How To Prevent and Detect Remote Access Trojans

Wondering how to prevent and detect Remote Access Trojan's, also known as RAT's? RAT's, like other malware, are an all too real threat to your Internet security and privacy. This malware actually allows criminals to control your computer through your computers Internet connection. In fact, they can have even more control over your computer than you do. Cyber criminals use Remote Access Trojan's to remotely view and change your computers files and functions, monitor and record your activities, store files and programs on your computer, remotely turn on your own webcam to spy on you, and even use your computer to attack other computers. Having your computer infected with a RAT can lead you to having your personal information stolen; added to the ever-growing list of victims of identity theft, which happens to be one of the fastest growing crimes in all of the USA and Canada. Don't disconnect your computer from the Internet forever just yet. It is somewhat reassuring to know that there are some ways to help detect Remote Access Trojans (RAT's).

You definitely want to have anti-virus software installed on your computer to prevent and detect Remote Access Trojans, or any malicious software for that matter. It is important to remember to keep it up-to-date. Try to get into the habit of running a "full system scan" on a regular basis as well.

Have anti-spyware software running on your computer. Most Trojan Horses are detected with anti-spyware software.

It is a good idea to have anti-keylogger installed on your computer, as RAT's are often bundled with keystroke loggers; malware that secretly records every keystroke and even captures screen shots. Anti-virus and anti-spyware software alone do not detect all keyloggers. You need anti-keylogger software installed to detect and block keyloggers.

Have your computer guarded with a personal firewall. A firewall will keep hackers out and block any malware already installed on your computer, such as a Remote Access Trojan or a keylogger, from remotely sending your personal data to a cyber crook.

Try to avoid visiting sites from dubious corners of the Internet; containing file-sharing, freeware, shareware, warez, and the like. These sites are absolutely notorious for containing malicious software, such as a Remote Access Trojan.

It really is not a good idea to open email attachments from someone you don't know. Even if you know the sender, think twice before opening attachments that you are not expecting or do not recognize. Sadly, these attachments may very well be infected with malware, including a Remote Access Trojan.

As you can see, there are steps that you can take to prevent and detect Remote Access Trojans, also known as RATs and Backdoor Trojans. Remember, when it comes to Internet security, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Christopher is passionate about sharing his knowledge and expertise on online security and privacy. Visit Internet Security 101 for the tools and resources to protect your Internet security and privacy, including free Internet security software.

View the original article here

5 Ways Strong Passwords Still Fail to Prevent Unauthorized Access

Although online safety through the use of strong passwords sounds like a viable safety measure for most sites and logins, strong passwords are still susceptible to hackers, malware, and phishing attacks. As more and more data breaches are reported, such as the recent incident of VeriSign being hacked, online users are constantly urged to change their login credentials. Many users and some so called internet security experts still rely on strong passwords to protect the online privacy and security of their information. As secure as they seem now, passwords continue to fail to protect against unauthorized access every day as more users rely on it.

Strong passwords can consist of a combination of letters, numbers and symbols. The higher number of characters in a password, the stronger the password is considered to be. These passwords are secure forms of protecting data, however internet technology is changing rapidly and security needs to also change and be more secure. Security such as out-of-band authentication can be used to add an additional layer of security to protect users and information stored online.

There are five things to consider when utilizing a strong password instead of a more secure solution such as out-of-band authentication.

Strong Passwords Are Still Susceptible to Data Breaches and Password Hashes
Some websites and organizations will sometimes store a password hash which is an encrypted format of a user's password. This means that even though you are utilizing a strong password it may be stored in an unsecure database somewhere. This was the case for one of the larger data breaches involving an E-commerce company where customer's emails and password hashes were stolen.

Strong Passwords Can Be Stored Passwords
Although they seem secure, there is always the chance for human error. Storing strong passwords in your web browser not only allows unauthorized access from within your browser, but leaves your password susceptible to hacking. By utilizing a simple root kit, anyone including non experienced hackers can access your data stored within your browser. All it takes is some perseverance and some reverse engineering and anyone could crack your strong password even under encryption.

Key Logging Software and Other Malware can Capture Strong Passwords
You may not store passwords in your browser, but just the very action of using one allows key logging software to siphon that data. Beyond key loggers there is plenty of malware out there which would steal your information through the same manner, possibly through allowing a hacker remote access into your system. Strong passwords may be recorded in a malware program and sent through the internet to a hacker's data base for your password to be used at a later time.

Social Engineering of Security Questions
Almost every time you sign up for an account you are required to state security questions which could be used to authenticate your identity later. These very "security" questions could be the downfall to cracking your super secret strong password which consists of 22 characters mixed between letters, numbers and symbols. By using social engineering and a bit of creativity, a savvy crook could figure out your security questions and gain unauthorized access. More and more users are seeing their passwords stolen through the use of these "challenge questions" that aren't always hard to guess if a hacker has some of your personal information.

Strong Passwords are Hard to Remember and User's Often Store Them in Places Easy to Access
Possibly the biggest part of failure in strong passwords is that they are much harder to remember than passwords that consist of only words or numbers. Imagine your login credentials always consisted of the passphrase flower1 but recently you have upgraded your password to make it stronger and to something more secure such as 5trG12oO. How are you ever going to remember such an outrageous password? It could be such a strong password that it actually prevents you from accessing your own account. Because strong passwords use more characters and symbols, most people write down their new secure pass code and leave it near their computer or stored on their computer. This is the most unsecure form of securing your account. An unauthorized user can simply find your password on or next to your computer and login to your accounts.

Now that we've reviewed the 5 pitfalls of strong passwords, it is plain to see that a more secure method is needed. A very secure and cost effective approach to securing against data breach or unauthorized access is through out-of-band authentication. This secures access to user accounts by transmitting a one-time password to the user through a separate network than the one where access is requested. By utilizing an out-of-band network such as a separate network to send an SMS text message, key logging and other malware is prevented from accessing your one-time password. Also, costs are kept low because almost everyone already owns and uses a mobile phone daily which doesn't require deployment of additional devices for users to carry.

As more incidents occur of strong passwords failing to protect against data breach and identity theft, users and organizations will look for a more secure solution. Out-of-band authentication is a strong form of authentication and will be adopted by many organizations and users in the future when it comes to protecting against unauthorized access. Out of band authentication is easy to implement, easy to use, cost efficient, and its effective in combat fraud.

Adam is a network security professional who believes out-of-band authentication is the most secure form of two factor authentication utilizing a one-time password. He writes to inform businesses about upcoming changes to government regulatory compliance and remote access security.

View the original article here