RE: Spy Software

["Cirelli, Keith(LBS)" <Keith.Cirelli () LibertyMutual com>]

[snip][paste]
"I believe a user would have the right to know what is running on their system,"
You must understand something...A companies computers are theirs...Period. They have the right to put on them whatever 
they decide/choose/mandate/install unbeknonst to users/ however you want to slice it....they (corporations) provide 
users with computers, merely as a tool or vehicle of sorts to accomplish "work related" tasks....and work related tasks 
only (usually).

It does however tend to make users uncomfortable.

The reality of it is....they (Corps) can..read your e-mail, monitor your web activity, restrict web activity, restrict 
e-mail....or monitor any other thing they provide to employees. It sucks for some...others don't care....but that's 
just the way it is.

Rule of thumb....(for just such an occasion as Spyware on a corporate workstation(s))

Never....ever...ever....do, say, type, browse to, mail to....anything, I REPEAT...ANNYTHING....that you would be 
ashamed or embarassed for your superiors to see.

If it's privacy you seek....you'll probably have to do it at home(and even then it's questionable)


my 2 cents...

[snip][paste]
"and I'm kinda ticked off that SpectorSoft denys such information."
I hear ya. Let me pay you for some software and then don't tell me how it works. LAME!

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Pachito [mailto:alpyha () prodigy net]
Sent: Thursday, April 10, 2003 7:35 PM
To: security-basics () securityfocus com
Subject: Spy Software


Hello, I administer workstations for a small company and the boss recently
asked me to isntall sofware called "Spector Pro".  It is a 'spy' utility
that captures keystrokes, e-mails, instant-messages (YIM,AIM,ICQ), and takes
screen shots every X amount of time.

What I was wondering is how exactly does this program hide itself in the
system.  I've called their techs a few times to end with a repsonse of 'we
are not authorized to disclose such information'.

The recorded data is saved in a C:\winnt\system32\netext\ folder but no
exec.  There is nothing unusual listed in Task Manager that would lead me to
the application running in the background.  Would anyone happen to know how
exactly this application works.  I believe a user would have the right to
know what is running on their system, and I'm kinda ticked off that Spector
Soft denys such information.


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