Graham Roberts Home Computer Services

Reputable & reliable computer repairs and servicing for Barlborough, Clowne, Bolsover & surrounding villages.

Welcome to Graham Roberts Home Computer Services News-Letter for January 2004.

*Introduction

The thing that stands out in 2003 from a computer point of view is the notable increase in customers with virus infection and also the exceptional increase in Spy-ware programs found on customer’s PC’s. At the very best they can infringe privacy and slow down systems to walking pace. At worst, they can cause irretrievable damage to your files and system and gain information about things like your on line banking or credit card details. As such, I would like to dedicate this newsletter totally to this subject and hopefully give you some advice on how to reduce this ever increasing risk.

I have tried to keep it concise (if you print it off it’s 4 pages), and if you can find time out read it through, I’m sure that it will help you understand the problems better and give your PC system a fighting chance of avoiding trouble in 2004.

First of all, I’ll start with some straight forward definitions. The first thing to remember is that destructive software applications aren't always viruses, and not all viruses are destructive. So how can you tell the difference?

Viruses
A virus is a self-replicating computer program that can infect other computer programs. This doesn't automatically mean that a virus will cause damage, and in fact many don't. In effect, for a virus to replicate itself and spread to other computers, it must stay undetected. The more widespread its destruction, the more attention it draws to itself, and the faster patches and other fixes become available to stop it. A typical virus has three key components:

1. A method of infection that allows the virus to replicate. The virus may infect the boot sector, insert itself into Microsoft Office documents or modify an existing program for instance.
2. A trigger that launches the virus payload. The trigger may be a specific date or time, a sequence of events or keystrokes, a user action (closing a file), or even a combination of events.
3. A payload that causes the actual damage. A virus' payload can be as harmless as a simple screen message or as destructive as a package that scrambles data, deletes files, creates backdoors into systems, or causes system crashes.  

Trojans
Just like the original wooden horse in ancient Greece that they are named after, computer Trojans claim to be one thing (often harmless), but in reality carry an unfriendly and possibly destructive payload. By definition, a Trojan is a program that acts as a delivery vehicle for other viruses. They are one of the prime reason computer users are constantly warned not to click on unknown e-mail attachments yet Trojans still remain an effective tool for spreading infection.

Worms
Worms are computer programs that replicate themselves across network connections without modifying or attaching themselves to a host program. In recent news, we've seen worms such as the MS Blaster worm, Slammer, and SoBig and its variants.

For example; SoBig is a worm/virus spreading via the Internet as an attachment to infected e-mails and it activates only when a user double-clicks on the attached file. Once the worm is launched, it installs itself in the system and runs its spreading routine. The latest variant is a mass-mailing worm that sends itself to all the e-mail addresses it finds.

Hackers

The term hacker refers to individuals who gain unauthorised access to computer systems perhaps for the purpose of stealing and corrupting data. Access is prevented with the use of a Firewall. They at times initially gain information by first placing a specific virus direct onto your PC which then helps the person remove personal or files information.

Ad-ware

Ad-ware is any software application in which advertising banners and pop-up’s are displayed while the program is running. The justification for ad-ware is that it helps to hold down the cost of software development but certain Ad-ware has been criticised for occasionally including code that tracks a user's personal information and passes it on to third parties, without the user's knowledge. This practice has been dubbed spy-ware. The other downside is that on slow systems, these programs can (without being malicious) completely overwhelm your PC bringing it to a virtual standstill. My personal record number detected running on one PC during 2003 was 627! There is no doubt that they’re on the increase.

Spy-ware

Spy-ware is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. On the Internet, spy-ware is programming that is put in someone's computer to secretly gather information about the user and their browsing preferences and habits and relay it to advertisers or other interested parties.

Cookie

The cookie is a well-known mechanism for storing information about an Internet user on their computer. The plus side is that they allow users to access restricted sites without the requirement of re-entering usernames and passwords on each visit. Nevertheless, to the extent that a Web site stores information about you in a cookie and that many are placed on your PC from non restricted sites; the cookie could be considered as spy-ware.

So how can we control these rogues ?

Fortunately; there are programs out there that will give you an excellent fighting chance and the good news is that some of them can be downloaded completely free.

