Sometimes even an experienced user will not realise that a computer is infected with a virus. This is because viruses can hide among regular files, or camoflage themselves as standard files. This section contains a detailed discussion of the symptoms of virus infection, how to recover data after a virus attack and how to prevent data from being corrupted by malware. Symptoms of infection There are a number of symptoms which indicate that your computer has been infected. If you notice "strange things" happening to your computer, namely:
unexpected messages or images are suddenly displayed unusual sounds or music played at random your CD-ROM drive mysteriously opens and closes programs suddenly start on your computer you receive notification from your firewall that some applications have attempted to connect to the Internet, although you did not initiate this, then it is very likely that your computer has been infected by a virus
Additionally, there are some typical symptoms which indicate that your computer has been infected via email:
your friends mention that they have received messages from your address which you know you did not send your mailbox contains a lot of messages without a sender's e-mail address or message header These problems, however, may not be caused by viruses. For example, infected messages that are supposedly coming from your address can actually be sent from a different computer.
There is a range of secondary symptoms which indicate that your computer may be infected:
your computer freezes frequently or encounters errors your computer slows down when programs are started the operating system is unable to load files and folders have been deleted or their content has changed your hard drive is accessed too often (the light on your main unit flashes rapidly) Microsoft Internet Explorer freezes or functions erratically e.g. you cannot close the application window 90% of the time the symptoms listed above indicate a hardware or software problem. Although such symptoms are unlikely to be caused by a virus, you should use your antivirus software to scan your computer fully.
What you should do if you notice symptoms of infection If you notice that your computer is functioning erratically
Don't panic! This golden rule may prevent the loss of important data stored in your computer and help you avoid unnecessary stress. Disconnect your computer from the Internet. If your computer is connected to a Local Area Network, disconnect it. If the computer cannot boot from the hard drive (error at startup), try to start the system in Safe Mode or from the Windows boot disk Before taking any action, back up all critical data to an external drive (a floppy disk, CD, flash memory, etc.). Install antivirus software if you do not have it installed. Download the latest updates for your antivirus database. If possible, do not use the infected computer to download updates, but use a friend's computer, or a computer at your office, an Internet cafe, etc. This is important because if you are connected to the Internet, a virus can send important information to third parties or may try to send itself to all email addresses in your address book. You may also be able to obtain updates for your antivirus software on CD-ROM from the software vendors or authorized dealers. Perform a full system scan. If no viruses are found during a scan If no viruses are found during the scan and the symptoms that alarmed you are classifed, you probably have no reason to worry. Check all hardware and software installed in your computer. Download Windows patches using Windows Update. Deinstall all unlicensed software from your computer and clean your hard drives of any junk files.
If viruses are found during a scan A good antivirus solution will notify you if viruses are found during a scan, and offer several options for dealing with infected objects.
In the vast majority of cases, personal computers are infected by worms, Trojan programs, or viruses. In most cases, lost data can be successfully recovered.
A good antivirus solution will provide the option to disinfect for infected objects, quarantine possibly infected objects and delete worms and Trojans. A report will provide the names of the malicious software discovered on your computer. In some cases, you may need a special utility to recover data that have been corrupted. Visit your antivirus software vendor's site, and search for information about the virus, Trojan or worm which has infected your computer. Download any special utilities if these are available. If your computer has been infected by viruses that exploit Microsoft Outlook Express vulnerabilities, you can fully clean your computer by disinfecting all infected objects, and then scanning and disinfecting the mail client's databases. This ensures that the malicious programs cannot be reactivated when messages which were infected prior to scanning are re-opened. You should also download and install security patches for Microsoft Outlook Express. Unfortunately, some viruses cannot be removed from infected objects. Some of these viruses may corrupt information on your computer when infecting, and it may not be possible to restore this information. If a virus cannot be removed from a file, the file should be deleted. If your computer has suffered a severe virus attack Some viruses and Trojans can cause severe damage to your computer:
If you cannot boot from your hard drive (error at startup), try to boot from the Windows rescue disk. If the system can not recognize your hard drive, the virus has damaged the disk partition table. In this case, try to recover the partition table using scandisk, a standard Windows program. If this does not help, contact a computer data recovery service. Your computer vendor should be able to provide contact details for such services. If you have a disk management utility installed, some of your logical drives may be unavailable when you boot from the rescue disk. In this case, you should disinfect all accessible drives, reboot from the system hard drive and disinfect the remaining logical drives.
