Learn Computer Network Management Online

Almost all businesses and organizations would cease to run properly if their computer system crashed or had problems. This reliability on computers has created a career with the main responsibility of maintaining a businesses computer system. Students can enter training from a number of online accredited colleges to learn how to maintain a computer system through computer network management programs.

To understand what a computer network manager does on a regular basis students need to understand what computer networking is. A basic definition is the connection and correspondence between two or more computers or wireless devices. The goal here is to allow computers to interact with each other and share information. This is why the work of a professional is extremely vital to a business or company. Without this connection work cannot be done properly and business goals would not be met. Through specific educational study students learn how to manage computer systems through a variety of topics and courses. Schooling centers on the ability of students to grasp the concept and skills of how to ensure proper function of computer networks. Students learn through online training how to examine, create, implement, and follow through on computer networks to help a business run smoothly. The overall knowledge of professional work can be learned through a number of schooling options. With the complexity of what students have to accomplish online learning can be ideal because students work at a personal pace and study on their own schedule.

A great way to begin education or to see if this career path is a good fit is to enter a certificate program. Certificate programs allow students to learn a specific concept through a relatively short amount of time. Programs can last anywhere from a couple of weeks to six months. For students that know they want to pursue a career in this profession education is available from an associate's degree to a master's degree. Further graduate education at the PhD level can be entered at some colleges under computer sciences.

To begin learning about the continually advancing field of computer network management students can enter a regular two-year associate's degree. Study trains students how to implement safe networks by protecting a company's computer infrastructure. Curriculum may include a course on networks and data communications. Subjects covered may include procedures and elements needed to maintain a company's network, which is applied directly to a company's goal. Main areas of concern include network design and security management. The skills learned can be transferred into a business setting or applied to further education.

Finding a well-rounded program is essential to ensure proper education. When searching out schools students should look for an accredited college that teaches them how to construct and provide continual support to a network through its software. Different portions of learning should include how to assess and treat network problems. Students should walk away with in depth knowledge on how to maintain network security, manage data, and put into action preventive measures to safeguard a company's computer network.

Learning how to be a part of this industry has never been easier with the ability to train online. Join the professionals in an expanding career by finding an accredited online college program that provides a great overall study path.

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERIC OUTLINE and may or may not depict precise methods, courses and/or focuses related to ANY ONE specific school(s) that may or may not be advertised at PETAP.org.

Copyright 2010 - All rights reserved by PETAP.org.

Renata McGee is a staff writer for PETAP.org. Locate Online Computer Network Management Schools providing the education you're looking for at PETAP.org, your Partners in Education and Tuition Assistance Programs.

Computer Schools In New York

New York is the business and education hub of America and has a wide network of educational institutions. There are a large number of institutes offering computer courses in New York due to the increased demand for Information Technology professionals in every field.

The Briarcliffe College in Bethpage offers courses in Computer Information Systems, for Computer Applications Specialist, Networking and Computer Technology and Office Technologies. While the Briarcliffe College at Patchogue offers Computer Information Systems and Computer Applications Specialist courses. The Chubb Institute in NYC offers courses in Network Security, Graphic Design, and Computer Technician course. The DeVry University of Long Island has courses in Computer Engineering, Information Systems, Information Technology, and Networking. The ITT Technical Institutes are situated in Albany, Syracuse & Buffalo. They offer several technology-oriented programs and also online programs in Information Technology, Web Design, and Computer applications.

The Katharine Gibbs School in Melville and in New York offer courses in Computer Network Operations, Computer Technical Support, Digital Media Communications, and Computer Programming for students. The Skidmore College CCI in White Plains has courses in Oracle Database Administration, Enterprise Applications Developer, PC & Networking Support, PC & Networking Administration, PC & Networking Design, and PC & Networking Design with Security. The Branford Hall Career Institute in Bohemia offers Digital Computer Technology and Computerized Office Technology. The Suburban Technical School in Hempstead has a course in Digital Computer Technology. The College of Westchester at White Plains has courses in Computer Applications Management, Computer Network Administration, Multimedia Development and Management, Computer Applications Specialist, Computer Networking Specialist, Microsoft Office Specialist Program, Multimedia Technology, and Word Processing Specialist.

