Exposed: Repair Shops Hack Your Laptops

This is hardly new.

I've worked on computers that have a a folder named "porn" on the root of C:

Also, if you "stumble across" kiddy pron or something I believe you are obliged to report it.

Abusing stored passwords is one thing, but anything READILY available on the HDD that one would deem "private" should be known by the owner and if nobody else should be seeing it, don't take it into a shop, get a call out and sit in with them instead.

It's not like people in the know with computers are rare. A friend of a friend, or family members.
 
dunno said:
Yes, humans are inquisitive and would like to look at peoples’ secrets but when you are a customer going to a trained individual you, as a customer, would expect a certain degree of professionalism from the trained "professional" and for them to not go through your documents.
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It is exactly because of the nature of man, that if i could not fix my computer, i would damn well make sure there was nowt on there that was private.
If i was to take my computer to be repaired i "Would" expect the repair guy to snoop through it. I would be very suprised if he didn't.

As for Human nature and "Professionals" , a great example would be MPs and their expenses, ergo people doing what is not expected of them.
 
To be honest, if i cant fix it ill come on here and ask for adivce...if i dont get any then its obviously unfixable!

The joys of a laptop as well as a desktop :)
 
moremoney said:
It is exactly because of the nature of man, that if i could not fix my computer, i would damn well make sure there was nowt on there that was private.
If i was to take my computer to be repaired i "Would" expect the repair guy to snoop through it. I would be very suprised if he didn't.

As for Human nature and "Professionals" , a great example would be MPs and their expenses, ergo people doing what is not expected of them.
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Someone snooping through your computer would be akin to someone going into your room and rummaging around in your drawers and looking at the photos/pants in them. Would you let your plumber do that? I think not, and if you do let your plumber get away with that sort of thing then you have a serious problem.

As for the MPs, you have iterated my point, you don't expect that sort of behaviour from professionals and since they did it they got in trouble for it BUT they were using tax payers’ money for themselves, they did not invade any privacy, just created mistrust with the general public, this is completely different from imposing on someone’s privacy.
 
I don't trust those repair people as far as I can throw them.

Bank details, log-ins, and other sorts of things. Married men who have been on porn. The stuff is uncovered and some of these people black mail these guys into forking over cash to stop their spouses finding out about it.

Disgusting.
 
Unsuprising that they named the poor service shops, but not the one out of the six that correctly diagnosed the issue.
If you set up something like that, surely you should identify exactly what each of the shops did right and wrong.
 
mattyfez said:
Hardly a surprise, no different to garages fitting new brake disks when they are not required and having a rifle through the glove box - it happens all the time.
.
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if people would remember where they put their locking wheel nut keys we wouldn't have to waste hours each day rummaging through old tissues and condom packs :mad:
 
Someone brings me a PC with a folder marked private......

Whats the first thing you do?
It's like telling someone to shut their eyes, don't peek.

Copying the files and attempting to access the bank account, very different matter.
 
I run a PC repair centre and I know of other local businesses who operate in a very un-handed manner.

If you dont want someone to see your pics then A) remove them or B) password them, would you leave your bank statements on your seat when you take a car for a MOT then complain?

If I found kiddie-porn on one of those laptops and reported it would I be commended or arrested?

Sky is obviously having a quiet day, but it wont do us any good either way.
 
Burnsy2023 said:
There's nothing a repair company could do that I couldn't, so I'm not concerned. But I do understand why Joe Public would be.
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Same here. And I'm not remotely surprised. In-fact, I cringe whenever friends/family members take in their computers/lappys complete with photo archive and personal data. Madre mia..
 
Hikari Kisugi said:
Someone brings me a PC with a folder marked private......

Whats the first thing you do?
It's like telling someone to shut their eyes, don't peek.

Copying the files and attempting to access the bank account, very different matter.
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The thing is though, what stupid person actually names a folder "Private" in the first place (other than sky obviously)!:p
 
markweatherill said:
But the repair shop wouldn't know that was all that needed doing.
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Yes they would.

Problem: Computer doesn't boot.
Process: (If not told something obvious such as loud pop and smoke coming from back) Check all internal connections.
Solution: Reseat RAM
Test: Computer boots, problem solved.

There would be no reason for them to even do anything after that.
 
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