TRI-COUNTY TECHNICAL COLLEGE
COMPUTER SECURITY ON THE INTERNET
Phillip Gilmour
Page
1
LEXICON .................................................................................................................................. 2
2
ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE ..................................................................................................... 3
2.1
2.2
3
COMMERCIAL ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAMS ........................................................................... 3
FREE ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAMS ......................................................................................... 3
ANTI-SPYWARE SOFTWARE .............................................................................................. 3
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
COMMERCIAL ANTI-SPYWARE PROGRAMS ..................................................................... 3
FREE ANTI-SPYWARE PROGRAMS ................................................................................... 3
ANTI-SPYWARE EVALUATION ......................................................................................... 4
EULA ANALYZER ........................................................................................................... 4
4
ANTI-TROJAN SOFTWARE ................................................................................................. 4
5
REMOVING STUBBORN VIRUS AND SPYWARE FILES ............................................... 4
6
FIREWALLS ............................................................................................................................. 5
6.1
6.2
6.3
7
ALTERNATIVES TO MICROSOFT OFFICE ..................................................................... 6
7.1
7.2
8
OPENOFFICE .................................................................................................................... 6
STAROFFICE .................................................................................................................... 7
BROWSERS .............................................................................................................................. 8
8.1
8.2
9
MICROSOFT XP FIREWALL .............................................................................................. 5
FREE AND COMMERCIAL FIREWALLS .............................................................................. 5
ASSESSING COMPUTER VULNERABILITY TO INTERNET ATTACK ..................................... 6
INTERNET EXPLORER....................................................................................................... 8
ALTERNATIVE BROWSERS ............................................................................................... 8
POP-UP BLOCKERS ............................................................................................................... 9
10 E-MAIL CLIENTS ................................................................................................................... 9
11 SCAMS..................................................................................................................................... 10
11.1 PHISHING ....................................................................................................................... 10
11.2 PHARMING..................................................................................................................... 12
12 PASSWORD GENERATORS AND MANAGERS.............................................................. 13
13 ENCRYPTION ........................................................................................................................ 13
14 ANONYMOUS WEB BROWSING....................................................................................... 13
15 RESOURCES .......................................................................................................................... 14
15.1 GENERAL INFORMATION CONCERNING COMPUTER SECURITY ...................................... 14
15.2 COMPUTER SECURITY INFORMATION FOR THE MORE ADVANCED USER ....................... 14
16 SAFEGUARDS ........................................................................................................................ 14
1
Lexicon
Malware: malicious software. The term includes viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and spyware.
Viruses: usually hide in computer files. A virus has the characteristic of being able to insert copies of
itself into other files and programs and thereby spreading. In this way, a computer virus acts like a
biological virus. Many viruses are capable of destroying computer files and programs.
Macrovirus: among the most common viruses. MS Office programs share a common macro scripting
language. Often, macroviruses are written in the same scripting language to affect Word, Excel, and other
MS Office programs. For instance, a virus can be written as a macro (a miniprogram) and attached to a
Word document. When the document is opened by Word, the virus executes.
E-mail Virus: common mode of virus propagation. Not all anti-virus programs check for e-mail viruses.
Worm: similar to a virus but infects and replicates without targeting specific files. Worms self-propagate
quickly through a network and without manual execution of files. Anti-virus programs generally are not
designed to detect and eradicate worms.
Trojan Horse: (a.k.a. Trojan): programs which contain harmful code in apparently harmless files. Many
Trojans install a keystroke logging program.
Keystroke Logging Program: (a.k.a. Keylogger): program which secretly records keystrokes. If installed
by a Trojan or unauthorized user, the keylogging program will covertly store and send keystroke data to
another computer. In this way, personal information such as credit cards numbers and social security
numbers can be determined.
Spyware (a.k.a. Adware): programs intended to track your Internet surfing and change browser settings.
Signs of spyware include increased number of popup ads, slower computer performance, or changed
homepage settings.