There are other computer training schools also available that specialize in other allied training skills. There are Computer Repair Schools, Computer Animation Schools, Computer Graphics Schools, Computer Science Schools, and Computer Programming Schools.

Computer Schools provides detailed information on Computer Schools, Computer Graphic Schools, Computer Training Schools, Computer Science Schools and more. Computer Schools is affiliated with Microsoft Certifications [http://www.i-Certification.com].

Computer Forensics and Legal Aspects

The rate of crimes on internet and networks is increased to an alarming state by hackers, contractors, intruders and employees. Laws are enforced and computer forensics is practiced to avoid and prevent these crimes. Using computer forensics investigators use latest techniques of science and technology to find some evidence against crimes. The evidence will be collected for legal purposes when criminal matters are dealt. Investigation by using latest techniques of science and technology along with computer sciences to collect evidence in criminal and civil courts is called computer forensics. Experts use advanced tools to recover deleted, corrupted or damaged files from hard discs, flash drives and other storage media. A complete examination of windows registry, drives, cookies, deleted files, emails and all other relevant locations is done to find any clue to prosecute the case in law courts.

The first step in collecting evidence is to obtain warrant to search the suspected system. This warrant includes not only seizing and investigating the suspected computer but any devices connected with the crime are also included in it. A printer, scanner or any other device may be used with computer in making crime so these devices are also seized for investigation. Person who examines the computer system is not only an IT expert but a detective. He detects clues to find out the story or details of the crime. The main aim of an investigator or expert is to find out evidence not the culprit. Using computer forensics large amounts of money are recovered by following the law suits in civil and criminal courts.

Computer forensics specialist revealed frauds, crimes and corruptions in insurance companies, criminal prosecutors, large corporations and law enforcement office. The standards, methods and laws of computer forensics are different in different countries. Some evidence is acceptable in some countries but not in others while dealing with crimes at international levels. There is no boundary of internet so it is a problem while investigating and collecting evidences because different countries have different laws.

Personnel, Network administrators and security staff should have knowledge about computer forensics and its legal aspects. An expert should have authority to monitor and collect evidence related to intrusions and computer crimes. The use of security tools should be legal and according to the policies of the company and rules of the country. Computer forensics is a new discipline so the use of existing laws is instable while prosecuting computer crimes. Website of United States Department of Justice's Cyber Crime is the reliable source of information and rules to apply it. Standards of computer forensics and list of recent cases which are in proceeding are given on the website. Evidences are collected in a way which is accepted by the court. Laws are being approved in the favor of personal data security in organizations.

Organizations have to prove that they have applied necessary securities. So when data is theft or affected then there will not be any lawsuit on the company if proper security applications and policies are installed and implemented.

Computer security law has three areas which one should know. First is in United States Constitution; it protects against unreasonable search, attacks and self-incrimination. These were written before problems occurred but tell how to practice them.

In the second area anyone practicing computer forensics should know the effect of three U.S. Statutory laws.

Wiretap Act

Pen Registers and Trap and Trace Devices Statute

Stored Wired and Electronic Communication Act

During the practice of computer forensics violations of any one of the above statutes lead to fine or imprisonment. If a company feels any doubt about that it has committed mistake it should consult with its attorney.

In third area U.S. Federal rules about computer crimes must be understood. There are two areas which affect cyber crimes

1. Authority to collect and monitor data

2. Admissibility of collection methods

If network or system administrators know about the legal and technical complexities of computer forensics or they are able to preserve critical data of the organization then it would be an asset of the organization.

Radha Kishan is currently advertising for a computer forensics provider company whose website is www.cyberevidence.com

Computer Viruses and How to Deal With Them

1- What is a computer virus:

A computer virus is a software program which is able to replicate itself and spread from one infected computer to another. The infected objects can be system, program or document files. After infecting your computer, it might slow it down, damage the contents of the infected files, mislay the data or defect your computer systems normal operation.

The virus can also use your computer to propagate illegal adverts and send spam emails that exploit security (adWare), steal your personal information such as bank account number, credit card number etc. (SpyWare). Some types of viruses might use your computer to create a bot net (virtual computer network) to attack other server systems and websites etc.

