This Column is updated frequently. Q & A's not appearing
here will still receive email replies!
(Suggestion: If you find this column useful, print a copy!)
Its good that you said "opinion" because there are as
many opinions as there are computer owners out there.
We believe common sence should dominate any discourse
on these issues. Almost without exception, all
computers are at some time or another connected to a
Network (the Internet or a business LAN), so any
ongoing discussion should also be rooted in this reality.
COCKPIT PARADIGMS: Begin with good user practices.
Never operate your computer when you are excessively
tird or fatigued. We suggest turning OFF any
application features (including Windows itself) that
automatically check for updates. Do it manually and
then be patient about upgrading, don't immediately jump
at new releases other than perhaps bug fixes (bugs that
you have experienced); This way others will be the test
pilots, not you. Know the history of the software
vendors you are dealing with. Stick whenever possible
with "open source" peer reviewed applications. Try to
avoid the word "FREE"; very few software utilities that
provide value are without some kind of strings
attached. When un- installing software, let Windows do
it as opposed to the vendors own un- installer. Avoid
doing anything you don't know how to undo.
SCAMS: Don't fall for highly legitimate looking e-mail
that warn that someone is using your credit cards, bank
accounts, store accounts, PayPal etc. Legitimate credit
vendors do not communicate this way. Don't forward Mrs
Mogaubie from Nigeria and money to assist in her
acquiring funds for which you will receive a generous
fee. Do not, under any circumstances, click on attachment
links in email you receive without scanning them first.
OPERATING SYSTEMS: Keep them updated! This is your
very first line of defense.
FIREWALLS: Since this tome was started, Microsoft has
greatly improved the internal Firewall that comes with
XP-SP2 and XP_PRO-SP2. For most ordinary users this
Firewall is now sufficient for blocking or allowing and
remembering exceptions to inbound packet request coming
from the Internet. It is our opinion that only advanced
users would require the monitoring of clients on a PC
trying to "call home". Factually, if you don't know
what "calling home" means, you likely do not need the
added protection. If you do, its likely that no
additional advice here is necessary. If your PC's are
using software firewalls, and you use a Router, in many
cases its less complicated to turn the routers internal
NAT (its firewall operation) off and DMZ the node your
PC is using. If you connect to the Internet using a DSL
modem, be aware these modems also have rudimentary
firewall that can be disabled if needbe under Port
Follow Through or DMZ.
SCANNERS: It is our opinion that scanners, much more so
than firewalls, give a false sense of security. Why not
first avoid the typical sloppy operating practices that
always seem to result in a gotcha situation? Hackers
can always defeat scanner utilities given enough
motivation or time. Unfortunately many free spyware
blockers, popup blockers, adware blockers etc are
themselves involved in various privacy invasions. An
added aggravation is that many malware scanners
interfere with the operation of legitimate software
with either false positive triggers or causing strange
functional problems with otherwise good applications,
problems that are difficult to pinpoint. Use a more
security conscious Browser, like FireFox, that clues
you to potentially dangerous web sites. Use a manual
foreground malware scanner like ClamWin to screen ANY
and ALL downloads for viruses etc before installing them.
SNAKEOIL UTILITIES: These are typically a waste of
money for any real benefit they offer. A good example
is hard drive and ram de fraggers. While most disk
scanners actually do what they say they do, that is,
restore files to contiguous segments on the disk, the
improvement in speed offered when used on modern, small
diameter high speed SATA drives, is generally rather
insignificant for most ordinary users. As for Memory
Managers, for our money you would get better results
(considering the LOW price of RAM chips today) by
increasing the native RAM on your computer.
OTHER USEFUL GADGETS: Explore the benefits of Jump or
Thumb Drives that plug into USB ports. For wireless
users, check out home or business Range Expanders. For
those living in areas where the electric grid is
unstable, explore the use of APC type backup power
supplies.
The probability is that when you did a previous FireFox
upgrade containing a security fix, it turned auto installs
off. To reverse this, type "about:config" (less quotes)
in the URL address box. This will give you access to
Firefox's configuration setup. Now scroll the listing
and look for the following entry: "xpinstall.enabled"
(less quotes). Double click that line and change the
setting from False to True. CAUTION: Be very careful
when modifying keys here.
Yes, but you are playing with fire. However, if you
insist, try
Kelly's Korner for various .REG file key examples.
