Re: I need help protecting passwords during repair period

Posted by Scott on 2/28/08

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I think you will find that most computer technicians have an
unspoken oath of security- meaning, that most Renowned repair
facilities will have good technicians. Make sure your source
is reliable.

In this world, a secret kept, is a secret held by three
people. The holder, the knower, and the fixer.

Also, in my experience, having dealt with so many clients and
so many computers, I can't remember more than 2 or 3 passwords
at a time :)

Anyway, to make you more at ease, a good Tech will be
professional and discreet, and have great character when it
comes to privacy.

Most of the time, passwords are held on a chip rather than on
the hard drive. This means that when you turn your computer
off, your password is gone.

Rest easy, I don't think you're in any danger.

Scott

On 1/22/08, Ralph wrote:
> This is an interesting problem. My assumption is that you
> access your bank through the internet. My experience is with
> Microsoft Internet Explorer on Windows XP and cannot comment
> on other browsers. Most of my advice is conjecture based on
> some knowledge I have on how IE is supposed to work. In
> reality I make no guarantees because I may be wrong.
>
> I also assume you do not have your passwords stored in a file
> on your computer unless it is strongly encrypted otherwise
> all bets are off.
>
> First of all make sure that you don't cache encrypted pages.
> This setting can be found by clicking Tools | Internet
> Options... and selecting the Advanced tab in the dialog that
> is displayed. Scroll down to the last section called Security
> and you should check the "Do not save encrypted pages to disk"
>
> Second, go to your banks on-line banking sign-in page. Make
> sure it is a secured page. This means you should see a
> little lock on you browser's status bar and the address of
> the website should start https:// instead of http://. This
> indicates the site is using 128 bit encryption to transmit
> your user name and password over the internet. If not the
> bank is doing something wrong.
>
> Finally it never hurts to clear your cache of both pages and
> cookies. This is done by click Tools | Internet Options...
> and clicking on the "Delete Cookies" and "Delete Files"
> buttons in the middle of the dialog box. This may cause you
> some inconvenience in that other sites that automatically log
> you in will not know who you are anymore but it will also
> make sure the technicians will not be able to see where
> you've been nor give them direct access to your cookies.
>
> All this being said, there are still ways for the truly evil
> to get your banking information by installing some malware on
> your PC while they are servicing it. These programs can send
> your banking information to them the next time you go on-
> line. Always have an up-to-date antivirus and anti-spyware
> program running to help aleviate this type of threat.
>
> Other tips: Make sure you do not give the technicians your
> PC password. Create a limited account for them to use just
> in case they need to log into your computer. Make sure your
> Administrator account password has been set (it doesn't have
> one when you get your PC.) Use NTFS to secure your files.
> Arrange to be with your PC while it is being repaired. That
> way you can see what the tech is doing.
>
> Your best bet is to find a technician you know you can
> trust. If not, get references from friends, etc.
>
> Good luck
>
> On 1/21/08, Rose B/2nd/CA wrote:
>> I have to send out my laptop to have the DVD drive
>> repaired. How do I make sure the technicians who work on
>> my computer do not find my passwords to bank accounts,
>> etc. I heard that even after you delete stuff, its really
>> still there.
>> Rose

Posts on this thread, including this one

• I need help protecting passwords during repair period, 1/21/08, by Rose B/2nd/CA.
• Re: I need help protecting passwords during repair period, 1/22/08, by Ralph.
• Re: I need help protecting passwords during repair period, 2/28/08, by Scott.
• Re: I need help protecting passwords during repair period, 4/29/08, by Pogo.