Do public wifi hotspots offer anonymous surfing?

[joeblow]

The proliferation of wifi hotspot locations may open up new possibilities for anonymous web surfing and mailing.

All email and webmail (hotmail, gmail, etc) messages and web forum posts reveal the IP address associated with the WAN connection through which the message is sent. It appears that ISPs such as Videotron, Bell, Rogers, etc, have the technical capability to trace a specific message or post back to their customer's true identity, by matching the IP address with the customer's account info.

ISP privacy policies offer some level of protection but I have seen several private investigators, advertising on the web, who claim they are capable of extracting the true identity of an ISP's customer from their IP address, even without a court order. I don't know if they bribe someone at the ISP, disguise themselves as LE, or if the ISP is just plain careless.

Anyway, I have come to think that the only way to surf or email anonymously is to use a public hotspot: at an Internet café, a public library, a university, etc., because then you are using that place's IP address, not your own. This is the modern equivalent of calling from a public payphone. The only way someone (LE, PI or whomever) could trace a message back to an individual would be if the hotspot or ISP logs not only the IP address, but also the device's (laptop, PDA, etc) MAC address. In that case, it would be possible to match a post or a message with a device, assuming one can get into that device (hack or steal it) to get its MAC address.

So, my questions to all the techies out there:

1) do ISPs or public hotspots log MAC addresses for every message or post?

2) Is there a windows command or another way to remotely obtain a device's MAC address?

 

[breadman]

But if you use a device that is registered in your name...or a device that you use regularly from a set IP address, this information might get passed along or saved somehow. You just never know what's being sent/saved anymore. Just saw a report that the FBI can turn on the microphone of your cell phone (even if you have the power turned off) and listen in on your conversation.

Only way to be truely anonymous is to have one of those phones that can surf the web from hotspots...and not have it registered or use it anywhere except those free hotspots.

 

[Dee]

Thanks neverbored... you answered the question that I've asked 20 times and never got an answer... so it's OK to surf through free WiFi hotspots but don't enter any passwords etc... becasue they can easily be picked up? Right?

I assume that the same would apply to unprotected private wifi? would it be correct to say probably not a problem but it could be...

Thanks

 

[Mike Mercury]

If you had a new computer that you paid cash for in a store that had no CCTV cameras and no people that knew you...that`s a start.
The same thing with the WIFI spot. Cash, no cameras, no one one knows you and no spies...
Then if you move from WIFI to WIFI this way...
Never to go more than once....
With a random pattern covering a big territory...
And you disguise yourself...
Hide your car or use public transit without a smartcard...
And no cameras....
And if your paranoia is uncalled for because you are not really doing anything serious...

However if you are doing something serious none of these can protect you because you will set off a response to an alarm. And you may be in shackles within minutes.

I`m just guessing.
Anyway you should not be doing anything criminal anywhere & anyhow.

 

[joeblow]

So my question is... what exactly do you want to protect yourself from? I'll answer to the best of my abilities.

Neverbored,

First of all, tks for your informative posts. I'm not worried about about LE. I intend to engage in some whisleblowing and I'm concerned that the object will have his corporate security or a PI on my case within minutes.

Private investigators don't even need to make so much of an effort. They are not bound by the same obligations and legalities as LE. Using social engineering tactics will in fact yield better and faster results.

Can you explain what you mean by social engineering tactics? Obviously, I am lay to your trade!

 

[Dee]

Thanks very much neverbored... most informative!