Howie Hodge wrote:
Computers, and their use, can be a very, very damaging thing. You may be home alone in your own house; but you're actually potentially an open window to the world - especially if someone wants you to be.....
Amen.
Brings to mind a very unsettling experience I had late last year (and didn't discover it until months later) in which a person I'd had a previous relationship with had sent me an email with malicious code in it, in which the text went on to say something about trust....ironic, huh?
I opened the email because it was someone I knew and the subject line seemed innocent enough, and I thought it may have related to something pertinent, whatever; I stupidly opened it. I opened it with trepidation, but figured it was ok, since there was no attachment.
Months went by with no word from him, which stuck me as strange, because he was the type of person to not let go unless HE was done with them. When I was the one to end the relationship, he harangued me for months. The person I was seeing shortly thereafter I'd left him bore witness to the endless phone calls, threats, lies and manipulations to keep me in his clutches.
When my anti-virus software began shutting itself off, and several programs ran slowly or with hiccups in them, I suspected that I'd been hacked. I had no idea to the extent that I was infected until a more computer-savvy individual looked at my computer, the router and the other person's computer with whom I was sharing the router. He proceeded to tell me of the massive invasion, the IP addresses found on the router, and both computers.
I won't divulge all of the details here, but suffice it to say my computer friend advised me to get rid of computer, router and anything remotely attached to it because of the source of the IP addresses. He warned me if I were to pursue prosecution of the individual(s) involved that there could be very negative repercussions for me. I know this sounds "cloak and dagger-ish", like a plot from the movie "The Net" but it really happened, and the individual whose computer was also affected ended up reformatting their computer and starting over with a fresh router. I had to buy a new laptop, change every address, account, password; basically disappear from the internet for a time.
The level of intrusion and the length of time that had passed since the original infection allowed this sick individual into my most personal part of my life, all of my online accounts, every keystroke I typed, every email I sent, my bills, bank accounts, you name it, he accessed ALL of it. Not only from the introduction of the spyware, but because of the length of time before I discovered the intrusion, he had the potential to go back for months, even years into my old accounts, saved emails, phone bills, bank statements. I have no idea how far back he went into my life, but it was a real wake up call for me.
The other person's computer was not invaded nearly as bad as mine, but invaded just the same.
To this day, I look over my shoulder and am so paranoid that I've been hacked again. I've driven my computer-savvy friends crazy with my questions and persistent fears of being hacked again when something goes slightly awry with my computer. A lost internet signal freaks me out nowadays.
Lesson learned: if you don't want someone to see it, don't put it out there, as Howie says......
<shivers>
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
