Expert: Chris Wagoner - 1/6/2012

Question
QUESTION: Hi:

I have a purely-hypothetical question. None of this is really happening but I'm just interested in it.

Let's say there is a cybercrook who uses a dial-up internet connection to do his deeds. The authorities are unable track him down via any of his electronic IDs [such as MAC address, IP address, ANI number, etc] or his billing statements.

The police have only one option -- that is to trace his physical/geographic location without assistance from the aforementioned forms of help.

If the crook were using his wireless adapter to latch onto wi-fi networks to access the internet, the cops could triangulate his location using ADF/RDF. This obviously wouldn't work on a dial-up connection which is wired throughout its networks.

Is there any hope of tracing this bad guy?


Thanks,

Green

ANSWER: Hello Green,

Just because a person is using a Dial up doesn't mean you don't trace them the same way as someone using regular connections or high speed. He/she still connects to an ISP (internet service provider) who then assigns the person an IP address. Its all the same once your connected to the internet. No matter if your on dial up, cable, or any other means of connection, you still are assigned an IP address and its all the same.

Once you have a persons IP address you can generally guess the location using internet tools like Whois as the geographical location they are at. To within a country or State.

Yes he/she can be traced, no matter the connection that's what makes finding these people so easy for law enforcement these days. The internet is not anonymous no matter what people think, it just may tale some extra work and extra hops before I get to the original persons location.

Sorry for the delay in answering, I have been on Christmas break from teaching and have not checked in lately.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your response.

What if the crook is using a free dial-up ISP like http://www.fastfreedialup.com ?

Would it be more difficult to trace him than if he was using an ISP he is paying for?


Thanks again,

Green

ANSWER: Hello again Green,

No, as you have to have dial in using a phone number, which is traceable, the ISP would have your phone number you dialed in from.

Again it would be easy to trace the phone number.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Sorry to keep bugging you.

How would we directly identify the physical location of where crook's activity originates from?

If he uses wireless internet, we can use ADF/RDF triangulation. Right?


Thanks,

Green

Answer
Good morning Green,

when you're talking about identifying the physical location using wireless Internet and using ADF/RDF triangulation you have to remember there is a difference between wireless Internet connection (802.11) and cellular telephone communication wireless.

You can use triangulation and signal strength when the person is using cellular wireless, and you cannot when they are using the 802.11 wireless signals. The reason being that the cellular wireless is two-way communication which requires a cellular tower to acknowledge a certain device and triangulation is possible, 802.11 is usually a one point of contact type of communication and does not have more than one place of connection making triangulation impossible.

But if the person is using a 802.11 wireless they are connected to a wireless transmitter/receiver which can be located and one cent transmitter is located then the area of transmission is very limited and it would be a very easy task of locating a person utilizing that transmitter within a certain area.

So either way yes they can be located but requires two different ways of doing it depending upon the type of wireless transmitter that they are using.