While it should always be a last resort, it is possible to spy on your spouse with your computer and set your mind at ease, or escape a troubled relationship with a clear conscience.

Is This Ethical?

This article will cover a few simple ways that you can spy on your spouse with your computer. While MakeUseOf authors have covered a number of very useful tools to prevent others from spying on you, such as Aibek’s article on How to Cheat Keylogger Spyware or Varun’s article on Public Computers Made Safe, the concept here is actually the monitoring and logging of how people are using your computer.

The ethics are certainly debatable, but in the end, you must ask yourself how ethical infidelity is. If you discover that you’re being overly paranoid, then uninstall all of the applications and continue on in your marriage with confidence. However, if you discover that you’re married to a liar and a cheat, isn’t it best that you find out now rather than many years from now? Once you’ve worked through the techniques in this article, you will have the answer to your questions either way.

Use VNC to Monitor PC Use & Capture Evidence

VNC is a very popular, free remote computing application. While it’s an excellent way to remotely control a computer, it is also one of the best applications for spying on unsuspecting users.

This approach requires a unique configuration.  First, install the full free version of VNC on the computer that you want to monitor. Install it in “service mode,” which will automatically launch the application every time the computer starts up. Enable password protection by opening the configuration and clicking on the “Authentication” tab. Next to “VNC Password Authentication,” click the configure button and create a secret password.

You’ll also want to configure it so that when you connect with your PC or laptop, it doesn’t affect the computer and signal to the user that something is up.  In the properties screen, click the “Inputs” tab and configure the VNC server to ignore all inputs from clients.

Make sure all boxes are unselected. The final step is to install the software on your laptop or PC at some other location. Once it’s installed, open the application in “viewer” mode and view properties. Click on the “Inputs” tab and make sure that the boxes are unselected for the viewer to “send” anything to the server.

Once you have the server (the suspect computer) and your viewer configured, you can connect to the remote PC whenever you like and monitor how the person sitting at the computer is using it. This can be boring and tedious, or you might find your unsuspecting husband/wife visiting some questionable websites…

Accessing Cell Phone Records

One of the more common methods that cheaters use to secretly communicate with their “lovers” is through the cell phone. Many people feel that since their cell phone is so easy to use in secluded locations, that it is a safe way to facilitate an affair. Unfortunately for cheaters, the cell phone is the worst device for trying to have private conversations.

Few companies are as diligent at keeping such detailed records as cell phone companies. Not only can you view the date and time that certain numbers were called, or which numbers called the phone, but often you can also view the length of the phone call. How do you have a look at those records?

If you are listed as one of the owners on the cell phone account (most families have multiple cell phones under one account) then you have every right to view the bill. The easiest way to do this is online. If your spouse hasn’t set up an online account yet, that’s even better. All you have to do is configure the account for online billing using your email address. However, if your spouse already has an account set up, getting access is simple.

First, visit the online login page (this example is from AT&T Wireless).

Click the “Forgot your password?” link, and you’ll be taken to another page where you can have the password sent to the cell phone.

The trick to doing this is to submit this form late at night when you can “borrow” the cell phone. Submit the number on this page, click continue, and then view the password that gets sent to the phone via text message. After this, you’ll have full access to the entire online log of cell phone calls. Be careful, if you are not listed on the account, you could potentially get into legal trouble – so tread carefully.

Use a Keylogger To Log All Computer Usage

While there are dozens of MakeUseOf articles outlining how you can remove keyloggers from your PC, in this case you are actually going to install one so that you can monitor all activity on the PC.  Running a keylogger can reveal some very fascinating information about your spouse.  One example of such a keylogger is the free version of the Revealer Keylogger.

When you launch this application, you can set it up to automatically launch at Windows startup. You can also define the special key combination that will open the invisible application.

This particular application doesn’t allow stealth startup, so if you want to use this app, the best approach is to start it up secretly just before your spouse is about to use the computer. Then walk away into another room and allow the application to do its thing.

Many free keyloggers do a terrible job capturing keystrokes, especially if the user types fast. I tested four free keyloggers and found that Revealer was the only one that captured every keystroke.  It even logs application use as well. The results of such a log could turn out to be rather shocking – so be prepared!

