More about MALWARE - MALicious softWARE. More about viruses. More about Trojan Horses. More about Worms. More about Spy Ware. More about Root Kits. More about Back Doors More about BOT NETs - RoBOTic NETworks. More about Hackers. More about Spoofing. More about Hoaxes. More about Spam. ------------------------------------------------
HAVOC from the OUTSIDE. Generally called Viruses, but more specifically
known as MALWARE for MALicious softWARE, of which Virus is a sub-type.
UNWANTED MESSAGES and THE EVIL CODE THEY CAN SPREAD.
Mother Murphy is Alive and Well and Waiting to Attack UN-Wary Users.
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? - The Shadow
Since the beginning of time there have been good guys and bad guys.
The latter have come in many forms, e.g., unjust money-changers, thieves, pick-pockets,
con-artists, carnie-hawkers, snake-oil salesmen, stock manipulators, etc.
Their goals have variously ranged between easy money and
thrill of succeeding, annoying, hurting, or revenge for real,
perceived, or imaginary grievances.
Until a few generations ago, their major areas of practice were bazarrs, crowds,
carnivals, door-to-door, and advertisements in newspapers, junk mail, radio, TV.
With the advent of the computer, especially the personal computer, and even more
especially with their being interconnected as with the InterNet, these bad guys
have found new, faster, more sophisticated ways for wreaking havoc on the good guys.
These computer systems were originally designed to be used only by honorable peers, and
thus they severly lacked basic means for enforcing any security. Additionally,
the goal of some developers to have a wide range of cute whiz-bang features, left
many doors wide open to spread havoc. The entire industry spread
the implementation of feature-ful systems much faster than the concept of having
them be secure.
SPAM: Mass mailings expecting a purchase of a product, a donation to a cause.
May also spread hoaxes or viruses.
Goal- to make a profit.
Protection- Don't be gullible enough to fall for it.
HOAXES: A plauseable and glib message written by someone on a subject to which they are
opposed which gets sent to a dozen friends telling them to send it to a dozen others.
May also come like spam and spread viruses.
Goal- sway opinion and/or test the concept of spreading by gullibility.
may also be like spam.
Protection- Don't be gullible enough to fall for it.
VIRUSES: Undesireable computer code written by someone who manages to have it placed
in another system.
Often originally spread as Spam, but then may take on a life of their own.
Also known as worms and other names.
Goal- may be one or more of several things, e.g.,
.. destroy the system
.. re-distribute something (like itself) to everyone in the systems' address book.
.. see more below.
Protection- Get a good AntiVirus software package with proper
parameters and current updates in place.
ROOTKITS: A unique kind of virus requiring special mention.
These will infect a system so very deeply that it masks classic
attempts to locate such intruders.
Goal- hide itself and other items of havoc.
Protection- Get a good AntiRootKit software package with proper
parameters and current updates in place.
SPIES: A unique kind of virus requiring special mention.
These copy data from the system (like passwords or key strokes) and send it elsewhere.
Goal- to learn enough about you to impersoante you - either over the internet
or on paper, or in person; in short: identity theft.
Protection- Get a good AntiSpyWare software package with proper
parameters and current updates in place.
SPOOFS: Messages sent to appear as coming from someone else, e.g. a friend,
a financial institution, the webmaster of a system rejecting mail which was
supposedly but not actually sent by you.
Goal- to trick the receiver into opening it to spread a hoax or virus.
Protection- Don't be gullible enough to fall for it.
PHISHINGS: Messages sent to appear as coming from a legitimate website,
which ask you sign on to a phony site and divulge all of your personal information.
Goal- identity theft.
Protection- Don't be gullible enough to fall for it.
HACKINGS: Direct access by someone on another system connected to the internet.
Goal- Any of the above.
Protection- a excellent software FireWall or hardware Router with proper
parameters and current updates in place.
In all cases where "good Anti-XXX software package with proper
parameters and current updates in place" are recommended, it must be noted that
these work mostly by comparing the contents of your system with already known
characteristics of these infections.
The update time-line is as follows ...
1. the bad guy writes some bad code
2. it gets distributed
3. it hurts some users
4. it gets detected and reported to the Anti-XXX writers, whereafter they
5. identify it
6. write rules or code to recognize it and un-do it.
7. distribute those updates to their subscribed users, whereafter the users must
8. download the new updates
9. install the updates and possibly re-boot the system.
10. run a complete scan of the system in case some bad code had come in meanwhile.
So, obviously there is still plenty of time for dangerous exposure until this
process is completed - even with the best of packages.
UNfortunately, there seems to be NO test kit to validate that any such tools
are actually IN-place and operative.
Some PCs (e.g. Apple/Macs) are less susceptable than others because ...
.. their smaller numbers make the effort of writing viruses less rewarding
.. their systems are better designed and less vulnerable.
Some ISPs offer optional features for eliminating either/both Viruses and Spam.
Be sure to activate them; they do a good job.
In the case of Spam "elimination", most rely on a list of good guys which can
cause the loss of some important messages from new or changed email addresses.
If the PC industry made cars, not only would they stall at 60mph on the freeway
and require a re-boot, but they would have the "features" of an open-top and
NO windows, thus exposing the occupants to the sun and water balloons.