Google Disrupts Thousands of Phishing Attacks in Iran - Eric Snyder

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/google-detects-tens-of-thousands-of-politically-motivated-phishing-attacks-ahead-of-iranian-elections-8657571.html

Eric Snyder

In June of 2013, a press release came out concerning Google’s disruption of ten’s of thousands of phishing attacks.  Experts suspect that the attacks are politically linked to the upcoming election of the Iranian president.  They believe this because the increased attacks are located in Iran. Also, these attacks resemble attacks that sky rocketed in 2011 that were linked to another election.  Phishing attacks are when massive amounts of anonymous e-mails are sent out that persuades people to click on a link and perhaps give some personal information about themselves, i.e.: usernames, passwords, birthdates, which the attacker could then use for some other reason.  For this reason, Google is recommending users to take extra precaution especially if you are an Iranian citizen. 

            This crime is a clear representation of Dissociative Anonymity.  Dissociative Anonymity coincides with the separation of some one’s real world life and online life.  No one knows who you are online.  While people can see a user name, maybe an email, they really have no way to know who you are except for what you tell them.  Perhaps if a user is technologically savvy, they could trace the IP address, but even then, there is not much they can derive other than what the person gives them. The Phishers in this rely on this anonymity.  I fact, they may even pretend to be someone else.  The fact that there are little consequences for their actions other than Google disrupting it. No one really knows who these individuals are. Most likely the people that are running these phishing attacks would not be doing this in face-to-face communication.  Also, the victim most likely would not easily give out sensitive information so easily in a face-to-face interaction, making this case an example not only of toxic disinhibition, but also benign disinhibition. 

            When meeting a person face to face would you give them your password, username, birthdate and everything in-between?  There is more than just toxic disinhibition, there is benign disinhibition as well.  Over the Internet people often trust more.  People feel more comfortable sending a naked picture then getting naked in front of the person, they more easily give out confidential information.  This can be for numerous reasons; one being that text is not nearly as threatening as a face-to-face confrontation.  Another being that the consequences are not immediately felt, which Suler describes as Asynchronicity.  Clearly though there is disinhibition represented in this case not only from the attacker but perhaps also the victim.