Poster: Zelest at 2006-09-27 04:49:18
Subject: A 10-step security guide against keyloggers. |
| |
Heya folks..
First of all, sorry for my rude way of saying this, but why on earth should Blizzard even care about the security on your personal computer? Did the keyloggers come from World of Warcraft? No, It's your computer, it's your account and also your very own fault if you manage to get infected by any of these keyloggers.. I've seen some people suggesting that PIN codes are added to your bank, so you must use your mouse to open your bags. This won't really solve anything and even if they can't steal your gold or epics, your computer is still compromised and things like your e-mail can easily be hijacked.
After reading about this and seen a lot of friends suffer from these keyloggers, I decided to write a little guild with some tips on how to improve your security a bit. Some steps might be a bit overkill, but most of them are very simple and helps you a lot.
Some security improvements for your computer:
1, As written in the blue post, always use the Launcher to start World of Warcraft. The Launcher will improve your security against known trojans, keyloggers, etc and provide you with information about how to remove them if you're infected.
2, Use Mozilla Firefox instead of Internet Explorer. (see: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/)
3, Show file-extentions in your filebrowser to avoid files like me.jpeg.exe, etc.
a, Open a folder (doesn't matter which), go to Tools -> Folder Options.
b, Click on the View tab.
c, Uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types box.
4, Scan your computer for viruses more often. If you don't have a antivirus program installed, there are plenty of nice and free online scanners. (see: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/)
5, Start using Miranda IM instead of the normal MSN client. (see: http://www.miranda-im.org/)
6, When you download software, always download it from the official website. Never trust or use a mirror unless you're 100% sure it's secure. (if it provide MD5's and PGP signatures)
7, Make sure you don't have any trojans, keyloggers or any other suspicious junk in autorun.
a, Run start -> run -> msconfig.
b, Click on the Autorun tab.
c, Simply uncheck all junk you don't need.
d, Restart your computer.
Remember: On a fresh installation of WIndows, this list is completly empty. Though, something that you should be careful of removing, is if your video/sound drivers have installed anything that needs to be started. Though, if you disable it and realize so after the reboot, just enable them again and it's solved.
Further, more advanced security improvements:
8, If you have an old computer laying around doing nothing ("233Mhz and 128Mb"-ish) , get two network cards in it and install Linux/BSD and use it as a firewall between your modem and your computer. Make sure to block all incoming and outgoing traffic on TCP/UDP ports 135-139 and 445. These ports are used for NetBIOS (sharing files, printers, etc). Though, they're probably the biggest reason why viruses and worms like Nimda, Code-Red, Blaster, etc could spread so fast and easily. Though, If you use a router, then check the handbook for your router (or visit http://www.portforward.com/) in order to know how to filter traffic on certain ports. I'm personally against software firewalls as they can easily get compromised and modified by the virus itself.
9, If you did step 8 and got your Linux/BSD-machine up and running, then make sure your ISP allow you to run your own servers at home. If they do, then I suggest that you take some time off and read up on how to install your own mailserver. I suggest postfix as it's both fast and very secure. (see: http://www.postfix.org) Now forward your other e-mail account(s) to your personal mailserver and use ClamAV (see: http://www.clamav.net) to scan any incoming and outgoing mail for viruses. Also, make sure you have freshclamd (which comes with ClamAV) running to always have your virus definitions up-to-date.
10, Also, some paranoia never hurts.. Don't click on every single link you find on the net without actually checking where they're going to. Never run an executable you've been sent from anyone unless it's been scanned and checked.
I hope this will help you when the next wave of trojans, viruses or worms comes. Viruses will always be around so stop complaining at Blizzard for your poor security. Though, I would love if Blizzard could add support for more operating systems so I can run my World of Warcraft under Linux/FreeBSD.. ;-)
Edit: Added the link to http://www.portforward.com/ (thanks Rauko)
Regards,
Zelest
[ Post edited by Zelest ]
"Two percent of zero is almost nothing.."
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#0 | | |
Poster: Vaneras at 2006-09-28 05:16:06
Subject: Re: A 10-step security guide against keylogge |
| |
Nice little guide… It deserves a blue tag I think :-)
I shot my ram because it scratched the paint on my steamtank!
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#6 |
Poster: Zelest at 2006-09-27 04:49:18
Subject: A 10-step security guide against keyloggers. |
| |
Heya folks..
First of all, sorry for my rude way of saying this, but why on earth should Blizzard even care about the security on your personal computer? Did the keyloggers come from World of Warcraft? No, It's your computer, it's your account and also your very own fault if you manage to get infected by any of these keyloggers.. I've seen some people suggesting that PIN codes are added to your bank, so you must use your mouse to open your bags. This won't really solve anything and even if they can't steal your gold or epics, your computer is still compromised and things like your e-mail can easily be hijacked.
After reading about this and seen a lot of friends suffer from these keyloggers, I decided to write a little guide with some tips on how to improve your security a bit. Some steps might be a bit overkill, but most of them are very simple and helps you a lot.
Some security improvements for your computer:
1, As written in the blue post, always use the Launcher to start World of Warcraft. The Launcher will improve your security against known trojans, keyloggers, etc and provide you with information about how to remove them if you're infected.
2, Use Mozilla Firefox or Opera instead of Internet Explorer. (see: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ and http://www.opera.com/)
3, Show file-extentions in your filebrowser to avoid filenames like me.jpeg.exe, etc.
a, Open a folder (doesn't matter which), go to Tools -> Folder Options.
b, Click on the View tab.
c, Uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types box.
4, Keep your computer clean of viruses and spyware. If you're like me and can't afford buying a antivirus program or for some other reason don't have one installed, there are plenty of nice and free online scanners for both viruses and spyware. (see: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/, http://www.avast.com, http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1, http://www.spybot.info/en/ and http://www.lavasoft.com/)
5, Some viruses/trojans are known to spread over the MSN network. I prefer using Miranda IM instead of the normal MSN client, as it's security history is far from pretty. (see: http://www.miranda-im.org/)
6, When you download software, always download it from the official website and always keep your software up-to-date! Never trust or use a mirror unless you have valid MD5 checksums for the files or even better; PGP/GPG signatures.
7, Make sure you don't have any trojans, keyloggers or any other suspicious junk in autorun.
a, Run start -> run -> msconfig.
b, Click on the Autorun tab.
c, Simply uncheck all junk you don't need.
d, Restart your computer.
Remember: On a fresh installation of WIndows, this list is completly empty. Though, something that you should be careful of removing, is if your video/sound drivers have installed anything that needs to be started. Though, if you disable it and realize so after the reboot, just enable them again and it's solved.
Further, more advanced security improvements:
8, If you have an old computer laying around doing nothing ("233Mhz and 128Mb"-ish) , get two network cards in it and install Linux/BSD and use it as a firewall between your modem and your computer. Make sure to block all incoming and outgoing traffic on TCP/UDP ports 135-139 and 445. These ports are used for NetBIOS (sharing files, printers, etc). Though, they're probably the biggest reason why viruses and worms like Nimda, Code-Red, Blaster, etc could spread so fast and easily. Though, If you use a router, then check the handbook for your router (or visit http://www.portforward.com/) in order to know how to filter traffic on certain ports. I'm personally against software firewalls as they can easily get compromised and modified by the virus itself.
9, If you did step 8 and got your Linux/BSD-machine up and running, then make sure your ISP allow you to run your own servers at home. If they do, then I suggest that you take some time off and read up on how to install your own mailserver. I suggest postfix as it's both fast and very secure. (see: http://www.postfix.org) Now forward your other e-mail account(s) to your personal mailserver and use ClamAV (see: http://www.clamav.net) to scan any incoming and outgoing mail for viruses. Also, make sure you have freshclamd (which comes with ClamAV) running to always have your virus definitions up-to-date.
10, Also, some paranoia never hurts.. Don't click on every single link you find on the net without actually checking where they're going to. Never run an executable you've been sent from anyone unless it's been scanned and checked.
I hope this will help you when the next wave of trojans, viruses or worms comes. Viruses will always be around so stop complaining at Blizzard for your poor security. Though, I would love if Blizzard could add support for more operating systems so I can run my World of Warcraft under Linux/FreeBSD.. ;-)
Changes:
Added the link to http://www.portforward.com/ (thanks Rauko)
Added more links to good antivirus/antispyware websites. (thanks Kanock, Anomis and Korena)
Regards,
Zelest
[ Post edited by Zelest ]
"Two percent of zero is almost nothing.."
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#0 | | |
Poster: Zelest at 2006-09-27 04:49:18
Subject: A 10-step security guide against keyloggers. |
| |
Heya folks..
First of all, sorry for my rude way of saying this, but why on earth should Blizzard even care about the security on your personal computer? Did the keyloggers come from World of Warcraft? No, It's your computer, it's your account and also your very own fault if you manage to get infected by any of these keyloggers.. I've seen some people suggesting that PIN codes are added to your bank, so you must use your mouse to open your bags. This won't really solve anything and even if they can't steal your gold or epics, your computer is still compromised and things like your e-mail can easily be hijacked.
After reading about this and seen a lot of friends suffer from these keyloggers, I decided to write a little guide with some tips on how to improve your security a bit. Some steps might be a bit overkill, but most of them are very simple and helps you a lot.
Some security improvements for your computer:
1 - As written in the blue post, always use the Launcher to start World of Warcraft. The Launcher will improve your security against known trojans, keyloggers, etc and provide you with information about how to remove them if you're infected.
2 - Use Mozilla Firefox or Opera instead of Internet Explorer. (see: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ and http://www.opera.com/)
3 - Show file-extentions in your filebrowser to avoid filenames like me.jpeg.exe, etc.
a, Open a folder (doesn't matter which), go to Tools -> Folder Options.
b, Click on the View tab.
c, Uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types box.
