Saturday, May 10, 2008

1st MARCH 2008 ..... in UHC





UHC
Vinay More, de employee of UHC, [UnitedHealth Care India],

It was,
1-05-08, Not Only Maharastra day,.........
Also Labour Day, too... which we enjoyed a lot ....
dat was de grt experience for me.....


Our small team of.....
Parag, Chintan, Naaem, Rajani, Sanoj, Hussian, Rajeshwari, Triveni, Silton, Sunil, Kamalesh, Raj, Chetan, Pradeep.................

We njoid a lot !!!!!!!!!!!!
Throughly ...........


Truly a grt xperience!!!

Dos days where only of de best of ma life .....
I believ ma senior ..... ma Boss.... de grt person CHINTAN ADVA
Made it happening .. i didnt xpectd in ma life ... i will be having such a good .... boss.....

Seriously speakin he is a person DOWN TO EARTH .............

We started wid our regular ...... work,
n den we had few refreshments, full on entertainment on floor,
Wid songs playd by Raj W, on guitar .......


Rgds,
Vinay More
TEAM MEMBER,
UHC India,
Nursline

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Panduu Log !



4r all Respectful Mumbai Police !
dis is juss dicussion about wat we ppl or rather our government giv 2
MP[Mumbai Police] ............... "Pandu"

wat we expect 4rm dem ....
full tight SECURITY ,
which we do get ....

n wat we return !
are dis ppl who work 4r us ... cant be also provided wid der
----- official dresses
----- or der laundry bills

4r us dey sacfrice deir lives or
as der r cling on a shining sword !

i think so .....
dey should be given respect .........
n should giv discounts on products which might help dem
living der life wid good prestige...

like,
dey should discounted on .... clothes n other required accesories wid good quality brand wat dey deserve !!

thou it is de other part
dat
BPL mobile company ..... has contributed good in it ... giving der service 2 all police ppl!!!

evn dey r human beings .... like we r ...

but,

we r turning dem 2 get corrupt !!!
its de normal behaviour of evry indivual...
"RESPONSIVNESS TO STIMULI"

wat we learnt in lower classes

Dat "If ur expection r nt satisfied fully u might use other ways {i said might be} .... thou it is wrong or right"


so ma frnd....
cursing dem is not right ,
apart 4rm dem helpin is a better way ...
though i m aware dat .... dis is not possible ...
it is de fact ... which will trouble u n prick u r mind wen u start thinkin...!

den juss think wat will ....
our next generation will face ....


as evry point cant be define
Infinty cant be end !
We ppl cant live longer ... n longer ....

similiarly,
dis is not goin 2 work in +ve way........................................
signing off,
Faffy Rulz !!!

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Rs. 1.75

Rs.1.75

It was, few days before i met one white haired-person, of 75years old ..... who was burning a stick of cigartte ..... y i didnt know .... but frequently i askd him,
"Sir, since how many years your smokin?"
he answered, "36 years" !
i was confuzd lil bit dat .... a person smokin so long is still alive !
den he said dat, "I use 2 work wid GLAXO, at dat time I use 2 smoke a packect"
4rm dat time itself our conversation got coloured,
He said dat .... he got a car ambassdor, 4rm company,
at dat time petrol cost 4r Rs.1.75 per litre,
n he use 2 smoke 4r Rs.2.50 per packect !

Hey ppl, ma intension 2 write dis is juss 2 tell at tat time de situation was so low n juss guess wat it is now !
u cant get petrol 4r Rs.50 ...... bcoz per litre petrol cost 4r Rs.52.90
n 4r Rs.2.50 u cant get a cigratte


Remark:
DE person told me dat .... dude 2 survive in life start managing ur life 4rm now itself !

Its really 2 think dat wat were de conditions , n wat r now ...... n wat will be later on in next generation....

Kya hoga apna aur apne Next Generation ka ?

dont u feel 2 start thinking 4rm now !

its not ma xperience ..... its a 75-years old person ka xperience !

Saturday, February 23, 2008

FLIRTING ............
How to Flirt with a Guy
There are many ways to flirt. These are some of the best.
Steps
1. Be conscious of your appearance. Possibly the most important rule to remember when flirting with any guy! No, this does not mean you need to look like a stunning doll. Not every guy wants a plastic doll. It means that you should be elegant and clean looking. You don’t need to be drop dead gorgeous. Be sure that you shower and clean yourself regularly. You should also wear deodorant, clean your ears, brush your teeth and hair, and you could try to paint your nails. Also, try to wear your hair in a style that makes you feel pretty and use a perfume that smells sweet, but is not too overpowering. Being conscious of your appearance also means you have to have some level of fashion sense. You don’t need to have millions of expensive clothes to look cute because some simple fashions never go out of style. Try sporting dark, slimming jeans, a simple solid colored tank or cami, some chunky bead necklaces, or a cute sun dress. Or if you wear uniforms, just go with the outfit that hasn't been laying on the floor for a couple of days.
2. Don’t go overboard or you’ll look like you tried way too hard. Also, don’t wear clothes that reveal too much or you’ll look like a slut, most guys like breasts but that will attract other male attention. Sometimes cover-up, mascara, eyeliner, and lip gloss are all you need to play up your appearance and make you look fabulous. But don’t get too caught up in your appearance, there are plenty more things you need to know.
3. Achieve the Perfect Personality.
Whenever you talk to your special guy think of the three S’s: Sweetness, Sexiness and Smarts. Sweetness comes with vulnerability, shyness and kindness. These three factors are especially important because they are what make your hottie feel especially masculine. To act vulnerable and shy try tucking your hair behind your ears, smiling charmingly and batting your eyelashes, but make sure that you practice so it doesn't look like there is something in your eye. When ever you see him in the hall ways, be sure to give him a half smile and a real flirty look. Or you could pull your (long) sleeves over your hands and hold on with your thumbs. Then straighten your arms out (downward) and maybe bite your lower lip and raise your eyebrows.
4. Act Right
There are multiple ways to act flirty, here are some of the best suggestions:

Compliments-Be sure to compliment them on things that are true. Sometimes people will make up compliments just to talk to someone, but that is the total wrong thing to do. You really should compliment on things you really like, so you sound more sincere naturally.

Intense Eye-The intense eye is a trick that models spend years perfecting. You must give your hottie an intense stare that is both sexy and mysterious at the same time. Also, try staring at the floor and slowly raising your eyes, looking directly at him. Once you have caught his attention, give him a sexy but subtle smile. You should try practicing the look in the mirror, and if completed correctly you should feel as sexy as a celeb.

Eyelash Batting- This trick is one of the oldest tricks known to man. It gives you a sweet and vulnerable factor, which guys love because it make themselves feel powerful. Remember to practice this if you intend to use this technique.

Hair Flip and Twirl- If you want to catch a guys attention, flip your hair casually over your shoulder, twist it and then untwist it, tuck it behind your ears, or run your hands through it.

Soft Giggle and Smile-According to polls, a laugh and a smile are the sexiest things a female can wear. If you perfect your smile and laugh to be seductive and sweet, you will find some great results. Practice forcing a natural smile and laugh, it can help through awkward situations.

