Company's or Individual's Perspective (Defensive)
Today, the number of people who have access to a PC, an email system, or an internet connection is high and is growing rapidly as more people adopt new technologies. This large user base gives hackers a wider audience to target. How can individuals and companies protect themselves from hackers?
 
There are many ways users can protect themselves against hackers.
 
Email Software
Most users do not know what e-mail software they are using. The users need to know what e-mail software they are using, its features, specifications, help and read me file information. Then they need to compare it with other software on the market. Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Netscape Mail, and Eudora are well-known and commonly used e-mail software.
 
There are reported bugs that could allow hackers to creep in and destroy data on your hard drive. The known defect exists only in recent versions of Microsoft Outlook 98, Outlook Express and Netscape Mail. Those programs are broadly used in business but specialists say majority of home PC users are using by "site-specific programs" such as AOL and Eudora, which have built-in protections against such flaws.
 
When flaws found, fixes generally available within two weeks from the software vendors and from their web sites. You just need to know its existence. So, be aware what you are using and try to find its vulnerabilities just like a hacker.
 
Firewalls
Firewall is a system designed to block illegal access to or from a private network. Firewalls can be implemented in both hardware and software, or a combination of both. All messages entering or leaving the Intranet pass through the firewall, which check each message and block those that do not meet the specified security criteria. This protects the internal network from intruders or hackers who might try to use the Internet to break into those systems.
 
There are several types of firewall techniques:
  1. Packet filter: Looks at each packet entering or leaving the network and accepts or rejects it based on user-defined rules. Packet filtering is adequately sufficient and transparent to users, but it is difficult to configure. It is also open to IP spoofing. To spoof an IP, a hacker must first use a variety of ways to find an IP address of a trusted port and then adjust the packet headers so that it looks like that the packets are coming from that port. Newer routers and firewall arrangements can offer protection against IP spoofing.
  2. Application gateway: Applies security mechanisms to specific applications, such as FTP and Telnet servers. This is very effective, but can decrease a performance.
  3. Circuit-level gateway: Applies security mechanisms when a TCP or UDP connection is established. Once the connection has been made, packets can flow between the hosts without further checking.
  4. Proxy server: Intercepts all messages entering and leaving the network. The proxy server effectively hides the true network addresses.
In practice, many firewalls use two or more of these techniques together. A firewall is considered as a first line of defense in protecting private information. One of the best firewalls for PCs is Conseal PC Firewall. It is easy to use and effective.
 
Encryption
Encryption is a method of coding the information in a file or e-mail message so that if it is intercepted by a third party as it travels over a network it cannot be read. Only the person or persons that have the right type of decoding software can unscramble the message. Encryption is the most effective data security.
 
Anti-virus Programs
A virus is a piece of software designed and written to negatively affect your computer by changing the way it works without your knowledge or permission. Technically, a virus is a segment of program code that inserts itself to one of your executable files and spreads systematically from one file to another. Computer viruses do not accidentally produce: They must be written and have a specific purpose. Usually a virus has two particular functions:
  1. Spreads itself from one file to another without your input or knowledge. Technically, this is known as self-replication and propagation.
  2. Implements the indication or damage designed by the perpetrator. This could include erasing a disk, corrupting your programs or just creating destruction on your computer. Technically, this is known as the virus payload that can be harmless or evil at the whim of the virus creator.
A harmless virus is one that is designed to do no real damage to your computer. For example, a virus that conceals itself until some predetermined date or time and then does nothing more than display some sort of message is considered benign. A malignant virus is one that attempts to inflict malicious damage to your computer, although the damage may not be intentional. There are a significant number of viruses that cause damage due to poor programming and outright bugs in the viral code. A malicious virus might alter one or more of your programs so that it does not work as it should. The infected program might terminate abnormally, writes incorrect information into your documents. Some of the viruses identified are benign; however, a high percentage of them are very malignant. Some of the more malignant viruses will erase your entire hard disk, or delete files.
 
Anti-Virus programs will protect your system from viruses that can harm your system, and also from downloading remote administration or hacking tool files. You need to have the best and latest anti-virus software, and update its database regularly. It is advisable to update its virus definition everyday before doing anything on your computer.
 
Popular Anti-Virus Programs:
  1. Norton AntiVirus
  2. Mc Afee Virus Scan
  3. F-Prot Professional Anti-virus Toolkit