MONTANA NETWORK SECURITY CONFERENCE AT MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY OUTLINES COMPUTER SECURITY ISSUESSecurity expert says all computer users must guard cyberspace - billingsgazette.comSecurity expert says all computer users must guard cyberspace
By MARY PICKETT
Of The Gazette Staff

Howard Schmidt doesn't use the words "cyber-terrorists."

That term implies a well-organized group of foreign terrorists working to damage computer systems in the United States, Schmidt said.

In reality, disruptions to Internet and computer networks can come from many places, both foreign and domestic.


Schmidt, who is in charge of information security for the online auction company eBay, was in Billings Thursday to speak to a conference on computer network security at the Montana State University-Billings College of Technology.

The conference, which drew 165 computer technicians and business people from all over Montana and Wyoming, continues today

The conference, which drew 165 computer technicians and business people from all over Montana and Wyoming, continues today.

Schmidt is a former cyber security adviser to the White House, chief security officer for Microsoft Corp., FBI employee and police officer in Chandler, Ariz.

College of Technology Dean John Cech called Schmidt "one of the giants of cyber-security" and a pioneer in computer forensics, the art of tracking an unwanted intrusion into a computer system back to a single computer or person.

Computers have become part of everything we do, especially over the last decade since the proliferation of the Internet, Schmidt said.

Everything from electrical lights in our homes to water flowing from faucets are controlled in some way by computers.

Although many Americans worry about foreign terrorist threats to computer systems, attacks can come from anywhere.

In 2001, a disgruntled employee of an Australian water facility released sewage into a river in that country after successfully hacking into the facility's computer system on his 45th try.

Companies making computer hardware and software didn't use to consider security as a priority, because they were busy meeting consumers' demand for easier-to-use machines, Schmidt said.

That has changed, and now those companies are turning out more secure products.

So far, progress is being made on keeping the Internet relatively safe from large-scale attacks. Considering that more than 800 million people use the Internet every day, disruptions affect a relatively few number of users, Schmidt said.

Although it would be impossible to correct every problem spot in computer systems in the country, some things can be done keep networks secure.

Because the complexity of computer systems makes them vulnerable to security breaches, security measures to protect them have to made easier to use.

Employees and other computer users also must be taught to follow proper procedures to keep the network safe, such as not bringing laptops from home to plug into the system or writing passwords on sticky notes and posting them in public places.

Asked about the security of eBay and other online businesses many Americans use, Schmidt said that the Internet is safer than it ever has been.

Most identity theft still occurs in the physical world and not over the Internet.

Computer users need to use common sense to protect themselves and business transactions.

Use only well-known, reputable shopping sites, for example. Check with the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission, which list fraudulent sites.

Beware of e-mail asking for confidential information even if they appear to come from legitimate companies or agencies.

Home computer users have an important role to play in keeping the Internet safe from attack, Schmidt said.

A computer without a firewall hooked to the Internet by a broadband connection can be used by intruders to launch attacks on other computers. That can be particularly damaging if that home computer is linked to a person's business or a university computer system.

"We all have to do our part to secure our piece of cyper-space," Schmidt said.

To learn more about how to protect home computers, go to these websites:


For information about computer security go to: www.ftc.gov/infosecurity.


For consumer tips, go to: www.staysafeonline.info.


For links to personal firewalls, go to: www.personalfirewallday.org.