1	Cascade Lakes Computer Users Group Bradley Dinerman National Information Security Group, President MIS Alliance, Vice President of IT February 26, 2007
2	Is Your Computer Secure? Maybe, if you’re still using this
3	Are We Secure Here?
4	"Not according to the guy..." Not according to the guy here:
5	"or here" or here:
6	The Scope of Security Everyone should be concerned about security, whether individuals or large businesses.
7	So What Should Concern Us? Spyware (Malware)
8	Spyware (Malware) Typical characteristics include: Software that has been installed on your computer without your knowledge Sends data back to SpywareHQ Causes undesirable side effects such as popup windows and poor system performance
9	How to Protect Against Spyware? Get a good, real-time, antispyware program: Sunbelt Software CounterSpy Microsoft Windows Defender Lavasoft AdAware Personal is not a real-time scanner Some antivirus programs have a small bit of antispyware functionality as well.
10	How to Protect Against Spyware? Keep your computer up-to-date with patches and the latest browser version (IE 7, Firefox, etc) Also update other programs, such as WinZip and Acrobat Reader. Updates protect against vulnerabilities
11	How to Protect Against Spyware? Do not download “cute” programs that run toolbars, put smilies in emails, etc. These are notorious for containing spyware Disable file transfers if you use Instant Messenger
12	How to Protect Against Spyware? Consider moving to Windows Vista for enhanced security: IE 7 and new mail software have anti-phishing filters User Account Control (UAC) But beware of the heavy-duty hardware requirements for Vista, as well as program compatibility
13	Spam Is it a threat, or just an annoyance?
14	If you said “threat…” …then you are definitely correct Spam messages contain: Viruses Phishing Links Requests to help Prince Akeem of Nigeria And of course, spam sucks up all your time and costs the economy billions of dollars in lost productivity.
15	How To Avoid Spam? Actually, you can’t. But you can help delay it.
16	How To Block Spam? Sign up for a mail service that blocks spam before it gets to you. Install an antispam package on your computer (such as Inboxer) Obtain the latest version of your mail software (Outlook 2007, for example) Outlook 2003 and 2007 Junk Email filter is surprisingly effective
17	Laptop Theft What is on your laptop?
18	Recovering (Stealing) Passwords Passwords stored in browsers or other applications are easily recoverable. Example: Asterisk Key
19	What If Your Laptop Is Stolen? Windows XP Professional supports file-level encryption. If someone takes your laptop drive and puts it into another computer, the files will be unreadable. This is a good start.
20	What If Your Laptop Is Stolen? Windows Vista supports full disk encryption, including the operating system. If someone takes your laptop drive and puts it into another computer, the drive will not be bootable. This is a great solution.
21	What If Your Laptop Is Stolen? Consider signing up for a “call home” alarm system on your laptop. Example: TheCyberAngel.com
22	What About Wireless? “Out of the box,” wireless access opens your Internet connection and possibly your computers to the whole world.
23	Why Would Someone Want Your Wireless? Free Internet access
24	What Can You Do? Never use the default SSID. Disable SSID broadcasting. Use WPA encryption. (WEP is flawed, but better than nothing.) Configure MAC address filtering. Shut off the wireless when it’s not in use. Reduce the broadcast power
25	In Conclusion Are You Secure? Never.