Computer Security

Zombie Computer

A computer controlled by a hacker. Used for sending spam from multiple IP address to launch a Dos Attack.

Antivirus software

A computer program that is used to scan files to identify and remove computer viruses and other malicious programs. Use a variety of techniques. Two of the most common are signature based detection and heuristic based detection. Other techniques include behavioral detections and cloud based detections.

Cybercrime

A crime in which a computer is the object of the crime or is used to commit a criminal offense

Botnet

A group of compromised computers controlled by a hacker.

Trojan

A program that appears legitimate, but executes an unwanted activity when activated. Often used to find passwords, destroy data, or to bypass firewalls. Do not replicate themselves. Often found attached to free downloads and apps.

Password

A secret code used to help prevent unauthorized access to data and user accounts. Used to secure computers, networks, software, personal accounts, digital devices. Passcode and key code are synonymous for password.

Script Kiddie

Amateur computer hackers with little programming expertise. Illegally gain access to computer systems using programs (scripts) that others have written.

Online nuisances

Annoying software programs that can slow down the operations of a computer, clog email inboxes, and lead to the theft of information and money.

Hacktivism Groups

Anonymous

Set restrictions in Mac OS

Apple menu, system preference, parental controls, lock icon, enter admin name and password, select user, click tabs along the top.

Free Antivirus software

Comes with basic detection and protection. Has great malware detection performance.

First-party cookies

Created by visited websites to optimize browsing

Cyberterrorist attacks include

Disruption of e-commerce and government sites. Power grid and public utilities.

Diagnose a hacked system

Fake antivirus messages. Unwanted browser toolbars. Frequent random popups. Fake e-mails or social media messages from your account.

Safe browsing techniques

Go incognito (privacy browsing mode), Be cautious when using social media, VPN (Virtual Private Network can protect your online identity by hiding your IP address, HTTPS means connection is secure.

Block cookies in Firefox

Goto website you wish to block, right click within the page and select view page info, select permissions panel, remove the check mark from use default, change setting to block and close the page info window and remove any cookies that the website already set in Firefox.

Cyberbullying

Harrassing using digital devices and networks in a repeated and deliberate manner

On going Cybercrime

More serious and include cyberstalking, child predation, extortion, blackmail and terrorist activities

What to do if system is hacked

Power down computer, reboot in safe mode, run antivirus program.

Session Cookies

Stored in temporary memory and is lost when the browser is closed. Determines the start and end of a session. Analyze and measure traffic on a web page. Determine the web browser being used.

E-mail Virus

Virus attached to a file. Infects computer when file is open.

Manage cookies in Chrome

You can block/allow cookies, delete cookies, make exceptions for cookies.

Cyberattack

A deliberate misuse of computers and networks via the internet. They use malicious code to modify the normal operations of a computer or network.

What is a computer worm

A destructive program that replicates itself throughout a single computer or across a network. Automatically reproduces itself. Designed to attack both wired and wireless networks. Replication exhaust network bandwidth or available storage. Often sent using email attachments.

Hacker and cracker

A person who attempts to gain unauthorized access to networks to steal and corrupt data.

Mac Internet filter

Apple menu, system preferences, parental controls, lock icon,enter admin name and password, select user, click enable parental controls.

Black hat hacker

Break into computer systems with the intent of causing damage or stealing data.

Fee Antivirus software

COmes with identity theft protections, firewalls and parental controls as well as technical support

Password tips and techniques

Change your passwords frequently, use generic passwords, keep password private, use a combination of letters, symbols, and numbers, check your account.

Delete cookies in chrome

Chrome menu, settings, advanced settings, privacy, content settings, cookies, all cookies and site data, delete all cookies, remove.

Adjust cookie settings in edge

Click icon, press three-dot, settings, advanced settings, select block all cookies or block only third party cookies.

Remove cookies in Safari

Click remove all website data, or click details, select one or more websites then click remove.

Windows Firewall

Click start, click control panel, click systems and security, click windows firewall, adjust.

Spyware

Collects information about your internet surfing habits and behaviors. Includes the collection of keystrokes, passwords, and confidential information. Often installed via free downloads or by visiting certain illegitimate websites.

Spam Filter

Computer software that is designed to prevent spam message from entering a user's email inbox. AKA spam blockers or anti-spam utilities. Monitor suspicious word patterns and frequencies.

Parental controls in windows

Control Panel, user accounts, family safety, setup, standard user account, parental controls, click on, enforce current settings. Parental controls can adjust time limits and access to specific programs and web sites.

Third-party cookies

Created by a website other than the one you are currently visiting and are used to track your surfing habits. (An invasion of privacy)

Dos

Denial of Service is an attack on a network designed to interrupt or stop network traffic by flooding it with too many requests.

Manage Cookies

Determine what cookie setting are preferred. Must be adjusted in each browser. Consider deleting cookies, block/customize cookies, Allow cookies.

NAT (Network Address Translation)

Developed by Cisco. Provide protection from outside network intrusions by hiding internal IP addresses. Must be used in conjunction with the firewall built into the router or provided by the OS.

DDOS

Distributed Denial of Services launches a virus on a computer. Once infected they act as zombies and work together to send out legitimated messages creating huge volumes of network traffic resulting in a network crash.

If you get a phishing message

Do not giver out personal information. Contact the institution that the message was sent from. Report the incident to US-Cert @ https://www.us-cert.go

How do firewalls work

Filter all information coming through the internet to your network. Packet filters and proxy server

Where to download free antivirus software.

Go to vendor if you know what software you want to download. Otherwise, go to www.download.cnet.com.

Hacktivism

Hacking for a politically or socially motivated purposes. Uses same techniques as a hacker but does so in order to disrupt services and bring attention to a political or social cause.

