Community Newsletter: Q&A: 1/5/07 Help! I need clarification on Internet security

by Lee Koo (ADMIN)

- 1/5/07 11:32 AM

Total posts: 64

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Post 61 of 64

Mac etal

by MadMark - 1/8/07 6:00 PM In reply to: Internet Security and Mac OSX. by geocar27

At great risk of starting an OS and browser war, I will say this. It doesn't matter. It is totally irrevelant what the OS or browser is. No Operating System is immune from attack. No application is bug free. If a system is valuable, contains data, or can connect to a system that can provide valuable data, it is a target for exploitation and compromise. Windows is the focus of much attack, simply because it is prevalent.

Check the CVE (Common Vulnerability Enumeration) database, type in MAC or OSX. http://nvd.nist.gov/ Select the "last 3 months" button. Pay attaention to the CVSS rating. 5 is bad. 10 is the worst. Now go back and type in Firefox. Try your favorite application name!

I am not trying to scare anyone, or create a world of luddites. Just take a few simple steps to add a measure of security to your PC and network. Become aware of your surroundings, and realize that there are criminals out there bent on making money at your expense. They will continue to prey on the unprepared and uninformed. Make it hard, and they tend to move on to easier pickings.

Cheers!
Mark

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Post 62 of 64

bingo and ditto

by santuccie - 1/8/07 6:22 PM In reply to: Mac etal by MadMark

Everything this guy said is correct. The only reason Windows is exploited the most is because it has 95% of the market. But know that there is still protection for you.

First is your firewall. Botnet programs are becoming more sophisticated. Why? Because security is becoming more sophisticated, and hackers don't want to go and get a real job, so the only thing they can do is step it up themselves.

Practically everyone has heard of hardware firewalls, and how great they work. What people don't know is, this same technology is available in software form. It's called SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection), and on an NT-based system (W2K, WXP), where the driver has total control over the network layer, it works just as well.

Your firewall alone is not going to protect you from drive-by infection and P2P downloading, so you still need other protection as well. Of course, you shouldn't be using P2P at all, but I'm not telling anyone what to do.

Besides a firewall, you need up-to-date antivirus and antispyware with resident protection, and I also recommend a HIPS program. Cyberhawk is one of the best, while being amazingly quiet at the same time.

Finally, if you use IE or Firefox, I recommend McAfee SiteAdvisor. If you follow my advice, and stay away from any site that doesn't have a green rating, and stay away from P2P and torrent sites altogether, you'll be much better off.

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Post 63 of 64

Quick answers

by Ryo Hazuki - 1/13/07 5:44 PM In reply to: 1/5/07 Help! I need clarification on Internet security by Lee Koo (ADMIN)

1. No.

2. Yes.

3. Yes.

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Post 64 of 64

Kaspersky Internet Security

by ESPRIMO - 2/7/07 12:06 AM In reply to: 1/5/07 Help! I need clarification on Internet security by Lee Koo (ADMIN)

Beside's John W's answer, I would like to add my comments :

PC World: Kaspersky's Best of Breed Security Suite
http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,125705-page,1/article.html

Kaspersky awards
http://forum.kasperskyclub.com/index.php?s=ac851b9e994c9da1cfb3034ebfbc6b27&showforum=27
You can also visit Kaspersky.com and go to Awards section. And also see PDF of Kaspersky Internet Security
6.0 Competitive Comparison chart.
In the manual of Kaspersky Internet Security is printed:
Tip:
Do not forget that someone could send a virus to your computer with the
extension .txt, although in reality it could be an executable file renamed as
a .txt file. If you select the Scan Programs and documents (by extension)
option, such a file would be skipped by the scan. If the Scan Programs and
documents (by contents) is selected, ignoring extensions, File Anti-Virus
will analyze file headers, which will uncover that the file is an .exe file. Such
a file would be thoroughly scanned for viruses.
One of Kaspersky’s important feature is detection of keyloggers and other
keyboard spy programs by the Proactive Defense module. Keyloggers are
programs that record information about keys pressed by the user, usually
without the user’s knowledge. The principal purpose of such programs is to
obtain confidential information entered by the user, including passwords for
various programs and services, PIN codes etc.
From :http://www.kaspersky.com/version6-MP1
Kaspersky Internet Security uses two methods for detecting and blocking these threat types:
Reactive - methods based on searching for malicious files using a threat signature database that is regularly
updated. This method involves adding threat signatures to the database and downloading updates.
Proactive - in contrast to reactive protection, this method is not built on analyzing code but behavior in the
system. This method is aimed at detecting new threats that are still not defined in the signatures.