Comments on: How to Easily Tell If Someone Opened Your Files on a Mac http://osxdaily.com/2012/10/02/how-to-tell-if-someone-opened-files-mac/ News, tips, software, reviews, and more for Mac OS X, iPhone, iPad Sat, 18 May 2013 19:31:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: media_lush http://osxdaily.com/2012/10/02/how-to-tell-if-someone-opened-files-mac/#comment-433760 media_lush Wed, 03 Oct 2012 17:50:43 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=33619#comment-433760 .... you can get around this if you clear out recent items list and then just take a screen grab (any screen grab) so it appears in the recent item list... then dump it into the trash and empty it. Now you know for sure if anyone opens a file as the screengrab will appear in the recent items list but will not be able to be opened.... if it doesn't appear...., well either way you'll know. …. you can get around this if you clear out recent items list and then just take a screen grab (any screen grab) so it appears in the recent item list… then dump it into the trash and empty it. Now you know for sure if anyone opens a file as the screengrab will appear in the recent items list but will not be able to be opened…. if it doesn’t appear…., well either way you’ll know.

]]> By: Murex http://osxdaily.com/2012/10/02/how-to-tell-if-someone-opened-files-mac/#comment-433722 Murex Wed, 03 Oct 2012 14:56:57 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=33619#comment-433722 Security through obscurity is not security. :D Security through obscurity is not security. :D

]]> By: penkendo http://osxdaily.com/2012/10/02/how-to-tell-if-someone-opened-files-mac/#comment-433703 penkendo Wed, 03 Oct 2012 14:03:21 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=33619#comment-433703 Anyone know what file the recent lists are stored in? It would be nice to try to chown that so you required a secondary user auth to clear it. That would be a better trap: you could leave yourself logged in as bait but whoever snooped wouldn't be able to cover their tracks Anyone know what file the recent lists are stored in? It would be nice to try to chown that so you required a secondary user auth to clear it. That would be a better trap: you could leave yourself logged in as bait but whoever snooped wouldn’t be able to cover their tracks

]]> By: Theo Vosse http://osxdaily.com/2012/10/02/how-to-tell-if-someone-opened-files-mac/#comment-433584 Theo Vosse Wed, 03 Oct 2012 07:07:40 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=33619#comment-433584 If you want to do this, you can also check the default Spotlight query "Recent Documents". It cannot be erased, and has no size limit. If you want to do this, you can also check the default Spotlight query “Recent Documents”. It cannot be erased, and has no size limit.

]]> By: Corey Edwards http://osxdaily.com/2012/10/02/how-to-tell-if-someone-opened-files-mac/#comment-433452 Corey Edwards Tue, 02 Oct 2012 22:29:15 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=33619#comment-433452 Exactly. I've taken it a step further - i only know ONE of my 100+ passwords. I use Dashlane as my keychain and it keeps everything in sync. I generate random passwords for everything, ranging from 16-32 characters depending on the site, and I don't know ANY of them. Thankfully, the way Dashlane is set up, even if they go out of business, the data is stored and encrypted locally too, so I can still access all my passwords without fear. Couple that with 256-nit AES-XTS full disk encryption, a 256-bit encrypted VPN for tunneling my internet traffic, as well as two-factor authentication on every important account, I think I'm fairly well secured from everything but my own stupidity. Thankfully, I've learned enough from that to not share any information with anyone :P Exactly. I’ve taken it a step further – i only know ONE of my 100+ passwords. I use Dashlane as my keychain and it keeps everything in sync. I generate random passwords for everything, ranging from 16-32 characters depending on the site, and I don’t know ANY of them. Thankfully, the way Dashlane is set up, even if they go out of business, the data is stored and encrypted locally too, so I can still access all my passwords without fear.

Couple that with 256-nit AES-XTS full disk encryption, a 256-bit encrypted VPN for tunneling my internet traffic, as well as two-factor authentication on every important account, I think I’m fairly well secured from everything but my own stupidity. Thankfully, I’ve learned enough from that to not share any information with anyone :P

]]> By: Yessirree http://osxdaily.com/2012/10/02/how-to-tell-if-someone-opened-files-mac/#comment-433447 Yessirree Tue, 02 Oct 2012 22:03:40 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=33619#comment-433447 Completely agree. You HAVE to set passwords. Not just for your Mac, but for your iPhone, iPad, EVERYTHING that has personal data on it. What if you lost it? People could see anything. Passwords = necessary. Completely agree. You HAVE to set passwords. Not just for your Mac, but for your iPhone, iPad, EVERYTHING that has personal data on it. What if you lost it? People could see anything. Passwords = necessary.

