06 June 2014

Tip Of The Day! - Don't enter your username and password on any computer you don't control.

Using public computers will always carry the risk of exposing your personal data. "Public" computers — as in college library computers. 
A Kentucky college student has been charged with identity theft and unlawful access to a computer for allegedly breaking into other students' email accounts at the University of the Cumberlands, and using the access and information to blackmail them. 
He did this by allegedly placing spyware on computers at the college library to harvest the information he needed to access the email accounts. Then he threatened to divulge the contents of certain messages unless the students complied with his demands.

04 June 2014

Tip Of The Day! - Change the combination on opened laptop locks.

When people have cables with combination locks for securing their laptops at their workstation, they always remember to turn the tumblers when they secure the laptop. But what happens when they unsecure the laptop? 

Many people won't turn the tumblers on the opened lock because it is much easier to lock the laptop later if the combination is already set. About half a dozen laptops in our office disappeared one day. 

The laptops were stolen by someone who came by when the laptops were not there and noted the combination. They came back later when the laptops were there and used the combination they had noted earlier.

Source: http://www.sans.org/tip_of_the_day.php#72

03 June 2014

Tip Of The Day! - Prevent USB Drives from Spreading Viruses


When you stick a thumb drive infected with a worm like Conficker/Downadup into a clean system, the normally handy AutoPlay feature launches the worm and spreads the infection. 
You can prevent this by flipping the master switch. 

Here's how:
  1. Click on the "Start" button and pick "Run."
  2. Enter the text GPEDIT.MSC and press Enter. After a moment, the Group Policy editor window will open.
  3. In the left panel, double-click on "Computer Configuration."
  4. Double-click on "Administrative Templates."
  5. Double-click on "System."
  6. In the right panel near the bottom of the list, double-click on "Turn off autoplay."/
  7. The default setting is the "Not configured." Put a bullet in "Enabled."
  8. Make sure "Turn off Autoplay on:" is set to "All drives."
  9. Click on "Apply," and then "OK".
  10. Close the Group Policy editor window.

Source: http://www.sans.org/tip_of_the_day.php#1257