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SECURITY AND YOUR PC Click on any word in
red
to see more information on that topic!
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Do you
worry whether your PC is safe, at home or at work? This month's
Talkin' Tech seeks to arm you with some knowledge and resources in
this not-so-friendly world of cyber threats and scams.
Information on this page has been extracted from the
National Cyber Alert System,
which provides timely information about
current and emerging threats and vulnerabilities as well as advice
about protecting your computer and networks.
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Understanding the Threats |
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All
computers, from the family home computer to those on desktops in the
largest corporations in the country can be affected by computer
security breaches. As with any type of crime, the threats
to the privacy and integrity of data come from a very small minority.
However, while a car thief can steal only one car at a time, a single
hacker working from a single computer can generate damage to a large
number of computer networks that can wreak havoc on our country's
information infrastructure. Whether you want to secure a car, a home
or a nation, a general knowledge of security threats and how to
protect yourself is essential.
 Viruses are the most
widely known security threat because they often garner extensive press
coverage. Viruses are computer programs that are written by devious
programmers and are designed to replicate themselves and infect
computers when triggered by a specific event. The effects of some
viruses are relatively benign and cause annoying interruptions such as
displaying
a comical message when striking a certain letter on the keyboard.
Other viruses are more destructive and cause such problems as deleting
files from a hard drive or slowing down a system. A computer can be
infected with a virus only if the virus enters through an outside
source – most often an attachment to an email or a file downloaded
from the Internet. When one computer on a network becomes infected,
the other computers on the network – or for that matter other
computers on the Internet – are highly susceptible to contracting the
virus.
Trojan Horse Programs, or
Trojans, are delivery vehicles for destructive computer code. Trojans
appear to be harmless or useful software programs, such as computer
games, but are actually enemies in disguise. Trojans can delete data,
mail copies of themselves to e-mail address lists and open up
computers to additional attacks. Trojans are usually contracted by
copying the Trojan horse program to a computer, downloading from the
Internet or opening an email attachment. A Trojan may be
uploaded to your PC without your knowledge or any interaction on your
part.
Vandals: Web sites have
come alive through the development of such software applications as
ActiveX and Java Applets. These applications enable animation and
other special effects to run, making web sites more attractive and
interactive. However, the ease with which these applications can be
downloaded and run has provided a new vehicle for inflicting damage.
Vandals can take on the form of a software application or applet that
causes destruction of various degrees. A vandal can destroy a single
file or a major portion of a computer system.
 Attacks:
Innumerable types of network attacks have been documented, and
they are commonly classified in three general categories: (1)
reconnaissance attacks, (2) access attacks, and (3) denial of service
(DoS) attacks. Reconnaissance attacks are essentially
information gathering activities by which hackers collect data that is
used to later compromise networks. Usually, software tools, such as
sniffers and scanners, are used to map out and exploit potential
weaknesses in home computers, web servers and applications. For
example, software exists that is specifically designed to crack
passwords. Such software was originally created for computer
administrators to assist people who have forgotten their passwords or
to determine the passwords of people that have left a company without
telling anyone what their passwords were. Placed in the wrong hands,
however, this type of software can become a very dangerous weapon.
Access attacks are conducted to gain entry to e-mail accounts,
databases and other confidential information. DoS attacks prevent
access to all or part of a computer system. They are usually achieved
by sending large amounts of jumbled or other unmanageable data to a
machine that is connected to the Internet, blocking legitimate traffic
from getting through. Even more malicious is a Distributed Denial of
Service attack (DdoS) in which the attacker compromises multiple
machines or hosts.
Data Interception:
Data transmitted via any type of network can be subject to
interception by unauthorized parties. The intercepting perpetrators
might eavesdrop on communications or even alter the data packets being
transmitted. Perpetrators can use various methods to intercept data.
IP spoofing, for example, entails posing as an authorized party in
the data transmission by using the Internet Protocol (IP) address of
one of the data recipients.
