My mom says not deleting internet history can allow hackers to hack you...

[BeyondSmash]

Please give me reasons and statements to prove she is wrong. *She, as my mother even told me "go to hell, I don't care what happens to you" after I told her I knew this information and argued because she says tech people at her job told her that deleting internet history can leave you vulnerable to hacking.

 

I told her deleting internet history is one of the basics of the internet, in general.

 

Please discuss...

[nsyedhasan]

100% Ture. Don't question your mom.

[TechSage]

This should be in "experiences with non techies" but very funny indeed

[HeathCliff]

I don't even know how to feel about this. My input has to be to do what tech store employees do: find innocent non-techies, and bombard them with random words unfathomable to them.  

 

Simply put: confuse the sh*t out of her with random words strung into sentences of pure stupidity.  

[BeyondSmash]

100% Ture. Don't question your mom.

I kind of want serious posts. I'm very frustrated.

[werto165]

Woo I'm the millionth visitor must click!

[NInety]

Well, I think some cookies on an open network (like public wifi) can allow hackers to get into your system.

[Cryptonite]

Please give me reasons and statements to prove she is wrong. *She, as my mother even told me "go to hell, I don't care what happens to you" after I told her I knew this information and argued because she says tech people at her job told her that deleting internet history can leave you vulnerable to hacking.

 

I told her deleting internet history is one of the basics of the internet, in general.

 

Please discuss...

did they tell her she should not clear her history or should? if they told her not to it's because they want to track what she's been doing when she leaves her laptop unattended. if they told her clearing your history often is a good thing, it is but not to prevent hackers >_>

[Cryptonite]

Well, I think some cookies on an open network (like public wifi) can allow hackers to get into your system.

but then that's not history that's clearing cookies.

[BeyondSmash]

I don't even know how to feel about this. My input has to be to do what tech store employees do: find innocent non-techies, and bombard them with random words unfathomable to them.  

 

Simply put: confuse the sh*t out of her with random words strung into sentences of pure stupidity.

@underlined: If I were to do such a thing she'd say "what? in disgust and say "get away from me" and probably say I can't wait til you move out etc.

[NInety]

but then that's not history that's clearing cookies.

Well in chrome I just clear it all 'from the beginning of time.....'

[BeyondSmash]

Well, I think some cookies on an open network (like public wifi) can allow hackers to get into your system.

Agreed, but it is a secure wi-fi with a password-required access point.

[Cryptonite]

Agreed, but it is a secure wi-fi with a password-required access point.

why is this so important, where exactly do you stand in this argument?

[AMICLG]

Well technically yes but very unlikely as there are some attacks on cookies if your trying to get somebody's php session but it's quite difficult and nobody has that must patience when you could just do a FUD java drive-by and compromise a computer in less than a minute.

[Suika]

It might speed up browsing by an insignificant and unnoticeable amount, but not prevent hacking.

Browsing history is just a saved list of organized web directions. It's like making lines of your travel history on a map in a time based organization. The information doesn't matter to anybody harmful until you're within their range (on a hacked website or email), or if they've already targeted you (by then, it's too late anyway).

[s3ns3]

leave her say whatever she wants,who cares. let her co-workers spy on her

[colonel_mortis]

Well, I think some cookies on an open network (like public wifi) can allow hackers to get into your system.

No, a cookie is just a text file (which can identify your pc if used to). Edit: actually yeah I guess they could login as you using your cookies, or read your password if the website is stupid, but they would have to try pretty hard, and many sites prevent it through encryption.

Tell your mum that your history is just a file that's stored on your computer, and there's nothing hackers can do by deleting it or not because they can't see it, change it, access it, or make it do strange things. It's just a log file.

[Cryptonite]

Well technically yes but very unlikely as there are some attacks on cookies if your trying to get somebody's php session but it's quite difficult and nobody has that must patience when you could just do a FUD java drive-by and compromise a computer in less than a minute.

again clearing your history is not clearing cookies.

[BeyondSmash]

Well in chrome I just clear it all 'from the beginning of time.....'

I already do this at random times to reduce various internet cache clutter. The point is I cannot understand why she is so "oh no hackers hackers". Scenario: She says she is worried(I hear her talking to my brother rn) because my dad recently got his credit card used but immediately blocked 2 twice in the last couple weeks.

[Jerakl]

No offense, but your mother sounds like an idiot.

 

History has nothing to do with being hacked. It's pretty much just a list of sites you have visited. Clearing it will effect nothing.

[Cryptonite]

It might speed up browsing by an insignificant and unnoticeable amount, but not prevent hacking.

Browsing history is just a saved list of organized web directions. It's like making lines of your travel history on a map in a time based organization. The information doesn't matter to anybody harmful until you're within their range (on a hacked website or email), or if they've already targeted you (by then, it's too late anyway).

THIS ^ great explanation.

[ForsakenLive]

Internet history has information related to the websites that you visit daily, If I wanted to see what do you do, retrieving this information can be pretty helpful.

It doesn't create a vulnerability like some cookies can (we are talking internet history here), but if I see that you go for example to facebook pretty often, keylogging your facebook password can come in handy for gathering more information about you.

[Jerakl]

It might speed up browsing by an insignificant and unnoticeable amount, but not prevent hacking.

Browsing history is just a saved list of organized web directions. It's like making lines of your travel history on a map in a time based organization. The information doesn't matter to anybody harmful until you're within their range (on a hacked website or email), or if they've already targeted you (by then, it's too late anyway).

Arg! You beat me to it!

[BeyondSmash]

No, a cookie is just a text file (which can identify your pc if used to). Edit: actually yeah I guess they could login as you using your cookies, or read your password if the website is stupid, but they would have to try pretty hard, and many sites prevent it through encryption.

Tell your mum that your history is just a file that's stored on your computer, and there's nothing hackers can do by deleting it or not because they can't see it, change it, access it, or make it do strange things. It's just a log file.

@bold- I just read that out to her and I got cut off in the middle of reading that sentence and she said "hey! don't speak to me like that" and "how dare you"

WHAT CAN I DO?!

 

 

No offense, but your mother sounds like an idiot.

 

History has nothing to do with being hacked. It's pretty much just a list of sites you have visited. Clearing it will effect nothing.

No offense taken.

[s3ns3]

hacking is a good thing. a cracker is bad. so she doesnt even know what shes talking about