permaculture

[Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>]

Just got the following in email. The reasons for dumping Windows continues to mount. 

"When Zombies Attack"
 ===================
"Zombie" is the term used to describe a computer that's been 
compromised by any of a large number of trojan horses. These 
are spread like viruses, but have a more dangerous component. 
They "phone home" after being activated on your computer and 
give the controller of the program pretty much complete 
control over your machine.
....
In the past, they were mostly used to send spam. The newer 
versions do all sorts of unpleasant stuff. They can install 
keyloggers, to get your passwords and other personal 
information. They can search your computer for sensitive 
personal data and files. They can allow spammers to host web 
pages on your computer. They can (and will) attempt to spread 
themselves to everyone in your addressbook.

They can also be used to attack web sites, causing them to 
respond more slowly or even to become completely unavailable. 
The systems have gotten so efficient that as few as 100 or 200 
machines can take down large sites or big chunks of the 
network.

The most commonly quoted estimate I've seen is that roughly 
10% of the machines connected to the net are compromised. 
That's over 70 million zombies out there, spewing spam, 
stealing identities, harvesting credit card info and sending 
it to eastern European gangs... You name it.

Fun, huh?
....
Maybe you don't think this is that big a problem, but 
consider: If your system was compromised, is there anyone in 
your address book that might suffer from having their computers 
taken over by unscrupulous thieves? Does your mother keep 
personal information, maybe even bank and credit card account 
data, on her machine? Do any of your friends or business 
acquaintances?

This isn't just about you.

That figure of 70 million should scare the hell out of you. 
That's an enormous arsenal. And it wasn't built for fun.

I don't believe for an instant that this little note is going 
to make a dent in the problem. But if it gets a few more of 
you to install a firewall and anti-virus/anti-spyware software 
- and use it - I'm happy.

Problem: I don't know everyone in the world. I can only warn 
the people I know.

It's up to you to warn the ones that you know.
....
What should they do? Get, install, and use the following 
software. It's all free, and it's all well-known and safe.

Zone Alarm Personal. This is a basic, but effective, software 
firewall. I use the Pro version, but this will do just fine 
for keeping out most types of direct attacks.

AVG Anti-virus: Set it to scan your system and to update 
daily.

The next two are anti-spyware programs. AdAware and Spybot 
Search and Destroy.

I recommend using both. Update them regularly and run them 
weekly, at least. Each will get things the other will miss 
(nature of the beast, I'm afraid), but together they won't 
miss much.

That'll help. A lot.
....
Yes, those are all Windows programs. Windows machines are the 
vast majority of the problem. Mostly because they're the vast 
majority of the computers on the net.
....
You also need to practice sensible computing. All the software 
in the world won't keep you safe if you open the door and let 
attackers in.

Don't open attachments from strangers. Don't open unexpected 
attachments from people you know. Don't forward things you got 
from someone else.

Don't download pirated software, or let uncertain web sites 
run code on your machine. If you don't know what that means, 
get a reasonably paranoid geek in to adjust your browser 
settings.

Nothing will protect you 100% from every attack, but you can 
stack the odds in your favor so the risk is minimal.

The most important thing you can do to protect yourself? Think 
about what you're doing when you use your computer.

Really. Just think. All the time.

Sucks, but that's what it takes. And it's not just you and 
your money and privacy that's at risk.

Of course, if your computers are important to your business, 
that should be a big motivation in itself. Did you know that 
over 90% of businesses that experience a catastrophic data 
loss are forced to shut down within the next year or two?

Something to think about.

The scary thing about this problem is that protecting yourself 
isn't that big a job. A half hour or so for each computer, and 
a little common sense, is all it takes.

--
Keith Johnson
"Be fruitful and mulch apply."
Permaculture Activist Magazine
PO Box 5516, Bloomington, IN 47408
(812) 335-0383
http://www.permacultureactivist.net
also Patterns for Abundance Design & Consulting
also Association for Regenerative Culture
also APPLE-Bloomington (Alliance for a Post-Petroleum Local Economy) It's a 
small world after oil.
http://www.relocalize.net/groups/applebloomington
also Bloomington Permaculture Guild