4 - Keep your computer clean of viruses and spyware. If you're like me and can't afford buying a antivirus program or for some other reason don't have one installed, there are plenty of nice and free online scanners for both viruses and spyware. (see: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/, http://www.avast.com, http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1, http://www.spybot.info/en/ and http://www.lavasoft.com/)
5 - Some viruses/trojans are known to spread over the MSN network. I prefer using Miranda IM instead of the normal MSN client, as it's security history is far from pretty. (see: http://www.miranda-im.org/)
6 - When you download software, always download it from the official website and always keep your software up-to-date! Never trust or use a mirror unless you have valid MD5 checksums for the files or even better; PGP/GPG signatures.
7 - Make sure you don't have any trojans, keyloggers or any other suspicious junk in autorun.
a, Run start -> run -> msconfig.
b, Click on the Autorun tab.
c, Simply uncheck all junk you don't need.
d, Restart your computer.
Note: On a fresh installation of WIndows, this list is completly empty. Though, something that you should be careful of removing, is if your video/sound drivers have installed anything that needs to be started. Though, if you disable it and realize so after the reboot, just enable them again and it's solved.
Further, more advanced security improvements:
8 - If you have an old computer laying around doing nothing ("233Mhz and 128Mb"-ish) , get two network cards in it and install Linux/BSD and use it as a firewall between your modem and your computer. Make sure to block all incoming and outgoing traffic on TCP/UDP ports 135-139 and 445. These ports are used for NetBIOS (sharing files, printers, etc). Though, they're probably the biggest reason why viruses and worms like Nimda, Code-Red, Blaster, etc could spread so fast and easily. Though, If you use a router, then check the handbook for your router (or visit http://www.portforward.com/) in order to know how to filter traffic on certain ports. I'm personally against software firewalls as they can easily get compromised and modified by the virus itself.
9 - If you did step 8 and got your Linux/BSD-machine up and running, then make sure your ISP allow you to run your own servers at home. If they do, then I suggest that you take some time off and read up on how to install your own mailserver. I suggest postfix as it's both fast and very secure. (see: http://www.postfix.org) Now forward your other e-mail account(s) to your personal mailserver and use ClamAV (see: http://www.clamav.net) to scan any incoming and outgoing mail for viruses. Also, make sure you have freshclamd (which comes with ClamAV) running to always have your virus definitions up-to-date.
10 - Also, some paranoia never hurts.. Don't click on every single link you find on the net without actually checking where they're going to. Never run an executable you've been sent from anyone unless it's been scanned and checked.
I hope this will help you when the next wave of trojans, viruses or worms comes. Viruses will always be around so stop complaining at Blizzard for your poor security. Though, I would love if Blizzard could add support for more operating systems so I can run my World of Warcraft under Linux/FreeBSD.. ;-)
Changes:
Added the link to http://www.portforward.com/ (thanks Rauko)
Added more links to good antivirus/antispyware websites. (thanks Kanock, Anomis and Korena)
Regards,
Zelest
[ Post edited by Zelest ]
"Two percent of zero is almost nothing.."
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#0 | | |
Poster: Zelest at 2006-09-27 04:49:18
Subject: A 12-step security guide against keyloggers. |
| |
Heya folks..
First of all, sorry for my rude way of saying this, but why on earth should Blizzard even care about the security on your personal computer? Did the keyloggers come from World of Warcraft? No, It's your computer, it's your account and also your very own fault if you manage to get infected by any of these keyloggers.. I've seen some people suggesting that PIN codes are added to your bank, so you must use your mouse to open your bags. This won't really solve anything and even if they can't steal your gold or epics, your computer is still compromised and things like your e-mail can easily be hijacked.
After reading about this and seen a lot of friends suffer from these keyloggers, I decided to write a little guide with some tips on how to improve your security a bit. Some steps might be a bit overkill, but most of them are very simple and helps you a lot.
Some security improvements for your computer:
1 - As Blizzard suggests, always use the Launcher to start World of Warcraft. The Launcher will improve your security against known trojans, keyloggers, etc and provide you with information about how to remove them if you're infected.
2 - Keep your passwords safe, make sure you use strong passwords and change them regulary. Your password should be at least 8 characters long and contains uppercase, lowercase and numeric characters. Also, if the system you're using your password on manage to handle ascii characters, do it. Make sure that you change your password at least once a month (preferably more often) and never ever share your passwords with anyone! Some people suggest that you write them down and copy/paste them to avoid keyloggers, I tend to disagree as you should never ever write your password down no matter how strong encryption you're using. At the end of the day, if you have a keylogger installed you're already compromised.
3 - Use Mozilla Firefox, Opera or any other browser instead of Internet Explorer. (see: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ and http://www.opera.com/)
4 - If you for some reason decide to use Internet Explorer, make sure you don't install any unsigned ActiveX applications and never click "Accept" or "Yes" on a popup window just to remove it, take your time and read it, or else you will end up with a lot of strange things on your computer.
5 - Show file-extentions in your filebrowser to avoid filenames like me.jpeg.exe, etc.
a, Open a folder (doesn't matter which), go to Tools -> Folder Options.
b, Click on the View tab.
c, Uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types box.
6 - Keep your computer clean of viruses and spyware. If you're like me and can't afford buying a antivirus program or for some other reason don't have one installed, there are plenty of nice and free online scanners for both viruses and spyware. (see: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/, http://www.avast.com, http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1, http://www.spybot.info/en/ and http://www.lavasoft.com/)
7 - Some viruses/trojans are known to spread over the MSN network. I prefer using Miranda IM instead of the normal MSN client, as it's security history is far from pretty. (see: http://www.miranda-im.org/)
8 - When you download software, always download it from the official website and always keep your software up-to-date! Never trust or use a mirror unless you have valid MD5 checksums for the files or even better; PGP/GPG signatures.
9 - Make sure you don't have any trojans, viruses, spyware or any other suspicious junk on autorun.
a, Run start -> run -> msconfig.
b, Click on the Autorun tab.
c, Simply uncheck all junk you don't need.
d, Restart your computer.
Note: On a fresh installation of WIndows, this list is completly empty. Though, something that you should be careful of removing, is if your video/sound drivers have installed anything that needs to be started. Though, if you disable it and realize so after the reboot, just enable them again and it's solved.
Once you're done and you're happy with your changes, remove the records manaually from the register:
a, Run start -> run -> regedit.
b, Browse your way to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and remove the ones you've disabled in msconfig.
Further, more advanced security improvements:
10 - If you have an old computer laying around doing nothing ("233Mhz and 128Mb"-ish) , get two network cards in it and install Linux/BSD and use it as a firewall between your modem and your computer. Make sure to block all incoming and outgoing traffic on TCP/UDP ports 135-139 and 445. These ports are used for NetBIOS (sharing files, printers, etc). Though, they're probably the biggest reason why viruses and worms like Nimda, Code-Red, Blaster, etc could spread so fast and easily. Though, If you use a router, then check the handbook for your router (or visit http://www.portforward.com/) in order to know how to filter traffic on certain ports. I'm personally against software firewalls as they can easily get compromised and modified by the virus itself.
11 - If you did step 8 and got your Linux/BSD-machine up and running, then make sure your ISP allow you to run your own servers at home. If they do, then I suggest that you take some time off and read up on how to install your own mailserver. I suggest postfix as it's both fast and very secure. (see: http://www.postfix.org) Now forward your other e-mail account(s) to your personal mailserver and use ClamAV (see: http://www.clamav.net) to scan any incoming and outgoing mail for viruses. Also, make sure you have freshclamd (which comes with ClamAV) running to always have your virus definitions up-to-date.
12 - Also, some paranoia never hurts.. Don't click on every single link you find on the net without actually checking where they're going to. Never run an executable you've been sent from anyone unless it's been scanned and checked.
I hope this will help you when the next wave of trojans, viruses or worms comes. Viruses will always be around so stop complaining at Blizzard for your poor security. Though, I would love if Blizzard could add support for more operating systems so I can run my World of Warcraft under Linux/FreeBSD.. ;-)
Changes:
Added the link to http://www.portforward.com/ (thanks Rauko)
Added more links to good antivirus/antispyware websites. (thanks Kanock, Anomis and Korena)
Added a few tips on how to pick strong passwords. (thanks Khalroar)
Regards,
Zelest
[ Post edited by Zelest ]
"Two percent of zero is almost nothing.."
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#0 | | |
Poster: Zelest at 2006-09-27 04:49:18
Subject: A 12-step security guide against keyloggers. |
| |
Heya folks..
First of all, sorry for my rude way of saying this, but why on earth should Blizzard even care about the security on your personal computer? Did the keyloggers come from World of Warcraft? No, It's your computer, it's your account and also your very own fault if you manage to get infected by any of these keyloggers.. I've seen some people suggesting that PIN codes are added to your bank, so you must use your mouse to open your bags. This won't really solve anything and even if they can't steal your gold or epics, your computer is still compromised and things like your e-mail can easily be hijacked.
After reading about this and seen a lot of friends suffer from these keyloggers, I decided to write a little guide with some tips on how to improve your security a bit. Some steps might be a bit overkill, but most of them are very simple and helps you a lot.
Some security improvements for your computer:
1 - As Blizzard suggests, always use the Launcher to start World of Warcraft. The Launcher will improve your security against known trojans, keyloggers, etc and provide you with information about how to remove them if you're infected.
2 - Keep your passwords safe, make sure you use strong passwords and change them regulary. Your password should be at least 8 characters long and contains uppercase, lowercase and numeric characters. Also, if the system you're using your password on manage to handle ascii characters, do it.