Magic Touch- You can learn to brush a guy in such a way that you send tingles up and down his spine. Casually tap him while laughing, rest your head on his shoulder if you’re tired and hold his hand when you're nervous; it will give him a sense of manliness and you a touch sweetie-pie, no pun intended.
5. Approach him and start a conversation, but don't make it too obvious that you like him. If he approaches you, look him in the eyes as a sign of affection and confidence.
o Try to touch him whenever you can, on his arm or wherever else (make it appropriate, for now). Don't make it too obvious.
6. Just barely touch his left shoulder as you reach for something or whisper into his left ear. the left side is linked with the right brain,which is more in tune with emotions.
o Play with your hair or clothing.
o Once you've got his attention, look him in the eyes and smile. If he smiles back, slowly look down, and repeat. Guys like girls who can show off their smile.
o Don't make it too obvious when he's around his friends, unless you know that he likes you.
o Laugh with him, and help him to feel comfortable around you.
o Find a reason to whisper something in his ear.
o Don't try to be someone you aren't. You attract the kind of person you are. For example, don't pretend to be a jock when you're really a poet.
o Talk about what you have in common, and ask questions about what you don't. People love to feel like they're interesting. (And heck, they probably are, too.)
o Say his name a lot. This shows you're interested in who he is. Give him a nickname so you two have a little inside joke to share. Most likely, he'll give you one, too.
o End it by saying "I have to go but maybe I'll see you around soon," or something else you feel comfortable with. The point is make it clear that you're leaving, but if he's interested, he's welcome to pursue you...if you're feeling bold, you can give him your number, or even get his.
7. If he's interested in you, don't just go immediately to "best friends" or "boyfriend." Just start hanging out with him, and become friends, slowly become best friends, until it becomes even more! You want to make sure it is the right guy for you, and you know what he likes you!
Tips
• To look sweet try a simple outfit, such as a long sleeve and some ripped jeans to seem casual with flip flops with colored toenails, with elegant jewelry, in a pale pastel color. For a more sexy look, go for more powerful colors, such as metallic silvers and deep pinks. Try some big jewelry, smoky makeup, a denim skirt and poof. Or if youre an emo/goth, wear your best band t-shirt and skinny jeans when going for the deep, sensitive, hot drummer.
• Say Mississippi once in your head before responding to anything he says. [This may help those who tend to interrupt people or talk a lot]
• Think "flirt" when you talk. You will automatically lower your voice and sound seductive.
• Demand respect! If he talks perverted around you, don't laugh. He will think its okay and talk about that with you more often and begin to think of you just as a friend. If you demand respect, he will give it to you.
• If you are sitting across the room from each other and you happen to look up and see him looking at you, don't turn away. Make eye contact and smile!
• Likewise, if you are crushing on him and staring from across the room and HE happens to look up and catch you, don't be embarrassed, but don't smile and shyly look away. Then, try to make eye contact with him again, and THIS time, smile!(Hold this stare for at least 3 seconds.) But, if the first time he smiles at you, obviously you should smile back.
• Practice everything in a mirror.
• Try to be unique.
• Make sure your guy is worth it, and not just a hot body.
• Most importantly, have fun. This is your man, your experience and your life.
• Don't flip your hair too much, instead find a small stray chunk and twist it around your fingers.
• Try not to make it obvious that you are flirting.
• Don't try too hard to impress him.
• Be yourself, and add some flirting to go with it.
• Auto-erotic touching (touch your lips, neck, chest with your fingers or hands) - it is something people do subconsciously when they like you, but you can manipulate it.
• When he is around his only flirt with him, not other guys. If he sees you flirting with someone else, he will think you are just a tease.
• Boss him around or call him names (in a nice way); anything to make him notice you. He won't take offense to the name calling if he likes you.
• Whenever he's around, make sure you're having fun (laughing, etc.) so that he'll want to join in.
• Take a break every now and then to leave him wanting more.
• Massages are always nice.
• Tell him you'd like to see him again if leaving, or mention that you'd like to try one of his hobbies.
• Listen carefully to what he says, and let him know you were listening through your conversation by commenting on what he says.
• Remember what he mentions in passing (it's the little things that count) and bring it up later as a question. For example, he says "I've got to go home, I'm helping my sister study for her exam tomorrow." Later, you ask, "How did your sister (call her by her name if you know it - it shows you can put two and two together) do on the exam?"
• Do your research. If he mentions that he loves baseball, ask him if he watched the game on the weekend, and know the score or something that happened so you can talk about it. If you don't know much about what he likes (e.g. Baseball), get him to teach you something about it - he will feel knowledgeable and important, and it's the perfect excuse to spend time with him.
• Don't ever lie to him. if you are sad and he picks up on let him know what is wrong, he'll become more open and you will feel more comfortable around him.
• Ask to borrow things, or for help with something, but don't be too clingy. Show him that you can handle things for yourself most of the time. This way he will be intrigued by your independence.
• Give him small things, like a stick of gum, or a pencil.
• Hint about a movie you'd like to see.
• If you do hint about a movie get more friends to go so it's less awkward.
• See something scary so you can grab him at the scary parts of the movie. He'll feel manly and needed.
• Find out what his favorite band is, then when you are around him, casually hum one of their songs. Instant convo.
• If you think he's into you, flirt so it's kinda obvious you're crushed by a crush, otherwise,just tell him
• Make sure you are constant with your actions, if you just stop interacting with him for a few days he could think you're not interested
• It's very important to look amazing not just for him but, because the sad truth is, EXAMPLE. You guys are hanging out at a carnival, flirting, kissing etc...but if a hot girl walks by, sadly, he probably will look at her, guys are guys, so don't get offended or do something stupid like be provocative to get him back in your hands, that just makes you look dumb and stupid.
• Bite your bottom lip from time to time guys love it. (We really do!)
• Sometimes we guys can be extremely dense. If you're getting the impression he's keeping your conversation at a friendship level try ONE very obvious flirt and gauge his response. It might take a second dose for him to shift paradigms and see you for the sweet thing you are but use it sparingly. When doing this you're making it more likely for him to risk returning your flirtations because you're shifting some of the rejection risk to yourself.
• When you are talking on the phone, respect him and have mostly an equal limit of talking. you do not want one person talking and the other one just listening because it is most likely just the "yeahs" and the "mhms". Talk in short terms and be concise! This way both of you will be listening and he is sure to like you even more.
• When you bite your lip, make sure you don't leave a dent. When you're at home, make sure you find ways to soften your lips for that special moment.
• Try to make a joke when your with him, but don't make it a stupid joke either. Guys always like a good laugh.

Warnings
• Just be yourself no guy is worth changing yourself and you won't be able to continue your fake personality for too long, it just puts more stress on yourself.
• Don't flirt with someone else's boyfriend or husband -- it only leads to trouble.
• There’s a very fine line between sexy and slutty, if you push it too far you'll end up with a guy who likes you just for your body or... without a guy at all.
• Never degrade yourself by acting unintelligent just for attention. Guys worth having want a girl who can have good, intelligent conversations.
• DON'T talk perverted about anyone. Even if he thinks it's funny, it's not a good thing to talk about his peers. It makes you seem like just another one of his guys friends and he will begin to not like you that way.
• You can say no. It’s your body and any guy trying to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable is not worth it.
• Don’t laugh too loud or create a commotion, it's a serious turnoff.
• Some guys may or may not like clingy girls.
• Some guys don’t like quiet, elegant girls; they would much rather a loud girl. All guys are different.
• Don't let his attractive appearance distract or fool you. Deep down he could be a sex craving player.
• Being a snob or a tease won't help you at all. It will just make him want to go away.
• Don't wear too much perfume, makeup, or scented deodorant. It will send him running!
• Be careful that he's not leading you on so he can make a fool out of you. If you fall in a trap like that, it's hard to recover.
• Don't talk about other guys around him unless he knows it's no big deal.
• Make sure he doesn't have a girlfriend who will be upset and resentful if you flirt with him.
• Certain boys can sometimes be very unfair. So be careful if you tell any of his friends.
• Boys act differently around their friends (boy and girl).
• If his friends don't like you but he does, you shouldn't let him keep you a secret. This just shows that he isn't proud of his woman and you want someone who wants you for you and doesn't care about what others think. You don't have to rush to say that you're in love or not; so don't trap him.
• Don't pretend to be interested in something just for the sake of flirting - if you decide to make a move, it might mean you end up pretending to be someone you're not.
• Be careful about what you say you have or doing with other guys. Some find it to be a turnoff
• Don't flirt with guys you are not interested in. You may hurt them. And yourself.
• Don't flirt with your friend's crush.
• Don't put too much make up on.
Wid rgds,
faffy
How to Be a Good Girlfriend



