# Anti-Surveillance question for PC

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-surveillance-question-for-pc/34658>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 26, 2000, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-surveillance-question-for-pc/34658 "2000-09-26T21:17:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Rich\_G7subs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85e7bf/32.png) [@Rich\_G7subs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_G7subs)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-surveillance-question-for-pc/34658/1 "2000-09-26T21:17:21Z")

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I share a computer at work.I’ve found some nosey co workers who like to poke around in my files.I also found a “keystroke logger” installed.My question is…how do I detect and protect myself from these surveillance measures.  
My OS is windows 95.Can anyone suggest a software fix?

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-surveillance-question-for-pc/34658/2 "2000-09-26T23:09:13Z")

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A network Firewall?

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**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2000, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-surveillance-question-for-pc/34658/3 "2000-09-26T23:53:29Z")

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I think he is talking about people who are actually on his computer, not attacking it from outside.

If you are running a Windows system, one thing you might try is going to Start/Find/Files or Folders, then going to the Date Modified tab. Select ‘Find all files created or modified’ and select the time range since the last time you were on the computer. It will show you all the files that were added or changed since you were on it last. Not much help, but some (the list will be very long though, even with just normal usage by the other user).

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**Author:** ![Rich\_G7subs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85e7bf/32.png) [@Rich\_G7subs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rich_G7subs)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2000, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-surveillance-question-for-pc/34658/4 "2000-09-27T01:01:15Z")

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Thanks Bad…Yes…I am talking about others who share this actual computer,Handy.

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2000, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-surveillance-question-for-pc/34658/5 "2000-09-27T15:21:43Z")

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Oh, I see, okay.

Why not use the password feature of W95? Then anyone using your computer has to know the password.

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**Author:** ![Landsknecht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@Landsknecht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Landsknecht)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2000, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anti-surveillance-question-for-pc/34658/6 "2000-09-27T17:40:19Z")

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Considering the loacl security on Win95 is pretty sad, there’s probably not a lot you can do about people getting at your PC when you’re not there. The password feature of Windows is really for setting user profiles, and doesn’t really secure anything. Even if someone has a windows password, simply clicking on cancel gets you on to the computer. You might want to look for an encryption program, if you want to keep your personal files out of other people’s view. There’s several that can be downloaded for free. I don’t have much experience with them though, so I really don’t know which ones are good.