Don’t Lose Your Identity – Protect Yourself from Spyware

Dan Frommer

Sherry Minton

Agenda

• What is spyware?• What does it do?• How do you get it?• What happens to your computer?• How do you get rid of it?• How to protect?• Phishing• Identity theft• Resources

How do you use Internet?

• Email

• Web browsing

• Finance

• Games

• Each of these involve your identity being compromised

Spyware

• Spyware is computer software that gathers and reports information about a computer user without the user's knowledge or consent.

AdwareAdware-

•Kazaa

Pop-up ads - online advertising where certain websites open a new web browser window

Controlling the pop-ups

Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) Internet Explorer •Prevents most pop-up windows •Pop-up Blocker that is set to the medium setting, blocking most automatic pop-ups. •Pop-up Blocker will also play a sound and show the Information Bar when a pop-up is blocked.

Pop-up Blocker with IE and Firefox

Cookies

• Information sent by a server to a browser and then sent back to the server each time it accesses that server.

• Enable websites to be customized for individual users once browsing patterns have been established.

• Potential security problems

– credit card details might be collected  

Cookies - Purpose

• Typically this is used to authenticate or identify a registered user of a web site as part of their first login process or initial site registration without requiring them to sign in again every time they access that site.

• Other uses are maintaining a "shopping basket" of goods selected for purchase during a session at a site, site personalization (presenting different pages to different users), and tracking a particular user's access to a site.

Cookies - Permission• A browser may or may not allow the

use of cookies. • The user can usually choose a

setting.• Microsoft Internet Explorer

– Tools > Internet Options > Privacy Tab

– Use slider to set options, or use advanced options

Malware

• Remote access trojans (RATs)

• Keystroke loggers

• Ddenial-of-service (DoS) attack agents

• Probe tools

• Other backdoor network threats (including most popular remote access tools).

What does Spyware do?

• Steal your information (Identity Theft)• Pop up ads• Unsolicited emails in your mailbox• Slows down your computer• Crash your computer• Or worse….they can take over• Most people don’t know until after it

happens

Getting rid of Spyware

• Spybot Search and Destroy

Unsolicited E-mail

• Unwanted commercial advertisements• Offenders obtain e-mail addresses

– Web pages– guessing common names at known domains

• Spoofing e-mail addresses - modifies the e-mail message so it looks like it is coming from another e-mail address.

• Tricks - intentionally misspell common filter trigger words, ie. "viagra" might become "vaigra", or by inserting other symbols within the word, i.e. "v/i/a/g./r/a".

• Some even ask you for personal information, posing as legitimate, known as phishing.

Phishing Scams

• E-mail

• Phone calls

• Verification

Identity Theft

• What thieves can do with your info– Open new credit card, bank accounts, utilities– Contact creditors and change your address– File bankruptcy under your name– File fraudulent tax returns– Obtain a new Drivers License or other fake id– Buy house or car in your name– Sell business info to competitors

Identity theft

• Vulnerable

• Go on the offensive - don’t wait for it happen

• Use your instincts

Consequences of Identity Theft

• More than just money.

• Denied credit

• Higher interest rates

• Receive credit card bills you never ordered

• Insurance premiums increase

• Inability to find a job

• Affects usually stay with you for 10 years.

Red Flags

• E-mail asking for personal info or information that you’ve already given

• Website or email with different domain

• Non-secure input form – look for security padlock in lower right corner or check for https:www.

• No authentication requirement

• Phone calls

Safe-computing

• Don’t respond to e-mails with personal information.• Never use a public computer for secure computing.• Never give out SSN online – unless sure of source.• Never give out your bank or credit card number – unless

it is for online banking.• Be careful of sensitive information in online resumes.• Look for misspellings or bad grammar on website or in

email.• Opt out of websites that offer public information on you.• How free is freeware, really?

What NU is doing to protect you

Resources – Get Control

• Anti Virus

• Security Updates

• Secure Passwords

• Anti-spyware applications

• Firewall