Windows 7 Win7 Security - deleting all activity traces

[hasek747]

Hi guys,


For personal security reasons (two words: online poker,) I have embarked on a mission to make sure that there is 100% (or close to it..) certainty that no one can check or find out what applications were used and accessed on my computer.


What kind of help I need from you guys?


Basically, I want you to tell me what I have missed. Below I am listing everything that I have taken care of, and I would really appreciate it if you could tell me what other places / files might be checked in Windows 7 to check user / software activity, so I can deal with it accordingly!


Here is what I've got so far:

1. Encrypted operating system (True Crypt)
2. Paging file removed and not being saved
3. Hibernation file removed and hibernation disabled
4. Deleting MUI cache
5. Deleting prefetch files
6. Using a .bat file that completely deletes ALL Windows 7 event logs
7. Turning off memory dump file
8. Disabled and deleted windows restore points
9. Using CCleaner at the end of every session
10. Using Temporary File Cleaner after every session
11. Wiping free space (Gutman 35 passes) on my hard drive every few days

Stuff like firewall/antivirus/anti-spyware/anti-malware/sandboxie I don't even mention because these are obvious.


Now I need to make this clear: privacy is the most important thing for me in this case, so I am willing to sacrifice a lot of performance for it.


Anything that comes to your mind - just fire away!


Thank you.

 

[Joe S]

How about a virtual PC just for that?
Joe

 

[davehc]

I , (not for poker - lol) periodically clean out all the left over rubbish from my computer. This includes Temps, history, installation media. I previously worked methodically through the know Folders, taking ownership where needed. Since then I have started doing it with a batch file, which saves me a great deal of work!

I am on Windows 7 Ultimate, 64Bit, but have tried it on a 32Bit Home. I would suggest you do a backup before runing, as I cannot assume responsibility for anything you may lose. You might care to browse through the Bat first and see exactly what it does, and edit accordingly?

ASorry, later. Another word. This will also remove all your site passwords. Make a note of them!"

 

[Mike]

I do not know if online gambling is illegal in your country. To discuss the issue of your privacy, your internal system looks pretty secure.. wiping the hard drive 35 times seems like overkill after the first 10 steps. If you want to hide your external IP from server access logs, you could start browsing sites by proxy and using TOR, but this technology is often unreliable. If you are getting to this point, you are probably doing something you shouldn't be in the first place.

 

[davehc]

Yes. I agree. I know nothing about online gambling, but what actually is the security risk, apart from family seeing what you are up to? My stated cleaning is purely because I am a cleaning nerd.

 

[hasek747]

Hi guys,

I , (not for poker - lol) periodically clean out all the left over rubbish from my computer. This includes Temps, history, installation media. I previously worked methodically through the know Folders, taking ownership where needed. Since then I have started doing it with a batch file, which saves me a great deal of work!

I am on Windows 7 Ultimate, 64Bit, but have tried it on a 32Bit Home. I would suggest you do a backup before runing, as I cannot assume responsibility for anything you may lose. You might care to browse through the Bat first and see exactly what it does, and edit accordingly?

ASorry, later. Another word. This will also remove all your site passwords. Make a note of them!"

Thanks a lot Davehc Although I think that these issues are already handled by CCleaner and Temporary File Cleaner

I do not know if online gambling is illegal in your country. To discuss the issue of your privacy, your internal system looks pretty secure.. wiping the hard drive 35 times seems like overkill after the first 10 steps. If you want to hide your external IP from server access logs, you could start browsing sites by proxy and using TOR, but this technology is often unreliable. If you are getting to this point, you are probably doing something you shouldn't be in the first place.

Hi Mike,

Yes, I've heard that even more than 3 wipes is overkill. However, I run this at night, so I don't mind doing this many wipes - it gives me piece of mind, and I don't have to really research the subject to try and determine how many wipes are appropriate (which would be time consuming.)