Recover corrupted files and applications using backup copies after you have scanned the drive containing this data. Diagnosing the problem using standard Windows tools Although this is not recommended unless you are an experience user, you may wish to:
check the integrity of the file system on your hard drive (using CHKDSK program) and repair file system errors. If there are a large number of errors, you must backup the most important files to removable storage media before fixing the errors scan your computer after booting from the Windows rescue disk use other standard Windows tools, for example, the scandisk utility For more details on using these utilities, refer to the Windows Help topics.
If nothing helps If the symptoms described above persist even after you have scanned your computer, and checked all installed hardware and software and your hard drive using Windows utilities, you should send a message with a full description of the problem to your antivirus vendor's technical support department.
Some antivirus software developers will analyse infected files submitted by users.
After you have eradicated the infection Once you have eradicated the infection, scan all disks and removable storage media that may be infected by the virus.
Make sure that you have appropriately configured antivirus software installed on your computer.
Practice safe computing.
All of these measures will help prevent your computer getting infected in the future.
Basic Problem Prevention & Solution For Safe Computing
SAFE COMPUTING This post is meant to be a basic problem prevention and solutions for all members. Before you can expect an optimally running system, you should make sure that it is clean and you have proper protection in place. Sometimes a system has just been too compromised and a full Windows reinstallation is required, including formatting (erasing) the hard drive. In this event, make sure all of your data files are backed up. A format and reinstall will definitely solve malware problems. At the very least you need a spyware and virus protection program. Usually two spyware programs are a good idea, but only one full time loaded virus program is sufficient. Some are more resource intensive than others, can slow your system down, and be a real pain to uninstall later. Norton fits in this category, but many people are happy using and paying for it. AVG Free is, of course free, and provides real time protection. For Spyware there are a lot of safe, and free choices. AdAware and Spybot are my personal favorites, but others use SpySweeper and others. Some of these programs are for removal, others are for protection from infestation. A program like CCleaner is also VERY helpful. Be warned that there are MANY spyware prevention programs that are just that -spyware! Be careful of programs that you do not see on this list. Any of these spyware programs should be updated first, then turn system restore off and run it in Safe Mode (F8 at boot time before you see the Windows logo). Anything found can be deleted safely. Occasionally more resistant malware is found and Ewido can be helpful for getting these trojans on Windows 2000 and XP systems only. The above suggestions for running in safe mode with system restore off is applicable. The reason is that a restore can be harboring malware, and without doing this you run the risk of reinfecting the system. Any unknown popup that says "Your computer has a problem. Click here to fix it" or similar should be a red flag. Do NOT click on the link or you will definitely be further infected. It also requires that you deal with the problem immediately with the above action. Download Links: AdAware is free here: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download506.html Spybot is free here: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download2471.html SpySweeper can is free here: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download3263.html AVG Free is available here: http://www.majorgeeks.com/download886.html Ewido is free to try at: http://www.ewido.net/en/
Actions home users can take to protect their computer systems
1. Consult your system support personnel if you work from home - If you use your broadband access to connect to your employer's network via a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or other means, your employer may have policies or procedures relating to the security of your home network. Be sure to consult with your employer's support personnel, as appropriate, before following any of the steps outlined in this document.
2. Use virus protection software - The CERT/CC recommends the use of anti-virus software on all Internet-connected computers. Be sure to keep your anti-virus software up-to-date. Many anti-virus packages support automatic updates of virus definitions. I recommend the use of these automatic updates when available.
3. Use a firewall - We strongly recommend the use of some type of firewall product, such as a network appliance or a personal firewall software package. Intruders are constantly scanning home user systems for known vulnerabilities. Network firewalls (whether software or hardware-based) can provide some degree of protection against these attacks. However, no firewall can detect or stop all attacks, so it’s not sufficient to install a firewall and then ignore all other security measures.
