Basic Computer Security Part 2

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Rodney Goodwin
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1 Basic Computer Security Part 2 Presenter David Schaefer, MBA OCC Manager of Desktop Support Adjunct Security Instructor: Walsh College, Oakland Community College, Lawrence Technology University

2 Welcome to Basic Computer Security Part 2 of 4 What to look for when you have been attacked Firewall Basics Wi-Fi Network Security

3 What to Look for When Your Computer Has Been Attacked The faster you realize you have been attacked and the faster you notify someone of the attack the less damage the unethical attacker can do There is no simple way to determine you are attacked electronically Criminals take steps to make it difficult for you to find out Your computer may be reprogramed to lie to you Meaning antivirus or antimalware may look great and your computer could seem OK with some of the most serious infections

4 Computer Infection Courtesy of WatchGuard Security

5 What to Look for When Your Computer Has Been Attacked - Continued However there are indicators we can look for when we have been attacked: 1. Antivirus Alert 2. Browser is taking you to unwanted websites Random websites open on your screen and you can t close them 3. Your passwords no longer work Unethical attackers often change your password after attacking your account 4. People tell you that they are getting messages from your face book, twitter, or accounts that you know you didn t send 5. You believe you may have accidently installed suspicious software Ads on the web can trick us (via Social Engineering) into mistakenly click on software we didn t mean to install

6 What to Look for When Your Computer Has Been Attacked - Continued 6. Unusual applications installed on your computer Computer could be slow due to this 7. Web browser Home Page has changed 8. Unfamiliar toolbars appear in your Web Browser 9. Browser has new bookmarks you didn t make 10.Unusual files on your computer

7 What to Look for When Your Computer Has Been Attacked - Continued If you believe your computer has been infected Stop using it The sooner you shut down your computer and keep it off, the less opportunity the unethical attacker can have to use it against you Contact someone that knows how to fix infected Work IT Support Center Vendor Knowledgeable Friend or Family Member

8 How to Prevent an Attack on Your Computer Install a vendor supported Operating System Windows XP needs to be replaced Mac OS X supports up to the 2 3 latest OS releases List of supported Mac OS X versions: OS X 10.8 "Mountain Lion" OS X 10.9 "Mavericks" OS X "Yosemite" Keep up to date with the latest updates and patches for: Your Operating System Applications Including but not limited to Web Browsers and other programs such as: Flash, Shockwave, Java, etc.

9 How to Prevent an Attack on Your Computer Set your web browser at a higher security setting Some web browsers like Firefox allow plugins in addition to settings that can protect you like: HTTPS Everywhere - EFF No Script If sites stop working you can add them to your allowed list more for intermediate users Ad Block (the original not Pro) However be careful because some plugins are bad Use Antivirus and Malware Protection Software Because of lawsuits there is a distinction between the two programs Keep antivirus and antimalware up to date

10 How to Prevent an Attack on Your Computer Uninstall Apps on your smartphone or applications on your computer you don t need or use One of the biggest computer threats is Malware Malware can damage your computer or gain unauthorized access to your personal information Viruses, Spyware, Trojan Horses, Rootkits, oh my! Any computer can get malware Antivirus helps to prevent malware from being installed

11 Protecting with Antivirus Antivirus uses an unethical list of software and behavioral patterns to identify malware on your computer This list is only a point in time, and there are well over 18 million malware instances and growing as of 2012! Antivirus comes out with updates more frequently than your computer updates Make sure you use automatic updates, and periodically check to ensure it s still working Ensure Antivirus scans when you: Save Edit Copy over a files from another device Make sure you schedule full scans At least once a month This scans all files on your machine with the latest updates from the antivirus company Check with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for AV Lot of ISPs give away free paid for Antivirus Products.

