|
|
|
E-mail Security Governance: E-mail Encryption and Authentication as a Business Enabler
How to Easily Secure Your E-mail System and Comply with HIPAA, Sarbanes-Oxley, and GLBA Regulations While recent government regulations vary in scope and purpose, the need to protect and ensure the integrity of information is universal. Much of...
Microsoft CRM Development: SDK, C#, SQL, Exchange, Integration, Crystal Reports overview for programmer
Microsoft CRM is new player on the CRM software market. The whole conception behind CRM seems to be different. In case of traditional CRM software (Siebel, Oracle) - the application was designed with platform independence in mind. Microsoft CRM is...
Stop Internet Pollution
As we blaze into the new millennium, technology continues it’s rapid pace yet most people and businesses are not realizing the consequence of e-mail. Even as we increase our level of electronic communication, so goes the multitudes of new e-mail and...
The ultimate in reciprocal link software. Reciprocal Links Pro
The ultimate in reciprocal link software. Reciprocal Links
Pro
Most webmasters know that a quality reciprocal linking campaign
is an essential part of building long term traffic to any
website. Reciprocal Links Pro is designed...
Three Things You Can Do to Keep Your Computer Running at Maximum Performance
Although there are many things that can affect the performance of your computer, there are a few simply things you can do each month to help keep your computer running at maximum performance. This article will focus on two problems that impact the...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Detect, Protect, Dis-infect
Consumers Online Face Wide Choices in Security Products
With new threats to computer security and data integrity a regular feature of the evening news, a panoply of products that promise to detect, protect, and dis-infect are being marketed to consumers. Intrusion detection systems, firewalls and anti-virus software are critical to online security, but the Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, says computer users — from grade school kids to grandparents — need to know exactly why they need online security products and what they’re buying.
Why the Need
Computers “talk” to each other over the Internet by sending data through their communications ports. If a port is open, it “listens” for communications from the Internet. A computer has thousands of ports: which ones are open depends on the software the computer is running. Hackers can “eavesdrop” or scan the ports to determine which are open and vulnerable to unauthorized access.
Detection
An intrusion detection system (IDS) monitors incoming Internet traffic, much like a security camera “watches” your front door to see who might be trying to come in. When the IDS detects a suspicious pattern, it sends an alert (and creates a record) that an intruder may be
trying to break in to your computer. Some IDS alerts — but not all — show a pop-up message on your screen. An IDS alone cannot prevent an unauthorized entry into your computer; only a firewall can do that.
Protection
Firewalls block hackers’ access to your computer by creating a barrier — like a wall — between your ports and the Internet that allows you to control the data that comes and goes through your ports. Your firewall protects your ports even if you don’t have an IDS. Sometimes a firewall is bundled with an IDS. If not, and if you want an IDS, be sure it’s compatible with your firewall.
Dis-infection
Anti-virus software detects and deletes viruses that are in your computer. Viruses often attach themselves to your computer through email attachments and floppy disks. That means a firewall can’t catch them. Similarly, an IDS won’t alert you when a virus is attacking your computer. Look for anti-virus software that recognizes current viruses, as well as older ones; that can effectively reverse the damage; and that updates automatically.
About the Author
Robert Rogers is a writer in the Washington DC area and specializes in computer security.
For More Information - Visit www.spycollege.com
|
|
|
|
|
|