Understanding Computer Security Dangers in the Digital Wild West

Today, more than ever, criminals are targeting computer systems in an attempt to wreak havoc. Complacency and ignorance, regarding security issues, are computer hacker's best friends. Computer Repairs Brisbane understands these risks and can help you implement a risk mitigation strategy. Some of the methods used to collect information about a system, network, and its users are: foot printing, scanning, and enumeration.

Foot printing is the methodical gathering of information about a company or individual's intranet, extra-net, internet, and remote access usage. Hackers exploit publicly available information like the name, address, and contact information for the party who registered the domain by using who's services. They harvest employee, vendor, and location details from the company's website. With an employees first and last names, hackers are often able to guess their user-names. More investigation of the employee on social networks will reveal a date of birth, children, spouses, and pet's names, home addresses, and phone numbers. Unfortunately, these are the very things that many people use as passwords.

Scanning is the electronic equivalent of casing a home or business for easy access. A burglar will check for unsecured windows and doors. Hackers search for unsecured networks by using ping sweeps, port scanning, and active operating system detection tools. If a hacker can access an unsecured port, they can exploit known vulnerabilities in your operating system or other application software.

Enumeration techniques seek out information about the services running on the network. Cyber criminals use banner grabbing to watch the output from remote applications. Applications like telnet send user-names and passwords across the network in plain text. Given the fact that many people use the same user-names and passwords for access to many different systems, this compromise can be devastating.

These are just a few of the methods used by hackers to document, assess, and attack your systems. Let Computer Repairs Brisbane be your first line of defense. Our technicians have the knowledge and skills to help you protect your network by implementing border protections, intrusion response and detection systems, and will provide you with the information that you need to make informed security policies.

George Pettit is a journalist and president of Computer Repairs Brisbane Group (CRBG). He is often writing about computer viruses, malware, web development and similar topics.

Home Networking in the Digital Age

When computers first became available to the general public, it was rare for any home to have more than one unit, let alone a network of computers. But as modern technology became cheaper, more accessible and within the reach of everyone, tech-savvy homes are now linking up their laptops and plugging in their PCs into home networks.

What is a home network?

A home network is simply a method of allowing computers to communicate with one another. If you have two or more computers in your home, a network can let them share:

� Files and documents

� An Internet connection

� Printers, print servers and scanners

� Stereos, TVs and game systems

� CD burners

To set up a home network, you'll need a few basic components including more than one computer, hardware such as a router and software, either built in to the operating system or as a separate application, to co-ordinate the exchange of information. You will also need a 'path' for the information to follow from one computer to another. This is usually supplied via a WiFi system. The two most popular home network types are wireless and Ethernet networks. In both of these types, the router does most of the work by directing the traffic between the connected devices. By connecting a router to your dial-up, DSL or cable modem, you can also allow multiple computers to share one connection to the Internet.

Any risks?

With any network, there are always risks. If all of your computers are connected to the same network, a virus uploaded onto one computer will infect all the other computers linked to the same system. This is why it is imperative that you install effective firewalls and anti-virus software into your network to protect your system from outside attacks.

Most routers combine wireless and Ethernet technology and also include a hardware firewall already built into the system, but you can increase your security by adding your own software protection. Software firewalls installed onto your computers block all incoming information by default and prompt you for permission to allow the information to pass. In this way, a software firewall can learn which types of information you want to allow into your network. It is advisable to regularly update your firewalls and anti-virus protection to keep hackers and malicious users at bay.

Ethernet and wireless networks each have advantages and disadvantages. Wired networks provide users with plenty of security and the ability to move lots of data very quickly. They are faster than wireless networks, and very affordable. However, with wired networks, the clue is in the name - you will have cables linking your network so if you're not happy about a house full of cables to connect your system, a wireless WiFi network may be a better and more user friendly option. The system itself may be slower, particularly if a computer is further away from the main router, but you do cut down the amount of hardware and cables needed to create the network in the first place.

Wireless networks are more susceptible to interference in the radio waves due to walls and distance of networked computers from the wireless router, but do allow you the freedom to utilise the system anywhere in the house (or even outside in the garden). Wireless networks are by far the most popular home networking system, despite some drawbacks and as the technology improves and routers become more powerful, are becoming the networking option of choice for the majority of home users.

IT247.com has one of the UK's largest catalogues of IT, consumer electronics and related accessories, at highly competitive prices and best availability. Buy Laptop Computers and Internet Security Products online at http://www.it247.com.

