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Is Someone Spying On YOU?

Virus Proof Your PC in 20 Minutes

Virus-Proof Your PC in 20 Minutes
Follow these 3 steps and you'll be protected
against the most common infections
By Paul Boutin

The antivirus company Sophos recently reported that it sighted 959 new viruses and worms on the Net in May. Some of them, like the Sasser worm that infected a million or so computers, connect to idle home desktops, rather than arriving as e-mail attachments. Others aren't viruses but sneaky "spyware" that's bundled with popular programs like KaZaA. Sophos also claims that up to a third of spam is sent by PCs that have been infected with remote-control programs that can turn a computer into a spammer's zombie slave.

Figuring out how to secure your PC from these threats can be daunting even for serious gear-heads. Magazine articles like "78 Ways To Bulletproof Your PC" are 75 more than you should have to deal with. Tech blogger Dave Winer — a software architect who was tinkering with computers before most virus writers were born — proved that the problem afflicts more than newbies in May when he accidentally zapped himself with spyware, then spent days documenting his attempts to get rid of it. The costs add up fast, too. No one program protects against everything, so it's easy to spend more than $100 on second-rate software and still get infected.

So I whittled the world of options down to three steps that, on most PCs, can be done in less than 20 minutes. (Once you're done, you'll need to run some programs that take longer than that, but there's no need to sit and watch.) Just as important, they're all free, thanks to a mix of promotional offers and hacker idealism. Some of these instructions might seem obvious, even dumb, but I was surprised to find that many of my friends' PCs had missed one or another of them. Any computer user who got hit by the Sasser worm hadn't bothered to do the second step. Do all three, and you'll be protected against the most common infections and still be left with time and money for lunch.

1. Set your browser and e-mail security. Nowadays, the most common Web browser and e-mail clients — Microsoft's Internet Explorer, Outlook, and Outlook Express (Disclosure: Microsoft owns Slate) — are configured by default to be secure. But if someone else has used your PC in the past, or if you've idly poked at the configuration menus, you may be automatically downloading viruses without realizing it. All three programs contain features that automatically download and run software on the Windows operating system, including viruses.

Internet Explorer is easy to fix. Start the browser and select the Tools menu. Click on Internet Options, and a dialogue box will pop up. Click the tab labeled Security. Select the content zone labeled Internet, then click the button marked Default Level. Most likely it's already set that way, but this will ensure that your browser won't download and install any programs from Web pages without prompting you for permission first. I can't think of a single downside to this.

To make virus attachments in your e-mail easier to spot, follow About.com's simple instructions to set your computer to display file extensions. (If you're doing this on an office computer, don't be surprised if your system administrator has already done it.) Hiding file extensions was meant to make file names less daunting for novices: Instead of "report.doc" and "installer.exe," they'd see "report" and "installer," with the different file types designated by graphical icons rather than jargony file names. But virus writers quickly figured out that if they named an e-mail attachment "report.doc.exe," though, it shows up onscreen as "report.doc." Showing the full file names outs the two-extension trick.

These settings make viruses and spyware easier to spot, but they don't kill them. You can still click your way to an infection if you're not paying attention. The MyDoom virus used extra-tricky file names like "document.htm (lots of spaces here) .pif."

2. Get Microsoft's security updates. Most viruses and spyware take advantage of security holes in the Windows operating system. Microsoft has set up an automated security upgrade site at microsoft.com/protect that will guide you through three ministeps of its own to fix the most gaping holes in the company's software. You can print out the instructions, but unless you want to learn more about how your PC works, take the automatic route: Tell the site to reach across the Net and configure your PC for you.

If you have Windows XP, the upgrade will turn on your built-in firewall, a program that works as a sentry to block most malicious attempts to connect to your computer. If your computer is on an office network, or if you've set up a home network for several computers, you probably already have a firewall running on a router or gateway between your local network and the rest of the Internet. In that case, don't turn on XP's firewall. It may prevent you from sharing files and printing between computers, as detailed in this tutorial.

If, like most PC users, you aren't running XP, the site links to special discount offers on firewall software. Choose Computer Associates' free 12-month trial of the company's EZ Armor program, which works more or less as well as any of the others. One caveat: The EZ Armor firewall may block some legitimate connections you use, particularly P2P applications. You can usually find instructions to fix this by Googling for "bittorrent firewall port," "KaZaA firewall port," or "[whatever the name of your file-sharing program is] firewall port."

Next, the site will enable Microsoft's automatic upgrades for all currently supported Windows versions. (Windows 95, 98, and NT are excluded.) Many people, including me, turned this feature off on XP a couple of years ago because it seemed like Microsoft was installing new game software or some other frivolous application every week. Microsoft's upgrades are less frequent now, and they're more focused on plugging security holes.

Finally, the site will direct you to a list of special offers on antivirus software. If you didn't take the free year of EZ Armor already, take it now for the antivirus software bundled with that firewall you might not need. PC Magazine reviewed EZ Armor and found plenty of shortcomings, but for free it's hard to beat. It'll meet your basic needs for the next year, giving you time to shop for other alternatives if you're so inclined (or to wait for another free offer from a newer and better application).

3. Check for spyware. Spyware programs (alternately called "trojans," among other names) aren't usually built to spy on you but to serve you targeted ads as you work. But some trojans can pilfer personal information or set up remote access to your PC for spammers or crooks. EarthLink recently reported finding a shocking average of 28 such programs installed on a random sample of its customers' machines. No one antispyware program catches them all, but a combination of Ad-aware and Spybot Search & Destroy makes for a pretty thorough sweep.

