Transcript Securing Your Computer

Securing Your Computer
1,2,3 The Basics
Just the facts……..
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In 2003, Symantec documented 2,636 new computer
vulnerabilities, an average of seven per day. 70% of
vulnerabilities were classified as easy to exploit.
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Threats to privacy and confidentiality were the fastest
growing threat, with 519% growth in volume of submissions
within the top ten.
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The threats are significantly higher today.
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The average un-patched computer lasts less than 20 min.
before being compromised
The owner of an insecure
computer is at risk for Identity
Theft, Stalking / Harassment,
and legal action for crimes
perpetrated by hackers.
Understanding and
implementing basic security
and privacy measures for your
home can go a long way
towards protecting your
family, your finances, and
your computer.
What if Your Computer is Not
Secured?
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Your confidential data in the computer will be
exposed to the outer world.
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Your computer may become the victim of the
damaging effect of Malwares, which have the
potential to erase all the data in your hard disk.
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Your may become the victim of identity theft and
suffer financial losses and legal hardship
Major Risks
What are computer viruses, Trojans
and worms?
Simply stated, a virus, Trojan or worm is a
small program written to cause harm to one
or more computers or networks. A Virus,
Worm or Trojan can also be designed to
retrieve information from your computer to
be delivered to an attacker for future use. For
example, credit card information, passwords,
and security access codes.
Viruses
A virus is a parasitic program
designed to enter a person's
computer clandestinely. The virus
attaches itself to files or boot sectors
and is self-replicating.
Trojans
A Trojan or Trojan horse is a
malicious program that pretends to
be a benign application. It is
designed to cause your computer to
do something that is unexpected.
Since it does not spread (not selfreplicating) it is not really a virus.
Worms
A worm is a parasitic program
designed to replicate itself on
your computer and then spread
to other computers via email
(through your address book or
contact list).
The Most Common Types Of Program
To Be Infected by A Virus
exe
 com
 vbs
 mp3
 drv
 sys
 bin
 script files
 macros
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Malware
 Malware is a software designed to infiltrate or damage a computer
system without the owner's informed consent.
 It is a general term used to mean various forms of hostile,
intrusive, or annoying software or program code.
 It is a general term used to mean various forms of hostile,
intrusive, or annoying software or program code
 It includes viruses, worms, trojan horses, spyware, dishonest
adware, and other malicious and unwanted software.
Spyware & Adware
Spyware is a software that is installed
surreptitiously on a computer to intercept or take
control over the user's interaction with the
computer, without the user's knowledge. Often,
when you download freeware and shareware
programs (such as Kazaa or Wild Tangent), you
unknowingly trigger adware by accepting an End
User License Agreement
Spyware Can…….
Collect various types of personal information
 Installing additional software,
 Redirect Web browser activity, accessing websites that
will cause more harmful viruses, diverting advertising
revenue to a third party.
 Change computer settings, resulting in slow connection
speeds, different home pages, and loss of programs.
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How Do You Know if You Have
Spyware on Your Computer?
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Your computer may exhibit some or many of these
symptoms:
Endless pop-up windows
Your home page has changed
Unfamiliar icons in your taskbar
Your computer is sluggish, and has a hard time
opening programs or saving files
Protect Yourself
Understanding and implementing
basic security and privacy measures
can go a long way towards
protecting your family, your
finances, and your computer.
**First Things First**
Installing
A
Firewall
What is a Firewall?
A firewall is a system
designed to prevent
unauthorized access
to your computer or
network.
A network is a
connection of two or
more computers.
Who Needs A Firewall?
Anyone who has a computer
that will be connected to the
Internet or to another
computer.
What Will a Firewall Do For You?
If your firewall is properly configured and
updated, it will stop "most" hackers from
gaining access to your computer. A hacker
breaks into your computer to get personal
information like credit card numbers, social
security numbers, bank account numbers or
to use your computer under their remote
control to do things like that to other
computers.
Remember………
A firewall is not 100% effective. New hacker
programs and methods are being developed
everyday, which is why firewall applications
need to be updated regularly. These types of
updates are a must to keep up with the new
methods, just like updates to your anti-virus
software are necessary to protect you from
the latest viruses.
So What Else Should You Do?
Install
An
Anti Virus Program
Anti Virus Programs
Unprotected computers can harbor Trojans,
viruses and worms. These sneaky little
programs can enlist your computer, without
your knowledge, in a DOS attack on websites
wreaking havoc and cause loss of revenue to
individuals and companies. They can also
allow strangers to use YOUR computer to
store illegal images and files, or put programs
on your computer to record your passwords,
credit card numbers or other personal
information.
You can protect your computer from infection by
installing an anti-virus program and keeping it
updated. The most important thing to remember
is that new viruses are created every day, so it is
very important that you keep your program
updated. Many programs have either a reminder
system or an automatic update feature - take
advantage of it! Be sure to scan all files that you
load onto your computer, before opening them!
Taking these simple precautions will significantly
reduce your chances of infection.
Install Malware Removers
Programs designed to remove or to block malware, as
well as various user practices which reduce the chance
of getting malware on a system.
Common applications are:
 Ad-Aware and
 Spybot Search & Destroy.
 Applications will have different capabilities in terms
of what they can detect and remove. Read through the
fine print to see what is covered and what is not.
Prevent Spyware From Installing On
Your Computer
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Be wary of free downloads
Always read the End User License Agreement before
installing new programs
Don't click on links within pop-up windows (click
the "X" icon in the titlebar to close)
Adjust your browser preferences to limit cookies and
pop-up windows
Install an Anti-Spyware Program
So Remember…….
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Only download or accept files from reliable
sources.
Use a firewall to block unauthorized access to
your computer
Install a good anti-virus program and keep it
updated
Scan all e-mail attachments and downloaded
files before opening
And……Use Common Sense
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No security software is foolproof.
Installing software is not a substitute for prudent practices.
Some simple precautions that will go a long way:
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Do open attachments in e-mails from senders you do not
recognize
Be very cautious when clicking on web site links in emails.
Exercise discretion before disclosing your confidential data
over the net or e-mail.
Be very careful when sharing any data in P2P (peer to
peer) network