This should scare you just a tad.
Most computers (as least those running Windows) give out some amazing information to complete strangers. Here is a frightening example. Cut and paste this URL and go to this web page.
http://centralops.net/co/BrowserMirror.vbs.asp
This will tell you what your browser is telling any page that asks (but only if you are running Active x controls on your browser. If you have Active X controls turned off this page will tell you that too.)
Now scroll down to the section marked Clipboard. Yep, that's right. Someone can read what you last put in your clipboard. Try it again with something else in your clipboard if you don't believe me. Scary stuff eh?
In a related note, I watched numb3rs* last night and it uses the same pedantic over explanation that you often see on CSI. It also uses the same trick the CSI writers use, "What unusual form of math or death can we write about and build a show around?"
That guy from Northern Exposure, David Krumholtz from "The Santa Clause" and the always adorable Sabrina Lloyd from Sliders.
Last night on numb3rs (that's l33t speak for Numbers!) they showed off a method to read a computer screen (referring to Wim van Eck's** work on computers emitting faint electromagnetic radiation) and pretended that some contractor guy would have had the brains to:
1)Ask the PI to install it in the house.
2)Find a PI smart enough to know it would be needed.
I'm probably underestimating the level of intelligence of the PIs used by people. Since I know I have a large readership of people in the NSA and the CIA I suppose I should give the writers kudos for assuming that the characters in their stories are smarter than pretty much 98% of the planet. Let me think about that for a minute. Nah. They writers were just lazy. I'd like to know what Kellyb thinks. Of course Mr. Future (aka Mr. A) would assume that every PI knows and uses these tools instead of simple breaking and entering, but that is because he has a brain the size of a planet. Would you assume your local PI would know that he would need to use something that sophisticated to read someone's computer?
*
** Wim Van Eck
(this is the best image I could find of him. That is pretty sad, unless he doesn't WANT us to find his image, then "Way to Go Wim!"
http://centralops.net/co/BrowserMirror.vbs.asp
This will tell you what your browser is telling any page that asks (but only if you are running Active x controls on your browser. If you have Active X controls turned off this page will tell you that too.)
Now scroll down to the section marked Clipboard. Yep, that's right. Someone can read what you last put in your clipboard. Try it again with something else in your clipboard if you don't believe me. Scary stuff eh?
In a related note, I watched numb3rs* last night and it uses the same pedantic over explanation that you often see on CSI. It also uses the same trick the CSI writers use, "What unusual form of math or death can we write about and build a show around?"
That guy from Northern Exposure, David Krumholtz from "The Santa Clause" and the always adorable Sabrina Lloyd from Sliders.
Last night on numb3rs (that's l33t speak for Numbers!) they showed off a method to read a computer screen (referring to Wim van Eck's** work on computers emitting faint electromagnetic radiation) and pretended that some contractor guy would have had the brains to:
1)Ask the PI to install it in the house.
2)Find a PI smart enough to know it would be needed.
I'm probably underestimating the level of intelligence of the PIs used by people. Since I know I have a large readership of people in the NSA and the CIA I suppose I should give the writers kudos for assuming that the characters in their stories are smarter than pretty much 98% of the planet. Let me think about that for a minute. Nah. They writers were just lazy. I'd like to know what Kellyb thinks. Of course Mr. Future (aka Mr. A) would assume that every PI knows and uses these tools instead of simple breaking and entering, but that is because he has a brain the size of a planet. Would you assume your local PI would know that he would need to use something that sophisticated to read someone's computer?
*
Numb3rs: This show reminds me of "Knight Boat". Every week there's an inlet or a fiord. Why does every crime have to be solved with math. Math sucks. Math never did nothing for nobody. CBS 9pm ET--From Telechimp
** Wim Van Eck
(this is the best image I could find of him. That is pretty sad, unless he doesn't WANT us to find his image, then "Way to Go Wim!"
2 Comments:
EEep! Does it do a history of such copy and paste things? or is it just what is on the clipboard at the time? So could you get an IP number from the site meter at any webchat and be able to pull down the clipboard stuff from that specific IP?
My son talks about being able to intercept computers before the firewall, so he can tell what anyone is doing at any time. So I just assume anything I'm doing is trackable. But still....waaay too invasive.
"So could you get an IP number from the site meter at any webchat and be able to pull down the clipboard stuff from that specific IP?"
I don't think so. I think you have to be the actual computer that comes in to the site.
According to my tests on this script, they only can see the last bit of information stored in your clipboard.
There are some ways to intercept computers before the firewall, but it really has to do with how well configured the firewall is, and what security options you have selected on your Internet Options. For example, turning off Active X controls means that script couldn't pull the information from your clipboard.
Here is something you can do to see how good your firewall/router combination is.
Go to https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2
This is a website from Gibson Research Corporation devoted to scanning your computer. The guy who runs it is very knowledgeable about these issues. The on-line program "Shields-Up" will scan your computer ports and see if any are open that shouldn't be. Think of your computer ports like gates at an airport. They are thousands of them on your computer. Usually only a handful are used (like Port 80). Hackers look for unused ones to get into your computer.
One of the problems with today's systems is that lots of people installed DSL or Broadband without knowing that hackers scan all the computers in the world looking for computers that haven't configured their firewalls. Once they find one that his open they install "zombie" software on them and use them to 1)scan more computers 2)relay spam 3)launch attacks on other computers.
The latest data shows that a huge precentage of all new computers hooked up on China are being taken over and used as zombies for spam. US Spam sending went down from 83 percent of the spam traffic to 57 percent. But the overall spam when up. This is because international computers are picking up the slack.
Finally just another note of warning. It's not if, but when will your hard drive crash. If you haven't backed up your computer info in awhile do it now. Ask your son how. Most people don't do this. If it seems too big a job just back up your email address book and the important emails or files. Backing up everything is time consuming but necessary.
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