Once you have a good "XYZ.REG" file, you only need
double click it for the operating system to install
or modify the keys involved. Once again, this is
VERY dangerous and only highly skilled users should
attempt it. Of course a skilled user will back up
the registry first, right? :-)
One of the more popular services today is Skype. They offer a free
client program that provided "peer to peer" voice
communications over the Internet as well as "peer to
Telephone" service for a modest monthly fee. For peer
to peer voice communications (no interconnects to real
telephones) I would suggest you try another free client
called CQPhone. This
one also has some nice additional features that
simultaneously allows text chat, photo exchange, video
conferencing and the sharing of web pages. Another
tiny but powerful VoIP Client is
PicoPhone. It offers IP 2 IP connectivity, full
duplex, text chat, busy messages, as well as
full voice and text conferencing between multiple users.
Finally, if you want something that comes closer to a
real telephone service over the Internet, and you have
a broadband connection, you can get a box that plugs
into your cable modem, and allows a conventional
telephone to connect to it, and pretty much operates
like an ordinary phone. You also pay a monthly fee to
the service provider and the fee's typically include
some long distance. Check out
Vonage and Lingo.
Note: There are many other companies now offering these
kinds of service. I suggest you do a Google search
on "telephone over the internet".
When you are about to do something you have never done
previously, read the HELP files or manual. If you are
still unsure, look up key phrases on Goggle's search engine;
otherwise you are a test pilot. The corollary rule is
never do something that you don't have a high level of
confidence that you can undo; otherwise you are a test
pilot. Always leave your desktop and application
windows clear of clutter after a session. Try to
locate someone who has successfully used a program or
gadget that you are interested in buying (before you
spend money); otherwise you are a test pilot. Finally,
avoid being a test pilot at all cost!
Three: Install a good firewall such as ZoneAlarm or
Sygate - both have free versions that are
excellent.
Four: Check your computer with anti spyware-adware-
highjack-parasite utilities such as NoAdWare and
CWShredder
Always pay close attention to your computer's behavior
and look for tell tail signs, such as your mouse
getting intermittently jerky, your Net connection
suddenly slowing to a crawl, your hard drive's free
space continually dropping. Never click on email
attachments until they have been checked for bugs and
be careful of offers of free programs and utilities
that are hawked on various web sites. Finally, here
are some similar questions and answers:
Q&A1 and Q&A2.
How could I tell if I
got infected with a Trojan, Virus or worm
and what is the best defense against
infection?
This is such a common question, affecting so many
people, its worth repeating the answers. Symptoms are
not all the same so there is no single clue that fits
all. It is even possible you will never know you are
infected. However, here are a few common symptoms: a)
sudden slow down in overall speed or performance b)
intermittent or constant jerky mouse cursor movement c)
a sudden increase in error messages d) your systems
crashes and will not reboot.
There are other more sophisticated ways to tell if
there is some unknown background process running on
your machine, but how to detect it depends on the exact
operating system version you are running. Example, if
you were running W2000, there is a utility that comes
with the OS called TASKMGR.EXE that will list every
process running on your CPU. By comparing the real
time list with the list when the OS was first
installed, and accounting for all applications you have
running, you can find the odd man out or suspicious
entity. This is by no means foolproof as some clever
trojans can replace a real component (file) that
belong. Even so, if you are competent to have 32 bit
crc signatures of all OS files, you can still determine
if they have been modified. Unfortunately, this is
typically beyond the scope of the average user.
In many cases the only out for the average user trying
to resurrect his PC is to do a complete disk format and
reinstall the OS. A good technician, who can accurately
determine the exact type or kind of infection, is also
usually competent enough to know how to remove and
replace any affected files as well as edit the registry
and system configurations to stop any reinfection.
Unfortunately you pay dearly for this level of service.
The best defense is to avoid becoming infected. The
secret here is to employ good operating techniques.
Have available a good virus/trojan/worm detector. If
connected to the Internet, run a versatile and high
quality Firewall; especially if you operate a small
network (LAN) with shared resources. Make sure your OS
has all the latest security fixes and updates;
especially your web Browser. If friends give you a CD
or floppy, scan it before installing anything from it.
I even scan commercial software disks. Finally, never
NEVER run or execute ANY attachments you receive vi
email until you scan them first. This even applies to
a file your mom sent you; as frequently computers can
be infected and become carriers without the owner
knowing. Finally, if all this is beyond your ability,
hire someone to do it or forget about using computers.
Can you explain in laymen
terms what the difference are between worms,
trojans and spyware?
In our opinion, all those terms are general and overlap
to some degree and are frequently used incorrectly by
the media. A Trojan is a program you think does only
one thing but contains hidden code, often malicious,
that is designed for other purposes. Spyware is
conventional software that "phones home" with info you
may or may not wish to leave your PC. A worm and a
virus are very similar, both try to infect other
systems, can be triggered by user events, dates or
times or any combinations thereof.