Keyloggers on new laptops?

[gray-squirrel]

Just picked this up this morning. I hope I'm not overreacting by posting this:

Keyloggers on New Laptops (Hal Turner Show) (http://www.halturnershow.com/KeystrokeLoggersInAllNewComputers.html)


On another message board, someone mentioned how the hardware spy technology works with Windows XP. I'm guessing that removing it and replacing it with a Linux distro would fix that problem, but then again, the hardware may send a signal to the BIOS so that the computer would refuse to start.

Can anyone confirm this? Does anyone know of a workaround which would be guaranteed to work? I am asking about this because I know of people who may consider buying new laptops in the near future. I was planning on it myself, but will probably look for older machines instead when that day comes.

[sethmahoney]

Jeez, some of y'all are seriously paranoid...

[Joshua]

I think Hal may be overlooking the fact that, if that really is a keylogger, the feds are probably just after him, and that he's the only one with a hardwired keylogger in his laptop. What a Jackass!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Turner

[mstlyevil]

I think you are being duped by this turner guy. Keylogging would fall under federal wiretapping laws and is illegal without a warrant.

[gray-squirrel]

:-# Never mind. I was searching again since the original post and start finding out that it was a variation of a hoax making its rounds on the Web.

This was not to stir up paranoia or anything, I just wanted to make sure this was something serious - after I heard about TCPA, I've a little more sensitive to news like that - real or fiction.

Thanks anyways.

[costoa]

It looks like three of the images from http://www.halturnershow.com/KeystrokeLoggersInAllNewComputers.html came from http://www.dansdata.com/keyghost.htm .

So, yes, it is a keystroke logger but I seriously doubt it's in Hal's laptop. Besides, I don't see where the ethernet cable (or ethernet chipset) could go. I also noticed that the picture of the cable in the laptop doesn't have a wire tie unlike the other photos which do. Also no photos of the device in question mounted in the case.

I say he faked the laptop photo by stuffing a cut keyboard cable in the case.

[joker]

Think about this for a moment, if microsoft was cooperating with the government to use a keylogger over the net, there would be no need for a hardware dongle, it could easily be done completely with software and the data sent to the feds, corporate overloards, illuminati, knights templar, and masons without the users knowledge. This would be much more difficult for the end user to discover and cheaper to implement. It could be encrypted and sent when you get updates from microsoft... come to think of it, they did just add all the new "piracy checks" ...

[Kimm]

Its not impossible, I mean, there are PRINTERS that spy on you... realy quite stupid.

Ah, I am happy to live in the EU! :-P

[gray-squirrel]

Think about this for a moment, if microsoft was cooperating with the government to use a keylogger over the net, there would be no need for a hardware dongle, it could easily be done completely with software and the data sent to the feds, corporate overloards, illuminati, knights templar, and masons without the users knowledge. This would be much more difficult for the end user to discover and cheaper to implement. It could be encrypted and sent when you get updates from microsoft... come to think of it, they did just add all the new "piracy checks" ...

True. . . especially considering that some have alleged that NSA requested Microsoft put a back door into Windows so that they can get access to computers. I can't say if those rumors are actually true because this was news to me as well, but I think it probably is and even if it's not, it is indeed possible to do.

The Chinese government is encouraging their agencies to switch to their local version of Linux (Red Flag Linux) so as to not have to worry about foreign intelligence agencies spying on them.

[drizek]

ya, thats what i was thinking. on my i6000, the keyboard is connected with a ribbon, not a USB cable.

[Seq]

Here (http://www.snopes.com/computer/internet/dellbug.asp) is the rundown on snopes, just for reference