Internet Security
See page 2 for my thoughts on Firewalls, Java / JavaScript and Cookies
Key Actions
- Apply Windows patches
- Apply Application patches
- Read Microsoft notes
- Buy, use and keep updated
- Firewall
- AntiVirus
- Optionally URL Filter
- Periodically check for Cookies & Spyware
- Stop Pop-ups/unders
- From normal browsing
- From having ports open
- Close these with a 'Firewall', see above
- From Spyware
- See 'Periodically check for Cookies & Spyware' above
- From Instant messenger
- General info on pop-ups/unders
- Spam
- Use 2 email addresses
- a 'permanent' one from friends and a 'changeable' one for on-line use
- Only give your email if you really need to, and then use the 'changeable' one
- If you want to only have one place to get your email from simply set up your 'permanent' email address to forward everything to the 'changeable' one
- Never use an email address that is the same as your home page URL
- e.g. if your website is http://www.my_isp.com/~my_address it's fair to assume your email address is my_address@my_isp.com
- If you have your own domain, http://www.my_domain.com, consider turning off the catch_all
- without a catch_all you will have to specify all valid email addresses: joseph@www.my_domain.com, mary@www.my_domain.com etc
- with a catch_all you will get email sent to absolutely_anything_you_like@www.my_domain.com, eg sales@www.my_domain.com, marketing@www.my_domain.com, webmaster@www.my_domain.com etc
- Whilst useful if you're a business and want to get all emails, even if people can't spell your name, it does allow people to send you email just by knowing your domain
- Be wary about leaving your email address of a bulletin board, chat room, or web page; if you must leave your address then disguise it
- if you want the email address to 'work' use my_address@my_isp.com instead of my_address@my_isp.com
- if you just want a human to understand it then use something my_address at my_isp dot com instead of my_address@my_isp.com
- Be wary about giving your email address to a third party. Even more so please think very carefully about each of your 'friends' personal email addresses that you're giving away too.
- When filling in on-line forms never permit your address to be used/shared for other purposes
- you may need to check or un-check a box
- Always double check these 'tick' boxes before you hit submit
- Do not reply to spam
- especially DO NOT asked to be removed from a mailing list from a Spam email
- in an office environment consider not using an 'Out of Office' message
- Never buy anything from a Spam email - even if it's a bargain and you really, really want it
- It encourages people to think Spam works - and so fuels the Spam industry
- If the deal appears too good to be true then it probably is: drugs may not be pure, software may be counterfeit, especially if it's 'from' a know brand
- If available use filtering offered by your ISP
- Consider using a Spam filter - available as an extra purchase by most firewall and antivirus vendors as well as on its own
- If you are offended by the spam send it (complete with its headers) to your ISP.
Most have an address like abuse@YOUR_ISP.com for just this purpose, e.g. abuse@btinternet.com, abuse@ntlworld.com, abuse@hotmail.com, abuse@yahoo.com, tosemail1@aol.com etc.
- If you believe that the contents of the email may be illegal, child pornography etc, notify your local police and/or the Internet Watch Foundation
- Use a PC based firewall, like ZoneLabs ZoneAlarm Pro version, that can restrict your email software so that it doesn't give away the fact that the Spam has reached a real person by downloading web images to your PC.
When you read or preview an email that's written in HTML, as lots are, then they imbed pictures into the email just like you do on a webpage.
However some of the pictures have a URL that resolves directly to the email address they sent the email to.
Even by previewing the email you're telling them that you've received the email
Restrict your email software to
- DNS Servers - UDP port 53, TCP port 53
- Mail Servers, POP - TCP port 110
- Mail Servers, SMTP - TCP port 25
- Make sure your children are
- Visible when using the computer
- Are OK about mails/text/chat they are receiving
- Know about dangers appropriate to their age
- If you use wireless
- Do use 128 bit WEP (Wired Equivalency Privacy)
- Do turn transmit power down
- Do enable proprietary 'extensions'
- Don't allow encryption/security to be negotiable
- Don't Allow Association To Mixed Cells
- Don't 'Broadcast' SSID (Service Set Identifier)
- Don't enable 'World Mode' multi-domain operation
- Don't scan for a better Access Point
- Consider turning on MAC address filtering
- Make regular backups of all crucial data and consider keeping the backup in a firesafe
- Look after and regularly change passwords
General Protection & Advice
Spam / Messenger Spam
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