The Computer Club Newsletter

February 2004

By Ron Uncapher

At the February meeting Victor de Groote made a fine presentation on the program, Flip Album. The next meeting will concentrate primarily on question and answers from the audience. There will be one or two short presentations on subjects TBD. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, March 2, 2004. The Q & A will begin at 6:30 PM.

A subject much in the news these days is computer security. We have talked in this article and at club meetings on some aspects of the subject. This month I would like to cover the subject within a broader context.

Let’s define PC Security as a state of mind knowing that no one, no way, no time will ever impinge on your personal computer or cause you grief. Can you ever achieve this state? Let’s see.

What are the threats to your PC and where do they come from? The major threats are viruses, worms, identity theft, Spam, Pop-ups, and crackers (hackers). Can you avoid them? Absolutely. Just unplug your PC from the Internet and don’t slip any floppies or CDs into your PC. That wouldn’t be very exciting, would it? So, what can you do to minimize the threats?

I have covered virus protection in the March ‘02 article. Everything in that article still applies. Review it under the "Library" section of www.TVCUC.org, the club Website. A second and very important prevention is to keep WINDOWS, INTERNET EXPLORER, and OUTLOOK EXPRESS up to date. We have covered that subject in the August ’03 article. Using "Live Update" (START-WINDOWS UPDATE) at least once a month is very important. Use it anytime if you hear of a new threat. Every program, including other web browsers (Netscape, Opera), has errors and security holes, but the crackers attack Microsoft because the audience is much wider and the potential for damage (and attention) is much greater.

Crackers usually won’t go after you, specifically, but then you might not be hit by a car today, either. It is very easy to install a firewall on your PC. If you have a broadband connection (Charter cable or Bellsouth DSL) your computer is connected as long as it is powered on. If someone is looking for you, they will probably find you. A firewall is a must. There are many firewall suppliers on the market. Symantec, McAfee, and others sell them and they are good. I have always used ZoneAlarm. It is as good or better that the others and it is FREE. See Zone Labs at www.zonelabs.com. They charge for the full-featured Pro version. You may have to navigate the site to find the free version. There is no reason you should not be protected even if you are a dial up user. If you have a home network, your router may already protect you. Many routers have a built in firewall. Remember, a firewall will prevent a worm or ad ware in your computer from getting out with your valuable information. By the way, if you think the firewall that is built in to Windows XP protects you, forget it. Turn it off when you get a good firewall.

If you want to see just how good you protection is, go to the Gibson Research Website, www.grc.com, and try the ShieldsUp utility. I tested my PC and it is absolutely safe. Gibson has been recommended by both PCWorld and Smart Computing magazines, as has ZoneAlarm.

I mentioned ad ware. Ad Ware and Spy Ware are programs that can get into your computer without you knowing. It collects your browsing habits, or more, and sends the information out to someone who uses it to bombard you with ads, or worse. Several downloadable programs are available to help you identify and get rid of these intruders. One of the best and most recommended is Spybot Search and Destroy. It is free. It searches your computer for spy ware and ad ware and helps you delete it. Read about it and download it at www.safer-networking.org .

Identity theft is a threat to everyone, not just computer users. But, you can minimize your exposure while on the Internet. Besides using the programs mentioned above, NEVER type you social security number or bank account numbers onto a web page. There is no reason good enough that your numbers must go over the Internet. Someone will ask for them only for a nefarious reason. Credit card number should be guarded carefully. I buy online, but only from a reputable company that I know. After all, shady people at any store or restaurant where you use you credit cards can steal your credit card number if they so wish.

SPAM has been in the news lately. There are efforts in Congress to legislate against it. Fat chance! It will never go away. Some ISPs have employed anti-spam measures, some with better success than others. Hotmail has a very effective spam blocker. There is no 100% effective spam block, free or otherwise. Some good ones are "IhateSpam" and "Spam Killer". Type "spam blockers" into your browser’s search box or into Google. There is a great deal written about blockers and where to find them. Also, review the October ’02 article about "Mailwasher". That program can help you keep spam and other unwanted material out of your computer before you download it. There is now a version that will work with some online mail (not AOL). I still use it.

Pop up ads are a nuisance if nothing else. There are several free pop up blockers available for download. Type "pop up blockers" into you search box for reviews and pointers to downloadable programs.

There are Internet browsers other than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer that will shield you from some of the above threats. Netscape 7.1 (netscape.com), Opera (opera.com) and Mozilla (mozilla.org) may have security holes, but they are less likely to be attacked, as I mentioned above. All three have build in pop up and some spam blockers. All three are free to download. Free Opera has an ad banner but a banner free version is available at a cost. They work very much like Internet Explorer but there may be some differences that are not necessarily bad, just take some getting used to. They have mail clients that some say are better than Outlook Express. Go to the above Websites for better descriptions and downloads.

I have not exhausted this subject by any means. However, my intent has been to make you aware that there are guards that you can and should use. I hope I have provided directions for you to use to become better informed and protected. Come to the TVCUC club meetings on the first Tuesday evening of the month and learn more. Also, visit the Website at www.tvcuc.org.