Final Words

It’s important to keep in mind that all of the techniques detailed above should be used as a last resort. Many people find themselves in some very difficult situations, and however hard they try, they just can’t get to the truth. Technology can offer answers that a lying spouse refuses to provide. By capturing the evidence that proves infidelity or disloyalty, you can then free yourself from the burden of living a life full of doubt and worry.

What is your opinion on the ethics of using technology to spy on your spouse? Is it OK or is it an invasion of privacy?  Share your opinion in the comments section below.  Do you also know of any other software tools which can be used?   Tell us about them too.

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This is why it’s important for every Paypal user to understand how to keep your Paypal account safe. Knowledge is power – and if you know how they do it, you have the power to stop them.

How Hackers Attempt To Access Your Paypal Account

Yes, it is possible for a criminal to gain access to your Paypal account. However, it’s also important to keep in mind that despite all of the melodramatic news reports you may hear about the terrible threat hackers pose to online security, foiling those criminals is actually very easy, even for people who aren’t technically savvy.

The following are the most common methods criminals use in order to break into your Paypal account.

• When you open an infected attachment inside an email from a friend or a stranger, keylogger software gets installed on your PC that attempts to capture every keystroke from your keyboard, and then it sends that data to a remote Internet location, where the hacker can parse through and extract your passwords.
• If they obtain your Paypal account password from the keylogger, the job is done. However, if they can only obtain your email password, they can go to the Paypal website, request a password reset, and then access your email in order to retrieve the new password to your Paypal account.
• Another more common tactic is to send out thousands of “phishing” emails, disguised to look like an official Paypal email. You click the link to the fake Paypal website, enter your email and password, and the game is over.

How to Keep Your Paypal Account Safe From Phishing

The phishing technique is the most popular because the authentic-looking email fools so many people.  Here is a sample of one such email (I get about 2 or 3 of these a month).

However, if the email was put together by a sloppy hacker, you’ll notice that with most email applications, if you place the mouse over the link (but don’t click on it!), you’ll see the actual link at the bottom.

As you can see, “orionresidence.com” isn’t exactly Paypal.com. However, even if this bottom link does report “Paypal.com,” the easiest method you can use to keep your paypal account safe is by never clicking any link inside a Paypal email. If you want to check your account, open a new browser window, go directly to Paypal, and log in.

While avoiding “phishy” Paypal emails will protect you from the bulk of problems, there’s still the matter of hard-core hackers. These are the ones who are a bit more savvy, and will look for ways to guess your password, search your computer for login information, or install keyboard logging software on your PC. There are ways to thwart all of those attempts as well.

How to Keep Your Paypal Account Safe with a Strong Password

First, sign up for a new free email account and use that email for your Paypal profile, but don’t use it for any other purpose. Most hackers like to scour likely social networks or websites, like eBay, for email addresses that are likely also used in Paypal accounts, and then target those email addresses with their phishing or virus email campaigns. Also, change your Paypal password and the password of your email account, to a difficult-to-guess password that includes upper and lower case letters, numbers, and at least one or two special characters like an exclamation point or the pound (#) sign.

If you need some tips for creating solid passwords MakeUseof author Damien Oh had an excellent article about it earlier, see Create Strong Passwords That You Can Remember Easily.

For even stronger Paypal security, consider using a security key. When you’re logged into your Paypal account, click on “Security Center” at the top, “Security Tools” on the left menu bar, and then “Paypal Security Overview.” You’ll see the following screen.

When you click “Get Yours Now,” you can choose between a hardware key, or a mobile key. The hardware key costs $5 for shipping & handling, but it features a digital code that changes every thirty seconds. You can’t log into the Paypal account without it, and it’s virtually unhackable. The mobile key method is free. After you enable your account for it, you simply text Paypal for the code, and they text message the security key back to you.

Keep Your Private Data Safe With Portable Apps

Another method you can use to safeguard your Paypal account is to always carry around a thumbdrive with a portable web browser installed that runs directly off the thumbdrive. You can view more details on how to install portable apps from this article. Below I’ve connected to Paypal using the portable version of Firefox running off my Cruzer thumbdrive.

By using this approach, all log files and history is stored on your thumbdrive, and not on the PC itself.  This not only protects you from scripts that search typical PC locations for Internet logs, but it also provides security from the next person who uses the computer inadvertently coming across your information.