4. Dont open unknown email attachments - Before opening any email attachments, be sure you know the source of the attachment. It is not enough that the mail originated from an address you recognize. The Melissa virus spread precisely because it originated from a familiar address. Malicious code might be distributed in amusing or enticing programs. If you must open an attachment before you can verify the source, we suggest the following procedure: 1. be sure your virus definitions are up-to-date (see "Use virus protection software" above) 2. save the file to your hard disk 3. scan the file using your antivirus software 4. open the file For additional protection, you can disconnect your computer's network connection before opening the file. Following these steps will reduce, but not wholly eliminate, the chance that any malicious code contained in the attachment might spread from your computer to others.
5. Dont run programs of unknown origin - Never run a program unless you know it to be authored by a person or company that you trust. Also, don't send programs of unknown origin to your friends or coworkers simply because they are amusing -- they might contain a Trojan horse program.
6. Disable hidden filename extensions - Windows operating systems contain an option to "Hide file extensions for known file types". The option is enabled by default, but you can disable this option in order to have file extensions displayed by Windows. After disabling this option, there are still some file extensions that, by default, will continue to remain hidden. There is a registry value which, if set, will cause Windows to hide certain file extensions regardless of user configuration choices elsewhere in the operating system. The "NeverShowExt" registry value is used to hide the extensions for basic Windows file types. For example, the ".LNK" extension associated with Windows shortcuts remains hidden even after a user has turned off the option to hide extensions.
7. Keep all applications (including your operating system) patched - Vendors will usually release patches for their software when a vulnerability has been discovered. Most product documentation offers a method to get updates and patches. You should be able to obtain updates from the vendor's web site. Read the manuals or browse the vendor's web site for more information. Some applications will automatically check for available updates, and many vendors offer automatic notification of updates via a mailing list. Look on your vendor's web site for information about automatic notification. If no mailing list or other automated notification mechanism is offered you may need to check periodically for updates.
8. Turn off your computer or disconnect from the network when not in use - Turn off your computer or disconnect its Ethernet interface when you are not using it. An intruder cannot attack your computer if it is powered off or otherwise completely disconnected from the network.
9. Disable Java, JavaScript, and ActiveX if possible - Be aware of the risks involved in the use of "mobile code" such as ActiveX, Java, and JavaScript. A malicious web developer may attach a script to something sent to a web site, such as a URL, an element in a form, or a database inquiry. Later, when the web site responds to you, the malicious script is transferred to your browser. The most significant impact of this vulnerability can be avoided by disabling all scripting languages. Turning off these options will keep you from being vulnerable to malicious scripts. However, it will limit the interaction you can have with some web sites. Many legitimate sites use scripts running within the browser to add useful features. Disabling scripting may degrade the functionality of these sites.. More information regarding the risks posed by malicious code in web links can be found in CA-2000-02 Malicious HTML Tags Embedded in Client Web Requests.
10. Disable scripting features in email programs - Because many email programs use the same code as web browsers to display HTML, vulnerabilities that affect ActiveX, Java, and JavaScript are often applicable to email as well as web pages. Therefore, in addition to disabling scripting features in web browsers (see "Disable Java, JavaScript, and ActiveX if possible", above), we recommend that users also disable these features in their email programs.
11. Make regular backups of critical data - Keep a copy of important files on removable media such as ZIP disks or recordable CD-ROM disks (CD-R or CD-RW disks). Use software backup tools if available, and store the backup disks somewhere away from the computer.
12. Make a boot disk in case your computer is damaged or compromised - To aid in recovering from a security breach or hard disk failure, create a boot disk on a floppy disk which will help when recovering a computer after such an event has occurred. Remember, however, you must create this disk before you have a security event.