3 - Use another browser instead of Internet Explorer. I personally is a big fan of Mozilla Firefox and I know a lot of people which also recommends Opera. (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers)
4 - If you for some reason decide to use Internet Explorer, make sure you don't install any unsigned ActiveX applications and never click "Accept" or "Yes" on a popup window just to remove it, take your time and read it, or else you will end up with a lot of strange things on your computer.
5 - Show file-extentions in your filebrowser to avoid filenames like me.jpeg.exe, etc.
a, Open a folder (doesn't matter which), go to Tools -> Folder Options.
b, Click on the View tab.
c, Uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types box.
6 - Keep your computer clean of viruses and spyware. If you're like me and can't afford buying a antivirus program or for some other reason don't have one installed, there are plenty of nice and free online scanners for both viruses and spyware. (see: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/, http://www.avast.com, http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1, http://www.spybot.info/en/ and http://www.lavasoft.com/)
7 - Some viruses/trojans are known to spread over the MSN network. I prefer using Miranda IM instead of the normal MSN client, as it's security history is far from pretty. (see: http://www.miranda-im.org/)
8 - When you download software, always download it from the official website and always keep your software up-to-date! Never trust or use a mirror unless you have valid MD5 checksums for the files or even better; PGP/GPG signatures.
9 - Make sure you don't have any trojans, viruses, spyware or any other suspicious junk on autorun.
a, Run start -> run -> msconfig.
b, Click on the Autorun tab.
c, Simply uncheck all junk you don't need.
d, Restart your computer.
Note: On a fresh installation of WIndows, this list is completly empty. Though, something that you should be careful of removing, is if your video/sound drivers have installed anything that needs to be started. Though, if you disable it and realize so after the reboot, just enable them again and it's solved.
Once you're done and you're happy with your changes, remove the records manaually from the register:
a, Run start -> run -> regedit.
b, Browse your way to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and remove the ones you've disabled in msconfig.
Further, more advanced security improvements:
10 - If you have an old computer laying around doing nothing ("233Mhz and 128Mb"-ish) , get two network cards in it and install Linux/BSD and use it as a firewall between your modem and your computer. Make sure to block all incoming and outgoing traffic on TCP/UDP ports 135-139 and 445. These ports are used for NetBIOS (sharing files, printers, etc). Though, they're probably the biggest reason why viruses and worms like Nimda, Code-Red, Blaster, etc could spread so fast and easily. Though, If you use a router, then check the handbook for your router (or visit http://www.portforward.com/) in order to know how to filter traffic on certain ports. I'm personally against software firewalls as they can easily get compromised and modified by the virus itself.
11 - If you did step 8 and got your Linux/BSD-machine up and running, then make sure your ISP allow you to run your own servers at home. If they do, then I suggest that you take some time off and read up on how to install your own mailserver. I suggest postfix as it's both fast and very secure. (see: http://www.postfix.org) Now forward your other e-mail account(s) to your personal mailserver and use ClamAV (see: http://www.clamav.net) to scan any incoming and outgoing mail for viruses. Also, make sure you have freshclamd (which comes with ClamAV) running to always have your virus definitions up-to-date.
12 - Also, some paranoia never hurts.. Don't click on every single link you find on the net without actually checking where they're going to. Never run an executable you've been sent from anyone unless it's been scanned and checked.
I hope this will help you when the next wave of trojans, viruses or worms comes. Viruses will always be around so stop complaining at Blizzard for your poor security. Though, I would love if Blizzard could add support for more operating systems so I can run my World of Warcraft under Linux/FreeBSD.. ;-)
Changes:
Added the link to http://www.portforward.com/ (thanks Rauko)
Added more links to good antivirus/antispyware websites. (thanks Kanock, Anomis and Korena)
Added a few tips on how to pick strong passwords. (thanks Khalroar)
Regards,
Zelest
[ Post edited by Zelest ]
"Two percent of zero is almost nothing.."
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#0 | | |
Poster: Vaneras at 2006-09-29 00:44:24
Subject: Re: A 12-step security guide against keylogge |
| |
Maybe it is worth adding this link to step 3 regarding browser choices:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers
Should be useful for those who cannot or will not use Internet Explorer, Firefox or Opera :-)
My steam tank is a flying mount... And it explodes on impact!
Wrooomm Wrooomm Flap Flap Flap BOOM :-)
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=2&sid=1#30 |
Poster: Zelest at 2006-09-27 04:49:18
Subject: A 12-step security guide against keyloggers. |
| |
Heya folks..
First of all, sorry for my rude way of saying this, but why on earth should Blizzard even care about the security on your personal computer? Did the keyloggers come from World of Warcraft? No, It's your computer, it's your account and also your very own fault if you manage to get infected by any of these keyloggers.. I've seen some people suggesting that PIN codes are added to your bank, so you must use your mouse to open your bags. This won't really solve anything and even if they can't steal your gold or epics, your computer is still compromised and things like your e-mail can easily be hijacked.
After reading about this and seen a lot of friends suffer from these keyloggers, I decided to write a little guide with some tips on how to improve your security a bit. Some steps might be a bit overkill, but most of them are very simple and helps you a lot.
Some security improvements for your computer:
1 - As Blizzard suggests, always use the Launcher to start World of Warcraft. The Launcher will improve your security against known trojans, keyloggers, etc and provide you with information about how to remove them if you're infected.
2 - Keep your passwords safe, make sure you use strong passwords and change them regulary. Your password should be at least 8 characters long and contains uppercase, lowercase and numeric characters. Also, if the system you're using your password on manage to handle ascii characters, do it.
3 - Use another browser instead of Internet Explorer. I personally is a big fan of Mozilla Firefox and I know a lot of people which also recommends Opera. (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers)
4 - If you for some reason decide to use Internet Explorer, make sure you don't install any unsigned ActiveX applications and never click "Accept" or "Yes" on a popup window just to remove it, take your time and read it, or else you will end up with a lot of strange things on your computer.
5 - Show file-extentions in your filebrowser to avoid filenames like me.jpeg.exe, etc.
a, Open a folder (doesn't matter which), go to Tools -> Folder Options.
b, Click on the View tab.
c, Uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types box.
6 - Keep your computer clean of viruses and spyware. If you're like me and can't afford buying a antivirus program or for some other reason don't have one installed, there are plenty of nice and free online scanners for both viruses and spyware. (see: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/, http://www.avast.com, http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1, http://www.spybot.info/en/ and http://www.lavasoft.com/)
7 - Some viruses/trojans are known to spread over the MSN network. I prefer using Miranda IM instead of the normal MSN client, as it's security history is far from pretty. (see: http://www.miranda-im.org/)
8 - When you download software, always download it from the official website and always keep your software up-to-date! Never trust or use a mirror unless you have valid MD5 checksums for the files or even better; PGP/GPG signatures.
9 - Make sure you don't have any trojans, viruses, spyware or any other suspicious junk on autorun.
a, Run start -> run -> msconfig.
b, Click on the Autorun tab.
c, Simply uncheck all junk you don't need.
d, Restart your computer.
Note: On a fresh installation of WIndows, this list is completly empty. Though, something that you should be careful of removing, is if your video/sound drivers have installed anything that needs to be started. Though, if you disable it and realize so after the reboot, just enable them again and it's solved.
Once you're done and you're happy with your changes, remove the records manaually from the register:
a, Run start -> run -> regedit.
b, Browse your way to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and remove the ones you've disabled in msconfig.
Further, more advanced security improvements:
10 - If you have an old computer laying around doing nothing ("233Mhz and 128Mb"-ish) , get two network cards in it and install Linux/BSD and use it as a firewall between your modem and your computer. Make sure to block all incoming and outgoing traffic on TCP/UDP ports 135-139 and 445. These ports are used for NetBIOS (sharing files, printers, etc). Though, they're probably the biggest reason why viruses and worms like Nimda, Code-Red, Blaster, etc could spread so fast and easily. Though, If you use a router, then check the handbook for your router (or visit http://www.portforward.com/) in order to know how to filter traffic on certain ports. I'm personally against software firewalls as they can easily get compromised and modified by the virus itself.
11 - If you did step 8 and got your Linux/BSD-machine up and running, then make sure your ISP allow you to run your own servers at home. If they do, then I suggest that you take some time off and read up on how to install your own mailserver. I suggest postfix as it's both fast and very secure. (see: http://www.postfix.org) Now forward your other e-mail account(s) to your personal mailserver and use ClamAV (see: http://www.clamav.net) to scan any incoming and outgoing mail for viruses. Also, make sure you have freshclamd (which comes with ClamAV) running to always have your virus definitions up-to-date.
12 - Also, some paranoia never hurts.. Don't click on every single link you find on the net without actually checking where they're going to. Never run an executable you've been sent from anyone unless it's been scanned and checked.
I hope this will help you when the next wave of trojans, viruses or worms comes. Viruses will always be around so stop complaining at Blizzard for your poor security. Though, I would love if Blizzard could add support for more operating systems so I can run my World of Warcraft under Linux/FreeBSD.. ;-)
Changes:
Added the link to http://www.portforward.com/ (thanks Rauko)
Added more links to good antivirus/antispyware websites. (thanks Kanock, Anomis and Korena)
Added a few tips on how to pick strong passwords. (thanks Khalroar)
Added a link to wikipedia instead of mozilla.com and opera.com (thanks Vaneras)
Rewrote some of the suggestions regarding password management. (thanks Athunt)
Regards,
Zelest
[ Post edited by Zelest ]
"Two percent of zero is almost nothing.."
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#0 | | |
Poster: Zelest at 2006-09-27 04:49:18
Subject: A 12-step security guide against keyloggers. |
| |
Heya folks..
