The title of this piece at SC Magazine is "Phishing attack use Google Maps, IP addresses to obtain victim location." I got this headline in my RSS reader and thought it sounded interesting. Let me sum up the relevant points for you:
- Attackers are spreading keylogging malware via a fake new report.
- The malware can determine and report the victim's IP address.
- The IP address can be used to determine the user's location.
- Google maps will display the user's location if you enter it.
- This information can then be used for identity theft.
So, the breaking news is that computers have IP addresses? Or is it that malware can find them? Or perhaps that IPs just might indicate physical location?! No no, wait, it's that Google maps produces highly accurate visualizations of a location from a full or even partial address!!!??? When will the madness stop!?
Now you might be wondering, as am I, exactly how the physical location is being used for identity theft. These sorts of connections from the virtual world to the concrete world are interesting. Are they showing up and going through people's garbage? Are they using the address to submit fraudulent credit card applications? Are they tailoring spam to the location? We'll just have to wait for the hard-hitting follow-up article.