Spam: lots of junk e-mail. The word “spam” originates from the Monty Python’s Flying Circus “Spam
Skit,” where a group of Vikings sings, “Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, lovely spam!
Wonderful spam!” until they are told to shut-up.
Phishing: scams in which an e-mail falsely claims to be a legitimate organization. Typically, the e-mail
redirects the recipient to visit a website which attempts to obtain personal information such as passwords,
credit card information, bank account numbers, and social security numbers.
Pharming more sophisticated and insidious than phishing. In a pharming scam, a person may type the
legitimate company/organization’s site in the address bar and still be directed to a fraudulent site.
Port Scan: computer hackers use programs to determine the “open doors” of Internet connected
computers. Hackers can break into vulnerable computers in order to steal files, personal information,
install programs that remotely control computers, or to destroy information.
Cookie information that certain web sites place on your computer. A cookie can contain information such
as a user name, shopping cart information, track web sites visited, etc. Cookies are used to increase the
interactivity of a web site and/or to obtain web browsing information. Usually, cookies are considered
innocuous.
2
2
Anti-Virus Software
2.1
Commercial Anti-Virus Programs
Norton and McAfee are the most popular commercial, anti-virus programs. Yet, there are many relatively
unknown anti-virus programs that are highly rated for virus detection and removal, scan speed, and low
drain on system resources. The following is a list of excellent commercial anti-virus programs.
NOD32
http://www.eset.com
NOD32 has the highest virus detection rate among all anti-virus programs (according to the independent
testing organization Virus Bulletin). In addition, it is the fastest anti-virus scanner with minimal drain on
system resources. (30 day trial)
Kaspersky Anti-Virus
http://www.kaspersky.com
(a.k.a. KAV) Kaspersky is an excellent anti-virus and anti-Trojan. KAV takes a significant time for a full
system scan and produces a heavy drain on system resources. (The scan can significantly slow the
computer.) Therefore, perform scans during long periods of computer inactivity. (30 day trial)
AntiVirusKit (a.k.a. AVK)
Dr. Web
Command Antivirus
BitDefender
2.2
http://www.gdata.de/gdc/us_start
http://www.drweb.com
http://www.authentium.com
http://www.bitdefender.com
Free Anti-Virus Programs
Free anti-virus programs do not have the virus detection and removal rates of the best commercial antivirus programs. The following free, anti-virus programs have good detection and removal abilities.
AVG
http://free.grisoft.com
AVAST! 4 Home Edition
http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html
AntiVir Personal Edition
http://www.free-av.com
Panda ActiveScan
http://www.pandasoftware.com/products/activescan.htm
TrendMicro
http://housecall.trendmicro.com
Panda and TrendMicro are free, online scanners. Scan times depend on connection speed and disk size.
3
Anti-Spyware Software
Although it is usually suggested to use one anti-virus program and one firewall, one should use many
anti-spyware programs. Some very good anti-spyware programs are free.
3.1
Commercial Anti-Spyware Programs
Spy Sweeper
http://www.webroot.com/consumer/products/spysweeper
Spyware Doctor
http://pctools.com/spyware-doctor
PestPatrol
http://www.pestpatrol.com
CounterSpy
http://www.sunbelt-software.com/counterspy.cfm
3.2
Free Anti-Spyware Programs
Spybot
http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download
Adaware
http://www.lavasoftusa.com/support/download
SpywareBlaster
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareblaster.html
Spyware Guard
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/spywareguard.html
Windows Defender
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx
3
HijackThis
http://www.hijackthis.de
This program is one of the most powerful malware detection and removal tools. Only knowledgeable
users should use HijackThis. The free software examines programs in the running in the registry and lists
legitimate programs along with programs developed by hackers. Only delete the programs that you are
certain are malware.
3.3
Anti-Spyware Evaluation
U. of Toledo Anti-Spyware Tests
http://www.ascc.utoledo.edu/pp4web/spyware_study.pps
The University of Toledo examined free and commercial anti-spyware programs. It was found that some
of the commercial programs performed poorly compared to freeware.
