Klarinet Archive - Posting 000106.txt from 2005/07

From: Tim Roberts <timr@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Re: Identity Theft
Date: Thu, 07 Jul 2005 18:16:50 -0400

On Thu, 7 Jul 2005 07:31:48 -0400, "John D. Stackpole"
<jstackpo@-----.org> wrote:

>The following is from a friend of mine on another listserve, but it
>deserves your attention...
>
>JDStackpole
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: tpmsmom
>To: parliamentary@-----.com
>Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2005 9:24 PM
>Subject: [parliamentary] Identity theft
>
>Hello friends,
>
>After experiencing a computer crash last week I completely
>reinstalled my system on Monday. What the Dell technician didn't tell
>me was to put a password on the administrator account for Windows XP.
>My computer began running slow yesterday, and today I called in for
>help. It turns out that both computers in our house (my business
>laptop and our home computer) have been hacked. Tonight I have had to
>cancel all of the credit cards, email accounts, etc. Tomorrow I call
>the banks and make sure we're shut down, and then begin the long
>process of reinstalling everyhing on both computers, because that's
>the only way to get rid of this.
>

This is almost certainly an overreaction. I, for one, do not store
credit card numbers and bank account information on my home computer.
If every file on my home computer were stolen, they'd get a lot of
information about the things I do, but nothing that would constitute
"identity theft".

Some hackers do install "keystroke monitors" that capture every key you
press, so if you visit a credit card company's web site to pay your bill
and enter your account number and password, that would be a real problem.

This is an excellent reason why everyone with a DSL or cable modem
should be using a router/gateway with a firewall.

--
Tim Roberts, timr@-----.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.

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