#3-PC Security, Malware and Internet Poker
This is my third post in a series about computer safety for the Internet poker player.
The first one, found here, was about general computer safety and critical malware protection software that every computer should have.
The second one, found here, was about what to do if your computer became infected.
Today, I want to outline what to do if your computer is so badly infected that recovery is not possible. Several years ago, this would not have been too much of an issue. Unfortunately, malware programmers have reached levels of sophistication where it is not infrequent that a computer is rendered inoperable, either because of the infection directly, or during the disinfection procedure. Some malware code is specifically written to destroy the Operating System (OS) if a cleaning attempt is made.
And then, there is the backdoor trojan. A backdoor severely compromises system integrity. A compromised system may allow illicit network connections, disabling of security software, modifying critical system files and collection and transmission of personal identifiable information without your consent. Though this type of trojan can be identified and can be killed, because of its backdoor functionality, that PC is very likely compromised and there is no way to be sure it can ever be trusted again.
In these situations, the best course of action would be a reformat and reinstall of the OS. Thank goodness, you still have the original OS discs, have been diligent about making frequent backups of your system, and have been storing them on an external hard drive......haven't you??!!!
Even if you have not been such a good little boy/girl, there are rescue disks that can be burned in an ISO format that MIGHT help; and if you really want to read about reformatting, go here. But today, you will learn how to make your life real easy, should you find yourself is such a dire predicament.
The Word of the Day is Disk Cloning.
OK, that's two words....big deal. So, sue me.
When you create a clone of a disk, you are copying the entire contents of a computer's hard disk (OS, programs, data, everything). This is very different from the typical data file backing up And for our purpose, that copy is stored as an image file on an external hard drive. (If it stored on the same hard drive, even on a different partition, you will be in trouble.) It is from this image file that you will wipe and reinstall your entire computer contents onto the previously infected hard drive. Why "previously infected"? When you wipe the infected hard drive, you are reformatting it and making it virgin. This process automatically destroys everything on the hard drive, including the infection. More about disk cloning can be read here.
The critical components to this process include a disk cloning program, an external hard drive and regular updates of the clone. The two best cloning programs on the market at this time are Symantec Ghost and Acronis True Image. I could outline my own experiences with both programs, but an excellent review can be found here. There is little I could add to this article.
Overall, my preference is Acronis True Image. I find it lightweight, easy to use and have had no complications in its application. Every computer my family owns has a clone stored on a dedicated external hard drive. The one time that I did have to reinstall an imaged clone, it was easy and relatively quick (when compared to the time it would take to do a traditional reformat and reinstall of OS, programs and data). Not only do I make regular updates to the clones, True Image uses a method of updating that does not over-write earlier updates, although I can delete them at any time. This way, should I find that my computer is infected, I can choose which earlier image to use, based upon most likely time of infection.
Acronis True Image has other features, as well, like traditional backup,cleanup utilities and more. However, the one feature that I love is Try&Decide. This tool creates a virtual box on a separate part of the hard drive. To quote Acronis:
Quote:
The Try&Decide feature allows creating a secure, controlled temporary workspace on your computer without requiring you to install special virtualization software. You can perform various system operations without worrying that you might damage your operating system, programs or data. After making virtual changes you may apply them to your original system. If you make changes that you want to keep, you might want to commit those changes to the system. Among the operations you may attempt with this feature is to open mail attachments from unknown senders or visit Web sites that might contain potentially troublesome content.For example, if you visit a Web site or open an email attachment that puts a virus on your temporary duplicate, you can simply destroy the duplicate and no harm will be done – the virus will not appear on your machine.
I use this feature to test new downloads, if I am not sure of the site's security. One site, for example, used BTDNA as its download process. While that site was not a peer-to-peer (P2P) site, and did not mention the use of BTDNA anywhere on the site, as soon as I saw that process running (I always monitor all running processes on my computer), I terminated the download and emptied the box. Nothing was added to my permanent system. It would have been quite a different story if I had not been using Try&Decide. If I wish to keep whatever I was trying, then I apply the changes with one click.
So, how likely are you to actually need to reinstall a cloned disk? Not very likely. But think of it like car insurance, you don't need it often, but it sure wonderful to have when it is needed. The headaches you could face otherwise are unnecessary.
If you have questions, or a topic you wish me to address, please post them. Thanks.
Disclaimer: I have no investment, financial or otherwise, with any product mentioned in the post.
