Protect Your System

For today's world, there are many facets that you need to be aware of to properly protect your system.

•  Backing up your data
•  Protect against viruses
•  Protect against pirates
•  Protect against spyware
•  Protect against data theft

Backing up your data

Backing up your data permits you to recover what is important to you no matter what happens to your system. There is no excuse to avoid backing up your data.

• Organize your data.
  
  Everyone has their own way that they like to do things. If you can come up with a simple scheme that is easy for you to remember. Put all of your data that will change in a ‘standard’ place. For example, Windows creates a ‘My Document’ folder as an easy to get to place to stash documents.
   
• Save your data.
  
  Periodically copy your data to a tape, burn a CD, upload to an Internet disk farm ... just copy it somewhere.
   
• Catastrophe protection.
  
  Every so often make a copy that is 'off site'.  Bring it to a relative's or a friends house.  Store it at work (if the data is from home) .. or home (if the data is from work).
   
• Test restoration
  
  If you go through all of that work to back up your data, it would be a shame if you could not use it when you need it.  Test that you can restore the data that you saved.
   
• Be able to re-setup your applications.
  
  Many of your system and application programs will not restore properly on another computer.  They have to go through an installation and potentially a registration process.  Make sure that you keep a good copy of your installation materials.  Save a copy of your registration numbers.   You may need to read your license for permission to create a backup.

Protect against Viruses

I will not bore you with these standard following reminders:

1. You must have current virus protection software (I prefer Norton Anti-Virus.  You can find this at most computer stores.  Click here to get a download version at Amazon - $26 after a $10 mail-in rebate coupon.). 
2. Viruses change continuously.  You must update your virus definitions often (about once per week).
3. You need to enable real time protection.  This will protect your computer from a wide variety of virus attacks as they happen.
4. You need to perform regular in depth virus scanning.  I perform this following each update of my virus definitions.

The following are very useful for helping to protect from viruses that have not yet been included in your anti-virus definitions:

1. If you visit a web site and it asks to install or run a JavaScript or ActiveX component, only answer yes if you know the product, understand what it is supposed to do for you, and desire to have it installed.  We have had some bad experiences with people installing applications by accident that were really nasty.
2. If you do not know the sender of an email, do not open attachments.
3. If you do know the sender, but the topic is not as expected, do not open the attachment.
4. If asked to click on a link, know what the content of the link is supposed to be before you click.  Personally, unless I am familiar with the sender, I type or copy / paste URL's into my browser rather than clicking in a letter.
5. Many viruses infect by a user inadvertently starting some program.  Sometimes you can be misled into starting a program when you thought that you were clicking an a link.  Part of this is Microsoft's fault in dummying the user interface of the operating system.  It is very hard to tell programs from anything else because the 'exe', 'vbs', and other extensions are typically hidden from the user.  I recommend that you turn on display of file extensions.  Go to Setting Folder Options for instructions how to turn on display of extensions.

Curious about the current top viruses?  Visit the Creative Software Solutions Security link page.  The top 5 viruses, virus advisories, and real time world-wide virus tracking are all available on this page.

Protect against Pirates

Believe it or not, hackers provide many benefits to users of the internet.  Many of the neat things that are now commonplace were first thought up by some hacker.  However, just like with the rest of humanity, some hackers are negative or destructive.

Unless a hacker is really out to get you, if your system is somewhat secure they will move on to an easier target. 

Turn off services that you do not use

Do you have file sharing enabled but never share files across your network?  You may have pcAnywhere installed but rarely use it?  That FTP server ... just in case.  All of these present points of entry that you can easily disable until you actually need them.

Keep your system up to date

Weaknesses in a software product that interfaces to an external port on your computer represent opportunities for hackers to break into your system.  Hackers share information about weaknesses and search for them.  If there is code available to close a potential weakness you should do so.

Visit the Window's Update web site on a regular basis.  Your system will be analyzed to check for 'released' patches.  review the notes to make sure that the update will not harm anything else that you have.