Use Anti-Keylogger Software for Extra Security

Finally, to protect yourself from keyboard logging software that may have infected your computer without your knowledge, it’s best to play it safe and install applications like the SnoopFree privacy shield, described in this article, which prevents the keylogger from accessing the I/O data coming from your keyboard.  Another approach to circumvent the keyboard completely is by using a portable on-screen keyboard to log into your Paypal account, as I’m doing below.

If you are confident that your computer is completely clean of any trojan or keylogger, simply avoiding Paypal phishing emails and using strong passwords with the Paypal security key will provide more than enough protection to keep your Paypal account safe.

However, if you aren’t certain how clean your computer is, or you’d like to access Paypal from public PC’s, it’s always best to play it safe by also using a portable browser, a privacy shield, and an on-screen keyboard.

With all of those tools in your arsenal, the only way a hacker will get through your concrete wall of security is with an atomic bomb.

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Well the other day I went round to an acquaintance to help out with a computer issue and I discovered right away that the keyboard was totally dead, one of the problems being that the pet cat had decided to use it as the toilet (as well as pieces of food stuck between the keys). So if I was going to be doing any typing for this guy to work out his computer problem, I needed a replacement keyboard and fast. That was when I got out my USB stick and fired up Portable On-Screen Keyboard – “a virtual keyboard to go”

Portable On-Screen Keyboard is part of the Portable Apps Suite by John Haller. As you can see, it’s a no-frills interface but who cares as long as it works, right? Basically you just start it up, then open the program you want to type in (a browser, MS Word, whatever), then use your mouse to click on whatever keyboard key you need. Those keys will then immediately show up in your typing program as if you were using a real keyboard – no time lag, nothing.

This lightweight program is an absolutely fantastic and essential program to have on your USB stick, especially if you are in the habit of fixing other people’s computers with dodgy keyboards on a regular basis. Next time you find yourself with a keyboard with broken keys or sticky stains, toss it to one side and use Portable On-Screen Keyboard instead. Plus you can also use it while accessing sensitive online accounts to make sure that no keylogger can grab the username and password letters.

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(By) Mark O’Neill is a blogger, professional freelance writer and the editor of Make Use Of. Check out his personal blog at BetterThanTherapy.net

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Below you’ll find 2 very cool free security programs that add an additional layer to your PC’s security making it a lot harder to compromise.

SnoopFree

SnoopFree Privacy Shield – This nifty program is like a firewall for your keyboard and screen. It protects you from keyloggers and other surveiliance programs that try to spy on you. It blocks every unauthorized attempt to record your keyboard strokes and take screen snapshots.

Whenever any such program tries to access your keyboard input or read text from the screen, you’re immediately notified. You are presented with a detailed information about the offending program and can choose whether to allow or deny access.

Download SnoopFree Privacy Shield (Win. XP only)

Sandboxie

Whenever you run a program on your PC, the data flows between the hard disk and the program via so called read/write operations. Usually the changes you make while running the program are written directly to the hard drive. Therefore, if the program is malicious it can harm your system.

This is one of the reasons why you’re always warned not to open suspicious email attachments or install the programs you’re not sure about.

So what happens when you install the Sandboxie ?

Using Sandboxie users are able to launch selected programs or files in a “sandbox”. What this means is that all read/write operations will be going through the “sandbox” and stay isolated from the rest of the system. Sandboxie makes it virtually impossible for any software to reach outside the sandbox.

Say you found an interesting software program but not sure how safe it is. Or just curious to see what is that attachment in the email from an unknown sender. In such cases you can simply open the ‘Windows Explorer’ in a sandbox and launch the program from there.

The best thing about Sandboxie is that you can get rid of everything that is running inside the sandbox with a single click. That’s is to say, when you’re done testing some program you can get rid of it by simply deleting the sandbox. Everything that happened in the sandboxed mode will be gone. No need to delete or uninstall anything manually.

Similarly, if you decide to run your browser in the “sandbox” mode, then things like the browser cache, bookmarks, history records and other side-effects of your browsing activity (spyware, malware and the like) will disappear when the sandbox is deleted.

Sandboxie is ideal for testing new little-known programs that you come across on the web. With Sandboxie you can check such programs without making any changes to your system. And if you like the program, you can reinstall it outside the sandbox like any other program.

Overall it’s an excellent piece of software. Though before you go ahead and start playing with it. I recommend you spend another 15-20 minutes going through tutorial and usage tips here.

If you know about another useful free security software please let us know in the comments.

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