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I remember when the term “hacker” referred to a computer geek who could
transform a mundane electronic device, with a few modifications, into
something completely different from what the manufacturer and designer had
envisioned for it. In some cases, these were cool improvements and more
than one of these hackers made a fortune selling the rights to them. In
other cases, the transformation just made you wonder if the guy's
horn-rimmed glasses were a little too tight.
Nowadays, the term “hacker” is used to denote
a nefarious individual who, for one reason or another, causes havoc or harm
to computer systems. The old “hacker ethic” - sort of a code of honor, like
the Samurai Bushido code for computer geeks – is apparently no more. The
new “hackers” of the old school are now “open source” participants (“coder”
is a popular term for them). A “hacker” is now someone who breaks into
systems, proliferates viruses, sneaks in via a trojan horse, or otherwise
causes problems with other's computing.
The Spread of Attack
Currently, the variations of the Klez virus
are reported to be the most prolific online spread of malicious code.
Luckily, all it really does is find your Outlook address book and perpetuate
itself with your contact list. The news media is always quick to pick up on
the latest “hacker attack” or “computer virus infiltration” and make sure
it's a top story for the day.
With all of these perceived and realized
attacks, how do you, Mr. and Mrs. Internet User, keep yourself and your data
safe?
Most of us are aware of the need for
“firewalls,” “anti-virus software,” and such. Hopefully, most of us are
using these tools to protect ourselves. Beyond that, however, there is more
you need to know. First, we'll cover what the attacks are.
Know Thy Enemy
There are five major forms of attack commonly
used against personal computers and networks. Some are more common in
attacking one while others are for the other.
DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) Attack
–
usually aimed at networks, this type of attack focuses on open ports and
connections in the network or system to flood them with requests and “pings”
in order to overwhelm it. This is akin to the Mongolian Hordes descending
suddenly upon a city before the citizens had time to react and defend
themselves. Usually the attacks are made by third-party systems that are
probably unaware that they are part of a network of attackers – compromised
systems or systems with little or no security are usually the unwitting
accomplices of the hacker.
A DDoS Attack can seriously undermine a
network by causing one or more systems and their resources to shut down or
crash, removing them from use. An example of this type of attack would be
the recent attempt to close down the majority of the American Internet
backbone in October.
The good news is that the majority of the
major systems, as witnessed last October, while temporarily hampered by
these attacks, recover completely and easily from them. Most networks are
now self-monitored by software that “roves” the network, watching for
outages or unusual occurrences. Most server software now includes “flags”
that watch for unusual activity and suddenly pop up to let the network
monitor know that something may be amiss.
Trojan Horse – this is the electronic version
of the downfall of Troy. Basically, software disguised as something else
(sometimes something useful) makes it way to your system by your own hand –
you wanted the software, right? This software usually contains a “back
door,” a “trigger,” or something similar. A “back door” allows someone to
enter your system while you're using the software and do what they wish.
The more common “trigger” method waits for a certain trigger (a date, a
time, a series of events, etc.) and then sets itself off like a bomb. The
results can be any number of things from system shut down to the sudden
launch of an attack using your computer and its network or Internet
connection. It's not uncommon for a trojan horse to be spread around as the
part of a DDoS attack – triggered to all go off at the same time.
A perhaps less malicious, but no less
worrysome, version of this type of software would be the SpyWare available
on the Internet. This is software that performs a neat function – like
Gator filling commonly-used form fields for you – while also collecting
information about you to send to advertisers and marketing companies.
These are by far the hardest things to find.
Until someone notices what they are, they won't be reported to be cared for
by any anti-virus software companies or “spyware” lists. By downloading
shareware and freeware, you are taking the risk of installing one of these
onto your system. For myself, this is a risk that I have to take as there
is way too much great software out there for me to limit myself to only what
I can find on the shelf at the store. It pays to read the terms and
conditions carefully and to note where you are getting the software from.
If it's from a source you don't know well (this includes eBooks and the
like!), you may want to reconsider whether you really NEED to download that
software or whether it's available from a more reliable source.
Virus – this term is fairly commonly used by
people, both online and off. Everyone has heard of a computer virus at one
time or another. They are the most common and usually the most sensational
of the five major attacks. A computer virus functions in the same way a
biological virus does. It's primary concern is usually reproduction. If
you think of each computer connected to the Internet as a cell in your body
and the network connections (email, data, etc.) as blood vessels
transporting lifeblood (information) from one computer to the next; it's
easy to see how a computer virus (usually spread via email) can reproduce
itself (make copies) and spread from one system to another quickly. Most
viruses focus on this point above all others – many times doing nothing more
than spreading themselves. Others spread themselves and then destroy or
attempt an attack on the host system (the system it is currently on).
A good example of the virus, as already
mentioned, is the current Klez epidemic spreading from computer to computer
around the 'Net.
