dra007 Posted September 11, 2004 Share Posted September 11, 2004 I was lurking here when my keyboard was misteriously disabled, the password on my firewall changed and logged out of administative mode (logged in the child mode instead)... just wondering if any of you geeks know of such strange behavior out of nowhere.. Since I have been hacked big time before, it is natural to be paranoic about such incidents, I had to change my keyboard just to type this.. Question: are there ways for hackers to log into your computer and disable the character map/keyboard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WB8TYW Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 I was lurking here when my keyboard was misteriously disabled, the password on my firewall changed and logged out of administative mode (logged in the child mode instead)... just wondering if any of you geeks know of such strange behavior out of nowhere.. 16894[/snapback] I have seen strange behaviors on popular computers when a finger hits multiple keys at the same time, and the keyboard sends a function key by mistake, or switch to a different application and execute one or more shortcut keys. An intermittent fault in a mouse or keyboard cable can also cause problems. And I have heard of wireless keyboards and mice that are too close together causing problems. Is your firewall software or hardware? Hardware firewalls in addtion to offloading network load from a host, are also more secure. A software firewall can be disabled or bypassed by malware. Malware can potentially also patch software firewalls and virus scanners so that they look like they are running. Does your firewall allow administration from the Internet? Some do. If your firewall allows remote administration from the Internet, does it use a different password than when you administer is locally? If so, while you changed the local password, the remote password may still the publicly known factory default. Is your system able to execute programs or scripts automatically from a reference in a web page? That can introduce malware into a system. For one popular platform there have been many patch kits out where malware can take advantage of a quirk in the program dispatcher. Does your e-mail program display HTML, and open external links, or allow scripts to execute? Same as above. Question: are there ways for hackers to log into your computer and disable the character map/keyboard? 16894[/snapback] On my computer? No. -John Personal Opinion Only Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dra007 Posted September 12, 2004 Author Share Posted September 12, 2004 It happened when Adobe asked if I wanted an automatic update and then flashed a message about unable to read certain characters, it came and went in a fraction of a second so I did not register it. Ended up dismantling the keyboard, couldn't put it back..So, after several hours of cursing and cussing went to Circuit City got a new keyboard and a new mouse (optical, so I don't have to keep cleaning the mouse-ball)...everything works fine... I was probably paranoic to blame it on hackers, but it happened so fast and spontaneous, I had a hard time believing it was the natural demise of my third keyboard this year.. Thanks for taking the time and answer my question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WB8TYW Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 I was probably paranoic to blame it on hackers, but it happened so fast and spontaneous, I had a hard time believing it was the natural demise of my third keyboard this year.. 16916[/snapback] Do you need to pay more attention to C & C warnings? -John Personal Opinion Only Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dra007 Posted September 12, 2004 Author Share Posted September 12, 2004 The firewall is Norton Internet Security, and and Norton Antivirus. I am aware of the vulnerabilities, the last hacker attack disabled NAV before completely ruining my hard drive. That is why I AM SO aprehensive when I notice strange behavior in those programs. I have other installed as a backup and every once in a while run an alternative program as a double check. There are also web-run checks that I do every so often. Trust me, I am sick of this. When you get 4-6 virus infected e-mails every day for months and have the computer hacked beyond repair, it keeps you on your toes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dra007 Posted September 12, 2004 Author Share Posted September 12, 2004 Do you need to pay more attention to C & C warnings? I listen to practically any music but country! I have a natural aversion to it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WB8TYW Posted September 12, 2004 Share Posted September 12, 2004 I listen to practically any music but country! I have a natural aversion to it! 16919[/snapback] A C&C warning is "Cats & Coffee" should not be held while reading a post, as it can result in injury from the claws, or damage from hot coffee. Failure to post C&C warnings when needed can cause people to claim that they are owed keyboards by the poster, or other reparations. -John Personal Opinion Only Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dra007 Posted September 12, 2004 Author Share Posted September 12, 2004 That's cute thank you. It also applies in my case as coffe & coke, which often cause messy spills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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