Dealing w/ the paranoid?

[sparkeyjames]

[Serious]
Explain that a Mac is not like Windows. A Mac is not easy to compromise and there are no known serious virus's or malware that can be installed without the users permission from the keyboard.

Explain what automatic updates are for and why they should be turned on.
Make sure he knows what time you set the computer to search for automatic updates.
Tell him that under no circumstances are screen savers to be installed unless purchased from a legitimate source.
That includes the ones aunt Maybelle sends him cause their cute.
Make him use Firefox for web surfing and Thunderbird for mail. Tell him that Firefox and Thunderbird also automatically update themselves for security updates. Tell him they are more secure than Windows IE and (whatever that thing is MS uses for email).
Oh and as Tom pointed out in a post ^^^ be confident and not wishy washy.
[/Serious]

Install Noscript into Firefox and tell him it will eliminate the blinking ads that are hypnotizing him and reprogramming his brain. Point him in the direction of a dozen or so conspiracy web sites. Then RUN.

Jim

[cgallery]

I will go one step further, but you may not like it...

It's not your place to act on what you feel may be a mental health issue in one of your clients, beyond stating the facts (and not your personal opinion) if asked to do so by the authorities...

That's exactly my question. So you're in the "NPF" (fifty bucks please) camp. I shoulda set this up as a poll.

This guy's dad has been a customer for ten years. Son moved back from CA a couple of years ago. I've had maybe fifty words with the guy till now.

So far I have tried to address the two BIG recurring themes in "the note." That is, distrust of the Toshiba factory load (so I used the MS disk instead), and not liking any hidden partitions (two birds w/ one stone, the MS install doesn't create any hidden parts.).

Another customer was present during a conversation w/ the father just before closing, and suggested I actually provide the DVD used for the load to the guy. Perhaps he will gain confidence if he can see/keep the Microsoft "labelled" DVD. No problem here, I've got a dozen of the things.

Same customer also suggested finding a site w/ links to legit online/down-loadable security utilities, print it out, and provide that with the machine, too. Also (I think) a good idea.

I think the worst that can happen at this point is the guy isn't satisfied with anything I do and so chooses not to use the machine.

The best thing that could happen is that he is reassured and decides to give it another shot. If he has security concerns, he can perhaps refer to the printout of security sites.

[cgallery]

The problem with that solution is that if he 'decides' it isn't fixed, who's he going to come after? You make yourself a part , if not the leader of 'the conspiracy'. Not a position you want to put yourself into.

Well I really have no control over that. I serve the public, and have no control over who walks through the glass door. In that regard, I think UC's original advice to tell him what I did and why, but make no guarantees or assurances, is the smart move.

[cgallery]

Maybe he's not entirely wrong though- I mean I'm not saying the computer is communicating to the mother ship or anything, but *If* you're the type to think like that, every send of data that isn't explicitly identified is going to cause this thought.

Those are very good points. I will remind him that the PC uses the net for all sorts of legitimate tasks, many running in the background. That, seeing modem/router activity LED's and disk activity isn't necessarily a sign that something is amiss.

[cgallery]

I would tell the guy you have fixed his PC as best you can.

Will-do.

I might tell his parents that you think he needs help, but unless he has done something dangerous I am not sure you can tell the authorities anything at this point.

All I want to do is assure the guy I've done the best I can to address his concerns, and provide him some guidance if he needs more help ("don't come here, go there.").

That is, I want to give it my best shot, once.

[cgallery]

[Serious]
Explain that a Mac is not like Windows. A Mac is not easy to compromise and there are no known serious virus's or malware that can be installed without the users permission from the keyboard.

Explain what automatic updates are for and why they should be turned on.
Make sure he knows what time you set the computer to search for automatic updates.
...

Good stuff. I can print a schedule for when updates download and when the avirus software updates.

[LinuxRandal]

Also recommend an EXPENSIVE firewall (NOT a nat box). If he is really paranoid, then a GOOD firewall, that he can specifically allow certain ports, FROM certain IP addresses, may be a good thing (only allow port 80 (web), etc).

MS has been shown to turn on updates, even after you turn them off, especially when you manually update things. It has been communicating with MS for a few years now (Microsoft Genuine advantage). Besides the adobe updater, flash, Java, etc....

