Viruses, Worms, and

Hackers: Protect Your

Personal Computer
“Just Minutes to the Internet”

“The iMac is the quickest way to

get on the Internet. It’s so easy to
set up and use, you’ll be online and
surfing the web in minutes…”

-http://www.apple.com/imac/
The Problem….
 There is a tradeoff between ease of use and
security for computers

 To sell more products, companies have to make

computers easy to use.

 However, today’s powerful computers plugged

into the internet shouldn’t be treated like any other
new household appliance.
The Even Greater Problem…
 The Internet is being scanned constantly by
self-replicating worms and deliberate
attacks.

 Hackers want to exploit computers with lax

security to take advantage of hard drive
space and relatively fast connections.
Common Security Problems
for Home Machines
 May include:
– privacy invasions
– backdoor/trojan infections where an unauthorized
person remotely has complete control of your
computer.
– virus and worm infections,
– spyware
– warez (file-trading) servers installed,
– your computer is used to attack other computers
– destruction of files (data, operating system, etc)
Am I at Risk at home? Why?
 Cable modems / DSL: have a fast, always on connection
that hackers can return to again and again. This
atmosphere also provides a good breeding ground for
self-replicating worms.

 “Camping out” on a modem: keeping the same IP address

allows hackers to scan your system and return at a later
date to infect it.

 Short dial up modem sessions: Occasionally, security

incidents occur on dial-up machines with both worms and
“hacking” incidents.
How to Make Your Home
Machine As Secure As at Work
 Make sure your computer has good strong
passwords
 Patch your machine regularly
 Install an anti-spyware product
 Use an anti-virus product and update it regularly
 Use a router-based firewall Know what is running
on your system
 Use good internet hygiene
Make Sure Your Machine Has
Good Passwords
 Most operating systems require a password to protect
your computer from unauthorized access.

 Passwords should not be dictionary words and should

consist of 7+ characters of mixed case including
numbers, letters, and symbols.

 Some guidelines for selecting – and remembering – a

strong password can be found at:
http://www.alw.nih.gov/Security/Docs/passwd.html
Operating System Password
Requirements
 Windows:
– Passwords required for Windows XP Pro and Home versions,
Windows 2000, and Windows NT.
• Note: With Windows XP Home edition you may have to boot into “Safe
mode” to assign an administrator password
– Passwords not necessary for Windows 95, 98, or ME.

 Linux / Unix:
– Passwords required for all flavors.

 Macintosh:
– Passwords required
Patch Your Machine Regularly
 Computer software vendors provide regular updates for
their products that can protect against known security
vulnerabilities. These updates are called patches.

 Use automatic updates where possible (e.g. Windows

Update) or download updates from vendors. Try to
download major / “critical” patches to removable media
such as CD and install them before putting your computer
on the Internet for the first time.

 When you hear of a new major vulnerability or patch, try

to install it as soon as possible.
Automatic Updates of MS
Windows Operating Systems
 All Windows OS patches can be accessed here:
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp

 You can set up your Microsoft operating system to

check for updates automatically
– Using Windows 2000 and Windows XP:
Click on the Start button > Control Panel > System
– Using Windows 98 and Me:
Click on Start > Control Panel > Automatic Updates
The Windows ME Control Panel with
Automatic Updates highlighted
Automatic Updates of MS
Windows Operating Systems
 Using Windows 2000
or XP, select System
then click on the
Automatic Updates tab

 Be sure the check box

near the top is checked,
then select the radio button
which suits you.

 Using Windows 98 or Me
select the Automatic Updates
icon (this next screen
will differ slightly)
Protect Your Machine From
Spyware (Adware)
 Spyware: software that is installed on a computer
without the user’s knowledge which monitors user
activity and transmits it to another computer.

 Many spyware programs are set to monitor what

web sites you visit and how long you visit them
for, generally for advertising / marketing purposes
(adware).
How Would I Get Spyware
Installed On My Machine?
 Spyware is usually bundled with other software
such as shareware or freeware programs (e.g. Peer
to Peer file-sharing programs, games, etc). The
disclosure for the spyware is usually in the fine
print of the licensing agreement. Who reads these
anyway?

 Another way to get spyware on your machine is

by clicking on a deceptive pop-up message.
Consequences of Spyware
 Spyware runs in the background, using your
computer’s system resources and memory to log
what you are doing. This could interfere with
other programs on your computer, and could even
cause your computer to frequently crash or lock
up.

