DIGITAL ENTERPRISE

Archive for the ‘Operating System’ Category

In the present day, many people depend on the Internet for just about everything.  Whether it is shopping, looking for information or directions, social media, pay bills and more.  Basically it is used for everything, but what the basic user does not know is that the web browser that they might be using isn’t secure.  Many people buy a laptop, plug in the power cord, connect to the Internet and they are on there way browsing the World Wide Web.   They don’t make any security settings to their web browser, just using the default settings.  What they don’t know is that they are leaving their web browser vulnerable for attacks and exploits.   That’s were I come in, I am going to discuss the different ways in which web browsing has become secure, the different ways exploits that are being used attack users.  I will also talk about the different web browsers and the various security features they offer.  Finally, I will give my opinion of which browser I would recommend to my friends, family, and peers.  By the end of this article, readers should have an in-depth understanding of web browser security and vulnerabilities/exploits.

What is a Web Browser, and what makes it secure?  According to itsecurity.com, a web browser is “a software application that allows the user to view and interact with content on a webpage, such as text, graphics or other materials.”  A web browser makes access the Internet literally, one click of a button (maybe, a double click if you use windows).  So, what makes web browsers secure?  Is it the little lock you get on the top corner of the address bar, or is it the green website certificate that appears?  Does security patches and plug-ins really help secure a users web browser?  In most cases, security patches updates and security plug-ins can help secure your web browser, but it still doesn’t mean that you are out of the clear for exploits and attacks.

Writers, Dübendorfer Frei and May M. Olimann conducted a recent study, and they found that “approximately 45% of people surfing the Internet were not utilizing the most secure version of their web browser”.   This is an astonishing number, when you think that half of the Internet users are not using secure versions of their browsers and the number of hackers that are out there preying on novice users.  Users that don’t know that a web browser is like software and it to needs security patches that are vulnerable to attack and exploits.  Although most web browser attacks are from “not-trusted” websites, now attackers are exploiting bad security coding, in which, they have had a great deal of success in compromising some trusted websites.  One of the various ways hackers do this is by, adding some scripts into the website’s source code.  A script that does not change the appearance in anyway, shape or form.  These scripts can do various things including, a redirection to another website, tracking and storing cookies and more.  When a user gets redirected to another website, they could be downloading dangerous programs/applications to their computer without knowing.  According to itsecurity.vermont.gov/threats/web_attacks, they noted that, “April 2008 Panda Labs, a computer security and anti-virus publisher, announced that more than 280,000 web sites had been altered to redirect computers to malicious websites which would attack them in a variety of different ways”. Thus, making it really hard for the average user (who is using IE that is not updated) to be able to be able to distinguish between a trusted and non-trusted website.  And hackers aren’t just stopping there; they are getting better and more advance.  They are beginning to more to new means of hacking like, smart phones, not just the average desktop or laptop.  Some other ways hackers are exploiting certain web browsers are insider attacks, bots, spyware, and web applications exploits.

So know I bet you are wondering what do you have to do to secure your web browser.  Well first, maybe make the switch from Internet Explorer to any other browser, except Netscape.  Just that step alone could help out with your web browser security.  But if you don’t want to make to switch or if you have one of the other web browsers, you could always keep your browser updated by using the latest patches and plug-ins.  And not only by keeping your web browser updated, you have to keep your operating system updated with the latest updates.  Your antivirus software should always be updated, and applications like MS Office, iTunes, and others should also be frequently updated with the latest version.   Make sure that you have a firewall installed.  A firewall that is installed in between your CPU and the Internet can help with limiting attacks and traffic that comes in and out of your network.  Also, you would need to edit your browser’s security settings.  This can be one of the easiest things to do; you could disable Java, JavaScript, and some ActiveX controls.  Also, edit your privacy, pop-up blocker and content settings.  All of these steps and changes that I stated above could help you secure your web browser and your overall secure experience on the Internet.

Now it is time to evaluate some of the web browsers.  I am going to evaluate 5 web browsers (Firefox, Google Chrome, Opera, Internet Explorer, and Safari), in which, I am going to go over some background information and some of the security features that each browser can implement.   First, lets start of with Mozilla Firefox.  Mozilla Firefox is an open source software project; it offers customizable themes, personas, and add-ons.  Since Firefox is open source, it means that online security researchers are always involved in fixing bugs and security.  They mention on their website, that user should keep their version of Firefox up to date.  That they automatically will tell you when that update is necessary, and they also suggests that users update their plug-ins using their new tool that detects outdated plug-ins.  Firefox lets its users do private browsing, which is really effective if you want to do online banking using a shared/public computer.

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Microsoft has been holding more than 90% market of operating systems around the world. But, the versions of Windows operating system are available only after paying the premium prices. In contrast, various equipment manufacturers are providing operating systems for personal and commercial use without any cost or fee. Further, in few cases users can even change their source code and redistribute them as well.

With these free operating systems, users will not receive any printed manuals, CD-ROMs or technical support. Further, consumers have to look for various forums and chat room to have support from the community. Meanwhile, few vendors are offering their help at very reasonable price to new users.

PC-BSD

It is a Unix-like operating system based on FreeBSD for desktops. It comes with default KDE pre-installed graphical user interface, which is very easy to install. It offers binary Nvidia and Intel drivers for hardware improvements and additional 3D desktop interface through Compiz Fusion. Its stable release was introduced in June last year. It is reported that the operating system supports x86 and x86-64 architectures.

PCLinuxOS

PCLinuxOS or PCLOS is a GNU/Linux based free open-source operating system based on KDE as its default user interface for personal computers. Its stable version, called PCLinuxOS 2009.2 was released back in June, 2009. The software was created to improve Mandrake Linux or Mandriva Linux. It is circulated as a Live CD, which can also be installed to a local hard disk drive or USB flash drive.

Pardus

Pardus is a Linux based operating system, which does not require much knowledge to operate. Its name was taken from the Latin name for the Anatolian leopard. Pardus 2009 is the latest version of Pardus. It features the OpenOffice.org office suite, internet tools like web browser, e-mail, instant messaging, etc.

Also, it supports various multimedia and graphics tools, games, and many other applications. Its package management system is called as PiSi (Packages installed Successfully as intended), which is written in XML and Python, and uses the LZMA Compression Algorithm.

Dreamlinux

It is a Debian GNU/Linux based operating system developed in Brazil and can be installed on a hard drive. Its general user interface is similar to Mac OS X, with a centered animated toolbar. The operating system has the ability to configure AIGLX for NVIDIA and ATI cards automatically.

Its latest desktop version, called edition 3.0 comes with a complete redesign. Dreamlinux 3.0 supports a new independent architecture named Flexiboost, which lets the co-existence of two or more different window managers, sharing the same customized appearance. In 2009, the company had released the Dreamlinux 3.5, which uses the now stable Debian Lenny desktop.

SimplyMEPIS

SimplyMEPIS is the most popular MEPIS distribution, which is based primarily on Debian stable. It is distributed via Live CDs that can be installed onto a hard disk drive. The operating system comes with KDE, the K Desktop Environment.

The present stable release, called SimplyMEPIS 8.0 includes several new packages and features like Linux kernel 2.6.27, KDE 3.5.10, and OpenOffice.org 3.0. Meanwhile, the company is focusing on MEPIS 8.5 that features Debian based with KDE 4.3 as a desktop manager.