This document discusses computer security risks like viruses, malware, spam, and phishing. It provides definitions and examples of these threats. Some key recommendations for protecting yourself include keeping systems updated, using antivirus and firewall software, having backup policies, and educating users on security best practices. While complete isolation is most secure, a balanced approach using both software and hardware solutions can allow for productivity while managing risks. Maintaining security measures is important for ongoing protection.

1. Understanding Computers
Viruses, Spam, Backups and more
ACS
Company
IT Committee
LOGO

2. It’s all about Risk
Management

3. Objectives
§ Viruses and Trojans Malware
§ Spyware
§ Phishing
§ Flaming
§ How do you protect yourself?
§ Spam
§ Backups
§ Recommendations

4. Viruses and Trojans
§ Definition
› A program that replicates itself with malicious
intent. It usually remains hidden in another
program and depends on a person to activate it.
› Viruses only damage software and cannot
destroy hard drives, monitors, or anything else
like that as commonly rumored.
› Exploit weaknesses in Operating Systems and
programmes

5. Viruses and Trojans
§ Definition
› Whoever thought to name a virus, a virus was
certainly on the right track.
› Think of a human Virus – it serves no
purpose, it uses a host to multiply and then
leaves the host useless, it is highly
contagious, but can be immunized against.

6. Viruses
§ At its peak infection rate in 2004, about 1 in 12 emails on
the Internet were MyDoom Viruses
§ It is estimated that PC Viruses cost businesses
approximately $55 Billion in damages in 2003.
This amount doubles EACH Year.
Thus $220 Billion in 2005 - $220,000,000,000.00
§ In the US alone, ID theft cost banks $1 billion a year.
Nearly 10,000 victims had home loans - totalling about
$300 million - taken out in their name and another
68,000 had new credit cards issued in their name"

7. Spyware
§ Definition
› Software that tracks a user's personal
information and passes it on to third parties,
without the user's authorisation or knowledge
› Personal information includes Passwords,
sites visited, even Banking and Credit Card
Information

8. Malware
§ You can get them from…
› E-Mails and attachments (eg Word
Document)
› Files from insecure sources
› “Cover Disks”
› Web surfing

9. Phishing
§ The act of “getting” a username and password
by means of deception.
§ “Bank Records” emails
Always type web address
§ Phone calls
Freddo Frogs.
Never give your password
§ Password Saving
Just Don’t!!
§ If you feel your password has been
compromised – CHANGE IT!

10. Phishing
§ 5.7 Billion - Number of phishing emails sent
each month
$1,200 - Average loss to each person
sucessfully phished
13,228 - Average number of unique phishing
attacks per month
3,431 - Average number of phishing web sites
each month
§ Source: www.mailfrontier.com

11. Flaming
§ Sending many or large emails to one address.
§ Can be both Real or Perceived
(dependant on tolerance threshold)
§ Denial of Service in its worst examples

12. Spam
§ Definition
› Spam is a collective term referring to mass
email forwarded messages, junk email, email
hoaxes, etc.
› Spam bogs down the Internet with unwanted
junk email making it slower for us to
download files or access WebPages.

13. Spam
§ How to protect yourself
› Don’t use common e-mail addresses
§ don’t use e-mail addresses such as
› CEO@, manager@
§ consider not using
› admin@, sales@, info@
› NEVER respond to spam.
› Don’t click ‘unsubscribe’ at the bottom of
spam
› Minimise the number of e-mail addresses on
a web site

14. How do you protect
yourself?
§ Cast Iron Option
› Don’t let machines talk to the
Internet or receive
e-mails etc. ie Completely stand
alone
› Pro – Good security
› Con – Can’t do anything… Extreme
limit to productivity

15. How do you protect
yourself?
§ Cotton Wool / Band-Aid Option
› This is the soft option – don’t do
anything and hope that nothing
happens
The Cotton wool is used to ‘mop up
the mess’
› Pro – easy to administer
› Con – Wide open to attack

16. How do you protect
yourself?
§ Rubber Option
› Put something solid but flexible
between your resources and the
potential source of risk
› Pro – Allows modern work flows
› Con – Some administration
required

17. It’s not has hard as you
may think
§ Software
› Run Anti-Virus software
› Run Anti-Spyware software
› Run Anti-Spam software
§ These all compare everything to known
signatures
§ If something is detected, it is automatically dealt
with
› Update, Update, Update (Automatically)

18. It’s not has hard as you
may think
§ Hardware
› Router
§ A router that directs traffic dependent on where it
comes from and it’s type
§ It directs the Black Sheep and the White Sheep
› Firewall
§ A device that looks at the information passing
between devices, and filters it if required
§ It filters the Sheep from the Goats

19. It’s not has hard as you
may think
§ Peer to Peer / Workgroup
› All PCs are equal
› One PC may be prime
§ Domain
› Server / Client
› Possibly multiple servers
§ File,
§ Application
§ Email
§ Authentication

20. It’s not has hard as you
may think
§ A combination solution of hardware and
software is often the best
§ It depends on:
› The size of your network
› The value of your information
§ A bank will spend significantly more money on
security than a 30 bed nursing home

21. Policies and Procedures
§ Literally, setting rules and policing them
§ If rules can not be set for the systems to
enforce, set “best practice” guidelines.
§ Passwords MUST be used.
§ Physical Security of Equipment
§ User level security
§ Acceptable Use
Web Browsing / Sites visited
Personal Use
Auditing and Monitoring – Who can see what.
Netiquette

22. Backup
The safe storage of important information
§ Paper based or electronic has same
importance
§ Backup to Disk, Tape or CD
› Archive and backup those archives
§ Test the backup regularly
› Ensure information can be retrieved

23. Backup
The safe storage of important information
§ Store the backup away from the Network
› If the computer is destroyed is the backup still
safe
§ Ensure any “restore to” PC can read the
backup

24. Recommendations
§ Minimum requirements - essentials
› Keep your Systems up to date!
§ All Software Update/ Patches/ Definitions
› Anti-Virus Software
§ eg, CA, Trend, AVG, McAfee, Norton etc
› Anti-Spyware Software
› Firewall or Router
› Policies and Best Practice Procedures.
› Backups
§ Keep both onsite and offsite
§ Backup as often as you feel you can afford to
replace the data

25. Recommendations
§ Additional Recommendations - desirables…
› Anti-Spam
§ At the ISP (Internet Service Provider)
§ At your firewall/ Email Server (if you have one)
§ On your PC eg Outlook Junk E-Mail filter
› Professional assistance (internal or outsource)
§ Internet Service Providers
§ Computer Suppliers
§ Trained staff (as long as their skills are up to date)
§ Purchasing Partners/ Networking Opportunities

26. Recommendations
Whichever solution(s) you choose to
implement
Maintain it!

27. Other Information
You may not be aware
§ Not-for-profits can purchase most
hardware and software for a significantly
reduced price
§ Windows XP is the minimum
recommended operating system
§ ‘It all worth the effort’ J

28. Questions to the Panel
Thank you for your time