Creating zombies out of computers used by you and me has become a major tool used by computer hackers, unscrupulous marketers, and other malicious evil-doers. A computer becomes a zombie when it performs tasks as instructed by someone other than the computer owner. The instructions given to the zombie usually involve distributing information to other computers, which the zombie computer does without notifying its owner. In every spare moment, a zombie computer sends out data, most of which is spam that tries to get someone to purchase something.

Watch for “Zombie Computer” Warning Signs

• The computer seems sluggish.

• The computer seems to be accessing the hard drive constantly.

• The mouse or keyboard becomes unresponsive.

• Excessive “bounce” notifications from people you never knowingly tried to e-mail.

These warning signs may also be symptoms of other computer problems, but if you see any of them you should investigate. For more information on zombie computers and spam, check out the Federal Trade Commission’s Operation Spam Zombies website at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/spam/zombie/index.htm.

Protect Your Computer from becoming a Zombie

• Install a good antivirus program and make sure you update it regularly.

• Install a good two-way firewall. It will notify you when information is being sent from your computer. Unfortunately the WindowsXP firewall is not adequate for this purpose—it is “one way” only.

• Update your operating system and other software regularly.

• Use an anti-spyware program to eliminate spyware on your system.

• Check your antivirus and firewall software occasionally to make sure they are running properly—often one of the first instructions given to a zombie computer is to disable the antivirus and firewall software.

• Don’t open unknown/unexpected e-mail attachments!

• Use caution when downloading software—buy from reputable companies, and be sure to read every screen as you download and install any software.

NOVICE CORNER

An Internet download usually comes with a “prompt” from your browser—you’ll be asked whether to “Run” (or “Open”) or to “Save” the file. What should you do? Here’s the difference:

• If you select “Run”, the download file will go to your “Temporary Internet Files” folder. Then it will run or open automatically.

• If you select “Save”, you have to choose where the file will be stored on your hard drive (creating a “Downloads” folder on your C-drive might be a good idea at this point). The file will sit in this file until you decide to open it yourself.

So “Run” is convenient, but “Save” gives you more control and it’s generally safer. Once the file is saved, you can run a virus scan on it and examine the file. On the other hand, you shouldn’t be downloading something of which you are unsure. Downloads from companies you know—for instance, Microsoft, Adobe or Apple—are always OK.

Even if you do choose “Run”, you may still have the option to do some checking. Internet Explorer often lets you view digital signatures from the download prompt. After you click “Run”, a digital certificate message will pop up. You can click on the name listed under “Publisher” for more information. Under “Digital Signature Information”, it should say, “This digital signature is OK”. Otherwise, the file is high risk.

Another option you might see is a checkbox labeled something like “Always ask before opening this type of file”. Other browsers might use different phrasing such as “Always perform this action with this type of file”. The phrasing can be tricky—the two examples mentioned here have opposite effects. So be careful with options that include “always”, “never” or “automatically”. Select the setting that will alert you with every download. Good luck!

There is no restriction against any non-profit group using this article as long as it is kept in context with proper credit given the author. The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article to you.

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