Links to Security Information Sources

Cyber Attack and Security Information
General Computer Security
- Internet and Network
- Verifying File Information
Windows and Macintosh
Email, Spam, Scam, Spyware, and Phishing Resources
Miscellaneous

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Cyber Attacks and Security

Here are the resources I consult when I read about a security exploit in the Google News tech section, an email alert, or elsewhere.

SecurityFocus.Com: http://www.securityfocus.com/; Well-regarded news and article site covering security issues. Newsletters and RSS feeds are available.
SANS Internet Storm Center: http://isc.sans.org/; The professionals at SANS, a well-regarded industry security training, certification and research center, provide information on current problems, solutions, and where to find good information from vendors and other security information providers.
GRC.Com: http://www.grc.com/default.htm; This industry professional stays current on problems and posts solutions, creates tools, and writes articles to inform. This is a great resource.
Secunia.Com: http://secunia.com/; Secunia monitors vulnerabilities in more than 6500 products, issues virus alerts and advisories.
Symantec Security Response Center: http://securityresponse.symantec.com/; Information on threats from the vendor of Norton Antivirus.
McAfee Security Headquarters: http://www.mcafee.com/us/security/home.asp; A resource from one of the major antivirus product vendors. "The information and services in this section will help you react quickly and stay ahead of the next threats."
US-CERT: http://www.us-cert.gov/; This group "coordinates defense against and responses to cyber attacks across the nation." Part of Homeland Security, it is a combined effort with CERT at Carnegie-Mellon University. One caveat, it appears to have a blind spot when the problem is with Microsoft Windows.

General Computer Security

Internet and Network

GetNetWise: http://www.getnetwise.org/; Comment: This is the best site for learning the basics about protecting your computer and your information. Getting around the site is intuitive. There are mini-tutorials and important subjects are described concisely and they cover both Windows and Macintosh computers. Well done.
Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use: http://csriu.org/
CERT Coordination Center: Home Network Security: http://www.cert.org/tech_tips/home_networks.html
Broadband Internet Security Basics: http://www.cable-modem.net/features/mar00/story1.html
Tips for Wireless Home Network Security: http://compnetworking.about.com/od/wirelesssecurity/tp/wifisecurity.htm
Symantec Security Scan: http://security.symantec.com/

Verifying File Information

ProcessLibrary.Com: Free Process Information: http://www.processlibrary.com/; Searchable database of executable files
PCPitStop.Com: Search Our Known-Programs Database: http://www.pcpitstop.com/spycheck/known.asp; Review Spyware database to check a file
Computer Associates Spyware Information Center: http://www3.ca.com/securityadvisor/pest/; Includes a searchable database
FileExt: The File Extension Source: http://filext.com/; This site has a huge, alphabetical listing of file extensions and descriptions, in a very handy format.
Uniblue WinTasks DLL Library: http://www.liutilities.com/products/wintaskspro/dlllibrary/; A listing of top system and application modules.
The Dynamic Link Library: http://www.dynamiclink.nl/; Extensive, searchable database of DLLs. Available for fee-based download.

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Windows and Macintosh

Microsoft: Security at Home: http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/default.mspx
Apple Product Security: http://www.apple.com/support/security/
A Security Primer for Mac OS X: http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2004/02/20/security.html
SecureMac.Com: http://www.securemac.com/

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Email, Spam, Scam, Spyware, and Phishing Resources

The Case for Secure Email: http://luxsci.com/extranet/articles/email-security.html
Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email (CAUCE): http://www.cauce.org/; This project works to assist users in identifying and defeating spam. I have more resources on my Spam Resources page also.
Yahoo DomainKeys: http://antispam.yahoo.com/domainkeys
Eudora's Scam Watch: http://www.eudora.com/email/features/scamwatch.html
Spyware and Troubleshooting Resources: Visit my index page of spyware resource links that lists many resources for detecting, removing, and protecting against spyware, including some links to articles that help re-establish network connectivity or identify questionable files.
Anti-Phishing Working Group: http://www.antiphishing.org/
Netcraft Anti-Phishing Toolbar: http://toolbar.netcraft.com/; This Internet statistics, auditing and analysis services site has a browser add-on toolbar you can download that will give statistics and host information on sites you visit and alert you to a possible phishing Web site as well. It is available for both Internet Explorer (Windows 2000/XP only) and Firefox (all platforms.)

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Miscellaneous

FTC Identity Theft Resource Center: http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft/; Federal Trade Commission Consumer Web site: Your National Resource for Identity Theft
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Computers: http://www.snopes.com/computer/computer.htm; Comment: This resource is in a class all by itself. It covers computer hoaxes, urban legends, viruses. Many, many times I've received an email from a friend or colleague warning about something. This is the place to go to check it out. There is a search form at the top of the site. I usually grab a sentence fragment from the email story and enter it into the search form to get a page describing the hoax or true story.
Direct Marketing Association's Mail Preference Form: http://www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist; While not related to online activity, I thought it would be handy information to have. You can complete forms to stop postal mail solicitations.
National Do Not Call Registry: http://www.donotcall.gov/; You can add your phone number to the registry to stop telemarketing calls. I believe companies you already do business with can still contact you. From the site: "Most telemarketers should not call your number once it has been on the registry for 31 days... Your registration will be effective for five years."
PIRG Credit Reporting Bureau Opt-Out Information: http://www.pirg.org/consumer/credit/Bureaus.htm; Contains contact information and a brief description of the three credit reporting bureaus. All now use one phone number to remove you from pre-approved offers of credit. (888) 567-8688.
The Emergency Email & Wireless Network: http://www.emergencyemail.org/; "This public service web site will send you a notification when there is a local, regional or national emergency, to your pager, cell phone or email address. You can select which types of emergencies you want notifications for (severe weather, homeland security, cyber threats, missing children/Amber alerts, even organ donations). You can have the notices sent to your email address, cell phone, pager or fax number. You can also block non-emergency content during specific hours (such as when you're sleeping or when you're at work)." [Description is from the 15-Aug-2006 issue of the WXPNews email newsletter.]

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