Watching someone else's LIVE Internet browsing, after using their Internet connection ???

Question

After watcing a recent "The Real Hustle's" episode, I wonder how exactly is it for them to do what they did.

They used someone's else's unsecured wireless network by having their laptop within its range. I myself use the similar unsecured wireless network myself & allow my nephew to use my wireless network to browse Internet (who only lives 3 houses next to me).

Now, in "The Real Hustle", they showed that it wasn't JUST possible to use someone else's bandwidth & browse Internet on their own laptop, but ALSO were able to see exactly the website other person is browsing at that very moment & could see this other person's mouse movement & keyboard stroke, etc. ....... LIVE.

How exactly could this be possible, since so far, my understanding was that me allowing my nephew to use my bandwidth could ONLY be used by him to browse the Internet but NOT to see my "LIVE browsing".

Could anyone enlighten me further towards it ???

Answer 1

First, as a matter of principle you should secure your wireless connection! It's just not good practice to have an unsecured WLAN whatever the reasons.

As to that show, I think there was a little bit of "artistic license" going on there. It's possible to reconstruct an internet session by intercepting the data that's flying around the airwaves and assembling it into some sort of order. An unsecured WLAN makes that very easy, so it's simple to see where you (or anyone else using that wireless connection) has been surfing and what's been downloaded.

You can do that over a period of time (even a short period) and then "play back" the results, which is what they showed on that episode IIRC. It looks "live" but it's not really.

The only way to actually "watch" a session live is to have some sort of client software on the target PC surreptitiously logging keystrokes etc.

In case you hadn't guessed, doing that is
a) incredibly difficult to do on a PC you don't own or have physical access to, and
b) illegal!

In terms of reconstructing a session, it's way too big a topic to answer succinctly here but go and do some research on "packet sniffers". Try www.wireshark.org for a start.

Answer 2

Wireless networking is still in its baby shoes and most wireless networks are very insecure, with people not even aware of this fact.

I have seen a documentary a couple of years ago where someone hacked into a corporate wireless network and browsed the Internet by just parking next to the building and hacking the network from his car using a laptop. This documentary was about the vulnerabilities of wireless networks and how easy it is to exploit them. So I guess anything is possible, knowing how bad the security is on wireless connections.

Seeing your live browsing is not the only thing a hacker can do, a hacker can even control your computer beyond you own control over it.

http://www.cybertopcops.com/anti-hacker.php

Answer 3

Well, at the risk of being redundant, because you've had some really good answers, let me add this: A hacker moved into the next apartment building a month or so ago, and within days, had hacked into my broadband cable and was using the signal. Thanks to the router techs, we were able to stop this using WEP encryption. Yesterday, he hacked into my cable signal again, this time changing the network address and password so he had my internet signal and I had nothing. He also hacked into my computer. It has taken over 24 hours of work on my part and that of the router tech's to find and fix this. He can't get into it again. Could he track what I was doing on the internet? They told me it was possible, though doubtful that he was doing that, he just wanted to steal signal because hackers are too cheap to pay for it.

If you want your nephew to use your use your wireless, you are asking for trouble, maybe not from the nephew, but from anyone who wants to take the time and trouble to steal. A powerful laptop in a parked car near you can get the signal just as easy as the nephew can. Can you protect your wireless? Yes, but only with WAP security. WEP is so weak, even I could get through it.

Answer 4

It is possible for others to see your live browsing. If your network is not secure or encrypted, and your firewall is not right up to snuff, someone can hack you and plant spyware and keyloggers in your registry. A keylogger watches every single stroke you type, every website you visit, etc. All it takes is 1 open port or one area not up to date and boom you're hacked, that's how alot of people steal identities as well. With wireless you're out there, and from using a friends laptop, you can list the networks you want to connect to, and you don't always get the best choices, as it will move from one to another and connect where it finds a slot so you could be getting bottom barrel networks that are not secure. I've been trying to help her with her computer because it's been a mess, she's on her 3rd laptop, they've been hacked, virused and fried to death. I would not use a wireless network until they find ways to make them more secure but since you do, just make darn sure your computer is 100% as secure as it can be at the moment and make sure you do your updates. I would recommend Windows Live for xp or Nortons Internet Security 2007 with fraud monitoring, Windows Patrol, Spyware Killer 5 in 1, crap cleaner, spyware blaster, spyware guard, and a pop up stopper along with yahoo tool bar that comes with protection too.

Answer 5

This question is good, more people need to learn the WEP (Wireless Encryption Protocol) and WPA...both protect your connection from being intercepted, if you set a WEP (your Internet provider(ISP) can tell you how) you can give it to your nephew as sort of a password to access your network...as for the viewing of Live browsing, I think there is a program (not released to the public I should add) to track certain people, the FBI uses it to track pedophiles and reported sex offenders. So don't worry about anyone viewing you live online, not even the ISP's can do that.

Answer 6

I dont know your answer but i saw that episode and i use a wireless internet connection and i was wondering if it is possible without any equipment because it worried me? Ill be coming back here to find out any more info sorry but thanks for asking the question

Answer 7

I stored having this issue. I then stumbled on that having your audio gadget unplug will reason an errors message to ensue. Plugged mine in and each thing works advantageous. How could you be attentive to that!

Answer 8

yes its possible..........one is actually attacked by a hacker(who's got loads of brain and experience doin these things as well as s/w).......all that needs to be done is that u r remotely connected to that comp and then if u dont have proper protection the other person may use remote access utility to access ur comp and then view ur actions LIVE......thats what i knw

Answer 9

as far as i can figure out, your computer has to be networked to theirs for them to be able to see what you are doing. or controlled by the same server, but i'm not sure. I too will be coming back to check out the answers.

Answer 10

....er, it's television!
It can't be done, not yet anyway. Have you ever heard of artistic licence?
It allows film-makers to 'make-up' bits where there is a plot 'hole'.