Interesting email from Cox Communications

[amalventano1 at tds.net (Allyn)]

Recommendations:
Firewall: sygate personal firewall (the non-pro version is free):
http://soho.sygate.com/free/default.php
Anti spyware: microsoft antispyware (free): 
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx 

Software firewall is vital to find programs on your own pc which may be
unauthorized / and accessing the net.
I've found the norton 2005 stuff lags systems too much to bear, even with
auto-protect disabled.
Also, lock down your router. You don't have to go crazy with access keys and
encryption. I recommend mac authorization, allowing only the mac addresses of
allowed systems to access your router.

HTH
Al

> -----Original Message-----
> From: scirocco-l-bounces+amalventano1=tds.net@scirocco.org 
> [mailto:scirocco-l-bounces+amalventano1=tds.net@scirocco.org] 
> On Behalf Of Chris Bennett
> Sent: Saturday, October 22, 2005 12:05 PM
> To: Scirocco List
> Subject: Interesting email from Cox Communications
> 
> Apparently I am some sort of software pirate.  Despite what 
> reality is... I got "caught" for something I didn't do.
> 
> I got a semi nasty email from Cox yesterday telling me to 
> cease and desist immediately distributing a pirated movie 
> called "the perfect score"  Apparently this copy is in 
> spanish and it was tracked to my IP address.
> 
> I do not deny that I speak a little spanish, however, my 
> mastery of the language isn't that so that I may follow a 
> movie in spanish.  So why would I download and upload this 
> one?  Simply I did not.
> 
> I called them and they tell me that if I comply with this 
> email they sent me, it's pretty much no harm no foul as 
> Paramount Pictures only has an IP address and without a court 
> order Cox will not disclose my name.  Paramount will back off 
> and the matter will be forgotten.
> 
> I explained that while I download an occasional song, for the 
> *most* part I own a CD or GASP... an LP for every MP3 on my 
> computer.  I usually download it see if I like it and then go 
> buy the CD.  Gone are my days of having a CD with one song 
> worth a shit.  If there's only one song I really like I try 
> to get it from the Itunes store.  (My Ipod sadly is another 
> matter)  I also download an occasional adult movie clip, but 
> nothing major and certainly not an entire movie.  So where 
> did this come from and WHO if not I downloaded it?  I assured 
> Cox it wouldn't happen again and turned OFF the modem.
> 
> I suspected my wireless router immediately.  All of my near 
> neighbors are rather old and I don't think any of them own a 
> computer much less a wireless capable one.  I never bothered 
> securing it for that same reason.  I entered the routing 
> tables to see if it logged a different IP than my four 
> wireless devices/computers.  There was nothing there to 
> suspect.  The next suspect was a mobile user...  Wardriving 
> is, for those of you that don't know, driving around looking 
> for a wireless network to hack into.  Working in the IT dept 
> I am aware of linux distributions with "tools" to crack 
> secure wireless networks, all on a
> bootable CD.   Another reason why I didn't bother to secure it... if
> they want in that desperately they WILL get in.  Especially 
> with a Linksys.  Not to mention they can cover their tracks 
> fairly well.  I don't share my drives across the network 
> anyway so I assessed it as fairly low risk.
> 
> Other possibilities include neighbors farther out than 100 
> yards... or some sort of remote control trojan.  I don't 
> allow remote desktop connections.  So I don't suspect that.
> 
> So I think I am going to rescan all of my computers--I scan 
> weekly anyways, disable Emule altogether, and finally I think 
> I am going to throw the laptop in the car and survey the 
> neighborhood for Wi-Fi networks.  I have searched all of my 
> computers--well I am still waiting to search the one with the 
> better part of a terabyte of storage--for this file they 
> claim I downloaded.
> 
> All in all I am rather puzzled but it did scare the shit out 
> of me and I no longer underestimate the geezers in the hood.
> 
> Geezerz need excitement
> If their lives don't provide them this they incite violence 
> Common sense simple common sense --The Streets
> 
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