Forensic Accounting
Brand Protection
Computer Forensics
Corporate Investigation

Volume 9 - No. 1                    Download PDF

In this edition of
The Kessler Report:

Computer Forensics: Sherlock Holmes in the Information Age

What's Infecting
Your Computer?

Stop Harassing Email

The Trojan
Horse Defense

Automatic Thieving Machines: ATM Frauds Exposed

Q&A: Do It Yourself Investigation

Kessler's Corner:
The Growing Field of Computer Forensics

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What's Infecting Your Computer?

Let's face it… the Internet is getting out of control.  A few years ago, broadband connections linked lucky users to a veritable ocean of digital information and entertainment, with promises of real-time video and unparalleled interactivity.  But reality has since hit surfers hard (especially those on a network or using a cable modem).  The future, now the present, isn't all it was cracked up to be.  The Internet is rife with headaches, so many in fact, that most people don't know the difference between a virus and the Trojan horse it rode in on.  

Here's how to tell the difference between those potentially harmful buzzwords, and how to protect your PC from hackers and malicious programs:  

Virus
A virus is basically a small program that propagates itself, infecting programs and various files on the same computer.  Viruses have a range of effects, some more damaging than others.  Some can erase your entire hard drive, and some are merely annoyances.  No matter what the effect, however, it is important to remember that a virus can only be spread to other computers by user interaction, such as transferring the file via file sharing, a physical disk, or as an e-mail attachment.  Of course, since viruses can infect many other files without being detected, users are usually unaware they are sending their friends and co-workers contaminated data.  

Worm
A worm is much like a virus.  A worm is self-propagating, and can have a variety of effects on a machine, from file deletion to general slowdown.  Unlike a virus, however, worms can spread automatically over a network, infecting one computer after another by taking advantage of automatic file sending/receiving features that are standard on many computers, but unknown to most users.  Generally, users have no control over the installation of a worm, and since they are easy to spread and modify, anti-virus programs can not always stop them from spreading.  

Trojan Horse
Trojan horse is a fairly general term that refers to a file that appears to be desirable… perhaps a free game, a funny movie clip or a hot new song… but actually contains malicious code that is harmful to your data.  Like a virus, a Trojan must be sent and executed by a user, but unlike viruses or worms, Trojans do not self-replicate.  However, once a Trojan is executed, there's no telling what the code within will do to your computer, and that includes unleashing embedded viruses or worms.  

Spyware / Adware
Spyware is the latest and greatest annoyance for many computer users.  Spyware, in general, is any software that aids in collecting information about a user without their knowledge or consent.  These programs generally do not perform any harmful actions (such as erasing files), but they can hog system memory and may be transmitting personal information across the Internet.  Often, spyware is unwittingly installed by users who download free applications, or is installed automatically while users browse certain websites.  Unfortunately, spyware is usually quite difficult to remove from computers, and often reinstalls itself even after the user has uninstalled or deleted it.  

Adware generally refers to advertisement-supported software or programs that produce banners, pop-up windows, or a variety of other irritating ads that generate revenue for the company that produced the software.  Unlike spyware, adware is typically more up front about its intentions to harvest information or deliver targeted advertising, but these intentions are usually hidden among the rest of the small print in the software's license agreement, which most people don't bother to read.  

How to boost your PC's immune system
As technology keeps advancing, it's inevitable that you will someday end up with unwanted glitches on your computer.  However, there are ways to help reduce the chances of infection and keep your computer running smoothly.  

•  Install anti-virus software, update virus definitions regularly, and scan all incoming files.  While not completely foolproof, an updated virus checker can help keep harmful viruses, worms, Trojans and some spyware at bay.  McAfee VirusScan and Symantec's Norton Anti-Virus are among the most popular packages.

•  Set up a firewall.  Network professionals certainly know the benefit of having a firewall, but personal computer users should also set one up to help keep hackers from infiltrating your PC and stealing your personal information.

•  If you are running Windows, be sure to download security updates from Microsoft.  Updates are usually available every month or so, and contain important security and operational patches.

•  Never open an e-mail attachment unless you are absolutely sure what it is and where it came from.  Even mail from a friend could be the result of a virus that has distributed itself through your friend's address list.

•  Never agree to pop up windows that offer software updates, browser tools, plug-ins, or anything else that you aren't 100 percent sure of.  If you think you need to download it, you can always find it at the company's website.

•  Watch out for hidden file extensions.  Only the last extension of a filename counts, so that seemingly innocent-looking family.jpg might actually be an executable file named family.jpg.exe.  You can set Windows to display hidden file extensions in the Folder Options menu.

•  Read license agreements for any software you download.  Remember, very few things are free in this world, and chances are if you're downloading a "free" program, it's probably adware, or it contains undetectable spyware.

•  Run updated adware/spyware elimination software.  Good choices include Spybot - Search & Destroy by PepiMK Software and Lavasoft's Ad-aware.

•  Consider using an alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser.  Mozilla's Firefox, Avant Browser and Opera generally offer excellent features and tougher security.

•  If you do use Internet Explorer (and most people do), set the security settings to at least medium to help filter out possible issues.  

Your data, whether it resides on a home computer or a company server, is important to you.  For most individuals, it contains years' worth of work, photos, and personal information.  At the corporate level, it is usually at the center of day-to- day operations, and it likely contains a wealth of sensitive records.  You can't allow your systems to be sabotaged by malicious programmers or devious freeware.  

Sometimes, of course, viruses and their sinister ilk may somehow find their way into your systems and corrupt, even destroy your important data.  Thankfully, Kessler’s skilled technicians can perform emergency data recovery on any type of media, and our computer forensics experts can help you track down the source of the electronic assailants.  We are efficient, professional and effective, and we can provide insight and solutions to even your gravest IT issues.

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