Stopping family members using my computer

RustyNut

To answer your question, I would lock up my laptop when I wasn't using it.

However if I had a 13 year old with the talent to hack passwords etc they would have their own computer and I would encourage them to carry on with doing whatever it is that gave them the skills to hack your laptop.

jimmycrackcorm

dashcamdanny wrote:

I have a 13 year old son who is some how able to use my computer when i'm away.

How can you tell?

dashcamdanny

RustyNut wrote: »

To answer your question, I would lock up my laptop when I wasn't using it.

However if I had a 13 year old with the talent to hack passwords etc they would have their own computer and I would encourage them to carry on with doing whatever it is that gave them the skills to hack your laptop.

Thanks. I know exactly where your coming from.

And it has been tried. He is just not mature enough to be let loss on the web or even games. His condition takes over and it leads to trouble.

He has managed to hack through microsoft family safety as well. So I cant even monitor his activity.

He will have his chance to shine, just not yet.

Im about to buy this http://filehippo.com/download_folder_lock/

Fysh

I think part of the issue is that, beyond a certain point, attempting to use technical means to thwart him will just put you into a sort of arms race that he's better equipped for (partly because he's motivated to do it for whatever reason and partly because it sounds like he already has a fair amount of experience and knowledge).

The only approach I can imagine being likely to work would be one using multiple staggered steps, with the idea being to hopefully make it tiresome enough to use the computer that he gives up. Which, in itself, is not all that likely. So, repeating some of what has already been suggested, here are some steps you could take:

• Check your BIOS, limit it to booting from your hard drive, then set a (complex) password - this makes it harder to use things like login screen bypass or password reset tools.
• If available, enable the "intrusion detection logging" in BIOS. This lets you know if he has tried to reset the BIOS by removing the battery or using the hardware jumper reset method (not usually an option in most laptops from the last 5-6 years or so, but still worth being aware of).
• Disable your network adapters in BIOS so that internet access is only available if you manually enable them.
• Encrypt your disk and require a password for startup - you can use TrueCrypt or something similar for this if you don't want to have to upgrade Windows to use Bitlocker.
• Split your user accounts: Create a new administrator account, then drop your account to standard user permissions. Create an account for your son as well if he doesn't already have one (if he does, disable it and create a new one). Re-enforce the Family Safety limitations on the account. Personally, I'd also be setting User Account Control to the highest level and spending some time going through the Group-Policy-only options for UAC, to make it harder for him to bypass things.
• Go through the list of installed programs and remove anything you don't recognize. Check that you have hidden files as visible and "show file extensions" enabled, and check your user profile (and any other regularly-used folders, eg the Desktop) for executables or script files you don't recognise. Delete anything you find if you can't make sense of it.
• Secure your wireless router and reset the password for for your wireless network, and do not set your browser to remember the password.
• Often overlooked - if your laptop has a lockslot, buy a Kensington lock and lock it somewhere inconvenient/inaccessible when you aren't using it!

If you want to go even further down the rabbit hole, you could look at things like Microsoft's Enhanced Mitigation Experience Toolkit. But at that point I think evaluating non-technical alternatives would be more likely to succeed...

Jack Killian

RustyNut wrote: »

To answer your question, I would lock up my laptop when I wasn't using it.

However if I had a 13 year old with the talent to hack passwords etc they would have their own computer and I would encourage them to carry on with doing whatever it is that gave them the skills to hack your laptop.

I wouldn't - hacking passwords / anything is a fairly lowlife activity and should be nipped in the bud ASAP.

Encourage him to do proper / decent things.

OP - the best lesson he can learn here is that actions have consequences; if there is a games console in the house then that goes under physical lock and key for a day each time he defies you.

If that's not an option then do an equivalent for mom's/dad's taxi service or something else he cherishes.

But be sure to emphasise cause and effect and how the solution is in his own hands.

DopeTech

He's probably reading all this.

If I were you I would install sophos home security (it's free) on ypur account, then when not using it log in from any device to https://home.sophos.com/ and disable all internet activity. He'll get fairly bored quickly.

Obviously there is things he could do to avoid this also but its worth a try.

stefanovich

I don't get why you are denying your obviously smart kid access to a computer.

dioni

If HDD is not encrypted Windows is open to login without knowing or changing the current password (Koon-Boot or other tools). Switch off USB boot option (BIOS), or encrypt HDD (Bitlocker, or TrueCrypt).

dioni

If HDD is not encrypted Windows is open to login without knowing or changing the current password (Koon-Boot or other tools). Switch off USB boot option (BIOS), or encrypt HDD (Bitlocker, or TrueCrypt).
BTW - check machine for keyloggers and... your room for cameras ;-)

dioni

If HDD is not encrypted Windows is open to login without knowing or changing the current password (Koon-Boot or other tools). Switch off USB boot option (BIOS), or encrypt HDD (Bitlocker, or TrueCrypt).
BTW - check your machine for keyloggers and... your room for cameras ;-)

stefanovich

He's obviously going to lose the arms race with the kid. Stop looking at porn if that's what you're worried about. Hell just stop using the computer and give it to him. He'll make better use of it.

