365 Computer Security Training

A vulnerability is a weakness in your computer security which allows an attacker to reduce the computer’s information assurance.  Or in other words it is a potential avenue of attack for the bad guys.

An attacker or malware only requires three elements to exploit the vulnerability:

1. A flaw in the system.
2. An attacker’s access to the flaw.
3. The attacker’s ability to exploit the flaw.

In a recent experiment conducted in the United States, several new Windows XP computers were connected to the Internet using a DSL connection. They had the latest operating system patches but no anti-virus and no firewall. They recorded an average of 300 security intrusions per hour at the end of the first day!

Some of the common yet dangerous computer and network vulnerabilities include:

• Unsupported or unpatched operating systems. Windows 95, 98 and NT Networks are no longer supported by Microsoft. XP Home or Windows Me are never appropriate for office usage. Only Windows XP Professional or Vista Business is recommended for office usage. Make sure that your operating system has the latest service pack updates installed.

• Even though anti-virus software is installed on 95% of the computers, in 90% they are not configured properly. Then what’s the point of having anti-virus SW? Make sure that you download and install periodic updates from the Internet.

• Never go for free or cracked anti-virus software to save a few bucks and expose your computer to serious threats.  Free AV is only recommended for light computer use.

• If you are an Internet junkie that engages in risqué habits (i.e. pornography, black-market, and underground sites) then it is imperative that you install a hardware firewall as opposed to just a software firewall.

• Most of the time it is we who expose our computer or network to vulnerabilities by downloading and installing peer-to-peer file sharing software like Kazaa, Limewire, Morpheus etc.

• Downloading and installing screensavers and playing online games can also be threatening to your computer due to patchy software with vulnerable holes.

• Installing Freeware or software that is free. We do it because…well…they are free! But they can be also dangerous, you just don’t know where it came from or if it is being properly maintained and updated.

• Not backing up your data is a disaster waiting to happen.  All hard drives will eventually fail.  So, unless you are backing up your data regularly, be prepared for it to vanish.  There are companies that can recover your data but they are expensive!

Also, power spikes and outages are also extremely dangerous for your computer and network. So using a UPS will prevent this, and prevent disconnections from the net.