1. What is at risk? Information security is concerned with three main areas: * Confidentiality - information should be available only to those who rightfully have access to it * Integrity -- information should be modified only by those who are authorized to do so * Availability -- information should be accessible to those who need it when they need it These concepts apply to home Internet users just as much as they would to any corporate or government network. You probably wouldn't let a stranger look through your important documents. In the same way, you may want to keep the tasks you perform on your computer confidential, whether it's tracking your investments or sending email messages to family and friends. Also, you should have some assurance that the information you enter into your computer remains intact and is available when you need it. Some security risks arise from the possibility of intentional misuse of your computer by intruders via the Internet. Others are risks that you would face even if you weren't connected to the Internet (e.g. hard disk failures, theft, power outages). The bad news is that you probably cannot plan for every possible risk. The good news is that you can take some simple steps to reduce the chance that you'll be affected by the most common threats -- and some of those steps help with both the intentional and accidental risks you're likely to face. Before we get to what you can do to protect your computer or home network, lets take a closer look at some of these risks. 2. Intentional misuse of your computer The most common methods used by intruders to gain control of home computers are briefly described below. 1. Trojan horse programs - Trojan horse programs are a common way for intruders to trick you (sometimes referred to as "social engineering") into installing "back door" programs. These can allow intruders easy access to your computer without your knowledge, change your system configurations, or infect your computer with a computer virus. 2. Back door and remote administration programs - On Windows computers, three tools commonly used by intruders to gain remote access to your computer are BackOrifice, Netbus, and SubSeven. These back door or remote administration programs, once installed, allow other people to access and control your computer. We recommend that you review the CERT vulnerability note about Back Orifice. 3. Denial of service - Another form of attack is called a denial-of-service (DoS) attack. This type of attack causes your computer to crash or to become so busy processing data that you are unable to use it. In most cases, the latest patches will prevent the attack. It is important to note that in addition to being the target of a DoS attack, it is possible for your computer to be used as a participant in a denial-of-service attack on another system. 4. Being an intermediary for another attack - Intruders will frequently use compromised computers as launching pads for attacking other systems. An example of this is how distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) tools are used. The intruders install an "agent" (frequently through a Trojan horse program) that runs on the compromised computer awaiting further instructions. Then, when a number of agents are running on different computers, a single "handler" can instruct all of them to launch a denial-of-service attack on another system. Thus, the end target of the attack is not your own computer, but someone elses -- your computer is just a convenient tool in a larger attack. 5. Unprotected Windows shares - Unprotected Windows networking shares can be exploited by intruders in an automated way to place tools on large numbers of Windows-based computers attached to the Internet. Because site security on the Internet is interdependent, a compromised computer not only creates problems for the computer's owner, but it is also a threat to other sites on the Internet. There is great potential for the emergence of other intruder tools that leverage unprotected Windows networking shares on a widespread basis. 6. Mobile code (Java, JavaScript, and ActiveX) - There have been reports of problems with "mobile code" (e.g. Java, JavaScript, and ActiveX). These are programming languages that let web developers write code that is executed by your web browser. Although the code is generally useful, it can be used by intruders to gather information (such as which web sites you visit) or to run malicious code on your computer. It is possible to disable Java, JavaScript, and ActiveX in your web browser. We recommend that you do so if you are browsing web sites that you are not familiar with or do not trust. Also be aware of the risks involved in the use of mobile code within email programs. Many email programs use the same code as web browsers to display HTML. Thus, vulnerabilities that affect Java, JavaScript, and ActiveX are often applicable to email as well as web pages. 7. Cross-site scripting - A malicious web developer may attach a script to something sent to a web site, such as a URL, an element in a form, or a database inquiry. Later, when the web site responds to you, the malicious script is transferred to your browser. You can potentially expose your web browser to malicious scripts by * following links in web pages, email messages, or newsgroup postings without knowing what they link to * using interactive forms on an untrustworthy site * viewing online discussion groups, forums, or other dynamically generated pages where users can post text containing HTML tags 8. Email spoofing - Email spoofing is when an email message appears to have originated from one source when it actually was sent from another source. Email spoofing is often an attempt to trick the user into making a damaging statement or releasing sensitive information (such as passwords). Spoofed email can range from harmless pranks to social engineering ploys. Examples of the latter include * email claiming to be from a system administrator requesting users to change their passwords to a specified string and threatening to suspend their account if they do not comply * email claiming to be from a person in authority requesting users to send them a copy of a password file or other sensitive information Note that while service providers may occasionally request that you change your password, they usually will not specify what you should change it to. Also, most legitimate service providers would never ask you to send them any password information via email. If you suspect that you may have received a spoofed email from someone with malicious intent, you should contact your service provider's support personnel immediately. 