ItHurtsWhenIP

Folks - don't forget TrueCrypt is no longer supported - it was great when it was, but sadly tis no longer.

I've been using VeraCrypt, which evolved from TrueCrypt v7.1a and it is supported.

dashcamdanny

stefanovich wrote: »

He's obviously going to lose the arms race with the kid. Stop looking at porn if that's what you're worried about. Hell just stop using the computer and give it to him. He'll make better use of it.

LOL. Really.. I could not be bothered with those sort of things at my age.


He is a great kid, love him to bits. Buts its not easy.. Have the gray hair to prove it.

I will have to get him to help me all the things listed above! :pac:

Digital Solitude

Jack Killian wrote: »

I wouldn't - hacking passwords / anything is a fairly lowlife activity and should be nipped in the bud ASAP.

Encourage him to do proper / decent things.

All the advice I can offer is to completely ignore this, hacking is a very viable career with money to be made and openings always available. A white hat hacker basically does his best to hack into a company's system, with their permission, to try and expose security flaws and loopholes, saving them a lot of money and making a bit for the hacker. Completely legal and above board.

Charles Babbage

For a laptop the simplest solution is to physically lock it away, either in a locked cabinet or in a locked steel box.

Jack Killian

Digital Solitude wrote: »

All the advice I can offer is to completely ignore this, hacking is a very viable career with money to be made and openings always available. A white hat hacker basically does his best to hack into a company's system, with their permission, to try and expose security flaws and loopholes, saving them a lot of money and making a bit for the hacker. Completely legal and above board.

Something that he does not have at present, and therefore needs to learn the distinction.

stefanovich

dashcamdanny wrote: »

LOL. Really.. I could not be bothered with those sort of things at my age.


He is a great kid, love him to bits. Buts its not easy.. Have the gray hair to prove it.

I will have to get him to help me all the things listed above! :pac:

So why are you denying him access? Are you worried that he's looking at porn? Or are you worried that he's trying to hack into the NSAs servers and you'll have the party van over at your house?

Digital Solitude

Jack Killian wrote: »

Something that he does not have at present, and therefore needs to learn the distinction.

Well he's not being paid to do it so doesn't need the permission yet.

If he's good enough and interested enough to make a genuine career from it now is the time for him to learn and gain experience.

Regardless, it's the OPs call, I was just trying to alert him to the fact that his son may have a calling.

I'm sure it's been tried but is controlling his access a possibility? Giving him an hour or so a day for good behaviour or whatever and completely locking everything up with lock and key otherwise. He might be more inclined to be sound and respect the time he has with in instead of going behind your back.

DopeTech

I'm curious to know what exactly is he doing that is so bad to deny any access?

Jack Killian

Digital Solitude wrote: »

Well he's not being paid to do it so doesn't need the permission yet.

If he's good enough and interested enough to make a genuine career from it now is the time for him to learn and gain experience.

Regardless, it's the OPs call, I was just trying to alert him to the fact that his son may have a calling.

I'm sure it's been tried but is controlling his access a possibility? Giving him an hour or so a day for good behaviour or whatever and completely locking everything up with lock and key otherwise. He might be more inclined to be sound and respect the time he has with in instead of going behind your back.

Sorry but that statement is ridiculous. He's obviously ignoring instructions from the owner, or else the OP wouldn't be posting here.

By your logic someone going where they shouldn't be shouldn't be arrested for trespassing because they haven't been paid.

If there's a password there then anyone trying to use it needs permission, and if the op's son doesn't learn this they'd be in court in no time.

Tech advice is only solving the headache, whereas the brain tumour is a lack of respect.

That said, this is in the tech forum and not the parenting forum, so I'll leave it at that.

elfy4eva

Op said his boy has ocd problems and therapist recommended to pull him away from computers for a while.

1hnr79jr65

Perhaps you could challenge his talents or to improve his talents and add a reward system for following instruction and completion of challenge.

Your son is obviously very talented in what he knows, you say therapist said he has OCD, maybe he also has aspergers as he more focuses on computers than more social interactions ?

Maybe you could get him his own laptop, and periodically buy programs such as web design and coding and so forth. Set realistic timeline to then produce different things like web pages from targets you set with appropriate rewards like money into an account for him or such upon completion.

This could help steer him into a direction of a what could be an amazingly successful career in coding and web design. If so he could end up being light years ahead of others if he went to college later in life plus focus his talents into a more productive form.