First of all, sorry for my rude way of saying this, but why on earth should Blizzard even care about the security on your personal computer? Did the keyloggers come from World of Warcraft? No, It's your computer, it's your account and also your very own fault if you manage to get infected by any of these keyloggers.. I've seen some people suggesting that PIN codes are added to your bank, so you must use your mouse to open your bags. This won't really solve anything and even if they can't steal your gold or epics, your computer is still compromised and things like your e-mail can easily be hijacked.
After reading about this and seen a lot of friends suffer from these keyloggers, I decided to write a little guide with some tips on how to improve your security a bit. Some steps might be a bit overkill, but most of them are very simple and helps you a lot.
Some security improvements for your computer:
1 - As Blizzard suggests, always use the Launcher to start World of Warcraft. The Launcher will improve your security against known trojans, keyloggers, etc and provide you with information about how to remove them if you're infected.
2 - Keep your passwords safe, make sure you use strong passwords and change them regulary. Your password should be at least 8 characters long and contains uppercase, lowercase and numeric characters. Also, if the system you're using your password on manage to handle ascii characters, do it.
3 - Use another browser instead of Internet Explorer. I personally is a big fan of Mozilla Firefox and I know a lot of people which also recommends Opera. (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers)
4 - If you for some reason decide to use Internet Explorer, make sure you don't install any unsigned ActiveX applications and never click "Accept" or "Yes" on a popup window just to remove it, take your time and read it, or else you will end up with a lot of strange things on your computer.
5 - Show file-extentions in your filebrowser to avoid filenames like me.jpeg.exe, etc.
a, Open a folder (doesn't matter which), go to Tools -> Folder Options.
b, Click on the View tab.
c, Uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types box.
6 - Keep your computer clean of viruses and spyware. If you're like me and can't afford buying a antivirus program or for some other reason don't have one installed, there are plenty of nice and free online scanners for both viruses and spyware. (see: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/, http://www.avast.com, http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1, http://www.spybot.info/en/ and http://www.lavasoft.com/)
7 - Some viruses/trojans are known to spread over the MSN network. I prefer using Miranda IM instead of the normal MSN client, as it's security history is far from pretty. (see: http://www.miranda-im.org/)
8 - When you download software, always download it from the official website and always keep your software up-to-date! Never trust or use a mirror unless you have valid MD5 checksums for the files or even better; PGP/GPG signatures.
9 - Make sure you don't have any trojans, viruses, spyware or any other suspicious junk on autorun.
a, Run start -> run -> msconfig.
b, Click on the Autorun tab.
c, Simply uncheck all junk you don't need.
d, Restart your computer.
Note: On a fresh installation of WIndows, this list is completly empty. Though, something that you should be careful of removing, is if your video/sound drivers have installed anything that needs to be started. Though, if you disable it and realize so after the reboot, just enable them again and it's solved.
Once you're done and you're happy with your changes, remove the records manaually from the register:
a, Run start -> run -> regedit.
b, Browse your way to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and remove the ones you've disabled in msconfig.
Further, more advanced security improvements:
10 - If you have an old computer laying around doing nothing ("233Mhz and 128Mb"-ish) , get two network cards in it and install Linux/BSD and use it as a firewall between your modem and your computer. Make sure to block all incoming and outgoing traffic on TCP/UDP ports 135-139 and 445. These ports are used for NetBIOS (sharing files, printers, etc). Though, they're probably the biggest reason why viruses and worms like Nimda, Code-Red, Blaster, etc could spread so fast and easily. Though, If you use a router, then check the handbook for your router (or visit http://www.portforward.com/) in order to know how to filter traffic on certain ports. I'm personally against software firewalls as they can easily get compromised and modified by the virus itself.
11 - If you did step 10 and got your Linux/BSD-machine up and running, then make sure your ISP allow you to run your own servers at home. If they do, then I suggest that you take some time off and read up on how to install your own mailserver. I suggest postfix as it's both fast and very secure. (see: http://www.postfix.org) Now forward your other e-mail account(s) to your personal mailserver and use ClamAV (see: http://www.clamav.net) to scan any incoming and outgoing mail for viruses. Also, make sure you have freshclamd (which comes with ClamAV) running to always have your virus definitions up-to-date.
12 - Also, some paranoia never hurts.. Don't click on every single link you find on the net without actually checking where they're going to. Never run an executable you've been sent from anyone unless it's been scanned and checked.
I hope this will help you when the next wave of trojans, viruses or worms comes. Viruses will always be around so stop complaining at Blizzard for your poor security. Though, I would love if Blizzard could add support for more operating systems so I can run my World of Warcraft under Linux/FreeBSD.. ;-)
Changes:
Added the link to http://www.portforward.com/ (thanks Rauko)
Added more links to good antivirus/antispyware websites. (thanks Kanock, Anomis and Korena)
Added a few tips on how to pick strong passwords. (thanks Khalroar)
Added a link to wikipedia instead of mozilla.com and opera.com (thanks Vaneras)
Rewrote some of the suggestions regarding password management. (thanks Athunt)
Fixed some typos.
Regards,
Zelest
[ Post edited by Zelest ]
"Two percent of zero is almost nothing.."
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#0 | | |
Poster: Zelest at 2006-09-27 04:49:18
Subject: A 12-step security guide against keyloggers. |
| |
Heya folks..
First of all, sorry for my rude way of saying this, but why on earth should Blizzard even care about the security on your personal computer? Did the keyloggers come from World of Warcraft? No, It's your computer, it's your account and also your very own fault if you manage to get infected by any of these keyloggers.. I've seen some people suggesting that PIN codes are added to your bank, so you must use your mouse to open your bags. This won't really solve anything and even if they can't steal your gold or epics, your computer is still compromised and things like your e-mail can easily be hijacked.
After reading about this and seen a lot of friends suffer from these keyloggers, I decided to write a little guide with some tips on how to improve your security a bit. Some steps might be a bit overkill, but most of them are very simple and helps you a lot.
Some security improvements for your computer:
1 - As Blizzard suggests, always use the Launcher to start World of Warcraft. The Launcher will improve your security against known trojans, keyloggers, etc and provide you with information about how to remove them if you're infected.
2 - Keep your passwords safe, make sure you use strong passwords and change them regulary. Your password should be at least 8 characters long and contains uppercase, lowercase and numeric characters. Also, if the system you're using your password on manage to handle ascii characters, do it.
3 - Use another browser instead of Internet Explorer. I personally is a big fan of Mozilla Firefox and I know a lot of people which also recommends Opera. (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers)
4 - If you for some reason decide to use Internet Explorer, make sure you don't install any unsigned ActiveX applications and never click "Accept" or "Yes" on any popup window just to "remove" it, take your time and read what it is, or else you will end up with a lot of strange things on your computer. Also, make sure to apply the latest VML patch. (see: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS06-055.mspx)
5 - Show file-extentions in your filebrowser to avoid filenames like me.jpeg.exe, etc.
a, Open a folder (doesn't matter which), go to Tools -> Folder Options.
b, Click on the View tab.
c, Uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types box.
6 - Keep your computer clean of viruses and spyware. If you're like me and can't afford buying a antivirus program or for some other reason don't have one installed, there are plenty of nice and free online scanners for both viruses and spyware. (see: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/, http://www.avast.com, http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1, http://www.spybot.info/en/ and http://www.lavasoft.com/)
7 - Some viruses/trojans are known to spread over the MSN network. I prefer using Miranda IM instead of the normal MSN client, as it's security history is far from pretty. (see: http://www.miranda-im.org/)
8 - When you download software, always download it from the official website and always keep your software up-to-date! Never trust or use a mirror unless you have valid MD5 checksums for the files or even better; PGP/GPG signatures.
9 - Make sure you don't have any trojans, viruses, spyware or any other suspicious junk on autorun.
a, Run start -> run -> msconfig.
b, Click on the Autorun tab.
c, Simply uncheck all junk you don't need.
d, Restart your computer.
Note: On a fresh installation of WIndows, this list is completly empty. Though, something that you should be careful of removing, is if your video/sound drivers have installed anything that needs to be started. Though, if you disable it and realize so after the reboot, just enable them again and it's solved.
Once you're done and you're happy with your changes, remove the records manaually from the register:
a, Run start -> run -> regedit.
b, Browse your way to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and remove the ones you've disabled in msconfig.
Further, more advanced security improvements:
10 - If you have an old computer laying around doing nothing ("233Mhz and 128Mb"-ish) , get two network cards in it and install Linux/BSD and use it as a firewall between your modem and your computer. Make sure to block all incoming and outgoing traffic on TCP/UDP ports 135-139 and 445. These ports are used for NetBIOS (sharing files, printers, etc). Though, they're probably the biggest reason why viruses and worms like Nimda, Code-Red, Blaster, etc could spread so fast and easily. Though, If you use a router, then check the handbook for your router (or visit http://www.portforward.com/) in order to know how to filter traffic on certain ports. I'm personally against software firewalls as they can easily get compromised and modified by the virus itself.
11 - If you did step 10 and got your Linux/BSD-machine up and running, then make sure your ISP allow you to run your own servers at home. If they do, then I suggest that you take some time off and read up on how to install your own mailserver. I suggest postfix as it's both fast and very secure. (see: http://www.postfix.org) Now forward your other e-mail account(s) to your personal mailserver and use ClamAV (see: http://www.clamav.net) to scan any incoming and outgoing mail for viruses. Also, make sure you have freshclamd (which comes with ClamAV) running to always have your virus definitions up-to-date.
12 - Also, some paranoia never hurts.. Don't click on every single link you find on the net without actually checking where they're going to. Never run an executable you've been sent from anyone unless it's been scanned and checked.