9. Email-borne viruses - Viruses and other types of malicious code are often spread as attachments to email messages. Before opening any attachments, be sure you know the source of the attachment. It is not enough that the mail originated from an address you recognize. The Melissa virus (see References) spread precisely because it originated from a familiar address. Also, malicious code might be distributed in amusing or enticing programs. Never run a program unless you know it to be authored by a person or company that you trust. Also, don't send programs of unknown origin to your friends or coworkers simply because they are amusing -- they might contain a Trojan horse program. 10. Hidden file extensions - Windows operating systems contain an option to "Hide file extensions for known file types". The option is enabled by default, but a user may choose to disable this option in order to have file extensions displayed by Windows. Multiple email-borne viruses are known to exploit hidden file extensions. The first major attack that took advantage of a hidden file extension was the VBS/LoveLetter worm which contained an email attachment named "LOVE-LETTER-FOR-YOU.TXT.vbs". Other malicious programs have since incorporated similar naming schemes. Examples include * Downloader (MySis.avi.exe or QuickFlick.mpg.exe) * VBS/Timofonica (TIMOFONICA.TXT.vbs) * VBS/CoolNote (COOL_NOTEPAD_DEMO.TXT.vbs) * VBS/OnTheFly (AnnaKournikova.jpg.vbs) The files attached to the email messages sent by these viruses may appear to be harmless text (.txt), MPEG (.mpg), AVI (.avi) or other file types when in fact the file is a malicious script or executable (.vbs or .exe, for example). 11. Chat clients - Internet chat applications, such as instant messaging applications and Internet Relay Chat (IRC) networks, provide a mechanism for information to be transmitted bi-directionally between computers on the Internet. Chat clients provide groups of individuals with the means to exchange dialog, web URLs, and in many cases, files of any type. Because many chat clients allow for the exchange of executable code, they present risks similar to those of email clients. As with email clients, care should be taken to limit the chat clients ability to execute downloaded files. As always, you should be wary of exchanging files with unknown parties. 12. Packet sniffing - A packet sniffer is a program that captures data from information packets as they travel over the network. That data may include user names, passwords, and proprietary information that travels over the network in clear text. With perhaps hundreds or thousands of passwords captured by the packet sniffer, intruders can launch widespread attacks on systems. Installing a packet sniffer does not necessarily require administrator-level access. Relative to DSL and traditional dial-up users, cable modem users have a higher risk of exposure to packet sniffers since entire neighborhoods of cable modem users are effectively part of the same LAN. A packet sniffer installed on any cable modem user's computer in a neighborhood may be able to capture data transmitted by any other cable modem in the same neighborhood. 3. Accidents and other risks In addition to the risks associated with connecting your computer to the Internet, there are a number of risks that apply even if the computer has no network connections at all. Most of these risks are well-known, so we wont go into much detail in this document, but it is important to note that the common practices associated with reducing these risks may also help reduce susceptibility to the network-based risks discussed above. 1. Disk failure - Recall that availability is one of the three key elements of information security. Although all stored data can become unavailable -- if the media its stored on is physically damaged, destroyed, or lost -- data stored on hard disks is at higher risk due to the mechanical nature of the device. Hard disk crashes are a common cause of data loss on personal computers. Regular system backups are the only effective remedy. 2. Power failure and surges - Power problems (surges, blackouts, and brown-outs) can cause physical damage to a computer, inducing a hard disk crash or otherwise harming the electronic components of the computer. Common mitigation methods include using surge suppressors and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). 3. Physical Theft - Physical theft of a computer, of course, results in the loss of confidentiality and availability, and (assuming the computer is ever recovered) makes the integrity of the data stored on the disk suspect. Regular system backups (with the backups stored somewhere away from the computer) allow for recovery of the data, but backups alone cannot address confidentiality. Cryptographic tools are available that can encrypt data stored on a computers hard disk. I encourage the use of these tools if the computer contains sensitive data or is at high risk of theft (e.g. laptops or other portable computers).
