Advanced Search Engine Techniques

Advanced Search Engine Techniques/Privacy and

Computers

Topics

• How to use the advanced search features of Google

• Privacy on the web and some implications for investigators

This is Google...This is Google...

Google is your Google is your Friend!Friend!

• Google isn’t just yer plain ole vanilla Search Engine.

• Google can be used to search news groups...

• Google can do reverse telephone lookups...

• And much more….

Google Searchs

Google Searchs

• Google can be used to search files with a specific DOS extension.

• This can be done with the following syntax in the search field– Search terms filetype:ext– e.g. elmer fudd filetype:doc– The only limit is your imagination

Google Searches

• You can also use google to search through a site for specific content.

• This can be done with the following syntax– search terms site:anysite.com– e.g. staroffice site:sun.com

Google Searches

• Google can also be used to search links to a specific site or search a specific title to restrict hits.

• This is done with the following syntax– Search terms link:anysite.com– allintitle: search terms– e.g. linux link:sun.com– e.g. allintitle: linux

Google Searches

• Google can also do reverse telephone lookups with the following syntax– area code ###-####– e.g. 517 321-6595

Google Searches

• Google also caches pages and saves them as html so if if you can’t get into a document one way you may be able to by clicking on the link and viewing Google’s copy.

• There is also a GUI Web interface for advance searching.

Google Searches

• Google currently has the capability(beta) to translate text or sites or to search specific languages.

Google in Hacker…..

And Google in Elmer Fudd….

Questions???

Privacy Issues and The Internet

• Cookies, web bugs and GUID• Configuring your browser to

use a proxy server• Spyware

• What types of information are you leaking to the internet.

• Http://www.leader.ru/secure/who.html

• http://www.anonymizer.com/snoop.cgi


• Cookies-contain username/ID, computer type, IP address and server location

• Web Bugs- extremely small, transparent gifs placed on web sites. Lets the site hosting the ad banner to know your IP and correlate cookie information that may be sent by your browser.


• Browsers also contain other data such as hit logging and GUID.

• Hit logging keeps track of all your offline activites; when you click on a banner , how long you looked at it, what ad you clicked on as well as any information stored in your I.E. browser


• Hit logging cont’d- Hit logging will also call the server the server that created it.

• GUID numbers are unique. They will remain even if you get rid of cookies and Spyware.

• They are on your system and can be retrieved at any time.


• GUID cont’d– Microsoft keeps it on all its databases

along with your name, address and other registration details.

– Office 97 attaches its own permanent GUID you create.

– Author of the Melissa Virus was caught by the identification of his GUID


• For a free software utilities that will find GUIDs visit the following link– http://www.digital-detective.co.uk/

freetools.asp


Http://www.rosinstument.com/proxy

Http://www.whatismyip.com

Http://www.all-nettools.com/tools1.htm

• Spyware-in a nutshell programs that you install on your computer that track you.

• Instances of spyware– Realjukebox– Pkzip– zbubbles– Cuteftp


• Spyware continued…– Surfmonkey is an applcation that’s

supposed to block inappropriate sites for kids but also keeps their personal ID, phone number and email address.

– Many applications come with Spyware by Radiate embedded in them

– Comet Cursor


Technology

Advanced Search Engine Techniques