Great security, or a breach of our privacy?

[Quall999]

I don't have a link at the moment, so right off the bat I will say that I will have to post the source later.

Basically, new notebooks are starting to include key loggers as a standard. And no, i do not mean removable software. I am talking about hardware built into the link between the keyboard and the mobo. THe artical was a technical guy who basically opened his laptop to see what was inside. He saw a device that looked totally foreign. So, he called the manufacturer tech support to find out what it was and he was actually referred to another phone number. In the end, for security reasons, he was not able to be given any information on the device in his laptop, that he bought.

He looked at the hardware, the chips, and manufactures. He came to the conclusion that it was actually a hardware based key logger.

Now, the user could report his or her laptop as stolen and anyone using it could be tracked. I know some people who use key loggers on their own machines for security. However, do people here think it is against our privacy rights to include it, and above all, not tell us? Or do you like the idea of a strong force of security?

[DABhand]

Well if it was a keylogger and people are sold machines with them inside and not notified then yes its very much a breach.

But thats not to say its not a keylogger at all, and perhaps some anti-theft device, some notebooks have specific master passwords depending on specific hardware perhaps that has something to do with it.

Then again it might not :P

Who is to say, but them failing to tell the guy what it was is a breach of Data Protection Act (in the UK anyways) believe it or not. And also Trading Standards peoples would not be pleased either.

[Quall999]

well, it was directly tied to te keyboard and contain compact flash chips. It could be something else, but a keylogger seems to be the ideal of the hardware makeup.

[Neipas02]

Assuming without a doubt that it is indeed a logger the user would have to be informed in one form or another. Maybe in the EULA for the installation software for the motherboard drivers.

If this information wasn't passed along it'd be illegal without a doubt. That's no different than having your phone tapped or having your home searched without a warrant.

Now if the user agreed to have this logging done they'd have to know when and how the info was being stored, who would have access to it and under what circumstances.

Now I sure as hell wouldn't agree to something like that unless it was only available to be accessed for law enforcement purposes. I don't want my credit card numbers and personal conversations being transfered or available for companies to read for "market research".

How credible is this source Quall.. To me it sounds like a bunch of bull.. and i'll believe it when I see it and have proof.

[Grumpy]

Well I too wouldnt want my personal details (ie Credit Card details) stored for other people to access!
Dont know if you all heard about the Credit Card scam that the Russian Mafia were 'apparently' operating! They accessed card details from a company in Arizona, and it affected people who had used their card in the US to shop, or people who had used their card to pay bills or purchase things over the phone, and also people who had used their credit card over the internet for any reason at all. Only those cards which the details went to the US. It affected 130 000 people here in Australia alone, and up to 40 million people world wide! It was reported yesterday on our (Australia's) news programs.
Well my bank manager phoned me yesterday to inform me my card was one those hit!!
So to anyone who had used their Credit cards in any of these ways, I suggest you closely monitor your Credit Card Statements!!

[Quall999]

Well, I can't say the source it true, as i don't know the guy personally. However, this site seems to be talked about more and more around the internet. If the company I work for gets one of these models, I will have a look see.

Anyways, this could be a joke, but hey, you never know. I mean, the url does have "lol" in it.
http://c0x2.de/lol/lol.htm

Anyone with a Dell600m could clear this up real quickly.

[sleepyhead87]

Hey I have a question, why was that guy opening his laptop anyway? He coincidently looked between the keyboard and mobo didnt he :eek: Well, it's possible, but I dont think its a keylogger. like 60% Bull and 40% possible. Anti theft is the only good reason or maybe its a spy device that reports what the user does the most, so that Dell can "improve" the laptops specifications for special needs.Either way I DONT WANT that crap in my laptop, if my laptop gets jacked im going to karate chop the punk that TRIED :D

[sleepyhead87]

Ok sorry for double post , but, breakthrough here, I believe about 99.98% that little chip ( i assume it's little to fit in there) is to store info like model number, etc, you know SYS INFO. If your thing is broke they get the info from the little chip and they know what's in it. How I got this idea? well, on the Sony Vaio website they have a support section. Interestingly there's a button to "Detect My Model Automatically". :)

http://esupport.sony.com/perl/select-system.pl?PRODTYPE=1,24,26,66,9,70,5
Can't miss the button dead center! :D

[Quall999]

Actually, last week I read some info that basically said it was false. So I guess I could rest easy. Besides, the new dell PC's came in and there was a small device that would have been the "keylogger". I opened the thing and it was just a plastic tube protecting a wire seam.