1. What is computer security? Computer security is the process of preventing and detecting unauthorized use of your computer. Prevention measures help you to stop unauthorized users (also known as "intruders") from accessing any part of your computer system. Detection helps you to determine whether or not someone attempted to break into your system, if they were successful, and what they may have done. 2. Why should I care about computer security? We use computers for everything from banking and investing to shopping and communicating with others through email or chat programs. Although you may not consider your communications "top secret," you probably do not want strangers reading your email, using your computer to attack other systems, sending forged email from your computer, or examining personal information stored on your computer (such as financial statements). 3. Who would want to break into my computer at home? Intruders (also referred to as hackers, attackers, or crackers) may not care about your identity. Often they want to gain control of your computer so they can use it to launch attacks on other computer systems. Having control of your computer gives them the ability to hide their true location as they launch attacks, often against high-profile computer systems such as government or financial systems. Even if you have a computer connected to the Internet only to play the latest games or to send email to friends and family, your computer may be a target. Intruders may be able to watch all your actions on the computer, or cause damage to your computer by reformatting your hard drive or changing your data. 4. How easy is it to break into my computer? Unfortunately, intruders are always discovering new vulnerabilities (informally called "holes") to exploit in computer software. The complexity of software makes it increasingly difficult to thoroughly test the security of computer systems. When holes are discovered, computer vendors will usually develop patches to address the problem(s). However, it is up to you, the user, to obtain and install the patches, or correctly configure the software to operate more securely. Most of the incident reports of computer break-ins received at the CERT/CC could have been prevented if system administrators and users kept their computers up-to-date with patches and security fixes. Also, some software applications have default settings that allow other users to access your computer unless you change the settings to be more secure. Examples include chat programs that let outsiders execute commands on your computer or web browsers that could allow someone to place harmful programs on your computer that run when you click on them.
There is nothing more important than password security in a world of technology. It is the first step to creating a safe and secure environment. If your password becomes compromised, there are limitless consequences to what could happen. There are a few very important factors in keeping your passwords safe and secure that everyone should adhere to. Do not tell anyone your password No one should ever know your password; your bosses, your friends, or your bank. None of them should ever know your personal passwords. Any help desk, company, or organization will have administrators or technicians that can reset your password if they need to do something with your account. Organizations will never ask for your password over the telephone or e-mail! Do not write your passwords down The key to a good password is one that you can remember easily, but is hard to guess. It's very important not to write your password down. Hiding it inside your desk, a book, in a picture is just waiting for someone snoopy to find it. Some organizations will require the writing down of passwords, but generally these are Administrator positions and the password books are locked up in a controlled safe or secure location. Your boss shouldn't have all your personal passwords in his desk! Be aware all the time When you are entering your password at the computer, or at a bank machine, be aware of who is around you. If you think someone is trying to look at what you are typing, ask them to step back, turn their head, or cover up the keyboard or keypad with your other hand. If you think that anyone may have your password or has seen you enter it, change your password immediately. Do not use the same password Far too many people only use one password for everything they do, it makes it easier to remember, but compromises their security. If you use the same password for chatting on a web forum and your online banking password, you are just asking for trouble. Use unique passwords for different projects, websites, and logins. Password complexity Password complexity is a very important issue with most users. Often users will have small passwords that are very simple because they worry about trying to remember them. It's very important to have a password that is complex enough to stop people from guessing it, or using automated programs to randomly break it. I will outline good and bad characteristics of passwords below, along with some tips for creating passwords. Avoid bad passwords, or easily guessable