Firewall

Hardware or software used to keep a computer secure from outside threats such as hackers and viruses. Allow or block internet traffic. Most ideal firewall configuration consists of both hardware and software. Personal software firewalls are typically included with OS. Hardware can be purchased as a stand-alone product.

Cyberbullying includes

Harrassing through e-mails, blogs, texts, web pages and cyberstalking.

Firewall options

Help protect against worms, hackers

Phishing

Illegitimate use of an email message that Tricks users into revealing usernames and passwords by appearing legitimate. Often contains the company's logo and identifying information.

Packet filters

Inspects each packet leaving or entering a network.

How to avoid computer virus

Install antivirus software. Surf the web and download content safely. Only visit trusted sites. Remove any USB drives and DVDs before booting your computer. Purchase a new router every other year (with WPA2 protection). Adjust web browser's security settings. Never bypass your browser's built-in security features.

Proxy server

Intercepts all messages between client and server.

Malware

Malicious software to steal information, destory data, incapacitate a computer or network and frustrate the user

White hat hacker

Non-malicious computer security experts that test the security measures of information systems.

Virus symptoms

OS doesn't launch properly. Files are deleted or encrypted. Strange error messages or pop-up ads. Documents won't save. Computer runs notably slower. Programs launch on their own.

Manage cookies in Safari

Only accepts cookies from websites you visit. Can change options in preferences.

Virus infects computer

Open an infected email attachment, downloading an infected file, sharing infected files, visiting a contaminated web site, disguised as images, audio or video files.

Allow cookies in IE

Open desktop, Click IE icon, tools, internet options, privacy tab, settings, move slider then click ok.

Delete cookies in IE

Open desktop, click IE icon, settings, options, history, select cookies, click delete

Password management options

Password security is one of the most important issues for today's computer users. Use strong passwords and never use the same password twice It is suggested that you use password management software. Dashlane and LastPass are two popular programs.

Cyberattack examples

Pharming and phishing, spamming and spoofing, spyware, trojans and viruses, identity and information theft and Dos and DDos attacks.

Pharming

Phishing that seeks to obtain personal information through malicious software that is inserted on a victim's computer. Redirects the user to a phony web page.

E-mail Virus Types

Phising, Ransomware, and Keystroke logging trojan.

Identify factors that damage computer hardware

Power surge, Heat, humidity, magnetic fields

Diagnose the effects of online nuisances.

Receiving spam emails and bounce back email. Frequent pop-ups while searching the web. Pop-ups start appearing after visiting unfamiliar sites.

Keystroke Logger Trojan

Saves all keystrokes for subsequent transmission to virus creator. Can be hardware devices and software applications.

Cookies

Small text file of information created by websites you visit that your web browser stores on your HD.

Persistent cookies

Small text files stored on HD. Collect information regarding User preferences, Password and usernames, IP address, data on web surfing behavior.

Adware

Software that collects the user's web browsing history to create unsolicited targeted pop-up advertisements. Often accompanies downloaded programs.

Computer Virus

Software that infects computers and is created using computer code. A virus must typically be "run" to attack and do damage. Can destroy programs or alter the operations of a computer or network.

Internet filter

Software used to block a user's access to specific internet content. Can be on router, computer, network or stand-alone.

Online nuisances include

Spam, Spyware, phishing, pharming, trolling and spoofing.

Pacekt sniffer

Specialized hardware or software that capture packets transmitted over a network. Used to steal information. Can be very difficult to detect.

How does antivirus software work

The software looks for a virus signature, which is a software code of a particular computer virus. The antivirus software compares this code to its database. Once identified the antivirus software attempts to remove the virus from the file to an isolated, quarantined area.

Rootkit

Type of malware that hides in the OS and is triggered each time you boot your computer. Allows remote user to install rogue files, Use and take control of the computer and delete files.

Spamming

Unsolicited email messages. Sometimes called UBE (unsolicited bulk email). Can contain a variety of malicious programs.

Protecting a digital device from power surges

Use a surge protector when charging a digital device. Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Provides surge suppression and a battery power backup. Voltage difference when traveling.

Cyberterrorist

Uses computers and the internet to launch attacks against computer systems for political or ideological reasons.

Single event Cybercrime

Victims endure a single event such as unknowingly downloading a trojan horse virus, keystroke logger, phishing, idenity theft or e-commerce fraud.

How does a computer virus work?

Virus arrives on system, an action triggers the virus, virus copies itself into files on computer, infection spreads to other computers, devices and/or network. Finally the virus executes the malicious activity.

Common types of malware

Viruses, Worms, Trojan horses, Rootkit, keystroke logger, Dos and DDOS

Privacy risks with cookies

Websites can collect your information and sell to third-parties. Can track your surfing behavior and create a user profile. Corporate and government entities con monitor your web behavior.

Ransomware

When activated, encrypts files on user hard drive and then sells a decryption program. Comes as trojan or worm.

Start windows in safemode

Windows button, Click Settings button, Select update and security, Select Recovery, Select Restart now. Enter Recovery environment, Select troubleshoot, Select advanced options, select startup settings, select restart, use number keys or function keys to enable safe mode.

Macro Virus

Written in a macro language and placed within a document or spreadsheet.

Manage cookies in firefox

You can change settings to approve or deny cookie storage requests, delete stored cookies automatically.

Delete cookies in Firefox

click menu button, history, clear recent history, time range to clear all, click arrow next to details to expand list of history items, select cookies, clear now, close clear recent history window.

Fee based vs. free antivirus software

main difference is the number of features. Many free software comes with advertising. Most free programs performed almost as effectively as their fee based.