Alison Brundle
Design Co-Ordinator
alison.brundle@scc.com

The Digital Divide - The Advantages And Disadvantages Of The World Wide Web

The internet represents a world without boundaries, a digital domain both removed from and parallel to our own, where information of any kind can be discovered, downloaded or mail-ordered, and every desire, carnal or platonic, and interest is catered to at the push of a button. From its Cold War origins to the internet boom of the nineties, the World Wide Web has also been feared by those who are ignorant to what the net can offer, or are well aware.

The web did not truly blossom until the mid-nineties, when phone line suppliers and broadband companies began to capitalise on the foreseeable phenomenon. Within but a decade the net has outgrown its initial techno-geek user base and is now an integral part of Western society. Arguably, what was once defined as cyber-culture no longer exists; the net has been embraced by mainstream society and beyond. With internet access steadily expanding into developing countries, and over 1 billion people using the internet worldwide, further growth is inevitable.

The obvious benefit of online communication is that of remote access; real time conversation, email, 24 hr banking, and online shopping being several examples. Cyberspace presents a form of global communication that operates regardless of time or place, restricted only to the accessibility of internet access points. Handheld technology, such as WAP mobile phones and wireless connections, has increased this access furthermore, and broadband also offers a form of communication in which the distance or period of communication does not affect the cost.

The Web has presented us with a comprehensible online library, a decentralised information resource that via internet search engines, such as Google and Yahoo!, offers instant access to a vast amount of information. Increased bandwidth capacity has made access to digital media, such as Mp3s and video files, convenient and fast, and also brought about a certain preservation of digital information, a good example being ROM emulation, the copied images of retro video games that would no longer be available to the public outside of unauthorized distribution.

In the industrialised world, the Web has brought about the growth of a new form of journalism, and a freedom of speech unattainable through other mediums. The growth of weblogs/blogs, forums, newsletters and personal homepages has presented the user with an affordable way to voice their own concerns, views and interests. Unlike traditional magazines and newspapers, internet sites can survive without finances, and can present appeal to a niche market without marketing concerns. Online, every user can have their say; regardless of whether it is accurate, valid, or worth reading.

Withstanding the boom, and partial crash, of the dotcom enterprises of the late nineties, online shopping has broken numerous trading boundaries, and now provides the buyer with unlimited choices, regardless of location. Amazon provides search engines that are used to track rare books both new and old, and items such as international antiques and collectables can be tracked down with little effort. Mp3 albums and DVD quality video can purchasable and downloaded directly within the hour, eliminating postage costs and shipping times altogether. Though the large corporations arguably dominate the online market as they do the 'real world', smaller businesses and aspiring professionals have prospered from the low-cost advertising and small scale financing that the Web, and market-sites such as eBay, offer, and can effectively promote themselves alongside their conglomerate competitors by focussing on a specific market.

With this growth of online trading, companies are forever attempting new marketing methods. With many browsers now featuring automatic pop-up filters, the business world will test new ways to monitor potential clients. With companies finding new ways to monitor and exploiting search engines, user privacy is an increasing concern.

Despite this promise of communicational possibilities, the rift between the acceleration of access points in industrialised countries compared to that of developing countries is widening faster, with internet growth in the third world impeded by both financial and structural limitations, referred to as 'digital divide', an economic phenomenon that distinguishes developed from developing countries, where factors of geography, socio-economic status and ethnicity prove crucial.

Encouragingly, many developing countries are seeing the number of internet access points double each year, but another divide that looks less likely to close is the language barrier. With English the most requested language on the Web, and the majority of multilingual sites catering predominantly for the western languages, many minority languages have suffered online, impeded by the dominance of the Latin alphabet and QWERTY keyboard. Nevertheless, 35.6% of the world's internet users are based in Asia, with Chinese and Japanese being the second and third most frequent languages, respectively.

Unarguably the digital sceptic's greatest ammunition is the abundance of both easily accessible pornography and online crime. Porn is the Web's largest and most financially profitable industry, having flourished from the Web's lack of censorship and private nature, and the availability of sexually explicit sites to young children is a growing concern to many parents. Parental filters and adult verification filters are easily bypassed by computer literate youngsters. Though not technically illegal, many adult sites tread ambiguously, selling products and services from a country/state in which they are legal, to a consumer located where they are not.

Credit card fraud, privacy invasion and personal security are a constant concern to many internet users, with online criminals forever developing new ways to steal credit card details and bank information, despite the effectiveness of antivirus programs and firewalls. Scams such as 'phishing', in which the internet subscriber receives a seemingly legitimate email demanding their personal banking details, are increasing common.

