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Ashland authors target Mac security Mail Tribune / Drew Fleming Alan Oppenheimer of Open Door Networks in Ashland co-wrote a book, "Internet Security for Your Macintosh: A Guide for the Rest of Us," intended for home computer users. Oppenheimer said the relatively safe Macintosh will become more vulnerable to hackers in coming years as more Mac users use Mac OS X, based on the UNIX operating system, which hackers tend to favor. Even Macs can be invaded by hackers By GREG STILES Home computer users with permanent connections to the Internet might be more vulnerable to hackers than they realize. Even users who don't keep their checking, credit card and other financial information on their computers could be targeted by someone wishing to cause chaos on the Internet. "The No. 1 concern is that someone will take over your machine and use it to attack somewhere else," says Alan Oppenheimer, founder and president of Open Door Networks Inc., of Ashland. He is co-author of a book that teaches computer users how to protect themselves. "Hackers who break into your computer can either do bad things to the computer, or use the computer to do bad things to others' computers. Regardless, they'll be running software on your computer that can cause slowdowns, crashes and worse." Businesses spend millions to fend off hackers but home users often leave themselves unprotected. On Tuesday, Open Door announced the release of the first book dedicated to Macintosh Internet security, "Internet Security for Your Macintosh: A Guide for the Rest of Us." The 404-page book retails for $19.99 and includes four main sections: general security principles, securing Internet services; enhancing overall security; and advanced topics specific to Mac users. " 'Hacker' once referred to anyone that was good with a computer," Oppenheimer says. "More recently, it's come to refer to someone with skills to create problems for others over the Internet." High-speed ISPs, such as the @Home system used by Charter Communications or AT&T, attract hackers. "The more speed a hacker has," Oppenheimer says, "the more hacking he can do." The book reflects Open Door's five years as a Macintosh Internet security company. "Macs have historically been more secure, because most hackers are looking for Windows machines," says Oppenheimer, who collaborated with Open Door's lead technical writer, Charles Whitaker, on the project. In a survey conducted earlier this year, a third of the attacks were against UNIX systems - something hackers know well, Oppenheimer said. Another 25 percent of attacks were against Windows systems. Significantly, Oppenheimer said, only 10 percent were against Macs. But as more Macs migrate to the new UNIX-based OS X operating system, that will change. * * * Who's There? Firewall Adviser software has been available for Mac OS 8 and 9 since January. It helps users analyze, investigate and respond to access attempts to their Macs. The new version of Who's There? works with Symantec's Norton Personal Firewall for Mac OS X, which is based on technology licensed from Open Door. Features include: * All logged access attempts, security risk level and the Internet address and host name of the accessor. * A summarization of access attempts by service type and accessor IP address. * Built-in information about the most common attacks and their impact on Mac OS X. * The ability to determine details of the accessor's network, including administrator name, address, phone number and e-mail, while plotting the administrator's address on a world map. Reach business reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.