It's possible that your antivirus program to be a spy for the Government?The Gov in your PC!

Originally posted by VonDoomen
reply to post by diamondsmith

 

and billions of computers use microsoft word! whats your point!?

if they are going to hide any spying software, it will probly be deeply embedded in a large system, such as with in the OS itself. it would be a lot easier to hide, and a lot harder to find.

Must be undetectable,to upgrade periodically ,and when is upgrading he transmit the data!

Originally posted by JBA2848
Anti virus software has been taken over by big business and government. Your antivirus software should be renamed anti piracy software. They only catch a virus if they are lucky anymore.

That is true,but very hard to proof,we are the sheep and they are the wolfs!

Its actually very easily to be done I've done a bit of computer security and even Amateur hackers without a lot skills can make a FUD Viruses (fully undetectable) which means you can open a virus but your virus scanning won't detected it so if a not very skilled hacker can do that, then what can hackers that work for the government do ?

Originally posted by Sparkzz
Its actually very easily to be done I've done a bit of computer security and even Amateur hackers without a lot skills can make a FUD Viruses (fully undetectable) which means you can open a virus but your virus scanning won't detected it so if a not very skilled hacker can do that, then what can hackers that work for the government do ?

My question is,if they do this on a large scale,and how can be detected!

Originally posted by diamondsmith
Every computer has an antivirus program.He could be the spy in your computer.
You cannot even notice that.Maybe I am wrong.Maybe I am not.
They get any information they want.It's much easier to spy with an antivirus program.Who will notice.
You download something from the internet ,and you don't know, that you have a spy into your house.
From time to time maybe he transmit some data,to a remote computer and you never notice that.Or key words.
Like,plains,terrorist,different countries name..and so on.
So,I ask you:
Is there a spy in your computer?

You don't need a virus or an AV program to have someone spying on you.

1) Speculation #1: Microsoft is in bed with the gvt..so they could simply activate some hidden feature within Windows
2) Google or Yahoo could install something on your PC
3) We are already getting spied...how do you think Amazon, Google etc. always knows exactly what you are interested in?

Tracking cookies contain LOTS of information, ranging from demographics, age etc...up to a list what sites you visit and what your interests are.

So..the only way to be safe is...move deep into the woods and unplug

TextSo..the only way to be safe is...move deep into the woods and unplug

reply to post by flexy123
Not without ATS!

I say not only is it possible, but highly probable. I have long felt that some of these programs have become more intrusive than the programs they are supposed to protect us from.

Originally posted by mossme89
Regardless over whether this is true or not, things like this are why I have a Mac

I dont mean to start a pissing contest between Mac and Windows users, but I do however want the truth to be known. I use both everyday and enjoy having both to use.

Mac's "security" reputation is pretty much pseudo security. Sure they have some security built in, but not anywhere the amount securities of Windows. The thing is tho, is that Mac has not held a large marketshare outside of the creative industries. This in turn has routed hackers to make virus's for windows rather than mac.

I once read a pretty cool euphemism that describes it perfectly.

"Owning a Mac is like leaving your doors unlocked out in the countryside, while owning Windows is like living in the ghetto with bars on the windows."

Originally posted by MidKnight
I say not only is it possible, but highly probable. I have long felt that some of these programs have become more intrusive than the programs they are supposed to protect us from.

Especially the new ones,2011>2012,on this crisis....

reply to post by mossme89

Regardless over whether this is true or not, things like this are why I have a Mac

Lol spoken like a true MAC user. you do realize that MACs are now the target of choice right? And that more new MAC viruses can be expected as more and more people like you confuse a brand with security. Apple isn't any more secure than windows or linux, it's just traditionally a smaller "niche" market, now that more and more people buy macs because "they are more secure (myth)" they are becoming the target of choice.

Why?

For your exact statement, people assume mac is safer and take less precautions than a windows user who knows his os is insecure.
(I happened to use all 3, windows, apple, and linux so don't even attempt to call my a fanboy)
Anyways, for the OP...

No, for various reasons.

Simply put, the only time your antivirus program communicates over the internet is when you tell it to via updating it's definitions, or reporting a new infection back to the software vendor.

The first antivirus vendor caught keylogging or recording any data not related to antivirus application, and transmitting that over the internet, will go out of business in a matter of hours.

That said, the software you need to be worried about is the stuff pre-bundled with your HP or Dell.

But it doesn't matter. why?

Because the US government has been recording all communications since 911. Every packet sent over the internet within north america (and probably larger too) is duplicated and routed to an NSA data center for inspection.

Look at it this way...

Why would they go through the trouble of bugging your specific phone line when they have the entire phone system tapped already?

reply to post by flexy123

1) Speculation #1: Microsoft is in bed with the gvt..so they could simply activate some hidden feature within Windows

This rumor pops up every few months it seems. Any communication "windows" would be doing would be traceable via your router logs. They can hide it from the standard windows user, but not your network. Besides, if this was the case, they wouldn't have crafted and released a tool specifically or law enforcement computer forensics on windows machines (coffe or some similar acronym)

2) Google or Yahoo could install something on your PC

They can't install anything you don't allow them to, and again, any communication would be visible in your router logs. For example, back when bit torrent was getting big and Utorrent came out and enable DHT (De-centralized tracking) people noticed communications from utorrent to different IPs even with no torrents active (because people who know what they are doing monitor their logs) which caused a huge stirr and people started saying utorrent was tracking you. Nope, it's merely the client connecting to DHT nodes to make the whole deal work, regardless of active torrents.

3) We are already getting spied...how do you think Amazon, Google etc. always knows exactly what you are interested in?

They know nothing about me because I disabled cookies, and usually run firefox in "private browsing mode" which essentially puts you into a sandbox.

But you are right, like i said in my other posts, they are already monitoring it all from the network level, no need to infiltrate random peoples pcs directly, that would generate too much work and too much traffic.

reply to post by phishyblankwaters

That said, the software you need to be worried about is the stuff pre-bundled with your HP or Dell.

I totally agree with this 100% I used to have a gateway PC and I swear about every 2 or so months I would have some kind of infection that I would end up having to re-format and re-install the OS again. Since then I have built a couple machines myself and used OEM OS without any of the third party crapolla. Guess what? I never had any infections that could not be handled by virus software or system restore and never had to reformat and re-instal.

.

reply to post by diamondsmith


Its not that hard to prove. Just at the list that wikileaks put out of websites that are blacklisted. Most have nothing to do with a virus. Blacklisting mostly has to do with child porn, piracy websites or political propaganda hate speach websites. The anitvirus companies learned that they could be a antivirus company and make a little money for a lot of work or be a company who targets websites for special interest and make a fortune. The same way our political system has become. Do whats good for the people and make little money or do favors for special interest and become rich.