ap08cscomputervirusesLabExercisessolutions-APCentral.pdfVIP

Lab Exercises Understanding Computer Viruses: What They Can Do, Why People Write Them and How to Defend Against Them Review Questions 1) In class, we made the distinction between a front-door attack and a back-door attack. Explain how they are different and give one example of each. Front-door attacks require the actions of a legitimate user -- for example, malware that is run when a legitimate user opens an infected email attachment or runs a malicious program the user downloaded from the Internet. Back-door attacks do not require the actions of a legitimate user. Instead, they target vulnerabilities in the server software that is running a computer. Flaws in server software may cause a server program to respond to an unexpected request in such a way that it gives the attacker access to the computer. A buffer overflow attack is one example of a back-door attack. 2) Give some examples of what malware tries to accomplish. Malware varies significantly in the actions it takes once it compromises a victims computer. It can do anything from announcing its presence by displaying a message on the screen to making the computer play sounds. It can also corrupt the system or attempt to attack other machines by sending infected emails, for example. 3) Describe ways that white-hat hackers try to make computer systems more secure. White-hat hackers try to make computer systems more secure by looking for and reporting vulnerabilities so that they can be fixed. They can also help to characterize new viruses and develop patches for them. 4) Describe things you can do to secure your computer against attack. Run an antivirus program and keep its virus definitions up-to-date. Avoid suspicious email attachments or Internet downloads. Keep your operating system and any services patched and up-to-date. Be aware of what services are running on your computer and consider shutting off any you dont need. Investigation Questions 1)