MS Blaster Worm and Microsoft: What to do before things go wrong
In the aftermath of the latest Microsoft Windows based worm you may be wondering "Why me?" If you're like the hundreds of thousands of other people who got infected with this worm you may be interested in a way to keep the next worm or virus at bay. While there are no fool proof or guaranteed (short of unplugging the computer) ways to prevent them there are a number of simple steps you can take.
1. Install a Firewall
My clients who had a firewall in place (I always recommend them if you have a broadband connection such as DSL or a Cable modem) were NOT infected by the latest worm. Due to the way in which SPI Firewalls work (SPI stands for Stateful Packet Inspection) the Blaster Worm couldn't get access to my clients computers. I recommend going with a hardware based one, but a software based one will do in a pinch. The main benefits of a hardware Firewall are it will protect more than one machine, doesn't slow down your computers, and is a bit more secure than a software based one . Even a low end $50 one can greatly reduce the threats to your computers. Every business that's on the Internet from a Fortune 100 to a Small Business should have one. A software based Firewall such as Zone Alarm, McAfee Firewall, Norton Personal Firewall, or BlackIce PC Protection is great for computers like laptops which move around and aren't always behind a hardware firewall. Firewalls can actually prevent unknown security holes from being used to infect or take control of your computer.
2. Install and update Antivirus software
Your second line of defense really should be Antivirus software. The Antivirus companies do a great job keeping up with current threats and releasing timely updates to their software. And Antivirus software will help protect you from viruses that get into your network or computer through legitimate means such as email or a traveling user's laptop. Just make sure this is getting updated regularly. Antivirus software detects new viruses best after it's been updated and most Antivirus software has a utility to automatically update the software. Examples of Antivirus software are Norton Antivirus, McAfee Virusscan, F-prot Antivirus, PC-cillin by Trend Micro, and Panda Antivirus.
3. Update your Windows installation
Now this is a tricky one. Microsoft does release patches on a regular basis (not every day, but once a week anyway). While these do fix security holes and other critical problems they also can break things. I try to install one patch at a time. That way if the patch breaks something I know what did it and can remove the patch or otherwise recover. I also install patches a couple days after they first become available. If something is really wrong with a patch that's often caught in the first couple of days and I can avoid the headache of fixing a patched machine. Patching itself is easy, just go to http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and click "Scan for updates". From there you can choose which updates to apply. The real benefit here is you prevent known security holes from being breached, much like Antivirus software prevents known viruses from infecting your computer.
This is just a simple list and is by no means all inclusive. However, by doing these three items you can greatly reduce your exposure to annoying and costly computer problems.
Joshua Bedick, MCSE is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and the owner of Integrated Technology, Inc. which specializes in Making Computers Reliable. He can be contacted at jbedick@gratedtech.com or 919.401.6143.