Re: Need advice about hacking and security

From: darlene (dlor60@hotmail.com)
Date: 10/30/02 

From: dlor60@hotmail.com (darlene)
Date: 30 Oct 2002 08:21:00 -0800

unruh@string.physics.ubc.ca (Bill Unruh) wrote in message news:<apkobr$dhc$1@nntp.itservices.ubc.ca>...
> 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.

Don't understand what "root priviledges" are, however, I should add
that this computer was given to me by an ex-employer who I believed to
be a friend doing me a favor. If I can disgress for a moment. Short
story. ;) My old boss' business was acquired out of state two years
ago and gave a few remaining employees their pc to keep. Generous
offer, so I thought. I now recall for MY pc, a 'computer guy' came in
and reconfigured it. Since I knew nothing about computers, my boss
showed me some basics, said I can even use it as a journal (and I
admit, for a while I did), and told me to keep it in my bedroom for
security. Two years later I now know that he had delusions of us as a
couple. In retrospect, I coincidentally received emails from this guy
at the exact times when things were down. I sent no response but
thought...how did he know? It was like he was hoping I would
'rebound'. This guy contacted me this year saying he got out of his
contract, was moving back to CA and wanted to see me. I said I was
seeing someone and wished him well. He sent several more insistent
emails and said he bought a house in my area, was studying my religion
and asked me to meet him. Considering me had no contact since he sold
his business, I found his actions a bit extreme. Sound suspicious? ;)

I have absolutely no idea what was given to me when I took this
computer home. Now...if you were a stalker, cyber or otherwise who
wanted to literally spy on someone via a computer, what would you put
in their pc? What is the potential of privacy invasion I have sitting
here in my room?
>
> ]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.

Windows Me is the operating system. Are security patches software or
is it turning on various security options on Windows?
>
> ]>
> ]> 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.

Logical advice, yes, but if you knew the emotional strain put upon me
because of all the harassment, I guess you would want to pursue some
course of action. I haven't mentioned all of the things that have
happened because of personal reasons but they are extremely severe.

On a sidenote, is it possible for someone to divert outgoing mail so
it doesn't reach it's destination, or what are the possibilities in
regards to tampering with email besides being read by others?

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