Computer people - Freeze-Frame Radio

Woo Hoo · The Chosen Woo

Computer people

WebGuy · Doesn't Do Windows

If they decide to do this and they use good software, you won't know it. For example, they could install a key logger that will record your every keystroke. That can then be saved to a hidden file that they can come check out, or it could be saving to a file on another computer on the network, or even automatically emailed somewhere . . . wiht no signs to you.

Depending on how the network is setup, they could easily monitor what web sites you visit. That would be done in a proxy server and not even on your own machine so there is NO way you could detect that.

So the simple answer is if they want to do it bad enough, they could monitor you without you knowing.

disco strangler · Smiles everyone, smiles!

let's not make her paranoid, web!

Woo Hoo · The Chosen Woo

no, Web gave me an answer. That is all I wanted. I am not paranoid.

Jeremy Riggs · 2011 Super Bowl Champions!

Yeah, Woo is TOUGH.

If she can live with an evil pickle fish she isn't gonna be scared off by some dweeby IT guy

WebGuy · Doesn't Do Windows

Nope, I'm not trying to make you paranoid. I'm just saying that IF they really wanted to monitor your computer use, they could do it without you knowing.

WebGuy · Doesn't Do Windows

Here's a security tip for you . . .

Key Loggers are a very popular hacker's tool. If you are ever using a public computer and need to log in to check your email or something like that, be careful about what you type. If that machine can't be trusted, it could be logging your keystrokes and emailing that info to someone.

One way to help protect yourself on an untrusted machine is to open a text editor like Notepad, Wordpad, etc. In there, type a bunch of junk, just get every letter of the alphabet and leave it open.

Now, If you need to enter your username and password use the mouse and copy and paste the appropriate letters from the text editor into the username/password fields. A key logger then won't be able to record your keystrokes because it can't see what you are copying and pasting.

-- Edited by WebGuy at 14:41, 2007-03-28

Woo Hoo · The Chosen Woo

thanks for the tip!

disco strangler · Smiles everyone, smiles!

just ask the IT guy -- "are you a spy?"

Sparky · Phat Cat EL Presidente

My mom has an older computer circa 1999, with a 25 pin parr port, I bought her a printer that only has USB, is there anything I should know about compatibility with a cord?

WebGuy · Doesn't Do Windows

If the computer has no USB ports, I think about all you could do is add a USB card to the computer to gain a port. I don't think they are very expensive.

WebGuy · Doesn't Do Windows

If her computer has PCI slots, here's a card for $11 plus shipping: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815104216

You would just want to make sure the drivers are compatible with the operating system she's using . . . for example on a computer that old, and if she is still running Windows 98, you'd want to see if it has drivers for it. It may plug-and-play, but on a machine that old, it may not too.

-- Edited by WebGuy at 10:33, 2007-10-09

Sparky · Phat Cat EL Presidente

WebGuy wrote:

If the computer has no USB ports, I think about all you could do is add a USB card to the computer to gain a port. I don't think they are very expensive.

Can I buy a 25 pin to USB cable?

WebGuy · Doesn't Do Windows

Hmmm, that I don't know.

I'm looking now and I see $10 cables that will let you plug a 25 pin printer into a USB computer port, but they don't say if they will work the "other way" (plugging USB into 25 pin).

Sparky · Phat Cat EL Presidente

WebGuy wrote:

Hmmm, that I don't know.

I'm looking now and I see $10 cables that will let you plug a 25 pin printer into a USB computer port, but they don't say if they will work the "other way" (plugging USB into 25 pin).

I hope so.

Sparky · Phat Cat EL Presidente

Good news Web! I made my Mom do a double and triple check and she has a USB port!!

All I had to do was send her a picture of one.