A Wicked Web They Weave

by Laura Yecies

Today, I’m very excited to announce the launch of ZoneAlarm ForceField. We first released ZAFF into beta last fall, and now it’s now ready for primetime. On behalf of the entire ZoneAlarm team, I’d like to extend a very sincere thank you to everyone in the ZA community for your valuable insight and testing help…this is a major milestone not only for our company but in the fight against cybercrime. We look forward to your feedback.

As tempting as it is to delve into all the product details of this new virtualized browser/Web security solution, I think I’d rather talk to you today about a few of the reasons why we built ForceField.

In the past year or so, we’ve seen the consumer threat environment shift rather dramatically. Like the evolution of viruses and spyware, attack vectors have also evolved. The prime target used to be your operating system. So a good firewall, combined with antivirus and anti-spyware, was pretty sufficient protection against hackers looking for vulnerable PCs.

Now, armed with a new arsenal of Web-based attack strategies, hackers no longer need to seek you out. You’ll find them all on your own.

It’s rather easy to accidentally compromise your PC while innocently surfing the Web. Here’s how:

Search Portals: When you search for something on your favorite search engine, like Google or Yahoo, do you automatically assume that all the results are legitimate, safe Web sites? Hackers have found ways to seed search engines with malicious Web sites, or dummy pages that automatically redirect you to a Web site that can automatically download hundreds of pieces of malware without your knowledge. One of the strategies behind ZoneAlarm ForceField was to create an environment where you can make mistakes. You can accidentally click one of these links, and the malware will be contained in your virtualized, ForceField protected browser (and unable to harm your PC).

Random Web sites: Your favorite Web site, yes, the one you visit every day, could send malware your way next time you drop in. And they may not even know it. You see, these perfectly legitimate and responsible sites can become hacked themselves. A vulnerability in an ad server or database can allow a hacker to use the Web site as an otherwise trusted conduit to deliver a malicious payload onto your PC. As I write this, one such SQL Injection attack, using the worm “winzipices.cn,” is believed to have compromised over 4,000 Web sites around the world.

We’re also receiving reports of demographic attacks: hackers compromising specific Web sites that cater to a desirable audience…for example wealthy or older surfers. Like with the search engine attacks, by using ForceField you can confidently surf as usual. Even if your favorite Web site has been hijacked, you stay safe.

Social networking/Web 2.0: Social networking sites, by their very viral nature, are an irresistible attack vectors for hackers. Alicia Keys’ fans learned that the hard way last year when her MySpace page was infected. Facebook, with all its fun apps, proved compelling to adware distributor Zango. Not only can these communities be exploited to spread malware, but they can also fall prey to what we call “man in the middle” attacks. This is where a hacker basically inserts himself in the middle of your upload or other file sharing to steal your password or other sensitive personal information.

Social networking is a great way to stay connected with friends and family and build online communities, but always take precautions and be careful what you share. It’s a lot harder to delete personal information off the ‘Net than to post it.

Gaming/Virtual Worlds: Virtual worlds and games like Second Life and World of Warcraft are a blast. My kids love them. But one security researcher recently claimed that he could compromise your PC if your avatar wandered into his “realm.” If he could see you, he could take over your PC remotely. While we haven’t seen real world reports of this type of breach, we believe it can be done.

So what’s a security-minded Netizen to do? Besides using a comprehensive Web security solution like ForceField (in tandem with your PC security), make sure *all* your applications are patched regularly. Don’t forget your Java, IE, Flash, Quicktime etc. They’re easy to overlook but crucial to an overall Web security strategy. We’ll be posting more tips in the coming days, but in the meantime, we’re interesting in hearing your experiences on Web-based attacks. Have you fallen victim? What steps do you take to avoid falling in a hacker trap on the Web?

Comments

[Michael Bilski]

I have recently noticed a great deal of activity coming from an address IDed as Chinanet.

[Michael Bilski]

I am not very educated to security, alerts and settings. I don't know if I should allow a process or access when an alert pops up.

[Leonard Jones]

I have a love/hate relationship with Zone Alarm. I have purchased the product off
the store shelves for about 7-8 years. For 6-7 of these years, I have been driven
insane in my attempts to register the new subscription.

First, it was having to to go to a third party website to renew, and every year
since, having the product key rejected!

One cannot access a user forum with a direct link to the problem! One cannot
access tech support without an account!

Tech support is a virtual black hole! Every major issue should be front and
center on the ZA website!

Here is how I think it should go:

1. Place disk in drive.

2. Enter the product key on disk sleeve.

That being said, I love ZA. Between ZA and Norton's, I have not had a major infitration problem on my system EVER!

Somebody needs to kick the ZA geeks in the ass to get them to solve this problem.