As president of the Sunshine Coast Computer Club for more than a decade, Peter Daley has answered more computing questions than he would care to remember. He also helps run a technology help line service called www.technologypals.com.au giving people help over the phone.
. A safe internet system
| Peter Daley
I realise that the average person has no hope of protecting their computer from the huge numbers of attacks aimed at them. You can read my opinion on this here, Technofile blog: Computer security is a major issue
I realise the situation is ridiculous, when I have to recommend people use two anti-virus, anti-spyware and anti-rootkit checkers, to try and find all the malicious content that may be on their computer.
Most people don't have the technical skill to even use all these security tools properly, let alone have the time involved in trying to keep all these tools up to date.
People need to run them at least weekly, through their computers, and this can take a whole day!
This VirusTotal site www.virustotal.com/estadisticas shows just how pathetic the detection of modem malware is, by modern anti-virus programs. Look at the "Failures in Detection (Last 24 Hours)," pie chart!
Because of this situation, I created the “Safe Internet System” for myself. I then realised it could help others.
I have been showing Sunshine Coast Computer Club Inc. members at tutorials how to use this system for a year now.
There has been so much interest in it, from members who wanted a written guide to use at home, when travelling, or to give to friends and relatives, I have spent the last couple of months putting together a “Safe Internet System” 27-page book which includes a CD.
The book is a detailed guide on how to use this system effectively. A lot of members are already using the “Safe Internet System” book. With this book, I provide a Mandriva Linux Live CD, on which I have run some extra security checks. The book + CD + postage, is Australia $28, International $32, and can be purchased from here.
www.technologypals.com.au/safe-internet-system
Those who are more technically skilled, and interested in trying the idea without the technical guide, can freely download an ISO image (CD image) of Mandriva Live, or purchase a Mandriva Live CD directly from the Mandriva Australian website. (I show some important extra security tricks in the booklet.)
I choose Mandriva Linux Live CD over many other possible Linux Live distro CDs, because I have found it is one of the easiest for people to adjust to, coming from Windows.
It also has a good firewall that starts up when the CD loads, plus some other nifty security enhancements. Yes, you can use other Live Linux Distros, but check their security before use.
A live Linux CD is a complete Operating System on a CD. Live Linux CDs are primarily designed so people can try out a version of Linux, without installing it on their computer. You can use a Live Linux CD for all your Internet activities, web browsing and emailing etc, plus banking, password changing and financial transactions.
There are huge advantages in doing this. As you can run an entire clean operating system from a CD, you can start your computer from it, and get on the internet with a lot more safety because:
1. If your normal operating system has been infected with keyboard loggers, trojans, viruses, spy-ware, rootkits, or bootkits, these will be inactive, because the CD loads a complete clean and separate OS (Operating System), each time you use it. The operating system is completely separated from your normal OS etc., Windows, Linux or Apple.
2. The CD can't be written to, so no keyboard loggers, trojans, viruses. spy-ware, rootkits, and bootkits can be recorded on the disk, hidden, then activated from the CD later. When it pops out, and you pop it back in the next time to use it, you know it is totally clean!
3. The Mandriva Live CD has a good firewall. This helps prevent intruders breaking in and installing malicious programs.
4. You can use it for safer internet banking, financial transactions, changing your online passwords, or as a safe system when your are travelling. (You can't assume other people's computers or those in internet kiosks are clean.)
5. You can also put visiting friends and relatives on the internet, using the Live disk, and know that when they're finished using the computer, you can restart, and it is totally clean.
I have based this system around the Mandriva Live CD, because it is very easy to use, has a good firewall, and you can lock it down further by throwing a few in built security switches.
For the the best security, all your banking, financial transactions and password changing, should always be conducted as a separated Live CD internet session. In other words, you start up using the Live CD, do your banking etc., and get out.
Straight after you have finished your banking session you shut down and restart the computer, before you start a normal internet web browsing and emailing session.
The ideal way to use this system is to use it on a computer with no hard drive, and keep any other computer systems you may have, off the internet.
Yes, some would argue that a hard drive installation of a Linux operating system on your computer will be better security.
That is as long as you have a really good complicated Linux admin password, and you keep the Linux up to date with all the latest security updates.
In my opinion, Linux is much more secure than any Windows system. But with the technical sophistication of hacks increasing and taking into account the technical skill level of the average computer user, you really have no certainty that any system has not been compromised.
I personally use installed Linux, but I also use this Live CD system for extra security for other activities.
