Spring 2008

www.umsl.edu/~iclabs

Definitions Virus

A virus is a piece of computer code that attaches itself to a program or file so it can spread from computer to computer, infecting as it travels. Viruses can damage your software, your hardware, and your files.

Worm A worm generally spreads without user action

and distributes complete copies (possibly modified) of itself across networks. A worm can consume memory or network bandwidth, thus causing a computer to stop responding.

Definitions (cont…) Spyware

Spyware is any technology that aids in gathering information about a person or organization without their knowledge. It Can overload your system and shutdown other services.

Tojan Horse Computer program that appears to be

useful software, but instead compromises your security and causes a lot of damage.

How Do We Get Them

Opening Email

Visiting Web Sites

Installing Software

Just having a Computer on a Network

How Do You Protect Yourself

Educate Yourself

AntiVirus Programs

Patching and Updating

AntiSpyware Programs

Education

Don’t open emails that looks “fishy” Don’t visit “bad” websites Only install software from “Trusted”

vendors Scan files before opening them Visit websites like Microsoft,

Symantec, and Apple to get informed of new security alerts.

AntiVirus Programs

We use Symantec AntiVirus It should be installed on all systems

on campus. It is also available for personal use at

home. You can download the latest version

at www.umsl.edu/norton

Norton Antivirus Start – Programs – Symantec Security Client – Symantec

AntiVirus

Norton Antivirus Update After Clicking Live Update

This goes out to Symantec and pulls the most recent updates from their servers.

For campus computers, this is done automatically for you, and you do not normally need to do this.

Norton Antivirus Auto Update from Home

In Symantec Antivirus File menu – Schedule Updates

Check the box to Enable. Click the Schedule Button to choose a

Time.

System Auto-protect The most important component of Symantec It keeps your system protected when you perform tasks. Configure menu – File System auto-protect

Scanning Your System Scanning looks for problems that may already exist on you

system Scan menu – Computer – choose the Drives to Scan

What Happens when a Virus is Detected

A popup message will appear on screen It tells the file, location, and action taken. Action should be cleaned, quarantined, or

deleted. That means it is working. For any other action like “none taken” call the

helpdesk.

Patching and Updating One of the best things that you can

do to protect your system is to Patch it.

Most people believe that their system got infected because of a failed AntiVirus product, but they are wrong.

Most infected systems become infected because of poorly patched systems.

Patching is a simple, easy, and free way to protect your system.

How you patch a system To do it manually, use

the windows update Icon on your start menu.

To do it automatically got to Start – Settings – Control panel and choose Automatic Updates.

How We as a Campus Patch Labs and Classrooms are

patched automatically by a system called Software Update Services the day after a patch is released and tested.

Nothing else is needed.

Faculty and Staff Systems that belong to the UMSL-USERS Domain are patched by SMS as soon as they have written and tested the package.

It is still a good idea to patch yourself.

AntiSpyware Programs Spyware is typically placed on your system by

visiting websites and installing software. Typical signs that you have spyware

You have a lot of popup windows when visiting the web or just logging on to your system.

Your homepage has changed to a different site. You notice a major drop in system performance. Your antispyware or antivirus utility stops working. You go to search for things and your search page has

changed. New Items appear in your favorites. In many cases there are no signs and it is running

silently recording your actions.

Protect Yourself from Spyware Use a popup blocker like Google Toolbar, or the

one that comes with FireFox and Internet Explorer. Install AntiSpyware utilities. Some that we recommend are Ad-aware, Spybot -

Search and Destroy, CWShreder, and Symantec Antivirus 10.

These can be found for free at http://www.lavasoftusa.com/ http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/in

dex.html http://www.majorgeeks.com/download4086.html

These programs are not provided to you by the University and are free for anyone to download for personal use.

Spybot – Search and Destroy

Spybot - Updating Always Update the software before

scanning or immunizing the system.

Spybot - Immunize Immunizing the system protects it from

getting certain types of Spyware.

Spybot - Scanning Click the Search and Destroy Button to scan the

system. This will clean off existing Spyware.

LavaSoft’s Ad-Aware

Ad-Aware - Update Use the Check for Updates Link on the Main

screen or the Web update Button.

Ad-Aware - Scanning Click the Scan Now Button Choose to do a Full System Scan

Ad-Aware – Scan Results You will get Critical Objects (Clean) You will get Negligible Objects (Can Leave Alone)

Mostly MRU (Most Recently Used)

Ad-Aware – Clean Objects When you clean objects they go to the

Quarantine. You can leave them or delete them.

CWShredder Only Cleans spyware from Cool Web

Search

Attention !!!

Duplex Printing is now available on our labs.

Additional Information http://www.micros.umsl.edu

– The Microcomputer Program at the University of Missouri-St. Louis offers day and evening computer courses as part of the Chancellor's Certificate series.

http://mell.umsystem.edu– Microsoft E-Learning Library has tutorials

on many MS Office products available to all UMSL students and staff

http://www.umsl.edu/stg– The Online Student Technology Guide

has answers to many computing questions.