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Why is it important to secure our computers?

Crackers, Spammers, Phishers, and Cyber-Criminals are at large on the Internet.  If your computer is connected to the Internet via a broadband connection such as DSL or Cable, or even if you connect via dial-up, your computer is open to attack.  

Many of the current problems on the Internet are occurring because a large number of computers are directly connected to the Internet via a broadband connection.  Many of these machines have been recruited into botnets, or large networks of zombie hosts by crackers, who then use these networks of machines for their own ends.  Most of these machines are in private households.  The disturbing part is that most computer users have no idea that there is a problem, but they begin to notice the following effects.

Why Software Is Vulnerable

Software developers do not set out to write unsafe programs. For example, a typical operating system is the product of tens of thousands of hours of work and consists of millions of lines of code. A simple bug or oversight can provide an unexpected backdoor into an otherwise secure system. It is impossible to write bug-free software. Of course, that doesn't mean developers should give up trying to do so.

Then there are the bad guys. Bank robber Willie Sutton once said, "I rob banks because that's where the money is." It's the same with software. The more successful and widespread a piece of software is, the more likely attackers are to target it.

There is a continual struggle between attackers exploiting weaknesses and developers seeking to eliminate those weaknesses. It's the same with locksmiths and burglars, alarm manufacturers and car thieves. This is why software developers release updates that fix known vulnerabilities and why you should install those updates.

The Security Problem

The most secure computer in the world is a free standing computer in a locked room that is not connected to any network.  In the beginning of the personal computer era, that's exactly the way it was.  Early computers were little islands of data processing, complete unto themselves.  Connectivity might have meant using a modem to dial a connection to another computer.

As tempting as it would be to just unplug to solve our security problems, an computer without a network connection is to the Internet is just as useful as an automobile that never leaves the garage.

The fact is that the biggest problem that Internet Service Providers and operators of large corporate and government networks face today is the threats presented by these unwitting recruits and their hacker masters.  As good citizens of the Internet, we need to do our part to protect ourselves, and others, from these exploits.

Attack Vectors

The three entry points for most security breaches are these:

• E-mail - Most viruses are distributed as e-mail attachments, and many of them contain computer code that allows them to spread by opening your address book and sending themselves by e-mail to everybody in your address book.  Additional e-mail problems present themselves in the form of spam, phishing e-mails, and scams such as the Nigerian or 419 scam.  So we first must secure our e-mail.

• Network Connections - Now that many of us are connected to the Internet by a cable or DSL broadband connection we are at risk from crackers with port scanning software, looking at our computers from the Internet, probing for weaknesses.  We must secure this connection with a firewall.

• Social Engineering - This is a polite term for using deceit, fraud, trickery, or persuasion to get you to willing give up information that will compromise your computer or network security, or provide other information such as your name, address, social security number, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, or logon credentials.  The methodology may take the form of a phishing e-mail that appears to be from a trusted source, a scam e-mail such as a money laundering, lottery win, or business proposition, or something as simple as a phone call from someone representing themselves as a government or security official.  The scammers take advantage of our trust, naiveté, greed, or gullibility to separate us from our information and/or cash.  Or it may be the irresistible allure of something for "free" - especially free software programs, games, and similar downloadable programs.  Many of these programs come with hidden features know as adware or spyware.  The only defense here is a healthy dose of suspicion and paranoia.

Defensive Strategies

Tonight we will learn:

• How to secure our computers.

• How to harden our networks.

• How to recover from a computer infection.

• How to find good help on-line.

• How to protect ourselves from e-mail exploits using attachments, phishing, scams, or hoaxes.

• How to protect our children by using parental controls.

There is a great deal of information on this web site that we may not have time to cover in depth, so I encourage you to return on your own to more fully explore some of these topics.  I have also provided links to other web sites that cover a topic particularly well and in depth.

You took this class because you are concerned about this issue, as well you should be.  It makes no more sense to leave an unprotected computer on the Internet than it would to leave your house or car unlocked and open.  When you consider that amount of personal information we store in our computers, especially in programs like Quicken, or MS Money, you can see the level of exposure we face.

Tonight you should leave here with the knowledge and tools you need to arm yourself against these threats.

Curriculum developed by WyzGuys Computer Tutors

All Rights Reserved - updated 12/07/2006

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