Final Project

Final Project

Scenario 1

In order to secure my brand new computer, I will take the following necessary measures:

Using Strong Password and Separate Account

I will make a separate user account, and will use this standard user level account for daily tasks like web surfing and email. Use of these accounts will be limited to only those actions that need access of an administrator. I will set strong password for administrator account and user level account. I will assign difficult to guess password in order to protect my computer from any unauthorized use.

Using Automatic Updates and Installing Security Patches

I will make use of vendor-supported operating system such as Mac OS or Windows XP, and application software. I will use feature of automatic update for installing patches of critical security on my computer. Security updates/patches of operating system will be installed within 30 days. For windows update, I will configure automatic scheduling. I will set up my computer to automatically download the windows updates on a regular basis.

Installing Software for Virus Protection

I will download antivirus software on my computer. Antivirus software operates by searching for patterns of identified viruses and worms in downloaded files. I will update by antivirus software on regular basis in order to identify the recent threats. Many computers have pre-installed anti-virus software. In our case, it will be best to make use of U's silence, as the pre-installed anti-virus software will need us to buy a license in order to get updates on regular basis. Firewall Installation

I will install a ZoneAlarm firewall on the computer. The installation of this firewall will hide the open ports, redirect the incoming attacks, and will warn us about all doubtful outgoing traffic. Firewall installation is essential, as it will provide a barrier between our computer and connected networks. If we will install Windows XP and will not unpatch it, then our computer might be attacked in few minutes (Oppliger, 1997). We will be attacked either by open ports, or will be bombarded by popup messages.

Setting a Password Protected Screen Saver Lock out

I will set a screen saver password, so that when there will not be any activity for 30 minutes, computer will be locked.

Securing Web Browser

The web browser is mainly the tool that we mostly use on the internet. This is the main reason that it is very important to select the proper settings that can mitigate risks that are associated with the web. In addition to this, will keep plug-ins and web browser up-to-date. I will make use of Firefox plug-ins for improved security.

Installing Spyware Detection Software

I will use Spyware detection software on the computer and I will bundle it with other software that I will download from internet. Software utilities will be available that will help in detecting Spyware on the computer. Spyware can track the habits of web browsing, search pages on the browsers and will reset the homepage, create slow down the internet connection, interfere with the normal operations of ...