Cyber Security
What is cyber security?
It appears that everything relies upon computers and the Internet now .....
communication (email, cellphones), entertainment (digital cable, mp3s),
transportation (car engine systems, airplane navigation), shopping
(online stores, credit cards), medicine (equipment, medical records),
and many, many other things. How much of your daily life relies on
computers? Is your personal information stored either on your own
computer or on someone else's system? Cyber security involves
protecting that information by preventing, detecting,
and responding to attacks
What are the risks?
There are many risks, some are very serious. Listed among these dangers
are viruses erasing your entire system, unwanted individuals breaking into
your system and altering files, individuals using your computer to attack
others, or stealing your credit card information and making unauthorized
purchases for which you may eventually suffer. Unfortunately, there is no
100% guarantee that even with the best precautions some of these things
won't happen to you, but there are steps you can take to minimize these
occurances
.
What can you do?
You should be capable of recognizing the risks and becoming familiar
with some of the terminology associated with those risks.
Hacker, attacker, or intruder - These terms are applied to the people
who exploit weaknesses in software and computer systems for
their own personal or pleasurable gain. Although their intentions
are sometimes fairly benign and motivated solely by curiosity,
their actions are typically in violation of the intended use of the
systems they are violating. The results can range from a minor
mischief to intentional, malicious, stealing or altering
information from another system.
Malicious code....This category includes items such as viruses, worms,
and Trojan horses. Although some people use these terms
interchangeably, they have very unique characteristics.
Viruses....This type of malicious code requires you to actually do
something before it infects your computer. This action could be
opening an email attachment or going to a particular web page.
Worms....Worms propagate without user intervention. They typically
start by exploiting a flaw that allows the software's intended
security policy to be violated, then once the victim computer
has been infected the worm attempts to find and infect other
computers. Similar to viruses, worms can propagate via email,
web sites, or network-based software. This automated
self-propagation of worms sets them apart them from viruses.
Trojan horses....A Trojan horse program is software that appears
to be one thing, while doing something different behind the scenes.
For example, a program that advertises it will speed up your computer
may actually be sending your confidential information to a remote intruder.
This information attempts to give you more insite about how to recognize
and protect yourself from attacks.
General security
- Choosing and Protecting Passwords
Passwords are a common form of authentication and are often the only
barrier between another user and your personal information. There are
several programs attackers can use to help guess passwords, but by
choosing good passwords and keeping them confidential, you can make
it more difficult for an unauthorized individual to access your information.
Here are a few suggestions to use when choosing a password:
* Don't use passwords that are based on personal information
that can be easily accessed or guessed
* Don't use words that can be found in any dictionary of any language
* Develop a means for remembering complex passwords
* Use both lowercase and capital letters
* Use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters
* Use different passwords on different systems
Anti-virus software can identify and block many viruses before they
can infect your computer. Once you install anti-virus software, it is
important to keep it up to date. Once you have installed an anti-virus
package, you should scan your entire computer periodically.
* Automatic scans - Depending what software you choose, you may be
able to configure it to automatically scan specific files or directories and
prompt you at set intervals to perform complete scans.
* Manual scans - It is also a good idea to manually scan files you receive
from an outside source before opening them. This includes
...saving and scanning email attachments or web downloads
rather than selecting the option to open them directly from the source
...scanning floppy disks, CDs, or DVDs for viruses before opening any of the
files
When anyone or anything can access your computer at any time, your
computer is more susceptible to being attacked. You can restrict
outside access to your computer and the information on it through to
use of a firewall.
Firewalls provide protection against outside attackers by shielding your
computer or network from malicious Internet traffic. Firewalls
can be configured to block data from many differrent locations while allowing the
relevant and necessary data to pass through. They are especially important for users
on "always on" connections such as cable or DSL modems.
What type of firewall is best?
Firewalls are offered in two forms: Hardware (external) and Software (internal).
Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but the decision to use a
firewall is far more important than deciding which type you use.
* Hardware - These external devices are positioned between your computer
or network and your cable or DSL modem. Several vendors and some Internet
Service Providers offer devices called "routers" that also include firewall features.
Hardware-based firewalls are very useful for protecting multiple computers, while
offering a high degree of protection for a single computer. Hardware-based
firewalls have the advantage of being separate devices running their own
operating systems, so they provide an additional line of defense against attacks.
Their major drawback is cost.
* Software - Several operating systems include a built-in firewall; if yours does,
consider enabling it to add another layer of protection even if you have an
external firewall. Relying on a software firewall alone does provide some
protection.
Using anti-virus and anti-spyware software is an important part of cyber
security. Spyware and viruses can interfere with your computer's ability to
process information. Scanning your computer for viruses and spyware uses
some of the memory on your computer. If you have multiple programs trying to
scan at the same time, you may limit the amount of memory left with which
you are able to perform your tasks. Despite its name, the term "spyware" refers
to the advertising industry. In fact, spyware is also known as "adware." It refers
to a category of software that, when installed on your computer, may send you
pop-up ads, redirect your browser to certain web sites, or monitor the web sites
that you visit.
Because of the extra processing, spyware may cause your computer to become
slow or sluggish. There are also privacy implications:
* What information is being gathered?
* And who is receiving it?
* And how is it being used?
How do you know if there is spyware on your computer?
The following symptoms may indicate that spyware is installed on your computer:
* you are subject to pop-up windows
* you are redirected to web sites other than the one you typed into your browser
* unexpected toolbars appear in your web browser
* unexpected icons appear in the task tray at the bottom of your screen
* your browser's home page suddenly changes
* the search engine your browser opens when you click on "search" has been
changed
* random Windows error messages begin to appear
* your computer suddenly seems very slow when opening programs or processing
tasks
How can you prevent spyware from installing on your computer?
* Don't click on links within pop-up windows
* Choose "no" when asked unexpected questions
* Be wary of free downloadable software
* Don't follow email links claiming to offer anti-spyware software
As an additional good security practice consider taking the following action:
* Adjust your browser preferences to limit pop-up windows and cookies
How do you remove spyware?
* Run a full scan on your computer with your anti-virus software
* Run a legitimate product specifically designed to remove spyware
There are some simple habits you can adopt which may dramatically
reduce the chances that the information on your computer will be lost
or corrupted. As long as you have a computer and connect it to a network,
you are vulnerable to someone or something else accessing or corrupting
your information; but you can develop habits that make it more difficult.
Some of these habits are listed below:
* Lock your computer when you are away from it.
* Disconnect your computer from the Internet when you aren't using it.
* Evaluate your security settings.
* Protect your computer against power surges.
* Back up all of your data.
How can you protect both your personal and work-related data?
* Use and maintain anti-virus software and a firewall
* Regularly scan your computer for spyware
* Keep software up to date
* Evaluate your software's settings
* Avoid unused software programs
* Consider creating separate user accounts
* Establish guidelines for computer use
* Create and follow computer policies for handling and storing work-related
information
* Dispose of sensitive information properly
* Follow good security habits
- Keeping Children Safe Online
When a child is using your computer, normal safeguards and security practices may not be sufficient.
What can you do?
* Be involved
* Keep your computer in an open area
* Set rules and warn about dangers
* Monitor computer activity
* Keep lines of communication open
* Consider partitioning your computer into separate accounts
* Consider implementing parental controls
There are other resources you can use to control or monitor your child's online activity.
Some ISPs offer services designed to protect children online. The following web sites
offer lists of software and other useful information about protecting children online:
GetNetWise
Yahooligans! Parents' Guide
Information was gathered and condensed from US-CERT (United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team)
Authors used were: Mindi McDowell, Allen Householder, Matt Lytle, Jason Rafail, Shawn Hernan
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