So, you've landed the guy of your dreams. Finding a great boyfriend is hard. Now that you've found him, make sure that you are a great girlfriend, so that you can make him happy and he can enjoy the relationship with you.
Steps
1. Take it slow. Don't cook a three-course meal for the first date. Don't push him to call you his girlfriend after a couple dates. Don't start talking about marriage and children. Just allow the process to take its course and enjoy it!
2. Be honest. While being honest to your mate is very important, to the point of being paramount, it is equally important that you be honest to yourself. And, yes, in a mature relationship, honesty is the best policy.
3. Have a positive attitude. If everything you say around him is a criticism or an attack, he will not look forward to seeing you. However, you don't always have to agree with him just because he is your boyfriend. Tactfulness is a better strategy in mature relationships. No matter what, have a sense of humor. Have inside jokes together. Be spontaneous. Be happy.
4. Communicate regularly. Do not talk his ear off. However, make sure that if you have any problems that will affect your mood, he is made aware of the reasons for your problems and mood, so that you do not appear to merely be a fickle and cranky creature.
5. Make your desires, needs, and opinions known, even when they may conflict with his. Acting like you exist solely to please him will get you no respect and may even make him bored with your company. Showing that you are your own person with your own needs, desires, and approach to life will keep him interested in getting to know and understand you as a person.
6. Be consistent. What exasperates men most in a relationship is having to go back and forth between moods, and having to tolerate irrationality.
7. Be patient. Don't automatically think he didn't hear you when you said something, maybe he was preoccupied. Don't jump to conclusions.
8. Accept the differences you have and learn to love them. Don't try to change each other - love one another for who each of you are.
9. Take an interest in his interests. You don't have to act like you love football, but at least try to understand why he's such a fan. Take an interest in his disinterests, too. He might be disinterested in what you like, so at least try to understand why he is not interested and respect it.
10. Buy him simple, unexpected gifts for no special reason once in a while. The thought is always appreciated and it makes the guy feel as if you really do care and love him. Some good gift ideas could be a new music CD he's been dying to get, a book or something else that he'll really like and will be surprised by. Guys like to be surprised with little gifts too.
11. Let him live his life. If you feel entitled to all of his time and attention, learn how to not be an obsessive girlfriend. Remember that he doesn't need you for everything and that you are separate people as well as a couple. When he needs some space, don't take it personally.
12. Remember to always be there when he needs a hug, or a kiss. Body contact is very important, and always warms up a relationship. But if he wants to do things you don't you absolutely have to tell him. If he cares about you, he will respect this!
13. Don't ask about past relationship! That is a huge turn off. Guys don't want to get their past involved with their future (YOU!).

Tips
• Remember, it's better to give than to receive. The major religions got this right, and for a good reason: mysteriously, you gain more in the long run by giving than by getting. While love isn't all you need, it's the most important thing.
• Keep in mind: the road will be difficult and he won't ask directions. As in any healthy relationship, you will have your share of conflicts, some tiny, some big. Remember to be true to yourself, and try to abandon any significant selfishness. A relationship is a matter of team work and a symbiotic relationship, not a parasitic one where a party gives and the other one just takes without giving enough back.
• Don't stop spending time with your girlfriends, they are necessary as to provide shoulders to cry on when you feel like your relationship is slipping away. If you and the boyfriend break up, they will still be there to say "We're here for you", so don't neglect them. Plus, spending some time apart will make him that much more glad to see you when you DO get together.
• Dress sexy once in a while. Don't do this too often but surprise him now and then with a hot outfit, which you buy with your own money. Nothing pumps a man's ego more than knowing that he's got a pretty girl by his side.
• If your boyfriend is acting Passive towards you when starting a new relationship (like not buying you stuff or not saying sweet things to you or not kissing you) it doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't love you. It most likely means he is shy and has never been in a relationship before and just doesn't know how to act. To solve this problem you can talk to him about acting that way, perhaps he's expecting you to take more initiative because you have had more experience with relationships than he has.
• Avoid having a "one track" relationship in which the bond revolves around one thing. Keep your relationship strong by bringing variety and diversity into the relationship. Try different and new things together. Relationships are about having fun together, learning together and growing together.
• Forgive him. Guys mess up a lot, it's just the way they are. Learn to forgive and forget, and that's when your relationship will truly blossom.
• If he says he loves you more, argue over that! It's a simple way of flirting with him. It'll prove that you really do love him.

Warnings
• Don't cheat,this will surely cause him to break it off with you,or in the least create major trust issues for the future.
• Like Stacey's point in Eastenders, if you ever feel like cheating, remember: when you're older and wiser, you won't be thinking about some one night stand with a random guy from a pub/club, you'll remember your sweet boyfriend who's always been there for you.
• Also, don't cheat on him expecting that it will cause him to pay more attention to you. He'll just dump you.
• If you have already cheated on your boyfriend, tell him before he finds out later from someone else.
• Don't conduct "secret tests" on your boyfriend to see what he'll do. It's humiliating, disrespectful and unfair, and you wouldn't want him to do that to you.
• It's fine to share things with your girlfriends when talking about him, but remember to be respectful of him by not sharing things that are embarrassing, confidential or rude. (Don't kiss and tell!) You can keep your girlfriends "updated" on how the relationship is going, but keep them from getting involved in your relationship, unless abuse or other dangerous activities are taking place (which are never your fault), in which case tell them everything.
• Don't be clingy!
• Jealousy is a very dangerous thing. Don't make anyone jealous in your relationship. That will result with a lot of problems and difficulties within your relationship.

Wid rgds,
faffy

Friday, February 15, 2008

Half Inch in a month!!!

MOTIVATIONAL QUOTE
"
A belief is not merely an idea the mind possesses; it is an idea that possesses the mind."