If you know a specific weakness that you desire to patch, but that code is not yet available in an official service release from Microsoft, you may be able to locate it at the Microsoft Download Center.

Check the security of your system

You should run multiple security checks to ensure that your system is protected.  Each test has capabilities that the other tests lack (none of the tests are complete).

The web site, DSL Reports includes information, tools and forums for users connecting to internet through high speed communications.  DSL Reports has an excellent security scanner.  You will need to become a 'member' of the web site to submit your request for a scan.  There are also tools available to help you 'tune' your connection to maximize your use performance.

The web site, GRC (Gibson Research Corporation) provides a lot of information (and interesting hype) about computer security.  Select the "Shields Up!" button.  Press the "Test my Shields" button.  When given the opportunity, try the Probe my Ports option (this one may take quite a bit of time).  Download the Free IP Agent to check for any IP addresses that may be visible to the external world.

Hacker Whacker helps you view internet the way a hacker would see it.  Within a minute, the junior test detected ports that my hardware firewall did not block.  However, the 'attack' triggered my software firewall.  This site is fascinating.   Sometimes this site seems to disappear for a couple of hours to a day.  Just try them again later.  They're worth the click.

PC Flank offers a quick, simple to use analysis.  The site includes some interesting security 'news' articles.

Firewalls

You can protect against access to or from your system with a 'firewall'.  A firewall controls access into and/or out of your computer.  Firewalls may be a special hardware box or a software package. 

A firewall will help protect your computer by closing ports, detecting potential intrusions, prevent penetration, identify attackers, block attacks, control leaks and more.

Firewalls can make your system inaccessible or it can operate in a 'stealth' mode, making your system invisible to the outside world.  If possible, use a firewall that operates in a 'stealth' mode.  If a hacker can not see you, you have a better chance of not being attacked.

Firewalls may be implemented in either hardware or software.  Either will help.  Each has it's strengths.  For example, good software firewalls can protect against 'robots' that may be implanted on your computer from phoning home.  Good hardware firewalls deflect hostile attacks without impacting your computer system.

The best way to secure your system is to have a layered defense.  Combining a hardware and a software firewall creates multiple layers of protection.  This creates a far greater challenge for a hacker to get into your system.   However, never use two software firewalls at the same time.  They may interfere with each others operation and make your system unstable.  You should also not use more than one hardware firewall at each layer of your network topology.

My recommendation for software firewalls is ZoneAlarm.  ZoneAlarm has a basic and a 'pro' version.  If you follow the menus at the ZoneAlarm web site, the basic version is able to be downloaded for free for personal and non-profit use.  Other software firewalls include Norton Personal Firewall and BlackIce.  I have personally used Norton's Firewall.  The current release is good - but I feel that ZoneAlarm is easier to use and causes less disruption on your system.  Plus, if you have a network, Norton often confused local exchange of data with network protection.

The soon-to-be-released Windows XP operating system has a built in mini-firewall.  This is not a robust solution.  Better than nothing - but I would still recommend one of the above products.  Remember to NOT enable the Windows XP firewall if you do utilize one of the other solutions.

For small office or home networks, there are several reasonably priced hardware firewalls that are combined with a Cable/DSL router.  For my network, I use the LinkSys 4 port hardware firewall (easily connects to multiple ethernet hubs and switches)..

The following are several scenarios with suggestions for securing:

Any single computer, non-networked, only connect through a telephone line

Use ZoneAlarm.  The free version has plenty of capability to help.

Portable computer, connection varies by location

Use ZoneAlarm Pro.  The pro version permits improved operation with multiple families of networks that you may connect with.

Home computer, connect through DSL or cable modem

Use a layered approach.  Get a hardware firewall (such as the LinkSys 1 port Cable/DSL router) and utilize ZoneAlarm to protect your individual computer.  You may want to purchase a 4 port router to be ready for future growth.

Home network, connect through DSL or cable modem

Use a layered approach.  Get a hardware firewall (such as the LinkSys 4 port Cable/DSL router) and utilize ZoneAlarm for each individual computer. 

