09-14-2008, 05:35 AM

Hey Everyone,

im new to this forum and have a question here that i am not sure is common or not on this forum, so if it is please excuse me.

I dont know exactly what OSX im running but it wouldnt be any older than a year, i have a G5 and use it at work - its not my computer, i use a PC at home.. BOOHOO! I have reason to believe that someone at my work has installed some sorta spy program on my Mac (something like Spector) that is recording my every move, so when i log into hotmail it gets my passwords, keeps track of what im typing to friends over email ect.

The question is how can i tell if something like Spector/spy softwear has been installed on my Mac at work? Is there any way of me checking the last time the Mac was switched on? i would like to be able to see if my actual G5 is being used at night, i know i can just clear my programs and see if anything pops up in the recent programs list but im sure whoever has installed some sorta spy softwear on my machine is much smarter than this and can cover the tracks.

If someone could please give me some advise and some answers it would be very much appreciated, as I would love to get to the bottom of this. If you need any info in regards to the machine i am running let me know and ill post it when i go to work next.

Thanks

09-14-2008, 05:44 AM

You're being paranoid and there is no way your coworker actually managed to get a program that does all that on your Mac, especially since most people don't even know how to use OS X. But I'll give you a sure-fire way of knowing 100% for your peace of mind.

Open the application called "Activity Monitor" and make it show you "All Processes." Then check every entry you see using Google or something to make sure it's a valid OS X process (or one of the Applications you know is running) and that you know it should be running. If nothing turns up as suspicious after doing that, you're fine.

09-14-2008, 06:00 AM

Originally Posted by Discerptor

You're being paranoid and there is no way your coworker actually managed to get a program that does all that on your Mac, especially since most people don't even know how to use OS X. But I'll give you a sure-fire way of knowing 100% for your peace of mind.

Open the application called "Activity Monitor" and make it show you "All Processes." Then check every entry you see using Google or something to make sure it's a valid OS X process (or one of the Applications you know is running) and that you know it should be running. If nothing turns up as suspicious after doing that, you're fine.

i hope im being paranoid but why is it impossible for a co-woker to do that? the person who im suspicious about is actually in charge of IT, if he wants to switch on my machine after hours he can without any explanation cause that’s his job.

The reason why im suspicious is I have been on MSN messenger late at night and I have been logged off and it says ive been signed off because I have been logged in from another computer. I am so very careful with passwords I change them all the time and even since me changing the password I get kicked off msn late at night randomly. This has fuelled my suspicions that he has managed to get my password via some key logger program at work, however I cant say 100% though and want to do whatever I can to see if he is monitoring me or not.

09-14-2008, 08:11 AM

if you are on a work network, there are server logs. the administrators running the network can see what you're doing... what sites you visit... they can see lots of things if they want too... they can see if your playing games online when you should be working... I know someone who got fired for chatting with friends on yahoo all the time instead of working.

09-14-2008, 08:27 AM

Originally Posted by macgig

if you are on a work network, there are server logs. the administrators running the network can see what you're doing... what sites you visit... they can see lots of things if they want too... they can see if your playing games online when you should be working... I know someone who got fired for chatting with friends on yahoo all the time instead of working.

im not doing anything that im not ment to be doing. I dont even use MSN messenger at work. we are allowed to check hotmail on breaks that fine, the problem i have is i suspect a keylogger program has been installed that is gaining access to my password. If i kept getting logged out on MSN messenger at home that means someone has my password, and considering i only use hotmail at work and at home, big likleyhood is someone has installed keylogger program on my G5 mac at work.

09-14-2008, 08:36 AM

http://macscan.securemac.com/

macscan can check for keyloggers. it has a free trial period I think.

09-14-2008, 08:56 AM

Originally Posted by macgig

http://macscan.securemac.com/

macscan can check for keyloggers. it has a free trial period I think.

thats gold.. thanks for that ill give it a try

09-15-2008, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by chipy

i hope im being paranoid but why is it impossible for a co-woker to do that? the person who im suspicious about is actually in charge of IT, if he wants to switch on my machine after hours he can without any explanation cause that’s his job.

The reason why im suspicious is I have been on MSN messenger late at night and I have been logged off and it says ive been signed off because I have been logged in from another computer. I am so very careful with passwords I change them all the time and even since me changing the password I get kicked off msn late at night randomly. This has fuelled my suspicions that he has managed to get my password via some key logger program at work, however I cant say 100% though and want to do whatever I can to see if he is monitoring me or not.

If you're on wireless and your connection gets interrupted, MSN has to log in again. But you're still seen as "logged in" under the IP address you had with the first connection. Hence the MSN kicking. AIM handles this a bit better by just asking you if you want to sign off in the other location. Again, you're being paranoid, especially if you changed your password and this still happens. It's clearly a network connection interruption issue.

09-15-2008, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by chipy

thats gold.. thanks for that ill give it a try

So what happened? You ran the software right? Did it come up with anything suspicious?