- Robert Bolton

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADD 1/2" TO YOUR ARMS IN 1-MONTH
By Chris Mason
Impossible you say? Read on my friend, read on, and open yourself to a new world of respect.
The Routine:
The routine is as follows:
Preacher Curl Cable Curls (or machine curls if you have access) Curl-Grip Chins
Perform the above giant set with no rest in between exercises. All exercises are to be performed with strict form, especially the cable (or machine) curls. If you usrange of motion. Pause at the top, and give a powerful squeeze to really peak-contract the biceps. Perform 8 reps to failure for the first two movements. On the chins, go until positive failure. If you are unable to perform any chins, you may use curl-grip pulldowns as a substitution exercise. Do this giant set twice, with 2-3 minutes rest between each giant set. After the second set, wait a minute or two ,and then proceed with a set of negative only (your partner will lift the weight into the top position) standing barbell curls with a straight bar. Lower the weight in approximately 6 seconds, and perform 6 reps. By the end of this biceps routine, your biceps should feel as though they are going to burn into cinders, and/or explode from the awesome pump.
Close-Grip Bench Press Pulley Pushdown Dips
Perform this giant set in the same manner as described above for biceps. Again, use a full range of motion and perform 8 reps to failure for the first two sets (if you select too heavy a resistance the first time, merely adjust for your next workout). If you are able to perform more than 8 reps, train to failure and increase the resistance by roughly 5% for your next workout. Dip until positive failure. Do this giant set twice. If you are unable to perform dips, you may substitute pushups. After the second giant set, perform one final set of pressdowns. This will be a breakdown set. Start with a resistance you can perform 4-5 reps with, then immediately reduce the resistance by 25% and perform as many reps as possible, then reduce the weight one final time by an additional 30% and go until failure. At this point, your arms will feel huge.
The balance of your workout will be very limited. Perform the exercises listed below in the exact order, with no additional sets:
dumbbell or barbell pullover; 1 set (warmup first) x 10 reps
A note on these, perform them with a slight bend in the elbow, and do not turn the movement into a triceps exercise. If you are using your triceps to any appreciable degree, you are using too much resistance. As you perform this movement, consciously contract your lats throughout the movement. This exercise requires strict form and concentration in order to adequately train the lats, which is the point of doing the movement in this routine.
barbell squat; 1 set (warmup first) x 10 reps
Calf raises are optional. If you choose to do them, perform only 1 set to failure after warmup (20 reps). That is it for the balance of the workout. It may seem ridiculously brief, and many of you will be tempted to do more, but don’t! This program involves a purposefully high volume for the biceps and triceps (considering the intensity involved), and very low volume otherwise. In order for your body to be able to super compensate from these incredibly intense arm sessions, it is necessary to perform absolutely minimal exercise for the rest of the body. Remember, the name of this routine isn’t Get Bigger Legs, or Get Jet-Fighter Lats, it is Add 1/2" to Your Arms in 1 Month.
This routine should be executed once every fourth day (ex: Monday and then again on Friday). Recovery is a very individual thing, with many factors influencing it. You should never train if you are still sore from the previous workout. Some of you may easily recover with the three days of rest, however, some will require more time. That is ok, and if you are not fully recovered, you need to rest. The idea is to gain size, not lose it. Do not train more than once every fourth day. This routine is to be repeated eight times, no more, no less. For those of you able to train every fourth day, you will have completed the routine within one calendar month. You may repeat this routine, but only do so on a very infrequent basis.
Mason's Recommendation:
Revealed: 95% of people who start a muscle-building program will NEVER see any significant results! Learn how to avoid these fatal muscle-building pitfalls and finally achieve the ripped, rock-solid physique you deserve by clicking here... Highly Recommended.
http://westy04.rippedwt.hop.clickbank.net/
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Computer Virus

VIRUSES





What is a computer virus?

A computer virus is a small software program that spreads from one computer to another computer and that interferes with computer operation. A computer virus may corrupt or delete data on a computer, use an e-mail program to spread the virus to other computers, or even delete everything on the hard disk. Computer viruses are most easily spread by attachments in e-mail messages or by instant messaging messages. Therefore, you must never open an e-mail attachment unless you know who sent the message or unless you are expecting the e-mail attachment. Computer viruses can be disguised as attachments of funny images, greeting cards, or audio and video files. Computer viruses also spread by using downloads on the Internet. Computer viruses can be hidden in pirated software or in other files or programs that you may download.


















Symptoms of a computer virus:
If you suspect or confirm that your computer is infected with a computer virus, obtain the current antivirus software. The following are some primary indicators that a computer may be infected:

The computer runs slower than usual.

The computer stops responding, or it locks up frequently.

The computer crashes, and then it restarts every few minutes.

The computer restarts on its own. Additionally, the computer does not run as usual.

Applications on the computer do not work correctly.

Disks or disk drives are inaccessible.

You cannot print items correctly.

You see unusual error messages.

You see distorted menus and dialog boxes.

There is a double extension on an attachment that you recently opened, such as a .jpg, .vbs, .gif, or .exe. extension.

An antivirus program is disabled for no reason. Additionally, the antivirus program cannot be restarted.

An antivirus program cannot be installed on the computer, or the antivirus program will not run.

New icons appear on the desktop that you did not put there, or the icons are not associated with any recently installed programs.

Strange sounds or music plays from the speakers unexpectedly.

A program disappears from the computer even though you did not intentionally remove the program.









Symptoms that may be the result of ordinary Windows functions
A computer virus infection may cause the following problems:

Windows does not start even though you have not made any system changes or even though you have not installed or removed any programs.

There is frequent modem activity. If you have an external modem, you may notice the lights blinking frequently when the modem is not being used. You may be unknowingly supplying pirated software.

Windows does not start because certain important system files are missing. Additionally, you receive an error message that lists the missing files.

The computer sometimes starts as expected. However, at other times, the computer stops responding before the desktop icons and the taskbar appear.

The computer runs very slowly. Additionally, the computer takes longer than expected to start.

You receive out-of-memory error messages even though the computer has sufficient RAM.

New programs are installed incorrectly.

Windows spontaneously restarts unexpectedly.

Programs that used to run stop responding frequently. Even if you remove and reinstall the programs, the issue continues to occur.

A disk utility such as Scandisk reports multiple serious disk errors.

A partition disappears.

The computer always stops responding when you try to use Microsoft Office products.

You cannot start Windows Task Manager.

Antivirus software indicates that a computer virus is present.
Note These problems may also occur because of ordinary Windows functions or problems in Windows that are not caused by a computer virus.





Introduction to How Computer Viruses Work

Strange as it may sound, the computer virus is something of an Information Age marvel. On one hand, viruses show us how vulnerable we are -- a properly engineered virus can have a devastating effect, disrupting productivity and doing billions of dollars in damages. On the other hand, they show us how sophisticated and interconnected human beings have become.
For example, experts estimate that the Mydoom worm infected approximately a quarter-million computers in a single day in January 2004. Back in March 1999, the Melissa virus was so powerful that it forced Microsoft and a number of other very large companies to completely turn off their e-mail systems until the virus could be contained. The ILOVEYOU virus in 2000 had a similarly devastating effect. In January 2007, a worm called Storm appeared -- by October, experts believed up to 50 million computers were infected. That's pretty impressive when you consider that many viruses are incredibly simple.
­
When you listen to the news, you hear about many different forms of electronic infection. The most common are:
· Viruses - A virus is a small piece of software that piggybacks on real programs. For example, a virus might attach itself to a program such as a spreadsheet program. Each time the spreadsheet program runs, the virus runs, too, and it has the chance to reproduce (by attaching to other programs) or wreak havoc.
· E-mail viruses - An e-mail virus travels as an attachment to e-mail messages, and usually replicates itself by automatically mailing itself to dozens of people in the victim's e-mail address book. Some e-mail viruses don't even require a double-click -- they launch when you view the infected message in the preview pane of your e-mail software [source: Johnson].
· Trojan horses - A Trojan horse is simply a computer program. The program claims to do one thing (it may claim to be a game) but instead does damage when you run it (it may erase your hard disk). Trojan horses have no way to replicate automatically.
· Worms - A worm is a small piece of software that uses computer networks and security holes to replicate itself. A copy of the worm scans the network for another machine that has a specific security hole. It copies itself to the new machine using the security hole, and then starts replicating from there, as well.
In this article, we will discuss viruses -- both "traditional" viruses and e-mail viruses -- so that you can learn how they work and understand how to protect yourself.