The two best defenses against this virus are,
luckily, generally included with most new computers: anti-virus software and
a network firewall. If you keep your virus definitions up-to-date, scan
your system regularly for viruses, and make sure that a functional firewall
is in place, you will avoid most virus attacks. I, myself, get about a
dozen flags from my anti-virus software every day as viruses are sent to me
by various people online.
Websites – Most people are unaware that
certain Web technologies have “holes” that can be exploited by less than
stellar individuals who build malicious websites. These sites, using known
security holes in technologies like ActiveX, Java, JavaScript, and others,
can trigger your web browser to start doing things to your system. For
instance, a well-known hole in an older version of ActiveX allowed the
entire contents of any one folder or directory on your hard drive to be
automatically uploaded to a web directory or emailed to a receiver. Another
hole in early versions of JavaScript allowed the writer of the script to
cause Outlook (in Internet Explorer) to silently send an email to anyone,
effectively giving your email address away to the website owner for a SPAM
list.
If you are using the latest versions of your
browser or limit your use of Internet technologies, you are in little danger
from these attacks. Usually, once the security hole is found, patches and
fixes are quickly available before anyone can take advantage of the holes to
any large extent. If you are running a newer version of your browser of
choice and have the latest patches and updates for the various plugins you
may be using, you should be relatively safe from this type of attack.
Worm – finally we come to the last of the big
five. The worm is much like a virus, but usually serves a different
purpose. A worm is kind of like a tapeworm in your belly. It consumes and
consumes resources until finally it's too large for you to host or you die
from its thievery. On some levels, a worm is a combination of a DDoS and a
virus attack. Worms usually reproduce as often as possible (growing) to
spread as widely as they can. However, a worm's primary function is to suck
resources. In most cases, the worm is built for a certain type of system (a
PC running Windows 98, a Linux server running Apache, an Apple computer
running OS X, etc.) and is benign to all others. Once it finds it's
intended target, however, it begins sucking resources – usually quietly –
until the system finally becomes overloaded and ceases to function.
The Klez virus has been deemed a “worm” by
some, though instances of it taking over resources are not common. Worms
are most commonly aimed at larger systems (mainframes, corporate networks,
etc.) and some are built to “consume” data and filter it back out to someone
who shouldn't have it (corporate spies, for instance).
For the average Internet user, a worm is of
little consequence and is usually covered by the same software that protects
you from viruses. It must be said, however, that worms are sometimes
undetected for quite some time as, like a trojan horse, it usually has to do
something before it is noticed.
Gearing Up For Battle
Now that you know what you're up against, you
should understand what it is that you'll need to combat the beasts.
Most of the items you need are probably
included on your computer already – many are free to download as well!
The recommendations I'm making are my personal
preference. There are other versions of these same types of software (some
of which I'll mention) and no one can really tell you which is better for
you. Most of the software mentioned is available for both PC and Mac.
Anti-Virus Software
I prefer Norton Anti-Virus (I use it as a part
of Norton Systemworks) for virus protection. I find it easy to use, easy to
buy, and well-made. The updates are frequent and do not take long to
download (they average 100-300 kilobytes per download, with releases about
once a week).
Another anti-virus software with a solid
reputation is McAffee. Most new computers come with one or the other
pre-installed. You can buy either from Amazon.com or at your local software
store.
Firewalls
A firewall is the term used for software (or
hardware) that functions like a firewall in building construction: it
completely blocks the path of a fire – delaying or halting its progress.
Firewalls on a computer block network traffic coming to and leaving a
system, giving permission to transmit and receive only to those pieces of
software authorized by the user.
My favorite firewall software is ZoneAlarm.
Available for free for individual users and at a nominal fee for
professionals and businesses, this simple-to-use software takes care of
everything most users will need. It alerts you when unauthorized software
is attempting to send or receive (thereby letting you authorize it or find
the culprit) and the Zone Alarm site has a large database of known software
so that if you aren't sure what's trying to access, you can click on the
warning box and a web page will open with an explanation of what that
software is (if it's in their database).
I'm not aware of any comparable software
firewalls available. There are a lot of hardware options, though,
especially if you connect via broadband. Most cable and DSL modems are now
equipped with built-in firewalls for protection.
You The User
By far the best tool for defense against
attack of any kind is you and what you know. If you know what you're up
against and ways of combating it, you are less likely to be a victim. The
uninformed user is more likely to stumble into or unwittingly be the
progenitor of an attack. If you are in the know, keep your software
updated, regularly update your virus definitions, read informed articles
such as this one (*wink*), and watch for sudden changes in your computer's
activity – you'll be better able to defend against attack.
We will probably never be able to keep all
attackers and attacks from causing harm. But at least we can minimize their
effects or reach. As J. Edgar Hoover once said, “for every thousand honest
men, there's one hoodlum trying to steal from them.”
www.ezine-writer.com.au Helping to keep the Internet well informed!
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