Doxing

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Doxing (from English dox , abbreviation for documents ' documents ' ), also doxxing , is the internet-based gathering and subsequent publication of personal data , mostly with malicious intentions towards those concerned. In some cases, this also involves the identification of anonymous people.

The reasons for the Doxing can be of various kinds, including about vigilante justice , public embarrass, and harassment. Individuals affected by doxing are often exposed to follow-up attacks based on published data.

Information acquisition

The personal data can be collected in a variety of ways. One approach to obtaining information is to search publicly accessible databases . This includes online media as well as telephone , address and member directories.

A lot of information can also be found on social media . This exploits the fact that many Internet users are very liberal with personal data such as postings , pictures, contacts and group memberships.

Another possibility is social engineering . This is understood to mean interpersonal influences with the aim of provoking certain behavior in people - for example, to induce them to divulge confidential information. This often includes the attacker faking identity or pretending to be an authority.

In hacking (another method of obtaining information), unauthorized intrusion into third-party systems and exploiting security gaps gives access to the system, which means that relevant data can be tapped.

Examples

Doxing is a standard tool of the Internet movement Anonymous and related groups such as LulzSec and AntiSec.

Renrou Sousuo is an example of collective doxing. This is a Chinese Internet phenomenon in which many Internet users collect information about a particular person together and thus pillory the target person for allegedly reprehensible acts.

Another example is the publication of the home addresses and telephone numbers of those who signed the appeal We are the authors , a protest against attacks on copyright and against theft of intellectual property.

In 2016, the facial recognition service FindFace was used to publish the identity of suspected Russian prostitutes and porn actresses.

The most famous doxing to date took place in December 2018. Via the Twitter account @ _0rbit or G0D, masses of private data from politicians were published daily in a kind of advent calendar, but this was not made known to a broader public until January 4, 2019. Social media protagonists complained that they had been fighting Doxer for years without success, but that politicians were only ready to deal with the topic since politicians have also been affected. For details and consequences see hack and publication of private data of German politicians and celebrities 2018/2019 .

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Definition of dox in English. Oxford University Press, accessed July 5, 2015 .
  2. ^ Friedhelm Greis: BKA study. Hacktivists on the verge of cyber terrorism. GOLEM.DE, Klaß & Ihlenfeld Verlag GmbH, February 11, 2015, accessed on September 4, 2015 .
  3. ↑ Detective games on the Internet. Outing criminals through "doxing". TAZ.DE, March 12, 2014, accessed September 4, 2015 .
  4. ↑ Hendrik Ankenbrand: China chases human flesh . Vigilante justice on the Internet. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, July 29, 2015, accessed on September 4, 2015 .
  5. ^ Copyright campaign: Anonymous publishes artist addresses. www.spiegel.de, May 14, 2012, accessed on September 4, 2015 .
  6. ↑ Politicians and celebrities hack: Former Twitter account of a YouTuber abused. www.heise.de, January 4, 2019, accessed on January 6, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Mass doxxing: data protectionists want to oblige Twitter to block links. www.heise.de, January 5, 2019, accessed on January 6, 2019 .