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Q: Anonymous e-mail svc resistent to key loggers ( No Answer,   7 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Anonymous e-mail svc resistent to key loggers
Category: Business and Money
Asked by: brianweebrain-ga
List Price: $25.00
Posted: 02 Nov 2002 20:38 PST
Expires: 02 Dec 2002 20:38 PST
Question ID: 97028
I frequently access my current web based email account from cyber
cafes and am concerned about their PC's being infected with key
logger trojan viruses. With such a trojan a hacker could access my ID
and passcode. I am looking for a recomendation for a secure email
service resistent to key logging AND accessible via a proxy (no java
script) for anonymous access too. E-mail service cost is not an issue.
Answer  
There is no answer at this time.

Comments  
Subject: Re: Anonymous e-mail svc resistent to key loggers
From: funkywizard-ga on 02 Nov 2002 20:42 PST
 
i cannot think of a way you get pick an email service provider that
would be resistant to keylogging, unless you actually didnt use a
typed user name and password. I know of no such services. The best
thing would be to make sure the computer you are at does not have a
keylogger but this is no easy task. Furthermore, even if the system
does not have a *software* keylogger, it is always possible for an
individual to install a hardware keylogger that sits between the
keyboard and the pc, which would not be detectable through any
software means.
Subject: Re: Anonymous e-mail svc resistent to key loggers
From: skbenja-ga on 02 Nov 2002 20:57 PST
 
While the previous commenter is correct, there is a workaround that
might go something like this:

These workarounds will work against ANY hardware or software keylogger
UNLESS:
-- it is taking screenshots -- which is HIGHLY unlikely
-- or reading the clipboard data, but this also is HIGHLY unlikely --
but NOT impossible

OPTION ONE:
Windows Character Map
1. Run the application called CHARMAP on a windows machine:
 -- Click on the start menu, Run, type in CHARMAP and click OK
 -- In Internet Explorer, click File/Open.  Navigate to
C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32, locate CHARMAP.EXE, RIGHT click on this and
select "OPEN"
 -- Press Control+Alt+Delete on any Windows NT, 2000, or XP machine
and try to launch the task manager, from this you can launch CHARMAP
using the run option
 -- Change the font option in the left-top corner to something typical
like "Arial" instead of the default symbol.
2. Key in your password by clicking on the appropriate letters, and as
they appear in the formbox in the right top corner, copy them to the
clipboard using the copy button.
3. Paste in the input form box the webmail site by pressing control +
v while it has focus.

OPTION TWO:
1.  Go to http://babelfish.altavista.com/, click "World Keyboard" link
2.  type in your password by using this java keyboard 
3. copy to the clipboard by selecting text with your mouse and
pressing the control + c combination.
4. in the form input box on your webmail's site, press control + v to
paste the password.
Subject: Re: Anonymous e-mail svc resistent to key loggers
From: ephraim-ga on 02 Nov 2002 21:02 PST
 
Just a quick comment here --

If the keylogger is a piece of hardware placed between the keyboard
and the computer, there's absolutely nothing your online service can
do to prevent it from capturing all your keystrokes. If somebody is
truly interested in obtaining your keystrokes, and you sit in front of
a computer that the snooper has had physical access to, there's not
much you can do. Just as e-mail software can't detect whether or not a
spy with binoculars is staring at your fingers from 100 feet away, it
also can't detect hardware (or software) that a knowledgeable hacker
has placed on the machine.

If the only thing you care about is your password and not the other
data you're sending via keystrokes, then you may have options
available. It *is* possible to obtain equipment and software which
expire a password after a single use, so that it's useless to the
hacker who discovers it.

/ephraim
Subject: Re: Anonymous e-mail svc resistent to key loggers
From: snapanswer-ga on 02 Nov 2002 21:06 PST
 
I can't think of any services that would meet your needs.

Another thought along the same suggestions as skbenja.  Whether it
works or not would depend upon how advanced the key logger is.

Open WordPad.

Type three or more long lines of text.  (Whether you have the lines of
text make sense or not is up to you, and depends upon how random your
password is).

Include in the text your username and password (or just your
password).

Then, when you login, copy and paste the text you need from WordPad,
rather than typing it directly into the web interface.
Subject: Re: Anonymous e-mail svc resistent to key loggers
From: mvguy-ga on 02 Nov 2002 22:25 PST
 
One approach would be a system that changes passwords automatically.
I'm not sure if this company's services would meet your needs, but
it's worth a look:
http://www.mxtreme.com/
Subject: Re: Anonymous e-mail svc resistent to key loggers
From: justin_a_parr-ga on 02 Nov 2002 23:22 PST
 
With Win2K you can run OSK (On Screen Keyboard).  This will completely
obfuscate key logging.  To obfuscate mouse capture, use the mouse to
drag the "On-Screen Keyboard" title bar (and window) to a random
location on the screen.  Since mouse logging relies on
reverse-engineering coordinates relative to a window or to the screen,
this will be very difficult or impossible to do.  I do not know which
other OSs support OSK -- perhaps others can contribute this.  I would
assume XP does, but that '98 / ME does not -- this is an assumption.
Subject: Re: Anonymous e-mail svc resistent to key loggers
From: justin_a_parr-ga on 02 Nov 2002 23:25 PST
 
FYI - most internet cafes, schools, libraries, and some companies,
etc... will not let you access the "RUN" box.  To bypass this, just
type the following URL in to Internet Explorer:

[ file://c:/winnt/system32/osk.exe ]

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