Virus Origins Computer viruses are called viruses because they share some of the traits of biological viruses. A computer virus passes from computer to computer like a biological virus passes from person to person.
Unlike a cell, a virus has no way to reproduce by itself. Instead, a biological virus must inject its DNA into a cell. The viral DNA then uses the cell's existing machinery to reproduce itself. In some cases, the cell fills with new viral particles until it bursts, releasing the virus. In other cases, the new virus particles bud off the cell one at a time, and the cell remains alive.
A computer virus shares some of these traits. A computer virus must piggyback on top of some other program or document in order to launch. Once it is running, it can infect other programs or documents. Obviously, the analogy between computer and biological viruses stretches things a bit, but there are enough similarities that the name sticks.
People write computer viruses. A person has to write the code, test it to make sure it spreads properly and then release it. A person also designs the virus's attack phase, whether it's a silly message or the destruction of a hard disk. Why do they do it?
There are at least three reasons. The first is the same psychology that drives vandals and arsonists. Why would someone want to break a window on someone's car, paint signs on buildings or burn down a beautiful forest? For some people, that seems to be a thrill. If that sort of person knows computer programming, then he or she may funnel energy into the creation of destructive viruses.
The second reason has to do with the thrill of watching things blow up. Some people have a fascination with things like explosions and car wrecks. When you were growing up, there might have been a kid in your neighborhood who learned how to make gunpowder. And that kid probably built bigger and bigger bombs until he either got bored or did some serious damage to himself. Creating a virus is a little like that -- it creates a bomb inside a computer, and the more computers that get infected the more "fun" the explosion.
The third reason involves bragging rights, or the thrill of doing it. Sort of like Mount Everest -- the mountain is there, so someone is compelled to climb it. If you are a certain type of programmer who sees a security hole that could be exploited, you might simply be compelled to exploit the hole yourself before someone else beats you to it.
Of course, most virus creators seem to miss the point that they cause real damage to real people with their creations. Destroying everything on a person's hard disk is real damage. Forcing a large company to waste thousands of hours cleaning up after a virus is real damage. Even a silly message is real damage because someone has to waste time getting rid of it. For this reason, the legal system is getting much harsher in punishing the people who create viruses.
Patch Tuesday
On the second Tuesday of every month, Microsoft releases a list of known vulnerabilities in the Windows operating system. The company issues patches for those security holes at the same time, which is why the day is known as "Patch Tuesday." Viruses written and launched on Patch Tuesday to hit unpatched systems are known as "zero-day" attacks. Thankfully, the major anti-virus vendors work with Microsoft to identify holes ahead of time, so if you keep your software up to date and patch your system promptly, you shouldn't have to worry about zero-day problems.

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Virus History Traditional computer viruses were first widely seen in the late 1980s, and they came about because of several factors. The first factor was the spread of personal computers (PCs). Prior to the 1980s, home computers were nearly non-existent or they were toys. Real computers were rare, and they were locked away for use by "experts." During the 1980s, real computers started to spread to businesses and homes because of the popularity of the IBM PC (released in 1982) and the Apple Macintosh (released in 1984). By the late 1980s, PCs were widespread in businesses, homes and college campuses.
The second factor was the use of computer bulletin boards. People could dial up a bulletin board with a modem and download programs of all types. Games were extremely popular, and so were simple word processors, spreadsheets and other productivity software. Bulletin boards led to the precursor of the virus known as the Trojan horse. A Trojan horse is a program with a cool-sounding name and description. So you download it. When you run the program, however, it does something uncool like erasing your disk. You think you are getting a neat game, but it wipes out your system. Trojan horses only hit a small number of people because they are quickly discovered, the infected programs are removed and word of the danger spreads among users.
The third factor that led to the creation of viruses was the floppy disk. In the 1980s, programs were small, and you could fit the entire operating system, a few programs and some documents onto a floppy disk or two. Many computers did not have hard disks, so when you turned on your machine it would load the operating system and everything else from the floppy disk. Virus authors took advantage of this to create the first self-replicating programs.
Early viruses were pieces of code attached to a common program like a popular game or a popular word processor. A person might download an infected game from a bulletin board and run it. A virus like this is a small piece of code embedded in a larger, legitimate program. When the user runs the legitimate program, the virus loads itself into memory and looks
Floppy disks were factors in the
distribution of computer viruses.
around to see if it can find any other programs on the disk. If it can find one, it modifies the program to add the virus's code into the program. Then the virus launches the "real program." The user really has no way to know that the virus ever ran. Unfortunately, the virus has now reproduced itself, so two programs are infected. The next time the user launches either of those programs, they infect other programs, and the cycle continues.
If one of the infected programs is given to another person on a floppy disk, or if it is uploaded to a bulletin board, then other programs get infected. This is how the virus spreads.
The spreading part is the infection phase of the virus. Viruses wouldn't be so violently despised if all they did was replicate themselves. Most viruses also have a destructive attack phase where they do damage. Some sort of trigger will activate the attack phase, and the virus will then do something -- anything from printing a silly message on the screen to erasing all of your data. The trigger might be a specific date, the number of times the virus has been replicated or something similar.
In the next section, we will look at how viruses have evolved over the years.

Virus Evolution As virus creators became more sophisticated, they learned new tricks. One important trick was the ability to load viruses into memory so they could keep running in the background as long as the computer remained on. This gave viruses a much more effective way to replicate themselves. Another trick was the ability to infect the boot sector on floppy disks and hard disks. The boot sector is a small program that is the first part of the operating system that the computer loads. It contains a tiny program that tells the computer how to load the rest of the operating system. By putting its code in the boot sector, a virus can guarantee it is executed. It can load itself into memory immediately and run whenever the computer is on. Boot sector viruses can infect the boot sector of any floppy disk inserted in the machine, and on college campuses, where lots of people share machines, they could spread like wildfire.
In general, neither executable nor boot sector viruses are very threatening any longer. The first reason for the decline has been the huge size of today's programs. Nearly every program you buy today comes on a compact disc. Compact discs (CDs) cannot be modified, and that makes viral infection of a CD unlikely, unless the manufacturer permits a virus to be burned onto the CD during production. The programs are so big that the only easy way to move them around is to buy the CD. People certainly can't carry applications around on floppy disks like they did in the 1980s, when floppies full of programs were traded like baseball cards. Boot sector viruses have also declined because operating systems now protect the boot sector.
Infection from boot sector viruses and executable viruses is still possible. Even so, it is a lot harder, and these viruses don't spread nearly as quickly as they once did. Call it "shrinking habitat," if you want to use a biological analogy. The environment of floppy disks, small programs and weak operating systems made these viruses possible in the 1980s, but that environmental niche has been largely eliminated by huge executables, unchangeable CDs and better operating system safeguards. E-mail viruses are probably the most familiar to you. We'll look at some in the next section.
Other Threats
Viruses and worms get a lot of publicity, but they aren't the only threats to your computer's health. Malware is just another name for software that has an evil intent. Here are some common types of malware and what they might do to your infected computer:
· Adware puts ads up on your screen.
· Spyware collects personal information about you, like your passwords or other information you type into your computer.
· Hijackers turn your machine into a zombie computer.
· Dialers force your computer to make phone calls. For example, one might call toll 900-numbers and run up your phone bill, while boosting revenue for the owners of the 900-numbers. [source: Baratz and McLaughlin]





