Romanian Cyber Security Journal / Fall 2024, No. 2, Vol. 6

Automated Email Harvesting: Techniques, Risks and Security Implications

Mihai APOSTOL, Razvan DUȚESCU

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Abstract

This study investigates the techniques and implications of web scraping for the extraction of email addresses from online sources. A Chrome web extension was developed, utilizing the Selenium testing framework to facilitate automated browsing and data collection. The targeted websites demonstrated minimal or inadequate defenses against web scraping, exposing significant vulnerabilities in their protection mechanisms. The relative ease of acquiring a substantial number of email addresses highlights the potential for phishing attacks, thereby raising critical security concerns. The article examines the technical aspects of web scraping, browser plugin development, and automated web application testing. Furthermore, it outlines best practices and strategies to defend against such data extraction methods, emphasizing the importance of robust web security measures to mitigate the risks associated with unauthorized data collection.

Keywords

Web scraping, Email address scraping, Automated testing, Web browser plugins, Data gathering, Web browser extension