I hope this will help you when the next wave of trojans, viruses or worms comes. Viruses will always be around so stop complaining at Blizzard for your poor security. Though, I would love if Blizzard could add support for more operating systems so I can run my World of Warcraft under Linux/FreeBSD.. ;-)
Changes:
Added the link to http://www.portforward.com/ (thanks Rauko)
Added more links to good antivirus/antispyware websites. (thanks Kanock, Anomis and Korena)
Added a few tips on how to pick strong passwords. (thanks Khalroar)
Added a link to wikipedia instead of mozilla.com and opera.com (thanks Vaneras)
Added a link to the latest patch against the VML vulnarbility in MSIE.
Rewrote some of the suggestions regarding password management. (thanks Athunt)
Fixed some typos.
Regards,
Zelest
[ Post edited by Zelest ]
"Two percent of zero is almost nothing.."
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#0 | | |
Poster: Zelest at 2006-09-27 04:49:18
Subject: A 12-step security guide against keyloggers. |
| |
Heya folks..
First of all, sorry for my rude way of saying this, but why on earth should Blizzard even care about the security on your personal computer? Did the keyloggers come from World of Warcraft? No, It's your computer, it's your account and also your very own fault if you manage to get infected by any of these keyloggers.. I've seen some people suggesting that PIN codes are added to your bank, so you must use your mouse to open your bags. This won't really solve anything and even if they can't steal your gold or epics, your computer is still compromised and things like your e-mail can easily be hijacked.
After reading about this and seen a lot of friends suffer from these keyloggers, I decided to write a little guide with some tips on how to improve your security a bit. Some steps might be a bit overkill, but most of them are very simple and helps you a lot.
Some security improvements for your computer:
1 - As Blizzard suggests, always use the Launcher to start World of Warcraft. The Launcher will improve your security against known trojans, keyloggers, etc and provide you with information about how to remove them if you're infected.
2 - Keep your passwords safe, make sure you use strong passwords and change them regulary. Your password should be at least 8 characters long and contains uppercase, lowercase and numeric characters. Also, if the system you're using your password on manage to handle ascii characters, do it.
3 - Use another browser instead of Internet Explorer. I personally is a big fan of Mozilla Firefox and I know a lot of people which also recommends Opera. (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers)
4 - If you for some reason decide to use Internet Explorer, make sure you don't install any unsigned ActiveX applications and never click "Accept" or "Yes" on any popup window just to "remove" it, take your time and read what it is, or else you will end up with a lot of strange things on your computer. Also, make sure to apply the latest VML patch. (see: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS06-055.mspx)
5 - Show file-extentions in your filebrowser to avoid filenames like me.jpeg.exe, etc.
a, Open a folder (doesn't matter which), go to Tools -> Folder Options.
b, Click on the View tab.
c, Uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types box.
6 - Keep your computer clean of viruses and spyware. If you're like me and can't afford buying a antivirus program or for some other reason don't have one installed, there are plenty of nice and free online scanners for both viruses and spyware. (see: http://housecall.trendmicro.com/, http://www.avast.com, http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1, http://www.spybot.info/en/ and http://www.lavasoft.com/)
7 - Some viruses/trojans are known to spread over the MSN network. I prefer using Miranda IM instead of the normal MSN client, as it's security history is far from pretty. (see: http://www.miranda-im.org/)
8 - When you download software, always download it from the official website and always keep your software up-to-date! Never trust or use a mirror unless you have valid MD5 checksums for the files or even better; PGP/GPG signatures.
9 - Make sure you don't have any trojans, viruses, spyware or any other suspicious junk on autorun.
a, Run start -> run -> msconfig.
b, Click on the Autorun tab.
c, Simply uncheck all junk you don't need.
d, Restart your computer.
Note: On a fresh installation of WIndows, this list is completly empty. Though, something that you should be careful of removing, is if your video/sound drivers have installed anything that needs to be started. Though, if you disable it and realize so after the reboot, just enable them again and it's solved.
Once you're done and you're happy with your changes, remove the records manaually from the register:
a, Run start -> run -> regedit.
b, Browse your way to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and remove the ones you've disabled in msconfig.
Further, more advanced security improvements:
10 - If you have an old computer laying around doing nothing ("233Mhz and 128Mb"-ish) , get two network cards in it and install Linux/BSD and use it as a firewall between your modem and your computer. Make sure to block all incoming and outgoing traffic on TCP/UDP ports 135-139 and 445. These ports are used for NetBIOS (sharing files, printers, etc). Though, they're probably the biggest reason why viruses and worms like Nimda, Code-Red, Blaster, etc could spread so fast and easily. Though, If you use a router, then check the handbook for your router (or see http://www.portforward.com/) in order to know how to filter traffic on certain ports. I'm personally against software firewalls (the ones you install on your workstation) as they can easily get compromised and modified by the virus itself. However, here is a list of recommended firewalls: http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp, http://www.clarkconnect.com/, http://smoothwall.org/ and http://m0n0.ch/wall/.
11 - If you did step 10 and got your Linux/BSD-machine up and running, then make sure your ISP allow you to run your own servers at home. If they do, then I suggest that you take some time off and read up on how to install your own mailserver. I personally suggest postfix as it's very easy to setup and yet a very scaleable and secure mailserver. (see: http://www.postfix.org) Now forward your other e-mail account(s) to your personal mailserver and use ClamAV (see: http://www.clamav.net) to scan any incoming and outgoing mail for viruses. Also, make sure you have freshclamd (which comes with ClamAV) running to always have your virus definitions up-to-date.
12 - Also, some paranoia never hurts.. Don't click on every single link you find on the net without actually checking where they're going to. Never run an executable you've been sent from anyone unless it's been scanned and checked.
I hope this will help you when the next wave of trojans, viruses or worms comes. Viruses will always be around so stop complaining at Blizzard for your poor security. Though, I would love if Blizzard could add support for more operating systems so I can run my World of Warcraft under Linux/FreeBSD.. ;-)
Changes:
Added the link to http://www.portforward.com/ (thanks Rauko)
Added more links to good antivirus/antispyware websites. (thanks Kanock, Anomis and Korena)
Added a few tips on how to pick strong passwords. (thanks Khalroar)
Added a link to wikipedia instead of mozilla.com and opera.com (thanks Vaneras)
Added a link to the latest patch against the VML vulnarbility in MSIE.
Rewrote some of the suggestions regarding password management. (thanks Athunt)
Fixed some typos.
Added a few links to recommended firewall programs/scripts. (thanks Kanock, Kaminari and Corlyn)
Regards,
Zelest
[ Post edited by Zelest ]
"Two percent of zero is almost nothing.."
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#0 | | |
Poster: Aeus at 2006-10-02 07:23:27
Subject: Re: A 10-step security guide against keylogge |
| |
Good stuff!
But someone forgot step 0. Admitting you have a keylogger ...
I might be short, i might be blue,
but in the end i Pew Pew Pew!
- Outlander, F A L L E N
Aeus, locking threads since 2005.
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=4&sid=1#79 |
Poster: Zelest at 2006-09-27 04:49:18
Subject: A 12-step security guide against keyloggers. |
| |
Heya folks..
First of all, sorry for my rude way of saying this, but why on earth should Blizzard even care about the security on your personal computer? Did the keyloggers come from World of Warcraft? No, It's your computer, it's your account and also your very own fault if you manage to get infected by any of these keyloggers.. I've seen some people suggesting that PIN codes are added to your bank, so you must use your mouse to open your bags. This won't really solve anything and even if they can't steal your gold or epics, your computer is still compromised and things like your e-mail can easily be hijacked.
After reading about this and seen a lot of friends suffer from these keyloggers, I decided to write a little guide with some tips on how to improve your security a bit. Some steps might be a bit overkill, but most of them are very simple and helps you a lot.
Some security improvements for your computer:
1 - As Blizzard suggests, always use the Launcher to start World of Warcraft. The Launcher will improve your security against known trojans, keyloggers, etc and provide you with information about how to remove them if you're infected.
2 - Keep your passwords safe, make sure you use strong passwords and change them regulary. Your password should be at least 8 characters long and contains uppercase, lowercase and numeric characters. Also, if the system you're using your password on manage to handle ascii characters, do it.
3 - Use another browser instead of Internet Explorer. I personally is a big fan of Mozilla Firefox and I know a lot of people which also recommends Opera. (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers)
4 - If you for some reason decide to use Internet Explorer, make sure you don't install any unsigned ActiveX applications and never click "Accept" or "Yes" on any popup window just to "remove" it, take your time and read what it is, or else you will end up with a lot of strange things on your computer. Also, make sure to apply the latest VML patch. (see: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS06-055.mspx)
5 - Show file-extentions in your filebrowser to avoid filenames like me.jpeg.exe, etc.
a, Open a folder (doesn't matter which), go to Tools -> Folder Options.
b, Click on the View tab.
c, Uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types box.
6 - Keep your computer clean of viruses and spyware. If you're like me and can't afford buying a antivirus program or for some other reason don't have one installed, there are plenty of nice and free online scanners for both viruses and spyware.
Free virus/spyware scanners:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ (online antivirus scanner)
http://www.avast.com (online antivirus scanner)
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1 (antivirus scanner)
http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/ (limited antivirus scanner)
http://www.spybot.info/en/ (spyware scanner)
http://www.lavasoft.com/ (spyware scanner)
7 - Some viruses/trojans are known to spread over the MSN network. I prefer using Miranda IM instead of the normal MSN client, as it's security history is far from pretty. (see: http://www.miranda-im.org/)
8 - When you download software, always download it from the official website and always keep your software up-to-date! (see: http://www.versiontracker.com/windows/ and http://secunia.com/) Never trust or use a mirror unless you have valid MD5 checksums for the files or even better; PGP/GPG signatures.
9 - Make sure you don't have any trojans, viruses, spyware or any other suspicious junk on autorun.
a, Run start -> run -> msconfig.
b, Click on the Autorun tab.
c, Simply uncheck all junk you don't need.
d, Restart your computer.
