How safe is your computer?
It takes only minutes before an unprotected computer on the internet becomes infected.        
Twenty minutes. That's how quickly an unprotected computer can become infected on the internet, according to research institute Sans.org.

Ryan Purita, a consultant with Totally Connected Security Ltd., wanted to see this for himself. He hooked up a PC with default settings to the internet: It had no anti-virus software, no firewall, and no operating system patches.  In about ONE MINUTE, says Purita, it was hacked, infected, and it had started propagating virus infections to other computers.

TIRED AND FRUSTRATED of their virus and spyware plagued PC, Rosslyn Berot-Burns and her husband Paul are seriously contemplating logging off permanently.  Their three kids protest, but each week brings more virus infections, and more time and money thrown at their problem machine. The past year has seen their system go through multiple crashes, a multitude of pop-ups, and their browser doing unexpected things. Even with an anti-virus program and a firewall, the computer's still getting infected, says Rosslyn.

Calling herself an average home user, Rosslyn says she doesn't understand how a lot of the programs work. What it comes down to, says Rosslyn, is that the home users have to make it their responsibility to find out how to protect their machines.

"If you really want to have the computer, first of all find out what you need in order to protect your PC. Or don't use it. That's where I'm at right now."
       
"Home users still lack the most fundamental education regarding security. When people enter in their PIN number at an ATM and people are around, they are aware and take steps to prevent disclosure of sensitive information. However, some of the same people will willingly fill-out their real name, address, phone number and even credit card information from an unsolicited email, or banner pop up," says Purita.

Some home users are so frustrated and confused by the pitfalls of the internet, they have decided to do the one thing they know will protect them: log off permanently. The process of security is just too time-consuming and intimidating for them.  Producer/writer: Ruby Buiza | Writer/researcher: Laura Carlin, John Bowman | 2/18/05

Don't think you need protection from viruses and spyware?
First of all, what do I need protection from?  And what will happen if I choose not to protect my PC?  Letís define the enemy:

Computer Vandalism - Hackers may perform mischievous activities such as deleting files up to and including reformatting your hard drive(s).

Malware - Short for malicious software, software designed specifically to damage or disrupt a system, such as a virus or a Trojan horse.

Trojan Horse Program - A destructive program that masquerades as a benign application. Unlike viruses, Trojan horses do not replicate themselves but they can be just as destructive. One of the most insidious types of Trojan horse is a program that claims to rid your computer of viruses but instead introduces viruses onto your computer. The term comes from the a Greek story of the Trojan War, in which the Greeks give a giant wooden horse to their foes, the Trojans, ostensibly as a peace offering. But after the Trojans drag the horse inside their city walls, Greek soldiers sneak out of the horse's hollow belly and open the city gates, allowing their compatriots to pour in and capture Troy.

SpyWare - Any software that covertly gathers user information through the user's Internet connection without his or her knowledge, usually for advertising purposes.  Spyware applications are typically bundled as a hidden component of freeware or shareware programs that can be downloaded from the Internet; however, it should be noted that the majority of shareware and freeware applications do not come with spyware. Once installed, the spyware monitors user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to someone else. Spyware can also gather information about e-mail addresses and even passwords and credit card numbers.
Spyware is similar to a Trojan horse in that users unwittingly install the product when they install something else. A common way to become a victim of spyware is to download certain peer-to-peer file swapping products that are available today.  Aside from the questions of ethics and privacy, spyware steals from the user by using the computer's memory resources and also by eating bandwidth as it sends information back to the spyware's home base via the user's Internet connection. Because spyware is using memory and system resources, the applications running in the background can lead to system crashes or general system instability.  Because spyware exists as independent executable programs, they have the ability to monitor keystrokes, scan files on the hard drive, snoop other applications, such as chat programs or word processors, install other spyware programs, read cookies, change the default home page on the Web browser, consistently relaying this information back to the spyware author who will either use it for advertising/marketing purposes or sell the information to another party.  Licensing agreements that accompany software downloads sometimes warn the user that a spyware program will be installed along with the requested software, but the licensing agreements may not always be read completely because the notice of a spyware installation is often couched in obtuse, hard-to-read legal disclaimers.

Virus - A program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. Viruses can also replicate themselves. All computer viruses are manmade. A simple virus that can make a copy of itself over and over again is relatively easy to produce. Even such a simple virus is dangerous because it will quickly use all available memory and bring the system to a halt. An even more dangerous type of virus is one capable of transmitting itself across networks and bypassing security systems.

Worm - A program or algorithm that replicates itself over a computer network and usually performs malicious actions, such as using up the computer's resources and possibly shutting the system down.

According to CERT/CC, a growing risk to Internet users without dedicated IT support are at risk of exploitation in increasingly shorter periods of time. This problem is exacerbated by a number of issues, including:

• Many computers' default configurations are insecure.
• New security vulnerabilities may have been discovered between the time the computer was built and configured by the manufacturer and the user setting up the computer for the first time.
• When upgrading software from commercially packaged media (e.g., CD-ROM, DVD-ROM), new vulnerabilities may have been discovered since the disc was manufactured.
• Attackers know the common broadband and dial-up IP address ranges, and scan them regularly.
• Numerous worms are already circulating on the Internet continuously scanning for new computers to exploit.

As a result, the average time-to-exploitation on some networks for an unprotected computer is measured in minutes. This is especially true in the address ranges used by cable modem, DSL, and dial-up providers.

Standard advice to home users has been to download and install software patches as soon as possible after connecting a new computer to the Internet. However, since the background intruder scanning activity is pervasive, it may not be possible for the user to complete the download and installation of software patches before the vulnerabilities they are trying to fix are exploited.

Bullet-Proof PC - Providing solutions to home and office security
In response to the overwhelming need for reliable computer virus protection, and spyware protection, Bullet-Proof PC has developed a safe, secure, and affordable solution.  While providing top of the line technology in hardware, Bullet-Proof PC integrates software secure from the virus and spyware threats while enhancing usability.  Stop worrying about spyware and viruses, and move on with your life!  Order your Bullet-Proof PC today! 

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