just wondering if the location / identity of my computer can be seen by a website.

I need to fill out an online ‘whistleblowing’ form about a colleague whose work is having a negative impact on a lot of people and is in some cases fraudulent. It has been casually mentioned to him a few times already but he just laughs about it, so need to take it an official step further and report it to our governing body.

I need this form to be completely anonymous though, hence wondering if it can be linked to my location, or can i be indentified from it.

Well it could log your IP, so from that it might be able to locate you (depending on how your machine gets allocated an IP).

Even if it can he can’t get access to the details they’re supposed to anonymous for a very good reason.

Does my IP change if i reboot my router or is it always the same?

Or are there any websites i can use as a ‘portal’ to mask this, and fill out form through them?

Was wanting to do this from home as its a bit of a lengthy proceedure to provide all the details. I guess to be ultra safe i could pop into a wifi cafe or somwhere to do it.

Sorry about sounding a bit paranoid!

Perhaps consider installing the Tor bundle on your Firefox browser?

https://www.torproject.org/projects/torbrowser.html.en

Total security follows (NSA possibly excepted).

The Tor software protects you by bouncing your communications around a distributed network of relays run by volunteers all around the world: it prevents somebody watching your Internet connection from learning what sites you visit, it prevents the sites you visit from learning your physical location, and it lets you access sites which are blocked.

If it bothers you that much, use http://browserstack.com to fire up a web browser for free for 1/2 an hour

You could go through whatever the latest version of “Anonymizer” is… disguise your IP – something like this?

should add part of the reason i’m a bit paranoid is that he is also involved to some degree within that governing body,and is also quite computer skilled hence worried about my identity or location able to be accessed by him

I’ll have a look at those links thanks.

Be careful, though, only to try those websites from home. I know that the firewall (?) where I work logs when people try to use proxies.

Who are you blowing the whistle on? Bill Gates? 🙂
I have nothing constructive to add. Hope you find a solution.

But if a system is completely anonymous, doesn’t it risk being abused by people with a gripe or unsubstantiated claims? Just curious – never worked anywhere where such systems were available.

Can you get to the reporting site from a public PC in something like an internet cafe/library, or use a smartphone from a public WiFi network. All will give a different IP to doing it from desk/home and while someone like MI6 could probably trace you I doubt the company will be able to.

As Markie says, Tor works well for your purposes. I think there is even a version you can put on a stick if you don’t want to install it on your own computer

But if a system is completely anonymous, doesn’t it risk being abused by people with a gripe or unsubstantiated claims?

Well yes but when they investigate the will see it wasn’t true.

grizedaleforest – Member
But if a system is completely anonymous, doesn’t it risk being abused by people with a gripe or unsubstantiated claims? Just curious – never worked anywhere where such systems were available.

It’s pretty common with big companies (particularly US ones, post-Enron) to have this sort of thing. Yes, it can be abused but it doesn’t actually tend to be. Claims would always have to be investigated to ensure that a claim isn’t just malicious.

To the OP, if the system is what it says it is then they won’t be tracking you or your IP/etc, even if they could. I guess that it comes down to whether you trust them.

Either way, if you’re concerned, just use the solutions above. Or just go to starbucks or any other place with free wifi and use that.

But if a system is completely anonymous, doesn’t it risk being abused by people with a gripe or unsubstantiated claims? Just curious – never worked anywhere where such systems were available

it will be fairly easy to see this is a genuine case once its pointed out how he’s working the system, and who should have a chat with who

If you’ve got one (or even better, several) of those network printers/scanners that sends to an email address, fill in the form, print it, scan it to the whitle-blowing email address.

Stop picking your nose Lakesrider, and that top really doesn’t go with those trousers.

The IP is allocated from your ISP. People would need a court order to find out who was allocated that IP at any one time. Do you think it will go that far? Because I don’t.

if you like I can show you how to hack into wireless networks so you can use next doors.

I’d just head down to my local Starbucks or whatever, and use their WiFi from a laptop or your phone.

Realistically though, I’d say there’s far more risk of you losing your anonymity due to someone talking than there is of them tracing you through your computer.

But if you do go to Starbucks you could have one of those fancy frappuccino things at the same time.

What would be worse – being caught whistleblowing or being spotted in Starbucks?

The IP is allocated from your ISP. People would need a court order to find out who was allocated that IP at any one time. Do you think it will go that far? Because I don’t.

depends where you are eg at work my IP is fixed and if I log onto a work web server, it will know exactly which machine I’m on…

depends where you are eg at work my IP is fixed and if I log onto a work web server, it will know exactly which machine I’m on…

Hence the suggestion to go to somewhere public with free WiFi. Of course, if the “anonymous” form requires you to logon first I’d be very suspicious!

What would be worse – being caught whistleblowing or being spotted in Starbucks?

A good point, but something only the OP can answer.

Haven’t you already blown you cover somewhat with this thread?

Internet cafes… they only really exists these days for things like this.

When you’re at home go to http://www.iplocation.net. This is the extent to which the web site or its operators will know your identity and location (which should be the location of the ISPs HQ/datacentre) without as Samuri says taking legal action to demand your ISP to expose your identity. I assume your employer does not pay your home internet subscription (mine used to) in which case it’s a bit riskier.

Unless of course you’re whistle blowing GCHQ in which case you can probably hear the helicopters….

If this isn’t sufficient as others have said go to an internet cafe where you only need the wireless key (rather than to sign in – or use mickey@disney.com) or opt for a Tor browser but this is possibly too paranoid.

Yes. Websites know where you are accessing them from.

You can use things like VPN’s to hide/encrypt your location. Suggestion above is a reasonable one, wifi on a mobile device but its possible the website could grab unique I’d of your phone and store it. Anyway Whistkeblower legislation is written to protect you in these circumstances from negative consequences, whether you trust that totally is up to you.

Too tipsy to read all the replies but, yes it can.

Ways around it are

proxy4free.com

use a free wifi spot

use a 3rd party’s computer / internet

honestly though, for the average geek, finding out who you are from the complaint (they’d need full access to the data saved, assuming enough was) is unlikely.

From an average geek 🙂

p.s. don’t even be tempted to post details here of it. Clever googling could then easily / probably connect you!

Your IP from your home ISP can change but often doesn’t. So if he could track you down to a forum and then say, hack that forum to get their logs he would have a pretty strong idea of who it was.

Give what you want to say to me, as well as the links.

I’ll post it from my house and I will provide screenshots for you to okay before I hit the button.

Problem. Solved.

Op, why are you scared of being recognised?
Is there a grievance/reporting procedure you can use?

Plyphon is lakesriders colleague and I claim my £5

I’m one hundred percent sure that pornography is is involved in this somehow 🙂

Go to Starbucks or Maccy D’s ( other corporations are available ) and log on to their free wifi whilst having a coffee.

Job done.

PS Lakesrider – that picture of you and the goat in the folder marked “invoices” on your hard drive 😯