Another widespread concern has been online piracy. With the music and film industries claiming to have lost billions from internet piracy, file sharing is a practice that has become increasingly commonplace despite the legal issues. The tension between protecting intellectual property and promoting creativity and the free flow of ideas is evident.

Whereas in the Western world there has been much debate over the benefits of a complete lack of censorship, in other regions such as the Middle East, the internet is considered a security threat by less democratic governments, and political and religious sites have been censored from the public by government controlled filters. With the People's Republic of China arresting individuals for accessing non-sanctioned websites, the antithesis of the Western attitude, one that is itself criticized for doing little to police the Web, where paedophilia and Nazism sites are rising. The net potentially allows those who would previously have be been observers to become participants.

All taken into account, it is easier to be sceptical than favourable. The greatest advantage that the Web has brought to the Western world, one that no number of concerns can detract from, is the level and range of free speech, globally decentralised and for the most part, unmonitored. This double-edged blade encompasses both the darkest depravity of the Web, and the broadening of democratic boundaries; for every opportunity online communication offers, exploitation is to be expected. Cyberspace offers a separate world that parallels our very own, for bettor or worse, and is all the more interesting because of it.

Carl Doherty created http://www.shelfabuse.com under supervision of his doctor, who conceived the criticism and categorisation of every film that Carl watches as a way of tackling his obsessive compulsive disorder. Carl has now watched 23 films, and is not entirely sure he liked any of them. Carl currently resides in Southend-on-Sea where he shares an abandoned warehouse with a buffy-tufted marmoset named Tautilus Samson. Together they have all sorts of adventures. He is currently completing his second non-fiction book How to Build a Quantum Flux Capacitor in 8 Easy Steps, the sequel to the bestselling Manipulating Time and Space on a Budget. Or maybe not.

Read more of Carl's comic, graphic novel, and film related features and new movie reviews at http://www.shelfabuse.com

A Basic Overview of Digital Network Security

Technology has changed the face of everything we do in our lives, both socially and professionally. Essentially every business has by now installed a computer system in order to store, send, and receive information. The usage of computers and networks requires a basic knowledge and understanding of security, and networks that store and maintain sensitive, confidential, or personal information typically have a high focus on security. Even the simple storage of emails and other archived documents requires a digital network security system.

The Importance of a Secure System

The importance of network security should not be minimized whether it is for a government organization or a large or small business. Intruders or hackers can create huge amounts of damage if they manage to get past the security buffer. These concerns require that all users of a network be aware and practice basic security measures. Every new day sees the creation of new security flaws and loopholes, so computer security systems must be kept consistently up to date to keep intruders out. The International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics reports that each new day introduces one million new security threats online.

Key Areas

Deterrence. By simply deterring hackers from trying to break into a network, you can prevent the costly damage that would occur from a breach, or attempted breach.

Prevention. Ensure up-to-date methods are in place to prevent any unauthorized access to the network. Authorizing special access, updating security systems, and utilizing communication encryption all work to prevent successful security breaches.

Detection. Logging access of the system will turn up any unauthorized access to the network and record the time and usage of the unauthorized user.

Flaw correction. A good security system is capable of putting measures in place to prevent known security flaws from reoccurring.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology states that network attackers have four main aims when they are breaching a system. They may do, or attempt to do, any or all of the following:

Intercept. This attacker attempts an unauthorized entry into the network system. He may use packet sniffing or information copying to achieve what is essentially eavesdropping on communications.

Interruption. This attacker's goal is to deny service availability. When these attacks are done successfully, network resources become universally unavailable.

Fabrication. This attack is basically a form of counterfeiting. A fabrication attack will bypass any authenticity checks and engage in mimicking and information impersonation.

Modification. This attack simply reroutes a particular user's information.

Digital network security system analysts are trained to manage both active and passive attacks. Active attacks disrupt a system and may include:

Reply
Service Denial
Masquerade
Modification

Passive attacks can be a bigger challenge to detect because they do not disrupt or change the information. They can take the form of transmission monitoring and traffic analysis.

Paul De Vizard is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about all things technical. This includes Network Monitoring Tools that provide Application Performance Monitoring for large corporations.

Digital Aches And Pains Increase Odds Of Data Loss For Today's Cyber-Retirees

North American retirees and seniors are embracing computers and technology in increasing numbers. It may be only to keep in regular contact with family and friends over long distances and share photos of their winter cruise. However, unlike their younger counterparts, they are less likely to take precautions against threats to their digital data.

In Canada, research by the federal government reveals that older adults are the fastest growing group of computer buyers and Internet users. In 1999, one quarter of households headed by a person 55-64 years old used the Internet from home. In the 65 and over age group, 10 per cent did. In fact, Internet use in the 65 and over age group is growing faster than in all other age groups.

