Computer Info – March 1, 2000

This Week’s Program

        We will be presenting Easy CD Creator and Direct CD – for use with CD writeables and CD-rewriteables.

Playing With Firewalls

        Unlike their dial-up counterparts, cable modems usually leave your PC connected to the Internet 24 hours a day. While that does put your computer at some degree of risk from the outside, you probably don’t have anything to worry about unless you’ve been out antagonizing the hacker community. On the other hand, if your computer is essential to your small business, or if a hack attack would leave you in real trouble, it can’t hurt to play it safe and use a firewall.
        A firewall (a security program) is designed to prevent unauthorized users from accessing computer networks via the Internet. Most large businesses consider firewalls a necessary line of defense against network hack attacks and data theft. Firewalls can be composed of hardware, software, or both. Some cable modem manufacturers offer minimal protection, but you can also download firewall programs.

Secure Web Sites

        Know the difference between a secured channel and an unsecured channel. If your browser’s icon bar has a picture of an open lock or a key that is cut in half, anything you send, including credit card numbers, can be viewed by a third party.
        Regardless of what the Web site may say, unless that lock is closed or the key is sealed, your transaction is not secure and the information you send is at risk. Know the visual difference between a secured channel and an unsecured channel and don’t let anyone fool you into thinking otherwise.

New high-speed Internet connections in the home bring vulnerability to hackers (Tuesday, February 22, 2000 – News-Journal Wire Services)

        Two weeks after he got a fast Internet connection in his home, Carey Bunks noticed he wasn't the only one using his computer.
        Everything seemed fine with the machine, until Bunks checked his computer while reading up on network security. To his surprise, he found that someone had gained access to the computer via the Internet, and set it up so that it could be controlled from the outside. "They could have done anything, they could have wiped my disk clean," says Bunks.
        Bunks believes one of the reasons he was attacked was his new Internet connection, a digital subscriber line, or DSL. Such lines are spreading fast to homes, along with cable modems, which provide similar speeds. Already, 2.2 million U.S. homes have such fast, or "broadband," Internet connections, and the number is expected to grow to more than 10 million in two years, according to analyst Lisa Pierce at Giga Information Group. But experts warn that the fast connections bring security risks of which few users are aware. "There are people out there, there's no question about it, who go through (the Internet addresses) of cable providers and DSL providers, looking for machines that are connected and seeing if they have any open doors that they can get into," says Milo Medin, chief technical officer of ExciteAtHome, which provides cable Internet service. Unlike regular modems, DSLs and cable modems are connected to the Internet as long as the computer is turned on. This gives hackers a larger window of opportunity to access the computer. "It's absolutely the case that an always-on network presents more opportunity for you to use the system as well as for other people to get to you," says Medin.
        The high speed of a DSL or cable modem connection also makes a target computer a better steppingstone to other computers. Experts believe that recent attacks against some of the most visited sites on the Web were launched not from a hacker's computer, but from computers taken over by a hacker.
        Bunks believes his computer was broken into to provide such a launching pad. He was running the free operating system Linux, which through its advanced features can provide a good platform for a hacker. Microsoft Windows, the dominant operating system for home users, cannot be used the same way, but that does not mean its users are safe.
        Security expert Remnitz recommends home users buy a so-called "firewall" program that guards the Internet connection.
        Despite his nasty surprise, Buxton is happy that he got the cable modem, which allows him to open up Web pages practically instantly, rather than waiting for them to download via his phone line. "It's amazing! Once you try it, you never want to go back to the old-fashioned dial-up modem," he says.

How to protect your home computer from hackers

        Here is how to protect home computers running Microsoft Windows 95 or 98 from hackers and other snoopers on the Internet:
        - Turn off the option that lets others look at your files and use your printer. To do so, click the Windows START button, go to SETTINGS and select the CONTROL PANEL In the control panel window, double-click the NETWORK icon. In the network window, click on the FILE AND PRINT SHARING button, and uncheck the two checkboxes in the new window.
        - For additional protection, get a "firewall," a program that monitors your computer's connection to the Internet. Security expert Steve Gibson of Gibson Research Corp., in Laguna Hills, Calif., recommends ZoneAlarm, which can be downloaded for free from Zone Labs Inc. (http://www.zonelabs.com) or Cnet’s download page (http://download.cnet.com/downloads).
ZoneAlarm
        ZoneAlarm is a firewall program designed to protect your DSL or cable-connected PC from hackers. The program includes four interlocking security services: a firewall, an Application Control, an Internet Lock, and Zones. The firewall controls the door to your computer and allows only traffic that you understand and initiate. The Application Control lets you decide which applications can and cannot use the Internet. The Internet Lock blocks Internet traffic while your computer is unattended or while you are not using the Internet, and can be activated automatically with your computer's screensaver or after a set period of inactivity. Zones monitor all activity on your computer and alerts you when a new application attempts to access the Internet.
        This program can be downloaded for free for individuals and nonprofit organizations. Commercial and government organizations receive a 60-day trial license.

More Firewalls

        Firewall programs can be found at WebAttack’s Internet site.
                      http://www.webattack.com/shareware/security/swfirewall.shtml

FREE Overseas Telephone Calls

        They advertise themselves as the hottest free PC to PHONE service on the Web! You can make unlimited free calls to more than 20 countries right from your PC. They state that if you're paying anything for long distance, you're paying too much! The quality is the best and the service is unbeatable.
        The requirements to use this service is Windows 95/98 – a Pentium computer with 16 meg ram – internet connection – sound card.
                  http://www.hottelephone.com

Free Internet Access

        Here is another free internet provider. It is called BlueLight and it has a local phone number in DeBary.
                  http://www.bluelight.com

Online Computer Tutorials – Self-Study – Classes

        Gateway and I believe other manufacturers are offering online computer training (self-study and classes) which seem to be a valuable tool to have. The one I have seen is ZDU (ZD University) and they offer such courses as Word 97 – Word 2000 – any of the Microsoft Office programs – Windows 98 – etc.