[Shop-talk] pc monitoring question

[Wayne]

On 1/26/2013 6:16 PM, Tim wrote:
> Is there a way to tell if there is computer monitoring software on a pc?
> (I am not referring to spyware, tracking cookies any other such
> nefarious things) I am wondering if I can look at say, task manager (or
> even in windows explorer), and see if there is any such software on any
> given pc, no matter the origins of the pc.

Not EVEN sure what you're asking... like ANY PC running windows? 
ctrl-shift-esc is a keyboard shortcut to pop up task manager, or a 
substituted program (SysInternals' Process Explorer recommended.) But 
that can be disabled in Group Policies on a business machine, and it 
still won't necessarily show every process running. There are "root 
kits" that can be in place, hiding themselves from the O/S and user, or 
the whole computer can be virtualized and running on top of a 
"hypervisor" like VMWare.

Or all of reality as you think you know it could be virtualized, and an 
omnipotent computer network could be feeding neural signals into your 
brain telling you what it wants you to see on your screen  :)

-Wayne