How is my computer information accessed?

[NaturalInquirer]

When it comes to browsing history, cookies, caches, temp files, etc. - how is this information even accessed by companies/people (my ISP, browser supporter, government etc.)? Is is automatically transmitted to databases as I type/browse, or do they have to manually/deliberately search or request it? Even if I can somehow protect or hide my info, starting today - am I just hit, concerning my history prior? I'm not doing anything illegal, but I am a very private person. I don't like the idea that my business - is not just MY business.

:disgust:

[renegade600]

You have absolutely no privacy on the internet. Someone knows exactly what you are doing while online. See this. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_privacy)

You can delete most online activity either in your browser tools or by using utilities such as ccleaner (http://ccleaner.com/).

[NaturalInquirer]

Thanks for responding, and for the references. However, I knew as much, and am looking for more specific answers to my particular questions. If you aren't able to answer them, its okay. Hopefully I'll get some other responses.

[renegade600]

Thanks for responding, and for the references. However, I knew as much, and am looking for more specific answers to my particular questions. If you aren't able to answer them, its okay. Hopefully I'll get some other responses.

as I said, you cannot hide what you are doing online. Its impossible. You can make it difficult but thats about it.

As far as other stuff on your computer, if at work, everything can be kept track of by your it department, even screen shots, at home, some software does call home especially those pertaining to multimedia.

apparently you did not read my reference material because it does answer your question as to how others keep track of you. How cookies work and such.

[NaturalInquirer]

Thank you, renegade. You didn't have to get salty about it. I did go to your references, but in reading the one, I thought I'd reached the end of the info - I guess I hadn't. After your reply, I went back and discovered the rest.

Anyway - you mentioned that at best, I can make access to my info difficult. Are products such as IP Anonymity, and their promoters - liars then? What would software program would you recommend? Know of any free ones?

[renegade600]

Thank you, renegade. You didn't have to get salty about it. I did go to your references, but in reading the one, I thought I'd reached the end of the info - I guess I hadn't. After your reply, I went back and discovered the rest.

if you dont like salty dont patronized.


Anyway - you mentioned that at best, I can make access to my info difficult. Are products such as IP Anonymity, and their promoters - liars then? What would software program would you recommend? Know of any free ones?
personally I dont trust them, I believe they are keeping logs, in spite of what they say - they are going to protect themselves from illegal activities and they need something to bargain with if the authorities intervene.

whatever you do, you start with your isp, you cannot bypass your isp, every bit of traffic you get or send goes through them and they have your ip address and your real name and address and where stuff is coming from.

Your isp could also be selling this info. (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070315-your-isp-may-be-selling-your-web-clicks.html)

[NaturalInquirer]

Oh - okay... Thanks for the heads up.

As for your assumption that I was patronizing you - I don't know what the hell you're talking about. If you're referring to my comment that its okay if you couldn't answer, and that I'd see if anyone else responded - I wasn't trying to sound sarcastic; that was a genuine statement. I called myself being cordial. I'll try to watch my wording, from now on. As for you - sensitivity, narrow-mindedness, natural pessimism - whatever your issue is...Check yourself. Don't nobody need that shi*.

[Miz]

How is your computer's data accessed? In the ordinary course of events, it's not.

If the government suspects your computer of being engaged in illegal activity, that goverment can get a subpoena to force your ISP to hand over whatever logs they have which apply to your computer's IP's activity. It can then get more subpoenas to get records from other computers/servers your IP accessed. It can also subpoena email records. Keep in mind that email messages may pass through numerous computers/servers before reaching their destinations. Each will have logs of some sort. I don't know how detailed those logs are.

Apparently, the government can access records of instant messenger transmissions. I don't know the details of how that's done.

As far as illicitly accessing the data on your computer's hard drive, popularly called "hacking" but more accurately called "cracking," how, or whether, that's done depends on the level of your computer's security...software firewall, hardware firewall, strong passwords and/or any intrusion detection devices or programs. The better the security, the more difficult it is to get by it.

Since most personal computers do have some sort of security, it takes time and effort to crack it. Since most personal computers contain little valuable data, it's generally not worth the time and effort.

Crackers go after lucrative targets...financial institutions, governments, credit card companies. Why spend the time and make the effort to crack into a personal computer that may or may not have a credit card or bank account number somewhere on the hard drive when that time and effort could be put into cracking into computers containing millions of credit card and thousands of bank account numbers?

That leaves the "script kiddie," the cyber version of vandals. They just want to be able to crack into someone's computer so they can say they did. They like to leave proof they got in. Either they delete data or leave messages. Decent security will generally take care of their efforts.

There is also cracking in order to create an army of "zombie" computers. They are used to mount attacks on other computers...web servers and governments are common targets. Decent security will forestall software being implanted on your computer to turn it into a "zombie."

Then there's the foolish sharing of personal information across the net; using real names, addresses, phone numbers, etc. when filling out profiles on bulletin boards, for instant messengers, for chat rooms. Handing out social security numbers, bank account numbers and assorted other private data in response to "phishing" email as well as providing that information in chats and email is an open invitation to have it stolen.

As far as the workplace; the computers belong to the employer. The internet account belongs to the employer. The employer can monitor the use of his computers and his internet account as closely as he wants. How closely that is depends on the employer. The way to find out is to ask the employer who may or may not tell you.

[NaturalInquirer]

Thank you, so much. Very helpful!

[dammit]

Very good comprehensive answer miz! :happy: ;)

[Sir Yuck]

I'm a very private person also, How would I keep them from keeping logs? thats just plain rude to watch others online use.

[Miz]

Except for computers suspected of being used for illegal purposes, nobody's watching what you do online.

There are millions of computers online at any given time. Watching all of them is impossible. Going through the logs of what all of them do is impossible.

As far as keeping them from keeping logs...they (whoever they are) own the computers/servers. They can log whatever they like of their own computer's activity.