My computer usage is being covertly monitored!?

My partner is friend's with the suspect in a local criminal case. I'm downloading grey area survival files off limewire and we're both on the same ADSL using laptops on wi-fi..

Should I be concerned that my usage is being monitored and what can I do about it to increase my er, privacy on a $0 budget, Assuming this isn't of course a case of special dye being in the swimming pool?

[edit on 16-12-2007 by StevenHendren]

[edit on 16-12-2007 by StevenHendren]

reply to post by StevenHendren


What makes you think your being monitored? Idle threats and assumptions certainly can provoke uncertainty but what are the facts? I'm sure a quick google with the terms wifi and anonymous would provide you ample reading material. Internet stealth can happen you just have to be creative.

brill

In case you're not aware of it, everything you do on the computer is stored in a data bank for review by someone. There is no privacy on the internet. The key word here is "net".

If you want to be secure that you're not being tracked or monitored you might want to connect to the web through the Tor network.

www.torproject.org...

reply to post by brill


Thanks Brill, the problem I have is the desktop is offline permanently (until I can get some money to get a techie to replace the power supply) and the wifi is connected to it and somehow the wifi still works on the laptops. Settings can't be changed on the desktop without affecting our connections on the laptops. How would I reduce my search parameters to find something applicable to this?

I don't think it IS being monitored, which is why the exclamation point was question marked.

My concern is that if through her friendship my internet activities which would normally go unnoticed are now being noticed or have an increased chance of being noticed.

I am totally blank on what I can read these days in my country regarding cookbooks and things related to the possession of that kind of information. SO, if by my own ignorance I am flagging myself, what can I do to retreat back into the shadows again, so to speak.

I agree, there are no facts that this IS happening but I would like to know if it IS and would like to know how to know and how to stop it. Of which, you have partially addressed.

reply to post by Rasobasi420


That link was very helpful! Do you use it, are there any cons?

reply to post by StevenHendren


Holy cow. Sounds like your partner needs to find new friends.
Thank God they got such a horrible person like that!!!! Uggg, this is a sore topic for me.

As far as this situation. Looks like they are specifically looking for people who are linked to child pornography. If there isnt any on your computer. If you havent, yourlself, looked at it, etc etc. Then I dont think you have anything to worry about.

They are looking at people who engage in this activity, according to the article. If you arent. They I wouldnt be so worried. I would strongly suggest your partner cut all ties w/ someone like that though

reply to post by StevenHendren


Yeah, it's slow as hell. but if you're really that paranoid, this is the way to go.

reply to post by Rasobasi420


Ok, I am slightly paranoid because everyone IS out to get me

Essentially, I would like to know if people can be monitored, is there such thing as counter-monitoring and what software would be good for that?

reply to post by greeneyedleo


Greeneyedleo, tell me about it! There isn't anything like THAT on my computer, but Al Capone got put away on tax evasion..

Not to say that I have anything on my computer that I shouldn't, but I'd like to know if people are looking in it to see if I do!

Originally posted by Rasobasi420
If you want to be secure that you're not being tracked or monitored you might want to connect to the web through the Tor network.

www.torproject.org...

Exit nodes can be monitored though. Overall its still effective but as you indicated slow.

brill


[edit on 16-12-2007 by brill]

Brill is right.
Tor is slow, and isn't secure anymore, (if it ever was). Just research what Dan Egerstad of Deranged Security did for example.

However, I once posted about a free OS on cd. Its called Anonym.OS Sourceforge hosts the free download

Anonym.OS uses hardened OpenBSD 3.8 OS, Privoxy - Tor, along with strong encryption.

It also does a number of tricks by default, like spoofing and altering TCP/IP traffic, and to an outsider it will look like a Windows XP pc. On top of everything else they tried to make it simple enough that anyone could take it to Starbucks and be running, no problem.

Anonymity is give and take though.
Give up speed and learn a new OS to regain a bit of your privacy.

[edit on 12/16/07 by makeitso]

reply to post by StevenHendren


Read the small print, isp's charge per hour usage, on Wi-Fi service, home service is flat fees, monthly unlimited, Wi-fi usage is mostly Business in public areas, Airports, Cafes, Hotels. So when you log on the clocks starts ticking.

You mentioned something about looking at cookbooks, etc. If you are talking about the anarchist cookbook, well of course that is going to be a red flag.

Anything in that area I would consider veeeerrrry risky.

peerguardian comes in handy, only time I ever got pinged for downloading stuff is when it was off.
phoenixlabs.org...
Also on your router you should change all the default settings(I hope this is obvious). You should turn off your SSID broadcasting, and make sure you have a wep enabled and set up on your computers.
www.practicallynetworked.com... has all of this advice.

[edit on 18-12-2007 by djpaec]