I know that the majority of our class is fairly savvy with their PCs, but for those of us who are not as technically inclined here is a check list to keep the security of our computers up to date:
· Use anti-spyware and anti-virus programs
· On at least a weekly basis update anti-virus and spyware products
· Install a firewall and make sure it is switched on
· Make sure updates to your operating system are installed
· Take time to educate yourself and family about the risks
· Monitor your computer and stay alert to threats
The majority of security threats are aimed directly at Windows. It’s important to continue to update your anti-virus programs because hackers come up with news way to threaten our security everyday. I am definitely more careful now that I do a lot of my banking online, even though my bank account these days wouldn’t exactly attract a crook, but some day it might!
And for anyone interested this website has a high-tech crime glossary.
Bot
Botnet
Botnet herder
Bullet-proof hosting
Carder
Cash-out
Channel
Cross-site scripting
Dead-drop
DDoS
Drive-by download
Exploit
Firewall
Honeypot
IP Address
IRC
Keylogger
Malware
Man-in-the-middle
Packet sniffing
Phishing
Port
Roots
Script kiddie
Spyware
TCP
Trojan
Virus
Whitehat
Worm
Zero day
Zombie
Here are a few:
BLACKHAT
A hacker that uses his or her skills for explicitly criminal or malicious ends. Has been used to mean the writers of destructive viruses or those that use attacks to knock websites offline. Now as likely to refer to those that steal credit card numbers and banking data with viruses or by phishing.
DEAD-DROP
A hijacked PC or server used to store all the personal data stolen by keyloggers, spyware or viruses.
Criminal hackers prefer to keep their distance from this data as its possession is incriminating. Dead drops are usually found and shut down within a few days of the associated phishing e-mails being sent out.
DDoS
Abbreviation for Distributed Denial of Service. This is an attack in which thousands of separate computers, which are usually part of a botnet, bombard a target with bogus data to knock it off the net.
DDoS attacks have been used by extortionists who threaten to knock a site offline unless a hefty ransom is paid.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5400052.stm
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2 comments:
Great tips. I wish everyone followed this. Unfortunately, it only takes 1 unprotected computer, and then you can have a zombie capable of spamming email to thousands.
What can be done to insure this doesn't happen? Make OS updates mandatory? Require ISPs to scan all email? Require ISPs to offer some sort of virus protection client to its users?
Surfpup
Crazy hackers! Why don't they just leave our computers alone? Probably because they hate Microsoft.
I also started running weekly virus protections on my home computers. My next computer will be a Mac, so I don't think I'll have to run the anti-virus programs. I'll just have to update my system regularly.
Uncle Shanky.
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