100812 internet security2.0

Internet Security Dave Palmer Instructional Media Agent South Central Extension District How to Protect Yourself from Existing Internet Threats 2.0

Disclaimer The information presented here are only options, not recommendations. You alone are responsible for what you do on your own computer.

Agenda Part 1 - Existing threats Scams, Phishing, Viruses, Worms, Trojans Backdoors, Spyware, Rootkits, Botnets Part 2 - Protection Layered Security Best Practices Security Software & Suites Backups Support

Best Practices Update your operating system regularly Update other programs and applications regularly Backup your data or your whole system on a regular basis. Handout

Best Practices Use multiple layers of security for the best protection There are no “safe” websites. Any website can be compromised. Use STRONG passwords where money or sensitive information is involved. Handout

Malware – mal icious soft ware Intent is to damage, disrupt, steal, control or otherwise inflict problems on computers, data, hosts, or networks.

Latest Statistics In 2006 there was 1 infected website for every 20,000 websites. Now it’s 1 in 150. 1 in 78 links in instant messages leads to malware. Experts predict that will rise to 1 in 12.

Latest Statistics 25 million new strains of malware detected in 2009 66% of these new strains were Trojans McAfee reported a new record in the 2 nd quarter of 2010 - 6 million new malware recorded

Social Networking Threats Sites like MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. Threats include 3 rd party applications and quizzes, games, shortened links May contain malware, worms viruses, etc. but not the main threat

Social Networking Threats Main risk - information you post about yourself that can jeopardize privacy and security like… Date of birth, phone number, address, resume, current activities or other ways to specifically identify who you are and where you are .

The Scope of the Threat Is increasing rapidly Malware threats have doubled every year since 2006 2007 2008 2006 2009

Why the Dramatic Increase? Signature-based recognition is the basis of most Internet security software Many malware variants now create unique versions of themselves for individual users to avoid signature-based recognition . Such malware is called “polymorphic.”

Malware Stories You Might Have Missed Handout Also available at: http://techteachtoo.com/category/internet-security/ Handout

What are the Threats? Tracking Cookies* Flash Cookies* Adware Hoaxes Scams* Phishing* Not malware Backdoors* Keyloggers Viruses Worms Trojans* Spyware* Rootkits* Bots* Malware

Tracking Cookies Not malware Sometimes useful No personal info unless offered Storage can be limited Can be set to expire Easy to remove

Flash Cookies – ‘Super’ Cookies Largely unknown widely used Never expires Difficult to find & remove Can send info w/o your permission Not a big threat Adobe Flash logo

Flash Cookies Widely used… … including in Extension

Controlling Flash Cookies Go thru each tab and set each accordingly http://www.macromedia.com/support/documentation/en/flashplayer/help/settings_manager03.html

Anatomy of a Web address http://collier.ifas.ufl.edu/HomeGarden/A-ZPubs.shtml Top Level Domain (TLD) Domains never have a single slash on both ends 2 Handouts Handout Web folder domain subdomains Webpage URL or Web address Notice the slashes (/)

Is this URL part of the University of Florida? /webmail.ufl.edu/ premline.ru /img/ http://www. Handout This is the actual domain This is a domain registered in Russia. It’s not connected with UF. See the slashes? This is not the domain!

Shortened Links TinyURL.com, Bit.ly.com, many others Can make a long URL into a short URL They change this: http://hillsborough.extension.ufl.edu/internetsecurityresources.html Into this: http://tinyurl.com/2eqmr32

The Answer? URL Decoders Untiny.me website http://untiny.me/ True URL http://www.trueurl.net/service/ website or FF addon LongURLplease – http://www.longurlplease.com/ Firefox addon and bookmarklet More information at: http://techteachtoo.com/url-decoders/

Spam "...most non-commercial spam these days is aimed solely to get you to click on a link , even out of curiosity. As soon as you click on that link, you're infected , most likely to become yet another botnet victim , have your identity and information stolen and go on to participate, all unknowingly in the infection of further victims ." Rik Ferguson senior security analyst Trend Micro

