Tuesday, August 19, 2003
SOMETIMES PARANOIDS ARE RIGHT
And I'm going to prove it no matter what I have to do. I just sent an e-mail to the FBI. That's how upset I am. I want these a-holes. I'm pissed. I'm pissed at the hackers who stole my computer out from beneath me. And I'm pissed at the people in my life who listen to my story and then ask, "Are you still taking your medication?" That really fries me.
I called my brother because he knows a little about computers and I usually value his opinions in most things. He listened for a while, and then said it was over his head. I said fine and thanked him anyway. The next thing I know my daughter is on the phone saying that I have to "admit it's just a worm" because my family is freaking out and they think I need to go to the hospital. He had to call my 17-year-old daughter to share these fears. I don't think she needed that regardless. I knew I was too mad to call him the next day to even tell him off, but he made the mistake of calling me. I gave it to him but good.
Before all is said and done I am going to prove that I was hacked or die trying. I can't stand for my honesty and sanity to be questioned like this. I mean don't we hear about computer security every day? Don't we all have firewalls? What's the big surprise? What's so unbelievable? I'm not a bank or a big business, but I think all they wanted was a new computer, preferably Windows xp with that open back door of vulnerability, that had a lot of storage space.
Anyhow, I don't want you all to get sick of me going on about this. In case you ever wonder if this is happening to you, here are some ways you can see differences between losing your mind and signs that your system has been compromised: These are from CERT, a federally funded organization which provides all kinds of good education and information.
Examine log files. I told you the other day the wild things I find in the event viewer. All the strange log in names and procedures all entered as "successful audits" under security. The 200x a minute message about a plug and play discovery center device stopping and starting to keep me from seeing any other error messages in the system. I did get to see some messages about lots of corrupt data and metadata and refiltering the documents and stopping and starting the index and volume of C: which is where all their files are. They have now done away with the search feature which is how I found their files. It is, I learned today by going to computer components, called "query the catalog" but I can't make it work yet. Check your firewall logs. Of course I not only ignore McAfee but block its access since they have its codes. I now use Zone alarm. The intercepted attempts in the log begin the minute I am logged in. They favor Win32, AOL instant messanger, Windows Explorer, things that sound innocent enough. Then you click the details button and find it is some dll program that is unknown in origin. Check the system logs. Check the task manager. Yesterday I found 40 programs, most of them I'd never heard of, running in the task manager when actually the only thing I was running was the task manager.
Check your user and password files. Are any accounts turned on that shouldn't be? Check for unauthorized services.
Look everywhere for hidden and unusual files. Go to files and folders and clear the box for hide system folders. I found they frequently called their folders by names that sounded like Dell, Microsoft, or sys on the surface. The other thing they do is that when the cursor hovers over the file the data will read something like February 23, 1999, which is years before I got the computer. Then when you go to properties you find the file was actually created July 22, 2003. They did this over and over.
Examine all machines on the local network. Check your local connections. Check your internet connections. Look at anything that asks if you want to share. I have menu choices that I can't change. I can click and click that I don't want to share something but all the clicking in the world won't change it. The cursor is powerless.
There's more, but that gives you an idea.
I've got to run. My underground computer place is closing. I did get them back a little. I found their files on how to use the AOL MusicNet I had just subscribed to but can't enjoy now. I cancelled it yesterday. I am still trying to cancel Broadband DSL but you're on hold forever--that's if I even have the real AOL. i Found files for "dial tones" and "phone recordings." These people are pros. I sometimes think they are the big nest for the blaster worm. They bring the stolen booty to unsuspecting people's computers who have lots of memory, and, unfortunately, I was one.
And I'm going to prove it no matter what I have to do. I just sent an e-mail to the FBI. That's how upset I am. I want these a-holes. I'm pissed. I'm pissed at the hackers who stole my computer out from beneath me. And I'm pissed at the people in my life who listen to my story and then ask, "Are you still taking your medication?" That really fries me.
I called my brother because he knows a little about computers and I usually value his opinions in most things. He listened for a while, and then said it was over his head. I said fine and thanked him anyway. The next thing I know my daughter is on the phone saying that I have to "admit it's just a worm" because my family is freaking out and they think I need to go to the hospital. He had to call my 17-year-old daughter to share these fears. I don't think she needed that regardless. I knew I was too mad to call him the next day to even tell him off, but he made the mistake of calling me. I gave it to him but good.
Before all is said and done I am going to prove that I was hacked or die trying. I can't stand for my honesty and sanity to be questioned like this. I mean don't we hear about computer security every day? Don't we all have firewalls? What's the big surprise? What's so unbelievable? I'm not a bank or a big business, but I think all they wanted was a new computer, preferably Windows xp with that open back door of vulnerability, that had a lot of storage space.
Anyhow, I don't want you all to get sick of me going on about this. In case you ever wonder if this is happening to you, here are some ways you can see differences between losing your mind and signs that your system has been compromised: These are from CERT, a federally funded organization which provides all kinds of good education and information.
Examine log files. I told you the other day the wild things I find in the event viewer. All the strange log in names and procedures all entered as "successful audits" under security. The 200x a minute message about a plug and play discovery center device stopping and starting to keep me from seeing any other error messages in the system. I did get to see some messages about lots of corrupt data and metadata and refiltering the documents and stopping and starting the index and volume of C: which is where all their files are. They have now done away with the search feature which is how I found their files. It is, I learned today by going to computer components, called "query the catalog" but I can't make it work yet. Check your firewall logs. Of course I not only ignore McAfee but block its access since they have its codes. I now use Zone alarm. The intercepted attempts in the log begin the minute I am logged in. They favor Win32, AOL instant messanger, Windows Explorer, things that sound innocent enough. Then you click the details button and find it is some dll program that is unknown in origin. Check the system logs. Check the task manager. Yesterday I found 40 programs, most of them I'd never heard of, running in the task manager when actually the only thing I was running was the task manager.
Check your user and password files. Are any accounts turned on that shouldn't be? Check for unauthorized services.
Look everywhere for hidden and unusual files. Go to files and folders and clear the box for hide system folders. I found they frequently called their folders by names that sounded like Dell, Microsoft, or sys on the surface. The other thing they do is that when the cursor hovers over the file the data will read something like February 23, 1999, which is years before I got the computer. Then when you go to properties you find the file was actually created July 22, 2003. They did this over and over.
Examine all machines on the local network. Check your local connections. Check your internet connections. Look at anything that asks if you want to share. I have menu choices that I can't change. I can click and click that I don't want to share something but all the clicking in the world won't change it. The cursor is powerless.
There's more, but that gives you an idea.
I've got to run. My underground computer place is closing. I did get them back a little. I found their files on how to use the AOL MusicNet I had just subscribed to but can't enjoy now. I cancelled it yesterday. I am still trying to cancel Broadband DSL but you're on hold forever--that's if I even have the real AOL. i Found files for "dial tones" and "phone recordings." These people are pros. I sometimes think they are the big nest for the blaster worm. They bring the stolen booty to unsuspecting people's computers who have lots of memory, and, unfortunately, I was one.
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