Rented computers secretly photographed users

Rented computers secretly photographed users

www.bbc.co.uk

Rented computers from seven different companies secretly took photographs of their users, US authorities have said.

The companies used software made by US company Designerware which could track key strokes and other personal data.

The software, called PC Rental Agent, captured people engaging in "intimate acts"

(visit the link for the full news article)

Approximately 420,000 computers worldwide are affected by this 'software'. If you have it on your computer, you can be tracked so you can be found, you can have a lot of information about yourself litteraly copied from your pcand sent/sold to others.

The way you write and think are caught in your keystrokes, the sites you visit..
nothing new really, but the outright privacy invasion of embedded software is the big news here.

One part of the software.. the detective bit.. pops up a window and effectively asks you for some registration details.. with which you would very soon be tracked down..

In addition, the FTC said the software had access to much more sensitive information, including: usernames and passwords for email accounts, social media websites, and financial institutions.

Among the other data collected were social security numbers; medical records; private emails to doctors; bank and credit card statements.

Imagine all that being spread around the web or sold off to anyone who was willing to pay something..

So how to combat this? Buy your own PC but you can't afford one? Check for this type of software, but you're not really a computer expert...
There does not seem to be much of an easy answer for many people but the fact that this software is even out there and being used by computer hire companies is a scandal in its own right.

I build my own computer everytime I need a new one or an upgrade in certain hardware. i do not trust buying a system that comes with pre-installed stuff.. no matter how popular it may be.

So these companies have

agreed to settle charges that they broke the law and engaged in unfair business practices, the Federal Trade Commission announced.

is.gd...

what else are we not aware of if eight companies can carry this out? What are the big boys up to??



www.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by Extralien


You mean that isn't a extra value added feature?
I want to see some of these pics..

Username: Obama
Password: Osama
Address: United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Website:wikipedia.com...
Phone: (202) 224-3121
Email: Choose any from here

or You can use the easy way


Seriously, why would I enter credit card and other sensitive stuff into publicly rented computer ?
I believe user education is much more important.

reply to post by NullVoid



Gotta agree there.

I amount of people who use public computers like airport kiosks, net-cafes and the like to do things like online banking is just...well...moronic...

I have a rubber plug over my onboard webcam.

Reading this makes me actually want to remove it. I might end up with my very own sextape on TMZ leading to a movie career in Hollywood! That's how it's done these days right?



Seriously though, there needs to be some common sense applied when using a PUBLIC computer.

PUBLIC, by definition, means NOT PRIVATE
(a "rented" computer is not yours so should not be thought of as "anonymous" in any way shape or form )

LOL

Education has to be the way forwards.

I bet none of these companies, including those who have systems at airports, inform you that simply deleting anything you've done does not completely remove it from a system.
But then, why would they tell us?

Perhaps these types of computer need to have that warning attached to them just as we do with, let's say, tobacco products.

These companies have taken advantage of a situation, regardless of the level of education/intelligence of the user..

Originally posted by NullVoid
Username: Obama
Password: Osama
Address: United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Website:wikipedia.com...
Phone: (202) 224-3121
Email: Choose any from here

or You can use the easy way


Seriously, why would I enter credit card and other sensitive stuff into publicly rented computer ?
I believe user education is much more important.

Ohhh you have made my day that was hillarious

i have experienced this problem first hand,
after getting hacked i tryed to remove the bios battery and found it was soldered to the board,
there was no way to remove it,
while dismantaling the laptop i found a small "specs box" that had paint in various boxes to denote which features were present.
ONE OF THE BOXES HAD "KILL" ON IT
and it was cheacked with the paint

flexirent

at the time very few of my friends believed me but i will be showing them this

xploder

Originally posted by alien
reply to post by NullVoid

 

Gotta agree there.

I amount of people who use public computers like airport kiosks, net-cafes and the like to do things like online banking is just...well...moronic...

edit on 26-9-2012 by alien because: (no reason given)

It wasn't a kiosk or a net-cafe though. It was places like Aaron's, and Rent-A-Center, so they were doing the banking at home, where they thought that they were safe.

Those named in the FTC’s complaints include DesignerWare, LLC; its principals, Timothy Kelly and Ronald P. Koller, individually and as officers of DesignerWare, LLC.; Aspen Way Enterprises, Inc.; Watershed Development Corp.; Showplace, Inc., d/b/a Showplace Rent-to-Own; J.A.G. Rents, LLC, d/b/a ColorTyme; Red Zone, Inc., d/b/a ColorTyme; B. Stamper Enterprises, Inc., d/b/a Premier Rental Purchase; and C.A.L.M. Ventures, Inc., d/b/a Premier Rental Purchase.

www.huffingtonpost.com...

On the right side of the page are the .pdfs with the complaints against each of the companies involved.

reply to post by Extralien