Computer Info Compromised?

[Frank]

Frank wrote:




You know damn well, because you've been told over and over again, that those
links were specifically placed there to help *YOU*

You're just pretending to be stupid, right?...or are you really that stupid?
Stop spamming or else (e-mail address removed) will get a barrage (almost at DOS
level)of abuse complaints.
Want to push the issue...I kind of hope you do. I've succeeded in
getting one other spammer barred by his ISP...it's actually rather easy.
LOL!
Frank

 

[SG]

Hi,

Who has the original letters? not the .doc file.

If he is the owner of these letters and/or the .doc file, why did he Google
for them.

You said he has found a copy of these letters for sale on the internet and
the seller appears to be from the same area. Your friend had his system
repaired in that area, but was it repaired by the seller of these letters?

You ask how did someone acquire this data from his computer. There are
several ways and yes when it comes to Genealogy their are hackers out there
just waiting in the shadows to profit from people. Genealogy is a multi
billion dollar business and anytime money is involved you are going to have
theft. The scenario you have about the repair man looks more so than a
hacker because of the situation, but remember it is just a "scenario" at
this point and nothing more. I'd tell your friend as Patrick suggested,
contact a lawyer and law enforcement. If your friend is the Author and owns
these files, action can be taken and I sure wouldn't want to be in the
guilty parties shoes

BTW, let us know how things turn out and tell the friend good luck.

 

[bojimbo26one]

" He Googled the letters info" which means it`s on the net for anyone
to read and use .

 

[RalfG]

You don't state how your friend acquired these letters in the first place or
if he has originals or just the .doc file. It is possible that both copies
of the letters are fakes, sold to assorted people as allegedly genuine
heirlooms. Genealogy scams are common enough. It is also possible that the
documents are real but your friend wasn't the only one to legitimately
receive copies of them. The second party could be a distant relative for
instance. That's also not unheard of.

 

[AlexB]

On EXTERNAL hard drive that you don't take to a repair shop if it comes to
it. Nowadays memory sticks are becoming a viable and practical option.

 

[AlexB]

It is a very good point or rather set of points.

Not necessarily.


While you can encrypt data on a couple of versions of Vista, I'd have to
say that it would not offer much if any protection in this situation.

I say this because EFS encryption is tied to the account, and if you're
actually in the account - as you would have to be to service the system -
the data is not encrypted to you. It can be simply copied away, and at
worst, the account certificates can be exported and the data copied off
wholesale and decrypted on another machine.

And of course EFS isn't available on any version of Vista or XP with Home
in the name.

EFS encryption is really only of value in cases such as theft or
unauthorised system access. As soon as you give someone access to your
account, EFS protection is just gone.

You could use a 3rd party encryption tool that uses a separate password.
Then only those who need that specific data have access to it, not anyone
who walks up or is given access to the system. The system can be
serviced without giving out that password. This has the added advantage
of not being subject to account damage from Windows reinstalls.

That said, granting access to a system for service or use does *not* grant
ownership of or rights to its contents, and privacy laws probably also
apply (depending on jurisdiction).

Legal action should be initiated as quickly as possible, and whether
lawyer or law enforcement is first should be decided by simple
availability. If the best that can be done right now is to drop by a
police station and file a formal complaint on the record, that's probably
the best idea.

Neglecting to take action can be regarded as approval, and result in a
loss of rights.

HTH
-pk

 

[AlexB]

Also it occurred to me that even this thread in all its entirety may serve
as a court evidence for you. It is very emotional and vivid.

Copy the entire thread and keep it.

 

[AlexB]

Bravo, Bravissimo!

Frank, you are a genius!

You're just pretending to be stupid, right?...or are you really that
stupid?
Stop spamming or else (e-mail address removed) will get a barrage (almost at DOS
level)of abuse complaints.
Want to push the issue...I kind of hope you do. I've succeeded in getting
one other spammer barred by his ISP...it's actually rather easy.
LOL!
Frank

 

[AlexB]

This is my interpretation.

The original documents are in an archive. They could have stayed there for
another three hundred years. However, lo and behold the family with ancient
roots got this obsessive-compulsive and nosy youngster who decided that he
(or perhaps she) should dedicate her life to uncovering everything about the
family history. She (or perhaps he) wrote to the Library of Congress in
Washington DC and asked for some information. They have rows and rows of
boxes nobody ever touched. They said: we don't have stuff.

