Advice needed on Internet / VPN / law / risk - from any experts! Sensitive family situation.

[Durzel]

Some people have been watching too much Mr Robot methinks.

Turn the PC off and factory reset the router.

He’s not going to be hacking into her toaster or overcharging her electric toothbrush as retribution.

 

[Deleted member 2463]

Why wouldn’t you have already turned off the PC?!




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[Monkeyboypaul]

The PC is off, unplugged, and Router reset.

Trouble is he’s a manipulative swine and as long as she has a phone he’s effectively able to continue coercing her by various messaging services at a distance.

There are a few reasons why she can’t see this and won’t stand up for herself, which I won’t go into as that’s not what I asked about, but fundamentally we’re trying to protect her from him and herself here.

I like the “it got nicked” or “plug fuse popped” ideas.

 

[James]

@Monkeyboypaul - can you not get her out of the house, open up the PC and remove the SSD or HD, that way, should she want to get him back up and running Dorris can't?

 

[Monkeyboypaul]

@Monkeyboypaul - can you not get her out of the house, open up the PC and remove the SSD or HD, that way, should she want to get him back up and running Dorris can't?

technically yes, very easily, except she’s about 250miles away so I’d have to plan it in around work, and my family/life. Not quite so easy to drop everything and run.
I have offered the family my time to go down there and “sort the IT situation out” when I can though, but they are trying the softer ‘talking to her’ options first.

 

[James]

technically yes, very easily, except she’s about 250miles away so I’d have to plan it in around work, and my family/life. Not quite so easy to drop everything and run.
I have offered the family my time to go down there and “sort the IT situation out” when I can though, but they are trying the softer ‘talking to her’ options first.

Good luck mate, nothing really you can do but advise in this situation, that's one hell of a round trip. When and if you do get there though, yank the drive, or even pull the RAM lol

 

[Monkeyboypaul]

Good luck mate, nothing really you can do but advise in this situation, that's one hell of a round trip. When and if you do get there though, yank the drive, or even pull the RAM lol

Cheers. She needs to see the issue before we can do drastic things like this though. Otherwise I’m just being a prick and breaking her “friend’s” stuff. “Sorting the IT“ is more a risk assessment and survey of what I find right now. She’s clueless about that type of stuff.

 

[James]

Cheers. She needs to see the issue before we can do drastic things like this though. Otherwise I’m just being a prick and breaking her “friend’s” stuff.

That is, seemingly, how such people get their claws in. Unfortunately.

 

[Monkeyboypaul]

That is, seemingly, how such people get their claws in. Unfortunately.

Yes.

 

[cyberkryten]

Social engineering is by far the most effective way of accessing anything. Whilst IT security is a major issue, the tendency of 'good' people to fail to see the bad in others is very easily exploited. This is usually done by clever, charismatic people, selecting those who lack self-confidence and are accepting of flattery and attention.

All you can do it try to help your friends/family, sometimes they don't want it, so you have to do the best you can.