Need input on computer/Internet safety for victims of domestic violence

[PassTheChocolate]

Originally Posted by Tatooine

Well, it could look he's picking up a neighbor's wifi hotspot, maybe? Perhaps she could name the hotspot "Smith Family" or whatnot. When he's home, she could switch to his hotspot.

Does she have a laptop? Can she bring it to Starbucks or a public library to use internet? It just worries me that if he discovers what she's doing (and if he's an IT guy, who knows what other things he could be doing to her computer), it could anger him and then go downhill from there.

I agree, it's a risk. I think she knows how to work around him. It's just better to have an additional option.

Originally Posted by Huckleberry3911948

people that dont like to be watched often are up to no good.
financial infidelity is a biggie.
you are of course calling snooping domestic abuse. we can put whatever spin on it that suits us, however the bottom line is we dont trust each other. the question is should we?

There is no "we" or "us" on the spin cycle, dear. That's all you. Minimizing it seems to suit you. I have enough info to determine she is a victim of domestic violence, so that was never up for debate and not the point of this thread.

[SUPbud]

in regards to the technical question of a "sniffer"
a sniffer allows the network administrator to capture and read all activity on the network, wired and wireless, without installing any spy software on the target laptop or phone client who uses that network.
Packet analyzer - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are ways around the sniffer, but they are beyond the scope of this discussion and the presumed abilities of the battered woman.

Her best course of action is to contact the police, and the local battered woman's shelter, for resources to help her in scenario - not hacker tips.

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by PassTheChocolate

So it sounds like a laptop and a mobile internet/hot spot he doesn't know about would be a good option.

ANY DEVICE this man has access whether it's a cell phone, tablet, computer etc is NOT a viable alternative.

Anything she is using for communication cannot be physically accessed by this person or needs to be encrypted to be viable.

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by PassTheChocolate

I think she knows how to work around him.

If the guy works in IT security she is not going to work around him if he's determined.

[macroy]

Originally Posted by PassTheChocolate

So it sounds like a laptop and a mobile internet/hot spot he doesn't know about would be a good option. What would she need to do to ensure the hotspot is not detected by his devices? I'm thinking she would only use it when he's not home. As long as she shuts it down before he gets home it won't show on the network list, correct? Any other advice there?

I would go against this simply because you are still potentially keeping devices at home that can be discovered by the abusive partner. And if having something at home is non-negotiable, she should at least minimize the exposure. So you may be better off just using a 4G/LTE based tablet. Thus, you are then only managing one device, and it will only be on the provider's network (never use wifi at home).

You can also add security controls on there using a complex password with a low threshold of unsuccessful attempts before the tablet is wiped.

However, the biggest threat here IMO is not the data being intercepted. But escalating the abuse if her attempts at doing things 'behind his back' is discovered. Since we're not dealing with rational thinking here, any little thing may set the guy off (e.g. a charger that wasn't put away). So I still say that if separating herself is not an option, she needs to separate her "routines" from the abusive environment (where the abuser has more control) as much as possible - thus, coffee shops, friends' house etc.

[swagger]

I've seen it posted but not stressed heavily enough -

SHE SHOULD NOT BE USING ANY COMPUTER/TABLET/SMARTPHONE THAT HE HAS ACCESS TO, REGARDLESS OF HER METHOD OF CONNECTING TO THE INTERNET!

Period. He may be watching the network traffic, but he may also have spyware installed on her devices. If he has physical access to them, then she can't be confident that they're not compromised.

Think of the ramifications an abused person would be facing if the abuser found out about the hotspot. I think your intentions are good, and I'm glad that you're thinking outside the box to help your friend, but an alternate connection is only one piece of the puzzle, and IMO, it's too risky to try. She should get out of the house and use a completely different device & connection for activity that she doesn't want him to see. For instance, a library computer or that of a friend or relative. She should ABSOLUTELY NOT be using her own computer, tablet or phone for that stuff, especially if the abuser is tech-savvy, regardless of how she's connecting to the 'net.