3.4
EULA Analyzer
EULAlyzer
http://www.javacoolsoftware.com/eulalyzerdl.html
Instead of reading the “End User Licensing Agreement” fine print when installing programs, use
EULAlyzer to analyze the EULA. The free program searches for specific phrases and indicates if pop-up
windows and tracking software will be installed (spyware) or sharing information with third parties will
be performed.
4
Anti-Trojan Software
What was considered the most advanced anti-Trojan, TDS-3, has been discontinued. However, there are
other good anti-Trojan software programs.
BoClean
Trojan Hunter
TrojanScan
TrojanScan is a free online scan.
5
http://www.nsclean.com
http://www.trojanhunter.com
http://windowssecurity.com/trojanscan
Removing Stubborn Virus and Spyware Files
System Restore allows a user to revert critical operating systems back to a previously recorded state (a
restore point). Sometimes, viruses and spyware infect the System Restore so that they can re-infect the
computer if deleted in another area of the drive. To delete viruses in the System Restore, the System
Restore must temporarily be disabled. Disabling System Restore will eliminate all restore points. To
disable System Restore, Click the Start button. Right click My Computer and then click Properties.
On the System Restore tab, check Turn off System Restore. Then, run the anti-virus and anti-spyware.
Remember to enable System Restore after the scan.
Occasionally, a virus or spyware detection program can detect malware but cannot remove it. One
explanation for this behavior stems from Windows running the program. A possible way to remove the
file is to restart the computer in the safe-mode configuration where minimal Windows programs run. To
run in safe mode, restart the computer. Immediately when the computer is turned on, keep tapping the F8
key until a menu appears to select the safe-mode. Select safe mode and run the anti-virus or anti-spyware
program.
If the software will not remove the malware in the safe mode, note the malware filename that cannot be
removed. (If you suspect that there are spyware files that are not detected, run a PestPatrol online scan.
This will not remove the files but will identify many spyware programs that may not be detected. Go to
the following link for the free, online scan: http://www.pestpatrol.com/prescan.htm). Perform a
4
Google search with the name of the malware file. You may find a company or organization that has
developed a program to remove the specific virus or spyware program.
If the anti-virus or anti-spyware program fails to remove the malware file, remove the program with DOS
command lines. If you are unfamiliar with command lines, the procedure is automated with the free
program MoveOnBoot.
MoveOnBoot
http://www.gibinsoft.net/gipoutils/fileutil/index.htm
The virus or spyware could become attached to and damage a file that makes the computer boot. To
restore the damaged, essential files use the System File Checker. To run the System File Checker, open
My Computer, and select the local disk you want to check. On the File menu, click Properties. Click
the Tools tab. Under Error-checking, click Check Now. Under Check disk options, select Scan for
and attempt recovery of bad sectors.
It is much easier to prevent malware from being installed on your computer than to remove malware.
Furthermore, malware on your computer can damage essential files. Therefore, make sure that your antivirus, anti-spyware programs are up-to-date along with an updated operating system to prevent malware
infestations.
6
Firewalls
Firewalls prevent unauthorized access to your computer from another computer. Also, firewalls prevent
unauthorized programs (e.g. Trojans and keyloggers) from sending data from your computer to another
computer. According to Honynet.org, an unprotected computer using a Windows operating system will
be compromised by some form of malware within minutes of connecting to the Internet. A router is
hardware which plugs-in between the modem and pc. The router will act as an effective and difficult to
breach firewall. A software firewall is a program which is installed on a computer. This section will only
discuss software firewalls. To determine whether a software or hardware firewall is best for you, please
see the following links.
