Dr. Keen
Cyber Defender & Diagnostics Lab Technician
Dr. Keen is in charge of Diagnostics and has the equipment and knowledge to fix most computer related problems.
Abandoned by her computer hacker parents when she was a child, Dr. Keen focuses on helping others overcome the attacks of cyber criminals just like her parents.
You can't direct the wind but you can adjust the sails
- Anonymous
French fries
Interests:Inventing, watercolor, playing fetch with Scout
Scout
Cyber Defender & Dr. Keen's robot assistant
Scout is in charge of keeping the Cyber Defense Force's security measures up-to-date. His computer brain carries fixes to most security and computer problems that can be administered at any time.
Scout is always eager to help make Cyberspace a safe and fun place.
Memory chips
Interests:Fixing computers, making antidotes for malware, playing fetch
October 6 2008
Cyber Defense Threat: Banner Ads
Banner ads are a type of online advertisement. Unlike pop-ups, banner ads are "embedded" or part of the web page. They come in a variety of sizes, but are usually a rectangular box. They can have images, text, and animations. Banner ads can look like games, have video or sound, and can even appear to float on top of the web page. They are designed to tempt you away from the site you are visiting to their company's Web site by looking fun and exciting.
Banner ads can be difficult to tell apart from the real Web page content. Sometimes they have the word "Advertisement" or "AD" on them, but it's very small and hard to see. They can be very distracting and clicking on them can take you to a Web site that you didn't really want to visit. They can also slow down your browser when you are surfing the Web.
It's best to just ignore banner ads. There are software programs you can install and settings in your Web browser to block them from appearing, but this might block the content of some multimedia Web sites as well.
posted by Scout
topic: Cyber Defense Threat
September 8 2008
Cyber Defense Threat: Online Game Cheating Software
Most online multiplayer games have cheaters in some form, though it can be hard to prove. Players will use hacking software designed to give them an unfair advantage over other players, often because they just don’t want to take the time to develop their skills. Unfortunately this can ruin the game for everyone else who is playing by the rules.
Hacking software can break the rules of the game in a variety of ways, including:
- Allowing a player to gain knowledge or information that they would ordinarily have to earn or reveal, such as maps with secret locations already marked on them, or the ability to see through walls
- Modifying a player’s avatar so that they become invulnerable, can use items not normally available for their level, or appear invisible to other players
- Modifying the game so that players can do things they normally wouldn’t be able to do, such as teleporting to different locations instantly or flying
- Installing bots that can target or attack automatically without the player having to use any of their own skills
The most effective way to catch an online game hacker is to have other players report them. If you think someone is cheating in an online game, you can report them to the Game Moderators to investigate. If they are caught cheating, their account will be cancelled and they will be banned from the game.
posted by Scout
topic: Cyber Defense Threat
August 4 2008
Cyber Defense Threat: Pharming
Pharming is a type of Phishing scam. While Phishing attacks use an email with a link to a fake Web site to trick its victim into revealing their personal information, Pharming attacks do not require an email. Instead, victims are redirected to a fake Web site when they are trying to visit a safe one. The fake Web site prompts victims to enter their personal information such as a credit card number so cyber criminals can steal it.
Pharming is much harder to detect than Phishing because there is no suspicious email to alert the victim. It also allows the attacker to reach many victims at once because anyone who attempts to visit the real Web site during an attack will be redirected to the fake one. To protect yourself from Pharming attacks, always make sure that a Web site is secure before entering any information into it. You can also use anti-phishing or anti-pharming software when browsing the Web, they will warn you when you are viewing a suspicious Web site.
posted by Scout
topic: Cyber Defense Threat
July 14 2008
Cyber Defense Threat: Cookies
Cookies are small text files that Web sites place on your computer to identify you and keep track of your preferences. This can make some sites easier to use because they will remember you when you return to the site, but cookies are also risky because they store information about you that cyber criminals might be able to find and exploit. Some Web sites can actually share cookies with other sites. These “foreign” or “third-party” cookies are especially risky because they may be sharing your information with a site that you’ve never heard of.
It’s okay to use cookies now and then. To protect yourself, you should use as few as possible and also remove them from your computer regularly. Many sites will try to set cookies automatically, so you can set your browser to warn you before you accept them or to not accept cookies from any Web sites. You can use your Web browser’s tools to remove any cookies you may have.
posted by Scout
topic: Cyber Defense Threat
June 9 2008
Cyber Defense Threat: Misleading Applications
Misleading applications are a type of malware that mimics anti-virus or anti-spyware software. They can install themselves when you are browsing the Internet. Or, they can trick you into installing them by imitating valid software. They often try to look like a typical system alert message and can be very convincing.
Once installed, misleading applications send you alerts that your computer has unwanted programs installed on it or security risks. These are usually fake or nonexistent. The misleading application will promise to remove or fix the problem if you just purchase and install their "required" software.
Misleading applications are a scam to get people to pay for their fake, ineffective software. They often have convincing Web sites with reviews and product details, just like a valid software Web site would have.
posted by Scout
topic: Cyber Defense Threat
June 2 2008
Cyber Defense Threat: Exploitation of Adobe Flash Vulnerability
We have recently become aware of a security hole in the Adobe Flash Player 9. Computers running the older version of Flash Player 9 are vulnerable to attack when you visit an infiltrated or maliciously crafted website containing a Flash application.
