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Computer Security Resolutions for 2008

hand with two fingers raised as in oath-takingThe start of a new year is a good time to begin forming good habits and trying to break bad ones. Are you ready to take the pledge? You'll thank yourself later for the time and frustration you'll save.

This year I WILL...

  1. Install good-quality anti-virus software, anti-spyware, and a software firewall. Check out these tools: Brown Security SW download page, Win XP Security Software Providers, and ClamXav (free virus checker for Mac OS X).

  2. Patch and update my security software, operating system, and software applications regularly and promptly. To get started, read the following documents: Computer Configuration, Maintenance or Security documentation, Mac OS X: Updating your software and Microsoft Update helps keep your computer current.

  3. Learn how to recognize suspicious web addresses. Play Anti-Phishing Phil (and enter to win a $100 Amazon gift certificate).

  4. Beware of lesser-known security issues, such as cellphone "bluesnarfing". Watch Real Hustle's "The Bluetooth Scam" to learn how vulnerable your cellphone can be to a silent attack.

  5. Be careful when using any wireless network – at home or on the road. Learn more about the "Wireless Hijack" and how easy it is to hack into a home wireless network. (Refresh the page to clear the video after viewing.)

    You may also want to view the related video, WiFi Scam.

This year I WILL NOT...

  1. Open email attachments unless I know who sent the message and what is in the attachment. More information is available in Microsoft's "Help avoid computer viruses that spread through e-mail attachments" and Apple's "Safety tips for handling email attachments and content downloaded from the Internet".

  2. Click on links embedded in emails unless I know who sent the message, what the link is for, AND where it will take me. Read the National Online Consumer Protection Association's Phishing 101 article for some pointers.

  3. Fall for official-looking e-mails that ask for personal or financial information. This Microsoft article describes how to recognize phishing scams and fraudulent e-mails.

  4. Fall for free offers of copyrighted materials which may be tainted with malware, and may be illegal to use. Consult Brown's Copyright and Fair Use site and the U.S. Copyright Office's document Copyright and Digital Files for more on copyright issues. See also "Malware: How to Recognize, Deal With, and Combat It" from the December 2005 edition of Secure IT!.

  5. Participate in online social networking – or allow my children to – without knowing the risks. Visit the NetsSmartz Workshop for some good tips.

Reprinted with permission from "OUCH! - SANS Institute Security Newsletter for Computer Users", Volume 5, Number 1, https://www.sans.org/newsletters/ouch