The youngster went to college and became a licensed historian and got a
permission to peruse some portions of the archive. It took her (or him)
another two years to burrow thru the materials. She found all family related
letters. The Library copied the letters for a fee. She paid quite a bit for
them all plus her time, the whole affair must have cost a bundle.

When she began to read the letters carefully it turned out that some other
figures were mentioned as if they came out alive: George Washington, Adams,
Jefferson and a host of others. Naturally it is a gold mine. She stored all
her files on her HDD and began waiting for a time when she can take a break
from her tedious and hateful job at an office of a computer parts
distributor to start writing a book.

At this curtail moment her machine broke down. The rest is "history."

 

[AlexB]

They said: we don't have stuff.

Should read: They said: we don't have staff.

 

[AlexB]

At this curtail moment

Should read "At this crucial moment"

I am making all these corrections which I otherwise would have never
bothered to make because we ALL who touched this thread as well as ALL
trolls who touched the OP in other NGs will soon testify in court on behalf
of the OP and give interviews to the media.

Just kidding

My speller and the sun glare are responsible for some of my grammatical
errors

 

[ColTom2]

Hi:

Once again I appreciate all the replies that were in fact informative. No
comment on the others....

I spoke with a local friend about this matter who is very computer savvy
and he gave me what seems to be the most logical explanation as to how my
friend could Google and find this info on his computer.

Simply put he has Google Desktop on his computer which of course will find
all files by the name involved. This is the reason that he could find it on
his computer when I nor no one else could Google the data and find it on the
internet.

This to me resolves the Google issue, but does not resolve who nor how
these files were compromised other than by a local source.


news:[email protected]...

 

[Xandros]

Does you friend have filesharing programs installed and if so does he have
his Shared folder set as My Documents? If so all of the subfolders are wide
open.

 

[ColTom2]

Good point.

Thanks


Does you friend have filesharing programs installed and if so does he have
his Shared folder set as My Documents? If so all of the subfolders are wide
open.

 

[Paul Adare]

Simply put he has Google Desktop on his computer which of course will find
all files by the name involved. This is the reason that he could find it on
his computer when I nor no one else could Google the data and find it on the
internet.

This to me resolves the Google issue, but does not resolve who nor how
these files were compromised other than by a local source.

I'm confused here. Your friend can find the information contained in the
documents using Google but no one else can? If that is the case then the
date isn't actually on the Internet and hasn't been compromised at all.
Your friend (and apparently you as well) simply doesn't understand how
Google Desktop works.

--
Paul Adare
MVP - Virtual Machines
http://www.identit.ca
Code: Virus lasting about three to five days, accompanied by sore throat,
runny nose and fever.

 

[ColTom2]

Hi Paul:

You hit the nail on the head, as he did not realize he had Google Desktop
installed until I called him and found out by checking his computer that he
did in fact have it installed. Believe me he now knows....

Sorta makes me feel like awful, but glad that I found out his computer had
not been compromised.

Thanks

Simply put he has Google Desktop on his computer which of course will
find
all files by the name involved. This is the reason that he could find it
on
his computer when I nor no one else could Google the data and find it on
the
internet.

This to me resolves the Google issue, but does not resolve who nor how
these files were compromised other than by a local source.

I'm confused here. Your friend can find the information contained in the
documents using Google but no one else can? If that is the case then the
date isn't actually on the Internet and hasn't been compromised at all.
Your friend (and apparently you as well) simply doesn't understand how
Google Desktop works.

--
Paul Adare
MVP - Virtual Machines
http://www.identit.ca
Code: Virus lasting about three to five days, accompanied by sore throat,
runny nose and fever.

 

[DP]

Google desktop was my first thought when I read your original post.
But I discarded that possibility when you said the letters were being
offered for sale on the Internet.
Where did that part of the story come from?

 

[ColTom2]

And now for the rest of the story.... A copy of his letters are in fact for
sale on the internet, but what he had not told me was that he had published
a book and distributed over 200 copies. Then he found these letters related
to the book and sent them out also which is how someone had obtained a copy
of them and now offers one of them for sale.

Thanks for your posting and I am so glad for a positive conclusion...


Google desktop was my first thought when I read your original post.
But I discarded that possibility when you said the letters were being
offered for sale on the Internet.
Where did that part of the story come from?

 

[AlexB]

No big deal, we had good time anyway. Take it easy.

So guys, no media interviews, no court appearance on the plaintiff's side or
the aisle.

Again, life goes on. There will always a next time.