Spam E-mail About 90% of all e-mail is spam Most gets caught in e-mail filters Spam increased 14% in 1 st half of 2010 Just 2 botnets generate 53% of all spam Spam is the primary means of distributing malware

Social Engineering Means: Manipulating people to do things or to divulge confidential information

Scams Appeal to curiosity, compassion, greed Disasters generate large numbers of scams Appear legitimate

Scams DO NOT click on links in these e-mails Typically offer something of value, ask for money in advance Nearly impossible to track the monetary transactions

Scam Targets Dating sites - exploit the victims’ desire for a companionship Religious sites - seek donations for “worthy cause” Social websites - exploit personal info

Scams US - $1-$2 billion UK – 150 million pounds Australia - $36 million AUD Estimated annual losses

Phishing Aim is to steal valuable information such as credit cards, social security numbers, user IDs and passwords Usually done by e-mail Social engineering 2 Handouts

Phishing Often masquerades as legitimate business, or government Often contains a threat or consequence E-mails try look genuine, trustworthy Excellent Phishing IQ test: www.sonicwall/phishing/

Phishing Example Link #1 Link #2

Place your cursor over the e-mail link. Right click (If you left click on the link you might get infected) Click on ‘Copy Shortcut’ Open a Word doc or Notepad Paste

The URL: http://stproofing.com /living/bankofamerica.repution/Online_BofA_Banking.UpdatingScreen.dostate=CAupdating.cfmpage=corp_bofacom.BankofAmricaScreen.dostate=CA/ The link: Link #1

This instruction has been send to all bank customers and is obligatory to follow. Actual URL: http://pushplaydj.ca /photos/albums/userpics/notice/www.bankofamerica.com/ Link #2

Phishing Sites 1 st half of 2009 nearly 100% Increase Source: Anti-Phishing Working Group

Bottom line: Legitimate organizations never ask for sensitive information through e-mail Phishing

Backdoor - malware Backdoors allow access to a computer without a password or user name. Allows downloading of more malware

Trojans Programs that masquerade as “good” programs Often carry a “payload” or open a backdoor Can spy, steal information, log keystrokes, phone home & download other malware

Spyware Purpose is to capture information of value Email addresses, usernames, passwords, credit card info, etc. Can transmit this information

Rootkit Actively avoids detection Has the ability to hide & change appearance Can turn off System Restore, anti-virus, anti spyware programs Very difficult to remove even for experts

Bots or Zombies A “bot” is a computer infected with certain malware, and controlled remotely without the knowledge of the user Combined into networks called botnets Botnets rented or sold to criminals

Botnet Statistics Mariposa botnet, shutdown in 2010 controlled 12.7 million compromised computers Over 3,000 botnets are believed to exist Botnets use compromised computers send 100+ billion spam messages daily Botnets also used to attack commercial & government websites.

Botnet Cyber Attack Estonia, a tiny but highly wired country on the Baltic Sea, was essentially shut down for 3 weeks during April and May of 2007 by organized cyber (botnet) attacks.

Another Botnet Attack Dozens of S. Korean & U.S. agencies attacked in July 2009. Dept. of Defense, FAA, Homeland Security, NYSE, NASDAQ, etc.

The Child Porn Connection Multiple cases of innocent people accused of child porn Malware may redirect a computer to webpages Or visit child porn sites at a rate of 40/minute Use remotely controlled computers for storage http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/09/malware_child_abuse_images_frame_up/

Part 2 – The Protection We’ve covered the threats, but how do we protect ourselves?

