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Thinking about taking your computer to the repair shop?

 
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ralfy
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Joined: 23 Sep 2014
Posts: 488

PostPosted: Wed Nov 30, 2022 8:16 am    Post subject: Thinking about taking your computer to the repair shop? Reply with quote

"... Be very afraid"

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/11/half-of-computer-repairs-result-in-snooping-of-sensitive-data-study-finds/


Quote:
If you’ve ever worried about the privacy of your sensitive data when seeking a computer or phone repair, a new study suggests you have good reason. It found that privacy violations occurred at least 50 percent of the time, not surprisingly with female customers bearing the brunt.

Researchers at University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, recovered logs from laptops after receiving overnight repairs from 12 commercial shops. The logs showed that technicians from six of the locations had accessed personal data and that two of those shops also copied data onto a personal device. Devices belonging to females were more likely to be snooped on, and that snooping tended to seek more sensitive data, including both sexually revealing and non-sexual pictures, documents, and financial information.
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ralfy
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Joined: 23 Sep 2014
Posts: 488

PostPosted: Fri Dec 02, 2022 8:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I forgot to mention that a guest account might help. That is, go to the user account settings of the operating system and create an account to be used by technicians. It should be for limited (not admin) access and probably doesn't need a password.

My understanding is that it only allows the user to boot the machine and see if the operating system loads correctly; data files in your and other accounts can't be accessed. I might be wrong, so you should confirm this with experts.

The catch is that the account will only allow technicians to fix hardware problems and see if repairs are successful by logging on to that account. They can't uninstall or install software, etc. That means you or a trusted expert, like a close friend or relative, will have to do any software repairs.
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Bud Brewster
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Joined: 14 Dec 2013
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Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Sat Dec 03, 2022 5:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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Ralfy, on behalf of All Sci-Fi's members, thanks for sharing this invaluable information! Very Happy

I hope everyone will be wise enough to do as you've suggested.

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
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ralfy
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Joined: 23 Sep 2014
Posts: 488

PostPosted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 12:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I just found out that accounts with passwords may be bypassed by removing the hard drive and putting it in a machine that uses another operating system. That means your data can still be accessed and even copied.

To avoid that, you'll have to encrypt your drive, which is a tedious process, and potentially damaging if you forget the password or if the encryption process malfunctions.

If you can't encrypt, then you'll have to pull out the hard drive before sending the machine for repairs, which is difficult if the machine is a laptop or one of those all-in-one PCs (machines where the screen and computer are integrated, components tightly packed, such that you need to pry open the casing). The repair man might also complain because there's no way for him to boot the machine and see if it works.

In which case, you'll need a spare hard drive with a copy of the operating system that you're using (minus your personal data), and either replace that with the one in your machine or let the repair man do that while you're observing him.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 11:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

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By gum, Ralfy, you've not only provided us with invaluable information, you've given me an idea for a great story! Very Happy

Suppose a "shadow organization" recruited computer repair people from all over the world to secretly send them data from the computers they repaired. This organization uses the data to constantly siphon small amounts of money from millions of accounts, resulting in billions of dollars being stolen on a daily basis.

This money is used to fund the organization's activities, such as influencing governments, propping up corrupt governments, bribing politicians, etc.

Personal information would be used to blackmail rich and powerful people, coercing them into doing whatever the organization wanted. This would also give the organization control over the news media so that misinformation would be spread.

The scary thing about this idea is that the shadow organization would basically have eyes and ears within every home and business on the planet — without having to install listening devices or phone taps, and without having to commit identity theft.

Spooky thought,eh? Shocked

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
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tmlindsey
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Joined: 18 Jul 2022
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Location: NW Florida

PostPosted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 1:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Most people don't give a second thought about security when they trash old equipment, either. That includes the "Chief Security Officer" I used to work for, who always instructed me to simply throw old PCs, printers and fax machines in the dumpster without wiping them. Shocked

Did I mention I used to work for a BANK and all of the equipment had VERY sensitive information stored on them? Laughing

After YEARS of nagging them about that (and the environmental pollution they were contributing to) they finally got the message...AFTER our 3rd party IT people told them I was right to be concerned and repeated all of the reasons I'd been telling them
Rolling Eyes
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Last edited by tmlindsey on Tue Dec 13, 2022 10:17 am; edited 1 time in total
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Bud Brewster
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Joined: 14 Dec 2013
Posts: 17019
Location: North Carolina

PostPosted: Sun Dec 11, 2022 2:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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Ah-HA! That means we should add agents of the Shadow Organization to the ranks of waste disposal employees — especially the ones whose job is to collect old tech and "dispose of it in an environmentally friendly way".

They would actually ship all that stuff to the same secret locations which retrieve data from all the tech which is sent to repair shops.

I figure the leader of the Shadow Organization would look sort of like this guy.






My God, this would make a great movie about a global conspiracy! Cool
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~ The Space Children (1958)
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