Leah GiarritanoMarch 20, 2012LIS451LEConcept Paper #4: Security

It’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security when using your computer. However, potential dangers lurk just around the corner and you must be prepared. There are hardware, software and user security issues to be aware of when using your computer. The following are my top ten suggestions to follow in order to keep your computer and network safe and have some peace of mind.

1. Protect your home network from “crackers” by using firewalls (hardware and software options exist and you can use both forms) to monitor data traffic. Select the desired level of security for your firewall. Anytime an application without an established firewall rule attempts to access the Internet, the firewall will allow the user to allow or deny Internet access. Most commonly, you want to be sure that access to the Internet be allowed for email, web surfing, and chatting. (Hardware/Software Issue)

2. If you use a wireless router, set a password and enable encryption. Most routers have either Wireless Encryption (WEP) or Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA). Selecting the encryption option and a secure router administrator password are two very important steps to keep your network secure. A broadband router with a built in firewall provides the first line of defense at the perimeter of the LAN (where the LAN meets the Internet). (Hardware Issue)

3. Installing anti-virus software (to protect against worms, viruses and Trojans) is a critical step in protecting your system. It has the ability to prevent malware from infecting your computer. Be sure to keep your anti-virus software up-to-date by using the auto-update feature on a weekly basis. You may also need to regularly check for patches and updates for the operating system and other important software packages. (Software Issue)

4. Additional applications to investigate are anti-spyware and anti-adware programs. Like anti-virus software, these programs monitor your online activities and send information to another

computer. Many of these programs have an option to monitor your computer in real time. In others cases, you may have to set up a regular, manual monitoring schedule. (Software Issue)

5. Be cautious about email that you receive from unknown senders. To be safe, avoid clicking on hyperlinks in email that can potentially lead you to a site hosting malware or initiate a malware download. To be extra cautious, don’t click on hyperlinks at all, type the URL into your browser’s address bar yourself. (User Issue)

6. Be very protective of your passwords. Select passwords that include a string of letters, numbers and other characters. Don’t use the same password for all of your accounts. Change your passwords every 30-60 days. Create an encrypted list of passwords for yourself so you can keep track of them. (User Issue)

7. As an Internet user, recognize the threat that exists to your personal identity and the information housed on your computer. Change your Internet behavior by first understanding the personal consequences of getting hacked or getting a virus. This realization should alter your behavior and make you think twice before engaging is unsafe Internet practices like downloading unknown documents, following links from unknown senders and generally putting blind trust in the things that are sent to you. (User Issue)

8. Be wary of social engineering schemes in which a hacker makes a call to you, pretending to be an ISP professional. They will ask you for your password to do a systems check. However, a real support person would never ask for your password. Do not give identification information out over the phone. (User Issue)

9. Data protection is critical and therefore, you should back up your regularly to protect it from hackers, viruses, natural disasters and user error. The frequency of backups should be determined by your own personal use, daily, weekly and monthly options are all viable depending on your usage patterns. Consider storing your backup data in a water and fireproof location. (User Issue)

10. For added security, disconnect your computer from its Ethernet interface when not in use. A hacker cannot attack your computer system if it is powered off and disconnected from the network. (Hardware Issue)

Narrative/InsightsI would recommend the following top three security tips for this audience of typical users in a shared computer lab environment. These are user security issues that would be relevant to computer users in a shared space. The hardware and software issues in this circumstance would be left up to the IT people in charge of the computer lab and not appropriate for use during the users’ time in the lab.

1. Be cautious about email that you receive from unknown senders. To be safe, avoid clicking on hyperlinks in email that can potentially lead you to a site hosting malware or initiate a malware download. To be extra cautious, don’t click on hyperlinks at all, type the URL into your browser’s address bar yourself. (User Issue)

2. Be very protective of your passwords. Select passwords that include a string of letters, numbers and other characters. Don’t use the same password for all of your accounts. Change your passwords every 30-60 days. Create an encrypted list of passwords for yourself so you can keep track of them. (User Issue)

3. As an Internet user, recognize the threat that exists to your personal identity and the information housed on your computer. Change your Internet behavior by first understanding the personal consequences of getting hacked or getting a virus. This realization should alter your behavior and make you think twice before engaging is unsafe Internet practices like downloading unknown documents, visiting and inputting private information on unknown websites, following links from unknown senders and generally putting blind trust in the things that are sent to you. (User Issue)

Regarding the first suggestion, I feel this is important because these users will likely be checking their email while at the computer lab. The flier with this suggestion will remind them about the potential danger in emails that contain links. With so many users in and out of the lab, the personnel will want to be sure that the users have some basic security knowledge so that the computers in the lab are safe from malware

issues. While doing research for this paper, I found this tip to be an important reminder of the potential danger found when following links. It isn’t always a given that links sent in emails from friends are safe, they could have been corrupted as well and sent out without your friend’s knowledge (like in the case of our Bill Gates example during on-campus). Typing the URL into the browser’s address bar is a practice I will personally adopt in the future.

The issue of passwords is critical because so many people conduct business online, including banking and shopping. If passwords are reused from account to account or not updated regularly, users run a huge risk of being exploited, having their identity stolen, and running up huge credit card debt. This is an issue that can be easily controlled by the user and a flier to remind them while they are using the computer lab to login to one of many sites is very timely and pertinent. I personally feel overwhelmed trying to keep track of all of my own unique passwords so I can image that this is an issue for most people. As a suggestion, there are tools available to help you create strong and secure passwords and then to manage and house them securely (http://www.iobit.com/passwordgenerator.html).

General awareness about the dangers of getting too comfortable while using the Internet is an important security message for all users. It is so easy to feel safe and secure. A reminder that there are serious personal and hardware implications when you carelessly provide secure information on unknown websites, download documents that may be dangerous or link to a website that contains malware will go a long way in protecting computer users. I personally have become less discriminatory when shopping online now that it is such a common practice. This serves as an important reminder to me that I should investigate a little more before blinding shopping on any old website.

Be Smart. Be Safe. Don’t Click.

Avoid clicking on hyperlinks in emails, they may be infected!!

Type the URL into your browser’s address bar!

zoeD9o=$!l

Phonetic Pronunciation(zulu - oscar - echo - DELTA - Nine - oscar -

Equals - Dollar - Exclamation - lima)

Secure your passwords Include a string of upper and lower case letters,

numbers and characters

Make them 10-12 characters in length Use phonetics to help you remember your password Don’t use the same password for all of your accounts

Change your passwords every 30-60 days

Prevent your computer and personal information from

getting infected!

Engage in smart Internet behaviors…

Do not download unknown documents

Be cautious about entering private information on unknown websites

Don’t blindly trust emails and links that are sent to you