Anti-Virus Programs.

To help combat potential virus threats (including Worms and Trojans), you need to purchase a good ant-virus program. There are free programs out there to download off the internet which may or may not do the job but I personally have found that they often lack the sophistication of the bespoke boxed products, are often cut down versions and sometime interfere with the functionality of certain programs or specific operating systems. Whatever you choice of Ant-virus product, the most import thing is that your virus program is updated over the internet on a regular basis by downloading the .DAT files; (these are files that contain all the latest virus information and how to detect infection). Quite simply, it works its way through a check list and will only detect what it is aware of. The product is only as good as the latest files downloaded and with an average of 150 new viruses discovered each month, your computer could be wide open to over 1,000 new viruses in 7 months if not updated. If you have an existing Anti-virus program, you can usually find out how up to date the .DAT files are by going into the program and reading the “About” tab. If the Ant-virus program is set up right from installation, the update should be automatic whenever you go on line and you should never be more then a few days out of date. The two main products readily available in most local stores are Norton and McAfee and cost around £30. I personally prefer McAfee but for no other reason then I’ve used it a long time and it has always been reliable but both are recognised products within the industry. Please be aware that there is a time limit on how long you can get your updates free but it will be at least one year.

If you have no virus protection, your system is wide open to over 60,000 threats and every time you surf the net or receive an email, you’re playing a form of virus “Russian roulette”. It is probably not a matter of if you get infected but when, and you need to balance the cost of purchase against what action you would have to take and cost incurred if infected.

Firewalls.

Software Firewalls are the main type installed by home users (although there are hardware versions used mainly on business networks) and they are used primarily to prevent hackers accessing you system and data. Basically what a firewall does is allow only what you want to allow in and out of your system thus reducing the chance of a hacker placing a virus in “through the back door” or scanning your PC for personal information. They work in conjunction with, but not in place of your Ant-Virus software by blocking incoming threats (packets) and when correctly set up greatly increase your security. You can if you wish; download free older or cut-down versions of a good full product like Zone Alarm but I have the same reservations as with the Anti-virus programs and recommend that you pay for the full copy. McAfee and Norton both sell software firewalls in PC stores around the same price as the Ant-Virus software, but also do combined packages (called “Internet Security”) with current combined savings of up to £20.

Spy-ware and Ad-ware removal programs and Pop up Stoppers

These programs detect and remove Ad-Ware and Spy-ware programs and control pop-up programs that can sometimes deliver them. There are boxed programs that can be purchased but in this particular category, I use two first-rate free programs downloaded and very easy to use. Ad-aware 6 downloaded from Lavasoft at www.lavasoftusa.com  detects and removes Spy/ Ad-ware by checking against a list of known programs which you can update free. The self explanatory Pop-Up Stopper free Edition can be downloaded at www.panicware.com . Both products have upgraded versions which you may purchase if you so wish, but I would trial the free versions first.

And finally; a few final words of wisdom.

·         Whilst installing some or all of the above will not guarantee total protection (remember the U.S. defence hacker), each one will reduce your PC’s risk of damage or security breach. It is more likely that you your system will be attacked at random as an easy target if unprotected.

·         If you use internet banking or regularly pay on line by credit card, I would recommend the latest virus program and firewall at the very least.

·         If you use internet banking or regularly pay on line by credit card, always take the option to type in your password on each visit as if not, the information will be stored on your computer.

·         If you have Broadband installed, I would recommend using all the above products or similar, as your risk of hacker or virus infection is that much greater due to speed and being “on” most of the time. On average, I get 10 attempted hacks onto my system per hour although all are not deemed malicious. Don’t let that put you off Broadband though; it’s the biggest step forward in the history of the internet in my opinion.

·         Always keep a back-up copy of all your important files on disk but remember, discs can be infected too and you can spread a virus to unprotected systems by this means.

·         Your Anti-Virus software is only as good as its latest update.

·         Try to use the same make of Virus and Firewall product. Very often, using different software products of this type can cause conflicts.

·         If you’re not sure, get advice when installing this type of product from new, as incorrect set up can disable many of the important features.

Back to Archives