| Useful things to know |
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A vital consideration with any computer systems is security. This starts with good design practice, physical security, conventional computer security, and most important of all operator awareness. Here is some information on
This is presented as a guide, for more information please contact us. Virus's worms and Trojans Originally computer virus's were written as an intelectual challenge, and this created a market for a host of anti-virus products. With the Internet this evolved to some sophisticated malware which tried to steal your confidential data and use your PC resources to attack other computers, or to store illegal pornography. The solution is to take care with what you run on your computer INSTALL A REPUTABLE ANTI VIRUS PROGRAM ... and keep it up-to-date.Computer hoaxes Are simply old tricks translated to new media. Hoax Virus warnings have been with us for some time, but these days with more and more well meaning people using MS Outlook with makes it easy to send a message to everyone in your address book its getting beyond a joke. You receive an email forwarded from someone you know that warns you about a 'new and deadly computer virus' if its characteristics include any of these things :
So What can you do about hoaxes ? IGNORE them totally, if you have the slightest doubt go to the website of your favourite anti-virus software vendor and search on the given name. Unless you find a virus assume the email is rubbish, these guys are in the business of knowing more than your well meaning 'friend'. Don't pass it on. The Hoaxbusters maintain a good list. Some famous examples include sulfnbk.exe, a standard part of the Windows/98 operating system and should not be removed. In May 2001 lots of people believed a stupid hoax message to do just that. Another one was the JDBGMGR.EXE hoax, tricking users into deleting another system file file. Scams Fraud has been around since the beginning of civilisation, computer fraud simply updates traditional greed based scams. The best advice is that "if it looks too good to be true it probably is" Although seven year old boys in hospital no longer seem to collect cards etc, we are led to believe there are a multitude of displaced persons in Africa and other developing countries with more millions than they know what to do with. Nigeria even has a special section in their criminal code to describe this racket, which gives it the name 419 fraud. Ignore it, some of the people involved in it are very dangerous and they mass mail people at random, do not reply even abusivly. it will only increase your unwanted email volume. The bad news is that you have not won the lottery either, its just another scam and like all advance fee frauds and pyramid scams, all you are going to achieve is wasting money and time if you participate. Junkmail Sooner or late you will get one someone's junkmail list, and receive offers of all sorts of rubbish you really could do without. Exercise caution in leaving your email address on websites, or giving it out when you do not really need to. Use filters and whatever services your email provider offeres to keep the noise down. And DON'T send bulk emails, it annoys people. Remember most junk emails have forged addresses, so don't make it worse by complaining to the 'sender'. Phishing This is the term used to describe the process of trying to get people to give away their credit card details or passwords by publishing a phony website which looks like a bank, ebay, or paypal. None of these people are going to ask you by email to "verify your account details" Read the security notices on their genuine sites as they explain what to do in detail. Don't get caught by the phishers ! Spyware This is a real curse, it may be designed to track your usage of the Internet, and present advertisments that are appropriate to your interests. It sucks your system resources and wastes your internet bandwidth and can be very difficult to remove. Although there are excellent programs given away free on the net, those that solicit you to download them usually contain spyware and should be avoided like the plague. There is a whole industry developed in spyware removers. Unfortunatly you may need one one day, but be sure its a genuine one as many of the products offered are scams, particularly those which offer to check you computer online ! Bogus PC Support services There is now a new scam where you get an unsolicited call offering to check your computer for 'malware' etc. The caller may attempt to get you to install software to 'cure the problem' which may itself be malware designed to steal your confidential information, or it may simply be an attemt to scam you for a 'support contract'. They sometimes pretend to be calling from Microsoft. Its a varient of those malicious website that try and install 'scareware' on your computer, made possible by cheap international phone calls. Microsoft make it clear they will NEVER make unsolicited phone calls to help you with your computer and say "If you receive a phone call like this, hang up." Social Engineering Is the term coined by veteran hacker Kevin Mitnick to mean using con tricks to persuade people to do what criminals and hackers want them to do or to gain access to a secure It is often used in conjunction with computerised attacks. For example, a fraudster may telephone a victim pretending to be from their bank in order to learn their password. Fraudsters use the internet to find out about their victims and sometimes even go through their rubbish to add to their information. They can build up an impressively detailed picture from the patient accumulation of small bits of data. This can make them seem even more plausible when they make their move. Be suspicious of strangers on the phone and on social media. |