Information Security Session October 24, 2005

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Information Security SessionOctober 24, 2005

• Bill Eaheart
• Network Security Coordinator
• DePaul University

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Top Ten List

• Install Operating system Updates and Patches
• Install Anti-Virus and Spyware Protection
• Use a Host Based Firewall
• Create a strong password
• Use caution when opening email attachments
• Never share personal information
• Do not respond to Spam
• Back up Files
• Do not Share Folders
• Use a Spyware program

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Securing Windows

• Basic Steps to Secure your Machine
• Step One Enable a personal firewall
• Step Two Download Install AntiVirus
• Step Three Run Windows Update
• Step Four Configure Windows for Automatic
  Updates
• Step Five Secure Your Accounts and Passwords
• Step Six Run a Weekly Virus Scans of your
  Entire Computer
• Step Seven Run and Update a Spyware Removal
  Program
• Step Eight Disable or Set password for File
  Shares
• Step Nine Run Microsoft Baseline Security
  Analyzer

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Personal Firewalls

• 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.
• Windows XP
• Internet Connection Firewall (ICF)
• http//www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/security/
  internet/sp2_wfintro.mspx
• Inspects only incoming traffic
• Commercial/Free Products
• Sygate Personal Firewall
• ZoneAlarm
• Tiny Personal Firewall
• Norton Personal Firewall
• BlackIce PC Protection

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How does a firewall work?

• Each machine on the Internet is assigned a unique
  address called an IP address.
• Computers have addresses referred to as IP
  addresses
• Allows computers to talk to each other
• Tells your computer where you want to send
  traffic
• Example 140.192.65.25
• Ports A server machine makes its services
  available to the Internet using numbered ports
• Tells your computer what service you want
• Web Server Port 80
• Internet Communication
• Similar to postal envelopes
• Instead of postal address and zip codes ? IP
  addresses and Port number
• Connecting to a web server
• Where do I want to go ? www.cnn.com (DNS easy
  for people to remember)
• What is the IP Address ? 64.236.16.20
• What service do I want ? Port 80 (web server)

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How does a firewall work?

• Computers have services running even your work
  or home PC
• A firewall inspects all traffic coming or leaving
  your computer
• Use a set of rules to determine if it should
  allow the traffic to pass
• In many cases you just need to install or enable
  the firewall application

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Why is a firewall important?

• Scanning logs Wed Mar 19 001523 CST
  2005Number of scans 523,264
• Destination Ports
• Total     Port   
  198602      445 Windows
• 112389      139 Windows
• 88258     1433 MS-SQL -
  slammer worm 82404       80 Web
  Server
• 18390      135 Windows

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What a Firewall Can Do

• A firewall can be selective about what it lets
  through and what it blocks.
• The firewall inspects all incoming traffic and
  on some firewall applications it can inspect
  outgoing traffic as well
• Based on the setup and rules the firewall
  determines if the packet should be blocked or
  transmitted
• Some applications send notifications to the user
  with options
• Denying the program or traffic
• Allowing it just this one time. You will be asked
  again the next time it wants to use the network.
• Allowing it forever more. You will not be asked
  again the next time it wants to use the network.
• What do you do if you received a notification
  that traffic has been blocked
• Firewall has blocked the harmful traffic

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What a Firewall Cannot Do

• Be aware of a false sense of security
• Firewalls are limited in protecting your computer
• Do Firewalls Prevent Viruses, Worms or Malware?
• NO!!
• Some firewalls can prevent malware from accessing
  the internet if your computer is infected your
• Majority of all malware is received through
  e-mail, file sharing (like Kazaa or Gnutella) or
  through direct download of a malicious program
• Firewalls can't prevent this
• Common Sense and Caution
• Operating System patches and security fixes
• Anti-Virus software
• Spyware software

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Windows Update

• Microsoft provides security patches and updates
• Check for updates at least once per month
• Security fixes released on the second Tuesday of
  each month
• Manual Update
• Open Internet Explorer ? http//windowsupdate.micr
  osoft.com
• Windows Automatic Updates makes this easy
• Start ? Control Panel ? Automatic Updates
• DePaul makes it even easier
• Software Update Services (SUS) server

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Automatic Windows Update
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Microsoft Security Analyzer

• Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer
• http//www.microsoft.com/technet/security/tools/mb
  sahome.mspx
• Free, vulnerability assessment tool for the
  Microsoft platform
• Download Software
• Installation Wizard
• Scan your computer

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The End!

• Thank you
• Any questions
• weaheart_at_depaul.edu