Protecting Your Computer System

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Protecting Your Computer System
Innovative Teaching Center
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Objectives

• After completing this workshop, you will be able
  to

• Identify common problems created by viruses,
  adware, and spyware.

• Identify software utilities for protecting
  computer systems against computer viruses,
  adware, spyware, and pop-up windows.

• Describe how viruses, adware and spyware can
  take over a computer and how to prevent
  these attacks.

• Identify firewall software and why a personal
  firewall is important.

• Describe the two different methods of preventing
  unwanted pop-up windows from appearing when
  browsing on the web.

• List different methods in which a computer user
  can prevent viruses, adware, spyware, and
  pop-up windows from infecting a computer.

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Workshop Outline

• Introduction

Spyware Adware
Viruses
Firewalls
Pop-up Blockers
Top 10 Ways to Protect Your Computer
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Introduction
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Before you Connect
According to researchers, an unpatched Windows PC
connected to the Internet will last only 20
minutes before its compromised by Spyware
Adware, Viruses, and worms
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Adware
Adware is any software application in which
advertising banners are displayed while the
program is running.
Source PC Magazine, March 2, 2004
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Signs of Problems
Your browser always comes up to a search
engine (IncrediFind)
A new item appears in your Favorites list
Your system runs noticeably slower
A search tool bar appears in your browser
Pop-upspop-upseven when your not browsing
Homepage changed to a different page
hijacked (Casino Palazzo)
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Windows Task Manager

• Used to quickly determine if you have a problem
• Bring up Windows Task Manager
• (hit Ctrl-Shift-Esc)
• Check process and performance

IncrediFind Search Engine will be tipb.exe
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The Five Critical Ingredients of PC Security

• 1. Operating System Updates

2. Adware Spyware Removal Utilities
3. Antivirus Removal Utility
Layers of Defense
4. Personal Firewall
5. User Caution
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Spyware Adware
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Adware

• Any software application in which advertising
  banners are displayed while the program is
  running.
• Collects information about the user in order to
  display advertisements based on user's browsing
  patterns.

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Spyware

• Any software that covertly gathers user
  information through the user's Internet
  connection without his or her knowledge.
• Typically bundled as a hidden component of
  freeware or shareware programs.
• Monitors user activity on the Internet and
  transmits that information in the background to
  someone else.

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Spyware

• Can collect sensitive data like credit card or
  social security numbers
• Or capture all your keystrokes
• Scan your hard drive
• Review your Internet cookies
• Change your homepage for your browser

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Differences from viruses/worms

• Spyware is not aimed at doing malicious things
  your computer
• Spyware can significantly reduce the performance
  of your computer--usually manifested by slowing
  it down
• Written by companies (often outside the U.S.),
  not individuals

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What to do?

• Use reputable programs to protect your computer
• Spybot or AdAware
• AdAware (www.lavasoftusa.com)
• Spybot (www.spybot.info)
• These programs reviewed often at cnet.com and
  pcworld.com
• Use a software firewall like Zonealarmhttp//www.
  pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,114738,00.asp

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Spybot Download

• Search your hard disk for spyware or adware.
• Removes them
• Homepagehttp//spybot.safer-networking.de/

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Download, install, configure
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Online-Check for updates
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Check results
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Immunize
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Dont underestimate

• this growing threat
• Take action to defend your
• computer and yourself

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Viruses
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What is a Virus?Social diseases of
computersMalicious code written by
malicious people
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Types of Malicious Code

• Virus
• A computer virus attaches itself to a program or
  file so it can spread from one computer to
  another, leaving infections as it travels.
• Can cause mildly annoying effects while others
  can damage your HW/SW, or files. Almost all
  viruses are attached to an executable file.

Viruses, worms, and Trojan Horses are all
malicious programs that can cause damage to your
computer
Worm Spread from computer to computer, but
unlike a virus, travels without any help from a
person. Consumes system memory causing Web
servers, network servers, and individual
computers to stop responding.
Trojan Horse At first glance will appear to be
useful software but will do damage once
installed. Changing your desktop, adding silly
active desktop icons or deleting files.
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How Does Your Computer Can Catch a Virus?

• Has to be introduced to your system
• Medium in which a virus can be introduced
• Floppy
• Modem
• Network
• E-mail
• File sharing programs

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How Do You Avoid a Virus Problem?

• Backup important files
• Limit trading floppy disks
• File sharing programs
• Avoid .exe, .scr, .Ink, .bat, .abs, .dll, .bin,
  anmd .cmd.
• Install an Antivirus utility
• Online Scanners

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Antivirus Utilities

• See Handout

See Handout forMore Information
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Words of Advice

• Don't run program files from unknown or
  unreliable sources
• Keep you operating system and antivirus software
  up-to-date (use automatic updates)

WebCT Users
AntiVirus detection should be handled both server
side and client side. Even in WebCT, our server
should refuse to save that file or allow the
next person to Access it if the file is
"possessed." And make lots of backups.
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Firewalls
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What is a Firewall?A firewall isolates your
computer from the Internet using a wall to block
out unwanted visitors.A firewall will
protect you against things that try to break into
your computer, not the things you let in.
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Two Types of Firewalls

• Hardware firewall (typically on Routers)
• Software firewall (sometimes referred to
  personal firewall)

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How Do They Work?

• Castle gates
• Option to enable or disable

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Where do I need a Firewall

• Do have a firewall on each machine at home to
  communicate with each other
• One on the router (WiFi)
• Set to block all non-legitimate traffic

Dont run multiple firewalls on one computer
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Which One is the Best One to Buy?

• See Handout

See Handout forMore Information
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Pop-up Blockers
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Those Annoying Ads
Websites use pop-up windows to make money,
however these ads can be very annoying.
WebCT Users
Beware, these programs often block useful
javascripts, like in WebCT. Idea Make your
WebCT server a trusted" site to their
popup-blockers, rather than telling users to
turn off the popup-blockers.
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Three Methods to Stop Pop-ups

• Opt-out with advertiser
• Software solutions Pop-up stopper utilities

See Handout For List of Opt-outAdvertisers And So
ftware Solutions
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Three Methods to Stop Pop-ups

• Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) Internet Explorer
  allows you to prevent most pop-up windows

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Top 10 Ways to Protect YourComputer
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Top 10 Ways to Protect YourComputer

• 1. Get an antivirus tool

2. Get a personal firewall
3. Run antispyware applications
4. Update your operating systems and browser
version (http//www.microsoft.com/security/b
ulletins/default.mspx)
5. Use a different browser program (Firefox
www.mozilla.org)
6. Dont install something unless you know what
it is, and read the fine print before
loading programs.
7. Update Antivirus applications every time you
go online.
8. Beware of peer-to-peer file sharing (Kazaa and
Grokster.)
9. Dont open unsolicited e-mail
10 Talk to your family about file sharing
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The End