Unwanted Surveillance: My Experience with Remote Access on My Computer

In today’s digital age, the threat of unauthorized access to personal computers has become an alarming reality. Recently, I encountered a disturbing incident in my work as an IT support professional—something that perplexed even me. I found evidence that someone had gained remote control of my computer, specifically navigating through Firefox. Here’s a detailed account of what transpired and the measures I took in response.

The Unfolding Incident

It began when I noticed unusual activity on my computer. Suddenly, my Firefox browser, which was already open, began to operate on its own. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of the remote actions taken:

• A new tab was opened in Firefox.
• The address bar was used to search for “Google,” albeit with a misspelling.
• Subsequently, a query for a specific cryptocurrency game was initiated.

Recognizing the gravity of the situation, I swiftly disconnected my network cable to prevent any further access. To mitigate the risk and regain control, I undertook several crucial steps:

1. Disabled remote access on my PC.
2. Uninstalled AnyDesk, an application typically used for work-related access.
3. Conducted thorough scans using Malwarebytes and its Rootkit scanner, which yielded no suspicious findings.
4. Adjusted the local security policy to block any unauthorized network connections.
5. Removed recently installed applications including ClipClip and Winamp.

Despite these precautions, my Windows operating system was already up-to-date, and I was relying on Microsoft Defender for antivirus protection.

Questions Without Answers

Faced with this unsettling situation, I found myself pondering two primary questions: How could such unauthorized access occur, and more intriguingly, why would anyone want to search for a specific gaming reference on my computer? While it’s difficult to ascertain precisely how this breach happened, the motivations behind it remain unclear.

I decided to re-install Windows 10 as a precautionary measure, but I still harbored an urge to uncover more about this unsettling breach.

An Evolving Investigation

As I continued to navigate this experience, I removed the name of the game being searched—an effort to avoid any unintended promotion of that specific title.

Update on the Situation

After my initial investigations, I couldn’t pinpoint a definitive cause for the breach. It seems likely that it could have stemmed from a browser extension, the AnyDesk application, or potentially something more nefarious that I was unaware