Keeping Your Computers Safer

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Keeping Your Computers Safer

• Susan J Lincke, PhD
• Assistant Prof. Computer Science
• Univ. of Wisconsin-Parkside

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2005 CSI/FBI Computer Crime and Security Survey

• Top Losses
• Virus 42,787,767
• Unauthorized Access 31,233,100
• Theft of Proprietary Info 30,933,000
• Total Losses 130,104,542
• 56 report unauthorized use (13 dont know)

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Combat Viruses

• Maintain Operating System Updates
• Install anti-virus software
• Beware of opening unknown attachments
• Do not open email on your main server
• Install anti-spyware Ad-Aware from
  www.lavasoft.com

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Combat Unauthorized Access
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Creating a Good Password
Merry Christmas
Bad Password
(Lengthen)
Merry Xmas
MerryChrisToYou
(Synonym)
(Intertwine Letters)
MerryJul
(convert vowels to numeric)
(Abbreviate)
MaryJul
MerChr2You
(Keypad shift Right . Up)
MXemrays
GladJesBirth
MaryJul
M5rryXm1s
Good Password
Z,stuzc,sd
Jq46Sjqw
mErcHr2yOu
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Combat Information Theft

• What information is valuable to you?
• Who has access to that information?
• Is your back-up
• Recent?
• Off-site Secure?
• Not with your System Administrator?
• Process Documented?
• Tested?

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Security Audit

• Our Network Security Class will
• Audit your server or network for security holes
• Talk to you about secure computer network
  policies
• Train your System Administrator
• Class expected to run Fall 07

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UW-Parkside MIS/CS Projects

• UWP CS MIS Projects develop/work with
• Web Sites
• Databases (On-line access to info)
• Network installations
• Security Audits
• Contact Debra Karp or
• Susan Lincke, PhD
• lincke_at_cs.uwp.edu