7-Layer Security Options 2) Wireless Router w/ hardware firewall 3) ZoneAlarm software firewall 4) Spybot w/ tea timer 5) Super Anti Spyware 6) Anti virus software 1) Use Best Practices 7) Backup Data Optional: Create user accounts Data

4-Layer Security Options 2) Wireless Router w/ hardware firewall 3) Use a Security Suite should include a software firewall, anti-virus and anti-spyware 4) Backup Data Data 1) Use Best Practices Optional: Create user accounts

Best Practices Treat your laptop as though it were a wallet or purse when away from home Backup regularly Don’t conduct financial transactions online on non-encrypted sites ( look for https:// or the padlock icon ) Handout

Best Practices Be paranoid about e-mail attachments There’s no such thing as a “safe” website Analysis of domains by Symantec revealed that 90% of infected websites are legitimate sites that had been compromised without the owners knowledge. ( July 2010 )

Best Practices Don’t open obvious spam – delete it Never trust unsolicited e-mails Don’t click on links in e-mail – type them in Use strong passwords when $$ is involved Watch URLs to know where you are Turn computer off when not in use Nothing is foolproof – be prepared Handout

Read the Fine Print When you click on the box, you are signing a legal contract. Read before agreeing Keep a copy (paper or digital) esp. if money is involved.

Use Good Passwords Great Internet security means nothing if the bad guys can guess your passwords Use strong passwords when dealing with $$ Handout

Keep Passwords Safe Need a “system” of choosing and using passwords? see handout Password management software Roboform, KeePass, FreePass , Password Safe, others KeePass RoboForm Handout

Password Management Software Password generator Master password Encrypted database of passwords Desktop, portable, Web-based

USB Malware Flash drives banned by US Army in 2008 due to malware issues. Ban lifted in 2010 Lots of malware is written to move on a flash drive.

USB Flash Drive w/ Read-Only ‘ Read-only’ or ‘write-protect’ switch prevents malware being written to the flash drive Useful if using multiple unfamiliar computers

Update Your Operating System Install all security patches Go to Windows Update website windowsupdate .microsoft.com/

Update/ Upgrade Your Applications Hackers embed malware in applications 4 times 2009-10 it happened to Adobe PDF files. Adobe issued patches. Without the patches, you’re vulnerable to infection when viewing PDFs Alternative – use 3 rd party (not Adobe) application to read pdfs – FoxIt reader

Update Your Applications Average computer holds 60+ programs Use auto-update if available Update manually if needed Use Secunia.com , others Free, safe, checks your programs, notifies you if updates are needed

Hardware Router w/Firewall First layer of defense Most wireless routers have a firewall Hard wire if possible Protects against incoming attacks $100 - $150

Software Firewall Protects against inbound attacks and outbound communication by malware ZoneAlarm, Comodo free & paid versions just get basic firewall, Vista and Windows 7 has good firewall too Outbound Communication

Software Firewall Vista or Windows 7 - Use the pre-installed Windows firewall. Turn it off before installing another, including security suites DO NOT use more than 1 software firewall If you have the XP operating system you SHOULD obtain a software firewall. DO NOT use XP’s firewall .

Anti-spyware: Spybot Search & Destroy Detects and removes: adware spyware Trojans keyloggers dialers Free - Real-time protection - Donations only

Spybot Search & Destroy Installation of software, including malware, changes the registry Spybot warns of potential registry changes with “TeaTimer” feature

Spybot Search and Destroy ‘ Immunization’ feature helps block installation of some malware, plus it tweaks browser settings to help block cookies, malware installations, bad websites and more.

Anti-spyware: Super AntiSpyware Detects & removes: spyware Adware Trojans Dialers Worms HiJackers KeyLoggers Rootkits - Free version available - Paid version includes Real-time protection Scheduling of scans $29.95 $14.95 $9.95

Anti-spyware: MalwareBytes Detects & removes many types of malware Free version Full version $24.95 one-time fee real-time protection automatic updates automated scheduling

Antivirus Software Most detect & remove only viruses Many software options, free, free trial, paid UF faculty has access to McAfee for free Do not install multiple anti-virus programs

“Rogue” or fake anti-malware

Rogue Anti-Malware Products 600% Increase 1 st Half of 2009 Also known as “scareware, ransomware”

“ Rogue” Anti-malware products Includes fake anti-virus, fake anti-spyware products They DO NOT protect you They may install or download malware Very difficult to uninstall May ask for money to uninstall This type called “ransomeware” Investigate before buying

To buy products other than those mentioned Type the name of the software into Google and read the results that appear.

