http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post...-says-fbi.html
Everyone has had it happen to them: a "friend" sends you a link in IM or over IRC that purports to be something like a cat in an awkward position with a hilarious caption. Soon, however, you discover that the link wasn't to a lolcat at all; instead, you've been Rick Rolled—or even worse, sent to 2girls1cup (find it on your own, but be warned: it may scar you for life). These pranks are commonplace now, but be careful of what you click on and from whom. If that link points to anything even pretending to be child porn, that's enough evidence for the FBI of intent to download it. The authorities could then raid your home and possibly throw you in jail.
Such is the case with Temple University doctoral student Roderick Vosburgh, who apparently clicked on an FBI-planted hyperlink somewhere on the Internet. Instead, the link pointed to a file on an FBI server that contained no porn, but logged the IPs of everyone attempting to access it. Vosburgh's IP was one of those, and the FBI came knockin' on his door early one morning, arrested him, and searched his home.
In fact, this didn't just happen to Vosburgh—the FBI has been using this click-and-be-owned tactic for a few years now, using logged IP addresses as ways to get warrants and charge people with intent to download child porn (a federal crime). The FBI has been linking to these bogus files on message boards that are known to attract child predators, but even the log files don't take into account the referrer—any IP address that shows up is automatically assumed to be guilty. This means that if your drunk friends think it's funny to IM you a link to something that turns out to be to the FBI's covert file, you could be in trouble.
Such is the case with Temple University doctoral student Roderick Vosburgh, who apparently clicked on an FBI-planted hyperlink somewhere on the Internet. Instead, the link pointed to a file on an FBI server that contained no porn, but logged the IPs of everyone attempting to access it. Vosburgh's IP was one of those, and the FBI came knockin' on his door early one morning, arrested him, and searched his home.
In fact, this didn't just happen to Vosburgh—the FBI has been using this click-and-be-owned tactic for a few years now, using logged IP addresses as ways to get warrants and charge people with intent to download child porn (a federal crime). The FBI has been linking to these bogus files on message boards that are known to attract child predators, but even the log files don't take into account the referrer—any IP address that shows up is automatically assumed to be guilty. This means that if your drunk friends think it's funny to IM you a link to something that turns out to be to the FBI's covert file, you could be in trouble.
But "unfortunately" right now this kind of blackmailing will work on the US citizens only.
Comment