Networking Tutorials
Firewall Paper by Uzi Paz
6.1
http://www.networkingtutorials.net/Firewall.html
http://www.geocities.com/uzipaz/eng/pfnt.html
Microsoft XP Firewall
The Microsoft Office firewall (installed on many computers running Windows) is considered to be an
inferior firewall. The Windows firewall should be uninstalled and replaced with a capable firewall. To
deactivate the Windows XP firewall, follow the instructions at the following website:
Deactivation of the XP Firewall
6.2
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/283673
Free and Commercial Firewalls
Most firewalls must be trained. That is, if a program, such as Microsoft Outlook, is accessing the Internet
or accessing your computer from the Internet, permission must be granted. (Figure 1) Once access is
allowed or denied, the firewall will remember the action and will not ask for permission in the future.
(One caveat: certain web sites use cookies to access banking or e-mail accounts or for other functions. If
you experience problems with the functionality of certain web sites, give permission for the firewall to
accept all cookies. To accept cookies in ZoneAlarm, bring up the ZoneAlarm window. On the left hand
menu, click Privacy. Then slide the Cookie Control to Off.)
5
ZoneAlarm
http://www.zonealarm.com
The free version, along with the commercial ZoneAlarm, is considered to be an excellent firewall.
Jetico
http://www.jetico.com
Jetico is a free firewall. Considered by many reviewers to be effective and highly configurable, the
current version is geared toward more advanced users.
Figure 1
Zone Alarm Firewall
Asking Permission for a
Program to Access the
Internet
6.3
Assessing Computer Vulnerability to Internet Attack
ShieldsUP!!
http://grc.com
Computer security guru Steve Gibson created ShieldsUP!! to assess firewall effectiveness. To see if your
computer is vulnerable to hacks (with or without a firewall) run ShieldsUP!!. A protected computer
should attain a perfect score while in a stealth mode. (This indicates your computer is “invisible” to other
computers on the Internet. Thus, your chance of being subjected to an Internet attack is greatly reduced.)
7
Alternatives to Microsoft Office
To greatly reduce the chance of a macrovirus attack, use the following free or inexpensive programs.
7.1
OpenOffice
http://www.openoffice.org
A free, open-source suite that is similar in structure to MS Office. A remarkable feature is an option to
export as a read-only pdf file. The recently released build of OpenOffice, OpenOffice 2.0 is very
compatible with Microsoft Word. However, OpenOffice does not support Office macros or Excel pivot
tables. There may be some small glitches when Microsoft PowerPoint or Excel reads corresponding files
written in OpenOffice. Since Microsoft Office does not recognize Open Office files, you may wish to
save files in Microsoft Office format. To create a default setting for loading and saving as Office files,
open any OpenOffice program. Click Tools in the menu and select Options. Double click Load/Save.
Click Microsoft Office. Then check every box to Load [L] and Save [S] in Microsoft Office format.
6
OpenOffice 2.0 Reviews
OpenOffice is a Great Alternative to Microsoft Office
http://www.suntimes.com/output/worktech/cst-fin-andy22.html
Why OpenOffice.org 2.0 is Your Best Choice
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1874157,00.asp
7.2
StarOffice
http://www.sun.com/software/star/staroffice/index.jsp
Sun Microsystem’s version of OpenOffice. The current price for StarOffice is $69.95 and includes online
support. Compared to OpenOffice, StarOffice has a somewhat more polished interface and includes more
fonts. Like OpenOffice, StarOffice files can be exported as PDF files. In addition, StarOffice supports
Office macros and Excel pivot tables; while compatibility between StarOffice 8 and Microsoft Office
documents has been greatly improved from previous versions. (Sun allows free use of StarOffice for
educational institutions. The University of Toronto at Scarborough has saved at least $52,000/yr by
switching from Microsoft Office to StarOffice.) The software incorporates a user configuration tool to let
IT administrators manage user settings. Since Microsoft Office does not recognize StarOffice files, you
may wish to save files in Microsoft Office format. Follow the instructions under OpenOffice to load and
save files in Office format.
