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November, 2003 |
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I-Tech |
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Safeguards
The
internet is a world of information and also a gateway to a host of
preying hackers waiting to pull out information and data out of your PC.
One simple way to protect your system is to disconnect it from the
internet and any network to which it is hooked. Then, what is the use of
your system if it is out from the network and the internet? You
can have a firewall programs installed which shuts off all the entries
of intruders from entering your system. However, the fact remains that
not every such entries can be shut off, as you need to allow access for
genuine program data like that of your browser itself and there is every
possibility that an intruder will try to find such loops in the firewall
to enter into the system. So, though a firewall doesn't promise you a
100 percent intrusion security, it makes your PC more secure. Here
are some well known firewall software, BlackICE PC Protection 3.5,
McAfee firewall 3.02, Sygate Technologies' Personal Firewall Pro5,
Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall 2002, Freedom Personal Firewall 3.2,
and Zone Labs' ZoneAlarm Pro3. One
ill-effect of installing a firewall is that it does interfere with
genuine applications and deny them access, thus rendering your PC a pain
to handle, a neat and careful configuration is required to enjoy a happy
firewall usage. Intrusion
is just one face of security hazards, a more deadly attackers are the
Trojan horses, backdoor programs and spy wares, which get installed on
your system either through some software which you installed because
they appear to be useful downloads or harmless e-mail attachments or
even through some popup on the internet. Once
they've entered your system, these programs make your PC vulnerable to
hackers by opening ports to intruders or collective data, passwords,
documents etc. and sending them over to the hackers. So,
it is a necessity that you have a reliable antiviral scanner running on
your system, and also make sure that its virus definitions are up to
date. Here
are some URLs where you can get some useful firewalls, spy ware
detectors, add blockers and the like. http://www.firewall.guide.com/freeware.htm Additionally
you can try switching your MS Internet Explorer browser and Outlook
Express mail client to other alternate browsers like Opera or Netscape,
as IE and OE are targets for any hackers. Spyware
detection and removal software is just one of many things you must do as
a web surfer to keep yourself safe from prying eyes and malicious
hackers. Here are eight recommend ways to keep yourself safe. 1.
Know your friends: It's a pain but read all those license agreements and
opt-in checkboxes when you register with a website, install a new
application, or click on a seemingly benign pop-up ad. 2.
Know your enemies: Learn which innocuous-seeming applications like
Xupiter and WebMonkey will compromise your privacy. Check out this list
of common Spyware in the wild, and this one detailing common ways that
spyware install itself on your system. 3.
Purge moles: Use spyware detection and removal applications to sweep for
traitors in your midst (and on your hard drive). 4.
Keep your inoculations up to date: Keep your antivirus software running
and update it regularly to avoid Trojan horses, viruses and spyware. 5.
Monitor communications: Run hardware and software firewalls, and
configure them to detect outgoing traffic, research any request that
look suspicious. 6.
Be paranoid: Make sure your IE security settings for the Internet Zone
are set to at least medium. Read the text of any dialog box asking to
install an ActiveX control; if you didn't request it, don't allow it. 7.
Irradiate your mail: Defeat e-mail Web bugs by blocking cookies from
known advertising sites. You can also block all images from advertising
sites by using PC Magazine's utility Cookie Cop 2. In outlook, purify
correspondence by disabling script viewing and active content under
Tools, Options, Security, Secure Content. 8.
Practice information security: When you register software or buy
anything online, give only the information that's required. Don't even
register at all unless you get something useful in return - for example,
if technical support is contingent on registration. (Compiled by Nubiz
desk) |
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Cover Story
| Editorial | Biztoon
| Political |
Economy & Policy | Management
| SME Focus |
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Send your feedback to the editor: bizline@mos.com.np |
