Keylogger on my computer

I just did my monthly C drive sweep / cleanup and found a keylogger program had sneaked onto my machine somehow /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon8.gif I don't know how it got there or who it was serving, does this mean I'm going to have to change all my passwords everywhere now ? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif

Sometimes computer viruses install keylogger programs. They're after credit card numbers more than they're after passwords. If you've bought anything online, you may have to get your card numbers changed.

Oh bunnies, yes I have bought a couple of hobby supplies over the last fortnight /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif Thanks, paulr - I'll get onto it ASAP.

scary stuff.

would a regular up-to-date antivirus pick up something like this?

Bob

bob, i prefer spybot s&d for detecting keyloggers

http://www.safer-networking.org/

I use Pest Patrol for spy / ad / griefware. I'm so annoyed about this; I check for Norton updates practically every day since the SoBig.F virus and I generally run the firewall settings at max, except for trusted sites (like CPF) and sites I need to look at, that won't work with them at high level. I don't know how it got on, I suppose I must have just dropped my guard for a moment at the wrong time and picked the little b*st*rd up that way.

The people who do this make me sick and I'm (despite my frequent liberal pretentions) rapidly coming to the conclusion that they should all be dealt with under anti-terrorist legislation (along with spammers), as they force us to alter our everyday routines in order to maintain some small degree of "normality" in our lives. I suppose that because I'm running a commercial site, I will have to do a full sweep every week, maybe even every day, to ensure my machine is clean.

It's been one of those "long, uphill" kind of weeks and this is really not what I need. Sometimes I just want to chuck it all in, become a hermit and go live in a cave somewhere.

One question: would switching to Linux prevent this from happening again ?

GNU/Linux distros tend to have far fewer virus problems than Windows, partly because of better security to begin with, partly because they're not targeted as often. However, they tend not to have as many creature comforts, and need a bit more technical awareness to operate, than Windows systems. As a techie, I use GNU/Linux myself and get by without Windows. I'm very happy with it, but it definitely has areas that need improvement, and I can't promise it will meet your expectations.

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lightnix said:
Sometimes I just want to chuck it all in, become a hermit and go live in a cave somewhere.


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Don't do that!

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One question: would switching to Linux prevent this from happening again ?

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Yes, or better yet, since you asked, Mac.

and before you ask...higher hardware cost up front? Yes. Total cost of ownership? Much lower than PC--unless you count all the neat toys a Mac makes you want to buy (Digital camera, digital video camera, etc.) because they just work so well, and effortlessly.

Ok ok I'm done.

We seem to have this conversation every coupla weeks.

Saaby,

Mac? Come on man, it's bad enough your into Saab's. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Mike

The go together.

I'm not here to fight, just drop my comments and then answer any questions directed towards me.

to heck with it.

im gettin' a mac...and a saab!

heh, heh...kidding!

yes, i will run my spybot/adaware tomorrow morning.
that is creepy that you use so much protection, but was still invaded!

Bob

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paulr:

They're after credit card numbers more than they're after passwords. If you've bought anything online, you may have to get your card numbers changed.

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lightnix:

... yes I have bought a couple of hobby supplies over the last fortnight

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Bummer.
Did it disable your firewall? Sounds like maybe more than just a keylogger problem.

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Did it disable your firewall?

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I don't think so, but I'm having a local computer genius check out the machine later, to see if we can find out where it came from and how long it's been there. I checked up on my "major" credit card today and there seems to be nothing amiss, although I have ordered a new one, to be on the safe side.

Examination of the Pest Patrol logs reveals that it is a commercially available piece of sh... er... software called KeyLogger Pro by a company called Explore Anywhere Software, purveyors of fine Spyware to the paranoid masses.

If found their testimonials page and sent the following e-mail to the address listed at the top of it...

Dear Sirs,

well, I'm not delighted with your software, far from it. Last night I was doing a scan of my hard drive and found KeyLogger Pro sitting there. I don't know how it got there, I certainly didn't install it. It's my machine and I'm the head of the house, so how did it get there ?

It seems it was installed by an unknown third party, probably while I was surfing the internet, possibly by a hacker and has been used to spy on me without my knowledge or consent, for no valid or legitimate reason that I know of. I don't know how long it's been there, probably less than a month, but who knows what data has been collected and reported.

Thanks to KeyLogger Pro, I am now having to change all my credit/debit cards and internet passwords and will be invoicing you for the time and inconvenience to which I have been put by your software. I have yet to calculate the cost, but estimate that it will be in excess of US$2,500.

While I appreciate that you software may have "legitimate" uses, I doubt that this is one of them. In my opinion you have a Duty Of Care to ensure that your software is not misused in this fashion and that you have failed in this Duty.

I will be taking legal advice on this matter, to see what action can be taken against your company, to obtain further compensation for this gross invasion of my privacy.

Yours faithfully...

I'll let you know if they answer. While I'm waiting, does anybody know of a low/no cost way I can get some US lawyers after this company, or recommend a course of action to take against them ?

All help appreciated.

I'm gathering that PestPatrol got rid of it so it is no longer a problem?

so you plan on sueing this company for the actions of internet hackers?
i hope people don't start sueing the makers of box cutters because the 911 terrorists used them... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif

these programs have legitimate uses, and while they can certainly be used in an innapropriate fashion, i don't think it's the responsbility of the company to pay for damages induced by a third party...

Unless you can document the point of insertion directly tied to their IP address, they can claim that someone else used their product incorrectly. The company where you actually picked up the software will produce the Terms of Acceptance where by you agreed to allow this download by using their site. It could have been in one of those pages of legal blah blah we usually accept blindly. How many people read the End User License Agreement. The TOA could have been hidden under the enter button, accessible by right clicking and reading the properties or some clever trick.

Sounds like I am talking from experience? I did not get keylogger software but picked up a trojan that changed my home page to cool search. Took two days of surfing to find a site that had the cure for fixing the registry and removing that pest.

Long distance slammers used to embed a contract signup clause in the 3 point fine print in the information packets that came with consumer devices that had those mail in registration cards. Registering not only fed shopping data to them but switched your long distance. Later if you complained, they had a signed form that you agreed to. clever.

A more clever approach is to identify the sources of the annoyance, go to their site and get their email addresses or snail mail addresses and enter that data to sign them up for lists and stuff. I have actually done this to some places and also called a 800 number to cancel junk faxes coming in on my voice mail number and they happily accepted their regular telephone number for subscriptions to receive their own junk faxes.

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Saaby said:
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lightnix said:
Sometimes I just want to chuck it all in, become a hermit and go live in a cave somewhere.


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Don't do that!

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One question: would switching to Linux prevent this from happening again ?

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Yes, or better yet, since you asked, Mac.

and before you ask...higher hardware cost up front? Yes. Total cost of ownership? Much lower than PC--unless you count all the neat toys a Mac makes you want to buy (Digital camera, digital video camera, etc.) because they just work so well, and effortlessly.

Ok ok I'm done.

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These alternative OS'es have the advantage for now of lower user bases. I have read recently that Linux has started to receive more targeting from viruses and hackers due to it's becoming more prevalent. Same thing happend to PDA's. Now that they are so common, the hackers have started attacking them as well. Hackers as a rule will target the largest base of users as it will caue more disruption. That is how they get their chubbies, I guess /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/popcorn.gif

You might already be aware of this, but I do a "Shields Up" test on my firewall here. Scroll down a bit on the page to find it. You can scan for holes on a large range of ports, or just the common ones. Great site overall for security info.