StarOffice 8 Reviews
Review: StarOffice 8
http://software.newsforge.com/article.pl?sid=05/09/23/198225
StarOffice 8 is Office’s Toughest Rival Yet
http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1864224,00.asp
StarOffice 8 Inches Up to Microsoft Office
http://www.crn.com/sections/microsoft/microsoft.jhtml?articleID=171201631
Figure 2
StarOffice
Writer
(Comparable
to Microsoft
Word)
Those
familiar with
the Microsoft
Office layout
will easily
navigate
within
StarOffice.
OpenOffice
has a similar
layout.
7
8
Browsers
8.1
Internet Explorer
Most Internet transmitted viruses and spyware are written for Internet Explorer. IE allows ActiveX
programs to run without permission of the user. Many Internet viruses and spyware programs are
downloaded through ActiveX files. A quote from The United States Computer Emergency Readiness
Team (US-CERT), a division of the Department of Homeland Security, emphasizes the vulnerability of IE
in a document entitled “Microsoft Internet Explorer Does Not Properly Validate [the] Source of
Redirected Frame[s].” CERT recommends the use of a non-IE web browser that does not use ActiveX or
the disabling of ActiveX and Active scripting in the IE Internet Zone setting.
CERT Browser Recommendation
http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/713878
Use IE security settings to eliminate ActiveX capabilities. Follow instructions given in the following
website to change ActiveX settings.
Procedure to Change ActiveX Settings
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/using/howto/security/setup.mspx#EBAAE
Even though you may decide to use another browser, keep Internet Explorer on your computer in order to
update the Windows operating system and to access sites that require ActiveX functionality.
All operating systems (Mac and Linux included) should be updated often. However, updates are
especially critical for Windows operating systems. Microsoft offers Windows updates at least once a
month. Update Windows at the following website.
Windows Update
8.2
http://www.windowsupdate.com
Alternative Browsers
The free browsers listed below do not allow ActiveX and are more secure and feature laden compared to
Internet Explorer.
Firefox
http://www.mozilla.org
Firefox is an excellent open-source browser. Firefox is very configurable and has an effective popup
blocker. Since many web pages are created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)-noncompliant
and insecure web standards of Microsoft FrontPage, some webpages do not properly display in W3C
compliant browsers. You may need to occasionally view a web page via Internet Explorer.
Opera
http://www.opera.com
Many knowledgeable users consider Opera to be second-to-none among browsers. Opera is a fast,
configurable browser. Among the many features of Opera are tabbed browsing and magnification of text
and images. Opera can emulate IE or Firefox. If a page does not render properly in Opera, under the
Opera Tools menu, go to Quick Preferences and select Identify as Internet Explorer.
Until recently, Opera could be used with an annual fee or a free version with ads. Opera is now free and
without ads. In addition, Opera has a secure e-mail client that integrates into its browser. Furthermore, it
has a trainable spam filter.
8
9
Pop-Up Blockers
A pop-up blocker must not only prevent nuisance window pop-ups but also must allow legitimate pop-ups
(such as windows in which information is supplied to allow a transaction). Pop-up blockers contained in
Windows XP Service Pack 2, the Google Toolbar, Firefox, and Opera were rated among the top five
blockers in a recent study.
Google Toolbar/Pop-Up Blocker
http://www.toolbar.google.com
Pop-Up Study
http://www.popupcheck.com
Popup Check
http://www.popupcheck.com/pop_up_blocker.asp
Popup Check determines the effectiveness of your pop-up blocker. It checks if “bad” pop-ups are blocked
and if “good” pop-ups are allowed.
10
E-mail Clients
It is not uncommon for an e-mail attachment to contain a virus (Figure 3). The most common e-mail
clients are Outlook and Outlook Express. Due to the prevalence of Outlook, many e-mail viruses and
spam are created to exploit Outlook’s weaknesses. Only open attachments from e-mails that you are
expecting and trust. For enhanced security, you may wish to consider a non-Microsoft e-mail client.
Figure 3
E-mail Containing a
Virus Attachment
Thunderbird
http://www.mozilla.org
Thunderbird is a comprehensive and customizable, free e-mail program. Its adaptive spam filter analyzes
e-mail and detects likely junk. It deletes spam or stores it in a folder. Thunderbird contains a
spellchecker and integrated news reader (for RSS feeds).
