How You Can Help Stop Internet Virus Attacks
Posted on June 21, 2008
Filed Under Computers |
By now most users are aware of the need to implement antivirus software on individual systems. But a large percentage of the hardware and software used to provide something for those users to use resides outside them. What are they and what can be done to protect them from virus attacks?
Computer viruses attack servers - web, file, ftp and e-mail, along with routers and other network gear - along with individual PC’s.
Many of these servers are really not that different from a desktop PC. They may have more memory, multiple processors and larger hard drives, but they’re still more or less the same type of equipment when you get right down to it.
Because of that fact, they’re often vulnerable to the same viruses and other internet security threats that the average desktop system is. They also need to run antivirus software, firewalls and other forms of protection.
What Options Do They Have?
These servers can be servicing thousands of users at the same time in some cases so they’re a popular target for the virus writers. As a user on these systems, you can help keep them virus-free by making sure your own computer is. And their system administrators can help by limiting what kinds of programs get installed on them.
Users can help administrators and themselves by being more careful in browser selection and configuration. Most could profit from better self-education in how to minimize the ‘target area’ for hackers by changing browser settings. Users and computer professionals have made strides in voicing concern over security vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. Adopting other browsers in greater numbers will help to get the message across.
You should also avoid booting from CD’s, DVD’s or USB memory sticks that haven’t been scanned for viruses. If one of the files that was saved on the disk was infected, booting with the disk can cause the virus to spread even faster.
FTP servers, used to store and provide sending and receiving of files over networks, should become a thing of the past. Vanilla ftp (File Transfer Protocol) can’t be secured since passwords are passed in clear text (unencrypted) over the network where they can be picked up by sniffers. Sniffers are software and/or hardware used to spy on networks. Secure FTP versions should be used instead.
It’s up to all of us to make sure these systems remain secure - not just the system administrators. They have a lot of work on their plate and aren’t always as quick to respond to security issues as they would like.
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