Planted temp files on my computer?

5 Oct 2006 5:16 PM

Bugsy

I'm pretty stupid about this, but I do know when someone is messing with my
computer (and I hope this is the right group to ask my question).

I used to participate in a newspaper forum. For whatever reasons, they
locked me out from accessing that forum in ANY fashion. As soon as I click
on newspaper's forum, I am totally locked out.

How do they DO that? I figured a cookie (or some TEMP internet file) was
planted on my computer, so I deleted all of the cookies and temp files . . .
or so I thought. I ran across a couple of temp files that will not delete.
How do they DO that?

Have they planted something in my computer's system that recognizes me?

Whether or not I get back on this forum is not a matter of life and death,
so to speak. But I would like to understand how this works, if someone has
a minute to explain it. I guess I am paranoid, but I am REALLY concerned
about how a newspaper can identify my computer.

Thanks for any contributions to my education.

5 Oct 2006 5:43 PM

Joan Wild

I assume that you provide some sort of username/password to get into the
forum, so it's likely they blocked that username. Have you considered
contacting them to find out why they blocked you?

Of course, if you'd like to get some expert opinion on this, I'd suggest you
ask in a newsgroup about whatever operating system you are using. This
newsgroup is about security in Access, the database product.

--
Joan Wild
Microsoft Access MVP

Bugsy wrote:

Show quoteHide quote

> I'm pretty stupid about this, but I do know when someone is messing
> with my computer (and I hope this is the right group to ask my
> question).
> I used to participate in a newspaper forum. For whatever reasons,
> they locked me out from accessing that forum in ANY fashion. As soon
> as I click on newspaper's forum, I am totally locked out.
>
> How do they DO that? I figured a cookie (or some TEMP internet file)
> was planted on my computer, so I deleted all of the cookies and temp
> files . . . or so I thought. I ran across a couple of temp files
> that will not delete. How do they DO that?
>
> Have they planted something in my computer's system that recognizes
> me?
> Whether or not I get back on this forum is not a matter of life and
> death, so to speak. But I would like to understand how this works,
> if someone has a minute to explain it. I guess I am paranoid, but I
> am REALLY concerned about how a newspaper can identify my computer.
>
> Thanks for any contributions to my education.

5 Oct 2006 5:51 PM

Bugsy

OOPS! I thought I might be in the wrong group. Thanks for replying,
though.

Show quoteHide quote

"Joan Wild" <jwild@nospamtyenet.com> wrote in message
news:ODON1WK6GHA.4568@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>I assume that you provide some sort of username/password to get into the
>forum, so it's likely they blocked that username. Have you considered
>contacting them to find out why they blocked you?
>
> Of course, if you'd like to get some expert opinion on this, I'd suggest
> you ask in a newsgroup about whatever operating system you are using.
> This newsgroup is about security in Access, the database product.
>
>
> --
> Joan Wild
> Microsoft Access MVP
>
> Bugsy wrote:
>> I'm pretty stupid about this, but I do know when someone is messing
>> with my computer (and I hope this is the right group to ask my
>> question).
>> I used to participate in a newspaper forum. For whatever reasons,
>> they locked me out from accessing that forum in ANY fashion. As soon
>> as I click on newspaper's forum, I am totally locked out.
>>
>> How do they DO that? I figured a cookie (or some TEMP internet file)
>> was planted on my computer, so I deleted all of the cookies and temp
>> files . . . or so I thought. I ran across a couple of temp files
>> that will not delete. How do they DO that?
>>
>> Have they planted something in my computer's system that recognizes
>> me?
>> Whether or not I get back on this forum is not a matter of life and
>> death, so to speak. But I would like to understand how this works,
>> if someone has a minute to explain it. I guess I am paranoid, but I
>> am REALLY concerned about how a newspaper can identify my computer.
>>
>> Thanks for any contributions to my education.
>
>

5 Oct 2006 6:02 PM

Granny Spitz via AccessMonster.com

Bugsy wrote:

> I hope this is the right group to ask my question).

It's the wrong place. This newsgroup is for security discussions regarding
Microsoft Access databases.

> How do they DO that? I figured a cookie (or some TEMP internet file)

They can plant a cookie on your computer, but that would be pretty unreliable,
because cookies can always be deleted. Many people block cookies on their
computers in the first place. A temp internet file wouldn't be very
effective, either, because these get deleted.

