Somebody on our network is logging into my friend's Windows Live Messenger. She is seriously being watched/almost stalked by a guy at work, and we're sure it's him. Is there a log file he could get to and see her messages? Or anything else he can get to? Obviously he can get in her PC (he's a PC tech here) and start IM, so we need to know what else about IM he's getting to.

If it really is a tech guy at work, have your friend talk to her manager who in turn should talk to the tech's manager. That sort of things is not only considered harassment, but stalking is illegal!

I agree with speedy, you definitely need to have your friend report him to her boss, and in turn her boss should talk to his boss. This sounds serious, and it is a form of harassment. I hope things work out for your friend.

ITA with what's already been said. I wouldn't try to deal with this alone. I'd definitely get someone higher up involved. If he's hacking into her stuff when he shouldn't be, that's wrong and should be reported.

Unless her MSN is set to log in automatically when it is started up

this guy has a keylogger (a trojan program that records your keystrokes including passwords) installed into her work PC.....

THAT is some serious business.

I'd get management involved.

There are other ways of spying on people that you should be aware of- it's undetectable and anyone who has access to your computer can do it. You can get USB sticks that can obtain information on any websites accessed, sent and received e-mails and instant messaging- basically anything you do with your computer. I know of one called Snoopstick but there are probably a lot of others.

I agree with everyone else that your friend needs to get management involved. This is some serious business.

Hey Darlene! whatever happened with this? This story struck me as creepy, so I'm pretty interested in what your friend has done...if anything.

I'm far from being a techie, so no ideas or solutions from me...just curious.

I'm with Gayle, I'm curious about the outcome of this.

I'm curious too.

She's not going to do anything. She feels sorry for the guy and believes him to be harmless (has been so far), but she's still suspicious he's tampered with her computer. She befriended him several years ago and has always sort of looked out for him, because he kind of an outcast. She's very kind hearted, but we all have heard stories of what kind of psycho's those outcasts turn out to be. I'm just hoping this won't be one of those cases.

All of us have administrator privileges on our PCs, so I went to the add/remove software option in my Control Panel to check for programs that might've been added to mine. When she did the same, she found that she could not get to the Control Panel. As I said we're all supposed to be able to. He's in a position that he could've set hers up like that.

The other thing that prompted me to post this in the first place was she's caught him hovering around outside other people's offices when she's been in them working on various projects. Other people are noticing it too. It's almost like he's following her and starting to slip up a little.

I don't like it but I can't make her do anything about it. I told her if she wasn't going to management then she needed to at least enlist the help of one of the other techies that she trusts to check her PC out. But we are moving to a new building next week and the weird guy is staying in the old building, so she's hoping the distance will be enough.

Maybe it would be overstepping some boundaries but perhaps you should mention your concerns to upper management?

at least that way it would be documented if it escalates.

I agree with Meagan. She may not want to do anything, but someone should, if not you. Or maybe someone will. Especially if people are starting to notice his behavior, and figure out that he's following and stalking her. I don't know if moving into a new building will help a whole lot. Depending on how obsessed he is with her, he might try to overcome the obstacle to be near her, and that would be worse.

In the meanwhile, your friend needs to keep a log (journal) of all the things he's been doing that she notices, logging the date and time and event. You need written evidence of such events, you never know when it may come in handy.

I know I may sound a bit scary, lol. But I am worried about your friend. :)