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Recent Comments
How do you keep an OS stored on read only media up to date? How do you patch a read only Live CD? There have been some nasty holes in Linux in the past, which have been patched fairly quickly (the advantage of Open Source software), however a Live CD OS is static and in the long term a security risk.
Virus checkers are at best, only finding 37% of the latest threats.
From the statistics of on line virus scanners, it's generally agreed that 25% of all computers have malicious content on them, (some would argue the true figure is as high as 70%!)
This means hundreds of millions of computer users have their finances at risk. The vast majority of these infected computers are using Windows. Windows has a 95% market share. Therefore hackers aim their exploits mainly at Windows users.
Using a Live CD disk in a separate session, bypasses all the Windows keyboard loggers, trojans, viruses, spy-ware and rootkit exploits that may presently be on a persons computer. I know of no other system that does that. Of course once they master using the Live CD, in a Live CD session, they should change their important passwords. The reason is that hackers may already have stolen this information, by hacking their Windows computer. Using the Live CD does not change their computer in any way. They can go back to using Windows, and it is exactly as it was before they used the Live CD.
Most of the present exploits are designed to install trojans, viruses, spyware and rootkits, on the hard drive of mainly Windows computers. This is so they can control the computer, and steal passwords, credit card numbers, personal information, and banking information etc. The Live CD system bypasses all this, and in my opinion, if used wisely, can give a great deal of extra security.
Lots of these Windows machines are fully patched, and still infected. Patching doesn't mean the machine is clean. If they already have malicious content on their computer, patching does nothing. When a hacker finds a vulnerability, he doesn't tell the world, he keeps it hidden, so he can exploit it. Patches only fix those vulnerabilities, the honest computer experts discover.
Ok, the Live CD can't be updated with a patch. This is one of it's great strengths, because it can't be recorded on to, no malicious content can be recorded on it. Live CDs are regularly updated to new versions with all the latest updates and patches. They are available as a free download, or can be purchased for a small fee as a CD. The Live CD updated versions are generally available every 3, 6, or 12 months, depending on the version. There are differences in security between different versions, so you must do security checks before using any.
There are no perfect systems, I give no warranties on the use of this system. People use it at their own risk. The computer security situation is such, that new unknown hack techniques, and systems, are being developed constantly. No one can honestly give a guarantee that any system is totally safe.
Here is a recent article (June 3rd 2008) that explains that even the patching process is vulnerable, and could lead to large numbers of computers being hacked.
http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech...
Before I disconnect, did you notice the word "could" in the article. This is how security works, people test and try everything possible to circumvent security, in the process strengthening systems. It's an ever changing world and the net changes at a rapid pace. I would hope that your column would encourage us to be "alert but not alarmed". There is a risk in using the internet, as there is a risk when going to the beach or stepping out of the front door.
There are many simple and effective things people can do to minimise risk, if people followed all the advice you've given in this blog over the past year, they wouldn't even be able to post a comment.
Firstly, I appreciate your comments it's good to see someone willing to debate the issues.
Yes, there is risk in everything, and as long as you are aware of the risks, you can protect yourself. The problems come when people are not aware of the risks. Without knowledge they can't protect themselves.
I am trying to educate them, so they are aware of the dangers, and take the precautions necessary. With all my warnings, I always try to give solutions, so they're safer surfing the Internet.
Is it better to have people educated, or have them, as sitting ducks?
I understand what you're doing but it appears you're going overboard sometimes and loosing sight of usability, thus limiting your reach with the audience.
I bet you've come across the weak passwords for email/ebay/online services problem. I suspect weak passwords are major problem for many people, I've been caught out being lazy with passwords. An online bank wouldn't let you have a strong password, so I stopped using that bank. Had my Ebay account hijacked a while ago, they did it (someone from China) by getting into my online email service which at the time would have been a walk in the park due to a weak password. It was a drama to reclaim my accounts, but lesson learnt.
Now have a password(s) based on a made up phrase, a common phrase would be easy to hack. Using the first or second character of each word in the phrase and substituting some characters with special characters and mixing up the case. The phrase makes it easy to remember the password which appears to a be a string of random characters. I'm sure you have some great ideas/advice for maintaining passwords and setting up good ones that people should remember to change on a regular basis. Dictionary attacks make password cracking easy.
Telling people to disable javascript, not use internet banking, install various OSs might be put into the too hard basket, whereas advice on how to use the benefits of the net safely with usability at the forefront will in my opinion reach a wider audience and be more useful.