Strong Password

Strong Password

Picking a strong password is important to protect your safety on the Internet. A password is used to verify the right person is signing onto the computer. So the password a person choses has to be one that only they can figure out. The main reason people that are unauthorized can access a system protected by a password is because they guessed the person's password.  If someone picks a weak password another person can guess their password and can access the person's information and can start to use an account.  They can access your e-mail, bank account, and private data. Even worse, they can do illegal things in your name and you can get the blame for it.

To protect yourself from a weak password there are certain guidelines you can follow. You can make sure your password is long.  Your password should at least be 6 characters and 2 of those characters numerical.  Try to use numbers, letters, punctuation, upper and lower case. Do not use personal information in a password that can be easily guessed. So avoid your first and last name, phone number, address, geographical or biographical names. Also, do not use the password that is your account number.  A good password has both upper and lower cases.  Passwords should be easy enough so you do not have to write them down. They should be able to type quick so no one can watch over your shoulder when you type in your password. They should be seven to eight characters long.  
http://wolfram.org/writing/howto/password.html

Wireless networking precautions

Wireless Networking Precautions

Wi-Fi is been offered in more and more public places.  America currently has more than 220,000 Wi-Fi hotspots.  Which we see as a good thing but can also come with many security risks. When you are using public Wi-Fi people in the same hotspot may be able to open and read your messages that are "unencrypted" in the airwaves.  Even if the network does use encryption are not always completely safe.  People who know how to set up free Wi-Fi can easily do this and then hack into people that use this Wi-Fi laptops. These people can then obtain people's personal information or passwords.  Once you use this fake free Wi-Fi your computer can automatically join it in the future. 

  There are certain pre-cautions a person can take to protect themselves when using public wireless networking.  First, you can make sure your computer has a hardware firewall. Second, use public Wi-Fi just for internet browsing. So do not use public Wi-Fi to purchase things or any other thing that someone could access your personal information from.  Third, when you are in a public place look around for signs that say what the Wi-Fi is.  Only join this Wi-Fi and no other one that might be available to use.  Fourth, turn off shared folders so hackers can not hack into your computer and upload malware to your computer.  Lastly, change your Windows Wireless Network Connection properties from "Automatic Connection" to "On Demand".  By doing this you can avoid your computer by automatically joining the unsafe Wi-Fi.

 http://www.support.com/blog/post/7-simple-precautions-you-should-take-when-using-public-wi-fi#sthash.fnEmWh59.dpuf

Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing is used to share computer resources rather than having local services or personal devices.  In the computer world "cloud" is used to mean the Internet.  So cloud computing means computing over the Internet to different services over the Internet.  Cloud Computing is considered an on demand service that is very appealing to computer data centers. The cloud allows the centers to operate like the Internet and computer resources are able to be available and shared virtual resources in a secure way. 

The goal of cloud computing is apply high quality computing power.  Cloud computing is used in the military and for research purposes.  Cloud computing is run on low-cost consumer PC technology to use networks of large group servers.  The PC technology usually is specialized in connections so they can send data-processing chores.  When the IT infrastructure is shared it "contains large pools of systems that are linked together".  Virtualization techniques are often used to maximize cloud computing.

http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/cloud_computing.asp

 

Internet Filters and Parental Control

Internet Filters and Parental Control

Internet Filters are software tools that monitor what is content from the web can be seen on certain computers or networks.  They can be used on home computers to monitor who children can talk to on the internet or even how long they can be on the computer. Internet Filters can be effective to make sure kids don't see inappropriate images. They are used in a home or school setting.  They can block certain sites they do not want children to be able to open.  For example, at my high school they blocked facebook and twitter on school computers.  But, it isn't just used for kids.  It can also be used at work.  Companies can block certain websites they don't want their employees to be on.  They also can be used to warn you about suspicious websites or even avoid spam mail. 

