Privacy

[Guest]

I know for sure that a family member has accessed my desktop pc when I am
away. I will be away again in a couple of weeks. Short of taking pc with me
what can I do to block ? He knows how to get by my log-on password by going
to safe mode. He does not know that I know . YET. I want to avoid
confrontation as long as possible. Please help.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I know for sure that a family member has accessed my desktop pc when I am
away. I will be away again in a couple of weeks. Short of taking pc with me
what can I do to block ?

Not a thing, truthfully. Without physical security, there is *no*
security. Given access to a computer and a little time, any
semi-knowledgeable individual can access the full contents of the hard
drive. Only encrypted files would be reasonably safe. Linux-based
password cracking utilities abound on the Internet, freely available to
anyone who can use Google. One needs only know how to find Google's
search site to gain knowledge of, and access to, these programs.

He knows how to get by my log-on password by going
to safe mode.

Then why haven't you set a strong password on the built-in
Administrator account?




--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

 

[Rishi]

Hello,

You can try a few things such as setting up bios password (you'll have to
Google it, since different bios' have different ways) so that the person
cannot change anything or prevent the pc from booting without a password.
These passwords can also be bypassed fairly easily, however they might
discourage the person from trying, since they know that you've become aware
of security.

And make sure you set a strong password (like Bruce mentioned) and keep
changing it regularly. Apart from that there is nothing much you can do I'm
afraid... except perhaps remove (or take) the hard drive (since you can't
take the pc with you) and lock it up in a box (which is obviously totally
impractical).

 

[Guest]

Okay.... How do I set up the administrator password? Windows XP desktop

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Okay.... How do I set up the administrator password? Windows XP desktop

Login using an account with administrative privileges. Click Start >
Run > Start > Run > control userpasswords2. High-light the
Administrator account and click the "Reset Password" button.

One commonly used security practice is to renamed the Administrator
account and then set a strong password on it. A Strong password is one
that is at least 8 characters in length, contains a combination of upper
and lower case letters, at least one number, and at least one special
character (i.e., @ # $ ! * ). One should never use easily guessed
passwords like pet, spouse, or children's names, birthdays,
hobby-specific terms, or any word from a dictionary, etc.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin