Please help... technically challenged

Hello,

I am being cyberstalked as are several friends of mine that were once in a support group with me. Long story short, we left the group and started our own groups, and the leader wasn't too happy. He's hacking our websites, trying to hack our computers, all kinds of nasty stuff, and has hijacked my email account and taken over my private egroups with my account (because I was the owner). He's also sending viruses to people who try to join that group with an address spoofed to look like it came from the group. I have seen emails where he brags of doing this kind of stuff. It is definitely him.... Now, my question.... Is there anyway to prove it's him, since he hides behind proxy servers and anonymizers? Is there any way to trace this mess directly back to him?

Also, how does traceroute work (in layman's terms)? Will it actually trace something back to him?

Please pardon my computer illiteracy, and great thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

p.s. I have already tried reporting this mess to any "authorities" that will listen.

I suppose you already have a good firewall and know how to configure it correctly. If not get one and learn how to set it up.

Make sure you keep your AntiVirus program updated and scan on a regular basis. Download a trojan detector if you don't have one, TrojanHunter or TDS-*, and scan your machine with current definitions.

Make sure you use strong passwords for your site login and e-mail accounts and change them often. At the very minimum 8 random upper/lower case letters, numbers, and other characters. Nothing like your birthday, telephone number, pets name, password, etc.

If your site is being hosted by a private company adivise them of the potential problem and get them to assure you they are current on all their server patches. Change your password.

Try to get things straightened out with whoever hosts your e-group and change the password if you can log in. If not have them clear the account and get a new one. Get a new e-mail account too. Let the people in your group know what's been going on and that you won't be using the compromised account anymore.

If he's sent a virus to you contact the abuse dept. of your ISP or whoever is hosting the account and send in the whole letter so they can examine the header. You should already know not to open attachments and set your e-mail client not to display HTML mail if possible.

Tracert shows the hops between your machine and theirs. If you can get a firewall log of them trying to access your machine you can run tracert to include with your logs if you send it in. His ISP might do something about it and they might not. As long as my firewall was blocking it I wouldn't worry about it too much.

You can let them dog you and they will probably never get tired of it. Take steps to secure your machine and accounts and stand up for yourself. Good luck.

Thank you for taking the time to respond; I do appreciate it. Each of the steps you s***ested are/have been implemented.

This guy will not stop. His behavior only escalates, and he has even taken it offline in one case. One member's home was broken into and her computers stolen while she and her child lie sleeping in their beds. I fear that his behavior will become even more dangerous if he is not stopped. The only way to stop him, is to prove it's him, so the authorities will take action.

Is there any way to prove it? Any way to get past proxies and trace directly to him?

You can expect it to escalate when you start reporting him. You just have to make it more trouble than it's worth.

It's good to be paranoid to an extent, but don't let yourself get carried away by it. It may or may not have been the same person who stole the computers. It's quite possible that he might want to take it into real life. Again, you have to make it more trouble than it's worth and let it be known there will be consequences to be paid for such actions. Know what I mean?

If you're not ready to get as serious as you might need to get you'll have to decide for yourself when it's more trouble for you than it's worth. Be prepared to walk away from the situation if you're outclassed. Is an e-group, e-mail box, or site that important to you? Report any attempt to hack you but don't make an effort to irritate him.

A paid proxy will be keeping records, getting them into court is another matter. If he's using proxys he's found on the internet with an app chances are they don't even know they're being used as such.

I'm not surprised that he is escalating. He has gotten away with so much for so long, it's made him cocky. I doubt that he knows he's been reported since nothing is being done, yet he continues to escalate.

I am a bit paranoid, but in most cases when I've told myself I was just overreacting, the strange coincidences do end up being related to him.

I see your point about a mailbox, e-group, website, not being that important.... But the support group that these things relate too is very important. Our members need our help and support. Years or research and hard work have gone into this group. We should not have to disband a very important group, simply because one man cannot control himself. We should not be "run off" or afraid to turn on our computers.

I'm very discouraged right now. I've reported everything to anyone who will listen, but apparently no one can do anything because I don't have enough proof.

I suppose these paid proxies would not turn over their records without a court order. The others, as you mentioned, probably have no clue. Do you think reporting his abuse of their services to them would do any good? I'm guessing not, that's why I was hoping to find some way to backtrace beyond them. Guess I need to find an "ethical hacker" ?

Thanks for your time.

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Unregistered [/i]
[B]We should not have to disband a very important group, simply because one man cannot control himself. We should not be "run off" or afraid to turn on our computers.[/B][/QUOTE]

I agree. That's why my first advise was to secure your system and accounts and stand up for yourself.

You just need to educate yourself on exploits and how to defend yourself against them. Not like it's something you're going to learn in a day. You've made a start by securing your system and not being such an easy target.

I don't know the firewall you're using and you don't need to say, but if you're being probed run tracert on the IP and keep a record of your firewall hits. That way you can see if there's a pattern. If you run tracert at least they will know they've been detected and it may make them think twice. If you know which ISP he uses report each probe you log with full records of the event to their abuse dept. As long as your firewall is doing it's job you're safe enough in that regard.

Just don't let yourself be tricked into downloading a trojan or keylogger. If there's even the slightest chance that you have already reformat to clean things up.

Things may look bad now, but if you at least try and do something about it you'll be better off for it in the end.

HI,


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u will atleast know it is him.

catching cyber criminals is a difficult task as such.

try help in [url]www.cyberangels.org[/url]

Regards Data.

Thanks Data. I've tried cyberangels as well as other "internet authorities" even local law enforcement and the FBI. Local law enforcement is helpless, and the FBI is a little busy chasing terrorists.

I can't believe there is no way to trace this guy and prove it's him. This is ridiculous.

Again, thanks for trying to help.

whats with you peaple ?
One member's home was broken into and her computers stolen while she and her child lie sleeping in their beds. trough anonymous proxies? why are you answering to this cowshi7 ?
FBI. Local law enforcement is helpless, and the FBI is a little busy chasing terrorists. If if i`ts a game...

[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Unregistered [/i]
[B]whats with you peaple ?
One member's home was broken into and her computers stolen while she and her child lie sleeping in their beds. trough anonymous proxies? why are you answering to this cowshi7 ?
FBI. Local law enforcement is helpless, and the FBI is a little busy chasing terrorists. If if i`ts a game... [/B][/QUOTE]

What's up with you?

I answered in an attempt to help somebody who was evidently not too computer literate deal with someone who was and taking advantage of them. I didn't see the point in someone trying to get attention by lieing about it and took them at their word.

I was trying to get my point across without spelling it out in my comment about consequences to be paid for them taking it into real life. It's one thing to try to hack someone online if you think the worst thing that might happen is your ISP informing you that you're violating their TOS and if you continue you may be disconnected. It's another thing to take it into real life if you think you might get your head blown off by some krazy MF.

Like I've been saying all along, make it more trouble than it's worth.

I assure you, I am not playing a game. My questions were serious. My problem is serious. I don't know what got this poster so upset.

I simply hoped to find a way to get some proof on this guy before someone really gets hurt. I apologize if I disturbed your forum, as that was certainly not my intention.

Thanks again to those who tried to help.