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IST (Internet Security Team)

We are WiredSafety's group of security experts and law enforcement officers who are kept very busy helping victims recover from security breaches, attacks against the victims' computers, and teaching the removal and prevention of viruses, Trojans, worms, and other forms of malicious code. We also work to help prevent and track violations of network security to aid organizations of all sizes, and report their findings to the appropriate party. IST keeps a database of known attacker's e-mail addresses, host masks, and IP addresses to aid in future investigations. Another very important function of our team is to keep up with the latest viruses and threats. In addition to all that, every few months or so we write and update security-related classes on new ways to safeguard computers and protect users online.

IST offers a wide variety of services, including:

Firewall Log Analysis

Submit a portion of your firewall log and our team will tell you which intrusion attempts are typical of an intrusion and which are general hits that are common in every day use of the Internet.

Intrusion Analysis

Similar to Firewall Analysis, if you have an intrusion detection system, we will analyze those logs as well.

File Analysis (for viruses)

Files often contain viruses. If you receive a file that is suspicious, but your Antiviral software does not catch it, you can submit it and we will analyze it to see if the file is safe.

Virus Removal Assistance

Once a computer becomes infected with a virus, antiviral software will not always remove the virus. Sometimes it takes a more interactive approach. If your computer has become infected with a virus, send in an e-mail and a team member will assist you in following the step-by-step procedures for removing your particular virus.

Instructions on how to deal with Spam

Unsolicited e-mail or spam is a nuisance to all of us. The simplest thing to do is to delete the e-mail, or set up a filter to block the e-mails. IST members can teach you how to set up a filter or block. We will also give you instructions on how to report the person who sent the e-mail to their Internet Service Provider. Some ISP's will close the offender's account. The IST will not report such abuses for you, however. Most ISP's want the complaint to come from the recipient of the e-mail. It is also better if you know how to report them on your own. A little knowledge can go a long way in this area.

IRC Script analysis

Before loading a new IRC script, it is always best to examine it in depth to make sure that it does not contain malicious code. Some scripts contain code that will spread Trojans or viruses, or advertise Web sites and IRC Channels. All of those can get you banned from a channel. And if you are not deliberately trying to do anything bad, that is the last thing you want. For this reason, IST members will analyze scripts for you to see if they contain malicious code.

Firewall and Virus Software recommendations

Since each computer has its own needs, and each user runs different applications, there is no single answer to the question, "What virus protection application and firewall should I use?" For this reason, the IST deals with people individually to make sure that their protective needs are best met. However, here are some suggestions that we can make to everyone:

Never use more than one antivirus program at the same time.
Never use more than one software firewall application at the same time.
Never use a port monitor such as NukeNabber.
Always keep your protection programs up to date.
Always keep your protection programs turned on. (NEVER go online with them off).

This is a brief list of the services that IST offers. To get direct assistance with a problem, please e-mail .

If you are a security expert and would like to help, follow this link >>

Safeguarding the User - that's the work of the IST!

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Parts of this Web site were taken from Parry Aftab's book The Parent's Guide to Protecting Your Children in Cyberspace. Marvel and all character names and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks of Marvel Characters, Inc., and are used with permission. TM & © 2004 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reserved. www.marvel.com. Super Heroes is a Co-owned registered Trademark.
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