[Uncle Cracker]

It's not your place to act on what you feel may be a mental health issue in one of your clients, beyond stating the facts (and not your personal opinion) if asked to do so by the authorities...

That's exactly my question. So you're in the "NPF" (fifty bucks please) camp.

The reason I said this is that, unless you are a mental health professional, your opinion about the state of someone's mental capacities would likely be viewed as irrelevant and largely ignored by anyone in authority. This is why you stick to the facts, and leave others to formulate their own opinions...

Also, you had not yet mentioned that you have had a long-standing business relationship with this person's father. If you are that familiar, you could get off with a simple comment to the father like: "You know, Dad... "Junior" is a bit up-tight about all this, so I'm not sure there's any way for me to completely make him happy, but I've done the best I could..." and let Dad take it from there.

[cabinetman]

There aren't ominous tasks going on? It sure seems so. Every time I get a window requiring a choice to update an app I don't have I begin to wonder. It's easy to get paranoid. Having him understand that there are 'normal' functions that seem, but don't, have a mind of their own may help. All that can really be done is to verify that his system is normal.
.

[cgallery]

If you are that familiar, you could get off with a simple comment to the father like: "You know, Dad... "Junior" is a bit up-tight about all this, so I'm not sure there's any way for me to completely make him happy, but I've done the best I could..." and let Dad take it from there.

I'd shy away from that. I have no interest in involving myself in the family drama.

Besides, as quickly as I made by armchair diagnosis, the mother and father have to know. I've dealt w/ people that are paranoid before (we all have). I guarantee you he says things like "someone has been going through the things in my room," etc. enough for the parents to know.

I think I have some real good suggestions that go above and beyond what most shops would do for the typical customer that thinks they're infected, but aren't.

I've got the reloaded machine, the DVD used to do so, the printout of security sites, a schedule of when Windows updates and avirus updates occur, CPorts (which will show him which ports to the outside world are open), Sophos anti-spyware (which will alert him to "cloaked" root-kits), and some others.

They pickup this morning, so we will see if this is good enough.

[cgallery]

It's easy to get paranoid.

Don't disagree.

I had one customer that uninstalled their Norton when it expired because they had never gotten a virus (interesting logic).

A month or two later they had $15k stolen from their account. Seems they installed a keylogger while browsing and a hacker got their login name/password to their banking site.

The guy that investigated (from the bank) says it is happening more and more. That is, there are more attacks that try to get personal information w/o displaying any hints or signs of infection.

Stories like that will absolutely make you paranoid.

[Uncle Cracker]

I'd shy away from that. I have no interest in involving myself in the family drama.

Don't blame you for that, but "Junior is a bit up-tight..." is a lot different than "Junior is a raving psychotic that should be institutionalized..." Figured that would be a delicate way to nudge the father, without coming right out on it. And because they "already know" doesn't mean they're not deep in denial. Parents sometimes develop immunities regarding their children.

Staying out is always the best policy, I think. Hope it works out well for all of you.

[cgallery]

The jury is in...

Well, none of my efforts helped at all.

The guy was back w/ the notebook a couple of days ago and it no longer boots. He keeps "chasing down theories" and when his own actions hose the machine up, he blames the company he worked for.

If it wasn't so sad it would be quite hilarious. He has picked-up some jargon and just kinda mixes and matches words in ways that don't make any sense. For example, he said [of his previous employer that seems to be the root of all evil] "their misconfigured cisco client pushes a flash with concealed vmware partitions."

He doesn't even work there any more (claims that he was employed as their security auditor and he blew the whistle on their security issues), but says all the PC problems he is experiencing are the result of their mac address database. When the machine is connected to the Internet, they find and manipulate it.

This confirms my previous experiences in dealing w/ those suffering from paranoia. You (I) just can't help them.

[woodturner]

A Mac is not easy to compromise and there are no known serious virus's or malware that can be installed without the users permission from the keyboard.

Unfortunately, Macs are as easy to compromise as any other machine, and the number of serious Mac viruses and malware is increasing daily.

The Mac has been a less popular target for viruses because there are so few of them out there, but that seems to be changing as it becomes harder to infect Windows based machines. FWIW, 34 new Mac viruses were reported this week, compared to 237 PC viruses.