| Pandora's box has been opened and the explosion of | | | | attacks. Zombie-making virus kits can be purchased on |
| information both personal and non-personal seems to | | | | the net, requiring little or no technical knowledge and |
| be limitless and increases exponentially. And according | | | | which provides the breeding ground for future |
| to the National Opinion Poll taken in January of 2007 | | | | international cybercriminals and the training ground for |
| half the UK harbors a "deep mistrust" due to security | | | | cybergangs (terrorists). |
| concerns. Not only is there a deep public mistrust but, | | | | What are we to do? Implementing new laws when it's |
| the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and | | | | already difficult to pursue and in some cases |
| Technology are inquiring into the need for personal | | | | unenforceable and with cross-border criminal |
| Internet Security because of the growing use of home | | | | investigations not to mention the resources needed are |
| computers, expansion of broadband, internet banking | | | | vast and costly with little results. |
| and commerce (Brent MacLean "A new look at | | | | How do we secure the Internet now? One idea is to |
| Internet Security" Monday September 10, 2007). | | | | improve administrative, regulatory, and technical |
| Every one is talking extensively ( ISP Associations, | | | | solutions to produce a safer Net and then apply |
| Richard Clayton of the Cambridge Security Lab, John | | | | resources to fortify banks, airports, power plants from |
| Carr of the Children's Charities Coalition on Internet | | | | the insecure internet we have allowed to develop. It |
| Safety, as well as Johnathan Zittrain of the Oxford | | | | begins with securing the end-user and creating an |
| Internet Institute and many others), gathering evidence | | | | awareness that we are all responsible for the safety |
| of information and compiling it all for what? Sadly, most | | | | of the Internet and we all need to "Become |
| businesses and citizens still do not take the threat | | | | Responsible Cybercitizens". |
| posed by cyber-insecurity seriously. | | | | We the people have to make an effort to make sure |
| You would think with dependency of economies | | | | our machines run clean and free of malware (viruses, |
| relying on certain infrastructures involving the Internet | | | | spyware, trojans, etc.). That involves current patches, |
| and information exchange between key service | | | | updates, upgrades, and professional software |
| providers, that a disruption would certainly result in loss | | | | technologies. It also obligates everyone of us to make |
| of lives, loss of property, and the collapse of public | | | | sure that we have not been compromised by having |
| confidence globablly. Today simple domestic hacking is | | | | our computers serviced by a security technician and |
| not the issue that will bring on devastating destruction | | | | assured that there is no malware present. There is a |
| like those designed by terrorist activities directed at | | | | service, the Invisus PC security service, that will |
| nuclear plants, banking systems, hospitals, air traffic | | | | provide a fully managed computer security service |
| control as well as domain name servers, the | | | | including unlimited security technical support plus |
| possibilities are limitless. However, it is imperative to | | | | several additional benefits that will earn you the title of |
| remove these personal and public computers from the | | | | a "Responsible Cybercitizen". |
| arsenal of cyber terrorists as well as cybercriminals. | | | | Requiring ISPs to scan data traffic going to and from |
| With 225 million Internet users in North America | | | | computers attached to their networks for unusual |
| (Nielson-Netratings), the personal computer dominates | | | | patterns of traffic and then deny them Internet access |
| the Internet and at the same time is the most | | | | until it has been determined they are not zombies. We |
| vulnerable. Millions of PCs are under the control of | | | | can also ask the ISP to provide remote patches, |
| "zombie masters". Red Herring, the technical business | | | | updates and software updates. However, the ISPs will |
| journal, estimated that in 2005 a 172,000 computers | | | | bulk at the cost, liability, autonomy, support, and delivery. |
| were hijacked and taken over each day and became | | | | Or have our ISPs provide a value-added service |
| "zombies" and under the control of a hacker. By 2007, | | | | similar to subscription-based services offered by the |
| Secure Computing, which tracks the Internet | | | | Invisus PC security service which not only provides for |
| landscape, identified more than 500,000 new zombies | | | | a hassle-free computing experience but, is a total |
| per day that were hijacked and under the control of | | | | security package locking down the end-users |
| "bot" herders. Triple the level only two years earlier. | | | | computer for a minimum monthly fee. |
| The FBI says that because of their wideley distributed | | | | In order to succeed we must meld security and |
| capabilities, botnets are a growing threat to national | | | | convenience. The consumer doesn't want to be |
| security, the national information infrastructure, and the | | | | responsible for their security. All they want to know is |
| economy. | | | | how to turn their computer on and off. Unfortunately, |
| The total number of compromised computers on the | | | | we can't have our cake and eat it too. The time has |
| Internet is not known; however, Vince Cerf, Father of | | | | come to learn how to maintain a safe and healthy |
| the Internet, estimates that about 150 million PCs | | | | computer (saving the consumer both time and money) |
| currently connected to the Internet and are part of | | | | void of infections that keep spreading and infecting |
| botnets. Based on FBI reports and other independent | | | | other computers. It's not necessary to be technically |
| researchers the aforementioned number may be | | | | savvy to operate a computer, like your automobile |
| significantly higher. The typical home computer is | | | | there's no need to be a technically savvy mechanic |
| attached to "always on" broadband facilities, severely | | | | but, it is important to make sure your car is in good |
| compromised with malware (viruses, spyware, | | | | operating condition not only for its performance but, for |
| Trojans, keyloggers, etc.), usually without degradation | | | | the safety of others. We have laws to assure us the |
| of their ordinary capabilities and doing the bidding of | | | | security of cars and their owners are safe. Those |
| their "zombie master". Hacking, virus dissemination, | | | | who are ignorant of how to maintain the safety of an |
| denial od service (DoS), theft of personal data, ID | | | | automobile are required to perform certain |
| fraud, keyloggers, spamming, distribution of | | | | responsibilities to insure the safety of their vehicle for |
| pornography, spying through webcams, click fraud and | | | | others as well as the owner of the car. To insure the |
| many other cyber exploits are all now almost wholly | | | | safety of others we require a certain level of |
| orchestrated via zombie networks. | | | | education and knowledge of the rules of the road. You |
| Computers weren't designed for security; they were | | | | can't drive without insurance or a drivers license, which |
| designed to perform complex work. As complex as | | | | means that you have undertaken and understand |
| computers are, each computer has 65,000 open ports | | | | some level of instructions. |
| (doorways) to the Internet; a simple element that | | | | You may disagree but, unfortunately as impossible as |
| leaves them vulnerable. You might wonder why an | | | | it may be practically, politically, and ethically, to require |
| individual would want control of a herd of zombies, | | | | every consumer... including the ignorant, the poor, and |
| there are several reasons. For exploits whether it's a | | | | even the wealthy, to be legally responsible for keeping |
| denial of service, to bring down the servers of banks, | | | | their computer in a state of reasonable security, the |
| major corporations, or a competitor. Inherently, | | | | fact is you are guilty until proven innocent. So, the next |
| whenever a computer says "hello" to another | | | | best approach might be to offer to try and educate |
| computer, that computer must respond with a "hello" | | | | them but we probably cannot impose a |
| back. A "bot herder" with tens of thousands of | | | | "computer-driving license". Again, we may be able to |
| computers under their control has all of them say hello | | | | offer an alternative by requiring the consumer to take |
| at the same time to your computer or a network of | | | | necessary steps to assure that their computers are |
| computers, what do think happens. Most likely the | | | | serviced and up-to-date with professional security |
| responding PC or server is overwhelmed and crashes, | | | | software and that they are checked and given a |
| it simply can't respond to that many hellos. A botnet | | | | clean bill of health; free of malware. |
| can be purchased on the black market to carry out | | | | |