The document discusses the evolution of viruses from disruption to profit-seeking. Early viruses aimed to damage systems or gain notoriety, but today's viruses spread quietly to steal identities for money. The document provides tips to protect online identity, including keeping software updated, checking URLs, and verifying expected emails. Financial institutions do not use email for sensitive information.

1. Malware Security
The latest trends in virus writing:
What the hacker is after.

2. Virus History
• In the early days of viruses and anti-virus
technology, the focus of viruses was on
disruption. Some of the early viruses were
written from a revenge perspective – a
disgruntled employee seeking revenge on his
employer was a common reason.

3. Virus History, continued
• Another early reason for writing viruses was
to gain notoriety within the hacker
community and the general public. A well
written virus could potentially attack
thousands of systems and cause several
thousands of dollars of damage.

4. Today’s Networks
• In the past, the network was smaller and
slower. Network speeds generally went no
higher then 10 Mbit/s. Today that number is
100+ times faster, with networks often
starting out at 1 Gbit/s and faster.
Additionally, the ease and inexpensive cost of
networking gear has enabled many more
people to establish their own home networks.

5. Networks, continued
• In the past, with networks being slower or
non-existent, it was harder to propagate a
virus throughout the world. With today’s
networks, though, moving a virus from
computer to computer via the network to
spread it has made it much easier to
propagate the virus.

6. Today's Viruses
• Today, viruses are not being written to bring
down computer systems and networks.
Today’s viruses are written to accumulate
wealth. The concept that a new virus will
want to bring down the network is no longer
valid. The last thing today’s viruses want to
do is disrupt the network because then the
virus will have a much more difficult time
spreading to other computers.

7. Attacking our Identity
• Today, the virus is written so that the thing we
are most concerned about – our identity – is
compromised and our financial world is
turned upside down.

8. Protecting your Identity
• Here are some tips you can use to protect
your identity online:
– Keep your computer’s anti-virus software current
and up to date.
– When buying online, strive to use a company that
you have heard of, or research a company you are
unfamiliar with.
– When you get ready to purchase, make sure that
the connection is a secure connection.

9. Protecting your Identity, cont.
• More tips to protecting your identity online:
– On your home computers, make sure that your
computer’s operating system patches are current.
Our work computers are patched with our patch
management software, so you don’t need to check
these.
– When you receive email, always check to make sure
the link you are about to click on doesn’t take you to a
site where it downloads an executable file without
you knowing (more about this in the next slide).

10. Links in E-Mail

11. Email Links

12. Common Sense Security
• Before you act on something you receive in
email, ask yourself these questions:
– Do I know who this sender is?
– Was I expecting them to send me this file?
– Is the file a ZIP file or an executable file?
– Is the email promising me something for nothing?
– Does this link look unusual? Or, if all it says is click
“here”, where does clicking “here” take me?
– Is my bank telling me about some security risk via
email? If so, it is likely to be a phishing scam, not a
true communication from your bank.

13. Summary
• The majority of viruses today are written for
profit – to make money off of someone’s
identity.
• Look for indications that a site you are going
to is secure.
• Make certain that your home computer is
kept up to date with its virus signature files
and operating system patches.

14. Summary
• When receiving email, make sure that you are
getting just email you want to receive, and not
things that can harm your system (or finances).
• Remember to look before you click on a link –
check to make sure the link you are clicking on
really takes you where it is supposed to go.
• Remember, financial organizations (and the IRS,
for that matter) do not send information to you
via email. Email is not a secure method of
communication!

15. Summary
• I hope that these tips will help you to keep
your identity safe from theft. Although you
can have your identity stolen while
performing online transactions, it is important
to remember that the majority of Identity
Theft cases do not involve online transactions.
• Any questions?