2- Type of viruses on Windows based computers:

There are a number of computer viruses that can impede the functioning of your computer. Here are some of the different types of viruses:

Trojan Horse: It is an email virus that is created by a file attached to the email. If opened, it may scour your hard drive for any personal and financial information such as your social security, account and PIN numbers. Once it has collected your info, it is sent via the internet to a hacker or thief.

Macro Virus: It is a computer virus that infects the Visual Basic language documents for applications such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel etc. This type of virus can cause damage (such as removing data on the hard disk for example).

Worms: It is a program that has the ability to self-replicate itself. It can move from one computer to another and replicate itself in your computer system then spread hundreds of its copies to other computers that might cause wide spread damage.

Rootkit Virus: It is a program that is possible to cover the processes, files and data in the computer Registry (a database which is used to save Windows's system and program settings). Rootkit is usually used to hide the activities of viruses and processes which harm your computer. It is to help a hacker to control the system.

Bootsector Virus: A virus which attaches itself to the first part of the hard disk that is read by the computer upon bootup. These are normally spread by floppy disks.

Logic Bombs: It is a program that is used to send many data to the same email address and overwhelm the system or block the server connection. It is also used to threaten others (for example mail bomb etc.).

Memory Resident Virus: This type of virus dwells in the RAM. From there it can overcome and interrupt the operations executed by the system. It can corrupt files and programs that are opened, closed, copied, renamed etc.

Multipartite Virus: These viruses spread in multiple ways. It might vary in its action depending upon where it's installed and the presence of certain files.

3- How do you get a virus and Prevention:

These are 3 common ways that your computer may get infected by viruses:

Email: You get an email from a person that contains one or more viruses. If the attachment is opened, the viruses may infect files in the computer. The viruses might also send emails to people from your email address book or email folders automatically. So, you should not open unknown attachments in emails or do a virus scanning after opening them.

Internet: If you download an exe file or a data file from the Internet or other shared networks, viruses might be transferred to your computer. Sometimes the free software programs on the Internet have viruses especially if downloading from sources such as Torrent or Usenet news groups. Therefore, if necessary, you should download files from trusted resources.

Peripheral devices: The devices such as MP3 player, USB thumb drive, Memory card or CD Rom are also means for spreading viruses. So, remember to do a virus scan for them after they are connected to your computer.

4- Symptoms of virus infection:

These are some of symptoms which may indicate virus activity:

� Your computer has unusual activity (e.g. programs crashing a lot or running slowly).

� Messages or images (unrelated to your current task) come up unexpectedly.

� A program may start up unexpectedly.

� Your firewall informs that a certain application is trying to connect to the Internet (unrelated to what you are working on).

� Your friends say that they get emails from you but you did not send any to them.

� You receive many system error announcements. (Note: This may also come from another activity such as a hardware problem or genuine system error)

� Windows does not run when you start up your computer. (Note: This may also come from a hard disk problem)

� You realise that folders and files are removed or changed.

� You find that there's an access to your hard disk (one of the small light is blinking) even though there are no programs running.

� Your web browser has abnormal indications, for example it opens an unknown web page or you cannot close the browser tabs.

� Advertising pages pop up, desktop wallpaper changes.

� Exe files occur and have the same names as the folders.

� On the right corner of your computer, there is a small symbol written "Your computer is infected" or "Virus Alert" etc.

� When you open an USB thumb drive, unknown files such as Autorun.inf, New Folder.exe etc. appear.

� Cannot press Control + Alt + Delete (Task Manager) and you are warned that Administrator banned it.

� Folder Options disappears.

� Your computer keeps restarting when you try to shut it down.

� You cannot log in your Windows account with the right logon details.

5- What to do when infected:

� Make sure that your Antivirus software is the latest update. If necessary, download the update from another computer and update it manually.

� Disconnect from the Internet or Local Area Network (LAN).

� If Windows is not running, start it in Safe Mode (when turning on your computer, keep pressing F8 as soon as the computer starts running, then choose 'Safe Mode' from the Menu).

� Run a full Anti-Virus scan.

� If your computer is quite infected but you have important files or documents on it, do a full scan with your updated Antivirus software. If it finds viruses, delete all of them then open each ancillary disk (USB, Thumb drive etc.) and look for Autorun.inf files and remove them. Afterward, restart your computer.