 Scams:
Con artists have been perpetrating scam operations for
decades. Now more than ever, the stakes are higher as they've got easy
access to millions of people on the Internet. Scams are often sent by
e-mail and may contain a hyperlink to a web site that asks you for
personal information, including your password. Other times, scam
e-mail may contain a solicitation for your credit card information in
the guise of a billing request. There are ways to take proactive steps
toward protecting yourself from scams on the Internet, such as never
giving out your password, billing information or other personal
information to strangers online. Because it is easy to fake e-mail
addresses, be mindful of who you're listening to or talking with
before you give out personal information. Don't click on hyperlinks or
download attachments from people or web sites you don't know. Be
skeptical of any company that doesn't clearly state its name, physical
address and telephone number.
Report a Scam to the Federal Trade Commission
Spam is the commonly used
term for unsolicited e-mail or the action of broadcasting unsolicited
advertising messages via e-mail. Spam is usually harmless, but it can
be a nuisance, taking up people's time and storage space on their
computer. If you receive spam, you should report it to your Internet
Service Provider (ISP). Check your ISP Help Areas to find out how to
report spam.
Taken from
Beginner's Guide to Computer Security from Stay
Safe Online site; click on this link to view entire article. Want
to find out how safe you are? Take their
Self-Assessment. Want to see a more complete
list of definitions? See a
glossary of terms.
Report Spam to the Federal Trade Commission
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What you can do at home |
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The National Cyber Alert System is America's first coordinated
national cyber security system for identifying, analyzing, and
prioritizing emerging vulnerabilities and threats. All information
products are available on a free subscription basis and are delivered
via push e-mail. Home users can also access Cyber Security Tips and
Cyber Security Alerts from US-CERT affiliates including StaySafe
Online ( www.staysafeonline.info ).
Follow these precautions at home, especially if you are using a
high-speed internet connection (DSL or cable):
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Use anti-virus software.
Look for anti-virus software that recognizes current viruses, as
well as older ones; that can effectively reverse the damage; and
that updates automatically.
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Regularly update anti-virus software.
To be effective, anti-virus software must be updated routinely with
antidotes to the latest "bugs" circulating through the Internet.
Most anti-virus software provide the utility for automatic updates.
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Install a firewall.
A firewall is software or hardware designed to block hackers from
accessing your computer. A properly configured firewall masks
your IP address, making it tougher for hackers to locate your
computer. For more information about firewalls, see the full
article below or check out
Zone Labs site.
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Eliminate
spyware. Spyware is the term which refers to code
or components that are downloaded to your PC. They can track
your surfing habits, abuse your Internet connection by sending this
data to a third party, profile your shopping preferences, hijack
your browser start page or pages, alter important system files, and
can do this without your knowledge or permission. You can
eliminate spyware using utilities such as Ad-Aware and SpyBot.
See these sites for more info:
Lavasoft
and
SpyBot.
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Apply operating
system updates. You should routinely check for and
applying security patches from your operating system vendors,
Windows users can get critical updates from
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com . Combined with the
anti-virus and firewall recommendations you already have, this
should solve most problems.
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Don't fall for a "fibbing" email.
Delete emails from persons you
do not know; beware of attachments, even if they are sent by users
that you know. See the information on Scams above. If
any source asks you for personal information, call the company
directly.
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Beware of
hoaxes. When you receive emails warning of a virus
and instructing you to use an attachment or delete/ modify files on
your computer, do a little internet research to make sure this is
authentic. The website at
http://www.f-secure.com/virus-info/hoax/ is a good source
for information on hoaxes.
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If your computer is infected, take action immediately.
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Use strong passwords. (See tips in the next section of
this page.)
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Take advantage of your software's security features.
Your operating system and web browser software give you some options
for increasing your online security. Check the "Tools" or "Options"
menus for built-in security features. You may also use tools
in your email software to filter certain types of messages.
