Everything
You Wanted to Know About
Security But Were Afraid to Ask
Tech Tips. Vol. 2004 No. 04
|
What's a "denial of service attack"? A Trojan horse?
A back-door virus? Who's trying to break into your computer
and why? And more important, what can you do to protect yourself?
The issues in computer security can be a bit overwhelming for
non-technical users. Here's good news: we've found some great
Internet resources that will help!
The CERT® Coordination Center (CERT/CC)
Established in 1988, CERT/CC is located at the Software Engineering
Institute, a federally funded R&D center operated by Carnegie
Mellon University. Their site, www.cert.org, provides a wealth
of resources for both home and corporate users.
To access some of the most useful and interesting material,
click on "Security Practices and Evaluations" at
the top of the screen, then select the "Tech Tips"
link from the list down the left side of the page. Scroll
down the list and look for "Home Computers." You'll
find links to tech tips containing valuable, non-technical
information about hooking up a computer to the Internet, and
about home network security. There are many other useful links
within the body of both tips. There's lots more info on the
site, too, so don't hesitate to browse!
US-CERT
US-CERT is a partnership between the Department of Homeland
Security and the CERT/CC to form a nation-wide response system
to protect the nation's Internet infrastructure. You may want
to sign up for their National Cyber Alert System, which provides
"credible and timely information on cyber security issues
for both technical and non-technical users."
Go to www.us-cert.gov. Click the button on the left labeled
"Join the lists". Then click the black button on
the right labeled "Non-technical". You'll land on
a page where you can sign up to receive "alerts"
and/or "tips":
- Alerts are sent when there is a security issue that affects
the general public; the alert outlines the steps non-technical
home and corporate users can take to protect themselves.
- Tips describe common security issues and offer advice
for non-technical home and corporate computer users.
We also recommend that you click on "Resources"
from the selection list across the top of the home page, and
take a look at the "stay safe on-line" link. This
site, too, is worth a bit of general browsing.
ISAlliance.org
Go to www.isalliance.org for another great resource. The Internet
Security Alliance is a non-profit collaboration between Electronic
Industries Alliance (EIA) and CERT/CC that claims "a
diverse and international membership." You probably won't
want to join (the minimum entry fee is a $5,000 "associate
membership"), but there's lots of interesting news on
the site. Also look for these links in the panel down the
left side of the home page:
- Questions every executive should ask
- Common Sense Guide for Home and Individual Users
- Common Sense Guide for Senior Managers
Copyright 2003-2005 by Shulman Clark
Associates, LLC. All rights reserved.
|
