How to prevent my system info from being leaked

How to prevent my system info from being leaked

I realise websites and my software is managed to read my system and other information about my computer without my acknowledgement. For example:

- Website
When I access to the website, the website can read many things about me (eg my operating system, my hardware specifications etc.). I remember there is a website which shows how many things it can know about my computer. Denying the cookie wouldn't help.

- Software
Software may send out my system info to its own or third-party company. Someone may think that we simply need to block its access to the Internet. However many software requires online activation or registration. during the registration, they may be able to send out such info to the Internet.


Questions:
1) Is it possible to prevent website from my hardware ID or specifications to identify me? Is proxy the only way to do? What if I would like to hide this info too to the proxy?
2) Is it possible to spoof my hardware ID or specifications (the only thing I know I can spoof, which is useful, is the browser), or stop the software from reading this info? [I assume the software won't install drivers or anything in kernel level]

PS:
Please don't say "don't access to the website or software". It does not really solve the problem.
Although I'm not too concerned about that, I would still like to know if it is possible.

 

-Most sites use scripts(JavaScript for example) to retrieve system info. Block scripts
-HTTP headers, browsers string, timestramp are another tools. Disabling timestramp(network tweak). Proxomitron address the other questions if I am not mistaken
-Software that requires activation(like Windows XP) generates fingerpoints of your system

 

I think the scripts I need to block is JavaScript, Java and ActiveX.
Anything else?

What is fingerpoint? Is it possible to spoof this fingerpoint?
Is it possible to spoof hardware specifications, so the software can't read the info correctly?

 

For Firefox and Mozilla, there's the User agent switcher extension. It lets you choose what your browser reports itself to be.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q277/herbalist-rick/Uagent.gif
For Internet Explorer users and those wanting even more control Proxomitron lets you control those scripts individually, and much much more.
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q277/herbalist-rick/prox2.gif
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q277/herbalist-rick/proxfilt.gif
Proxomitron is one of those utilities that you can grow into. The more you learn, the more you can make it do.
Rick

 

That´s the cause of the limited number of Windows activations. Only a limited number of hardware changes are permited within your license
Corporate version of XP don´t require activation at all

 

No, I'm not talking about Windows XP.
What if a third-party software try to read my system info and send it out (via registration)?
Can I spoof the hardware specifiications or ID, or try to stop it from accessing to these info?

Thank you.

 

Yes, I'm using this kind of extension to spoof my browser. Some websites are just stupid enough to stop us if we don't use IE, even the website is still fine with other browsers.

Thanks for the illustration. It should help a lot to protect one's pivacy when surfing on the net.

Proxomitron is like the ultimate web filter. Very useful!

But is it used for browsers only? Can it be used to control how third-party software read my system specification or hardware ID and send out these bits (via registration)? Is it possible to use Proxomitron to filter that bit of data too?

 

It is possible to run certain other apps thru it, depending on whether they allow you to configure connection settings. As for filtering data from 3rd party apps, Proxo willl only filter HTML content (web page format). With apps that use other formats or encrypt the data, Proxo won't help. Some degree of control might be possible with a firewall if the app uses a different protocol or IP address to send the data to. If separate executables are involved, HIPS may give you a level of control, but control over an app that uses online activation is not always possible. Trying to control one quite often will prevent them from activating or functioning properly. I usually avoid that kind of software.
Rick

 

Yes, that's why I am thinking of spoofing it rather than block its access, so my privacy can still be protected (my system info / hardware specifications will not be leaked out) while the application can activate and function properly.

Is it possible to do, as far as you know? If so, how to spoof?

Some application don't allow us to configure the connection settings. Not sure where they get the info. Is it via connection settings in IE?

 

Yes it is possible hide your information. Use Proxomitron which is very flexible but a bit hard to configure. ~snipped url plug~ dog If you want simpler one you can use WebWasher free edition.
Although Proxomitron filters your browser header it can not provide you anonymity. To become anonymous use Tor + Privoxy (like Proxomitron), or JAP+ Proxomitron. If you think that these are hard to configure there is a Live CD named Anonym.OS that comes all the configurations applied by default. You just open your browser. You can download Anonym.OS from http://sourceforge.net/projects/anonym-os/

 

If I have the firefox extension noscript and block java, have the adblock plus extension to block all ads and don't except cookies how safe will I be?

 

I don't think that it will ever be possible to protect yourself, unless you stop using most programs. To stay secure I would suggest to keep your sensetive files in secure place - it will be enough...

Getting know your hardware ID? Well, it's not so dangerous, and there are many other ways one can do this.