� If you have any difficulties with finding a way to remove bad programs, refer to your Internet Security Software Supplier to look for an essential dedicated tool to remove them.

� If you find a bad program, follow the instructions of your Internet Security Software Supplier. Good Security software will provide with options such as disabling infected files, isolating possibly infected files, Worms and Trojans removal.

� If you do not have any important files on your computer disks, format the disk and then re-install your Windows and applications. This is quite an extreme and lengthy process and it's recommended to back up your computer settings prior to commencing. When finished, do not open on any ancillary disks (USB, Thumb drives etc.) yet, install the Antivirus software, do a full scan, find Autorun.inf files and remove them. Restart your computer after that.

� If the Anti-Virus software does not find anything, your computer is possibly not infected. Check your hardware and software that is installed on your computer meets the hardware specifications of the Operating System. Delete unnecessary or unwanted programs to save resources and ensure you have updated your Windows OS via Windows Update.

Lily Tran
http://www.computhai.com/

Find an Information Technology Consultant

This paper is offered to provide an extended overview of the variety of consulting work completed by IT consultants and the concerns they can address. This will allow you to discover IT difficulties your company might experience and help you identify a consultant who can achieve real technical solutions.

Information Technology Consultants help corporations and clients achieve their business goals by designing custom software, creating network solutions, and testing systems to ensure that these new business systems are properly implemented. Information Technology Consultants (or Systems Consultants) work with clients to understand how they can best leverage technology to achieve the ultimate strategic goals of the firm. IT consultants have highly developed technical skills to enable them to implement effective business solutions.

IT is the study, design, development, implementation and management of computer-based information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware. IT deals with the use of computers and software to convert, store, protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve vital business process information.

Today's IT issues need to resolve more than just general functionality problems. There are numerous other potential challenges that need to be factored into the equation. Expandability, accessibility, network design, data protection and system efficiency are some of the fundamental pieces that will come into play in the initial planning of an IT project. You will need to engage a highly qualified team of System Engineers that can take on your unique functional issues. They will be able to offer solutions from the original RFI (Request for Information) all the way through to the ultimate software systems execution.

It's possible you may be able to identify a single consultant who would be able to undertake your entire network systems re-engineering, but more frequently you will need to hire an experienced team from a quality consulting firm to fully undertake expansive IT solutions. For many mid-sized and probably most small companies, the option of taking on full-time employees with the required experience and skill sets is not a valid cost-effective option. For this reason the most prudent solution is to take on a qualified consulting team to undertake the job, thus avoiding the burden and expense of hiring full time personnel.

You will need to find consultants with the right background that exactly match your requirements. For example, boutique consulting firms will have the required breadth of skills and abilities to help small businesses in all areas of IT. They will have consultants who specialize in network installation, support, help desk, information security and more. Whether you need help with strategy, project management or implementation, the right IT consultants will be able to give you expert guidance.

IT Consultants perform a variety of duties from installing applications to designing computer networks and information databases. Some of the most common functions IT professionals perform include data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as the management and administration of entire complex software systems. Today, the term information technology has expanded to include many different aspects of computing and technology, for example, communications technologies are frequently combined to further manipulate, store, communicate, and disseminate information.

IT consulting includes a significant number of major sub-categories such as hardware, software, web design etc. Software covers a wide choice of products and technologies developed using different techniques like programming languages, scripting languages or microcode. Different types of software include web pages developed by technologies like HTML, Perl, PHP and XML. Desktop applications like Microsoft Word or OpenOffice are developed by technologies like C, C++, and Java. Software development can be used to enhance numerous different applications. For example, one of the most commonly used query languages for relational databases is SQL. SQL (Structured Query Language) is one of the most frequently used database computer languages designed for managing data in relational database management systems.

It's not easy to know the best way to get expert help with your IT headaches, and to be sure, you should turn to an authority to help find well qualified consultants. Your best solution will be in using an online service which will be an ideal resource for connecting you with experts in IT consulting who will be able to help with your own unique situation. A reputable online service will assign a personal account manager who will work with you directly to make sure you have defined the problem correctly and from there, they will be able to make sure you engage the right consultant to get you the right results and the best value.

