and tweepy. In his mind, Kakavas believes that he has produced something that will make people think seriously about their privacy. He would like to raise realization among users about how fast they share their personal information online.
He explains that it is not that complicated to collect small pieces of data in order to create larger, more meaningful information. Ironically, it would be too late for users to realize that it would have been better if they did not share those bits of information at all. Some of these are home addresses, places of work, the places they hang out most often when they are not at home, and many others.
He added further that he created Creepy also for social engineers to have a method for information gathering. Specifically for security analysts, Creepy can be used to carry out penetration testing. The information that they gather now can be used for different purposes later.
About the Author:
Using a software application like Creepy pinpoints where you are located all the time.. The opposite of this is to use an encrypted proxy to change your IP address which masks your true location.
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