Consumer Safety & Awareness Part 26

Internet Service Scams

(This morning one of the Slightly Creaky e-mail accounts received over 200 Mailer Daemon rejections. Obviously the account had been hacked and used to send out spam. We deleted the mail, checked the accounts, changed passwords, then called up our web company. They could not find any trace of this e-mail, nor did it show up on their secure server. We are still working with them to trace the senders and resolve the issue.)

Most likely you have heard about Internet attacks on computers. They can take several forms, but all can be devastating. There are hundreds of sites online dedicated to computer risks. One of the most complete, yet hardest to understand, is Computer Knowledge. I have borrowed some definitions from them so that you can be more aware of the types of problems that can occur when you use the Internet. Most good anti-virus software will protect you from these, especially if you maintain the program’s automatic upgrade subscription.

a) A Dialer is a program that will use the computer's modem to dial various phone numbers. The purpose of this unauthorized dialing can vary but usually is to activate premium cost phone numbers that will show up on the infected user's phone bill or to access pornographic material.
b) Worms and viruses spread by themselves; a worm spreading by itself and a virus typically needing a host to carry it. Some worms/viruses will also carry a Trojan, making the distinction even more of a gray area.
A worm will be designed to take advantage of some known vulnerability in the operating system. Many of these will open a backdoor to the computer so other programs can be inserted or commands can be given to your computer to perform tasks you probably would not want it performing (e.g., sending bulk spam e-mails).
c) A rootkit is basically stealthed malware. Rootkits are programs that typically replace kernel programs and DLL files with improper programming. Since it's a system file that has been replaced it's much easier to mask and hide these features from anti-virus software. One major company included a rootkit in its software on purpose. If you attempted to copy their software, legally or illegally, it messed with your system. Lawsuits resulted.
d) A Trojan is a program that runs on a computer as part of or in addition to another program that an infected computer's user is running. Trojans have various functions; some attempt to download and install other infections, some download and show advertisements, some log keystrokes and send that information to locations where the user’s names and passwords are used for unethical purposes. Other Trojans open backdoors into the infected computer so that unethical people can use the infected computers to send out spam. A few Trojans are particularly malicious and attempt to disable the infected system and make data on it unavailable to its owner

No matter which of these infect a computer, the result will be unexpected and possibly unknown theft of either service or identity. It is important to use the latest anti-virus programs, updated, to protect a machine. A firewall, in addition to whatever the Internet Service Provider is using, should shut off any access from the outside. Other protection packages can reduce the risk of getting adware, pop-ups, and other unwanted programs that, at a minimum, will slow your computer down.

If you have ever had a computer malfunction, and contacted the company you purchased it from, they may have asked for your IP number and permission to gain Internet access directly to your computer. Using this technique, which we might consider legal hacking, the company’s technician can examine your setting, find out what is wrong, and possibly even remotely fix it. Imagine what a person with evil intent might do.

If your computer has been infected, you may become subject to theft of service, as the attackers can then use your computer as the base of spam-mail attacks. If federal agents trace such attacks, they will land up at your infected machine, not the scammers. Even more frightening, if you operate a business or make financial transactions from this infected machine, the hacker may be able to learn your identity and security information.

People also operate web sites from their home computers. Infected machines open the door to hackers to access those websites. At minimum they can maliciously alter or disable the site. It is possible that they can create a direct resender so that people attempting to access the site you operate land up at a scam location or pornographic page. If your web site has items for sale or other financial transactions taking place on it, the hackers can intercept them and take the credit card numbers and other information for their own use.

Thus, the more you use your computer for Internet interaction, the more you need to be aware of what is happening at your site. Many people build something then rarely return to it. Check the site you developed daily. Use whatever protection your web support and service companies provide. You may even wish to invest in a monthly or yearly subscription protection anti-virus plan. Do not just purchase one based on an ad, though. Use what your ISP recommends as best for your circumstance.