1. Online Annoyances Spam – electronic junk mail
Pop-ups – intrusive advertising
Cookies – tracking user’s browsing habits
Phishing and Hoaxes – Ruses to fool and maybe steal from users.
Spyware – Programs that collect data from a user’s computer
As the Internet has grown, so have the annoying things on it. Some of these are dangerous and some merely annoying. Like heavy traffic on the roads, air pollution, gossip, or any number of annoyances in life, the Internet reflects the public who uses it, with its share of things to add stress to a user’s life.
The next few slides will discuss each of these annoyances in more details

2. Spam Junk E-Mail Spam filters Anti-spam practices
Spam is a particularly difficult problem because there is little that can be done to control the people who send it. All one needs is a list and a message. Lists with millions of addresses can be purchased. There have been laws passed to make sending spam illegal, but they are difficult to enforce.
One way to avoid spam in your primary account is to create a special address that you use when you fill out forms on the Web.
A spam filter is an option you can select in your account that places known spam messages into a folder other than your inbox. 95% of spam can be filtered, never reaching your inbox.
You should are careful by reading privacy practices carefully before registering your name on Web sites, by not replying to spam, and reporting spam to agencies that filter and fight spam.

3. Cookies Text files stored on client computers when visiting Web sites
Used on return visits to Web sites
Unique ID number
Personal information remembered
Cookies are a necessary annoyance because they enhance the web experience and speed up web page loading. When you go to a web page for the first time the web document drops a small text file in a folder. This text file saves information about the user and assigns an identification code so that when the user returns, the same preferences are loaded and the web site may be more geared to the user. This is critical on sites where the content is somewhat chosen to meet the user’s wishes, like in My Yahoo or other personalized sites.
Although cookies are generally not privacy risks, there have been cases where the information has been collected and sold to advertisers.

4. Pop-ups Buy Now! Usually advertising Pop-up automatically
Browser can block
Buy Now!
Pop-up windows are the billboards of the Internet.
Some sites use pop-ups to increase the functionality of their site (your account balance may pop up at your bank’s Web site, for example).
There are ways to reduce or eliminate pop-ups. Firefox and Safari have built-in pop-up blockers. Windows XP (Service Pack 2) includes a Pop-up Manager to Internet Explorer that allows you to selectively block pop-ups.
If you feel you need more protection, you can install anti-pop-up software such as Pop-Up Stopper and Pop-Up Defender.

5. Identity Theft Thieves collect personal information Then use to
Credit card
Drivers license
SIN, Passport
Then use to
Access government services
Buy things

6. Identity Theft Don’t need a computer Dumpster diving
Credit card skimming
ATM front-end
People give away information
Dumpster diving, credit card skimming

7. Phishing Phishing is a phony communication
Attempts to scam someone into sending vital information
message impersonates
Banks
Accounts: eBay, PayPal, …

8. Phishing

9. Don’t respond to these emails

10. Spyware (Adware) Secretly sends data about our web surfing to a spy
Spy sells data to advertisers

11. Spyware Threats
Software is unknowingly downloaded with free software, music (Kazaa), screen savers, games, …
Sponsered results on search engines

12. New Twist

13. SONY
Source: Calgary Herald

14. Protection from Spyware
Don’t
download free stuff
enter online contests Do
use antispyware software
UofC IT Antispyware Page

15. Spyware Consumer Reports Ratings Webroot (US$25) PC Tools (US$30)
Spybot (free)

16. Canadian Response Spam, Phishing and Spyware
Stop Spam Here
The Digital Economy in Canada
Anti-Fraud
Phonebusters (Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre)

18. Software Sabotage Risks Protection Virus Worm Trojan horse Spyware
DOS Attacks
Protection

19. Virus Program code that attaches itself to a program
Operating system or application program
When program executes the virus code copies itself to other programs
Can destroy data

21. Virus
Macro virus
Attach to documents
virus
Attachments

22. Vaccines Antivirus software Search for known viruses Identify them
Remove them

23. Use Anti-virus Software
Install and update anti-virus software
UofC IT anti-virus web page
Free software: McAffee
ISP might provide free
Otherwise buy it (McAffee, Norton, …)
Set it to update automatically every time you use your computer
Scan the whole disk regularly

24. Email Virus Detection ISP mail server (UofC IT and CPSC)
Scans incoming and outgoing messages, notifies user if finds virus (strips attachments), and quarantines the message
User can recover message from quarantine
If you suspect: don’t open the attachment
Delete the message
Scan in program, or save to disk and then scan with virus detection software

25. Sober
Source: Calgary Herald

26. Email Virus Detection My email From: virusalert@cpsc.ucalgary.ca
Subject: WARNING - VIRUS (Worm.Sober.U) IN MAIL TO YOU
Date: November 25, :20:55 AM MST (CA)

27. *** VIRUS ALERT ***
Dear user,
This is an automatically generated message from the University of
Calgary, Department of Computer Science (CPSC).
The CPSC system has detected a piece of with a virus called:
Worm.Sober.U
in an addressed to you from:
The Subject of this was:
Mail delivery failed
Delivery of the original has been stopped. A copy of the message has
been placed under quarantine.
Please visit the CPSC Maia Mailguard system located:
to view your quarantined messages. You will be required to log into
this system using your CPSC address and your CPSC Login Password.
For your reference, here are some selected headers from the
Date: Fri, 25 Nov :20: (MST)
From: (Empty if virus is known to forge sender address)
To:
Subject: Mail delivery failed
Received: dpwtlcd.com (S f1f983b.cg.shawcable.net [ ])

28. Worm
Program that travels independently over computer networks, seeking uninfected sites
Replicates and starts up thousands of processes
Overloads a system
Starts up many process that consume system resources
Program is executing in main memory, so need to shut down host
And disconnect from network

29. The Cost of Worms Nimba, Sept. 18, 2001
In 24 h infected 2.2 million computers
Microsoft Windows
Huge traffic disabled web and servers
Damaged system files
At UofC, first noticed at 7:30 am
By 11:30 am had been identified and fixes available
All IT labs affected
Servers had to be reloaded to correct all damaged files and add security patches
16.5 people weeks
Labs down from 1-3 days

30. Trojan Horse
Program that performs a useful task while also being secretly destructive
A logic bomb responds to a particular event
Cannot replicate
E.G. Logon Trojan horse

31. Denial of Service Attacks
Web servers are sent millions of bogus requests
Overloads the system
Consequently they shut down
Service is denied legitimate users
NDP voting for leader

32. Protection from Viruses and Security Risks
Use anti-virus software
Update frequently
Use anti-spyware software
Update your operating system
Automatic updates and security patches
Microsoft
Macintosh