I recall reading about one guy
-- a real sleazeball mobster
-- whom some government
organization was after. So
what they did was to implant a
stealth program that recorded
his keystrokes
-- computer expert
|
[Website note:
Ad-aware is a free
multi-spyware removal utility -
the best on the Net! http://www.lavasoft.nu/]
How
to avoid or delete "RealPlay"™ spy
implants
Martin Webster
writes:
I GOT two responses arising from my
bulletin
which drew attention to the fact that the
American 'RealPlay' software, which the
BBC's web site requires punters to
download in order to access its
broadcasts, has implants which enable the
RealPlay company to monitor the activity
of all those computers world-wide which
have its software installed (when they are
online). These responses appear below and
are self-explanatory.
 P.S.
I'm not quite sure where all this
advice leaves me, since I live on
Planet Mac. If anybody has any relevant
info, I should be glad to receive it.
1:
To: Martin
Webster
July 18, 2002
WE are aware of the RealPlayer software
you mention produced by RealNetworks Inc.
And can offer RealPlayer V7 & V8 users
the following advice to protect their
privacy.
In the absence of expensive
packet-sniffing software and the technical
knowledge to understand the data such
software produces, it is impossible for
the average RealPlayer user to know
precisely what the software actually sends
to RealNetworks.
The user is therefore has take all
necessary measures to prevent RealPlayer
from contacting RealNetworks.
Measures the user can take to make sure
the software behaves itself.
- When the installation process is
complete RealPlayer will ask if you
would complete a registration form. It
goes without saying the user should
not.
- When the software is installed, two
additional applications are also
installed; RealJukebox, and
RealDownload. Unfortunately users are
not given the option as to whether
these applications are installed. Only
when the installation process is
complete, are users able to
uninstall both.
RealJukebox has
received extensive coverage in the
computer press (An informative article
can be found at http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/7586.html)
for surreptitiously logging of MP3
files stored on a user's hard-drive,
and connecting to RealNetworks to
upload the data. Get rid of
it.
- RealPlayer by default creates a
'shortcut' in the (C:\WINDOWS\Start
Menu\Programs\StartUp), which will
cause RealPlayer to connect
RealNetworks, when Windows connects to
the Internet.
Fortunately this can
be prevented simply and safely by
deleting this 'shortcut'.
- The RealPlayer user can by further
operations protect his privacy by
selecting certain Options:
- Under: View > Preferences
> Support: remove ticks for
(i.e. de-select):
- Send connection-quality data to
RealServers
- Send RealPlayer GUID to Real
Servers (GUID stands for Globally
Unique Identifier)
- Send configuration info when
connecting to technical support
- Enable cookies
5) One of the most important tools
defence against RealPlayer and other
Spyware is the Firewall. Firewalls
do not only prevent hackers gaining entry
to a user's PC/Network, but can prevent
unauthorised outboard communication. A
good piece of free software is ZoneAlarm.
ZoneAlarm users can; specify to always
allow, always disallow, or to ask
individual permission each time for any
outgoing communication. It is the last
option which is recommended, and can be
used to stop RealPlayer from phoning home
(Look for any attempted communication with
any address at the real.com domain.
6) Lastly 'WebWasher' available from
(http://www.webroot.com/)
and 'Evidence-Eliminator'
-- both these includes options to clean
the playlist log of RealPlayer 7 & 8,
as well as other software.
We hope the above is of use. Please
feel free to distribute the above to any
interested parties.
Pete
British
Nation Webmaster
2:
From: [email protected]
Date: Wed, Jul 10, 2002, 6:57 am
To: Martin
Webster
Subject: Re: 'Real Play' surveillance
software implants
Yes, it's true that Real Player is
spyware. But so are newer versions of
Windows (2000 and XP). (I use Windows
98SE.) Generally, they use the data for
marketing/advertising, but what you want
to know is could they abuse this?
Certainly, it's possible.
If you've got a high-speed Internet
connection, some FireWall software is a
good bet. (I don't have a high-speed
connection myself, though I have the
software, which is then useless because it
bogs down my system too much.) There are
programs that let you know when some sort
of spyware is being used. You can probably
find some at www.webattack.com
.
Personally, every time before I log on
the Internet, I make sure I right-click
beforehand on my Explorer icon, select
Properties, then select the tabs Security
and Privacy, setting them to the maximum.
Make sure you hit the button Apply at the
bottom. (You may have to lower the
security settings for downloads or to view
certain sites, but put them back up
afterwards.) Also, in the General tab,
regularly select cookies and delete
them. And change your web page history to
a day or two. Your "index" webpage file
cannot be deleted to the best of my
knowledge. (I'm sure it can, but not sure
how. This is the file that also keeps
track of web pages and is found by doing a
Start-Find-Files and then typing in
"cookies"--in that folder. While it cannot
be destroyed, you might be able to do a
"save as" some type of file that will
cause it problems such as an Excel file.
Also, you might want to search for any
"applets" while you're at it and delete
them.) As an added precautionary measure,
you might want to encrypt your trash
before deleting it out.
After doing that, before I log on, I
hit CTRL-ALT-DELETE simultaneously and
then close all the programs running in the
background of my computer (and RealPlayer
is one of them) one at a time (this is
done several times in a row) EXCEPT
Systray and Explorer. (You can still open
any programs afterwards after having done
this, but this might cause problems if you
do it while you're online.)
Now, keep in mind that Big Brother
might have implanted a stealth program
too. (And while you're at it, when you do
the CTRL-ALT-DEL, if you do this while
you're online, check to see if RNAAPP is
running, as I never noticed this program
running until recently on my computer. And
I think it's transmitting my personal data
to someone, not that I have anything to
conceal. Of course, I'm paranoid, too, so
this might be part of it.) A stealth
program would monitor all your keystrokes,
where you go, what you say, and report it
back to someone. Usually, such programs
operate while online, but this isn't
always the case. I "think" a good FireWall
would prevent this, however.
I recall reading about one guy -- a
real sleazeball mobster -- whom some
government organization was after. So what
they did was to implant a stealth program
that recorded his keystrokes and such, and
then they used that to determine his
password for his encrypted documents. (On
that matter, I've been told that US
software engineers are required to put in
a back door for Big Brother, though I
don't believe that this is applicable to
German software engineers.) A free
encryption program by a German company can
be found at www.utimaco.com
if needed. Also, if you use www.hushmail.com
(which is also free), you can get a secure
encrypted line for e-mail, which if used
with other encryption software might make
it somewhat impregnable.
Hope this answers your
questions.
Related
items on this website:
 Surfwatch
internet filter of ADL- Martin
Webster discloses secret surveillance
role of software installed by BBC
website
|
write to David
Irving