CBS 5 - KPHO New high-tech gadget lets you hack into PCs

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PHOENIX (CBS5) -

If you have ever thought about snooping on your spouse or uncovering what your kids are up to on the internet, there is now a new gadget that will help you do it.

Lauren Fisco is director of the Next Coffee Company in Glendale.

She's also a working mom with a 12-year-old and 15-year-old at home.

Fisco said there are days that she wonders what her kids are doing when they're on the computer surfing the internet.

"When do you step in as a parent and snoop?" Fisco asked. "Is it snooping? Is it checking? Is it protecting? It's hard to know how far to dig in and push."

Now there is a new way for parents to uncover what their kids are up to, thanks to a new high-tech gadget called a Windows Breaker.

It's a small flash drive that will help anyone bypass passwords and hack into any Windows system.

However, unlike password recovery, this device overrides the current account, allowing users to gain access to files and even change the current passwords.

Tom Arriola sells the Windows Breaker on his website www.crimescene.com .

Arriola said it was created for IT professionals, law enforcement officers and private investigators as a way to gain instant access to any PC.

But the truth is, a lot of people are buying it to spy on their children or confirm whether a spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend is cheating.

"Any PC that's protected is no longer protected with this," said Arriola. "You put this in, you boot the computer with a USB drive and select the account you want to get into. You can get into 10 different accounts with the purchase of one of these."

CBS5 has learned there's nothing illegal about breaking into your own computer or someone else's, if you're given permission. However, there is a problem if you hack into a PC without permission. That is against the law.

"I think this is going too far with invasion of privacy," said Jonathan Looney of Glendale.  "I think there are other mechanisms you can put in place before this."

The Windows Breaker sells online for $89 and claims to be easy to use with no software to download.

Fisco said that despite the devices appeal, she's not interested in breaching the trust of her kids.

"For me, I don't have those warning signs, but I can see how someone might if they felt like their  kids were going down a path they shouldn't," said Fisco.

Copyright 2012 KPHO (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.

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