Note: On a fresh installation of WIndows, this list is completly empty. Though, something that you should be careful of removing, is if your video/sound drivers have installed anything that needs to be started. Though, if you disable it and realize so after the reboot, just enable them again and it's solved. If you're curious what a program does, visit http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/ to look it up.
Once you're done and you're happy with your changes, you can completly remove the records manaually from the register:
a, Run start -> run -> regedit.
b, Browse your way to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and remove the ones you've disabled in msconfig.
Further, more advanced security improvements:
10 - If you have an old computer laying around doing nothing ("233Mhz and 128Mb"-ish) , get two network cards in it and install Linux/BSD and use it as a firewall between your modem and your computer. Make sure to block all incoming and outgoing traffic on TCP/UDP ports 135-139 and 445. These ports are used for NetBIOS (sharing files, printers, etc). Though, they're probably the biggest reason why viruses and worms like Nimda, Code-Red, Blaster, etc could spread so fast and easily. Though, If you use a router, then check the handbook for your router (or see http://www.portforward.com/) in order to know how to filter traffic on certain ports. I'm personally against software firewalls (the ones you install on your workstation) as they can easily get compromised and modified by the virus itself. However, here is a list of recommended firewalls: http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp, http://www.clarkconnect.com/, http://smoothwall.org/ and http://m0n0.ch/wall/.
11 - If you did step 10 and got your Linux/BSD-machine up and running, then make sure your ISP allow you to run your own servers at home. If they do, then I suggest that you take some time off and read up on how to install your own mailserver. I personally suggest postfix as it's very easy to setup and yet a very scaleable and secure mailserver. (see: http://www.postfix.org) Now forward your other e-mail account(s) to your personal mailserver and use ClamAV (see: http://www.clamav.net) to scan any incoming and outgoing mail for viruses. Also, make sure you have freshclamd (which comes with ClamAV) running to always have your virus definitions up-to-date.
12 - Also, some paranoia never hurts.. Don't click on every single link you find on the net without actually checking where they're going to. Never run an executable you've been sent from anyone unless it's been scanned and checked.
I hope this will help you when the next wave of trojans, viruses or worms comes. Viruses will always be around so stop complaining at Blizzard for your poor security. Though, I would love if Blizzard could add support for more operating systems so I can run my World of Warcraft under Linux/FreeBSD.. ;-)
Changes:
Added the link to http://www.portforward.com/ (thanks Rauko)
Added more links to good antivirus/antispyware websites. (thanks Kanock, Anomis and Korena)
Added a few tips on how to pick strong passwords. (thanks Khalroar)
Added a link to wikipedia instead of mozilla.com and opera.com (thanks Vaneras)
Added a link to the latest patch against the VML vulnarbility in MSIE.
Rewrote some of the suggestions regarding password management. (thanks Athunt)
Fixed some typos.
Added a few links to recommended firewall programs/scripts. (thanks Kanock, Kaminari and Corlyn)
Added a few more links to websites providing useful tools. (thanks Schwick)
Regards,
Zelest
[ Post edited by Zelest ]
"Two percent of zero is almost nothing.."
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#0 | | |
Poster: Zelest at 2006-09-27 03:49:18
Subject: A 12-step security guide against keyloggers. |
| |
Heya folks..
First of all, sorry for my rude way of saying this, but why on earth should Blizzard even care about the security on your personal computer? Did the keyloggers come from World of Warcraft? No, It's your computer, it's your account and also your very own fault if you manage to get infected by any of these keyloggers.. I've seen some people suggesting that PIN codes are added to your bank, so you must use your mouse to open your bags. This won't really solve anything and even if they can't steal your gold or epics, your computer is still compromised and things like your e-mail can easily be hijacked.
After reading about this and seen a lot of friends suffer from these keyloggers, I decided to write a little guide with some tips on how to improve your security a bit. Some steps might be a bit overkill, but most of them are very simple and helps you a lot.
Some security improvements for your computer:
1 - As Blizzard suggests, always use the Launcher to start World of Warcraft. The Launcher will improve your security against known trojans, keyloggers, etc and provide you with information about how to remove them if you're infected.
2 - Keep your passwords safe, make sure you use strong passwords and change them regulary. Your password should be at least 8 characters long and contains uppercase, lowercase and numeric characters. Also, if the system you're using your password on manage to handle ascii characters, do it.
3 - Use another browser instead of Internet Explorer. I personally is a big fan of Mozilla Firefox and I know a lot of people which also recommends Opera. (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers)
4 - If you for some reason decide to use Internet Explorer, make sure you don't install any unsigned ActiveX applications and never click "Accept" or "Yes" on any popup window just to "remove" it, take your time and read what it is, or else you will end up with a lot of strange things on your computer. Also, make sure to apply the latest VML patch. (see: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS06-055.mspx)
5 - Show file-extentions in your filebrowser to avoid filenames like me.jpeg.exe, etc.
a, Open a folder (doesn't matter which), go to Tools -> Folder Options.
b, Click on the View tab.
c, Uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types box.
6 - Keep your computer clean of viruses and spyware. If you're like me and can't afford buying a antivirus program or for some other reason don't have one installed, there are plenty of nice and free online scanners for both viruses and spyware.
Free virus/spyware scanners:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ (online antivirus scanner)
http://www.avast.com (online antivirus scanner)
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1 (antivirus scanner)
http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/ (limited antivirus scanner)
http://www.spybot.info/en/ (spyware scanner)
http://www.lavasoft.com/ (spyware scanner)
7 - Some viruses/trojans are known to spread over the MSN network. I prefer using Miranda IM instead of the normal MSN client, as it's security history is far from pretty. (see: http://www.miranda-im.org/)
8 - When you download software, always download it from the official website and always keep your software up-to-date! (see: http://www.versiontracker.com/windows/ and http://secunia.com/) Never trust or use a mirror unless you have valid MD5 checksums for the files or even better; PGP/GPG signatures.
9 - Make sure you don't have any trojans, viruses, spyware or any other suspicious junk on autorun.
a, Run start -> run -> msconfig.
b, Click on the Autorun tab.
c, Simply uncheck all junk you don't need.
d, Restart your computer.
Note: On a fresh installation of WIndows, this list is completly empty. Though, something that you should be careful of removing, is if your video/sound drivers have installed anything that needs to be started. Though, if you disable it and realize so after the reboot, just enable them again and it's solved. If you're curious what a program does, visit http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/ to look it up.
Once you're done and you're happy with your changes, you can completly remove the records manaually from the register:
a, Run start -> run -> regedit.
b, Browse your way to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and remove the ones you've disabled in msconfig.
Further, more advanced security improvements:
10 - If you have an old computer laying around doing nothing ("233Mhz and 128Mb"-ish) , get two network cards in it and install Linux/BSD and use it as a firewall between your modem and your computer. Make sure to block all incoming and outgoing traffic on TCP/UDP ports 135-139 and 445. These ports are used for NetBIOS (sharing files, printers, etc). Though, they're probably the biggest reason why viruses and worms like Nimda, Code-Red, Blaster, etc could spread so fast and easily. Though, If you use a router, then check the handbook for your router (or see http://www.portforward.com/) in order to know how to filter traffic on certain ports. I'm personally against software firewalls (the ones you install on your workstation) as they can easily get compromised and modified by the virus itself. However, here is a list of recommended firewalls: http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp, http://www.clarkconnect.com/, http://smoothwall.org/ and http://m0n0.ch/wall/.
11 - If you did step 10 and got your Linux/BSD-machine up and running, then make sure your ISP allow you to run your own servers at home. If they do, then I suggest that you take some time off and read up on how to install your own mailserver. I personally suggest postfix as it's very easy to setup and yet a very scaleable and secure mailserver. (see: http://www.postfix.org) Now forward your other e-mail account(s) to your personal mailserver and use ClamAV (see: http://www.clamav.net) to scan any incoming and outgoing mail for viruses. Also, make sure you have freshclamd (which comes with ClamAV) running to always have your virus definitions up-to-date.
12 - Also, some paranoia never hurts.. Don't click on every single link you find on the net without actually checking where they're going to. Never run an executable you've been sent from anyone unless it's been scanned and checked.
I hope this will help you when the next wave of trojans, viruses or worms comes. Viruses will always be around so stop complaining at Blizzard for your poor security. Though, I would love if Blizzard could add support for more operating systems so I can run my World of Warcraft under Linux/FreeBSD.. ;-)
Changes:
Added the link to http://www.portforward.com/ (thanks Rauko)
Added more links to good antivirus/antispyware websites. (thanks Kanock, Anomis and Korena)
Added a few tips on how to pick strong passwords. (thanks Khalroar)
Added a link to wikipedia instead of mozilla.com and opera.com (thanks Vaneras)
Added a link to the latest patch against the VML vulnarbility in MSIE.
Rewrote some of the suggestions regarding password management. (thanks Athunt)
Fixed some typos.
Added a few links to recommended firewall programs/scripts. (thanks Kanock, Kaminari and Corlyn)
Added a few more links to websites providing useful tools. (thanks Schwick)
Best regards,
Zelest
[ Post edited by Zelest ]
"Two percent of zero is almost nothing.."
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#0 | | |
Poster: Zelest at 2006-09-27 03:49:18
Subject: A 12-step security guide against keyloggers. |
| |
Heya folks..
First of all, sorry for my rude way of saying this, but why on earth should Blizzard even care about the security on your personal computer? Did the keyloggers come from World of Warcraft? No, It's your computer, it's your account and also your very own fault if you manage to get infected by any of these keyloggers.. I've seen some people suggesting that PIN codes are added to your bank, so you must use your mouse to open your bags. This won't really solve anything and even if they can't steal your gold or epics, your computer is still compromised and things like your e-mail can easily be hijacked.
