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It’s pretty common knowledge these days that you need to run some kind of antivirus protection on your computer. But it’s not commonly known that the computers that make up the internet are also at risk. What’s being done to protect them?
Viruses can attack servers that run websites, email and other internet functions. They’re not limited to desktop PC’s.
Most of these servers are really not all that different from the average desktop computer. They probably have more memory, bigger hard drives and faster CPUs but the underlying technology is much the same.
Because of that fact, they’re often vulnerable to the same viruses and other internet security threats that the average desktop system is. They also need to run antivirus software, firewalls and other forms of protection.
What Options Do They Have?
Because these servers provide internet services to many users (sometimes thousands at a time) they are a popular target for the people who create viruses. As an end user, you can help to keep these systems virus-free by ensuring that your computer stays that way. And the system administrators on those systems can help by limiting the type of software that gets installed on them.
Users can help administrators and themselves by being more careful in browser selection and configuration. Most could profit from better self-education in how to minimize the ‘target area’ for hackers by changing browser settings. Users and computer professionals have made strides in voicing concern over security vulnerabilities in Internet Explorer. Adopting other browsers in greater numbers will help to get the message across.
Avoid booting from or loading software from CD’s, DVD’s or other disks that haven’t been scanned for viruses, if you’re not sure of the source. If a single file on one of those disks contains a virus, it can spread like wildfire.
If you use FTP, you should look into switching to a more secure system for file transfers. FTP passwords are sent “in the clear” – there is no encryption on them at all. So when you log into an FTP server, if someone is monitoring your internet traffic, they can easily get your password.
It’s up to all of us to make sure these systems remain secure – not just the system administrators. They have a lot of work on their plate and aren’t always as quick to respond to security issues as they would like.
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