Demystifying
Spyware/Malware Security Series
Welcome to the PC Security Savvy Series: Thirteen
Steps to Winning. Over the next thirteen articles, in a mostly non-technical
manner, we'll cover a specific topic per article along with tips and
tricks to protect yourself in winning the war over hackers, spyware
and other malware.
There's a lot to know about computer security to be expert in the field
but being expert isn't necessary to get started in protecting yourself.
A good understanding of the basics gives you a big jump on the bad
guys. They're hoping you won't bother. Let's have some fun learning
how!
Series Schedule
- Part 1 : Malware
101 - Getting to the Root of Understanding Malicious Software
- Given all the news of Internet worms, web attacks
and spyware makes one wish for the good old days when the biggest
headache was an occasional virus. Either way malicious software (malware)
such as spyware is here to stay as a fact of a world wide network
such as the Internet. By all estimates security issues will continue
to escalate and taking defensive action is an absolute must. How
to take action is what this series is all about so lets get started!
- Part 2 : Spyware/Adware
Demystified
- All the malicious activities of the world of the
Internet seem to have a shroud of mystery and magic surrounding them
and the world of adware and spyware falls in with this mystique.
In truth, this category of pests is nothing more than programs that
do a task the designer intended. A task that often leaves you, the
victim of the spyware, more than a bit perturbed. Let's shed a bit
of light on this dark subject.
- Part 3 : Passwords,
Password Attacks & Secure Password Practices
- Passwords are often the common lock on the gates
to the IT security kingdom. Unfortunately it's a lock that's more
often than not lacking substance.
In this section we'll shed some light on the importance of choosing
secure passwords, some methods of doing so, and look at such interesting
things as password cracking tools.
- Part 4 : Trojan
Horses - A Screen Saver by Any Other Name..
-
- Part 5 : Key loggers
and Password Stealers
- Key loggers, which do exactly what you would surmise
given the descriptive name, have become become one of the greater
threats among the various methods of electronic crime on the Internet.
- Part 6 : Root Kits
- What if an attacker (hacker) could secretly install a group of programs on your computer that could do such things are monitor use of the computer, record keystrokes (key logger) and other surveillance?
What if it was virtually impossible to detect the presence of this software? This is where root kit technology is headed and the bad guys are working diligently to push it to this level.
- Part 7 : Software Bugs
and Exploits - How Visiting a Malicious Web Site Infects Your Computer
-
- Part 8 : Worms - Beware
Your Inbox
-
- Part 9 : Back Doors
- The Hacker's Hidden Key to Your System
-
- Part 10 : RATs (Remote
Administration Tools)
-
- Part 11 : Viruses
-
- Part 12 : Perimeter
Security I - Understanding Firewalls
-
- Part 13 : Perimeter
Security II - Ports, Proxies and Packet Filters
-
- Synopsis : Security
Check List and Practices
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