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Anti-Keylogging Recommendations?

Posted by timothy on from the start-thinking-lawyer dept.

BeeazleBub writes "A friend asked me about the best programs to detect and remove spyware/logging/monitoring software that might have been placed on her computer by a spouse. Since there are a plethora of good and bad programs out there, I thought I would ask the slashdot crew for their recommendations. What is simple, reliable and most effective? I'm sure some of you have had the same question or circumstance. (No, booting from a Linux CD is not an option for this user)."

12 of 179 comments (clear)

  1. Most Worthless Ask Slashdot Ever. by inTheLoo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's a domestic dispute that no one wants to get into. The obvious solution, to own your computer with free software, is not an option. All that's left is to delve into the cesspool of Winblows "solutions" and other inappropriate technical answers to an environment of broken trust.

    --
    No calls now, I'm ...
    1. Re:Most Worthless Ask Slashdot Ever. by Simon+(S2) · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I agree. There is no solution. There are hardware keyloggers, software keyloggers, the spouse could log all traffic to/from the machine or take a screenshot every now and then. There is no solution to this. Trust your spouse or grap your computer and lock it somewhere only you have the key to.

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      I just don't trust anything that bleeds for five days and doesn't die.
    2. Re:Most Worthless Ask Slashdot Ever. by NewbieProgrammerMan · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Oh, there's a solution: the friend needs to uninstall their spouse.

      Honestly, if you're at the point in a relationship where you're spying on each other, it's time to just throw in the towel and find a partner you can trust.

      --
      [b.belong('us') for b in bases if b.owner() == 'you']
    3. Re:Most Worthless Ask Slashdot Ever. by plover · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Marriage is "til death do you part", not "until we aren't happy anymore."

      Sorry, gotta call utter bullshit on this one.

      Seriously, if you are in an abusive relationship, LEAVE. Leave before it gets worse, leave before it injures or kills you.

      A psychologically abusive relationship is just as bad as a physically abusive one -- perhaps worse, because the victim is led to believe a pack of lies that keeps them from leaving.

      There is no reason to stay married in this situation. If you're worried about the whole "till death do us part" thing, consider that the abuser broke the vows first by failing to love and honor.

      --
      John
    4. Re:Most Worthless Ask Slashdot Ever. by NewbieProgrammerMan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      If you're worried about the whole "till death do us part" thing, consider that the abuser broke the vows first by failing to love and honor. What an excellent point. That I haven't seen it stated so clearly until now probably says something unfortunate about the amount of slack given to abusers.
      --
      [b.belong('us') for b in bases if b.owner() == 'you']
  2. I'll bet there's a good back story by astrashe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I'll bet there's a really interesting story behind this.

    Here's the answer. She's trying to solve a human problem with a technical solution. It won't work. If she has to use a suspect windows computer, there's no software that will guarantee it's clean. It can't be done.

    And if you can't trust the person you're married to, your main problems in life aren't computer problems.

    1. Re:I'll bet there's a good back story by MBCook · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I agree. My first thought was "don't get involved."

      Even if you think the husband is a spouse-abusing homicidal maniac, don't do this. If there is evidence, turn him into the police. Otherwise stay out.

      She can google it. She can take it somewhere (like Best Buy, Circuit City, etc). I know their terrible, but hey. If they work things out, you are the guy who tried to help her get out of the marriage. That won't ender you to him. If things go farther, how do you think you'll be treated if there was a key-logger and your solution didn't work? If there is no key-logger and she is just reaching and scared and overwhelmed, then playing into that could make things worse (in the harder for them to get together and fix their marriage if possible sense).

      She can use another computer, reinstall Windows, whatever. Don't get in the middle of someone else's fight (unless it is to save their life or some such, in which case, again, call the police). I seriously doubt doing this will make your life easier in any way.

      Tell her to go to a private eye. Talk to a (better) divorce attorney. But tell her you don't want to get involved in this.

      --
      Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
  3. Divorce. by The+Warlock · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Only solution. Either the wife is spying on the guy, in which case she doesn't trust him, or the guy is baselessly convinced that his wife is spying on him, in which case he doesn't trust her. Either way, this relationship is doomed.

    --
    I've upped my standards, so up yours.
  4. Divorce by jps25 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    If trust in a relationship is gone and you have to play hide and seek, there's only one option left. Divorce.

    1. Re:Divorce by PachmanP · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Divorce is messy and you lose half your stuff. Further more some take the "til death" vows seriously. This leaves open the superior option, Murder.

      --
      You're thinking small. Why miniaturize the laser, when we could instead enlarge the sharks? -John Searle
  5. A friend.... by wbren · · Score: 3, Insightful

    A friend asked me about...
    A friend... riiiiiight....
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    -William Brendel
  6. Re:that's the least of her problems by Basje · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Or maybe he is. For all we know BeeazleBub, the poster, is having an affair with her. A friend indeed.

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    the pun is mightier than the sword