There was an unauthirzed entry into my house. Nothing was taken. The dog was locked in an upstairs bedroom. How would I find out if a: keystroke logging software has been installed and is being transmitted or 2) mu info is being remottely accessed by a device placed on the connection outsiide the house. There was a weird workman's truck sitting outside my house today. I am worried about password theft. I live in a very expensive area and had a lot of bank statements lying around the office for online accounts.
Hacking questions
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Well, for #1, you can do a system restore to a date before the break in.
I just did this, & all my info. came just from reading online, so this is just basic stuff...I'm not too technical.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,116573-page,7/article.html
http://security.resist.ca/keylog.shtml
Keystroke loggers can be hardware or software.
To check for the hardware, just look at the keyboard wire where it attaches to the computer & see if there is a cylinder there. Check the rest of keyboard too, underneath etc.
To check for the software, you can check all of the running processes. (Close as many applications as you can first.) I did this by opening task manager & the internet. Then for each process I didn't recognize, which was all but a couple, type in the name of the process to google. Most of the descriptions will be "microsoft process" (if you are running XP etc.). If it is a virus or spyware it will say.
Good luck.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,116573-page,7/article.html
http://security.resist.ca/keylog.shtml
Keystroke loggers can be hardware or software.
To check for the hardware, just look at the keyboard wire where it attaches to the computer & see if there is a cylinder there. Check the rest of keyboard too, underneath etc.
To check for the software, you can check all of the running processes. (Close as many applications as you can first.) I did this by opening task manager & the internet. Then for each process I didn't recognize, which was all but a couple, type in the name of the process to google. Most of the descriptions will be "microsoft process" (if you are running XP etc.). If it is a virus or spyware it will say.
Good luck.
Look at this...
http://www.securetactics.com/monitor
The scariest part is that it can supposedly be installed remotely.
Does anyone have any experience with these types of programs ??? Does it really do all it claims for $80 ???
Thanks for any info.
http://www.securetactics.com/monitor
The scariest part is that it can supposedly be installed remotely.
Does anyone have any experience with these types of programs ??? Does it really do all it claims for $80 ???
Thanks for any info.
That sounds like a good plan.
Although that wont remove files in user directories.
Startup your task manager and make sure you dont have any processes that shouldn't be there. Keyloggin software will probably run as a process on your machine.
Also Run msconfig.exe and look under the startup tab and Services tab to see if you see any programs you dont recognise.
Also another thing you could try in order to spot newly installed software is to do a file search and search for files with a modification date one day before your breakin.
Good luck
I guess running SPYBOT would not hurt.
http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10122137.html
http://www.download.com/Spybot-Search-Destroy/3000-8022_4-10122137.html
yes, look for anything 'extra' that has been added to your computer and network/router (cards, in-line things plugged into various connectors) and identify that everything is there.
if you are truly paranoid about this, then i suggest a full re-install after doing a complete wipe of the hard drive. yes, it's a pain in the butt, but the best assurance you can get. had you pulled your hard drive (without booting up) and had it forensically examined, you would have known whether or not it would have been accessed during your absence.
if this really was some type of espionage, then i sincerely doubt any mainstream software is going to catch anything that has been installed on your computer, unless it's really REALLY good software. for someone to go to this extent just to physically install spywear (especially when it can be done much more easily over the internet) then they're going to use something that isn't 'mainstream' (IE- out in the wild) and probably hasn't been identified.
if you're unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the phone/cable box on your house, then you may need to have a professional check things out. but really, if their goal was to install hardware to intercept communications at that point of access then they wouldn't even have to enter the house for that.
and if you're really going to go that far, then you're also going to have to sweep for bugs also. they actually have such devices you can purchase on the internet, but i don't know how good they are.
so there was nothing of place? no oddly placed bag or pillowcase laying somewhere? honestly, it really sounds to me more like a 'professional' burglary, but they got scared off. but i suppose it's better to be safe than sorry.
if you are truly paranoid about this, then i suggest a full re-install after doing a complete wipe of the hard drive. yes, it's a pain in the butt, but the best assurance you can get. had you pulled your hard drive (without booting up) and had it forensically examined, you would have known whether or not it would have been accessed during your absence.
if this really was some type of espionage, then i sincerely doubt any mainstream software is going to catch anything that has been installed on your computer, unless it's really REALLY good software. for someone to go to this extent just to physically install spywear (especially when it can be done much more easily over the internet) then they're going to use something that isn't 'mainstream' (IE- out in the wild) and probably hasn't been identified.
if you're unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the phone/cable box on your house, then you may need to have a professional check things out. but really, if their goal was to install hardware to intercept communications at that point of access then they wouldn't even have to enter the house for that.
and if you're really going to go that far, then you're also going to have to sweep for bugs also. they actually have such devices you can purchase on the internet, but i don't know how good they are.
so there was nothing of place? no oddly placed bag or pillowcase laying somewhere? honestly, it really sounds to me more like a 'professional' burglary, but they got scared off. but i suppose it's better to be safe than sorry.
Did the burglar leave a paw print? lol 
I would strongly consider changing passwords on your accounts, if not transferring to new accounts. In addition, I would get the help of some professionals both for your computer and the rest of your house - especially your phone. Whatever money it costs is probably a lot cheaper than what you might lose. In addition, you should learn a lot along the way for how to be more prepared for 'next time'.
R
Thinking along the lines of the "weird workman"...
Consider taking your dog to the vet for pregnancy and/or STD tests...
Just to cover all your bases... and leave no stone unturned.
But be careful...
Because the chance of you or your dog being hit by lightening on the way to the vet's...
Is greater than:
(1) "keystroke logging software has been installed and is being transmitted"
or
(2) "info is being remottely accessed by a device placed on the connection outside the house"
Consider taking your dog to the vet for pregnancy and/or STD tests...
Just to cover all your bases... and leave no stone unturned.
But be careful...
Because the chance of you or your dog being hit by lightening on the way to the vet's...
Is greater than:
(1) "keystroke logging software has been installed and is being transmitted"
or
(2) "info is being remottely accessed by a device placed on the connection outside the house"