Computer Security

The web is like a large city, exciting, wonderful, but with a few dangers. Most teachers do not have the time to research and find the best security products to safeguard their computers from attack by vandals, including students. I have attempted to give a few basic recommendations that can help you safeguard your personal computer. Most of these recommendations are for PCs with windows. The recommended procedures are similar for other machines, and there are similar software products available for Macs and Linux machines. Mac users can look at http://www.firewallguide.com/macintosh.htm.

• Your first line of defense is to make sure that you operating system is up to date. The manufacturor periodically releases patches which close security holes, so either make sure the automatic update is turned on, or periodically click on Windows Update on your start menu. Check for updates at least once a month, or better yet do it once a week.
• E-mail spreads most viruses, so you can insure against them by NEVER opening attachments from unknown sources. Never open unsolicited attachments from anyone. If you get one from a friend, only open it if the text is personal or if you requested it. Many viruses spread by sending E-mail from infected machines to everyone on an E-mail list. Usually the text of the message will be enticing, but not personal.
• If you use Outlook install the Microsoft Outlook patch that disables potentially harmful attachments. It is available at: http://office.microsoft.com/downloads/9798/Out98sec.aspx for Outlook98. Click on other links for Outlook2000.
• Never download and run software except from reputable sources.
• Always use a virus scanner and keep the virus files up to date. There are many good products available. The Norton, McAfee, PC-cillin, and Panda virus scanners have generally gotten high marks. Some of the free products have gotten lower ratings, but the price is right. A currently available free product, AVG antivirus, has received some honorable mentions, but has not been rated as being a top performer. To maintain peak effectiveness you should regularly update your virus data files. Some products automatically update themselves. If cost is a problem you can often buy a whole new copy of a virus scanner on sale rather than purchasing support. Some products allow you to manually update the virus definitions after the support has ended, however automatic updates are probably the best way to ensure that your files are up to date.
• Install a firewall. This is a product that monitors the internet and stops attacks from the internet. If a virus happens to get onto your system, it will also prevent it from calling home over the internet. While there are some very good products you can purchase, a couple of free products are excellent. ZoneAlarm is easy to use, while Kerio Personal Firewall may be harder to use but it can be configured to provide greater protection. Sygate Personal Firewall and Agnitum Outpost are also free and have received good reviews. Some of these are available as a more capable pro product for around $40. If you need to install it on a machine running Microsoft ICS you will probably need the pro version. Tiny Software sells a firewall which is combined with a very capable sandbox, but did not work with ICS the last time I tested it. The major security vendors also offer firewalls that you can purchase. Norton Internet Security has received excellent reviews but the McAfee Personal Firewall Plus has gotten so-so reviews and does not work with ICS as of this writing.
• Another layer of protection can be achieved by installing a Sandbox. A sandbox restricts what programs can do, and prevents them from changing critical system components. If a Trojan horse or virus gets into your system a sandbox can detect unauthorized actions and prevent damage. It can detect new viruses even when your virus files are not up to date. Sandboxes are like a big brother that looks for problems, while antivirus programs only exclude specific actors by looking at mug shots. Some available sandboxes are Finjan SurfinGuard, Tiny Personal Firewall, and Norman Sandbox. SurfinGuard was available in a free version and is probably the easiest sandbox to use. Aladdin eSafe Desktop is a free sandbox combined with a firewall, and virus scanner. The firewall is not very strong but the sandbox is fairly good. It is currently discontinued so no virus updates are not available, but it is still available as a free version on the web. Both eSafe and Tiny can be configured to restrict access to specific web content, but Finjan can not. It looks like some major software houses are buying into sandbox technology. Symantec has added some sandbox features to the Norton personal firewall and to the Norton Antivirus. Sysco Systems has acquired the Okena Stormwatch and Computer Associates (McAfee) has acquired Entercept Security. Microsoft has acquired Pelican Security and may incorporate some sandbox features in future Windows releases. The sandbox can be combined with other products to achieve better security. As you add various products, you will experience some extra inconvenience. While virus scanners may slow down your computer, firewalls will ask you approve specific programs for internet access, and sandbox programs may restrict some programs and prevent them from working properly. You may have to authorize specific program actions, or turn off the protection before installing legitimate products or updates. It is highly likely that virus scanners will incorporate more sandbox features in the future. For more information see Sandboxes.
• Script Sentry is a simple freeware product which scans scripts for potentially dangerous commands. While it is not a comprehensive product, it can protect you against many forms of E-mail and internet attack. If you do not install the Outlook patch, then I highly recommend installing this product. It is available from http://www.jasons-toolbox.com/ . It takes up only a small amount of space, and does not slow down your machine. This same feature is also available in the Norton Antivirus, Finjan SurfinGuard and Tiny Personal Firewall.
• You can find reviews of these types of products in various places on the web. One reputable place to look is www.zdnet.com or www.pcworld.com then type in the search term antivirus and click Go. You will find a number of reviews of products which were reviewed in various magazines. You can find good advice about setting up firewall security at grc.com. A firewall review is available at http://www.hal-pc.org/journal/july01/Review/security/security.html . and an article on computer security is available at http://www.pcworld.com/features/article/0,aid,97430,00.asp .
• Before you buy any of these products you should try it. You can usually download a 30 day evaluation product before you spend any money. Some products are available free or almost free after a rebate. Check your local computer store ads or the ads posted on the internet. Some of these products may not work well on your machine, or may even cause your machine to crash, so always consider try before you buy.

Any computer you use at school should be protected from malicious usage by students. Here are a few simple things you can do to prevent problems.

• If you have a specific account always log off before leaving it unattended.
• Setup a screen saver that starts after a few minutes, and require a password.
• If you use a grading program, always setup a password, and never leave it unattended. Always exit from the grading program when leaving the computer.

While software products can be helpful, do not depend on them. Your actions determine your security more than any software product.

If you have to setup security on student Windows machines you may wish to look at Advanced Security

Computer Privacy

Home computer privacy is a separate issue from security. In addition there is the issue of annoying ads which seem to clutter most sites. Some good privacy products are Pop-Up Stopper from http://www.panicware.com available in a free and $20 version and Watch Your Back from http://www.grinningshark.com/ for $12. Pop-Up Stopper stops annoying popup windows. Watch Your Back helps protect your privacy if you use Outlook as your E-mail client by preventing the E-mail senders from getting mail receipts. Some of these features are now being added to current firewalls. As of 2003 the Norton firewall includes a popup stopper, and personal information protection as well as an Ad. blocker. The 2003 version of Outlook can be configured to stop receipts, or to ask before sending a receipt.

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