From The Bench: Internet Safety 101

Posted by: Daren Lake
February 19, 2009 - 4:16pm

Tags: from the bench, internet safety

Welcome to Internet Safety 101.  This post is designed to help illustrate three major tools that we have available to us to keep us safe while connected to the World Wide Web.  It is meant to be a very basic guide to assist in the education of the ‘beginner’ Internet User, and to serve as an illustration to a foundation of security while online.

The Internet, at its core, is not a hostile place by any means, and you can have an amazing experience every time that you go online. The potential for community creation, education, and recreation is truly a one of a kind opportunity.  However, due to the semi-anonymous nature of the Web, we are also faced with the fact that the internet is the most hostile and dangerous network ever created.

Sounds scary, doesn’t it?  It doesn’t have to be. We have technologies ‘on our side’, specifically to assist in preventing those malicious programs and individuals from ruining the genuinely positive potential of the Internet.  Firewalls, Anti-Malware software and Windows Updates are all tools that we should be actively aware of and able to use.  It is very important that we treat the Internet, the information super-highway, much the same as we would a real highway.  Just as we actively ‘drive safely’ on our roads, we should ‘surf safely’ on the web.

Firewalls are defined as “a dedicated appliance, or software running on another computer, which inspects network traffic passing through it, and denies or permits passage based on a set of rules.” (Definition provided by Wikipedia)

Prior to Windows XP Service Pack 2, we were forced to rely on software like Zone Alarm to provide a software firewall protecting us from the wild internet.  Windows XP Service Pack 2 was uniquely able to provide a robust firewall for even the most basic web surfer.  By making sure that your firewall is turned on (in the Windows Security Center), you have activated the first of three very important lines of defense against the ‘perils’ of the web.

Using a Router in-between your computer and the modem that connects your PC to the internet also provides a ‘hardware’ firewall, and is HIGHLY recommended. Literally, if you plug your PC into an active internet connection without a firewall, it is the equivalent of turning your porch light on after dark.  It takes just a few moments for the bugs to come running, flocking to the bright light.  Think of the firewall as a literal wall that separates that lamp from the bugs, blocking the light against intrusion.

Once we are confident that we have our Firewall in place, we now must look into the active protection of Anti-Malware Programs.  There are many to choose from, all of which promise to be The One program to keep us safe.  Sunbelt, Symantec, Norton, MacAfee, Trend Micro, PC-Cillin, and more, are software manufacturers all offering various flavors of protection, most cost between $39 to $69 dollars.  However, not all security programs are created equally.

Windows XP Service Pack 2 did more than just introduce an easy to use Firewall, it brought with it an amazing tool called the Windows Security Center.  This Security Center is designed to monitor your Firewall, Anti-Malware, and more.  However, if you are using an older operating system, like Windows 98, or Windows 2000, the Security Center is not available.  This was quickly solved by the major Anti-Malware vendors by the introduction of Security Suites.  This was great for those running those older operating systems, but to introduce the Internet Security Suites to Windows XP Service Pack 2 caused an immediate slow down of the Operating System.  This slow down in PC performance is caused by the immediate conflict between Windows XP Service Pack 2’s Security Center (which the Internet Security Suites turn off) and the new software.  It is recommended to avoid those security suites if you are running Windows XP Service Pack 2 or newer.

Instead, focus on the two main flavors of Anti-Malware:  Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware.  Each is designed to defend against a specific type of Malware, and typically, these two types of programs work together to help keep us safe online.   

As a residential user, there are some very attractive opportunities available to us for protection.  AVG Antivirus Free and Avast! are two FREE anti-virus programs available to residential users.  Ad-Aware and Malwarebytes are two Anti-Spyware programs that are also free to those of us in our homes.  AVG and Avast! Are programs that run constantly in the background, taking up very little resources while they watch for any malicious viral activity as we browse our files or web pages.  Ad-Aware and Malwarebytes are designed more as reactive programs, meant to be run once in a while or after you feel that you might have opened the wrong web page, or the like.

It is important to understand the differences mentioned here.  Residential Users are defined as home users, not small businesses.  There are paid for versions of all of these programs for companies that have IT budgets.  That is the main reason that they are able to offer free versions for those of us at home.

Also, Viruses and Spyware are two different types of Malware.  There is an established relationship between the two types, as Spyware usually ‘infects’ a computer by hijacking your home page in your internet browser, and displaying annoying pop-ups.  These can cause you to click on certain links that lead to downloading viruses.  Often times, the spyware infection will be cleverly designed to trick a user into thinking they have become infected and that, if the user clicks on the link (or worse, purchases a piece of software), will lead to a much more severe viral infection.
It is pop-ups, hijacked home pages, and other ‘odd’ behavior that clues us in that there may be a Malware infection.  It is best to start with the Anti-spyware scan, and then follow with the Anti-virus, scanning to remove the infections.  Now is also the best time to contact your support person!

This brings us to the third important security component: Windows Updates.  Microsoft regularly releases patches to the Windows Operating System, designed to combat vulnerabilities in their software.  When we build a computer at Netra, or when we work on a computer to clean it up or remove an infection, we always make sure that ALL Windows Updates are installed.  This is very critical as almost all of the malware on the internet relies on un-patched vulnerabilities as a way to infect your PC.  It is surprising how many people feel that Windows Updates cause more problems than they are worth, leaving them open to Malware Intrusion.

Windows Updates can be managed through the Windows Security Center, which also monitors your Anti-Malware software and Firewall.  It is important to install all of the critical updates to Windows, and also to any Microsoft Office software you have installed.  Making sure, at least monthly, that you are up to date will minimize the chances of Malware Infection.

Typically, in my household, Windows Updates are set to download and then notify the user when they are ready to be installed.  This allows us to pick a time when we can install and potentially ‘reboot’.  Whatever inconvenience the update process can be is far outweighed by the security that they offer.

Wrapping up, we have touched upon the three basic lines of protection when surfing the internet.  Firewalls, Anti-Malware, and Windows Updates are designed to keep us safe from the malicious predators online.  Much like seat belts, oil changes, properly inflated tires, etc., these three layers of security will help keep us safe on the Information Highway.
Please feel free to call with questions, or for advice or assistance in removing an infection!

Enjoy your surfing!