Detect monitoring software.

[Xoligy]

Can anyone recommend a program to detect this kind of software?

I was thinking maybe SuperAntiSpyware would do the trick for the pc but im not sur plus i need software to scan a mac too :/

reason for the check is because my dad says his computer guy said something about monitoring someone elses computer.

[(Account no longer active)]

Can anyone recommend a program to detect this kind of software?

I was thinking maybe SuperAntiSpyware would do the trick for the pc but im not sur plus i need software to scan a mac too :/

reason for the check is because my dad says his computer guy said something about monitoring someone elses computer.

Perhaps he meant he would use remote desktop software to access your PC to repair it.

[Xoligy]

No, the conversation was explained to me im on about monitoring software not remote admin.

[Xoligy]

No one able to help with this?

Will SuperAntiSpyware do the job??

[Phouchg]

The computer guy was pretty vague and could have explained (a lot) more. Any decent antimalware solution will at least pretend to be looking for all kinds of malware - keyloggers, screencapture, camera programs etc.. Try something that actually might do the job, though. Kaspersky, probably. Also has a Mac version, but mac-schmac, nobody writes malware for Mac. Keep it updated daily - it is imperative. Be sure to have properly configured two firewalls (software whitelist and hardware SPI enabled on router). And nothing will do the job if user doesn't want it to. That's the long and short of it.

[Xoligy]

Thanks for the reply Phouchg i dont really want to go into details about what i was told but it defiantly was not right and obviously got my dad worried about his own security. The guy is nosy and will find out things that he really should not know and has been caught out a few times, i'll look at trying some software inc kaspersky (i have a spare key).

Edit:

Will admit i did not know Kaspersky would detect monitoring programs so good to know

[Fugi]

There is a lot of monitoring software out there typically used by schools / businesses.... but you can typically see the process running and usually can't kill it... so any process you can't kill should be a good place to start. Once i identified such a process I would Google it for more info.

[+BudMan MVC]

"The guy is nosy and will find out things that he really should not know and has been caught out a few times,"

Then why and the F would you give him your computer? I am at a complete loss to why you would let someone have access to your machine that you did not trust?? If you do not trust him, then WIPE the machine and get someone you trust or do it yourself.

So just because you run software X and it does not find something, does not mean its clean.. Even if you ran software Y, and Z as well - you still could not be 100% sure, etc.

If your concerned that this computer guy installed something - for peace of mind, I would wipe it and find a guy you trust.

[sc302 Veteran]

If it is a legit software like teamviewer or logmein then no antimalware solution will pick it up. There are more than just those two, a lot more, I am just using them as an example of well known remote utilities. Most legit softwares have a icon in the taskbar or information area by the time, there are quite a few that do not. You will see most legit softwares put a uninstall option in add/remove programs or the program manager is they do an install, there are some that do not install anything or are ran via java script and there are no install traces. The ones that do not install are single use and need to run again when someone needs access. Any respectable person or company will use legit software to assist users.

[Xoligy]

There is a lot of monitoring software out there typically used by schools / businesses.... but you can typically see the process running and usually can't kill it... so any process you can't kill should be a good place to start. Once i identified such a process I would Google it for more info.

Checking processes is going to be hard my dad isn't that great wth a computer unless i get him to install teamviwer and i try ad do it my end but with his mac i would be lost.

"The guy is nosy and will find out things that he really should not know and has been caught out a few times,"

Then why and the F would you give him your computer? I am at a complete loss to why you would let someone have access to your machine that you did not trust?? If you do not trust him, then WIPE the machine and get someone you trust or do it yourself.

So just because you run software X and it does not find something, does not mean its clean.. Even if you ran software Y, and Z as well - you still could not be 100% sure, etc.

If your concerned that this computer guy installed something - for peace of mind, I would wipe it and find a guy you trust.

Budman, i dont see how your response helps one bit but to answer your query and to waste both our times i shall respond...

The guy is always onsite as he works mainly for my dad but has a side business doing what? Fixing computers! (he does the local area)

To get someone else in would mean a minimum of a 40minute drive due to the location, plus figuring out why everything is set up like it is then my dad would need to call them everytime he buys a new gadget and the list is growing! (he lives above his business and the networks are combined (private/guest internet))

Flattening the machines isn't an option my dd would not know how, plus he would need the current guy to install the programs he wanted again because my dad really does not understand it all (he's calling me tomorrow after a scan to make sure he's doing it right)

Also one machine is a company machine and ALL members of staff have access to it as its the media system but has net access and no restricts that im aware of (Sony touch screen)

If it is a legit software like teamviewer or logmein then no antimalware solution will pick it up. There are more than just those two, a lot more, I am just using them as an example of well known remote utilities. Most legit softwares have a icon in the taskbar or information area by the time, there are quite a few that do not. You will see most legit softwares put a uninstall option in add/remove programs or the program manager is they do an install, there are some that do not install anything or are ran via java script and there are no install traces. The ones that do not install are single use and need to run again when someone needs access. Any respectable person or company will use legit software to assist users.

Yes i use teamviewer myself and i am asked to type in the other persons ID and Pass which changes every run of the program what he was describing was the darker side of just getting what he wanted.

Edit:

Forgot to mention my dad is going to talk to someone else about this anyhow he should be able to shed a brighter light on the situation and maybe advise something.

[sc302 Veteran]

Right. Good luck. Perhaps loading on a software firewall and block all outgoing communications other that the browser. That could help.

Btw with teamviewer you can setup a password to never change and setup a teamviewer client to remember the connection so all you would have to do is double click on the icon to gain access. It doesn't always have to change, that is just the way you use it. Many remote utils have this ability. I use logmein for my wife's work computers all I need to do is type in an admin user password to gain access, they don't need to do anything on their end other than have the computer powered up.

