Monday, April 7, 2008
Program Preview:
Secure Computing in the Internet Age

by Chris Novell

We are delighted to welcome Jeff Setaro, former DACS President, as the presenter to our April 2008 meeting. Jeff is our in-house guru on computer security.

This topic calls for some perspective.

There was a time when a car was a prized possession. Any number of Saturdays would have a couple hours allocated to the upkeep of a vehicle: a vacuum, a wash, a moment to study its renewed shiny surface. To be sure, there still are some who participate in this type of ritual, but more have opted for the occasional splash and dash routine, preferably performed by a small jungle of thrashing rubber reeds.

In general, it seems most people have taken to selecting the quickest way to get things done, if for no other reason than that there are so many things to get done. Detailed, time consuming activities are happening less and less. Low or no maintenance is the mode.

Turn the TV on. It works. Finished watching? Click again. The most amount of maintenance required is a weekly dusting. VCR’s – same situation. DVD players? Just turn the dust mitt over to use the other side. While it’s true that dusting IS part of the maintenance for a computer, it is only the beginning of what is needed. Somehow, people are thinking, or at least hoping, that computers require the same amount of effort as some of the other electronic devices they use. But, it’s just not so.

We can find out a lot more about what is needed from Jeff Setaro, one of our outstanding in-house resources. Jeff spends many of his days tending to computers to keep them from facing the formidable problems that could arise.

If anything, the more you want to use your computer, the more places you want to go online, the more vigilant you need to be in its care. Yet, according to polls taken by PEW Internet & American Life Project, people are becoming more complacent about spam, despite its escalating proliferation. And the invasion is coming from different entry points: instant messaging and mobile phones can be the target as well. Attachments to emails that appear to come from people we know may, in fact, deliver malware.

Jeff has prepared a comprehensive list of slides which you can download on the DACS website, review, and bring to the meeting. He will explain what the concerns are about viruses, Trojan horses, worms, spyware, rootkits, phishing, and hoaxes, and what steps can be taken to avoid having them wreak havoc. Find out how some of these have teamed up to make even more insidious and imposing moves.

Anyone who uses a computer can benefit from attending this meeting. Tell your friends and neighbors. And your relatives. And your distant relatives. Bring them all with you so that they, too, can know how to protect their computers and their personal information. This meeting may be the nicest gift they ever get from you.

DACS meetings are held at the Danbury Hospital auditorium. (Click here for directions.) Activities begin at 6:30 p.m. with registration and casual networking. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. with a discussion of what’s new in technology (What's News) followed by a general question and answer period (Ask DACS), announcements and a short break. The featured evening presentation begins at 8:00.

As a reminder, our General Meetings are free and open to the public so invite anyone you know who would be interested in this topic.



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