]]> By: djjdevos http://osxdaily.com/2012/10/02/how-to-tell-if-someone-opened-files-mac/#comment-433432 djjdevos Tue, 02 Oct 2012 21:14:43 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=33619#comment-433432 No argument here - full agreement. No argument here – full agreement.

]]> By: Corey Edwards http://osxdaily.com/2012/10/02/how-to-tell-if-someone-opened-files-mac/#comment-433431 Corey Edwards Tue, 02 Oct 2012 21:10:55 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=33619#comment-433431 THANK YOU! I saw this article on Facebook today and decided, once I managed to pick myself up off the floor from rofl (literally), to read it. Absolute stupidity. There's a simple term we geeks use to describe people who have security issues and use this kind of "solution".....PEBKAC THANK YOU! I saw this article on Facebook today and decided, once I managed to pick myself up off the floor from rofl (literally), to read it. Absolute stupidity. There’s a simple term we geeks use to describe people who have security issues and use this kind of “solution”…..PEBKAC

]]> By: Corey Edwards http://osxdaily.com/2012/10/02/how-to-tell-if-someone-opened-files-mac/#comment-433430 Corey Edwards Tue, 02 Oct 2012 21:09:18 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=33619#comment-433430 Here's a brilliant new technique - lock your screen when you leave your Mac. Seriously, if security and privacy are a concern for you, you shouldn't walk away from your Mac without locking it anymore than you would leave your house without locking the door. If your only method of keeping up with people accessing your stuff is checking your recent items, you deserve to be snooped on. Here’s a brilliant new technique – lock your screen when you leave your Mac. Seriously, if security and privacy are a concern for you, you shouldn’t walk away from your Mac without locking it anymore than you would leave your house without locking the door.

If your only method of keeping up with people accessing your stuff is checking your recent items, you deserve to be snooped on.

]]> By: djjdevos http://osxdaily.com/2012/10/02/how-to-tell-if-someone-opened-files-mac/#comment-433428 djjdevos Tue, 02 Oct 2012 21:05:44 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=33619#comment-433428 Fortunately/unfortunately Apple makes it very easy, using "Quick Look" to look at many file types without "opening" the file - thus not appearing in the "Recent Items" list. Fortunately/unfortunately Apple makes it very easy, using “Quick Look” to look at many file types without “opening” the file – thus not appearing in the “Recent Items” list.

]]> By: RMH http://osxdaily.com/2012/10/02/how-to-tell-if-someone-opened-files-mac/#comment-433422 RMH Tue, 02 Oct 2012 20:29:24 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=33619#comment-433422 Wow, slow inspiration day? Anyone mischievous enough to snoop into someone else's files knows how to clear out the "recent items" list to cover their tracks. I'm with Murex. If you have to worry about this, lock your screen or carry your laptop with you! Wow, slow inspiration day?

Anyone mischievous enough to snoop into someone else’s files knows how to clear out the “recent items” list to cover their tracks.

I’m with Murex. If you have to worry about this, lock your screen or carry your laptop with you!

]]> By: Murex http://osxdaily.com/2012/10/02/how-to-tell-if-someone-opened-files-mac/#comment-433417 Murex Tue, 02 Oct 2012 20:12:54 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=33619#comment-433417 I have a better idea then this idiotic nonsense ... you could try not leaving your computer wide open around people you don't trust, and lock then screen if you can't. I have a better idea then this idiotic nonsense … you could try not leaving your computer wide open around people you don’t trust, and lock then screen if you can’t.

]]> By: Aidan Daniels http://osxdaily.com/2012/10/02/how-to-tell-if-someone-opened-files-mac/#comment-433399 Aidan Daniels Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:24:13 +0000 http://osxdaily.com/?p=33619#comment-433399 I like the "Trap" idea LOL, but if you don't have time to do that the next best thing is this with Lion or Mountain Lion: - Open "All My Files" and sort list by "Last Opened" All files on top are the most recently opened. Now just look at the time they were opened, were you using the computer then? If not, someone else was! Simple alternative solution to the one mentioned above, and what I used to catch my little brother snooping around not long ago! I like the “Trap” idea LOL, but if you don’t have time to do that the next best thing is this with Lion or Mountain Lion:

- Open “All My Files” and sort list by “Last Opened”

All files on top are the most recently opened. Now just look at the time they were opened, were you using the computer then? If not, someone else was!

Simple alternative solution to the one mentioned above, and what I used to catch my little brother snooping around not long ago!

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