W32.Spyrat opens a backdoor using a predetermined port and IP address, allowing an attacker to perform the following actions on the compromised computer:

• Read, write, and execute files
• Steal stored passwords
• Issue commands
• Activate and view a webcam, if present
• Log keystrokes
• Create an HTTP proxy to route traffic through the compromised computer

Do not open this email or click on the URL if received. Read on for the full article at Symantec .

Julie Settle, A&J Computers Inc.

Here’s a exceprt from an article about using someone else’s internet connection:

Perhaps the first and most notable case of an individual being arrested for illegally accessing a wireless network is that of Benjamin Smith III of St. Petersburg, FL.  In the spring of 2005, Richard Dinon noticed someone parked outside his home and obviously staring at a laptop PC.  According to Dinon, when Smith saw that he was being watched, he quickly closed the laptop. Dinon left to run some errands, but upon his return over an hour later, Smith was still outside staring at his PC.  Dinon called the police, who arrested Smith, claiming that he was illegally accessing Dinon’s wireless network. Police said Smith admitted using the network and was charged with unauthorized access to a computer network, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

A subsequent inspection of Smith’s PC found child pornography, leading to an additional felony count of sexual performance by a child.  In June of this year, Smith pled no contest to stealing a wireless computer signal and no contest to an amended, lesser, charge of felony child abuse relating to child porn police found on his laptop computer.  According to a report in the St. Petersburg Times, “Smith’s attorney, Hubbell Losson, argued in motions that the statute outlawing unauthorized access to computers did not apply to wireless service, but Peters ruled against him.”

The key here is not that the guy was accessing the Internetor that he was parked outside the house, but that this can happen to you without your knowledge.   If you are accessing an open wireless network or someone is accessing yours, how do you know what they are doing – they could be downloading music off a file sharing site (a felony here in the United States), hacking into a restricted site (which will be traced back to your Internet connection, not their specific computer) and do you want to be caught up in whatever they are doing?   I trust my neighbors and the companies that are near me, but if they have an open Internet connection I make sure I steer away from it at all costs.  In addition to the security risk I am taking (the open wireless could be a trick to steal passwords, bank account information or infect you computer with viruses and spyware), you are putting your future in someone else’s hands.  So my recommendation is the not access that wireless network  and to make sure yours is secure as well.   Public wireless access connections (Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, etc) are OK as long as you have a firewall installed on your computer and good anti-virus/anti-spyware software.  Here’s a quick wrap up of my recommendations:

1. Don’t access an open wireless network unless it’s from a commercial service (e.g. Internet hot spots)
2. Make sure your wireless network is secure from access (most devices have an easy to follow set of steps to secure your connection)
3. If you are accessing one of the many public Internet connections available, have your firewall turned on, anti-virus and anti-spyware software installed correctly
4. If you see any suspicious activity, call the police – it’s a felony to gain access to a computer or computer network without authorization.

So stay smart, stay secure and keep your network safe.   If you are having trouble checking your wireless network, just give us a call and we can come out and check it for you.

Joe Vivona
A&J Computers Inc