Only end-users get pwn3d
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   Written by Israel Torres
   Wednesday, 28 December 2005

   It is very likely that every time you take a breath someone just got
   owned (0wn3d, pwn3d) - it is also likely the next breath could be you.
   The Internet is booming with zombies and bots and automated pieces of
   software that do their thing the minute you click on it for some reason
   or another. End-users blindly blame the authors of these nuisances
   because they do not know how things work. You and I could easily blame
   such infestation of Microsoft ownage on the user (because they refuse
   to read the manual), but I would like to expand the blame to the
   developers developing the legitimate software the end-users install on
   their systems. In my experience from all sides of "the system" I have
   come to an understanding that there are two very simple measures that
   are often ignored to make the Internet a safer place for everyone.

   No, I'm not talking about commercial antivirus scanners, spyware
   scanners, or even software firewalls. In fact I am sure they get a
   laugh every time they sell their products because their success is
   based from ignorance of the people they are selling their products to.
   The fact is they don't want you to know the information I am about to
   reveal because the more people that act upon this, the less people may
   decide to renew their subscriptions! Sure having an AV is nice as an
   assurance that everything is running well but they are expensive and
   hog a lot of the limited resources your machine may have.

   Unnecessary privileges

   How many times have you tried to install a piece of Windows software
   without being an administrator? Unfortunately for some of you this may
   seem like a rhetorical question - it isn't. The most common reason
   users get infected with something is because they are running with
   administrator privileges. Microsoft should at least actively advise
   users that they shouldn't use the administrator account once the
   machine has been configured. They most likely don't because they don't
   want to bother with support calls because people can't install the copy
   of Tetris they downloaded off the Internet. Developers on the other
   hand often require their users to be running with administrative
   privileges to make it easier for their development plan to be tested
   against. This is a very bad practice and should be stopped at all
   costs. If you are installing an application such as a game or
   spreadsheet program there is no reason why you elevated privileges to
   do so.

   What you should do is create a restricted user for your every day
   account and give the Administrator account a really long mixed case
   alphanumeric password then tuck it away somewhere where it won't easily
   be found. If a program insists on being installed with Administrator
   privileges investigate as to why (and make sure it makes sense). It
   most likely isn't stated in the manual or release notes - call them up
   and demand to know why otherwise return their product for an
   alternative that does not.

   NTFS

   The second place winner for getting owned is using volumes that allow
   any process to run willy-nilly around the file system - reading and
   writing whatever its master has programmed it to do. Again developers
   somehow find the need to spew files everywhere instead of keeping them
   in their own program files directory. Usually because the development
   team doesn't bother to research how to find their paths correctly to
   run the application they've written. So then kludge upon kludge clogs
   the file system by installing files that shouldn't be there, and often
   left behind and accessible by others. For example it doesn't make sense
   to save private data into the Windows temp directory - yet it is done.
   This allows another program to come by scoop it up and extrapolate the
   information from it at will

   To enable tighter control on your computer it would also be a great
   idea to be using NTFS volumes instead of FATx volumes. If your volumes
   aren't already NTFS you can use the Windows convert tool to get the
   conversion done. Drop to a command prompt and type convert /? For more
   information on the usage (see image below)

   Convert to NTFS
   [mini_fig1.gif]

   Ownage takes place because these simple measures are not enabled by
   default, and end-users skip over these two extra steps in a rush to
   surf the 'net. Next thing they know they clicked on a picture of Paris
   Hilton and their cable modem lights haven't stopped blinking since!
   Just using these two measures to tighten your system up could REALLY
   help in stopping the serious havoc (spam, trojans, viruses) there is
   out there right now! Spread this information to everyone you know and
   you will see the Internet will become a better place.

   Stop being an end-user and become a smart-user today!

   Keeping it 'rael,
   Israel Torres