New worm and a qauestion about Gmail

Discussion in 'privacy general' started by Beginner, Sep 21, 2004.

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  1. Beginner

    Beginner Registered Member

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    Hello everyone, i hope than you could help me.
    By chance i read about a new worm than use the home computer webcams, for victim.
    Tish kinf of worm, access to your computer, and exploit a code than allow the to the person than make the worm to look via your camera all the pleaces tha the webcam film..
    TGhe dengerous thing is, it's sill working even if the webcam is off.
    How can i protect from this worm?
    I have Norton Anti-virus 2003 updated and Win 2000 Updated.
    I use 2WIRE modem than have a firewall in it.

    My seconf\d question is abput the new e-mail service of Google, the GMAIL.
    I heard than anyone of the e-mails than you get are scan by a computer than allow to put some advertsment "than you will interest".
    Than this service have another privacy problem? it is more secure, to use the Hotmail system - i mean only on the user privacy.

    Thanks a lot!
    And i'm sorry for my English, i'm try to improbe it. :)
     
  2. snowbound

    snowbound Retired Moderator

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    Hi Beginner. :)

    Are u speaking of the Rbot-GR worm?

    If so, there is some good info here,

    http://www.vnunet.com/news/1157577

    As it says at the bottom of the article, to help protect yourself, make sure u have a good AV and Firewall and unplug your webcam when not in use.

    Hope this helps.


    snowbound
     
  3. Beginner

    Beginner Registered Member

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    Hi, thanks a lot for your answer!
    It's exactly what i looked for..
    I have Norton Anti-Virus 2003 updated, and Windows 2000 updated.
    About the firewall, i'm sharing my Internet connection with another computer in my house via modem 2WIRE.
    This modem have a firewall on it.
    Thats this firewall is enough to protect an home pc?
    Or than i need to use another firewall?

    And about GMAIL, thats it's really keep the privacy of the users? like Hotmail?
    Beside the computer than scan the incoming messages to find "hot" words for advertsment, it's have something else?

    Thanks to all :)
     
  4. snowbound

    snowbound Retired Moderator

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    Well, iam not familiar with 2 wire modem and also iam not a firewall expert so i can't comment on it's effectiveness.

    If u want to get better opinions on this or any types of firewalls just start a thread in the other firewalls forum. We have very knowledgable people here and i'm sure you'll get the answers u need.

    As far as GMail, which i also am not familiar with, looks to me like typical web mail with spam filters and some virus protection.

    More info here,

    http://gmail.google.com/gmail/help/about.html

    so i would say it's no better or worse then Hotmail....

    Hope this made sense.

    Sorry i couldn't have been more help.


    snowbound
     
  5. Sweetie(*)(*)

    Sweetie(*)(*) Registered Member

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    yes goolge's GMAIL has targeted advertising, eg: if u send an email with the word travel in it, u will get advertising from travel companies that pay google for this privelage.this is true and has been officially announced by google.

    say goodbye to your privacy and hello to massive spam.
     
  6. Beginner

    Beginner Registered Member

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    Hi, thanks a lot for the answers!! :)
    About the privacy problems with google, ut's realy so bad?
    I read than google search your mail to find which ads to put on the side of the page, but is not a human than read any of the mails, is a computer, than need to read millions of e-mails per day, and google don't save the information anyway..
    Is like when you search : Travel on google, and you get on the page side some ads with hotel offers, and etc.
    It;'s the same thing right? is really so bad?

    And another question, can someone sujest a good e-mail service than not affect the privacy of the user?
    What about SPYMAC? they hava a giga speace too..

    Thanks a lot :cool:
     
  7. ronjor

    ronjor Global Moderator

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    Beginner

    The only way to have privacy with email is to encrypt your mail from your computer to the receipiant.

    If you use an online mail service provider, you are at their mercy as far as privacy goes.

    The mail service providers have to pay for their equipment, etc, and they do this using advertisers.

    Even if you pay for no ads, your mail is still on their server.

    Who do you trust? :)
     
  8. tuatara

    tuatara Registered Member

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    I agree with ronjor, if you send email you must be aware that
    there are always people that can read your mail.

    If the mail is not encrypted then every system administrator
    or network specialist on the route of your mail is able to read that.

    There were previous discussions regarding this subject before,
    just search through these forums.

    If you want to know more details, but find it difficult to ask in English you can send me a private message/mail in Deutch,Nederlands,Polish and Malayu



    :)
     
  9. Beginner

    Beginner Registered Member

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    Ok i got it.
    I want to thank to everyone than help in this thread :)
    My last question is, i understood than the e-mails than i sent are not encrypted so it's not so secure to read them.
    But, i want to know if someone know a e-mail service than will be better on the security detaills. (like, i heard so e-mails services than sells the e-mails directions of thir members..)
    It's Hotmail good enough?

    Thanks a lot :)
     
  10. snowbound

    snowbound Retired Moderator

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    Not really, if not encrypted as Ronjor and tuatara said, your mail can be read by other people.

    This one is not free but it is one of the best,

    http://www.ritlabs.com/en/products/

    SecureBat! has on the fly encryption.

    There are some free tools to encrypt your hotmail. I don't know how good they are but here's one of them,

    http://www.geocities.com/samantmv/cryptopad.html

    Hope this helps.


    snowbound
     
  11. no13

    no13 Retired Major Resident Nutcase

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    Wouldn't YOU like to know?
    Hey... Every mail co that inserts ads reads your mail. Infact ALL mail you send using HoTMaiL is coyprighted property of hotmail (so never send your thesis drom there). Also, Google scans electronically - no human intervention. Also, acc. to a US court ruling about 1 yr. ago, any co. can read mail stored in their servers (i.e. mail in transit).
    About spymac - Its buggy. about other 1GB emails - walla.com is spyware and buggy, rediffmail.com is graphic ads (but trusted site), while gawab.com is equal to walla.com.
    Simple solution is - write your mail in txt file, encrypt it, and send it as a renamed jpg file attachment. Just tell the person on the other end what you did. Simple privacy.
    Or use HushMail - 1048bit security (only 2mb mailbox, but what the heck)
     
  12. ronjor

    ronjor Global Moderator

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    Safe-Mail

    This is a handy site. I don't put any info I can't lose on any online mail site.
     
  13. Beginner

    Beginner Registered Member

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    Hey, thnk you very much!! thanks to all of you :)
    So, here is my last question: every e-mail than i have on my Hotmail could be readed by people of the hotmail co.
    What aboout the privacy policy? the allow to do that?
    And anyway, hotmail have millions of users, i think that the case than someone will read you mail on the hotmail account, is not big - right? (anyway.. i had nothing important there :p)
    Does hotmail scan the e-mails too? like gmail's does?

    Thanks again :)
     
  14. no13

    no13 Retired Major Resident Nutcase

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    Wouldn't YOU like to know?
    I believe so.
    Also... they OWN by copyright ANY messages you send (read the EULA)... so any thesis/invention you have that's gonna getcha fame...they can claim it was theirs by law!!!
     
  15. ronjor

    ronjor Global Moderator

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    Who knows? :)
     
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