If you install an app,how far can the tracking go?

So I've been using some poker/gambling software which are kinda notorious for privacy breaches etc... and I'm curious what kind of data are they able to detect. This would also apply to all apps that you install on your computer in general.

Would they be able to scan your HD for things or installed apps?

Would they be able to detect your hardware details like cpu, ram, mac address?

Would they be able to detect other devices outside of your computer like the mac address on your modem or your router or your switch?

I'm curious just how far its technically possible for the tracking to go. If you ask the sites they'll just spout out some TOS bs about how they can use tracking if they choose to but they don't disclose what they do, so no help from their side.

I tend to use the computer for other more serious things that require security/privacy so I'm interested to know just how far can this tracking go?

 

bit strange no replies here? Guess it's the low traffic in this section...bump?

 

To answer your question bluntly and in short an app that can get on your pc can do whatever it wants if you have no protection to stop it. Once installed it can capture keystrokes or screenshots view your webcam see all software installed or hardware requirements and.... Oh an in short track anything it wants. Hope this helps and I hope u trust the apps or have some kinda protection.

Thanks,

chris

 

Tnx I suspected that part was true. Would they be able to detect other devices outside of your computer like the mac address on your modem or your router or your switch or maybe your printer?

Also would the bulit in win xp sp3 stop this behavior? Atm I'm using eset 4 but in the past have tried comodo and the default win xp sp3. Is eset 4 enough here or do I need a seperate firewall like comodo?

 

Well... if it runs sandboxed, run in in a very restricted sandbox. If it doesn't... hmmm, virtual machine perhaps, with nothing else there. Wrt MAC addresses etc., well, those are not really a privacy issue, they don't route, can be easily changed and won't tell people anything but who's manufactured the device.

 

Securreten, once you install software it can do about anything.

You can try to mitigate that by installing a firewall with outbound filtering, or better, a HIPS.

Comodo is a HIPS. If you want complete control you'd probably have to deal with a lot of popups.

There are some other solutions like LUA+SRP, DeepFreeze.

But with poker/gambling software...

If security/privacy is required you just can't run software like that. Or you'd have to resort to extreme measures. Like dual booting Windows+Linux for privacy+security.

About your other thread, you don't like updating ? Updating isn't very useful against software that you install yourself !

It's not secure at all.

 

Hmm do you mean they can't get the mac address of the devices outside of the computer? Is this true of the modem too?

I know mac on pc can be changed easily but I can't/don't know how to access my modem to change it. Besides it may create issues with my isp then right?

To fly, I've already updated some important software and I'm working on my issues lol.

 

Poker software, like Pokerstars or Fulltilt, requires install in admin account.
They more than likely use rootkits or other similar custom tools to combat cheating;
Just like other online gaming softwares that use gameguard or other.

It would be better to run any poker gaming software in a sandbox like Sandboxie to limit the effects to the real system.
Delete the sandbox when done, download a fresh copy as needed.

I installed malware intentionally and noted the changes and queries by Online Armor.
Start again clean slate, installed poker software and it made the exact same changes and queries as malware.

If you own a copy of Sandboxie you can use Buster Sandbox Analyser to see what the poker software installs that is malware like.

Anything installed as Administrator can do whatever it wants.
Anything that acts like malware installed as admin, look out.

Everything they want to see.

Anytime there is money and people together, don't trust it. Somebody has an angle.