Security device for my computer - help needed!

**smn2** · 14-04-05

Hi,

I've got a desktop and laptop computer, and it'd pretty
much be a disaster if they got stolen, particularly from
the perspective of someone else being able to access
affiliate accounts and bank accounts etc.

(I have auto-login for many affiliate networks, and have
stored my bank account details and other passwords in
a password-protected Word document, as well as in
password-protected software called Password Keeper.
But most password-protected files can be 'cracked',
eventually.)

So, I want to be able to secure my computer in case
the worst happens.

For a previous Dell laptop, I put a bios password on the m/c
so that you just couldn't get the O/S to load if you didn't
know the password.

I'm wondering if there are any better software/hardware
solutions that you 1) know about or 2) are using.

I've got a Mesh desktop computer and Hi-grade Notino
laptop, if this matters.

Many thanks in advance
Steve

**Keith** · 14-04-05

Hi Steve

you might find this article interesting and maybe even useful http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4360793.stm

**Supercod** · 14-04-05

Turn off auto-login and use PGP encryption to store your passwords, believe me if you machine is nicked and they break your PGP encryption then what are you up to as that's Government strength and no doubt they have worked out a way to break it but your average thief is not going to have a clue.

Also install software from no-ip.com on your machine as it has a silent service (approve it for Zone Alarm and the like) this way if someone nicks it and turn it on and goes online the IP will be sent along and you can give that to the Computer High-Tech Crime folks who can force the ISP to give the name and address of who went online with that IP. However easier said than done, as your average copper who would deal with an every day robbery wouldn't have a clue who to pass it on to even if you told them that stuff.

**Paul Wright** · 14-04-05

You seem to have tried most things I would have recommended but you can’t beat a really long and really obscure password containing all the usual recommendations including non alpha numeric and case sensitive characters.

As a test I left a brute force cracking application on my server running on a file protected with my password and left it for a few months running as a service in the background. After about 8 characters the possible combinations running at 15million passwords a second should take a few years just to get up to 9 characters. I figured it was time to quit the test after that

edit: love the no-ip idea!

**Ste** · 14-04-05

The methods I use is always leave auto form fill turned off, history is automatically cleared on exit and keep all personal files/websites on a separate networked drive on a PC in a safe place in another part of the house.

If a break in occurs, then they will most likely just rip out the main PC and not track the network elsewhere. Not foolproof but its better than not having any protection in place.

So basically all the sensitive data is not on the PC on view. It is always best to have something in place as you never know what’s gonna happen.

**smn2** · 14-04-05

Cheers for the answer so far, though I like auto-logging into
my affiliate networks (and I forgot to mention about how
your sites could be hacked via your FTP software, which -
by definition - has username/passwords stored in it...)

Does no-one have any software/hardware solutions?

Steve