passwords There are many characteristics that are considered bad when it comes to choosing a password. These characteristics should be avoided at all costs to help keep your password as secure as possible. Don't use personal information in your passwords. Passwords that contain your date of birth, pets, drivers license number, social insurance number and similar information should be avoided. This also means person numbers of your children, friends, and family also! Make sure your password is adequately complex, don't use passwords like: kenken, dog, sex. Stay away from incremental passwords! If you use a password like HiThere1, don't change your password every few months with HiThere2, HiThere3. Create unique passwords each time. Don't reuse your old passwords even if you haven't used that password in 3 password changes, keep away from reverting to your old passwords. Don't use words from the dictionary. Passwords should be original conceptions, with no words that could be guessed by an automated program. Notes on character substitution I mentioned in the last point that dictionary words should be avoided. This is very true, but in addition to that, there are now dictionary attacks that integrate common slang spellings and special characters. For those of you who were on the internet and BBS world, the old KRAD, elite speak, can be just as easily guessed as a properly spelled word from the dictionary. A couple of examples of what I'm talking about are, "elite speak" could just as easily be "l33t sp34k", "project" and "pr0j3ct". Don't rely on character substitution as a means of securing a simple password. Creating a good password Creating a good password is the key to your personal security. Keep these rules in mind when choosing your passwords: A password should be over eight characters in length. Do not use dictionary words. Do not use character substitution such as "l33t sp34k" Do not user personal information Do not use variations on your userid or login name Use both upper and lower case letters (a-z and A-Z) Use numbers in your password Use special characters (% # @ *) Remembering passwords Everyone knows how frustrating it is to remember passwords, but there is one way that seems to help many people. Trying creating your password using a Mnemonic Device. "I like money, give me your money!" could translate to: Il$,gmyM! "Oh, I wish I was an Oscar Myer Weiner!" could be: OH,iwIwaOMW Simple phrases that are easy to remember for you seem to work the best.
A Beginner's Guide to Securing Your Server (Security Inside WHM/CPanel)
These are items inside of WHM/Cpanel that should be changed to secure your server.
Goto Server Setup =>> Tweak Settings
Check the following items...
Under Domains
Prevent users from parking/adding on common internet domains. (ie hotmail.com, aol.com)
Under Mail
Attempt to prevent pop3 connection floods
Default catch-all/default address behavior for new accounts - fail
Under System
Use jailshell as the default shell for all new accounts and modified accounts
Goto Server Setup =>> Tweak Security
Enable php open_basedir Protection
Enable mod_userdir Protection
Disabled Compilers for unprivileged users.
Goto Server Setup =>> Manage Wheel Group Users
Remove all users except for root and your main account from the wheel group.
Goto Server Setup =>> Shell Fork Bomb Protection
Enable Shell Fork Bomb/Memory Protection
When setting up Feature Limits for resellers in Resellers =>> Reseller Center, under Privileges always disable Allow Creation of Packages with Shell Access and enable Never allow creation of accounts with shell access; under Root Access disable All Features.
Goto Service Configuration =>> FTP Configuration
Disable Anonymous FTP
Goto Account Functions =>> Manage Shell Access
Disable Shell Access for all users (except yourself)
Goto Mysql =>> MySQL Root Password
Change root password for MySQL
Goto Security and run Quick Security Scan and Scan for Trojan Horses often. The following and similar items are not Trojans:
Port 5678 (choose your own 4 to 5 digit port number (49151 is the highest port number)
Uncomment and change
#Protocol 2, 1
to look like
Protocol 2
Uncomment and change
#ListenAddress 0.0.0.0
to look like
ListenAddress 123.123.123.15 (use one of your own IP Addresses that has been assigned to your server)
Note 1: If you would like to disable direct Root Login, scroll down until you find
#PermitRootLogin yes
and uncomment it and make it look like
PermitRootLogin no
Save by pressing Ctrl o on your keyboard, and then exit by pressing Ctrl x on your keyboard.
Note 2: You can also create a custome nameserver specifically for your new SSH IP address. Just create one called something like ssh.xyz.com or whatever. Be sure to add an A address to your zone file for the new nameserver.
Now restart SSH
At command prompt type: [b]/etc/rc.d/init.d/sshd restart[b]
Exit out of SSH, and then re-login to SSH using the new IP or nameserver, and the new port.
Note: If you should have any problems, just Telnet into your server, fix the problem, then SSH in again. Telnet is a very unsecure protocol, so change your root password after you use it.
Disable Telnet
To disable telnet, SSH into server and login as root.