E-mail Viruses Virus authors adapted to the changing computing environment by creating the e-mail virus. For example, the Melissa virus in March 1999 was spectacular. Melissa spread in Microsoft Word documents sent via e-mail, and it worked like this:
Someone created the virus as a Word document and uploaded it to an Internet newsgroup. Anyone who downloaded the document and opened it would trigger the virus. The virus would then send the document (and therefore itself) in an e-mail message to the first 50 people in the person's address book. The e-mail message contained a friendly note that included the person's name, so the recipient would open the document, thinking it was harmless. The virus would then create 50 new messages from the recipient's machine. At that rate, the Melissa virus quickly became the fastest-spreading virus anyone had seen at the time. As mentioned earlier, it forced a number of large companies to shut down their e-mail systems.
The ILOVEYOU virus, which appeared on May 4, 2000, was even simpler. It contained a piece of code as an attachment. People who double-clicked on the attachment launched the code. It then sent copies of itself to everyone in the victim's address book and started corrupting files on the victim's machine. This is as simple as a virus can get. It is really more of a Trojan horse distributed by e-mail than it is a virus.
The Melissa virus took advantage of the programming language built into Microsoft Word called VBA, or Visual Basic for Applications. It is a complete programming language and it can be programmed to do things like modify files and send e-mail messages. It also has a useful but dangerous auto-execute feature. A programmer can insert a program into a document that runs instantly whenever the document is opened. This is how the Melissa virus was programmed. Anyone who opened a document infected with Melissa would immediately activate the virus. It would send the 50 e-mails, and then infect a central file called NORMAL.DOT so that any file saved later would also contain the virus. It created a huge mess.
Microsoft applications have a feature called Macro Virus Protection built into them to prevent this sort of virus. With Macro Virus Protection turned on (the default option is ON), the auto-execute feature is disabled. So when a document tries to auto-execute viral code, a dialog pops up warning the user. Unfortunately, many people don't know what macros or macro viruses are, and when they see the dialog they ignore it, so the virus runs anyway. Many other people turn off the protection mechanism. So the Melissa virus spread despite the safeguards in place to prevent it.
In the case of the ILOVEYOU virus, the whole thing was human-powered. If a person double-clicked on the program that came as an attachment, then the program ran and did its thing. What fueled this virus was the human willingness to double-click on the executable.
Phishing and Social Engineering
While you may be taking steps to protect your computer from becoming infected by a virus, you may very well run into another, more insidious type of attack. Phishing and other social engineering attacks have been on the rise. Social engineering is a fancy term for someone trying to get you to give up your personal information -- online or in person -- so they can use it to steal from you. Anti-spam traps may catch e-mail messages coming from phishers, but the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team says the best way for you to beat them at their own game is to be wary. And never give out your personal or financial information online.
In the next section, we'll look at patching your system and other things you can do to protect your computer
How to Protect Your Computer from Viruses
You can protect yourself against viruses with a few simple steps:
· If you are truly worried about traditional (as opposed to e-mail) viruses, you should be running a more secure operating system like UNIX. You never hear about viruses on these operating systems because the security features keep viruses (and unwanted human visitors) away from your hard disk.
· If you are using an unsecured operating system, then buying virus protection software is a nice safeguard.
· If you simply avoid programs from unknown sources (like the Internet), and instead stick with commercial software purchased on CDs, you eliminate almost all of the risk from traditional viruses.
· You should make sure that Macro Virus Protection is enabled in all Microsoft applications, and you should NEVER run macros in a document unless you know what they do. There is seldom a good reason to add macros to a document, so avoiding all macros is a great policy.
· You should never double-click on an e-mail attachment that contains an executable. Attachments that come in as Word files (.DOC), spreadsheets (.XLS), images (.GIF), etc., are data files and they can do no damage (noting the macro virus problem in Word and Excel documents mentioned above). However, some viruses can now come in through .JPG graphic file attachments. A file with an extension like EXE, COM or VBS is an executable, and an executable can do any sort of damage it wants. Once you run it, you have given it permission to do anything on your machine. The only defense is never to run executables that arrive via e-mail.
Open the Options dialog from the Tools menu in Microsoft Word and make sure that Macro Virus Protection is enabled. Newer versions of Word allow you to customize the level of macro protection you use.


By following these simple steps, you can remain virus-free.
For more information on computer viruses and related topics, see the links on the next page.
An Anti-Virus Virus?
As we've discussed, worms attack known vulnerabilities in computer operating systems. Someone came up with the idea of turning worm tech around and created a variation of the MSBlast worm that would automatically patch the hole in the operating system and send itself out to other computers to do the same. Sounds like a good idea, right? Not so fast. MSBlast.D, Nachi or Welchia, as it was known, turned out to be more trouble than good. As it multiplied and scanned corporate networks for the vulnerability, it clogged network traffic[source: Lemos].




Lots of Information
How Firewalls Work?
Firewalls have helped protect computers in large companies for years. Now they're a critical component of home networks as well. What are they protecting you from?
If you have been using the Internet for any length of time, and especially if you work at a larger company and browse the Web while you are at work, you have probably heard the term firewall used. For example, you often hear people in companies say things like, "I can't use that site because they won't let it through the firewall."
If you have a fast Internet connection into your home (either a DSL connection or a cable modem), you may have found yourself hearing about firewalls for your home network as well. It turns out that a small home network has many of the same security issues that a large corporate network does. You can use a firewall to protect your home network and family from offensive Web sites and potential hackers.
Basically, a firewall is a barrier to keep destructive forces away from your property. In fact, that's why its called a firewall. Its job is similar to a physical firewall that keeps a fire from spreading from one area to the next. As you read through this article, you will learn more about firewalls, how they work and what kinds of threats they can protect you from.


What It Does
A firewall is simply a program or hardware device that filters the information coming through the Internet connection into your private network or computer system. If an incoming packet of information is flagged by the filters, it is not allowed through.
If you have read the article How Web Servers Work, then you know a good bit about how data moves on the Internet, and you can easily see how a firewall helps protect computers inside a large company. Let's say that you work at a company with 500 employees. The company will therefore have hundreds of computers that all have network cards connecting them together. In addition, the company will have one or more connections to the Internet through something like T1 or T3 lines. Without a firewall in place, all of those hundreds of computers are directly accessible to anyone on the Internet. A person who knows what he or she is doing can probe those computers, try to make FTP connections to them, try to make telnet connections to them and so on. If one employee makes a mistake and leaves a security hole, hackers can get to the machine and exploit the hole.
With a firewall in place, the landscape is much different. A company will place a firewall at every connection to the Internet (for example, at every T1 line coming into the company). The firewall can implement security rules. For example, one of the security rules inside the company might be:
Out of the 500 computers inside this company, only one of them is permitted to receive public FTP traffic. Allow FTP connections only to that one computer and prevent them on all others.
A company can set up rules like this for FTP servers, Web servers, Telnet servers and so on. In addition, the company can control how employees connect to Web sites, whether files are allowed to leave the company over the network and so on. A firewall gives a company tremendous control over how people use the network.
Firewalls use one or more of three methods to control traffic flowing in and out of the network:
· Packet filtering - Packets (small chunks of data) are analyzed against a set of filters. Packets that make it through the filters are sent to the requesting system and all others are discarded.
· Proxy service - Information from the Internet is retrieved by the firewall and then sent to the requesting system and vice versa.
· Stateful inspection - A newer method that doesn't examine the contents of each packet but instead compares certain key parts of the packet to a database of trusted information. Information traveling from inside the firewall to the outside is monitored for specific defining characteristics, then incoming information is compared to these characteristics. If the comparison yields a reasonable match, the information is allowed through. Otherwise it is discarded.










Making the Firewall Fit
Firewalls are customizable. This means that you can add or remove filters based on several conditions. Some of these are:
· IP addresses - Each machine on the Internet is assigned a unique address called an IP address. IP addresses are 32-bit numbers, normally expressed as four "octets" in a "dotted decimal number." A typical IP address looks like this: 216.27.61.137. For example, if a certain IP address outside the company is reading too many files from a server, the firewall can block all traffic to or from that IP address.
· Domain names - Because it is hard to remember the string of numbers that make up an IP address, and because IP addresses sometimes need to change, all servers on the Internet also have human-readable names, called domain names. For example, it is easier for most of us to remember www.howstuffworks.com than it is to remember 216.27.61.137. A company might block all access to certain domain names, or allow access only to specific domain names.
· Protocols - The protocol is the pre-defined way that someone who wants to use a service talks with that service. The "someone" could be a person, but more often it is a computer program like a Web browser. Protocols are often text, and simply describe how the client and server will have their conversation. The http in the Web's protocol. Some common protocols that you can set firewall filters for include:


· IP (Internet Protocol) - the main delivery system for information over the Internet
· TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) - used to break apart and rebuild information that travels over the Internet
· HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) - used for Web pages
· FTP (File Transfer Protocol) - used to download and upload files
· UDP (User Datagram Protocol) - used for information that requires no response, such as streaming audio and video
· ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) - used by a router to exchange the information with other routers
· SMTP (Simple Mail Transport Protocol) - used to send text-based information (e-mail)
· SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) - used to collect system information from a remote computer
· Telnet - used to perform commands on a remote computer
A company might set up only one or two machines to handle a specific protocol and ban that protocol on all other machines.