12 Malware

13 Firewall Basics Firewalls are like traffic cops They either allow or deny traffic coming into (ingress) or going out (egress) of your computer based off of rules All modern Operating Systems have firewalls Not all hardware and Operating Systems have firewalls enabled Manufacturers are generally too afraid to turn them on as they may make things stop working for the customer

14 Firewall Basics - Continued Here are the benefits of turning on a firewall: They protect against hostile intrusions from an unethical attacker Prevents scans that could tell attackers what you have running on your computer that they could possibly attack If your computer gets infected, it may protect against the infection spreading from your computer to other computers Depends on infection

15 Wi-Fi Security Networks relied on physical connections for decades Physical network cables were required to connect to your laptop or desktop Inconvenience from a user s standpoint Good thing for security because it allowed us to control our networks People needed a faster and more convenient way to connect to networks A connection that didn t require physical cables

16 Wi-Fi Security Wi-Fi was created in the early 90s Allowing us to connect to networks without a cable To use Wi-Fi you simply select the network and click In some cases you may have to give a password or address to connect

17 Wi-Fi Security Risks Everything you do over a Wi-Fi network can be potentially monitored Without proper precautions, anyone close to you can eavesdrop on you Unsecured connections can be used by unethical attackers to compromise your account Whenever you connect you should encrypt all online activity Especially on public Wi-Fi networks Security on public networks cannot be trusted

18 Wi-Fi Security Countermeasures If your work uses Virtual Private Network (VPN) technologies, use them Can allow you to encrypt traffic directly from your computer to the network you are connecting to Is useless if your computer is compromised This creates an encrypted tunnel that both ends need to be setup for in order to work properly Encryption is one of our best defenses in security When you use HTTPS instead of HTTP You are using encryption S is for secure

19 Wi-Fi Security Countermeasures If you have a Wi-Fi Network at home Change the default password Ensures only you can make changes to your network Use WPA2 Security mode for Wi-Fi home networks Older Weaker forms of encryption like WEP are not secured Use a strong passphrase to join your home networks Check to see if your router has Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) enabled WPS is insecure and should be disabled Always secure your home network...

20 Wi-Fi Security Countermeasures Don t connect to Wi-Fi public connections unless you absolutely have to: Use a Wireless hotspot Acts like a portable network device Can be used on a smart phone or an individual device Disable Wi-Fi if you don t need it Especially true on smart phones as they will automatically connect to networks as you walk through areas without asking Will save on battery life as well for mobile phones May add to smart phone data costs Also great for when you have to take a vacation and won t be needing your router at home If you really need to connect to a public Wi-Fi, limit the time you are connected to do what you need to and get off immediately This reduces the window of time an attacker may have to break in your system

21 Wi-Fi Security Countermeasures Hiding your SSID only helps the attacker Wireless actually works by finding the unhidden network names first Attackers can implement a router with a visible wireless name in the same location of your hidden wireless name The attacker then knocks your computer off the legitimate router and connects to the attacker s router From there the attacker can start using tools to compromise your computer because you re on their network! Some people think that hiding your SSID is a smart thing to do Again a lot of copying ideas on the Internet leads to bad sources and ideas for security

22 Wi-Fi Security Countermeasures Keep in mind there s a lot of copy cats on the web giving advice for security Some people still advise using MAC address filtering MAC address is something every network card needs to get connected to a network MAC addresses are embedded on every network card states manufacturer and unique device Wireless attacks duplicate legitimate MAC addresses Rendering MAC Addressing useless other than to make your life harder on setting up your network!

23 Note about Bluetooth Bluetooth is a wireless connection used to connect devices over short distances 10 meters or 32.8ft Disable Bluetooth if not using it on your smart phone or computer Saves on battery too and limits attacks Turn off Bluetooth discoverable mode features as well (or only turn on when you need it) Limits connections without your knowledge Bluejacking sending spam messages, images/sound Bluesnarfing unauthorized access of information from a wireless device: Address book, calendar, , text messages, pictures, videos, etc.

24 The End Hope you enjoyed this presentation What to look for when you have been attacked Firewall Basics Wi-Fi Network Security

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Malware & Botnets. Botnets - 2 - Malware & Botnets The Internet is a powerful and useful tool, but in the same way that you shouldn t drive without buckling your seat belt or ride a bike without a helmet, you shouldn t venture online