Business small network (up to 10 computers)

Use a layered approach.  Get a hardware firewall (such as the LinkSys 4 port Cable/DSL router) and utilize ZoneAlarm Pro to protect each individual computer.  The router easily connects to a switch to connect the rest of the network.

Business large network

Use a large scale commercial router and firewall (such as from Cisco).  Each individual computer should also have a ZoneAlarm Pro software firewall.

Protect against Spyware

Spyware

Spyware can be a real benefit.  Spyware keeps such great programs as the popular email program Eudora free! 

My feelings are that if the vendor of a product does not inform me in a simple fashion about it's being spyware (not buried in the depth of a million word disclaimer or license agreement),  that I get rid of the product as fast as I can.

I will not tolerate spyware built into a product.  I have so far written to about a half dozen vendors, but have yet had any satisfactory response.

Personally, I prefer to purchase a product that does not have spyware.  Many spyware products have an advertisement free version that you can purchase.  This is really a great option.  You can get for-free use of software if that is what you desire.  But you can also easily get an ad-free version.

If you do not know what software has spyware, go to Lavasoft and download their ad-aware software.  This is true freeware.  Ad-aware will scan your computer to identify spy software.  You then have the option to remove the spy portion.  Note that once the spyware is removed, the application that uses the spyware usually stops working.

Ad-aware also has a 'pro' version that will actually monitor your system for applications that attempt to install or register spyware.

Cookies

I personally permit cookies.  Cookies by themselves are not harmful.  A cookie is just a special form of a text file.  Most cookies benefit you.  They permit improved navigation or usage through a site.  However, some are used to accumulate information and to report your usage patterns back to their sponsors.

Ad-aware helps to identify 'cookies' left over by websites.  Some web sites collect information that they pass to a vendor of information.  Collecting information on what web sites you may have visited.  Although ad-aware does a great job identifying and removing these cookies, re-visiting a web site will cause information to be collected again.  A better way is to run ad-aware but to not have it delete cookies (just identify the spyware).  Go to your cookie subdirectory.  Look for cookies that have been identified by ad-aware (such as name@valueclick.txt, name@doubleclick.txt, name@admonitor.txt).  Double click to open with notepad.  Select all of the content in notepad - then delete the content.  Save the file.  Then right-click on the cookie and choose properties.  Select read-only.

Usage Tracking

All web sites track usage - including where you come into the site from and how you leave the site.  The following is an example of a random, single day from this web site.  From most sites, statistics are captured for every link that you click on!   

Note ... Creative Software Solutions only uses these statistics to help check that page links work, optimize and tune the web site, and perform other administrative functions.  Personal information is not retained - except if you request to subscribe to one of our newsletters.  Any cookie collection that we do is to simplify navigation experience.  We do not read any cookies to measure and retain your usage.

If you do not like the idea of being tracked, use "the anonymizer".  This neat service provides fairly complete privacy features - it is almost impervious to web sites that attempt to track your usage. 

Anonymizer blocks cookies, Java, JavaScript and other tracking methods.  Cookies are still accepted, giving you all of their benefits - but they are encrypted in such a fashion to make them unsuitable for tracking.  Your 'URL' is encrypted in any page request.  ISP's can not even log who you are!  No software is required to be downloaded to your computer. 

This group has several services, from providing a place to enter URL's, to 'tunneling' (your computer interacts through their web site - the result looks to you like ordinary usage, except that everything is encrypted), or through a dial up service.  The dial up service is neat - cheaper than AOL, yet provides the incredible benefit that you are not continually being secretly harassed.

Protect against Data Theft

What if someone breaks into your system?  What if your computer is stolen?  In either case you want to reduce damage.

A lot of people keep passwords on their computers.  If you do, place it in an encrypted file (will discuss how in a future article). 

Remember that if it is easy for you to remember a password, it will be easy for someone to break. Do not use the same password for everything that you log on to.  If possible use a long password.  If possible mix letters and numbers.

Have a credit card?  Do NOT store credit card numbers on your computer without encrypting them.

This topic can take a lot of explanation. Will go into more detail in a future article.

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