 

Parental Control is similar to Internet Filters.  It blocks what children can view or even do.  They control what websites children can go on to avoid children seeing inappropriate things.  They are also used to control the time children spend on the computer.  They can even control the certain time of the day the children use the computer.  Parents can set certain age appropriate game levels for their children.  So children can only play the games appropriate for their age level. Parental Control is used to control what children can run or download onto their computer.

http://www.microsoft.com/security/resources/internetfilters-whatis.aspx

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/Parental_Controls.html 

Radio Frequency Identification

Radio Frequency Identification

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is used in a wireless system and has to components to it.  The two components are tags and readers. The reader is a device that has multiple antennas that emit radio waves and receive the signals back to the RFID tags. Tags communicate radio waves and other messages to people nearby that can either be passive or active. Passive RFID are run by the readers and do not operate on batteries. Active RFID are powered by batteries.  Readers can be mobile or mounted on walls. They can even be built into household things such as, cabinets.

RFID systems use radio waves to transfer data.  RFID are even used in a hospital or healthcare setting.  RFID provides benefits to healthcare and hospitals for a variety of reasons.  They are used for equipment tracking, inventory control, out of bed or fallen detection, and monitoring patients.  It is even used to make sure the patient gets the correct medication they need and prevent the distribution of drugs people do not need or should not be having.  The FDA values RFID and does not have any objections to it.

http://www.fda.gov/RadiationEmittingProducts/RadiationSafety/ElectromagneticCompatibilityEMC/ucm116647.htm

DIGITAL IMAGE STEGANOGRAPHY

DIGITAL IMAGE STEGANOGRAPHY

Digital Steganography "is used in graphic files, HTML, sound files, video, and text files, for example, but image files are favored and referred to as stego-images."  When using digital steganography information is embedded and hidden in images.  When looking at the images you do not see the information.  It was believed that digital image steganography was used in Al-Qaeda leading up to September 11, 2001 on the attack to the United States.  It is also used for people that are being censored by the government.  

 

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-digital-steganography.htm

Digital Steganography is also used in hidden digital watermarks.  There is a special program that is used to hide messages in digital watermarks.   Certain digital steganography softwares are better than others at concealing messages. People can be trained in digital image steganography if they would like.    

 

Computer Forensics

Computer Forensics

 

"Computer forensics is the analysis of information contained within and created with computer systems and computing devices, typically in the interest of figuring out what happened, when it happened, how it happened, and who was involved." It can be used to figure out why a computer system is failing or who misused the system.  Computer Forensics is also when people search to see what crimes people have committed on computer systems. Computer Forensic people want the questions of who, what, why, when, and how answered.  They look into deleted files and "fragments of data that can be found in the space allocated for existing files - known by computer forensic practitioners as slack space."  Computer Forensics requires certain skills and tools.

 

People that are interested in Computer Forensics can go into a variety of professions.  They can get into law enforcement work.  Examples of law enforcement work would be, the FBI, CIA, or other investigative agency. These jobs do their own investigation work. Another option is to be involved in the information security.  People can also work for a company that specializes in computer forensics and/or electronic discovery. The last option is to start your own business where you do computer forensics and consulting with people.

 

 

http://www.cybersecurityinstitute.biz/forensics.htm

 

 

 

Packet Sniffer

Packet Sniffer

Packet sniffers have been used for many years to examine data packets that pass through network devices.  Packet sniffers' job is to sniff out what is being sent in the packet. A computer usually only looks at packets that are directly addressed to them.  When packet sniffers are set up to a computer they are set to "promiscuous mode" and look at everything that is sent through the computer.  It even looks at things that are not addressed to them. 

 

A packet sniffer can be set up two different ways, either filtered or unfiltered.  The unfiltered captures all of the packets that go through the computer. Filtered captures packets with specific information.  Packets that contain the information the filtered sniffer was searching for is copied onto a hard disk as they pass through. The copies it makes can be analyzed by specific patterns or information.  The packet sniffers are used mostly for security purposes.

  

 

http://www.howstuffworks.com/workplace-surveillance2.htm