After reading about this and seen a lot of friends suffer from these keyloggers, I decided to write a little guide with some tips on how to improve your security a bit. Some steps might be a bit overkill, but most of them are very simple and helps you a lot.
Some security improvements for your computer:
1 - As Blizzard suggests, always use the Launcher to start World of Warcraft. The Launcher will improve your security against known trojans, keyloggers, etc and provide you with information about how to remove them if you're infected.
2 - Keep your passwords safe, make sure you use strong passwords and change them regulary. Your password should be at least 8 characters long and contains uppercase, lowercase and numeric characters. Also, if the system you're using your password on manage to handle ascii characters (@, %, #, etc), then use them.
3 - Use another browser instead of Internet Explorer. I won't argue about which one is best, but Internet Explorer is a bigger target for exploitation. I'm personally is a big fan of Mozilla Firefox and I know a lot of people also recommends Opera. (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers)
4 - If you for some reason prefer to use Internet Explorer anyway, make sure you don't install any unsigned ActiveX applications and never click "Accept" or "Yes" on any popup window just to "remove" it, take your time and read what it is, or else you will end up with a lot of strange things on your computer. Also, make sure to apply the latest VML patch. (see: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS06-055.mspx)
5 - Show file-extentions in your filebrowser to avoid filenames like me.jpeg.exe, etc.
a, Open a folder (doesn't matter which), go to Tools -> Folder Options.
b, Click on the View tab.
c, Uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types box.
6 - Keep your computer clean of viruses and spyware. If you're like me and can't afford buying a antivirus program or for some other reason don't have one installed, there are plenty of nice and free online scanners for both viruses and spyware.
Free virus/spyware scanners:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ (online antivirus scanner)
http://www.avast.com (online antivirus scanner)
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1 (antivirus scanner)
http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/ (limited antivirus scanner)
http://www.spybot.info/en/ (spyware scanner)
http://www.lavasoft.com/ (spyware scanner)
7 - Some viruses/trojans are known to spread over the MSN network. I prefer using Miranda IM instead of the normal MSN client, as it's security history is far from pretty. (see: http://www.miranda-im.org/)
8 - When you download software, always download it from the official website and always keep your software up-to-date! (see: http://www.versiontracker.com/windows/ and http://secunia.com/) Never trust or use a mirror unless you have valid MD5 checksums for the files or even better; PGP/GPG signatures.
9 - Make sure you don't have any trojans, viruses, spyware or any other suspicious junk on autorun.
a, Run start -> run -> msconfig.
b, Click on the Autorun tab.
c, Simply uncheck all junk you don't need.
d, Restart your computer.
Note: On a fresh installation of WIndows, this list is completly empty. Though, something that you should be careful of removing, is if your video/sound drivers have installed anything that needs to be started. Though, if you disable it and realize so after the reboot, just enable them again and it's solved. If you're curious what a program does, visit http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/ to look it up.
Once you're done and you're happy with your changes, you can completly remove the records manaually from the register:
a, Run start -> run -> regedit.
b, Browse your way to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and remove the ones you've disabled in msconfig.
Further, more advanced security improvements:
10 - If you have an old computer laying around doing nothing ("233Mhz and 128Mb"-ish) , get two network cards in it and install Linux/BSD and use it as a firewall between your modem and your computer. Make sure to block all incoming and outgoing traffic on TCP/UDP ports 135-139 and 445. These ports are used for NetBIOS (sharing files, printers, etc). Though, they're probably the biggest reason why viruses and worms like Nimda, Code-Red, Blaster, etc could spread so fast and easily. Though, If you use a router, then check the handbook for your router (or see http://www.portforward.com/) in order to know how to filter traffic on certain ports. I'm personally against software firewalls (the ones you install on your workstation) as they can easily get compromised and modified by the virus itself. However, here is a list of recommended firewalls: http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp, http://www.clarkconnect.com/, http://smoothwall.org/ and http://m0n0.ch/wall/.
11 - If you did step 10 and got your Linux/BSD-machine up and running, then make sure your ISP allow you to run your own servers at home. If they do, then I suggest that you take some time off and read up on how to install your own mailserver. I personally suggest postfix as it's very easy to setup and yet a very scaleable and secure mailserver. (see: http://www.postfix.org) Now forward your other e-mail account(s) to your personal mailserver and use ClamAV (see: http://www.clamav.net) to scan any incoming and outgoing mail for viruses. Also, make sure you have freshclamd (which comes with ClamAV) running to always have your virus definitions up-to-date.
12 - Also, some paranoia never hurts.. Don't click on every single link you find on the net without actually checking where they're going to. Never run an executable you've been sent from anyone unless it's been scanned and checked.
I hope this will help you when the next wave of trojans, viruses or worms comes. Viruses will always be around so stop complaining at Blizzard for your poor security. Though, I would love if Blizzard could add support for more operating systems so I can run my World of Warcraft under Linux/FreeBSD.. ;-)
Changes:
Added the link to http://www.portforward.com/ (thanks Rauko)
Added more links to good antivirus/antispyware websites. (thanks Kanock, Anomis and Korena)
Added a few tips on how to pick strong passwords. (thanks Khalroar)
Added a link to wikipedia instead of mozilla.com and opera.com (thanks Vaneras)
Added a link to the latest patch against the VML vulnarbility in MSIE.
Rewrote some of the suggestions regarding password management. (thanks Athunt)
Fixed some typos.
Added a few links to recommended firewall programs/scripts. (thanks Kanock, Kaminari and Corlyn)
Added a few more links to websites providing useful tools. (thanks Schwick)
Fixed some typos and rewrote some parts.
Best regards,
Zelest
[ Post edited by Zelest ]
"Two percent of zero is almost nothing.."
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#0 | | |
Poster: Zelest at 2006-09-27 03:49:18
Subject: A 12-step security guide against keyloggers. |
| |
Heya folks..
First of all, sorry for my rude way of saying this, but why on earth should Blizzard even care about the security on your personal computer? Did the keyloggers come from World of Warcraft? No, It's your computer, it's your account and also your very own fault if you manage to get infected by any of these keyloggers.. I've seen some people suggesting that PIN codes are added to your bank, so you must use your mouse to open your bags. This won't really solve anything and even if they can't steal your gold or epics, your computer is still compromised and things like your e-mail can easily be hijacked.
After reading about this and seen a lot of friends suffer from these keyloggers, I decided to write a little guide with some tips on how to improve your security a bit. Some steps might be a bit overkill, but most of them are very simple and helps you a lot.
Some security improvements for your computer:
1 - As Blizzard suggests, always use the Launcher to start World of Warcraft. The Launcher will improve your security against known trojans, keyloggers, etc and provide you with information about how to remove them if you're infected.
2 - Keep your passwords safe, make sure you use strong passwords and change them regulary. Your password should be at least 8 characters long and contains uppercase, lowercase and numeric characters. Also, if the system you're using your password on manage to handle ascii characters (@, %, #, etc), then use them.
3 - Use another browser instead of Internet Explorer. I won't argue about which one is best, but Internet Explorer is a bigger target for exploitation. I'm personally is a big fan of Mozilla Firefox and I know a lot of people also recommends Opera. (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers)
4 - If you for some reason prefer to use Internet Explorer anyway, make sure you don't install any unsigned ActiveX applications and never click "Accept" or "Yes" on any popup window just to "remove" it, take your time and read what it is, or else you will end up with a lot of strange things on your computer. Also, make sure to apply the latest VML patch. (see: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS06-055.mspx)
5 - Show file-extentions in your filebrowser to avoid filenames like me.jpeg.exe, etc.
a, Open a folder (doesn't matter which), go to Tools -> Folder Options.
b, Click on the View tab.
c, Uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types box.
6 - Keep your computer clean of viruses and spyware. If you're like me and can't afford buying a antivirus program or for some other reason don't have one installed, there are plenty of nice and free online scanners for both viruses and spyware.
Free virus/spyware scanners:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ (online antivirus scanner)
http://www.avast.com (online antivirus scanner)
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1 (antivirus scanner)
http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/ (limited antivirus scanner)
http://www.spybot.info/en/ (spyware scanner)
http://www.lavasoft.com/ (spyware scanner)
7 - Some viruses/trojans are known to spread over the MSN network. I prefer using Miranda IM instead of the normal MSN client, as it's security history is far from pretty. (see: http://www.miranda-im.org/)
8 - When you download software, always download it from the official website and always keep your software up-to-date! (see: http://www.versiontracker.com/windows/ and http://secunia.com/) Never trust or use a mirror unless you have valid MD5 checksums for the files or even better; PGP/GPG signatures.
9 - Make sure you don't have any trojans, viruses, spyware or any other suspicious junk on autorun.
a, Run start -> run -> msconfig.
b, Click on the Autorun tab.
c, Simply uncheck all junk you don't need.
d, Restart your computer.
Note: On a fresh installation of WIndows, this list is completly empty. Though, something that you should be careful of removing, is if your video/sound drivers have installed anything that needs to be started. Though, if you disable it and realize so after the reboot, just enable them again and it's solved. If you're curious what a program does, visit http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/ to look it up.
Once you're done and you're happy with your changes, you can completly remove the records manaually from the register:
a, Run start -> run -> regedit.
b, Browse your way to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and remove the ones you've disabled in msconfig.
Further, more advanced security improvements:
10 - If you have an old computer laying around doing nothing ("233Mhz and 128Mb"-ish) , get two network cards in it and install Linux/BSD and use it as a firewall between your modem and your computer. Make sure to block all incoming and outgoing traffic on TCP/UDP ports 135-139 and 445. These ports are used for NetBIOS (sharing files, printers, etc). Though, they're probably the biggest reason why viruses and worms like Nimda, Code-Red, Blaster, etc could spread so fast and easily. Though, If you use a router, then check the handbook for your router (or see http://www.portforward.com/) in order to know how to filter traffic on certain ports. I'm personally against software firewalls (the ones you install on your workstation) as they can easily get compromised and modified by the virus itself. However, here is a list of recommended firewalls: http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp, http://www.clarkconnect.com/, http://smoothwall.org/ and http://m0n0.ch/wall/.