Regarding Tor; I am behind a very high quality paid VPN.

Yes. I agree. I know nothing about online gambling, but what actually is the security risk, apart from family seeing what you are up to? My stated cleaning is purely because I am a cleaning nerd.

Here is the situation: I live in a country where a new law was passed less than a week ago, which gives the government the right to go after anyone they believe is playing online poker. Now, I have started using VPN, so I am clean on the connection side of things. But... I didn't use VPN for the last 7 years of playing, and I'm afraid this might somehow be grounds to go after me. In which case, I'd rather be on the safe side and make sure none of my poker activity is 100% transparent on my machine.

Hope this doesn't get me banned.

 

[OldTimer]

I doubt that anyone could be more of a HD cleaning nerd than I am.
I've been at it since the days when my own hard drive was only a 20meg drive. (circa, 1980)

The idea of a batch file to access every junk storage spot in your PC and delete the junk, is a very good one indeed. I've been doing that for years.
But, the hard part of that is identifying just where the junk files reside.
Doing a search for extensions, like, .tmp , .bak , .~mp , .old , .gid etc., can reveal many junk file locations. Others, you just have to dig for.
If you have more than one identity, either in Windows or in your browsers, each one has it's own junk file folders. So, to simplify gaining security for your system, if you have users or identities that are not needed, get rid of them.

I do have one question about the batch file given in a previous post..... what is the command , "takeown /f" ??
Is that a command native to Windows, or is that a result of a program that's been added to windows? (what program and from where?)
* EDIT: Never mind. I found it, but it seems awfully complex to do such an easy chore.

I use an external program called "Take Ownership" myself and just take ownership of all user folders.
A newer version of that program that goes one step further, is "Grant Full Administrator Control".
I'm now using the newer program.
*EDIT: that .reg script can be downloaded here:
Link Removed due to 404 Error

My own cleanup.bat program is a bit simpler, as I use Deltree.exe from windows 98/ME to delete files and folders containing files, from the HD. MS deleted Deltree.exe from XP so it needs to be re-added to the Windows\system32 folder. It's an external command so it runs just fine on XP, etc. A little sample of my XPCleanup.bat program follows:

@Echo off
cls
deltree /y C:\temp\*.*
deltree /y "%systemroot%\temp\*.*"
deltree /y "%systemroot%\system32\config\systemprofile\cookies\*.*"
deltree /y "%systemroot%\SYSTEM32\config\systemprofile\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\*.*"
deltree /y "%systemroot%\Prefetch\*.*"

The /y after Deltree tells the program to just perform the desired action and not stop and ask the dumb question "Are You Sure".

Many folders where information is stored within windows, are peculiar to an individual computer. Thus a SEARCH has to be made on every PC to determine just where the junk files are being stored.

I once set up MAX-Security for a customer of mine so he could keep his PC as clean as possible.
It involved him doing some maintenance himself, like running the 'Extended Disk Cleanup' and defrag, but the Cleanup.bat file was put in the startup folder, for a FREE cleanup every day on system start as well as being a shortcut on the desktop, so it can be run anytime the user wants.
I also showed him how to run the Ghost backup program to backup and restore his HD. A restore re-writes the C: partition and leaves it pristine.

He got into a legal situation where his hard drive was confiscated by court order and turned over to a computer forensics expert. I read the written report on that hard drive and the expert stated that it appeared that the HD had just been formatted and windows re-installed. Actually that install of Windows was over six months old.
So, keeping a HD clean, lean and mean, isn't rocket science, but does require a little technical expertise and a concerted effort on the part of the user.

* Files that need to be accessed regularly, that are of a PRIVATE nature, should never be kept on a hard drive, but should be kept only on a flash drive or other removable media and that media should be kept in a SAFE place, away from the computer.

Every day, we hear on TV where someone's computer was confiscated by law enforcement, and incriminating evidence was found.
Sad, very sad indeed.

Cheers Mates!
Old Timer