Meanwhile, according to research by the PEW Internet & American Life project, 22 per cent of Americans 65 and older use the Internet, and the percentage of seniors who go online jumped by 47 per cent between 2000 and 2004. In January 2006, PEW found 34 per recent of Americans age 65 and older go online, up from 29 per cent in January 2005. That being, said, just 28 per cent of Americans age 70 and older go online - almost same percentage as the year before.

The most interesting and dynamic segment is the recent retirees or those approaching retirement in their 50s or 60s. They are unlikely to give up their wired ways and therefore will transform the wired senior stereotype. As this "silver tsunami" of Internet-loving Baby Boomers swamps the off-line senior population in the next 10 years, PEW predicts the demographic shift, paired with a rising tide of viruses, spyware, and other online threats, is cause for concern.

Retirees and seniors place themselves at greater risk of losing precious information stored on their computer. Just as many retirees who can't immediately recall something may blame it on a so-called "senior's moment", it's not just humans--young or old--who sometimes cannot recall the information stored in their "brains." When computers cannot recall or access the files electronically stored on them, computer users often panic.

That digital information could be e-mail messages sent and received, income tax returns prepared but not yet filed, the household budget maintained in a spreadsheet, a letter written to a municipal counselor protesting illegal parking on the street, research conducted on the family tree, or the expanding collection of photographs of grandchildren.

There are numerous causes of data loss:

o You experience power interruptions, power surges or a blackout causing your computer to shut down unexpectedly

o Your computer experiences a mechanical failure

o Your computer is contaminated with a virus or bug after a file is downloaded from the Internet

o Your software no longer works as it should

o Your saved information is deleted accidentally

o Your computer won't start up and only the infamous blue screen of death is visible on your screen.

Any and all of the aforementioned problems can cause digital information loss. These problems can be all but eliminated by taking a number of precautions to prevent the loss of important files:

o Regularly backup your data and check to make sure the backup information can be retrieved

o If possible, store your backups somewhere away from your home like a safety deposit box

o Buy USB drives for your kids or grandkids and save a copy of the photos to this small storage device and provide one to each of them

o Use anti-virus software and update it frequently to scan and screen all incoming e-mails especially those jokes that your brother-in-law keeps sending you with attachments

o Use power surge protectors since a power fluctuation can disrupt software, erase valuable data and damage the hard drive

o Maintain your computer in a dry, controlled environment free from dust

o Turn off your computer immediately if it makes any unusual noise.

If you're not comfortable with technology and prefer not to attempt recovery of your data with a Do-It-Yourself solution, you could ask your computer-savvy relative or friend to assist you. Or, you can seek the assistance of a data recovery specialist who can come to the rescue of your irreplaceable digital information.

Don't let digital aches and pains get you down. Enjoy the Cyber Years.

http://www.cbltech.com

Digital Security For Schools - Part 1

In 6 Steps to Success in Teaching with Technology, we stated that, "no subject was of more concern than security, when developing a teaching with technology strategy for your classroom". We stressed the importance educating students, parents and teachers about their individual responsibilities and of developing clear standards for the use of technology in the classroom and in the schools.

Two factions of thinking are developing around the question of digital security in schools. Remember, digital security refers to any electronic tool being endorsed and utilized by the school and school board. This applies to board, school and teacher websites but also software use, emerging tools like e-testing as well as day to day student use of technology

One suggestion put forward is e-security must be extremely rigorous in all aspects of the schools' virtual community. This makes sense when looking at cyber attacks on school websites, privacy of pictures and information, cyberbullying and student physical and emotional security. How far do we go? One school I am aware now bans the use of Youtube by students because of some of its content. Youtube does have some questionable content but is it not also a magnificent research and creative tool for students. What should we do?

Another avenue of thinking, be more flexible with security when it comes to student research and communication. This group believes there needs to be more individual responsibility in digital security. Teachers, boards and especially parents need to teach students "digital responsibilities". Many of them have open access to the web elsewhere. They must be taught these e-rules and guidelines from the earliest age. They must be e-responsible as they must be in other areas of life such as when among strangers, watching TV, talking on the phone or visiting a library.

Lucas Kent is an experienced educator and author of 6 Steps to Success in Teaching with Technology which in now available on Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com and many other online bookstores.

His website http://MrKent.Net - Teaching with Technology Made Simple is designed to help schools and educators implement technology effectively into their educational practices.

Feel free to visit the site and/or subscribe to our fantastic monthly newsletter at http://www.mrkent.net