December 2002 — Special Feature
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Blended Threats - A Deadly Duo of Hackers and Mobile Code
- The ease and availability of mobile code authoring tools.
- The rising number of complex and flawed mobile code programs that inadvertently create “backdoor” entries for malware.
- The rising trend toward downloading programs from the Web.
- The growing number of teachers who access their network from home without security on their modem or DSL connection.
High-Profile Blended Threats
Making headlines in summer and fall 2001, CodeRed and Nimda are examples of blended threats. Their economic impact demonstrates the damage they left in their wake as they quickly spread across the globe.
- Nimda was an automated worm, using known software vulnerabilities and multiple methods of infection to spread remarkably fast. Independent research firm Computer Economics estimates that Nimda infected more than 2.2 million servers and PCs in a 24-hour period in September 2001. The worldwide economic impact of Nimda has now reached more than $590 million.
- CodeRed launched “Denial of Service” attacks, defaced Web servers, and its variant, CodeRed II, left Trojan horses behind for later execution. CodeRed was processed in memory, not on a hard disk, allowing it to slip past some anti-virus products. Computer Economics estimates the worldwide cost of CodeRed at $2.62 billion.
Rules of Thumb for Safe Computing
To protect school computers from this new generation of threats, teachers need to work with IT personnel to understand how to protect themselves with technology and common sense.
Teachers and Students
Teachers and students can prevent blended threats from spreading, which causes damage on school computers and networks, by learning about these new threats and exercising caution. The following tips provide a great deal of protection, and should be considered basic rules of thumb for safe computing in the classroom and computer lab:
