Domestic Violence and Computers

I recently mentioned that next week I’ll be speaking at a conference put on by the National Network to End Domestic Violence. Even my friends and family have been asking what the connection is between a computer geek like me and domestic violence. Unfortunately, these days computers are often are used to spy on the activities of an estranged spouse or partner.

You might think my first advice to someone who might be in danger of domestic violence would be to run out and get a spyware/keylogger detector like WinPatrol. Not so fast. The rules are a little different when there is any potential for domestic violence.



If go to the NNEDV site the first thing you’ll see is the warning above. If a computer has been comprised it could very well be dangerous and inflammatory to look for keylogging programs while connected to the internet. The folks at NNEDV recommend the following.

“If you are in danger, please try to use a safer computer that someone abusive does not have direct or remote (hacking) access to.”

Read more at http://www.nnedv.org/internetsafety.html

In fact, one of the reasons I created the portable version of WinPatrol was to help potential victims while they’re not connected to the internet. If you know someone who might be in danger a visit to NNEDV online.

Stay tuned next week for more information and perhaps some photos with my friends from NNEDV.

Conference Topics:

Bluetooth Security

WiFi Security Presenation