Brochure
Best Practices

I.S. Sentry, Inc.
Information Systems Perimeter Security
Sales@ISSentry.Com

MyDoom * SoBig.F * Melissa * I Love You * SirCam * Back Orifice

1.) How could the above put you and your business at risk?

MyDoom

The latest email worm to hit the Internet. Arrives as an attachment apparently from somebody you know. If you double-click the attachment or open it, an installation occurs and a back door is created, propagation occurs, and a Denial of Service attack is scheduled. The risk here is emailing your friends and business associates with infected attachments (without your even knowing it), having your computer reduced to a drone obeying commands from hackers, and significantly reducing the performance of your computer. The latest variant of the MyDoom worm even deletes files.

SoBig.F

September, 2003 saw the mass spread of the SoBig virus. A mass-mailing, network-aware infection, scans the infected computer for email address for propagation. SoBig.F has its own email program and can also copy itself to network drives. According to Symantec the payload includes loss of system resources due to replication and possible theft of personal information including passwords.

Melissa

One of the first mainstream viruses to hit the media. This one has the ability to infect Microsoft documents using a Macro vulnerability. The risks are scary including clogging email servers and worse yet, emailing sensitive documents randomly. Imagine your personal documents being sent to all your email contacts without you knowing it. Ouch! If one of these documents had confidential patient information in it, you could be held liable.

I Love You

Also known as Loveletter. Gets its name from the subject line ("I Love You') of an infected email. The particular worm is malicious in that it spreads in many ways including email, windows file sharing, file access, IRC, newsgroups, and even browsing certain webpages. The payload includes replacing all visual basic files with infected versions essentially destroying the original file. If your office needs any of these files, they will have to be recovered from backup. Additionally, the startup or home page of Windows Internet Explorer may be changed.

SirCam

This worm will infect files and send them via large scale email. There is a 1 in 20 chance of the permanent deletion of all file son the C drive. There is a 1 in 50 chance of filling the entire C drive by adding a LARGE text file. It also will randomly email documents from the local hard drive. All of these can seriously reduce your ability to use your computer or sending confidential documents out over the web.

Back Orifice

Back Orifice is an 'older' (1998) Trojan that gives a remote hacker full control over your computer. Believe it or not, there are still open infections and other variants being distributed on the Internet today. If infected with the Back Orifice or one of its copy-cats, your risk is unlimited. Complete and total access to all data and information stored on computer in addition to emailing on your behalf.

2.) Why you should be worried about Trojans/Virus/Worms

Each of these has the potential to do serious damage to your computer. From loss of use due to mass emailing to complete deletion of all your data and information, Trojans/Virus/Worms require your attention. It is necessary to be proactive to prevent an undesired loss.

3.) Is your business required to comply with HIPPA regulations?

If you know what HIPPA is then you should be aware of the risks associated in allowing confidential patient/client information to get out over the Internet. Stiff fines and possible jail time are just the beginning. A few hours of legal advice is more expensive than putting a good firewall in place.

We are not lawyers so we cannot offer legal advice but can point out that in a jury of your peers it would be obvious that putting in a firewall to prevent the unauthorized access of data/information from the Internet is a WHOLE lot better looking than not having done so.

It is restated here that software and inexpensive firewalls WILL NOT afford you the protection of a good hardware-based firewall. Hackers can bypass inadequate firewalls in mere seconds.

3.) Do you have a FIREWALL?

If you answer No to this question you are making a good start by reviewing this website. It contains a lot of simplified information that can get you started on the way to safer Internet connectivity.