smithma01
asked on
Can my internet traffic ever be safe from spying?
I've heard of the balck box project and want to know how the banks and other organisations who need information secuirty, stop 3rd parties from snooping on their internet traffic. I know that anti-terrorisum is a real need however I feel that there are so many agencies in the Uk and around the world who can view this information that I am thinking about not using the internet at all.
I ask this as I am planning to start my own business but am afraid that my ideas and work can be stolen by third parties who hide behind the terrorisum excuse or who work for service provider companies as I know just how easy this can be to do if you are in the right organisation.
I may be paranoid but it dosent mean I dont have a point - any info would be useful!
Thanks
I ask this as I am planning to start my own business but am afraid that my ideas and work can be stolen by third parties who hide behind the terrorisum excuse or who work for service provider companies as I know just how easy this can be to do if you are in the right organisation.
I may be paranoid but it dosent mean I dont have a point - any info would be useful!
Thanks
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
ASKER
Thank you - your spot on - worrying isnt it...
I work for a UK government affiliated organisation which has a MAN link operated by a large well know organisation and am pretty sure that public traffic goes through their systems and the managers or sorry, invoice signers are too matey with the service provider, so they can informally and underhandedly monitor, or whatever they like.
I also VPN using citrix form time to time and am sure that they have logged my home address and are monitoring traffic from time to time. Maybe DNS queries are hitting their systems from mine - I've tried visiting (legal) adult sites from my address while VPN'ed in - in the hope they will try and do something against me and I can sue them for privacy infringement or at least make lots of noise to make them look bad as these people can use this information in any way they want and I for one dont think this its right.
For the most part I do research on my home computer(s) so am a little worried that they are watching what I do - most of them are talentless f*cks so they would love to steal my ideas etc...
They also frequently mention black box which is a crappy application they have within the organisation, but its also a UK government secret scanning system which logs all internet traffic and is similar to Chinas blocking systems only without the blocking aspect - I know this is useful in the fight against terrorism, etc and support this - but at the end of the day I'm just an ordinary guy who uses the net for normal things 95% email, research and education and 5% (adult) porn and p2p/torrents etc - and I dont think I'm alone in this...
Cheers for the insight - think I'll phase out my research and do things the old fashioned way, down the library ;-)
I work for a UK government affiliated organisation which has a MAN link operated by a large well know organisation and am pretty sure that public traffic goes through their systems and the managers or sorry, invoice signers are too matey with the service provider, so they can informally and underhandedly monitor, or whatever they like.
I also VPN using citrix form time to time and am sure that they have logged my home address and are monitoring traffic from time to time. Maybe DNS queries are hitting their systems from mine - I've tried visiting (legal) adult sites from my address while VPN'ed in - in the hope they will try and do something against me and I can sue them for privacy infringement or at least make lots of noise to make them look bad as these people can use this information in any way they want and I for one dont think this its right.
For the most part I do research on my home computer(s) so am a little worried that they are watching what I do - most of them are talentless f*cks so they would love to steal my ideas etc...
They also frequently mention black box which is a crappy application they have within the organisation, but its also a UK government secret scanning system which logs all internet traffic and is similar to Chinas blocking systems only without the blocking aspect - I know this is useful in the fight against terrorism, etc and support this - but at the end of the day I'm just an ordinary guy who uses the net for normal things 95% email, research and education and 5% (adult) porn and p2p/torrents etc - and I dont think I'm alone in this...
Cheers for the insight - think I'll phase out my research and do things the old fashioned way, down the library ;-)
ASKER
Sorry forgot to ask, I'm using Vista at the moment both with IE7 and Firefox as browsers, I see vista uses IPv6 along with v4 by default - will IP6 provide any better security than v4?
Cheers!
Cheers!
Nope just more addressing space.
ASKER
Thanks for the reply!
Note about Vista... there was an article not too long ago on Slashdot. This security researcher had installed Vista, and had booted his system Hadn't opened any apps, wasn't really doing anything on it. It was just sitting there.
He had a packet sniffer on his network, and he suddenly noticed his Vista PC making outbound connections. He check the IP addresses and they were registered to Halliburton (major US gov't defense contractor) and a three-letter US gov't agency.
