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Spyware, viruses, & security forum: Unnoticed copying

by: DBM01 March 19, 2012 10:59 PM PDT

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Unnoticed copying

by DBM01 - 3/19/12 10:59 PM

Lets say a peripheral storage device such as a flash drive or external HDD is connected to a Win-7 computer. Is it possible for files to get copied from the computer to the external drive or vice-versa without the user actually executing a copy-paste and without the user even noticing, perhaps due to some virus?

If yes, is it possible for deleted files to get copied, given that normal Windows file deletion is unsecure and the files still remain on the computer or the external drive as the case may be.


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Anything is possible ...

by Edward ODaniel - 3/20/12 10:21 AM

In Reply to: Unnoticed copying by DBM01

providing someone else has access to the computer, and that would include the copying of deleted files either from the "recycle bin" or from those actually marked as deleted by the OS (and this is not limited to Windows as the deletion technique for marking used space as available is similar in just about all operating systems).

Such things could be accomplished through scripting or through simple batch files for the most part.

Now how about telling us why you are (or seem) worried about this capability. Are "strange files" showing up on your external drives of what?


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Continuing..

by DBM01 - 3/20/12 11:52 PM

In Reply to: Anything is possible ... by Edward ODaniel

Let me explain it a bit more. I connected an external hard disk to a computer and copied some music files from the external disk to the computer. Later I found that the external drive had some files (mostly music files again) that originated in the computer. I don't recall having ever copied these files from the computer to the external disk.

Nobody else has access to either the computer or the external disk, but the computer's anti-virus hadn't been updated for about 2 months, although it was used very sparingly during that period.

The files in question were only music files so there was nothing to worry. But if something like this could happen, one would have to guard against the possibility of unintended and possibly dangerous file transfers whenever any external memory device is connected.


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Like Bob said, it could be ...

by Edward ODaniel - 3/22/12 7:40 PM

In Reply to: Continuing.. by DBM01

a "slip of the mouse".

Since they are music files it could also be that whatever player or composer or whatever you use for your music may have searched out music files on your drive(s) and put them in the directory it was pointed at.


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Could be nothing but a slip of the mouse.

by R. Proffitt Moderator - 3/22/12 12:31 PM

In Reply to: Unnoticed copying by DBM01

A friend was noting the same and I had them show me how they copied. They were using the SHIFT + MOUSE CLICK to select a range of files and didn't notice they had selected something extra.

It was nothing nefarious after all.
Bob


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Well..

by DBM01 - 4/11/12 1:30 AM

In Reply to: Could be nothing but a slip of the mouse. by R. Proffitt Moderator

I agree that in all likelihood it was nothing nefarious. The question was more out of curiosity and whether one needs to be extra careful when connecting any external memory devices.

By the way, the curiosity arose because my attempt was to copy files from the external disk to the computer, whereas the unintended copying was in the reverse direction, from the computer to the external disk. It may have been a slip of the mouse but a very odd incident nonetheless.


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