Securing Mac

For as many computers as there are that run Windows as its OS, as an administrator you’re guaranteed to run across a few Mac OS X users. It is good to familiarize yourself with the security needs of the Macintosh OS. Mac's have a large selection of antivirus programs including Norton AntiVirus 10.0 For Macintosh, McAfee VirusScan For Mac, Intego Virus Barrier X4, Sophos Anti-Virus For Macintosh, and ClamXav. Because of the lesser popularity of the Mac OS spyware is a very small threat to the operating system. There are very few utilities that you can use to remove it. Two programs you can use though are SmithMicro Software's Internet Cleanup and SecureMac.com Inc.'s MacScan. Many other ways of securing a Mac computer follow the same practices as a normal PC. Keep your OS up to date with the latest security updates. The software ran on the computers must be up to date as well. Setting up an IP Firewall is easy to do and can be done within the OS. A nice feature of the Mac OS is that it allows for 128-bit encryption using its FileVault feature. For the extremely paranoid Mac users, they would be happy to learn that they can even encrypt their virtual memory. Mac's out of the box are inherently more secure than PC's, but that does not mean that there aren't any threats out there. A Mac can be exploited or hacked just as easy as a Windows PC.

Securing Outlook Express

With all of the virus's going around today that concentrate on exploiting Outlook Express; users should be more aware of their actions while using this software. There are many simple steps one can take to mitigate the risk of infection. One solution would be to block applications from sending e-mails. This will prevent an already infected computer from spreading its worm. It will help when you are trying to track down the source of the virus on your network. Another idea would be to turn off HTML By turning off HTML you are preventing users from downloading pictures that are contained in an e-mail. By simply downloading a picture a virus can be released onto the users computer. Disabling JavaScript can prevent information from being leaked on a network. Your browsing history and cookies are all created using JavaScript. If this information is not there then there is nothing to steal. Finally, by blocking malicious attachments you can cut out a whole spectrum of problems. By implementing some of these security measures you can stop some of those "hardcore end users" (those co-workers that puzzle you as to how they turned their computer on, let alone reveice and e-mail) from fubar'ing up your network.

"Death and Taxes"

As every Security Professional knows, phishing is a problem. Let's first take a step back. Phishing is the act of sending an email or placing a phone where the attacker pretends to be a legitimate company to get your information. You generally see emails like "Your Ebay account has been disabled. Click here and enter your account info to reactivate".When you click on it, it takes you to the attacker's site and he/she has your account info.

Well, those dirty attackers are at it again. This time they are posing as the IRS. here is a sample of an email you may receive:

After the last annual calculations of your fiscal activity we have determined that
you are eligible to receive a tax refund of $268.32.
Please submit the tax refund request and allow us 3-6 days in order to
process it.

A refund can be delayed for a variety of reasons.
For example submitting invalid records or applying after the deadline.

To access the form for your tax refund, please click here

Note: For security reasons, we will record your ip-address, the date and time.
Deliberate wrong inputs are criminally pursued and indicated.

Regards,
Internal Revenue Service

© Copyright 2007, Internal Revenue Service U.S.A. All rights reserved.

________________________________________________

Turns out, when you click on that link. It takes you to a Russian site. Last time i checked the IRS didn't have a Russian Branch.

Click here for the article.

Bringing Technological Innovations to the Workplace: Headaches for IT

"Companies can't depend wholly on policy to maintain the level of security they need," states Brandel in The 8 Most Dangerous Consumer Technologies. Brandel identifies 8 technologies that have slowly crept into the workplace that could potentially be a threat to you and the business you work for (or own!).

The list ranges from instant messaging to web mail, as well as virtual worlds (such as Second Life) and VoIP services (i.e. Skype). Some insight into solutions for the problems have been from using third party instant messaging software to using an internal server dedicated to Instant Messaging or, for the hassles of VoIP control -- blocking a particular service altogether.

Regardless of the setting, the uses of the 8 mentioned risks could be harmful even when in use at your own home, on your own personal computer. In order to maintain your personal level of privacy, make sure to be educated and aware of threats that you are exposing yourself to, and how to mitigate them.

via ComputerWorld