topic Re: Identify user by IP or PTR? in Tech Help - Software/Hardware etc

Identify user by IP or PTR?

Halfhidden — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 15:48:21 GMT

I already have quite a few website (all personal) and hosted through my homelab. I'm about to create a controversial website that absolutely falls on the right side of the law and does not break any Plusnet rules. But it will probably encourage a few haters.
So the idea of the site is that uses can be anonymous as this will be a victim support group. I'm looking at ways to keep the admins and operators secure from identity and am exploring if any useful information could be gathered from ptr records, ip addresses and such like from the website?
If anyone has any ideas that could help keep the site operator anonymous I would like to here.
I can't explain what the site is about (obviously as it would be out there cached on Google and so on) but rest assured it's a good thing.

Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

Mav — Sat, 14 Oct 2023 16:04:17 GMT

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): Thread moved from General Chat to Tech Help.

Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

ghamilton123 — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 20:25:36 GMT

You could bind a users IP address to a UUID in a database, but then again if someone uses a VPN and another user gets the IP, that could impose issues, I have seen quite a few apps that do things pretty stupidly, I've once seen a app that returned the whole users database object when getting their profile.

To also be on the safe side I would recommend setting up cloudflare, and only allow cloudflare ips to access port 80/443
https://www.cloudflare.com/en-gb/ips/

Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

DafOwen — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 14:51:08 GMT

I have Static IP with Plusnet.
The Reverse Lookup / PTR of my IP address is : <my plusnet username>.plusnet.com
And my username is partially my real name. (I would have chosen something else if I'd known)

So in terms of : "if any useful information could be gathered from ptr records, ip addresses and such like from the website?"

I'd say potentially yes.

Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

MisterW — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 15:21:44 GMT

And my username is partially my real name. (I would have chosen something else if I'd known)

@DafOwen you can request the rDNS be changed on your static IP to anonomize it to <ipaddress>.plus.com

Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

willcutforth — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 15:29:59 GMT

@DafOwen I can sort this for you if you want?

Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

DafOwen — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 15:32:54 GMT

Ah yes please - might as well

Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

willcutforth — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 15:33:53 GMT

Do you want it as a domain or just your static?

Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

DafOwen — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 16:39:06 GMT

I'll go for a domain so it's easy to remember - but will think of something suitably generic.
Will get back to you on name 👍

Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

MisterW — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 16:45:15 GMT

@DafOwen I think you misunderstand. To assign rdns to a domain, you must already own the domain and have created a forward ( A record ) for that domain to point to your static ip

Re: Identify user by IP or PTR?

willcutforth — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 18:20:45 GMT

What @MisterW ! Sorry I should have been clearer.