At command prompt type: pico -w /etc/xinetd.d/telnet
change disable = no to disable = yes
Save and Exit
At command prompt type: /etc/init.d/xinetd restart
Server e-mail everytime someone logs in as root
To have the server e-mail you everytime someone logs in as root, SSH into server and login as root.
At command prompt type: pico .bash_profile
Scroll down to the end of the file and add the following line:
To an SSH legal message, SSH into server and login as root.
At command prompt type: pico /etc/motd
Enter your message, save and exit.
Note: I use the following message...
Code:
ALERT! You are entering a secured area! Your IP and login information have been recorded. System administration has been notified.
This system is restricted to authorized access only. All activities on this system are recorded and logged. Unauthorized access will be fully investigated and reported to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
Now everytime someone logs in as root, they will see this message... go ahead a try it.
Disable Shell Accounts
To disable any shell accounts hosted on your server SSH into server and login as root.
3. Extract files Type: tar -xzvf rkhunter-1.1.4.tar.gz
4. Type: cd rkhunter
5. Type: ./installer.sh
6. Lets setup RKHunter to e-mail you you daily scan reports. Type: pico -w /etc/cron.daily/rkhunter.sh
Add The Following: #!/bin/bash (/usr/local/bin/rkhunter -c --cronjob 2>&1 | mail -s "RKhunter Scan Details" replace-this@with-your-email.com)
Replace the e-mail above with your e-mail!! It is best to send the e-mail to an e-mail off-site so that if the box IS compromised the hacker can't erase the scan report unless he hacks another server too.
Type: chmod +x /etc/cron.daily/rkhunter.sh
Install APF Firewall
To install APF, SSH into server and login as root.
At command prompt type: tar -xvzf bfd-current.tar.gz
At command prompt type: cd bfd-0.4
At command prompt type: ./install.sh
After BFD has been installed, you need to edit the configuration file.
At command prompt type: pico /usr/local/bfd/conf.bfd
Under Enable brute force hack attempt alerts:
Find
ALERT_USR="0"
and change it to
ALERT_USR="1"
Find
EMAIL_USR="root"
and change it to
EMAIL_USR="your@email.com"
Save the changes then exit.
To start BFD
At command prompt type: /usr/local/sbin/bfd -s
Modify LogWatch
Logwatch is a customizable log analysis system. It parses through your system's logs for a given period of time and creates a report analyzing areas that you specify, in as much detail as you require. Logwatch is already installed on most CPanel servers.
To modify LogWatch, SSH into server and login as root.
At command prompt type: pico -w /etc/log.d/conf/logwatch.conf
Like any average user, I was under the impression that my emails are relatively secure and could only be viewed by the recipient. Imagine my surprise, when I discovered that all emails whether by Yahoo/Gmail or by local ISPs are sent similar to the open postcard which can be read by the postmen, the staff at the post office who come in contact with the postcard, and the post office will retain a copy of all my personal and business mails.
The irony was that the intended recipient would need a password to get access to the email whereas most of the people /computers involved in the email delivery system gets a free copy!
It may be argued, that given the volume of emails, who will have time to peep into ones mails. But I would not want to leave my house door wide open giving the thieves GET IN MY HOUSE FREE CARD. Nor would I want my competitors to get hands on my pricing or quotations or my company’s system administrator to get a copy of my new job offer. Thats what happens when we use Yahoo/MSN/Gmail and other similar mail servers. (Although they do offer other great services, but not sufficient privacy.)
I came across two interesting FREE mail servers which promises us PGP encryption security. (they claim to be one of the best in the world) They are www.s-mail.comand www.hushmail.com . They are not rich in graphics, free storage space and features like those of Yahoo,Gmail etc., but offer us good privacy. Hushmail also has secure “type chat” but no voice chat. There would be much wider and better choices available on the net. Do let us all know if any of you have come up with a better secure FREE mail servers.
If you do intend to use Hushmail.com, do make sure you select a long passPHRASE of atleast seven words, as oppose to the usual passWORD. Because it uses individual passPHRASE to base its encryption for your email account.
My intention in this mail to let all laymen’s like me, know how their emails are being processed, and can exercise due diligence depending on their own privacy requirement.
