Who's watching me

[laurel]

How can I tell if I am being spied upon? I use a Mac Power PC running os9.xx on a home-based network. I know there are programs available for PC's... is there anything comparable available (freeware or reasonably inexpensive) for a Mac to detect whether I'm being "watched"?

[micael]

I think that you can find what you are looking for at one of this sites!?

1. Macintosh security
2. Free Firewall Software

I have not used Mac in a while but the first site above was good and had a lots of information. But I can't advice you what product to use. But we have some skilled Mac users at AO maybe they will see this and help you out better then I can do :-).

[jcmcb]

If you think someone is using your computer with out you knowledge, you can use a key grabbing program to mointer key strokes. I use peeping tom, which also creates a system log....

Hope that helps

[Remote_Access_]

jcmcb> IF there is some one that has access inside your box then haveing a keylogger is to their advantage too. That was probably on their list of things to do but it appears you beat them to it. So, now all they have to do it read your log. I'd put a password on it or make it read only, some sort of security is required there. You don't want everyone to read your key stroke logs do you?

laurel> If you insist on useing a key logger, which i encourage you NOT to, then you may want to add some security to your logs. With out a firewall, then you never know whois in your box untill it's too late.

Remote_Access_

[cF_nM]

This really doesn't have anything to do with Macs or Pcs, but if you have a good quality phone line, and it doesn't give you "phuzzz", when you're talking with someone on it, and they don't usually have "phuzzz", but for some odd reason, you hear "phuzzz", then that is usually a clear sign that you're being tapped. What happens is there is a certain voltage that runs through your line to keep your connection going good with no "phuzzz", but if that voltage drops (the voltage drops when another party picks up the line), then you get "phuzzz". Also, there are boxes and electronic equipment you can buy that measures your line voltage....hope this is a little helpful to someone.

[jcmcb]

Remote - Good point, I had not thought of that...

I was approaching this question from a physical security stand point, as OS X has an pretty good fire wall.

As for key grabber logs, I use PGP to encrypt mine...

[FrequentZ]

I am unsure what the MAC equivalent would be, but in Win 9x, etc. You can run a command called Netstat that shows all active connections....

I am curious why you have come to believe someone is connected to your computer.

[laurel]

Thanks, all, for your input, but I have yet to hear what is really an answer to my question......still looking for a Mac application that is compatible with OS0 to detect a keystroke logger or another means of accessing my activity on my Mac. I know it is being done, because someone on the network has slipped knowledge that they could only have by accessing my email on yahoo and hotmail accounts.

[phuckintwizted]

do others have physical access to the comp? if your not logging out correctly and someone has physical access to your comp then of course they can read your mail and anything else you've done..if you are logging out of your accounts correctly then you may be infected with a trojan/keylogger or similar program run netstat and see what open connections you have , in that case. check for any unknown or suspicious connections or listening ports. As for running a key logger on your own comp, not advisable.

[jcmcb]

Laruel -

I think the kinda app your looking for might be an extention, most of the keygrabberes I have looked at on Mac are...

if so the best way to check is to start up the OS with the extensions off (hold the shift key down to do this) and then check all the extensions you have...and make sure you check for invisible ones two...

That might take care of a low-skill snoop....

-jim