Currently we are not aware of any compromises to the Academy site, but it does contains a number of Flash applications including the Cyberpedia, Tip of the Day, and the games on the Fun Stuff page.
To protect your computer from any potential attacks or malicious Flash applications, we recommend that you upgrade your Flash player 9 to the newest version (9.0.124.0)
immediately.
Remember to upgrade your Flash player for every browser you have on your computer too.
To find out what version you are using, visit About Adobe Flash Player. To download and install the latest version, visit Adobe Flash Player Download Center.
posted by Scout
topic: Cyber Defense Threat
May 12 2008
Cyber Defense Threat: Worm
A Worm is a nasty type of destructive malware that can get into computers or networks and cause harm by deleting, modifying, or distributing the data. Like viruses, worms can copy themselves. Unlike viruses, they do not need the help of a host file or program to spread throughout a computer or network. Worms usually do the most damage to networks, but viruses tend to corrupt or modify files on a computer.
In order to spread, worms will exploit software vulnerabilities or poorly designed features such as automatic file sending and receiving. They can replicate and spread very quickly and can slow down networks, delete files, or send infected files through email. Worms can also be used to send spam or to launch Denial of Service attacks.
Refer to Cyber Defense Tip "Defending your computer against malware" for what you can do to protect your computer from worms.
posted by Scout
topic: Cyber Defense Threat
April 14 2008
Cyber Defense Threat: Joke Programs
Joke programs are prank programs that cause your computer to behave strangely or display fake error messages that trick you into thinking something is wrong. They can change the appearance of your computer's desktop or mouse cursor, or even make it look like your hard drive has been erased. Joke programs do not harm your computer, but they can make it difficult to use.
Unlike malware, joke programs do not change or infect files or copy themselves. They must be intentionally installed on your computer by the person who wants to play a joke on you, and are usually easy to remove. They are intended to be a funny joke but are usually just annoying and frustrating.
posted by Scout
topic: Cyber Defense Threat
March 17 2008
Cyber Defense Threat: Adware
Adware is a type of malware that displays advertising banners or pop-up windows while it is running. Adware can slow down your computer and use up your Internet resources. Some adware also gathers information about your computer habits and the Web sites you visit. Adware does not collect personal information the way spyware does, but some adware can contain spyware.
Adware is usually installed on your computer along with free software. Many popular free music players, file-sharing applications, instant messengers, and games include adware. Be extremely careful when installing software on your computer, be sure to scan everything with anti-virus software and read through the license agreement and privacy policy to see if any additional software will be installed.
If adware is slowing down your computer, use spyware removal software to get rid of it.
Refer to Cyber Defense Tip "Defending your computer against malware"for what you can do to protect your computer from adware.
posted by Scout
topic: Cyber Defense Threat
February 11 2008
Cyber Defense Threat: Trojan Horse
A Trojan horse is a nasty type of malware that can either be disguised as real software or come attached to it. Trojan horses are different from viruses and worms because they cannot copy themselves.
The name "Trojan horse" comes from a classical Greek myth. During their war against the Trojans, the Greeks left a large wooden horse with Greek soldiers hidden inside near the city of Troy. The Trojans thought it was a gift and brought the horse inside the city walls. As soon as night fell, the Greek soldiers sneaked out of the horse and let the Greek army into the city. Trojan horse malware works in a similar way; they look useful or interesting, but are actually dangerous when opened.
Refer to Cyber Defense Tip "Defending your computer against malware" for what you can do to protect your computer from Trojan horses.
posted by Scout
topic: Cyber Defense Threat
January 14 2008
Cyber Defense Threat: Virus
A Virus is a type of malware that can wipe out information on your computer and create major problems. You can get viruses on your computer by downloading and opening files from the Web or from email attachments. However, almost all infected host files need you to open or run them before the virus can spread.
Viruses spread by infecting an application or "host file" and then copying themselves and infecting other files or documents, just like a real virus spreads to other people and cells. Once a virus gets onto your computer it might modify, delete, or steal your files, make your system crash, or take over your machine.
Refer to Cyber Defense Tip "Defending your computer against malware" for what you can do to protect your computer from viruses.
posted by Scout
topic: Cyber Defense Threat
December 10 2007
Cyber Defense Threat: Phishing
Phishing is using an email message to send people to a fake Web site that collects their personal information, like their bank or credit information. Phishing emails pretend to be from legitimate companies and will try to trick you into thinking there is an urgent problem with your account or that you need to update your information.
The email directs you to a fake Web site that's made to look just like a real company's site. When you enter your personal information into the site, it goes straight to the cyber criminal! If you receive an email that you think might be a phishing email, talk to a trusted adult about it. Don't follow the link and don't enter any personal information into any Web site without talking to a trusted adult first.
posted by Scout
topic: Cyber Defense Threat
November 12 2007
Cyber Defense Threat: Spyware
Spyware is a type of malware that is installed on your computer without you knowing about it. It can track what you do on the Internet, steal information you type into Web sites, and sometimes get information about you from your computer. You can get spyware on your computer by installing free programs you find on the Web, visiting risky Web sites, or by downloading and opening infected files.
To protect your computer, have a trusted adult help you install a spyware blocker to prevent most spyware from being installed, and scan your computer with anti-virus software regularly to find and remove any that get through the blocker.
Come visit the Hall of Quarantine at Diagnostics to see our spyware specimens.