11 - If you did step 10 and got your Linux/BSD-machine up and running, then make sure your ISP allow you to run your own servers at home. If they do, then I suggest that you take some time off and read up on how to install your own mailserver. I personally suggest postfix as it's very easy to setup and yet a very scaleable and secure mailserver. (see: http://www.postfix.org) Now forward your other e-mail account(s) to your personal mailserver and use ClamAV (see: http://www.clamav.net) to scan any incoming and outgoing mail for viruses. Also, make sure you have freshclamd (which comes with ClamAV) running to always have your virus definitions up-to-date.
12 - Also, some paranoia never hurts.. Don't click on every single link you find on the net without actually checking where they're going to. Never run an executable you've been sent from anyone unless it's been scanned and checked.
Further reading:
There are plenty of information on the Internet about what spyware/keyloggers are, how they all work, and how to prevent it from reaching your computer and/or your network. Some good reading can be found at http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1829 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystroke_logging.
I hope this will help you when the next wave of trojans, viruses or worms comes. Viruses will always be around so stop complaining at Blizzard for your poor security. Though, I would love if Blizzard could add support for more operating systems so I can run my World of Warcraft under Linux.. ;-)
Changes:
Added the link to http://www.portforward.com/ (thanks Rauko)
Added more links to good antivirus/antispyware websites. (thanks Kanock, Anomis and Korena)
Added a few tips on how to pick strong passwords. (thanks Khalroar)
Added a link to wikipedia instead of mozilla.com and opera.com (thanks Vaneras)
Added a link to the latest patch against the VML vulnarbility in MSIE.
Rewrote some of the suggestions regarding password management. (thanks Athunt)
Fixed some typos.
Added a few links to recommended firewall programs/scripts. (thanks Kanock, Kaminari and Corlyn)
Added a few more links to websites providing useful tools. (thanks Schwick)
Fixed some typos and rewrote some parts.
Added two links to further information about keyloggers and spyware. (thanks Ender)
Best regards,
Zelest
[ Post edited by Zelest ]
"Two percent of zero is almost nothing.."
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#0 | | |
Poster: Zelest at 2006-09-27 03:49:18
Subject: A 12-step security guide against keyloggers. |
| |
Heya folks..
First of all, sorry for my rude way of saying this, but why on earth should Blizzard even care about the security on your personal computer? Did the keyloggers come from World of Warcraft? No, It's your computer, it's your account and also your very own fault if you manage to get infected by any of these keyloggers.. I've seen some people suggesting that PIN codes are added to your bank, so you must use your mouse to open your bags. This won't really solve anything and even if they can't steal your gold or epics, your computer is still compromised and things like your e-mail can easily be hijacked.
After reading about this and seen a lot of friends suffer from these keyloggers, I decided to write a little guide with some tips on how to improve your security a bit. Some steps might be a bit overkill, but most of them are very simple and helps you a lot.
Some security improvements for your computer:
1 - As Blizzard suggests, always use the Launcher to start World of Warcraft. The Launcher will improve your security against known trojans, keyloggers, etc and provide you with information about how to remove them if you're infected.
2 - Keep your passwords safe, make sure you use strong passwords and change them regularly. Your password should be at least 8 characters long and contains uppercase, lowercase and numeric characters. Also, if the system you're using your password on manage to handle ASCII characters (@, %, #, etc), then use them.
3 - Use another browser instead of Internet Explorer. I won't argue about which one is best, but Internet Explorer is a bigger target for exploitation. I'm personally is a big fan of Mozilla Firefox and I know a lot of people also recommends Opera. (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_web_browsers)
4 - If you for some reason prefer to use Internet Explorer anyway, make sure you don't install any unsigned ActiveX applications and never click "Accept" or "Yes" on any popup window just to "remove" it, take your time and read what it is, or else you will end up with a lot of strange things on your computer. Also, make sure to apply the latest VML patch. (see: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS06-055.mspx)
5 - Show file-extensions in your filebrowser to avoid filenames like me.jpeg.exe, etc.
a, Open a folder (doesn't matter which), go to Tools -> Folder Options.
b, Click on the View tab.
c, Uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types box.
6 - Keep your computer clean of viruses and spyware. If you're like me and can't afford buying a antivirus program or for some other reason don't have one installed, there are plenty of nice and free online scanners for both viruses and spyware.
Free virus/spyware scanners:
http://housecall.trendmicro.com/ (online antivirus scanner)
http://www.avast.com</a> (online antivirus scanner)
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/1 (antivirus scanner)
http://vil.nai.com/vil/stinger/ (limited antivirus scanner)
http://www.spybot.info/en/ (spyware scanner)
http://www.lavasoft.com/ (spyware scanner)
7 - Some viruses/trojans are known to spread over the MSN network. I prefer using Miranda IM instead of the normal MSN client, as it's security history is far from pretty. (see: http://www.miranda-im.org/)
8 - When you download software, always download it from the official website and always keep your software up-to-date! (see: http://www.versiontracker.com/windows/ and http://secunia.com/) Never trust or use a mirror unless you have valid MD5 checksums for the files or even better; PGP/GPG signatures.
9 - Make sure you don't have any trojans, viruses, spyware or any other suspicious junk on autorun.
a, Run start -> run -> msconfig.
b, Click on the Autorun tab.
c, Simply uncheck all junk you don't need.
d, Restart your computer.
Note: On a fresh installation of Windows, this list is completely empty. Though, something that you should be careful of removing, is if your video/sound drivers have installed anything that needs to be started. Though, if you disable it and realize so after the reboot, just enable them again and it's solved. If you're curious what a program does, visit http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/processlibrary/ to look it up.
Once you're done and you're happy with your changes, you can completely remove the records manually from the register:
a, Run start -> run -> regedit.
b, Browse your way to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and remove the ones you've disabled in msconfig.
Further, more advanced security improvements:
10 - If you have an old computer laying around doing nothing ("200Mhz and 128Mb"-ish) , get two network cards in it and install Linux/BSD and use it as a firewall between your modem and your computer. Make sure to block all incoming and outgoing traffic on TCP/UDP ports 135-139 and 445. These ports are used for NetBIOS (sharing files, printers, etc). Though, they're probably the biggest reason why viruses and worms like Nimda, Code-Red, Blaster, etc could spread so fast and easily. Though, If you use a router, then check the handbook for your router (or see http://www.portforward.com/) in order to know how to filter traffic on certain ports. I'm personally against software firewalls (the ones you install on your workstation) as they can easily get compromised and modified by the virus itself. However, here is a list of recommended firewalls: http://www.zonelabs.com/store/content/company/products/znalm/freeDownload.jsp, http://www.clarkconnect.com/, http://smoothwall.org/ and http://m0n0.ch/wall/
11 - If you did step 10 and got your Linux/BSD-machine up and running, then make sure your ISP allow you to run your own servers at home. If they do, then I suggest that you take some time off and read up on how to install your own mailserver. I personally suggest postfix as it's very easy to setup and yet a very scaleable and secure mailserver. (see: http://www.postfix.org) Now forward your other e-mail account(s) to your personal mailserver and use ClamAV (see: http://www.clamav.net) to scan any incoming and outgoing mail for viruses. Also, make sure you have freshclamd (which comes with ClamAV) running to always have your virus definitions up-to-date.
12 - Also, some paranoia never hurts.. Don't click on every single link you find on the net without actually checking where they're going to. Never run an executable you've been sent from anyone unless it's been scanned and checked.
Further reading:
There are plenty of information on the Internet about what spyware/keyloggers are, how they all work, and how to prevent it from reaching your computer and/or your network. Some good reading can be found at http://www.securityfocus.com/infocus/1829 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystroke_logging.
I hope this will help you when the next wave of trojans, viruses or worms comes. Viruses will always be around so stop complaining at Blizzard for your poor security. Though, I would love if Blizzard could add support for more operating systems so I can run my World of Warcraft under Linux.. ;-)
Changes:
Added the link to http://www.portforward.com/ (thanks Rauko)
Added more links to good antivirus/antispyware websites. (thanks Kanock, Anomis and Korena)
Added a few tips on how to pick strong passwords. (thanks Khalroar)
Added a link to wikipedia instead of mozilla.com and opera.com (thanks Vaneras)
Added a link to the latest patch against the VML vulnerability in MSIE.
Rewrote some of the suggestions regarding password management. (thanks Athunt)
Fixed some typos.
Added a few links to recommended firewall programs/scripts. (thanks Kanock, Kaminari and Corlyn)
Added a few more links to websites providing useful tools. (thanks Schwick)
Fixed more typos and "repaired" the post after some odd bug during the save. :-O
Best regards,
Zelest
[ Post edited by Zelest ]
"Two percent of zero is almost nothing.."
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| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#0 | | |
Poster: Zelest at 2006-09-27 03:49:18
Subject: Unsticky please. |
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I'm done contributing to these forums. Please unsticky this.
A very sad and disappointed,
Zelest
[ Post edited by Zelest ]
"Two percent of zero is almost nothing.."
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| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#0 | | |
Poster: Zelest at 2006-09-27 03:49:18
Subject: Unsticky please. |
| |
I'm done contributing to these forums. Please unsticky this topic and ban/delete my access to these forums.
A very sad and disappointed,
Zelest
[ Post edited by Zelest ]
"Two percent of zero is almost nothing.."
|
| | http://forums.wow-europe.com/thread.html?topicId=45254614&pageNo=1&sid=1#0 | | |
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