Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

Computer / e-mail pirated?

Mar 9, 2015 2:49AM PDT

Hello,
I've got reasons to think that my PC and e-mail are hacked.
I used to be editor of a website created by a guy called A. When I stopped, I began to get viruses on my PC and curious things occurred :
-- The files dated Jan 2014 up to Jan 2015 were erased in my download repertory, Adwcleaner was desinstalled.
-- A Google search abut an adware told me that I had consulted three pages on the subject the day before... but I had never opened those pages.
-- An e-mail to another editor (say B) never arrived, due to a failure in the redirection to his e-mail address devoted to the website. However, neither B nor me asked for such a redirection.
-- But the most bizarre thing was the following. I used an anonymous proxy to check something on the website of A and suddenly the page with the double url bar changed into a normal page that I only could have obtained by typing my name and password (and which couldn't be a Google cache page).
I intend to reformat my PC in the next days but I would like to make it clear before. Avast, Ccleaner, Adwcleaner, Malewarebytes, Spybot... have only detected viruses but no spyware. Is there a way to know if my computer has been pirated?
Thanks in advance!
JP

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Answer
If you feel like this, would you move to a more secure OS?
Mar 9, 2015 2:58AM PDT

Ever consider TAILS? It's about as good as it gets today. Windows is the target of choice and with new threats each day you may be upset that scans and more may not show what's up.

If not TAILS, how about a very nice Linux like Mint?

Are you fed up enough to start using something a lot more secure?
Bob

- Collapse -
PS. Found virus?
Mar 9, 2015 3:20AM PDT

I guess only folk new to this would maintain a virus would not do spyware like actions.

- Collapse -
Is my PC pirated?
Mar 9, 2015 5:40PM PDT

Thanks for these first answers.
I'm not too much worried about the files found time to time by Adwcleaner but I believe they are the consequences of an undetected threat rather than themselves spywares (for instance, the last ones concerned the storage in Chrome of http_staticaudienceinsight.net just after internet was completely blocked on my PC).
And yes, I think of another OS (by the way, I write this message from a Mac).
But this was not my question : is it reasonable to think that my computer is hacked and in his case, is it possible to have direct or indirect proofs of that?
JP

- Collapse -
Sure. It's called forensics.
Mar 10, 2015 12:12AM PDT

Computer forensics is not something I can write in full in this small space. And those that do that are constantly learning more as time passes. Your newer folk to this area want a scan or app to find it on the first try. So far I've yet to see that happen.
Bob