Find a System That Works for You Run Secunia – update apps as needed Export bookmarks / favorites Scan with anti-spyware program(s) Scan with anti-virus program – 1 only When finished set a Restore Point Backup whole system with image tool Backup data only Label all backups as “clean” & add date

Backup Your Data Why backup? Data loss or corruption Human error, fire, flood, malware Backing up is cheaper, easier than re-creating the data

Backup Your Data Many ways to backup Data only, whole system, online, local Compressed, uncompressed, automated

Data-Only Backup Dozens of software choices for every budget including free Backs up selected files Paid products typically use proprietary compression SyncToy – Free MS program – no compression Back2Zip free software

Whole-System Backup Takes an “image” of the whole system not each file individually Included in Win 7, others include Acronis, Norton Ghost Backup in 20-30 min, restore - 30 min to 1 hr

Online Backup Options Advantages Inexpensive Some operate in the background Disadvantages Monthly fee Depends on Internet access

Local External Backup Advantages Low one-time cost 1 TB less than $100 Multi-purpose Easily accessible Disadvantage Risks similar to original data Note – keep unit unplugged unless in use External Hard Drive

User Accounts All users should be required to log in, even at home A PC with no log-in password is like a car with the keys in the ignition. Most malware requires administrator privileges to work 2 Handouts

The Windows default is to run in Administrator mode - allows easy installation of other programs – even malware A safer option is to create a user account without admin privileges Use admin account only when installing software. Handouts contain how-to instructions for Windows XP and Vista User Accounts 2 Handouts

4-Layer Security Options 2) Wireless Router w/ hardware firewall 3) Use a Security Suite 4) Backup Data Data 1) Use Best Practices Optional: Create user accounts

Security Suite Options Webroot Kaspersky BitDefender Norton ESET Trend Micro AVG ZoneAlarm McAfee F-Secure Avira Panda Symantec PC Tools

Security Suite Information Security Software Testing service http://www.matousec.com/projects/proactive-security-challenge/results.php Comprehensive information http://www.firewallguide.com/suites.htm#More_Security_Suites

Secure Browsing Options FireFox with Security Plugins Plugins are a feature that can be added to a larger program to expand capabilities NoScript – plugin to stop web scripts from running Better Privacy – plugin to control Flash cookies

Creates a small “virtual” space inside your computer called a “sandbox.” Can run a program or a browser inside the sandbox. Whatever happens in there stays in there unless you say otherwise Secure Browsing Options - Sandboxie

CompUSA, Geek Squad, Local repair shop When you do need help… 3) Online help forums 4) Commercial Repair 2) Local PC Users Group 1) Friends & family You

Don’t Forget ‘Safe Mode’ Stops malware from running & defending itself Windows versions have different process Boots using minimal programs - no malware You should see “Safe Mode” in all 4 corners of your screen Run your scanning programs normally To exit Safe Mode, reboot

50+ groups around the state. Dues avg $12-$35/yr Classes, meetings, learn about computers, build relationships Members help members with problems For more info go to Fla Assn of Computer User Groups http://www.facug.org/ PC Users Groups

Help / Support Forums Can be very useful when you need help. A few suggestions: Do your reading. You may be able to find what you need without asking any questions. Sign up for a free account. Read the rules, stickys and FAQs before you start asking questions. Handout

Resources My website is at : TechTeachToo.com - Practical technology tips & tricks - Relevant tech news - Software reviews & tutorials - A brief weekly newsletter

Many thanks to… Bill Black – IT Support Ninja Brent Broaddus – Local IT Jedi DarryD – Obi-Wan & IT Master My Time is UP!

100812 internet security2.0

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100812 internet security2.0