Again, he wasn't using the PC. He'd just booted it up. There was no reason for the PC to be making those connections.
If all you're worrying about is Internet Exploder, you're really not paying attention.
He had a packet sniffer on his network, and he suddenly noticed his Vista PC making outbound connections. He check the IP addresses and they were registered to Halliburton (major US gov't defense contractor) and a three-letter US gov't agency.
Again, he wasn't using the PC. He'd just booted it up. There was no reason for the PC to be making those connections.
If all you're worrying about is Internet Exploder, you're really not paying attention.
ASKER
Lordy, heres me feeling all safe and sound with MS Onecare installed (paid for firewall, AV and spy ware protection from Microsoft for vista platform)
I'm not doing, and havent done anything on my system to worry about but it makes you think...
Played with Linux a bit, but must say I do like the user friendlyness and look of MS products - Your propably laughing your socks off at this - but at the end of the day I dont think I've got to much to worry about given there are real nutters out there.
Thanks for your input on this - it was just a thought that occoured to me with the recent trading 'fraud' stories at a french bank which have been in the UK news. I dont think I am being spied on but theres a few guys at work who like to show off their skills and I have a habit of rubbing them up the wrong way ;-) so this is why I mentioned the above in my earlier posts.
Thanks.
I'm not doing, and havent done anything on my system to worry about but it makes you think...
Played with Linux a bit, but must say I do like the user friendlyness and look of MS products - Your propably laughing your socks off at this - but at the end of the day I dont think I've got to much to worry about given there are real nutters out there.
Thanks for your input on this - it was just a thought that occoured to me with the recent trading 'fraud' stories at a french bank which have been in the UK news. I dont think I am being spied on but theres a few guys at work who like to show off their skills and I have a habit of rubbing them up the wrong way ;-) so this is why I mentioned the above in my earlier posts.
Thanks.
PsiCop,
Just because something shows up on /. doesn't mean it is fact. Check the comments under that article from MANY IT professionals calling the article bogus for many reasons. Conspiracy theorists will always find what they are looking for, as long as they look long enough and try hard enough.
Be smart and the internet is safe. I have 15 yrs of heavy internet use and have had no problems whatsoever (no stolen information, viruses, malware, etc.)
Just because something shows up on /. doesn't mean it is fact. Check the comments under that article from MANY IT professionals calling the article bogus for many reasons. Conspiracy theorists will always find what they are looking for, as long as they look long enough and try hard enough.
Be smart and the internet is safe. I have 15 yrs of heavy internet use and have had no problems whatsoever (no stolen information, viruses, malware, etc.)
ASKER
Thank you both for your comments, you both make a lot of sence - I cant say I've had any problems either but its good to understand the hypertheticals.
You both know a lot more than I - so thanks for sharing!
You both know a lot more than I - so thanks for sharing!
@PsiCop
your comments "He had a packet sniffer on his network, and he suddenly noticed his Vista PC making outbound connections. He check the IP addresses and they were registered to Halliburton (major US gov't defense contractor) and a three-letter US gov't agency."
I just have home internet. I have a cable modem and a Linksys wireless router hooked up to it.
I also just setup a RaspberryPi 3 as a wireless router. My thought was to setup TOR on that so I could have to ways to surf the net.
What type of software or investigating log files can I use for home use to see if I'm being infiltrated? Also can this software be setup such as it will send and email or signal me when someone is on my network?
Much appreciate any help.
your comments "He had a packet sniffer on his network, and he suddenly noticed his Vista PC making outbound connections. He check the IP addresses and they were registered to Halliburton (major US gov't defense contractor) and a three-letter US gov't agency."
I just have home internet. I have a cable modem and a Linksys wireless router hooked up to it.
I also just setup a RaspberryPi 3 as a wireless router. My thought was to setup TOR on that so I could have to ways to surf the net.
What type of software or investigating log files can I use for home use to see if I'm being infiltrated? Also can this software be setup such as it will send and email or signal me when someone is on my network?
Much appreciate any help.
Observation: Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't anyone out to get you.