Re: Windows File Which Records Credit Card Numbers, SSN, etc.
From: D.Currie (dmbcurrie.nospam_at_hotmail.com)
Date: 08/06/04
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Date: Thu, 5 Aug 2004 22:18:42 -0600
"Gene K" <genekRE@MOVEolivianc.net> wrote in message
news:%23vJbjh1eEHA.2896@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> D.Currie wrote:
> > "Gene K" <genekRe@MOVEolivianc.net> wrote in message
> > news:O%23wuaaweEHA.3732@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> >> I have Norton Internet Security 2003. Occasionally, I get an Norton
> >> Anti-Virus pop up which states that there is an attempt to forward
> >> credit card numbers or my SSN to someone with out my permission. I
> >> have made attempts to prevent storage of such information in order
> >> to stop these furtive attempts to steal such information.
> >> My specific questions:
> >> a. Tell me, if you can, everything I should enable/disable to prevent
> >> storage of such information in Windows.
> >> b. What File/Folder is it stored in so I can remove the information.
> >> If you feel this is sensitive information and should not generally be
> >> revealed to the public, please E-mail me direct. To do that, check
> >> Properties of this posting and remove the obvious to obtain my real
> >> E-mail address.
> >
> > Are you sure this pop-up is from Norton and not something that's
> > trying to convince you that you should buy some security program?
> > Some of them look pretty legit.
> >
> > As far as where the files are stored, it depends on where you put
> > them, although I can't imagine how Norton could tell the difference
> > between a credit card number from any other string of numbers you've
> > saved on your computer. You might have entered the numbers in some
> > financial program, or some profile that you saved, or maybe a copy of
> > a web site where you entered the info to buy something or apply for a
> > loan, or for banking purposes.
> >
> > But once again, I can't see how Norton would know what the data is --
> > Or, are you using that Norton password manager, or whatever it's
> > called. It has specific fields where you enter the data for credit
> > cards. But I'd imagine Norton itself would keep that safe.
> >
> > What's the exact text of the message?
>
> The Window is from the Norton Anti-Virus Program. The text, as I remember
> it, simply states that an attempt is being made to send private
information
> over the Internet, identifies the information as being a credit card
number
> [several times] or my social security number [once] and gives the last
four
> numbers of the number (has not been wrong once, at least not yet) and
> recommends that the attempt be blocked [my choice though]. I do not use
> Money or Quicken or any other similiar program to record financial
> information. My version of Nortons Internet Security [2003] does not have
a
> Password Manager. That, I believe, was added to the 2004 version. I do
have
> A1 Roboform Pro as a password tool and it is regarded by PC World and PC
> Magazine as probably the best of these programs and is very secure. It
does
> have a provision for storing credit card numbers but I have never chosen
to
> use it.
> I do use credit cards occaisionally to purchase items via the Internet
plus
> I use online bill pay at my bank. Some places require your SSN. I do look
> for the padlock at such sites.
> I have found no option in Norton to check/uncheck to require such blockage
> but I glad it is there. What I do have checkmarked in Outlook Express is
> Tools/Options/Security "Warn me when other applications try to send mail
as
> me". At the suggestion of another, I have gone to Internet
Explorer/Internet
> Options/scrolled down to Security and placed a check mark by "Do not save
> encrypted pages to disk".
> I have noted approximately three time that this warning/action has
occurred
> during or just after a visit to a Forum site (I will not name it for fear
of
> legal action and/or the fact that Hackers can stick such files on their
> servers/sites without the Webmasters knowledge). I intend to visit said
site
> before the PM is over to see if I have solved the problem with you folks
> help.
> It is not, as you think, a virus since I keep mine updated and scans
reveal
> no problem. It is apparently spyware since I find stuff every time I run
> AddAware, Spybot, and SpySweeper.
> The point: yes, Windows does store this information somewhere and someone
> apparently knows where and what it is and is planting something in an
> attempt to retrieve it. I personally believe that it may in those
encrypted
> files which I believe are stored as Internet History for the number of
days
> you allow (I am going to change my setting to 0 if possible). EITHER those
> files are not encrypted or someone has found the key.
> --
> Gene K
>
Hmmm. They're encrypted for secure transport over the Internet, but that
doesn't mean they're encrypted when they're cached on your computer, since
in theory that's private. And if that's where they're coming from, it would
be a simple process to find the HTML code in a form that asks for your
credit card number, and simply grab the data after that.
Good thing Norton caught it, or we'd find you on one of those Identity Theft
commercials.
Might be a good idea not to store any Internet content on your machine.
Clear the cookies, the temp files, everything.
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