| CyberDefenseGuide A How-To Guide To Internet Security and Windows Repair |
| Internet Security | Windows Repair |
| Remotescan Remote Virus Removal and Security Maintenance Service Remotescan |
| Foreword |
Use this guide to check your pc for vulnerabilities to cyber attack and viruses, download antivirus scanners to
clean your pc of malware and follow the advice & configurations to protect yourself from important security vulnerabilities.
The purpose of this guide is to provide free security solutions, all software recommended here is free for personal use, including my
Windows batch files, however a lot of work and experience has gone in to making this guide so if you do benefit from the advice here
all I ask is for you to make a small donation so I can expand it and keep it up to date with the latest security knowledge.
Before using any of the advice here it is always advisable to Backup all your important data and make a Restore Point.
Sometimes the unique way in which a computer can be configured can cause unforseen problems even with simple changes.
Plus, when you're hunting for malware it is easy to remove something in error and break Windows.
If you have a restore point you can undo your mistake.
This guide applies to Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7. Most general safety advice also applies to Windows 98, 2000, ME and the Apple Mac.
Every pc user should be aware of the security issues described here - especially if you use your credit card online.
If you have no firewall skip straight to Firewall and install Comodo.
To keep your email accounts safe, make sure you change all the passwords that you use online at least once a month, preferably once a week.
If you have no protection against keyloggers skip to Antikeylogger and install KeyScrambler.
| Introduction to Malware |
Malware is the term used to cover all forms of malicious software or code deposited fraudulently onto your pc.
It is 'malevolent' software, and includes the terms virus, trojan, worm, rootkit, dialer, keylogger, spyware, and adware.
Malware can get onto your pc by exploiting security vulnerabilities in your operating system and the software you use,
but more usually it is installed by the user because they have been tricked tinto running it.
Once on your system malware can do everything from stealing your passwords, credit card details and identity information
to using your pc to email spam, act as a server for illegal files, and hack into other pcs and networks for the purposes
of corporate espionage and Denial of Service attacks.
Malware can take advantage of unpatched security vulnerabilities in ALL operating systems and software packages.
The hackers are looking for ways to exploit the lack of protection of the user's pc and personal data.
Once your pc is infected it is only a matter of time before they have the login details for your email account,
your online bank account and enough information to steal your identity and apply for credit and loans in your name.
In the worst cases the hacker can read and manipulate files on your harddrive and use your pc to access other infected pcs,
or as an internet server to share illegal copyrighted files, or to actively hack into a corporate target for more valuable data.
The Antivirus guide contains the current best practices for removal and prevention of malware infection.
| Symptoms of Malware |
Most pc users are familiar with the 'crash', where your screen goes black or blue and you have to restart the pc
to get it to work again, or it restarts itself. This can be caused by malware but is usually more likely
to be a legitimate software or hardware problem - all sorts of simple software errors can cause crashes until the
software is updated or 'patched', and many crashes can be the first sign of a faulty motherboard, memory or harddrive.
While malware can crash your pc, it may not be a definite sign of infection since the hacker needs your pc to be running
to be able to access your data or otherwise use your pc for illegal purposes. The symptoms you are therefore likely to see
are excessive internet traffic, general slowdown of your pc, stuttering and lack of responsiveness, problems running programs
or accessing elements of Windows like Task Manager, Registry Editor and Safe Mode -
impeding your attempts to find out what's going on even at a basic level.
Sometimes a pc can simply freeze, like a crash, from the amount of processing activity caused by the malware,
requiring you to continually restart. If your pc has some of these problems or won't even switch on properly you should first
check through the Windows Repair Guide to eliminate any hardware or Windows problems.
When it's booting up properly you can clean it thoroughly by following the Antivirus guide.
| Causes of Malware |
Most malware infections are caused by running software downloaded from untrustworthy websites,
from torrents or from email attachments. Sometimes the malware can be transferred to your pc by using exploits in
legitimate software, Windows programs, even adverts on a webpage.
Malware by itself can seek out and copy any sensitive information, even your Windows account password and send it
to the hacker. More usually though malware uses keylogging which records login names & passwords that you use online,
personal information used in website form registration, and
All of this can be, and always is, kept invisible to the user unless they actively monitor and log all their internet traffic,
and unless the hacking becomes obvious due to system slowdowns. Since most software these days likes to
have access to the internet, detecting whether malware is active has become most people's pc security nightmare.
Even if you follow the advice here and clean your pc thoroughly it is still possible to be infected with malware by
visiting websites infected with malware. They can record any sensitive information contained in any active cookies,
like login details for email websites. Web browsers can only detect these 'attack sites' if they're on their blacklist,
so the best defence is to never have any other browser windows open while you check your email
and close the browser and delete your cookies before you visit any other websites.
If you use Internet Explorer you should run Windows Update regularly to get every new security update for IE
as they become available, there's usually one for IE every couple of weeks. If you use Firefox, Flock, Opera or
other browser you should make sure you update it as soon as a new version is available.
Similarly firewalls and anti-virus monitoring software can only stop the malware copying itself from the website to your pc
if it has been previously reported and added to their virus list. If criminal organisations discover a new common vulnerability
in the software code of a popular browser then thousands of people can be infected before anyone can do anything.
Therefore make sure you update your antivirus software regularly.
Fake anti-virus websites are becoming a problem, providing fake anti-virus software that tells you
that you're infected and that you have to buy the software in order to remove the bogus infections.
Google the software before you use it to find out if it is legitimate beyond doubt.
It is worth noting that the latest large scale infections are being caused by malware hidden inside ads appearing on
legitimate websites. This is making malware security a major issue for all website owners and the internet in general.
Thankfully there is a way to stop advertising appearing at all on websites you visit by using AdBlockPlus with the
Mozilla Firefox web browser. If used with QFX KeyScrambler to protect you from keylogging, you have
a pretty good starting point to deal with cyber attacks. For proper protection you should also use realtime antivirus protection
with heuristic monitoring, run a full update of Windows, and have properly configured firewall software.
Read the Leaktesting guide and employ the security solutions suggested.
To test your pc for remaining vulnerabilities to cyber attack, Comodo, a firewall company, have a free tool called Comodo Leak Tester
which simulates all the common attack methods of malware. If your pc has more than one or two failures in this test
it is essential you use a commercial firewall or if you have one tighten up its security configuration.
Windows Firewall by itself fails nearly all of these vulnerability tests.
Microsoft provide a free tool called Baseline Security Analyzer which checks to see whether you need to
configure certain fundamental security holes concerning passwords, user accounts and network access.
If you rarely scan for viruses then you should definately start scanning now. It is a complex process but worth
doing if you're worried about online bank accounts and identity theft, email hacking, and general fraud being carried out via your pc.
The most common types of virus can be easily created using programs freely available on the internet.
Using these kind of programs anyone can make a file which will control the computer it's run on,
record everything you type and send it silently across the internet back to the maker.
The latest versions of these programs include updated methods to circumvent the latest Windows security updates.
In the end, the only way to prevent malware will be either to invent more secure operating systems or
prevent all unknown software from running. Or disconnect from the internet.
If you follow this guide you will have the best level of defense against malware infection currently available for free.
©Helptree Services 2010