Phones, Car Engines Face Security Threats -- Report

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Daily computer security headaches such as viruses and spam threaten to spread to a far wider range of devices -- from phones to car engines, a survey to be published by IBM on Wednesday has found.

The report, published by IBM Security Intelligence Services, a consulting arm of the world's largest computer company, paints a picture of rampant, albeit controllable, security dangers.

The survey combines data from big business customers, government security statistics and observations from some 2,000 IBM security consultants, detailing the proliferation of computer security threats in 2004 and likely next moves.

Watch out for viruses that spread to mobile phones, handheld computers, wireless networks and embedded computers which are increasingly used to run basic automobile functions, the 2004 year-end "Security Threats and Attack Trends Report" report warns. Then again, the readiness of individuals and companies to confront these challenges has also evolved, the study said.

"It's difficult to say whether we are moving to a steady state," Stuart McIrvine, director of IBM's security strategy, said in an interview. "The threats are increasing, but consumers and businesses are getting a lot smarter."

IBM's report draws on data from 500,000 electronic devices.

It details a range of challenges that computer users faced in 2004 and extrapolates from early warning signs what sort of new threats electronics users are likely to face this year.

Known computer viruses grew by 28,327 in 2004 to bring the number of old and new viruses to 112,438, the report said. In 2002, only 4,551 new viruses were discovered.

Of 147 billion e-mails scanned by IBM for customers in 2004, one in 16, or 6 percent, contained a virus. During 2002, just 0.5 percent of e-mail scanned had viruses.

The average amount of spam circulating on global networks was 75 percent, the survey found. But during peak periods, spam accounted for as much as 95 percent of e-mail traffic.

The fastest-growing threat in 2004 was phishing -- a method of enticing computer users to submit personal information or fall prey to other Internet deceptions. Such e-mails grew 5,000 percent last year, with some 18 million phishing attempts recorded, according to IBM.

THREAT TO CARS

Looking ahead, McIrvine said cars were threatened by computer security threats, some malicious, others unintentional.

As the average new car runs 20 computer processors and about 60 megabytes of software code, the opportunity for malfunctions, wireless attacks and other security threats was multiplying, he said.

Another prediction is that Voice over Internet (VoIP) phone systems will be disrupted. As more companies move to replace traditional phone networks with VoIP systems, eavesdropping on callers and wholesale office network shutdowns carried out by remote attackers are likely to increase, IBM warned.

Kelly Kavanaugh, a computer security analyst with market research company Gartner Inc. of Stamford, Connecticut, said the IBM study highlights some newer threats such as phishing that will only grow more serious during 2005.

Backing Up Your PC Data

There are 2 kinds of people:
those who have lost their data,and those who WILL lose it!


Backing Up Your Data

If your entire hard drive gets erased tomorrow, what will you lose? Sure, your software will be erased, but if you have the installation CDs on hand, you can always put it all back. And if you don't have your installation CDs, you can always obtain new ones.

Backing up your computer data can seem like a chore, but imagine what it will be like if all your data is gone and you have to start all over again. There are many ways of backing up your data and just as many types of media to use as well. This article covers the basic steps needed to backup your data easily and quickly.

1. Organize Your Files

Keeping your information organized should be one of your first priorities. This will make things much easier when the time comes to back up. Because the "My Documents" folder is the default location for many programs to store their files, it is also the most logical location to store your files. Make sub-folders in your documents folder to keep your data organized. Windows XP has already set up some for your use. It includes sub-folders such as "My Music," "My eBooks" and "My Pictures." Add sub-folders as you need them.

One of the most important sub-folders to use is a "My Downloads" folder. This is where you should store and categorize all of your Internet downloads. If you ever need to reinstall a downloaded program, you will be glad you have this folder.

Remember, some programs do not save data to "My Documents." In this case, you should locate and note for backup the folders that these programs do use. In some cases, you may need to copy that information to your "My Documents" folder.
2. What do I Backup?

Just about anything your media will allow you to store. This means you can make copies of all your personal data, such as documents, image and media files, email, financial data, saved games, and anything else that may be important. Try to avoid having to back up the entire operating system unless you have the media that will support this type of backup.
3. Types of Backup Media

There are many types of backup media. You can use tape drives, CD-R and CD-RW drives, DVD-ROM drives or hard drives. You can also use older types of media like Iomega's Zip or Jazz drives. These are all available in both internal and external versions. Be sure to choose the right one based on how much information you would like to save.

Tip: Tape drives, hard drives as well as Zip and Jazz drives sore data magnetically. This type of storage will degrade with time and is subject to outside magnetic influences. CD-R/RW and DVD-ROM drives store data using a laser imprint on the CD/DVD media. This is far less likely to degrade over time and, as long as the disc's are not damaged, will last for many years.
4. Types of Backup Methods

There are two main types of backup methods. You can do an "incremental backup." This is where you back up specifically selected folders and data. Windows includes a fairly decent back up program or you may choose to use the program that comes with you backup hardware.

You can also do a full-system or complete backup. This is where an "image" of your entire hard drive is made. There are different types of programs to image your entire hard drive such as PowerQuest's Drive Image, Norton's Ghost or Dantz's Retrospect. Due to the shear volume of data this type of backup is usually only successful if you have a second hard drive or tape drive.
5. Where Are My Data Files Kept?

Your data files are kept in many places but here are a few locations to look for your information.

Email: Locations may vary. In Windows XP Microsoft Outlook Express saves its files to 'C:\Documents and Settings\(user name)\Local Settings\Application Data\Identities\{indentity number}\Microsoft\Outlook Express' in files with an extension of .dbx. Outlook saves its files to 'C:\Documents and Settings\(user name)\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\outlook.pst'. Netscape saves your files in 'C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\(user name)\Mail'.

Your Internet Favorites or Bookmarks: Internet Explorer stores your Favorites as individual files in the C:\Windows\Favorites or C:\Documents and Settings\(User Name)\Favorites directory. Netscape saves your Bookmarks in 'C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\(user name)\bookmark.htm'.

Other programs: You may need to do some research on where files are saved. One good way to do this is to open up the program in question, create a temporary file and when you save the file do a 'Save as', this will prompt you to where the default location of where the program saves its files.
6. How Often Should I Perform a Backup?

In general, it is best to schedule your backup on a consistent and regular basis. Depending on how much information you add or change to your system will help you determine if this should be on a monthly, weekly or even a daily schedule. Most backup software programs allow for automatic scheduling.