Computer Security

The purpose of this information is to enable to you to achieve maximum computer security at minimum cost. These are not all of the security resources available on the Internet. But they work, and they are generally either free or low-cost.

There are now three types of Internet access in common use. The slowest is conventional modem, but it is also the most secure because it does not generally mean the computer is continuously online. High speed telephone connections are less secure, because they are continuously online, but each line is private. Cable modem access can be extremely insecure right out of the box. Not only is it continuously online, but access to the Internet is shared on the same network with other cable modem users. This means that it is readily accessible to outside intrusion. Some cable companies offer safety advice and firewall-protected modems.

Here are some simple methods of keeping your computer safer. Note that there is no such thing as unhackable personal firewall software. The only unhackable computer is one that is turned off. There are even means of observing computer activity by interpreting the RF output of a system, and reconstructing its activity on another computer. Radio output can be recorded and reconstructed at a later time.

The simplest means of preventing this particular type of intrusion is to reduce the RF output of the computer. To do this, a computer expert or security expert should be consulted. Most modern computers have a very low RF signature as it is, but it is still possible to make it lower.

Another form of direct attack involves entering the computer manually. This can easily be prevented by using a password protection system. However, the standard Windows 95/98 system that many people use is, to a greater or lesser degree, easy to defeat. Another means of protecting your computer is through the use of biometric security. You can get a free voice-print authentication screensaver, VoicEntry I, from Te-Netix.

Keytronic offers a Secure Finger Scanner Keyboard for a list price of $149.00. When this replacement keyboard is added to your system, entry is restricted to those with previously enrolled fingerprints.

Digital Persona offers a seperate fingerprint scanner that plugs into a computer's USB port for $149. This system allows you to encrypt specific files, which can then only be decrypted by the use of the fingerprint scanner.

The most common problem is hacker attack. Hackers use continuously running scripts or programs that attempt to connect to computers by accessing open software ports. Depending on the operating system on the computer and the type of port being accessed, the computer may be vulnerable to attack. allowing access to your files, your computer, and even the data being transmitted across your Internet connection. If you are on an internal network, this would mean that your entire system could be as accessible to the hacker as it is to anybody on your network. If you have a single computer running Windows 95/98, the first step to security is to turn off file and print sharing. This is simple. Go to the icon marked Network Neighborhood, right-click on it, go to Properties and click on the File and Printer Sharing button. Uncheck file and printer sharing.

The next step is to obtain personal firewall software. There are many good firewalls available, but they all, to a greater or lesser degree, will interrupt your access to the Internet. Some firewalls are easier to manage than others. Zone Alarm offers good protection and convenient access, as it will query you about whether or not you want a given program to access the Internet as you work, then automatically allow the access if you agree. You can also control access, and the level of access, from a window. Zone Alarm is free for personal users.

Other good firewalls are ConSeal Private Desktop and Black Ice Defender. Black Ice will make a record of all activity, including the IP addresses of computers attempting to access your system, and the ports they have attempted to access.

If you have a cable modem and your provider does not offer a firewall protected modem, you should use a Cable/DSL Router with its own IP address. This will be the only IP address that the cable network will see, and it will offer a significant increased level of protection. However, hackers can "spoof" such systems and find the actual IP addresses of the consealed computers, so a firewall on each computer is also necessary for thorough protection. A good router with its own IP address is the Linksys Etherfast Cable/DSL Router.

Once your system is secured, you can test the effectiveness of your firewall with Shields UP!.

Shields UP! is a system that will ping your computer and tell you the degree of firewall invisibility that it found, and recommend whatever changes may be necessary to offer you effective protection. Other good security sites are HackerWhacker and PRO-TECT 2000.

As you browse the Internet, your browser leaves behind and picks up all sorts of information. Your most basic defense against this is to make certain that the browser warns you when a cookie is about to be sent to your computer. You can also strip your browser of all the invasive debris that it has picked up by using a program called Window Washer.

Anonymizer also enables private web browsing by enabling you to browse through their servers. Bear in mind that Window Washer will erase passwords saved in Explorer, so be certain that you know what they are before using the settings on this program that will completely wipe Explorer of all its stored information.

A $49.95 program called Freedom allows the user to create pseudonyms while they chat, surf or shop online, and to send aliased e-mail. Remember, if you are in e-mail correspondence with anybody you don't know personally, that programs like this exist. You have NO WAY OF KNOWING if your correspondent is a real person or a pseudonym. Freedom is a powerful program. Bear that in mind. However, it not only offers people who would like to conceal their true identities the opportunity to do so, it offers you the freedom to access the Internet with total and complete privacy.

E-mail security is another important issue. As your e-mail travels across the Internet, it is quite easy for hackers of all kinds of pick it up and read it. The solution is encryption, and there are a number of programs that will do this. Invisimail offers totally automatic encryption and decryption as long as both users have the program properly installed in their system. Installation can be touchy. PGP offers certificate-based authentication. Both users must have PGP, and must have traded public keys to decrypt one another's messages.

PrivacyX enables the sending of encrypted messages that require the receiver to have a digital certificate to decrypt. Certificates can be obtained by signing up for a PrivacyX account. www.privacyx.com. Ziplip enables users to set up a free email account that offers encryption security. Recepients of the messages do not need Ziplip accounts, but must have a password given to them by the sender. This is a very convenient, and free, system.