Expert: James Filmer - 6/10/2009

Question
QUESTION: A website appeared in the history on my computer, which a person denied having accessed. It hadn't been seen before in the history.  The computer had no anti virus and had been slow for several months. There was no cookie left when I searche despite a password being used to access this site. The computer finally crashed about 2 weeks later and was condemned. Can you answer this: -

1) Is it possible that the person was telling the truth and had not accessed that site? There was no record of this being accessed ever prior to this day on the history, nor in the cookie list via internet options/tools etc (sorry, am no expert on computers!)

2) If you delete a page in the history, does it automatically delete in the cookie file?

Hope you can help.

ANSWER: Hi Pam,

1. It's "possible" the person was telling the truth.

It's possible that not having an anti-virus program on your computer allowed viruses, trojans and other forms of malware to be present and do all sorts of things - including directing a browser to a site without a users input.

(You say the site required a password - just to view it?)

2. Deleting a page in "history" doesn't delete cookies. Cookies have to be deleted as a separate action.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hello!

Many thanks for your answer, but I would just like to follow on from that if possible: -

The site accessed via the history showed 4 entries; inbox, messages, search site, sign out. Is it possible that a site could be fully accessed in this way, again, without the person using the computer my end knowing this?

The dilemma is that for 2 years, the person under question has only ever accessed the same 3 sites, which has been regularly checked. On this day, the same 3 sites were accessed again,  but this fourth one appeared and the person is absolutely adamant that they did not go on it.

When I spoke to another computer guy, he said, like you,it was possible with spyware that someone could be hijacking the system and make people think they were on a site when really they were on another that the person wouldn't be able to see. He also said,if I undertsood him correctly, that if the computer was hijacked and a password used, then he didn't think it would show up in the cookies.  from memory, I'm fairly certain that there was no record in the cookies of the website being accessed.

I'm not sure this person knows how to delete internet history, let alone call up a cookie file and delete it there either. In fact, I would have expected the average person to have deleted in the history only.

Anyway, as you can imagine, I am trying to give this person the benefit of the doubt without being taken for a complete idiot!!

Hope you can help.

pam  

Answer
I think basically what you're asking now is, "Could he/she be adamantly lying?"

If so, the answer is "Yes." People do adamantly lie if they really don't want to admit a truth, especially if they believe there's no way they can get caught, and especially if it would hurt or destroy a relationship they want to keep.

So, you have three choices: believe the person and let the issue go completely, keep your relationship with person but be a little (or a lot) less trusting, or end your relationship.

No matter what you do, being fooled by others happens no matter how sharp or wise one is.

"Is it possible that a site could be fully accessed in this way, again, without the person using the computer my end knowing this?"

My answer to this question, "Not likely, unless a hacker really controlled your system." But, it's impossible to say how bad your system was because it can't be analyzed.

"I'm not sure this person knows how to delete internet history, let alone call up a cookie file and delete it there either."

My answer: Only you can determine the abilities of this person. Without more info about your relationship with the person, and what site was accessed, only you can decide what to do next.

Bottom-line? It's a judgment call on your part. Whatever you decide, at least you've done your very best with the only info available.