1. Information Security Session October 24, 2005
11/13/2018
Information Security Session October 24, 2005
Bill Eaheart
Network Security Coordinator
DePaul University
NIDS with Snort

2. Top Ten List Install Operating system Updates and Patches
Install Anti-Virus and Spyware Protection
Use a Host Based Firewall
Create a strong password
Use caution when opening attachments
Never share personal information
Do not respond to Spam
Back up Files
Do not Share Folders
Use a Spyware program
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Information Security

3. Securing Windows Step One: Enable a personal firewall
Basic Steps to Secure your Machine:
Step One: Enable a personal firewall
Step Two: Download & Install AntiVirus
Step Three: Run Windows Update
Step Four: Configure Windows for Automatic Updates
Step Five: Secure Your Accounts and Passwords
Step Six: Run a Weekly Virus Scans of your Entire Computer
Step Seven: Run and Update a Spyware Removal Program
Step Eight: Disable or Set password for File Shares
Step Nine: Run Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
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Information Security

4. Personal Firewalls
A personal firewall is a software-based filter between your computer and the outside world that is installed on your computer to protect it from unauthorized access by other external users.
Personal firewalls are configurable to specify which incoming and outgoing programs, ports, and IP addresses can be accessed.
Windows XP
Internet Connection Firewall (ICF)
Inspects only incoming traffic
Commercial/Free Products
Sygate Personal Firewall
ZoneAlarm
Tiny Personal Firewall
Norton Personal Firewall
BlackIce PC Protection
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Information Security

5. How does a firewall work?
Each machine on the Internet is assigned a unique address called an IP address.
Computers have addresses referred to as IP addresses
Allows computers to talk to each other
Tells your computer where you want to send traffic
Example:
Ports – A server machine makes its services available to the Internet using numbered ports
Tells your computer what service you want
Web Server: Port 80
Internet Communication
Similar to postal envelopes
Instead of postal address and zip codes  IP addresses and Port number
Connecting to a web server
Where do I want to go  (DNS – easy for people to remember)
What is the IP Address 
What service do I want  Port 80 (web server)
What your computer sees
Source: :  Destination: :80
11/13/2018
Information Security

6. How does a firewall work?
Computers have services running – even your work or home PC
A firewall inspects all traffic coming or leaving your computer
Use a set of rules to determine if it should allow the traffic to pass
In many cases you just need to install or enable the firewall application
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Information Security

7. Why is a firewall important?
Scanning logs Wed Mar 19 00:15:23 CST Number of scans: 523,264
Destination Ports
Total     Port ======    ======       Windows
112389      Windows
88258     MS-SQL - slammer worm        Web Server
18390      Windows
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Information Security

8. What a Firewall Can Do
A firewall can be selective about what it lets through and what it blocks.
The firewall inspects all incoming traffic – and on some firewall applications it can inspect outgoing traffic as well
Based on the setup and rules the firewall determines if the packet should be blocked or transmitted
Some applications send notifications to the user with options
Denying the program or traffic
Allowing it just this one time. You will be asked again the next time it wants to use the network.
Allowing it forever more. You will not be asked again the next time it wants to use the network.
What do you do if you received a notification that traffic has been blocked
Firewall has blocked the harmful traffic
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Information Security

9. What a Firewall Cannot Do
Be aware of a false sense of security
Firewalls are limited in protecting your computer
Do Firewalls Prevent Viruses, Worms or Malware?
NO!!
Some firewalls can prevent malware from accessing the internet if your computer is infected your
Majority of all malware is received through , file sharing (like Kazaa or Gnutella) or through direct download of a malicious program
Firewalls can't prevent this
Common Sense and Caution
Operating System patches and security fixes
Anti-Virus software
Spyware software
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Information Security

10. Windows Update Microsoft provides security patches and updates
Check for updates at least once per month
Security fixes released on the second Tuesday of each month
Manual Update
Open Internet Explorer 
Windows Automatic Updates makes this easy
Start  Control Panel  Automatic Updates
DePaul makes it even easier
Software Update Services (SUS) server
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Information Security

11. Automatic Windows Update
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Information Security

12. Microsoft Security Analyzer
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
Free, vulnerability assessment tool for the Microsoft platform
Download Software
Installation Wizard
Scan your computer
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Information Security

13. The End! Thank you Any questions weaheart@depaul.edu 11/13/2018
Information Security