Opera
http://www.opera.com
The Opera e-mail client is integrated into the Opera browser and is relatively secure. Like Thunderbird,
Opera contains a spam filter and RSS reader.
9
Regardless of the e-mail client that you use, make sure that graphics cannot be viewed in e-mail. (In other
words, turn off html e-mail.) A common spammer trick is to place invisible pixels at different locations
for each outgoing spam e-mail. Viewing the e-mail will grab the invisible pixel image from the
spammer’s server. By referencing pixel images retrieved from the server, the spammer can determine
which e-mail addresses are still in use. Consequently, even more spam will be sent to the addresses that
opened the e-mail. To disable viewing html e-mail, please see the following link:
Disable HTML E-Mail
http://expita.com/nomime.html
Certain e-mail viruses can infect a computer even if a message is viewed in the Preview Pane. Therefore,
the Preview Pane should be disabled.
To disable the Preview Pane in Outlook:
1. From the Menu bar, click View then click Layout.
2. Uncheck the box labeled Show Preview Pane.
3. Click OK to save the change.
11
Scams
Phishing
Phishing scams can result in identity theft (Figures 4, 5, and 6). Do NOT reply to any e-mails which
redirect to another site. If you believe the e-mail may be legitimate, directly contact the company or
organization (never click-on or use the address provided in the e-mail). If you are submitting sensitive
information to a website, such as social security numbers or credit card information, make sure that the
URL address starts with “https” NOT “http”. Furthermore, a closed padlock should be either at the top or
the bottom of the window. When the padlock is clicked, a security certificate should appear. (Figure 7)
NetCraft Anti-Phishing Toolbar
http://toolbar.netcraft.com/
The NetCraft anti-phishing toolbar warns web surfers if they enter a suspicious website or a potential phishing site.
Figure 4
eBay Phishing Scam
10
Figure 5
Redirection to a
Purported Legitimate
Site in a Phishing Scam
(This site appears when
the e-mail link in Figure 4
is clicked. The site
accepts any user ID and
password to bring up the
link in Figure 6 which
asks for credit card
information.)
Figure 6
Phishing Site Asking for
Credit Card Information
Notice that this is an
insecure site…an http
address, instead of https,
and without a padlock.
11
Figure 7
Secure Website.
Contains an https
address along with a
security certificate which
appears when the
padlock is clicked.
Pharming
To create a pharming scam, a hacker must place a program on a computer to automatically redirect the
user to a fraudulent site when the legitimate site is typed in the address window. If upon accessing the
website, a warning appears that states that the name on the security certificate does not match the name on
the site (Figure 8), DO NOT proceed and enter the site. The site could be a pharming scam. For more
information, see pharming.org.
Pharming.org
http://www.pharming.org
Figure 8
Security Alert Warning That
the Names on the Site and
Security Certificate Do Not
Match
12
12
Password Generators and Managers
“Treat your password like a toothbrush. Don’t let anyone else use it, and get a new one every six months.”
Clifford Stoll
Passwords should be at least 8 characters long with random combinations of numbers and upper and
lowercase letters. (Substituting numbers for letters does not prove to be much of a deterrent to a hacker.
For instance, changing the word such as “equilibrium” to “equ171br1um” is an old ploy and easily
cracked by hacker programs.) Also, each site should have a different password. It is easy to forget so
many seemingly random passwords. Instead use one of the following free programs to generate and
manage your passwords.
Infinite Password Generator
http://www.ikitek.com/products/Infinite-Password-Generator.html
Infinite Password Generator generates and manages random passwords for given sites from an easily
remembered master password. (Remember the capitalization of the master password or Infinite Password
Generator will produce a different password.)
Aurora Password Manager
http://www.animabilis.com
Aurora Password Manager organizes and stores credit card information, pin-codes, software license
information, passwords, etc. Furthermore, you can create and store your passwords or Aurora Password
Manager can create passwords for you.