 Spyware also uses your internet connection to

send information about your activities to someone
else. This could cause your internet connection to
slow significantly.
Malware, Viruses, and Worms

 Malware is software which has malicious

intent that is usually installed without the
owner’s knowledge. Malware may be
disguised to look like benevolent software.
Malware, Viruses, and Worms

 Viruses are small programs which cause some

unexpected event on a computer and automatically
spread to other computers via e-mail, open file
shares, and programs installed on the computer (e.g.
Kazaa, AOL Instant Messenger, etc).

 Worms are self-replicating viruses that are loaded

into computer memory rather than altering files on
the machine. A worm’s main goal in life is to
spread to as many other machines as possible.
Examples of Malware
 One example would be a virus that has a “backdoor”
installed. This means that someone at a remote
location has total control of your computer. That
person can modify or add files to your computer, install
programs, add user accounts, or even delete all of your
files!

 Another example is a “keylogger”, which records

every stroke you enter into your keyboard. The
keylogger may record a wealth of information: credit
card information, passwords, chat room transcripts,
private e-mail messages, etc
Scared Yet? Protect Your
Privacy!
 Install software to detect and remove spyware,
adware, and malware

 Adaware
– http://www.lavasoftusa.com/software/adaware/

 Spybot S&D
– http://www.safer-networking.org/index.php?page=dow
nload
Keep Your Anti-virus Program
Up to Date
 Update virus definitions weekly, or more often if
you hear of a new virus

 Set virus protection to automatically download

virus definition updates if possible.

 Perform a full virus scan of your hard drive(s) at

least monthly (if not more often)
Install a Personal Firewall
 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.

 Recommended personal firewalls that are free for personal use:

– Zonealarm
• http://www.zonealarm.com
– Tiny Personal Firewall
• http://www.tinysoftware.com
Inexpensive Routers with Built-
In Firewalls
 A firmware or hardware based firewall is a separate device that
physically sits between your computer and internet connection.

 This type of firewall is generally more secure than a personal firewall

and saves processing time on the computer that the personal firewall
would otherwise be using.

 Router-based firewalls can range in price from relatively inexpensive

($70) to thousands of dollars.

 This type of firewall device is highly recommended for home use and
can protect many types of connections including dialup modem, cable
modem, DSL, etc.
Two Inexpensive Router-based
Firewalls
 Linksys Cable/DSL Router ($60)
is for Cable/DSL and quite usable for home use (1
to 4 ports).

 SMC 7004ABR ($80):

This is for Cable/DSL and also has an RS-232 port
(for Internet connection via modem).
Know What Is On Your System
 You should periodically determine what all of
your running processes are on your computer,
and if they are valid.
 You can analyze what processes are on your
Windows system by downloading a tool such
as TCPView, Fport, Inzider, or Active Ports.
 On a unix system, you can analyze running
processes by typing the command “lsof”.
Prevent Identity Theft When
Making Online Purchases
 Look for a padlock at the bottom of web pages,
indicating that the site is secured by encrypting
data when submitting sensitive information such
as credit card numbers or a SSN.

 A secure site means that your data is encrypted

during transmission. Keep in mind that it says
NOTHING about how secure the data is once it is
stored on a remote computer.
Prevent Identity Theft When
Making Online Purchases

 Purchase from well-known companies

(Don’t buy from mass e-mail solicitation)

 Realize that reputable web sites will never

e-mail request for any personal information
such as SSN, password, credit card or bank
acct. number, etc.
Use Good Computer Hygiene
 “Think before you click”
– Be careful with e-mail attachments – call or write back to
confirm before opening
– Be careful about what web sites you go to.
– Be careful when prompted to download software
 Use good passwords and change them periodically for
both machine and web sites you visit!
 Don’t create non-password protected file shares
 Backup data frequently
 Remove internet access when it is not needed
 Install minimal applications and services
To Review….
 There are a lot of simple steps you can take to keep
your computer secure and free of intruders. These
include:
– Using “good” passwords
– Patching your computer
– Installing anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall products
– Using a VPN to encrypt network traffic to Penn State
– Knowing what is running on your computer and turning off
unnecessary software
– Using good internet hygiene and purchasing habits
 Remember, it is a lot easier to be proactive than to
attempt to “clean up” later.
Personal Computer Security
Checklist
 A step-by-step checklist, written by a computer
security expert, for securing your personal
computer can be found at:

http://securityfocus.com/columnists/220

 We encourage that you reference the above

checklist, as well as follow recommended steps in
this presentation.
Questions?