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Communications Connecting - internet cafes, laptops, smart phones - how to connect, use, which one, and intercom/radio systems.
Photo by Hendi Kaf, in Cambodia

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Hendi Kaf,
in Cambodia



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  #1  
Old 8 May 2007
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Thumbs down Be alert for this device
Just got this from a mate, thought it was worth sharing.

Watch out for this little beauty............. especially if your going abroad and fancy reading your emails in the hundreds of internet cafes springing up.......


A new device has been introduced to the marketplace that is a huge danger to anyone who uses a PC that is not theirs. It is known as a key tracker and it sits between the keyboard and the PC. As can be seen in the pictures it is very discreet but is probably one of the most dangerous items of equipment to personal information that is readily available. These devices record every key that is pressed on the keyboard. Due to it’s position (it sits between the keyboard and the PC) the information is logged by the tracker before the PC knows about it and as such is very difficult for the PC to detect. They are available in both USB and PS2 formats so pretty much any PC can be logged. The user puts the tracker in line, leaves it there for a set amount of time and then retrieves it. They can then download the data onto their own PC



If you intend to use a PC that is not yours (ie hotel business centre, internet café, airport etc) I would advise looking at the back of the PC to see if one of these trackers has been placed in line (scrambling under a desk is the better alternative to losing your email details). If you cannot get to see the back of the PC, I would suggest you don’t use it for anything personal. If a tracker is there and you do not notice it, whoever placed it there (could be any user of that PC before you) will be able to recall all of your keystrokes – logins, passwords etc.
These trackers cost less than £30 and they are definitely out there already.
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Old 8 May 2007
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Angry Software key loggers
I think software key loggers are even more dangerous because they are free and already present in many home and especially public computers. Many trojan type of viruses can log your sensitive data and send it via the internet to bad guys, who then use it for credit card fraud etc. This is very common and actually it is very dangerous to enter any sensitive information on public computers. Actually many home computers are infected too, without knowledge of their owners.
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Old 8 May 2007
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Thanks
This is really useful info!
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Old 8 May 2007
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if you are going to use any pc you are not sure of use the on screen keyboard - via the accessories - accessibility option. no keystrokes are recorded as far as I know.
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Old 8 May 2007
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bikerz View Post
if you are going to use any pc you are not sure of use the on screen keyboard - via the accessories - accessibility option. no keystrokes are recorded as far as I know.
thats right. using screen keyboard avoid all the keystore soft and hard ware.

[edit after mmaarten's post] ok at least keeps you a bit safe anyway, the best way is to change your password occasionaly or carrying a laptop/palm/smartphone, etc.. like I do.
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Old 8 May 2007
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on-screen keyboard
Yes, I use the on screen keyboard when not using my own pc, only to enter passwords and login-names. When I'm typing ordinary text in -say- and email, I use the pc's own keyboard. If others are interested in the usuall drivel I put in emails, that's ok by me, as long as my login and password details are safe.

Bill
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Old 9 May 2007
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Talking Lets be carefull out there...
Quote:
Originally Posted by ozhanu View Post
thats right. using screen keyboard avoid all the keystore soft and hard ware.
Unfortunatly that is not completely true.

A simple piece of software (key-scanner, keyboard-reader, what ever you
want to call it) can still read the input from the "on-screen-keyboard".
Key-strokes, wether they come from the actual keyboard or the "on-screen
version" are stored in a small memory-space (previously known as the
keystroke-buffer). There they are collected by the software we use (wether
it is MS-word, Wordperfect or Internet-explorer for webmail use).

Any other program can "read" the same keystrokes and store them in a small
file. It can even record the "active window-name" and thus determine
wether you type in a word-document or a yahoo-inlog-screen.

The only (and oldest and simplest) safeguard is to change your password
often and wisely (don't start with dodo1 and then dodo2 and then dodo3)

Maarten (ex-ict geek)
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Old 9 May 2007
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u3?
What about u3 usb drives? I use one and have not heard anything negative as yet.

Roger.
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Old 10 May 2007
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U3
What do you think is special about U3 drives? They just allow you to run programs off the USB disk and the programs, once they are running, basically work the same as those installed on the computer hard drive. You won't get added protection from keyloggers with an U3 disk.

Another thing to mention is that a malicious program installed on a public computer can potentially silently steal/copy all your data from your USB stick, as soon as you plug it onto the host computer, plus copy additional trojan virus(es) to your USB stick in hope that you'll help to spread them to another computer. So don't carry any sensitive data that is easily accessible on your USB disk.
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Old 10 May 2007
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I copy and paste most of my password from text that are on the gmail login screen. I hadn't thought of the screen keyboard.
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Old 10 May 2007
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Talking It is all the same...
Unfortunately copy and paste is also no solution. It does the exact same thing
as typing, except it does not collect key-strokes from the keyboard but from
the copy-buffer (the clip-board) and places them in the key-stroke buffer.
And... any program can read the key-stroke buffer. It has to, or your software
could not run.

Think of it this way: If your program or your yahoo or Gmail inlog-screen can
read those key-strokes, so can any other program.

Even a voice-recognition system would have the same problem.

Did you ever notice that sometimes a website asks you to type in a
"graphically concealed" string of characters. They do this to prevent automatic
systems from responding. They even have to "hide" and "distort" the
characters to prevent software from recognizing them... from the screen.

The only thing you can do is change your password regularly and choose it wisely. (not
your date of birth and not your middle name)

Maarten
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