Problem : spider targetted against individual 2

[DirkStruan]

Hi folks.

Does anyone know anything about spider viruses (if indeed they are viruses)? Be warned, I don't know if I will be asking the right questions or using the correct phrases here.

As far as I know, they are designed to go into the internet and collect and return information about a given subject or person.

I have just learned that one has been set off to collect information about one of my colleagues (as the person who has done it has told them) and was wondering if there was any preventative steps that could be taken against it (e.g. can you effectively bombard it with useless data that makes it a pointless pest?) whether they can be recalled and well, anything and everything.

Any and all pointers / details of dedicated websites etc gratefully received.

I expect that this may not be the last of this persons antics so if anyone has any suggested reading about web security I'll take advice on anything.

Thanks in advance.

 

[segment]

I've been in IT since 1991 in the security field professionally since 1998 have written numerous documents on security and have never come across the term. A spider when used in context on the Internet is a program that goes out and scours the Internet. Someone is pretty much pulling your partners leg. What one can do is cull the information online about your partner and sort it out on their own. Google and other search engines quite often find plenty of information.

perl -e 'print $i=pack(c5,(40*2),sqrt(7600),(unpack(c,Q)-3+1+3+3-7),oct(104),10,oct(101));'

 

[DirkStruan]

Many thanks segment

The guy who set it off is not a computer expert and I am certainly not when it comes down to security, so hopefully (from your reply) what he has going on isn't that nasty.

What do you mean when you say "What one can do is cull the information online".

Apologies for being dense.

 

[eyec]

if the person launching the "spider" is a real good coder then he may have sent your colleague an email with what he calls a spider - i would call it a robot.

first your friend would have to open an email (normally an attachment) for the program to launch an intrusion of the recipient's system. instead of a spider he may have a keylogger included in the email and that would be bad!

minus his ability to code i agree with Segment that this guy is full of it.

regardless tell your friend to make sure he has his AV and Spyware software up to date and do not open any emails or attachments from unknown or unexpected "friends".

 

[segment]

Say your associates name is John Rowe (I just thought this name up) I'd first do a search for the name John Rowe along with his address. Let's say this John Rowe I am targeting lives in Maryland:

http://www.google.com/search?hs=tLV...:official&q="john+rowe"++maryland&btnG=Search

John Rowe, (410) 796-4496, 5864 Deborah Jean Dr, Elkridge, MD
John Rowe, (410) 620-2256, 265 Starkey Ln, Elkton, MD 21921

Let's say he was born in, or perhaps achieved something in 1968

http://www.tigertown.com/alumni2/jrowe60.htm

Depends on how much someone knows in determining how much one can get. I'm pretty adept at finding anything I want because I've been around the block for some time. As for whomever is making threats, I would laugh them off.

perl -e 'print $i=pack(c5,(40*2),sqrt(7600),(unpack(c,Q)-3+1+3+3-7),oct(104),10,oct(101));'

 

[DirkStruan]

Thanks eyec

As far as I know there are no email attachment issues.
One of the things that has gone on is the invasion of email accounts. (I think initially by requesting a new password through "forgotten password" routes). One account has had the password reset and therefore access has been denied. This has been reported to the provider.

The attacker isn't a good coder; it's neither his business or his hobby.

I'm heartened to hear it seems that he's just trying to scare them a bit by throwing in a few tech-sounding terms.

 

[DirkStruan]

Segment - Many thanks for spending the additional time.

Laughter is the best medicine - will give it a go and see if things look better.

Thanks guys

 

[segment]

Passwords are the weakest link for most common people since they tend to make passwords easy to break. For one, computer programs can break easy passwords in minutes. One thing I do for passwords are replacements. No two passwords for anything are the same for instance, if I create a Yahoo email account, I might make my password something like p@$$!yah00 which closely resembles pass!yahoo easy to remember. Hotmail? p@$$!hotm@!l or something along those lines.

Take your girlfriend, wife, daughter, etc, and make your password something difficult but easy to remember:

Maria = //\@r!a
Jessica = j=$$!ca



perl -e 'print $i=pack(c5,(40*2),sqrt(7600),(unpack(c,Q)-3+1+3+3-7),oct(104),10,oct(101));'

 

[DirkStruan]

Segment

I like the password tips - my passwords are alphanumeric with a few symbols throw in for good measure. They are fairly random, not based on other words and I just have to remember them. I will definitely make use of your suggestions.

Dirk