5. A Legal Notice.

Penal Code of Russian Federation

Chapter 28. Crimes in sphere of computer information

Article 272. Illegitimate access to computer information

1. Illegitimate access to a law-protected computer information, i.e. information on the machine carrier, in electronic-computing machine (PC), PC system or its network, if it causes a destruction, blocking, modification or copying of information, breach of work PC, PC systems or its network, –is punished by fine in the size from two to five hundred minimum sizes of labor payment, or in the size of salary/other profit of the convicted for a period from two to five months, or by corrective works for a period from six months to one year, or by deprivation of liberty for a term up to two years.

2. Same deed, performed by a group of persons on the preliminary collusion or by an organized group or a person using their official position, as well as having access to PC, PC system or to its network, –is punished by fine in the size from five to eight hundred minimum sizes of labor payment, or in the size of salary/other profit of the convicted for a period from five to eight months, or by corrective works for a period from one to two years, or by arrest for a period from three to six months, or by deprivation of liberty for a term up to two years.

Article 273. Creation, use and spreading harmful programs for PC

1. Making the programs for PC or a contributing the changes to exist programs, undoubtedly bringing about unauthorized deleting, blocking, modification, or copying information, breaking of PC functionality, PC systems or its network, as well as use or spreading of such programs or machine carriers with such programs –is punished by deprivation of liberty for a term up to three years with the fine in the amount between two and five hundred minimum amounts of labor payment, or in the amount of salary/other profit of the convicted for a period from two five months.

2. The same deeds having caused on indiscretion heavy consequences, –are punished by the deprivation of liberty for a term from three to seven years.[8]

6. Types of Computer Security Threats

Most of us only knew a little about computer security threats, the most common were “virus” and “worm”. But did you know that there are 34 different types of Computer Security Threats?

Here are some of them:

1. Adware

Adware, or advertising-supported software, displays advertising banners or pop-ups on your computer when you use the application. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Such advertising can fund the development of useful software, which is then distributed free (for example, the Opera web browser).

However, adware becomes a problem if it:

• installs itself on your computer without your consent

• installs itself in applications other than the one it came with and displays advertising when you use those applications

• hijacks your web browser in order to display more ads (see Browser hijackers)

• gathers data on your web browsing without your consent and sends it to others via the internet (see Spyware)

Adware can slow down your PC. It can also slow down your internet connection by downloading advertisements. Sometimes programming flaws in the adware can make your computer unstable.

Advertising pop-ups can also distract you and waste your time if they have to be closed before you can continue using your PC.

Some anti-virus programs detect adware and report it as “potentially unwanted applications”. You can then either authorize the adware program or remove it from the computer. There are also dedicated programs for detecting adware.

2. Backdoor Trojans

A backdoor Trojan allows someone to take control of another user’s computer via the internet without their permission.

A backdoor Trojan may pose as legitimate software, just as other Trojan horse programs do, so that users run it. Alternatively – as is now increasingly common – users may allow Trojans onto their computer by following a link in spam mail.

Once the Trojan is run, it adds itself to the computer’s startup routine. It can then monitor the computer until the user is connected to the internet. When the computer goes online, the person who sent the Trojan can perform many actions – for example, run programs on the infected computer, access personal files, modify and upload files, track the user’s keystrokes, or send out spam mail.

Well-known backdoor Trojans include Subseven, BackOrifice and, more recently, Graybird, which was disguised as a fix for the notorious Blaster worm.

To avoid backdoor Trojans, you should keep your computers up to date with the latest patches (to close down vulnerabilities in the operating system), and run anti-spam and anti-virus software. You should also run a firewall, which can prevent Trojans from accessing the internet to make contact with the hacker.

3. Bluejacking

Bluejacking is sending anonymous, unwanted messages to other users with Bluetooth-enabled mobile phones or laptops.

Bluejacking depends on the ability of Bluetooth phones to detect and contact other Bluetooth devices nearby. The Bluejacker uses a feature originally intended for exchanging contact details or “electronic business cards”. He or she adds a new entry in the phone’s address book, types in a message, and chooses to send it via Bluetooth.

The phone searches for other Bluetooth phones and, if it finds one, sends the message.

Despite its name, Bluejacking is essentially harmless. The Bluejacker does not steal personal information or take control of your phone.

Bluejacking can be a problem if it is used to send obscene or threatening messages or images, or to send advertising. If you want to avoid such messages, you can turn off Bluetooth, or set it to “undiscoverable”.

Bluetooth-enabled devices may also be at risk from the more serious Bluesnarfing.

4. Bluesnarfing

Bluesnarfing is the theft of data from a Bluetooth phone.

Like Bluejacking, Bluesnarfing depends on the ability of Bluetooth-enabled devices to detect and contact others nearby.

In theory, a Bluetooth user running the right software on their laptop can discover a nearby phone, connect to it without your confirmation, and download your phonebook, pictures of contacts and calendar.

Your mobile phone’s serial number can also be downloaded and used to clone the phone.

You should turn off Bluetooth or set it to “undiscoverable”. The undiscoverable setting allows you to continue using Bluetooth products like headsets, but means that your phone is not visible to others.

5. Boot Sector Viruses

Boot sector viruses spread by modifying the program that enables your computer to start up.

When you switch on a computer, the hardware looks for the boot sector program - which is usually on the hard disk, but can be on a floppy disk or CD – and runs it. This program then loads the rest of the operating system into memory.

A boot sector virus replaces the original boot sector with its own, modified version (and usually hides the original somewhere else on the hard disk). When you next start up, the infected boot sector is used and the virus becomes active.

You can only become infected if you boot up your computer from an infected disk, e.g. a floppy disk that has an infected boot sector.

