by Mary McLaughlin, Cyber Security Analyst for the Florida Computer Crime Center at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement
October is the month for fun-scary things. We love being scared, as long as it’s fun in the process. Goblins. Witches on broomsticks. Black cats. And of course
—zombies! I mean, really—who doesn’t love a good zombie movie? (Although, personally, I don’t think there has been a good zombie movie since the original Dawn of the Dead, but I remain hopeful.)
But when the zombie in question is our own computer, the “fun” disappears and we are left with only the scary.
A zombie is a computer that’s been infected by malicious software, or malware, which allows a remote user (the hacker) to control the computer’s actions. So your computer will seem to act on its own and without your knowledge—hence, a zombie. A collection of zombie computers all controlled by one person is known as a botnet; the owner of the botnet is a bot herder. (Who comes up with these terms anyway??)
Botnets are often used to send spam and launch denial-of-service attacks. Some botnets are huge. For example, in July 2010, the FBI arrested a Slovenian man responsible for a botnet containing 12 million computers. It has been estimated that one-quarter of all personal computers connected to the Internet are part of a botnet!
It’s scary to think of someone controlling your computer and doing thing like sending millions of spam messages, attacking other websites or even downloading child pornography…all while you innocently surf the web or read your email.
So how do you keep your computer from becoming infected?
1. Use an anti-virus (AV) program.
Install the AV program, scan your computer frequently and make sure you keep the AV program updated. Every day is not too often for these last two.
2. Never open emails or download files from strangers.
Email is a common way for malware to spread, as well as websites that offer free downloads. Always research a website before you download anything from it. Google and Bing are good tools for this.
3. Scan any downloads with your AV program before opening them.
This is always a good precaution, even if you know the source.
For more tips on staying safe online please visit our website at www.secureflorida.org.