That's it, you're done. These three free steps won't make your computer 100 percent attack-proof, but they'll protect you from most of the annoying infections already out there. They would have protected you from all of this year's worst viruses — SoBig, MyDoom, Sasser, and its upcoming variants — as well as most of the spyware hiding in Web pages and software packages. What's more, their automatic upgrades will protect you against newcomers in the future. When the cable networks start blaring about the next virus or worm, you can confidently turn the channel.

 

Is Someone Spying On YOU?

Thieves have updated their techniques to include software code called "spyware"; Legislators and software developers debate whether new laws to curb online theft are necessary.

You are headed for bed. You have locked your doors and windows, set your car alarm, and your wallet sits safely on your bureau. You covered all the bases, right?

Wrong. Before shutting yourself down for the day, you shut down your PC, too. But, while you were online balancing your checkbook, moving money from one account to another, and even when you typed in your credit card number to purchase your cousin a new Stephen King novel, someone was watching.

Of course, you are well aware of thieves' typical working methods-house burglary, nighttime car theft and pick pocketing. But they have made a substantial leap in how they swindle, and their new tool is called spyware. And just as criminals have stepped up their thieving ways, so must PC users increase their PC security.

Profile of a Digital Spy

Spyware, as it sounds, makes it possible for thieves to steal information from computers without users' knowledge. It downloads itself onto a PC and remains hidden, capturing and distributing information from a user's computer without his or her knowledge. Spyware can monitor Internet browsing moves and record keystrokes as users enter personal information or passwords. It also can send spam from the victim's PC.
 
In the end, spyware developers are after your credit card numbers, bank account information, identity and passwords to all one's vital information-an Internet spy's Holy Grail.

Technology companies are fielding an increasing number calls from customers complaining of problems that, once diagnosed, stem from spyware. Lawmakers already have begun to make life harder for the authors of this malicious software, but honest developers are wary. And the future of spyware? The technology could prove helpful in some professions, but online criminals promise to continue to make life more difficult for law abiding folks.

Support Lines Overwhelmed

In the latter months of 2003, spyware (along with adware, its annoying but less nefarious cousin) became the largest complaint by Dell customers, Dell lawyer Maureen Cushman revealed at a one-day conference held by the Federal Trade Commission in April (2004). Customers call with myriad complaints - "slow performance, inability to access the Internet, extra icons and pop-up ads" - all problems that begin with unwanted software customers did not know they had on their PCs.

Spyware and adware are now "a larger technical support problem than viruses," McAfee Security Manager Bryson Gordon told conference attendees.

Almost all known spyware is aimed at the Microsoft Windows operating system, something of which Microsoft is aware. The software giant said 2004 Windows updates will include several anti-spyware features, including a mechanism to prevent unsolicited software downloads.

Government Intervention

Though such powerful spyware is not new, the public and lawmakers have only become alarmed in the past year. Will new regulations help curb spyware? Some lawmakers, for example Rep. Mary Bono, R-Calif., say yes.

This year (2004), Utah became the first state to take on spyware. Utah's new law prohibits companies from installing software, without permission, that sends users' personal information to another company, transmits users' online actions or leads to pop-up ads. At the time of this article, state lawmakers in Iowa and California were exploring their own versions of anti-spyware legislation. Spyware-restricting proposals are even floating around the U.S Congress.

But software firms are wary of government intervention. They believe new laws could prevent the development of good, useful programs such as smut-filtering applications and software update features, which can automatically install software patches for Windows on a PC without user participation.

However, new laws may not be necessary. At the FTC conference, a U.S. Justice Department prosecutor said he already had the necessary tools to bring spyware programmers to justice.

"In our quiver, we have a number of arrows we can use in prosecutions," said senior computer crime prosecutor Mark Eckenwiler.

Future of Spyware

The future of spyware is both good and bad, according to Intellitrove Inc., a Hayward, Calif. hardware and software security consulting firm.

The good: It may help parents monitor their children's Internet surfing and assist private investigators and law enforcement agencies, although gumshoes and police detectives will surely encounter delicate privacy issues. Spyware also could improve how we conduct research projects in the area of our computer and Internet usage.

The bad: Spyware may allow criminals to steal corporate trade or national secrets. Software developers may create spyware-building kits, which surely would increase the number of Internet spies. And down the road, sophisticated spyware may be able to steal information from phones, fax machines, copiers, microphones and Webcams.

The Next Step

Spyware began as software that Web advertisers used to record the personal information of Web surfers to better reach consumers. However, this so-called adware has quickly become the center of a privacy debate.

Now, software developers have taken adware one step further, and spyware threatens every Internet user. In no time at all, spyware has angered many, including Congressman in Washington. That alone is hard evidence that spyware is an ominous form of software.

Protection

McAfee recommends anti-spyware as one of the top four security essentials, including:

- Anti-virus, for protection against viruses, mass-mailing worms, and Trojan horses

- Personal firewall, to creates a barrier that blocks intruders from entering your system to steal private files, financial information, passwords or Social Security Numbers

- Anti-spam, to filter out junk, porn and scam e-mails, or other unsolicited messages

- Privacy service, to set up controls to protect confidential information from being exposed inadvertently by family members, and block objectionable Website content and

- Anti-spyware, to protect against computer code being deposited onto your system without your knowledge, tracking your activity to serve advertisements, or logging keystrokes to steal passwords or your identity.

"When you purchase a new computer, the first thing you need to do is install the right security software," said Bryson Gordon, Senior Manager, Product Management of McAfee. "To bypass this step is to put your new system and its contents-including your personal and business information, or identity-at constant high risk."
 

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