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Turn off software features that you don't use. File
sharing which is turned on when Windows is installed can be used by
hackers to access your files. The Preview Pane in email
software opens potentially-unsafe email without any action on your
part.
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Back up important files.
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Report serious incidents. Let your ISP (Internet Service
Provider) know about problems.
Taken from
Beginner's Guide to Computer Security from Stay
Safe Online site; click on this link to view entire article. Want
to find out how safe you are? Take their
Self-Assessment. Want to see a more complete
list of definitions? See a
glossary of terms.
Don't have virus protection at home? See the
following sites for free anti-virus software:
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Protection for your College PC
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ITS Network Services team
supports a comprehensive virus protection program for CCAC's technical
environment. Trend Microsystems is the standard software utilized on
all desktops and servers with a Windows operating system. In
addition, incoming and outgoing email is routinely scanned for viruses
and worms.
This blue icon in the
corner of your system tray is
the Trend software at work
on your PC.
The maintenance of Trend
Micro virus scanning is done automatically within all College PC's.
Virus definitions are updated routinely and regularly by the Network
Services group. Your desktop PC is updated automatically with these
definitions through the Windows 2000 software.
The Trend Micro software on
your College PC runs a scan of your hard drive weekly on an automatic
schedule. You may notice the Trend icon in your system tray
flicker during this process as it runs. You can also choose to
scan your hard drive or floppy disks at any time by going to the Start
Menu, Programs, Trend OfficeScan. Please scan all floppy disks
brought from home or an external source before using in your College
PC.
A team in the ITS department has been formed to monitor alerts from
external agencies and Trend. The team is on call at all times to
ensure that external threats and malicious activities are responded to
immediately.
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Passwords |
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Making sure that your
computer system is password protected is the simplest and most common
way to ensure that only those that have permission can enter your
computer or certain parts of your computer network. However, the
most powerful network security infrastructures are virtually
ineffective if people do not protect their passwords. Many users
choose easily remembered numbers or words as passwords, such as
birthdays, phone numbers, or pets' names, and others never change
their passwords and are not careful about keeping them secret.
Keep these guidelines in mind:
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Make passwords as
meaningless as possible. A great technique is to create a
phrase that you can remember; eg, my mother was born in 48 in new
york; alternate the case and you have a password: MmwBi48iNY
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Change passwords
regularly.
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NEVER divulge passwords
to anyone.
See these useful sites or articles for tips on creating and managing
passwords:
http://www.symantec.com/homecomputing/library/pass_w.html
http://www.post-gazette.com/lifestyle/20040208passwordlifestyle2p2.asp
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Keeping on Top of the Issues
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The average home user
should be able to avoid problems by following all the advice provided
above. Users who are more technically skilled may wish to
monitor current trends more closely.
The
National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) of the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) unveiled the National Cyber Alert System, an
operational system delivering to Americans timely and actionable
information to better secure their computer systems. The National
Cyber Alert System includes various informational products for cyber
threats, warnings, and responses, as well as best practices and tips,
that individuals and companies may subscribe to receive via the
website at www.us-cert.gov
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If you want
to keep on top of the latest news and alerts, check out the following sites. These are the major sites used by the ITS
security team.
- National Cyber
Alert System
- Resource for computer threats and vulnerabilities:
Internet
Security Systems, Inc. (X-FORCE)
- Virus advisories, descriptions, solutions:
Trend
Micro
- Alerts on viruses:
McAfee virus alerts
- Resource site for viruses, threats, etc:
Symantec
- To find out if a virus is a hoax:
F-SECURE
- Resource for viruses:
Norman
- Resource page:
FBI
- Warnings, advisories and alerts:
National
Infrastructure Protection Center
- Warnings, advisories, practices, recommendations:
CERT
- Alerts:
SANS
(System Administration, Networking and Security Institute
- 2004 Internet Fraud-Crime Report:
Internet Crime Complaint Center Report
- Crime Complaint Center:
Internet Crime Complaint
Center
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