Home PC Security & Internet Browser Tips Todd W. Jorns Senior Director for Educational Technology Illinois Community College Board

Topics User Accounts Passwords Windows Updates Anti-Virus Software Anti-Spyware Software Browsers

Logging On to Windows Do not run Windows as an Administrator Increases vulnerabilities Trojan Horse: a program that does something else than it appears to do May reformat your hard drive, delete files, create another user with administrative control Instead: Create a User Account

Creating a User

Passwords Pick a good password for all accounts— it’s your first and sometimes only defense Password dangers: Cracking Social Engineering

Passwords: Good Characteristics Length Number of characters Longer is better and harder to guess Width Types of characters Should include at least three of Uppercase letters Lowercase letters Numbers Special characters (e.g. ? #) Depth Challenging meaning Phonetic: Imukat2 for I’m a cat, too Mnemonic: FM2tM for Fly Me to the Moon

Update Windows: Early & Often Updates close known vulnerabilities that are targeted by hackers Options for updates: Automatically download and install Manually download and install To configure: Control Panel | System | Automatic Updates

Check Office Updates MS makes updates available on its web page Users should check here at least once per month:

Anti-Virus Software A virus is: Program or programming code that replicates; Transmitted as attachments to an note or in a downloaded file, or may be present on a diskette, CD, or thumb drive. A virus might: Immediately affect you or lie dormant; Be benign and playful or devastatingly harmful.

Anti-Virus Software: Key issues Most AV software can be configured to automatically update itself Daily is best if possible After expiration, no updates will occur Why? New viruses every day! Scan your computer automatically Configure the software to run at a time when no one will be on the computer At least once a week If you use IM, try to find software that scans for IM viruses

Anti-Virus: Free software Online: Housecall - Panda ActiveScan Downloadable: AVG Free - avast! Home Edition -

Spyware: What is it? Strictly defined, spyware consists of computer software that gathers and reports information about a computer user without the user's knowledge or consent. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Spyware: Problems Installs without user’s informed consent Invades privacy and steals bandwidth Often causes system instability Crashes Hanging Slowing May modify shared files Causing other applications to fail Making spyware difficult to remove Interrupting Internet connectivity

Spyware: Remedies Numerous Anti-spyware programs and removal tools Spybot Search and Destroy: Adaware: MS Anti-Spyware: Various Anti-Virus programs

Spyware: Prevention Spyblaster: Disabling Active-X Using only reputable sources for software Updating Software to fix known vulnerabilities Windows operating systems Browser software

Most frequently used tool One of the most vulnerable tools “out of the box” Issues HTML Attachments

Attachments Never open any unsolicited attachments Do not trust attachments from known parties Scan all attachments Executable code Macros Never open attachments that are programs (.bat,.chm,.cmd,.com,.exe,.hta,.ocx,.pif,.scr,.shs,.vbe,.vbs, or.wsf).

How to see file extensions In ME, 2000, and XP: Open My Computer Choose Tools | Folder Options Choose the View Tab Uncheck: Hide file extensions for known file types Click OK

Spam Never respond to spam Signals a “live” address May be added to list and sold Consequence: MORE spam!

Phishing The act of sending an to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identify theft Microsoft, your bank, AOL, PayPal will never send you announcements about updates---and neither will most businesses. If unsure, use the telephone!

Web: The World Wide Web World Wide Web brought color, pictures, and motion to the Internet Browser: Software application used to access the World Wide Web Internet Explorer Firefox Opera Popularity of WWW means that it’s a favorite for malicious activities

Web: Making it safer Consider disabling AutoComplete anyone at your computer will be able to easily see where you've been on the Web worse yet, anyone at your computer will be able to easily impersonate you at Web sites that require you to input information In IE Select Tools and choose "Internet Options..." Click the "Advanced" tab. Scroll down and uncheck the box next to "Use inline AutoComplete for Web addresses".

Web: Signals of secure site Look for a site that uses a secure channel for transmission of credit card information Key clues: https Locked padlock

Test Browser Security Jason’s Toolbox: Online test of browser security Leads you through each step toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/ toolbox.com/BrowserSecurity/

The Internet: A huge network When you connect to the Internet, your computer is connected to all the other computers---and the good and bad users behind them Understanding a little about that communication will help you to understand the need for something called a Firewall

IP Addresses IP or Internet addresses are like addresses for buildings If you know the address of a building, you can locate it and send it information If you know the address for a computer, you can send it information Fortunately, we don’t have to remember the numbers because of an Internet service called Domain Name System which translates for us!

Firewalls: Filters for packets A firewall is a piece of software or hardware, which stands between two networks or computers and controls access between them Controls the traffic flow in and out of networks or computers based on IP Addresses and Port numbers

Router (Hardware ) Hides your computer from the Internet Internet address is given to your router Computer receives a private Internet address The harder you are to find, the harder it will be for someone—or something—to hurt you! A must for broadband (cable/dsl) Internet connections Key: Change the default password!

Personal Firewalls (software) Watches information going in and out of the computer – but you decide Will allow you to monitor programs Allow only programs of which you are sure Watch for outgoing programs (e.g.,spyware) Know how to shutdown Internet connectivity

Personal Firewalls - Software Zone Alarm oducts/znalm/freeDownload.jsp oducts/znalm/freeDownload.jsp Sygate Personal Firewall

Test Your System HackerWacker: ShieldsUp:

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