MySecurityVault
http://www.whitecanyon.com/mysecurityvault-download.php
MySecurityVault is a password generator and manager. The program has an automatic Internet, personal
information form filler. It encrypts personal files so that only the users have access to them. The “Pro”
version ($24.95) has a security scanner which determines if personal information is left on your computer.
If so, it prompts users to store that information in a personal encrypted “vault.” (For instance, if a web
site stores a credit card number as a temporary Internet file, MySecurityVault will detect the breach of
security.)
13
Encryption
If there are files which contain sensitive information, such as passwords or financial information, on your
computer, CDs, floppy disks, or thumb drives, you may decide to encrypt those files so that if the files fall
into the wrong hands, it would be exceedingly difficult to break into those files. MySecurityVault (under
Password Managers and Generators) can be used to encrypt files, also.
TrueCrypt
http://www.truecrypt.org
TrueCrypt is a free, open-source program which allows a user to select the level of encryption. The
program creates a drive on a computer or storage medium which will automatically encrypt files that are
dragged into the drive.
14
Anonymous Web Browsing
Web surfing can reveal private or personally-identifiable information to others. Using a site designed for
anonymous browsing can greatly reduce that amount of pop-up ads and spam. A free anonymous surfing
site is Anonymouse. Anonymizer is commercial site.
Anonymouse
Anonymizer
http://anonymouse.org/anonwww.html
http://www.anonymizer.com/index.shtml
13
15
Resources
15.1 General Information Concerning Computer Security
Computer Security Checklist
http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/220
Malware Article
http://arstechnica.com/articles/paedia/malware.ars
Safe Computing Article
http://news.com.com/2010-1071-5482340.html
Security Tool Reviews
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,115939,00.asp
Antivirus Software
http://www.software-antivirus.com/
Spyware Warrior
http://www.spywarewarrior.com
Anti-Trojan Reviews
http://www.anti-trojan-software-reviews.com
Firewall Guide
http://firewallguide.com
15.2 Computer Security Information for the More Advanced User
Secunia
http://secunia.com/
The Spamhaus Project
http://www.spamhaus.org
Virus Bulletin
http://www.virusbtn.com
AV-Test.org
http://av-test.org
West Coast Labs
http://www.westcoastlabs.org
ICSA
https://www.icsalabs.com/icsa/icsahome.php
Internet Storm Center
http://isc.sans.org
AntiOnline
http://www.antionline.com
Antisource
http://www.antisource.com/
Spyware Newsletter
http://www.spywareinfo.com
CERT
http://www.cert.org
SecurityFocus
http://www.securityfocus.com
The Honeynet Project
http://www.honeynet.org
myNetWatchman
http://www.mynetwatchman.com
16
Safeguards
 Back up all important files and programs.
 Do not use public computers when submitting sensitive information to a web site. Public
computers may be compromised by keylogging or pharming programs.
 Do not transmit sensitive information when using wireless connections.
 Do not open e-mail attachments unless you are sure the e-mail is from a trusted source.
 Do not forward chain e-mails. These contain a treasure trove of active e-mail addresses if they
land in a spammer’s hands.
 Use multiple e-mail addresses. Keep one e-mail address for relatives and close acquaintances and
one address used for business contacts. Use a third e-mail for general Internet mail (which would
likely contain spam).
 Do not use formal names or common words for an e-mail address (e.g. joesmith@.gmail.com or
mymail@aol.com). Spammers send e-mails to common words and names.
 Do not place your e-mail address on web sites. If you must, use spaces or words to prevent
automated web page scanning programs from harvesting your address. (For instance, use
“blahblahblah @ yahoo.com” or “blahblahblah@yahooDOTcom” in place of
“blahblahblah@yahoo.com”)
 Above all:
UPDATE AND SCAN WITH ANTI-VIRUS/ANTI-SPYWARE PROGRAMS AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK.
INSTALL OPERATING SYSTEM UPDATES.
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