Re: Need advice about hacking and security

From:
Date: 10/29/02 

Date: 29 Oct 2002 01:30:35 GMT

dlor60@hotmail.com (darlene) writes:

]"Ron Ruble" <raffles2@att.net> wrote in message news:<3dbd2bef$0$1447$1dc6e903@news.corecomm.net>...
]> "darlene" <dlor60@hotmail.com> wrote in message
]> news:83724cbc.0210280109.db1dc12@posting.google.com...
]You would think that would be enough, however, one of the individuals
]who has been hacking/spying on my computer for so long is very
]arrogant (and sick?) I consciously created that new email account and
]blocked ALL unsolicited incoming mail and within a few hours received
]the porno 'opt-in'. I've also received email addressed from myself,
]TO myself which I obviously didn't send. I didn't know someone could

It might be a good idea to look at the email to see who it really is
from. Get the full headers, and look at the Received-From: lines which
list the set of machines that the mail passed through. The first one
(last of the received from lines) is probably the originating machine.
It is terribly easy to spoof an email From: address and make it seems
that email is From: anywhere.

However, I strongly suspect that your computer is "rooted"-- ie the
person has root priviledges on your system. The ONLY way to get them off
is the procedure I outlined. Save only personal stuff, wipe, reinstall
and update.

]duplicate an email address. This 'person' enjoys flaunting its
]capabilities - After that incident this 'person' posted in a ng that
]she received an email from herself, just to let me know that it IS her
]who sent the letter, and in essence is letting me know she is one of
]the hackers.

???

]I don't know what a trojan is - I do know that I used Ad-aware
]several months ago and found about 40 spyware components.

You need to learn. A trojan (from Trojan horse) is a seemingly innocuous
or desired program which contains within it a nasty program to take over
your machine.
A virus is a small program which can "infect" computers via various
pathways. A worm is an active program which tries to tunnel into other
systems via various security holes. All have the end result of making
your computer completely open to the attacker.

You still have not told us which operating system you use. Win 95 and 98
because of their total lack of security are especially vulnerable.
If you have not installed the security patches to your OS, you are
vulnerable, and if someone really is trying to get you, then you are
comprimised.

]>
]> Get ready to back up all your data. You're likely
]> to need to wipe and reinstall your OS and all
]> applications to be sure you're secure.

]Huh? All of this is right over my head! firewall? OS? I'll look it

OS=Operating System (Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, MacOX10, ....
are all examples of operating systems).

]up. Someone did suggest I re-install my software, but I thought it
]may remove any proof of individuals tampering with my computer.

It will but so what. You want to get on with your life, not spend your
effort and time trying to find out what happened I would assume. If not,
disconnect your computer, switch it off, and store it in a closet until
you figure out how to find out what happened, or you hire someone to do
it for you.

You could also use your CD burner to make a copy of everything on your
system for examination purposes.