· Ports - Any server machine makes its services available to the Internet using numbered ports, one for each service that is available on the server (see How Web Servers Work for details). For example, if a server machine is running a Web (HTTP) server and an FTP server, the Web server would typically be available on port 80, and the FTP server would be available on port 21. A company might block port 21 access on all machines but one inside the company.
· Specific words and phrases - This can be anything. The firewall will sniff (search through) each packet of information for an exact match of the text listed in the filter. For example, you could instruct the firewall to block any packet with the word "X-rated" in it. The key here is that it has to be an exact match. The "X-rated" filter would not catch "X rated" (no hyphen). But you can include as many words, phrases and variations of them as you need.
Some operating systems come with a firewall built in. Otherwise, a software firewall can be installed on the computer in your home that has an Internet connection. This computer is considered a gateway because it provides the only point of access between your home network and the Internet.
With a hardware firewall, the firewall unit itself is normally the gateway. A good example is the Linksys Cable/DSL router. It has a built-in Ethernet card and hub. Computers in your home network connect to the router, which in turn is connected to either a cable or DSL modem. You configure the router via a Web-based interface that you reach through the browser on your computer. You can then set any filters or additional information.
Hardware firewalls are incredibly secure and not very expensive. Home versions that include a router, firewall and Ethernet hub for broadband connections can be found for well under $100.












What It Protects You From
There are many creative ways that unscrupulous people use to access or abuse unprotected computers:
· Remote login - When someone is able to connect to your computer and control it in some form. This can range from being able to view or access your files to actually running programs on your computer.
· Application backdoors - Some programs have special features that allow for remote access. Others contain bugs that provide a backdoor, or hidden access, that provides some level of control of the program.
· SMTP session hijacking - SMTP is the most common method of sending e-mail over the Internet. By gaining access to a list of e-mail addresses, a person can send unsolicited junk e-mail (spam) to thousands of users. This is done quite often by redirecting the e-mail through the SMTP server of an unsuspecting host, making the actual sender of the spam difficult to trace.
· Operating system bugs - Like applications, some operating systems have backdoors. Others provide remote access with insufficient security controls or have bugs that an experienced hacker can take advantage of.
· Denial of service - You have probably heard this phrase used in news reports on the attacks on major Web sites. This type of attack is nearly impossible to counter. What happens is that the hacker sends a request to the server to connect to it. When the server responds with an acknowledgement and tries to establish a session, it cannot find the system that made the request. By inundating a server with these unanswerable session requests, a hacker causes the server to slow to a crawl or eventually crash.
· E-mail bombs - An e-mail bomb is usually a personal attack. Someone sends you the same e-mail hundreds or thousands of times until your e-mail system cannot accept any more messages.
· Macros - To simplify complicated procedures, many applications allow you to create a script of commands that the application can run. This script is known as a macro. Hackers have taken advantage of this to create their own macros that, depending on the application, can destroy your data or crash your computer.
· Viruses - Probably the most well-known threat is computer viruses. A virus is a small program that can copy itself to other computers. This way it can spread quickly from one system to the next. Viruses range from harmless messages to erasing all of your data.
· Spam - Typically harmless but always annoying, spam is the electronic equivalent of junk mail. Spam can be dangerous though. Quite often it contains links to Web sites. Be careful of clicking on these because you may accidentally accept a cookie that provides a backdoor to your computer.
· Redirect bombs - Hackers can use ICMP to change (redirect) the path information takes by sending it to a different router. This is one of the ways that a denial of service attack is set up.
· Source routing - In most cases, the path a packet travels over the Internet (or any other network) is determined by the routers along that path. But the source providing the packet can arbitrarily specify the route that the packet should travel. Hackers sometimes take advantage of this to make information appear to come from a trusted source or even from inside the network! Most firewall products disable source routing by default.



Some of the items in the list above are hard, if not impossible, to filter using a firewall. While some firewalls offer virus protection, it is worth the investment to install anti-virus software on each computer. And, even though it is annoying, some spam is going to get through your firewall as long as you accept e-mail.
The level of security you establish will determine how many of these threats can be stopped by your firewall. The highest level of security would be to simply block everything. Obviously that defeats the purpose of having an Internet connection. But a common rule of thumb is to block everything, then begin to select what types of traffic you will allow. You can also restrict traffic that travels through the firewall so that only certain types of information, such as e-mail, can get through. This is a good rule for businesses that have an experienced network administrator that understands what the needs are and knows exactly what traffic to allow through. For most of us, it is probably better to work with the defaults provided by the firewall developer unless there is a specific reason to change it.
One of the best things about a firewall from a security standpoint is that it stops anyone on the outside from logging onto a computer in your private network. While this is a big deal for businesses, most home networks will probably not be threatened in this manner. Still, putting a firewall in place provides some peace of mind.
Proxy Servers and DMZ
A function that is often combined with a firewall is a proxy server. The proxy server is used to access Web pages by the other computers. When another computer requests a Web page, it is retrieved by the proxy server and then sent to the requesting computer. The net effect of this action is that the remote computer hosting the Web page never comes into direct contact with anything on your home network, other than the proxy server.
Proxy servers can also make your Internet access work more efficiently. If you access a page on a Web site, it is cached (stored) on the proxy server. This means that the next time you go back to that page, it normally doesn't have to load again from the Web site. Instead it loads instantaneously from the proxy server.
There are times that you may want remote users to have access to items on your network. Some examples are:
· Web site
· Online business
· FTP download and upload area
In cases like this, you may want to create a DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). Although this sounds pretty serious, it really is just an area that is outside the firewall. Think of DMZ as the front yard of your house. It belongs to you and you may put some things there, but you would put anything valuable inside the house where it can be properly secured.
Setting up a DMZ is very easy. If you have multiple computers, you can choose to simply place one of the computers between the Internet connection and the firewall. Most of the software firewalls available will allow you to designate a directory on the gateway computer as a DMZ.
Once you have a firewall in place, you should test it. A great way to do this is to go to www.grc.com and try their free Shields Up! security test. You will get immediate feedback on just how secure your system is!
For more information on firewalls and related topics, check out the links on the next page.






How Cell-phone Viruses Work

Today's cell phone technology is advancing at a rapid pace while prices are getting lower. We’ll explore everything from the advanced -- the iPhone or the future of the Google phone -- to cell phone viruses and ring tones.

Introduction to How Cell-phone Viruses Work

The first known cell-phone virus appeared in 2004 and didn't get very far. Cabir.A infected only a small number of Bluetooth-enabled phones and carried out no malicious action -- a group of malware developers created Cabir to prove it could be done. Their next step was to send it to anti-virus researchers, who began the process of developing a solution to a problem that promises to get a lot worse.
Cell-phone viruses are at the threshold of their effectiveness. At present, they can't spread very far and they don't do much damage, but the future might see cell-phone bugs that are as debilitating as computer viruses. In this article, we'll talk about how cell-phone viruses spread, what they can do and how you can protect your phone from current and future threats.

