Storytellersunplugged

Where Words Meet

Lock Those Doors

I’m not exactly writing about writing this time because, recently, it seems that every time I turn around a writer or editor of my acquaintance is suffering from severe computer and/or Internet frustration. That frustration tends to be a part of life these days, especially for those of us who use one or more of the confounded machines for the better share of our waking hours. While the Internet can be one of the most valuable tools there is, using it can potentially devastate the products of your hard work, your finances, your identity, and your patience. So I figured, even though this column isn’t exactly writer-specific, this is a most appropriate place to address some issues that can directly affect our livelihood.

If you’re a well-seasoned Internet geek, you can probably skip today’s episode. Or you might want to read on just so you can marvel at the firmness of my grasp upon the obvious. However, just as I sometimes encounter readers who are actually scared shitless by a fictional horror tale (and being so steeped in the genre, I tend to forget that such people really exist), I sometimes find that there are folks — yes, even writers — who aren’t aware that you don’t have to open an attached file to catch a virus or that the attachment which purports to be a contract from your agent might really be a little smart bomb sent by a total stranger.

Personally, I’m a PC user, though I use a Mac at my office, and I’ll tell you this: if you don’t use a lot of programs that specifically require Windows and you can afford the somewhat more expensive machine, pick up a Mac. Just about every editor under the sun wants MS Word files, yes, but you can get MS Office (which includes Word) for the Mac, and those same files will be just as happy there as on a Windows machine. While not totally bulletproof, Macs are smaller targets when it comes to malicious geeks looking to wreck your life via your computer’s online connection.

If you use Windows, make sure you’re keeping up with the regular updates from Microsoft. These contain important security patches, and there are lots of predators out there keeping a sharp eye out for procrastinators. They often find them. With XP, I recommend setting your computer to get automatic updates (done from Control Panel: Security Center). Or to do it manually, open Internet Explorer and go to Tools: Windows Update.

And speaking of Internet Explorer . . . if you’re using it for browsing the web, you’re best off setting your security settings to high (though that will prevent some pages from working correctly). Even with all of these Microsoft security updates, hackers are daily finding potentially devastating holes in the program. IE offers some bells and whistles for surfing, sure, but there’s nary a one in my book worth the risk for typical browsing. I use IE only for Microsoft-specific applications, such as the occasional update from their site. I strongly recommend Mozilla Firefox (but see the caveat in the following paragraph); get it at www.mozilla.org, and while you’re there, pick up Mozilla Thunderbird for your email client. Both are currently more secure than Internet Explorer/Outlook, and they’re fast and easy to use. You can import your settings, bookmarks, address books, etc. directly from IE and Outlook when you install them. I’ve heard Opera is a decent browser too, though I’ve not used it in a couple of years, and since it’s built on IE technology, it’s liable to suffer the same vulnerabilities.

Here, however, is the rub: Firefox’s success may yet be its undoing. Firefox has now been downloaded some 90 million times, and you just know that the most sophisticated hackers in the world are working diligently to tailor new malware that will start hitting users who’ve migrated away from Microsoft. Mozilla is a relatively small-time operation and lacks the manpower to effectively deal with security on a scale commensurate with its growing user base. Some analysts predict Firefox will be dangerously compromised within the next few months, and it may eventually end up being -less- secure than Internet Explorer. Other experts are far less pessimistic, citing the fact that Mozilla, at best, will probably never claim more than ten percent of the Internet browser market, which, for dedicated hackers, hardly makes their efforts worthwhile. Only time will tell. The downside is that innocent users will likely have been victimized by the time critical security holes are detected.

I just -know- you’re running a good antivirus program, such as Norton or McAfee. Are you keeping it regularly updated? If not . . . you’re a gory accident waiting to happen. How about a Trojan-specific program, such as The Cleaner (www.moosoft.com)? Trojans are very possibly the most damaging to your online health and well-being because they will surreptitiously steal your computer’s secrets and send them back to the last people on earth you’d want to possess such information.

In a related vein, spyware and adware have become terribly prevalent threats, doing anything from swiping your keystrokes and sending them back to identity thieves to resetting your browser settings and putting pornographic pop-ups on your desktop. There are a number of good anti-spyware programs available; I personally recommend Lavasoft’s Ad-Aware and Spybot Search and Destroy; they’re fairly simple to use, and you can get both for free (for Spybot, http://www.spybot.info/en/home/index.html; for Ad-Aware, go to www.cnet.com, scroll down to “downloads” in the left-hand column, and then search for the products; it’s the very dickens to find the free version on the company Web site). Spybot has lots of options for more advanced users too, which can come in quite handy to detect and halt intrusions.

Beware, though; increasingly, many “free” anti-spyware programs actually install malware on your computer, find it, and then expect you to pay to have it removed; one company who does this recently even had an extensive TV advertising campaign. Internet crooks have found it very easy to install their own spyware on your machine by enticing you with convincing-looking ads and claims of how they can protect you.

Highly important: Make sure you’re running a firewall. ZoneAlarm from www.zonelabs.com is the most popular, and is very effective. Not only does the firewall set your communications ports to “stealth” mode and block hostile probes, it gives you control over which programs you want to allow to access the Internet. There’s a free version and a more elaborate Pro version for a reasonable price. The Sygate personal firewall (smb.sygate.com) is also a good one; again, you can choose the free version or the more versatile Pro version for a fair price.

To test your firewall’s effectiveness, visit www.grc.com and go to the “Shields Up!” page. This will give you several options for testing your security without getting too complicated. You may also go to scan.sygate.com for a similar, simple security test.

A few miscellaneous points:

Never follow links in an email, even if the mail looks perfectly authentic. There’s a good chance it’s spoofed. If you haven’t received an email or dozens from Ebay or Paypal or a big-name bank, telling you your account is being suspended unless you click on their link, you’re not living in this century. One of the newest variations I’ve seen is an email informing me that someone has made a payment to my Paypal account; now, I’m sure that most of us would love to rush right over and see who’s paid us a bunch of money, but if you do it from the email link, then woops! Your account information has just been routed to a miscreant. Any official email from Ebay or Paypal or other such institution will address you by your proper name — not your email address or “valued member” — and it will not include any links to sites that require your login information.

If you’re sending sensitive information over the Web, -never- do it with more than one browser window open (or even with additional tabbed windows open, in programs like Firefox that offer tabbed browsing). Let’s say you’ve done a search on Google for Brian Keene’s favorite porn site; having been there and done your business, you leave that window open, and then decide to go do some banking or take care of a Paypal transaction. If that left-open window has the right coding, it can capture your keystrokes -from the other open browser window-. And that could be fine how-do-you-do next time you look at your bank statement.

Remember, these days, just being online opens you up to being compromised. You don’t have to open an infected attachment or follow a bad link. Worms are out there looking for open ports on your computer, and they -will- get in if you don’t have your doors locked and painted over. And there aren’t a whole lot of ways you can piss off an editor more than by sending him a file with a little bomb that piggybacked on your manuscript. With all the work we put into our craft, there’s not much more horrifying than having the fruits of it gobbled up by some fucking piece of shit asshole hacker whose fingers I would happily smash with a sledgehammer.

Woops, scuse me . . . I think my feelings might be showing a little here. Anyway, using the Internet doesn’t have to be a dangerous experience. With a bit of preparedness and use of good judgment while working online, you can take advantage of all it has to offer without being victimized by unscrupulous predators. Just be careful out there.

–Mark Rainey

Related posts:

1. The Writer’s Toolbox - Evernote
2. Other Worlds Part 2: Cerno & Ingenium – The Doors

Share on Twitter

If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.