The simplest way to block you from their web site is by your IP address. The
web server either refuses requests from certain IP addresses, or the web
server only allows requests from certain IP addresses. So either you're on
the *refusal* list or you're no longer on the *allowed* list.

> I ran across a couple of temp files that will not delete.

They're currently *in use.* You can't delete files that are locked by the
operating system.

> Have they planted something in my computer's system that recognizes me?

If your computer allows cookies, then yes, they can recognize you when your
computer requests a web page from their web server.

--
Message posted via AccessMonster.com
http://www.accessmonster.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/access-security/200610/1

6 Oct 2006 2:34 PM

JLatham

It would be interesting to see what is in those temp files that you cannot
access. Although those may have been created by something other than that
web site. Word, Excel, Access and other programs routinely create temporary
files that cannot be deleted while the related file is being used by the
application.

Besides the aforementioned locking you out by simply denying access to your
user account when you log into the site, if you have a static IP, and if they
know you have a static IP, then you could be locked out by IP ... of course,
simply moving to another machine at another location bypasses that
restriction.

Show quoteHide quote

"Bugsy" wrote:

> I'm pretty stupid about this, but I do know when someone is messing with my
> computer (and I hope this is the right group to ask my question).
>
> I used to participate in a newspaper forum. For whatever reasons, they
> locked me out from accessing that forum in ANY fashion. As soon as I click
> on newspaper's forum, I am totally locked out.
>
> How do they DO that? I figured a cookie (or some TEMP internet file) was
> planted on my computer, so I deleted all of the cookies and temp files . . .
> or so I thought. I ran across a couple of temp files that will not delete.
> How do they DO that?
>
> Have they planted something in my computer's system that recognizes me?
>
> Whether or not I get back on this forum is not a matter of life and death,
> so to speak. But I would like to understand how this works, if someone has
> a minute to explain it. I guess I am paranoid, but I am REALLY concerned
> about how a newspaper can identify my computer.
>
> Thanks for any contributions to my education.
>
>
>
>

6 Oct 2006 3:18 PM

Bugsy

JLatham

THANKS for your reply. And you are so correct! I went to my laptop and
logged onto one of the several "wireless" connections floating around the
area. I was able to access the newspaper's forum. . . and got in my "FINAL
WORD."

Didn't accomplish much other than making me feel better (I have a thing for
conservative, right wing newspapers like some of those in Arkansas . . . my
FORMER home). They are in such a hurry to shut up anyone who disagrees with
them . . . and I guess they have the technology to do that!

Anyway, I learned a lot about how things work. Thanks again!

Show quoteHide quote

"JLatham" <HelpFrom @ Jlathamsite.com.(removethis)> wrote in message
news:88F1E296-1511-4B28-AF4D-0CC2BCB3BF6E@microsoft.com...
> It would be interesting to see what is in those temp files that you cannot
> access. Although those may have been created by something other than that
> web site. Word, Excel, Access and other programs routinely create
> temporary
> files that cannot be deleted while the related file is being used by the
> application.
>
> Besides the aforementioned locking you out by simply denying access to
> your
> user account when you log into the site, if you have a static IP, and if
> they
> know you have a static IP, then you could be locked out by IP ... of
> course,
> simply moving to another machine at another location bypasses that
> restriction.
>
> "Bugsy" wrote:
>
>> I'm pretty stupid about this, but I do know when someone is messing with
>> my
>> computer (and I hope this is the right group to ask my question).
>>
>> I used to participate in a newspaper forum. For whatever reasons, they
>> locked me out from accessing that forum in ANY fashion. As soon as I
>> click
>> on newspaper's forum, I am totally locked out.
>>
>> How do they DO that? I figured a cookie (or some TEMP internet file) was
>> planted on my computer, so I deleted all of the cookies and temp files .
>> . .
>> or so I thought. I ran across a couple of temp files that will not
>> delete.
>> How do they DO that?
>>
>> Have they planted something in my computer's system that recognizes me?
>>
>> Whether or not I get back on this forum is not a matter of life and
>> death,
>> so to speak. But I would like to understand how this works, if someone
>> has
>> a minute to explain it. I guess I am paranoid, but I am REALLY concerned
>> about how a newspaper can identify my computer.
>>
>> Thanks for any contributions to my education.
>>
>>
>>
>>