[Xoligy]

Thanks for the reply sc302 and never looked at the always on function with teamviewer but will admit be handy when sorting out my granddads machine lol

As for restricting the outgoing communications i guess this is something i could speak to my dad about but would also need to password protect everything i guess, problem is i know he would look on the net to try and find a way around it need to think about it tonight and do some research i think see what i can do or suggest to my dad.

[sc302 Veteran]

Working for a consulting company we would always use something that would allow us access to the customers computer if they were going to be a re occuring client that we would visit weekly or monthly. Home users we only did this to if they had issues with allowing us to connect, but with things like teamviewer, showmypc, join.me and the likes it is very easy to walk someone through getting them there to give us access which does not require an always on client.

[+BudMan MVC]

"Budman, i dont see how your response helps one"

My point is that we could suggest you run 50 different products looking for something.. Does not mean even if you run all 50 of them that something is still not there.

If you have concerns that they put something on your machine to "spy" on you - then your only real course of action would be to wipe it!! Unless you plan on sniffing the outbound traffic and watching for something for a such a period of time that you were fairly sure its clear.

If the skill is not there to wipe and install what you need, then I suggest you contact someone you trust to do that for you.

[+John Teacake MVC]

Yeah the best solution would be to Wipe and Reinstall Windows/Mac OS if your worried.

[moloko]

If you think your system is compromised. Then reformat;

[exotoxic]

If you can not find anyone with enough skill to check processes and traffic i would go with a reformat, like budman says you can not be 100% sure its clean even if you run every scanner available.

[Xoligy]

True, its not my system i know its pretty clean (he says) my dad just wanted to make sure he was clean and then try and find some sort of protection for his computers. I have explained that they are hard programs to find though so protection could be an issue, he said he was calling someone else about it see whta they said seeing as they work in the security area. Its just getting hold of them he says that an issue.

Thanks for the responses anyhow, like i said reformating would be an issue due to lost documents and files needed and no-where to back them up as i have no idea what happened to the nas unit i left at his. Also like i said he wouldnt know how to and would need the programs he lost during the format, also like i said one machine is in the work place so people always have access to it.

Anyway going to let this thread die now, thanks for the responses.

[fusi0n]

"The guy is nosy and will find out things that he really should not know and has been caught out a few times,"

Then why and the F would you give him your computer? I am at a complete loss to why you would let someone have access to your machine that you did not trust?? If you do not trust him, then WIPE the machine and get someone you trust or do it yourself.

So just because you run software X and it does not find something, does not mean its clean.. Even if you ran software Y, and Z as well - you still could not be 100% sure, etc.

If your concerned that this computer guy installed something - for peace of mind, I would wipe it and find a guy you trust.

this. this right here.

[+BudMan MVC]

"ike i said reformating would be an issue due to lost documents and files needed and no-where to back them up as i have no idea what happened to the nas unit i left at his"

So your saying he has NO current backup of these documents he can not live without??

Seems like you have way more issues than possible spy software put on by your computer guy..

So what would happen if I don't know - the HDD crashed like 30 seconds from now?

[primexx]

hahaha oh man this is laughable. I'm susprised it took until Budman to point out the idiocy in using a computer guy you explicitly distrust. And you refuse the only suggestion that actually works, AND have no backups, then have the audacity of accusing Budman of wasting your time. lol.

[Xoligy]

This is one reason i have stopped using this forum, people dont help with the question on hand but just want to argue about "other" things.

@primexx i dont know macs my dad brought one because "they dont get viruses" my dad is not computer literate he just knows how t do the basics hence why he has someone else do the harder jobs but ofc everyone is an idiot if they are not at everyone elses skill level i guess???

I'll report this thread to be closed because because the thread has been going off topic as normal since budman entered.

Once again not everyone is computer literate or at the same skill level as you lot, i get a dozen calls about the same things and have to explain "why" that will not do what he thinks it will do. You say my dad is an "idiot" for not having backups something he does not know how to do yet you lot are idiots for expecting everyone to be at the same ****ing skill level!

[astropheed Veteran]

Answer: There is no software that will find all monitoring software.

Reason: I could invent monitoring software right now, take me a day to make a decent one. No anti-malware program would ever find it because it didn't previously exist. When it eventually learns it exists, I could just make a new one.

Solution: If you're not very good at this stuff, reformat your system with a full clean wipe. Do not use System Restore.

[Phouchg]

That's it. You don't want a proper solution - you want a solution that you have imagined yourself and want to confirm. Don't come to forums with that.

Go to your nosy computer guy, he'll explain everything to you and your dad. I suggest bringing baseball bat, in case he installs something nosy again.

[jasondefaoite]

One post summary of the entire thread :laugh:

hahaha oh man this is laughable. I'm susprised it took until Budman to point out the idiocy in using a computer guy you explicitly distrust. And you refuse the only suggestion that actually works, AND have no backups, then have the audacity of accusing Budman of wasting your time. lol.

[Xoligy]

That's it. You don't want a proper solution - you want a solution that you have imagined yourself and want to confirm. Don't come to forums with that.

Go to your nosy computer guy, he'll explain everything to you and your dad. I suggest bringing baseball bat, in case he installs something nosy again.

Get the facts straight, while i know formatting the computer is the best option i know its not possible because my dad is apparently an idiot (words of budman and primexx) because he does not know how to set up his computers, sort out his network or anything like that.

I asked a simple question and the results were ones that i can not possibly suggest to him because he does not ave the computer knowledge the result is "he's an idiot" im not standing for that bullcrap because not everyone has the same skills as others.

This forum is full of nothing but trolls.

Reported thread again for closure and logging out feel free to waste your time posting.