He could even help design programs or web pages for say you or family or even businesses if you were to regulate and negotiate fairly on his behalf and build a different form of relationship between ye where common and mutual respect and understanding are gained.

stefanovich

Is he obsessively looking at pictures of naked ladies? I was at his age albeit without the internet. It's normal

Stealthfins

I don't understand why you don't want the kid using the computer.

My 15 year old has access to mine and his grand parents computers...

Teyla Emmagan

Stealthfins wrote: »

I don't understand why you don't want the kid using the computer.

My 15 year old has access to mine and his grand parents computers...

She can deny him access if she wants to. Using a computer is not a right.

She's already said he's too immature to be on the internet.

Digital Solitude

Jack Killian wrote: »

Sorry but that statement is ridiculous. He's obviously ignoring instructions from the owner, or else the OP wouldn't be posting here.

It was hyperbole, I do agree with the sentiment that he has to be careful, as he definitely does but the option to become a white hat should be left open if the OP thinks it may be a possible future for him. In my opinion anyways.

I've offered all the help I can ( not much I know) but best of luck OP, I'll stop going OT now

Fysh

Digital Solitude wrote: »

Well he's not being paid to do it so doesn't need the permission yet.

If he's good enough and interested enough to make a genuine career from it now is the time for him to learn and gain experience.

Regardless, it's the OPs call, I was just trying to alert him to the fact that his son may have a calling.

I'm sure it's been tried but is controlling his access a possibility? Giving him an hour or so a day for good behaviour or whatever and completely locking everything up with lock and key otherwise. He might be more inclined to be sound and respect the time he has with in instead of going behind your back.

With that kind of attitude you're doing a colossal disservice to any notion of security consultancy or white-hat career you might be trying to promote.

In legal terms it is generally pretty clear-cut that, whether or not it's technically feasible, bypassing security systems or restrictions to gain unauthorised access to a computing system is the kind of no-no that can land you in hot water. Which means that a solid understanding of the boundaries of legal activity and strong respect for the systems of others are vital - while some companies may respond positively to unsolicited whitehat notices, others will not and still others will actively pursue the individual sending the notifications (because depending on the industry in which they operate, the mere existence of someone trying to access their networks may generate substantial extra work, including regulatory compliance overhead).

The other thing to note about being a white had is that there's a huge difference between understanding how to find and use a zero-day exploit to achieve a particular goal, and being a scriptkiddie who knows enough to find tools or guides to achieve simple tasks or exploit lack security configurations without having any significant understanding of how this is being done. No scriptkiddie has a significant future in systems security.

Alanstrainor

What kind of router do you have? You could setup MAC filtering and filter out your wireless cards MAC address.

This can be gotten around, but it would be more impressive than anything if he managed to do this. Hell, I'd go as far as to say that this is a great learning ground for him. It seems that he has already been able to research on how to get around a Windows password, by most likely creating a bootable USB. No harm in him getting to learn some networking while he's at it.

You can continue to escalate things, perhaps by adding tonnes of entries into your computers host file so that google etc no longer works. That'd be a fun one to try and get around.

Ultimately encrypting the drive and adding a bios password is the solution, but I think that it could be almost fun to get him thinking and learning about computers too!

Recurve360

Teyla Emmagan wrote: »

She's already said he's too immature to be on the internet.

I think that therapist would say the same thing about half the people on Boards here... :P

But in all seriousness to answer your question here is what I would do:
1. Tell him off sternly. Make it known who is the boss and he is not to use your computer.
2. Remove battery and charger and store in a locked cabinet. If you dont have access, get one on the cheap. Argos etc are your friend here.
3. Failing this then encryption is your only friend but I dont suggest this as it sounds like your budding hacker/son is very tech savvy and will outsmart you in the realms of technology. It could even lead to him locking you out of your own system.

When saying he is too immature to use the laptop can you elaborate? If its a case of doing silly stuff online maybe sit him down and explain the consequences of messing online.

dashcamdanny

Recurve360 wrote: »

I think that therapist would say the same thing about half the people on Boards here... :P

But in all seriousness to answer your question here is what I would do:
1. Tell him off sternly. Make it known who is the boss and he is not to use your computer.
2. Remove battery and charger and store in a locked cabinet. If you dont have access, get one on the cheap. Argos etc are your friend here.
3. Failing this then encryption is your only friend but I dont suggest this as it sounds like your budding hacker/son is very tech savvy and will outsmart you in the realms of technology. It could even lead to him locking you out of your own system.

When saying he is too immature to use the laptop can you elaborate? If its a case of doing silly stuff online maybe sit him down and explain the consequences of messing online.

I would prefer not talking to much about his condition as its not relevant to a technical question and its personal.