Online Security

Security is the most important, but sadly overlooked part of the whole equation when using the internet, especially when dealing with credit cards, bank account details and your personal information.
A hacker can hack into an unprotected machine within 15 seconds using software vulnerabilities and software designed to locate flaws within our operating systems and programs. This hasn't been a problem for me as I understand security very well and cannot stress the importance of it proper protection, and by no means will I ever have 100% protection - same as you - but we can reduce the risks considerably by following these steps.

I.S.P's Internet Service Providers providing dial up services can also aid with the protection of our computers by changing the computers I.P address (An I.P address is just like our home address, a unique identifier that lets computers communicate with one another either via network or the internet) every time we dial into the internet through our login screen. With A.D.S.L (Broadband) connections, your internet connection is always on meaning all it takes to access the internet is a program or a web browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Fire fox).  So when a hacker is using an engine to identify weakness's within a computers software environment it is much easier to target an I.P. address that doesn't change so A.D.S.L users need to have very tight security. Of course dial up users need the same type of security measures, it's much harder to hack because they keep changing address's.

Hackers are not the only thing we need to protect ourselves from when dealing online, so I have included relevant software protections in the security list - I have recommended these particular software packages as I have used these throughout my time of online computer experience - and does not mean these are the only packages that work, and long as you have protection from the nasties listed you are better protected then not having anything at all.

The list below will expose you to the common and MOST DANGEROUS threats to our computers, and a  summary of how they work, what they do and the best way of protecting yourself against online threats. Like they say "Prevention IS always better than a cure" and the computer/online world is definitely no different.

There are a few companies out there building many software applications into one. One company, for example is Zone Labs. Zone Labs Zone Alarm is a Internet Security Suite consisting of a Firewall, Anti-Virus scanner,  ad aware and spy ware scanners that offer real time monitoring protection.

Here you will find explanations on the following:
  • Fire Walls - Hardware and Software
  • Virus's and Anti-virus
  • Key Loggers
  • Software
  • Hardware
  • Spy Ware - Malware - Add ware - Description
  • Diallers
  • Trojan Horses

Here you will find Hardware/Software to combat the above:
  • Suites
  • Fire Walls
  • Anti Virus
  • Spy Ware - Malware - Add ware - List
  • Software List
  • Nasties

Fire Walls. There are 2 main types of fire walls - hardware and software.

Hardware
Hardware fire walls are devices such as routers. These are the network devices that allow us to communicate with the internet. Within a router we usually have some sort of fire wall configuration that allows us to configure the router/firewall the way we want. The hardware version is much harder for hackers to hack your machine because hackers use vulnerabilities within the software in our computers - and sometimes we have a lot of software, giving hackers greater chances of breaking though defences and invading your machine whereas in routers they use a very basic operating system and are very secure devices.

Software
Software firewalls are software packages that are installed onto you computer. For people with dial up connections this is a must. Some firewalls a little programs that sit in your task bar and keep an eye on things and don't get in the way and other firewalls will even let you know when something is trying to access the internet - so if it wasn't you then chances are its spy ware trying to dial home, and I believe it's best to know when something wants to dial out, because you can record the information, deny it access then hunt and kill it.

Fire Walls are designed to keep online nasties at bay and prevents hackers from getting inside your computer and stealing information, deleting programs, disabling anti virus software, planting Trojan horses and key loggers, spy ware and playing havoc on your machine.
Nasties can still get through fire walls because we download stuff off the internet and when we open or load the file we are giving it permission to do whatever it does to our machine and bypasses the fire wall - that's why we need a backup defence for if and when the fire wall is breeched.
Anti virus programs targets the particular nasties with software designed to watch your computer and also scan our machines to rid ourselves of the nasties that get in there. This is a list of nasties and their intentions. Familiarise yourselves with the following so you will feel and be more confident with your understanding of online security, and how it works, you will be much better protected.

Virus's and Anti-virus
Virus's are modified computer code that allows a user to slightly change the way a certain software application runs. It can use stealth techniques to change the code to allow other nasties in by turning your defences off. Sometimes it will appear as if your software is behaving, but it is only a matter of time before damage is done. Viruses can stop a computer from booting up making using it impossible, and because we cant boot it, we cant run anti virus software to kill the nasties and allow us the use of the machine - until we use a boot disk (Clean booting disk that doesn't allow the virus signature to load upon boot sequence of the computer) or have a technician to remove it - which can be a length and costly exercise.
There are two ways we need to protect ourselves from virus's - Real time monitoring and Virus scanning. The real time monitoring means it will be active the whole time your computer is on (connected to the internet or not) and will watch for viral activity and will grab, kill or quarantine them before they can get to do their job - Prevention, and the ability to scan at least weekly to ensure your risks are kept to a minimum - Cure. Obviously Prevention IS better than Cure.

Spyware - Malware - Addware description
There are many nasties that fall under this category, here are most of them.
  • Spy ware Spy bots
  • Adware
  • Hacker Tools
  • Worms
  • Trojan Horses
  • Track ware
  • Hijackers
  • Malware
  • Key loggers
  • PC Parasites
  • Spy Programs

Spyware - Malware - Addware
Add aware as the name suggests is software that dials to someone or something like a server that allows them access to your information or allows advertisements that they think you may be interested in because their spy told them.
Malware is more dangerous. Malware contains things like Trojan horses and key loggers.

Trojan Horses
Trojan horses, yes, like the horse of Troy, will allow a user to access your computer via a link established by it dialling out, giving them access to pretty much anything they want. Trojan horses report home details such as your credit card number and private information which is identity theft. As the name suggests, a Trojan horse can remain hidden while the software code within the horse can carry out it's instructions unhindered and communicate with the owner of the code.

Key Loggers
Key loggers log your EVERY SINGLE keystroke, and remembers all the information you type into your computer like bank account details, credit card numbers your private details and people using key loggers can basically become you, with the aid of tiny little programs. Which is why you can see having the best protection is the ONLY thing to do, there is no second best and if our machines aren't up to the task of defending us, then you either get the correct remedies i.e. update your software or stay off the internet until you do. Anything short of this will become not a matter of if we will get done, but when.

Diallers
These can be quite nasty. The are more from porn sites than anywhere else. Some sites you may surf will, without you knowing, place a dialler or many diallers throughout your machine. I know because I was redirected to a porn site, as you do, and found a few hours later a dialler called hot wet love. This dialler proved to be a bugger to remove as it replicated itself many times. I found them through turning on all hidden files and folders, then completed a search and manual removed them. Once they're in your machine and you launch your browser the dialler automatically dials it's owner and bombardment of porn material comes shortly thereafter, to the point it gets hard to control them. And this is where a lot of virus's come from, these areas of the net, and you are more prone to picking them up with the floodgates open. Close everything down, go for the log off or shut down button if they come to quick and shut the machine down breaking all ties with the net. Disconnect from the phone line and when you power back up run software to find if nasties have been delivered to your machine.

The above is to bring to your attention the worst of the worst out there. For best protection do some research on the internet for an in depth security study.

Suites

Fire Walls

Anti-Virus

Spyware - Malware - Addware list

The following software does a great job of scanning for the list of nasties at the bottom. XoftSpy has some very good reviews so check them out.

Nasties