Boot sector viruses were the first type of virus to appear, and they are mostly quite old. They are rarely encountered today.

6. Browser Hijackers

Browser hijackers change the default home and search pages in your internet browser.

Some websites run a script that changes the settings in your browser without your permission. This hijacker can add shortcuts to your “Favorites” folder or, more seriously, can change the page that is first displayed when you open the browser.

You may find that you cannot change your browser’s start page back to your chosen site. Some hijackers edit the Windows registry so that the hijacked settings are restored every time you restart your computer. Others remove options from the browser’s tools menu, so that you can’t reset the start page.

In every case, the intention is the same: to force you to visit a website. This inflates the number of “hits” and the site’s ranking with search engines, which boosts the advertising revenue that the site can earn.

Browser hijackers can be very tenacious. Some can be removed automatically by security software. Others may need to be removed manually. In some cases, it is easier to restore the computer to an earlier state or reinstall the operating system.

7. Chain Letters

An electronic chain letter is an email that urges you to forward copies to other people.

Chain letters, like virus hoaxes, depend on you, rather than on computer code, to propagate themselves. The main types are:

• Hoaxes about terrorist attacks, premium-rate phone line scams, thefts from ATMs and so forth.

• False claims that companies are offering free flights, free mobile phones, or cash rewards if you forward email.

• Messages, which purport to be from agencies like the CIA and FBI, warning about dangerous criminals in your area.

• Petitions. Even if genuine, they continue to circulate long after their expiry date.

• Jokes and pranks, e.g. the claim that the internet would be closed for maintenance on 1 April.

Chain letters don’t threaten your security, but they can waste time, spread misinformation and distract users from genuine email.

They can also create unnecessary email traffic and slow down mail servers. In some cases the chain letter encourages people to send email to certain addresses, so that these are deluged with unsolicited mail.

The solution to the chain letter problem is simple: don’t forward such mail.

8. Cookies

Cookies are files on your computer that enable websites to remember your details.

When you visit a website, it can place a file called a cookie on your computer. This enables the website to remember your details and track your visits. Cookies can be a threat to confidentiality, but not to your data.

Cookies were designed to be helpful. For example, if you submit your ID when you visit a website, a cookie can store this data, so that you don’t have to re-enter it next time. Cookies also have benefits for webmasters, as they show which web pages are well used, providing useful input when planning a redesign of the site.

Cookies are small text files and cannot harm your data. However, they can compromise your confidentiality. Cookies can be stored on your computer without your knowledge or consent, and they contain information about you in a form you can’t access easily. And when you revisit the same website, this data is passed back to the web server, again without your consent.

Websites gradually build up a profile of your browsing behavior and interests. This information can be sold or shared with other sites, allowing advertisers to match ads to your interests, ensure that consecutive ads are displayed as you visit different sites, and track the number of times you have seen an ad.

If you prefer to remain anonymous, use the security settings on your internet browser to disable cookies.

9. Denial of Service attack (DoS)

A denial-of-service (DoS) attack prevents users from accessing a computer or website.

In a DoS attack, a hacker attempts to overload or shut down a computer, so that legitimate users can no longer access it. Typical DoS attacks target web servers and aim to make websites unavailable. No data is stolen or compromised, but the interruption to the service can be costly for a company.

The most common type of DoS attack involves sending more traffic to a computer than it can handle. Rudimentary methods include sending outsized data packets or sending email attachments with names that are longer than permitted by the mail programs.

An attack can also exploit the way that a “session” of communications is established when a user first contacts the computer. If the hacker sends many requests for a connection rapidly and then fails to respond to the reply, the bogus requests are left in a buffer for a while. Genuine users’ requests cannot be processed, so that they can’t contact the computer.

Another method is to send an “IP ping” message (message requiring a response from other computers) that appears to come from the victim’s computer. The message goes out to a large number of computers, which all try to respond. The victim is flooded with replies and the computer can no longer handle genuine traffic.

A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack uses numerous computers to launch the attack. Typically, hackers use a virus or Trojan to open a “back door” on other people’s computers and take control of them. These “zombie” computers can be used to launch a coordinated denial-of-service attack.

10. Dialers

Dialers change the number used for dial-up internet access to a premium-rate number. Dialers are not always malicious. Legitimate companies that offer downloads or games may expect you to use a premium-rate line to access their services. A pop-up prompts you to download the dialer and tells you how much calls will cost.

Other dialers may install themselves without your knowledge when you click on a pop-up message (for example, a message warning you about a virus on your computer and offering a solution). These do not offer access to any special services – they simply divert your connection so that you access the internet via a premium-rate number.

Broadband users are usually safe, even if a dialer installs itself. This is because broadband doesn’t use regular phone numbers, and because broadband users don’t usually have a dial-up modem connected.

Anti-virus software can detect and eliminate Trojan horse programs that install dialers.

11. Document Viruses

Document or “macro” viruses take advantage of macros – commands that are embedded in fi les and run automatically.

Many applications, such as word processing and spreadsheet programs, use macros.

A macro virus is a macro program that can copy itself and spread from one file to another. If you open a file that contains a macro virus, the virus copies itself into the application’s startup files. The computer is now infected.

When you next open a file using the same application, the virus infects that file. If your computer is on a network, the infection can spread rapidly: when you send an infected file to someone else, they can become infected too. A malicious macro can also make changes to your documents or settings.

Macro viruses infect files used in most offices and some can infect several file types, such as Word and Excel files. They can also spread to any platform on which their host application runs.

Macro viruses first appeared in the mid-1990s and rapidly became the most serious virus threat of that time. Few viruses of this type are seen now. [9]