Warnings over net stalking danger

It is an internet user's worst nightmare: that just by going online, you lay yourself open to the attentions, and even malicious actions, of a cyber stalker. Now a new investigation has revealed how easy it is to find intimate details of someone's life within minutes, starting with nothing but their e-mail address.

Using technology available to anyone, researchers compiled a dossier on a Net user chosen at random from the message board of a web forum, including address, phone number, personal interests - even the car he drove.

They began by typing his e-mail address - found in the signature at the bottom of his message board postings - into groups.google.com, a service provided by search engine Google. This revealed all the news-group messages he had ever put online, and provided a wealth of personal information.

"The first fact we were able to establish was that 'John' was a big fan of Coronation Street," says Dan Oliver of .net magazine, which compiled the investigation in its latest issue. "He described himself as a 'lurker' on a newsgroup for fans of the soap."

From a posting on an education newsgroup they discovered he was a school governor. After finding his comments on a newsgroup for those interested in importing cars, they learned "John" had bought a Ford in Calais and he lived in Swansea.

By linking this information with directories such as infobel.com and by subscribing to 192.com - which gives access to the electoral roll - they discovered his address and phone number. They also found his internet portal address - the computer identity with which he accesses the Net, which could make him vulnerable to hackers.

"Most of us are too dull to merit this attention, but it doesn't mean these things aren't happening every day," says Oliver.

Tim Burchell, a private investigator who uses the net to track people legitimately, said: "Many people are ignorant to the power of the Net. Using the right tools, anyone can track most people down within minutes."

To deter stalkers, experts say you should use several e-mail addresses, keeping a personal one secret from all but friends and family. You should avoid revealing information online you wouldn't want a stranger to know.

If you have been stalked and know the offender, you should send them a warning to stop. You should report the incident to the system administrator of your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and the ISP of the stalker, sending both a copy of offending e-mails.

A US-based cyber crime reporting site, www.cybersnitch.net, has links to investigators in the US and the UK.