Cell-phone viruses currently target
Symbian Series 60 phones with
Bluetooth and MMS capabilities,
like this Nokia 6620.





Cell-phone Virus Basics
That Thing With Paris Hilton's Phone
Remember when someone got his hands on Paris Hilton's star-studded contact list? It was not the result of a virus, and nobody hacked into Hilton's phone.
Mobile phone servers hold on to certain types of information, such as contact lists (in case the user's phone locks up) and recent calls (for billing purposes). The enterprising hacker got into T-mobile's servers and stole the information from there.
A cell-phone virus is basically the same thing as a computer virus -- an unwanted executable file that "infects" a device and then copies itself to other devices. But whereas a computer virus or worm spreads through e-mail attachments and Internet downloads, a cell-phone virus or worm spreads via Internet downloads, MMS (multimedia messaging service) attachments and Bluetooth transfers. The most common type of cell-phone infection right now occurs when a cell phone downloads an infected file from a PC or the Internet, but phone-to-phone viruses are on the rise.
Current phone-to-phone viruses almost exclusively infect phones running the Symbian operating system. The large number of proprietary operating systems in the cell-phone world is one of the obstacles to mass infection. Cell-phone-virus writers have no Windows-level marketshare to target, so any virus will only affect a small percentage of phones.
Infected files usually show up disguised as applications like games, security patches, add-on functionalities and, of course, pornography and free stuff. Infected text messages sometimes steal the subject line from a message you've received from a friend, which of course increases the likelihood of your opening it -- but opening the message isn't enough to get infected. You have to choose to open the message attachment and agree to install the program, which is another obstacle to mass infection: To date, no reported phone-to-phone virus auto-installs. The installation obstacles and the methods of spreading limit the amount of damage the current generation of cell-phone virus can do.


























How They Spread
Cell phones can catch viruses when they download an infected file.
Phones that can only make and receive calls are not at risk. Only smartphones with a Bluetooth connection and data capabilities can receive a cell-phone virus. These viruses spread primarily in three ways:
· Internet downloads - The virus spreads the same way a traditional computer virus does. The user downloads an infected file to the phone by way of a PC or the phone's own Internet connection. This may include file-sharing downloads, applications available from add-on sites (such as ringtones or games) and false security patches posted on the Symbian Web site.
· Bluetooth wireless connection - The virus spreads between phones by way of their Bluetooth connection. The user receives a virus via Bluetooth when the phone is in discoverable mode, meaning it can be seen by other Bluetooth-enabled phones. In this case, the virus spreads like an airborne illness. According to TechnologyReview.com, cell-phone-virus researchers at F-Secure's U.S. lab now conduct their studies in a bomb shelter so their research topics don't end up spreading to every Bluetooth-enabled phone in the vicinity.
· Multimedia Messaging Service - The virus is an attachment to an MMS text message. As with computer viruses that arrive as e-mail attachments, the user must choose to open the attachment and then install it in order for the virus to infect the phone. Typically, a virus that spreads via MMS gets into the phone's contact list and sends itself to every phone number stored there.
In all of these transfer methods, the user has to agree at least once (and usually twice) to run the infected file. But cell-phone-virus writers get you to open and install their product the same way computer-virus writers do: The virus is typically disguised as a game, security patch or other desirable application.
The Commwarrior virus arrived on the scene in January 2005 and is the first cell-phone virus to effectively spread through an entire company via Bluetooth (see ComputerWorld.com: Phone virus spreads through Scandinavian company). It replicates by way of both Bluetooth and MMS. Once you receive and install the virus, it immediately starts looking for other Bluetooth phones in the vicinity to infect. At the same time, the virus sends infected MMS messages to every phone number in your address list. Commwarrior is probably one of the more effective viruses to date because it uses two methods to replicate itself.
So what does a virus like this do once it infects your phone?



The Damage Done
The first known cell-phone virus, Cabir, is entirely innocuous. All it does is sit in the phone and try to spread itself. Other cell-phone viruses, however, are not as harmless.
A virus might access and/or delete all of the contact information and calendar entries in your phone. It might send an infected MMS message to every number in your phone book -- and MMS messages typically cost money to send, so you're actually paying to send a virus to all of your friends, family members and business associates. On the worst-case-scenario end, it might delete or lock up certain phone applications or crash your phone completely so it's useless. Some reported viruses and their vital statistics are listed below.
Cell-phone Viruses
Cabir.AFirst reported: June 2004Attacks: Symbian Series 60 phonesSpreads via: BluetoothHarm: noneMore information (including disinfection): http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/cabir.shtml
Skulls.AFirst reported: November 2004Attacks: various Symbian phonesSpreads via: Internet downloadHarm: disables all phone functions except sending/receiving callsMore information (including disinfection): http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/skulls.shtml
Commwarrior.AFirst reported: January 2005Attacks: Symbian Series 60 phonesSpreads via: Bluetooth and MMSHarm: sends out expensive MMS messages to everyone in phonebook (in course of MMS replication)More information (including disinfection): http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/commwarrior.shtml
Locknut.BFirst reported: March 2005Attacks: Symbian Series 60 phonesSpreads via: Internet download (disguised as patch for Symbian Series 60 phones)Harm: crashes system ROM; disables all phone functions; inserts other (inactive) malware into phoneMore information (including disinfection): http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/locknut_b.shtml
Fontal.AFirst reported: April 2005Attacks: Symbian Series 60 phonesSpreads via: Internet downloadHarm: locks up phone in startup mode; disables phone entirelyMore information (including disinfection): http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/fontal_a.shtml
As you can see from the above descriptions, cell-phone viruses have gotten a lot more harmful since the Cabir worm landed in the hands of researchers in 2004. But on the bright side, there are some steps you can take to protect your phone.
Protecting Your Phone
The best way to protect yourself from cell-phone viruses is the same way you protect yourself from computer viruses: Never open anything if you don't know what it is, haven't requested it or have any suspicions whatsoever that it's not what it claims to be. That said, even the most cautious person can still end up with an infected phone. Here are some steps you can take to decrease your chances of installing a virus:
· Turn off Bluetooth discoverable mode. Set your phone to "hidden" so other phones can't detect it and send it the virus. You can do this on the Bluetooth options screen.
· Check security updates to learn about filenames you should keep an eye out for. It's not fool-proof -- the Commwarrior program generates random names for the infected files it sends out, so users can't be warned not to open specific filenames -- but many viruses can be easily identified by the filenames they carry. Security sites with detailed virus information include:
· F-Secure
· McAfee
· Symantec
Some of these sites will send you e-mail updates with new virus information as it gets posted.
· Install some type of security software on your phone. Numerous companies are developing security software for cell phones, some for free download, some for user purchase and some intended for cell-phone service providers. The software may simply detect and then remove the virus once it's received and installed, or it may protect your phone from getting certain viruses in the first place. Symbian has developed an anti-virus version of its operating system that only allows the phone's Bluetooth connection to accept secure files.
Although some in the cell-phone industry think the potential problem is overstated, most experts agree that cell-phone viruses are on the brink of their destructive power. Installing a "security patch" that ends up turning your phone into a useless piece of plastic is definitely something to be concerned about, but it could still get worse. Future possibilities include viruses that bug phones -- so someone can see every number you call and listen to your conversations -- and viruses that steal financial information, which would be a serious issue if smartphones end up being used as payment devices (see Bankrate.com: Paying by cell phone on the way). Ultimately, more connectivity means more exposure to viruses and faster spreading of infection. As smartphones become more common and more complex, so will the viruses that target them.
For more information on cell-phone viruses and related topics, check out the links on the next page.