Neil Walker has specialized in matching up clients and consultants for over 8 years. ConsultantFORCE is the ultimate "Marketplace for Expertise". Find a Consultant today who will solve your Information Technology headaches.

WAP Architecture - Wireless Session Protocol

Wireless session protocol (WSP) provides a means for the organized exchange of content between cooperating client/server applications. Its functions are to:

? Establish a reliable session from the client to the server and release the session in an orderly manner.

? Agree on a common level of protocol functionality using capability negotiation.

? Exchange content between client and server using compact encoding.

? Suspend and resume the session.

? Provide HTTP 1.1 functionality.

? Exchange client and server session headers.

? Interrupt transactions in process.

? Push content from server to client in an unsynchronized manner.

? Negotiate support for multiple, simultaneous asynchronous transactions.

The core of the WSP design is a binary form of HTTP. Consequently, all methods defined by HTTP 1.1 are supported. In addition, capability negotiation can be used to agree on a set of extended request methods, so that full compatibility to HTTP applications can be retained. HTTP content headers are used to define content type, character set encoding, language, etc., in an extensible manner. However, compact binary encoding is defined for the well-known headers to reduce protocol overhead.

The life cycle of a WSP is not tied to the underlying transport protocol. A session can be
suspended while the session is idle to free up network resources or save battery power. A lightweight session re-establishment protocol allows the session to be resumed without the overload of full-blown session establishment. A session may be resumed over a different bearer network.

WSP allows extended capabilities to be negotiated between peers (as an example this allows for both high-performance, feature-full implementation as well as simple, basic, and small implementations). WSP provides an optimal mechanism for attaching header information to the acknowledgment of a transaction. It also optionally supports asynchronous requests so that a client can submit multiple requests to the server simultaneously. This improves utilization of air time and latency as the result of each request can be sent to the client when it becomes available.

Source of Information : Elsevier Wireless Networking Complete 2010

What is Security Vulnerability?

Windows Security Vulnerability is the bug appearing during the concrete function of the hardware, software and Agreement, or in the system security policy, which enable the attackers to unauthorizedly access or damage the system. Let's take some examples, such as the logic errors existing in Intel Pentium chip, the programming errors in the earlier version of Sendmail, the weaknesses in the authentication way of NFS Agreement, the problem of Unix system administrator setting anonymous FTP service without correct configuration, etc. All these errors or problems are likely taken advantage by attackers and threaten the system security, so that they can be considered as system security vulnerability.

Relation and time-related features between security vulnerability and specific system environment:

1. Windows vulnerability may have impact on a large number of software or hardware devices, including the system itself and its built-in software, Network client and server software, network routers, and security firewall, etc. In other words, between different versions of different software and hardware devices or the same device, different systems composed by different devices, as well as different configurations in the same system, various security vulnerability problems exist.

2. The security vulnerability problem is closely connected with time. A system from the day of release, as it is used in depth, will have vulnerabilities exposed gradually. The previous found vulnerabilities can be repaired constantly by the patches released by the system suppliers, or will be corrected in the new version of the system released later. However, a new version of the system that has corrected the vulnerabilities in the old system will also bring in some new security vulnerabilities and errors. Therefore, as time goes by, the old vulnerabilities continue to disappear, and the new will continue to appear. The vulnerabilities will exist for a long term.

How to fix security vulnerability to protect our computers?

1. Manual Repair
Pay timely attention to the latest patches released monthly on Microsoft's official website. Then click to download and install. Flow the prompt message to restart up your computer, after which the vulnerabilities on you computer system will be repaired with the latest patches.

2. Software Repair
It is a little bit troublesome to manually repair your system vulnerabilities, so we can rely on the vulnerability repair expert Spyware Cease. This software not only can scan the security vulnerabilities on your system in time, but also help pay attention to the information about Microsoft's patches regularly. In this way, you can operate your computer freely and easily.

From the description above, hope you can know more about Windows security vulnerability which is important in our daily computer use. As long as you keep this essential knowledge in mind, you will be always able to have a safe and fast Windows operating system.

http://www.bestspywarescanner.net/

Amy Zhou is a professional computer technician and virus threat analyst that contributes to the security software company. She is also a security software expert who is fond of reviews many antispyware and antivirus software in the market. She would like to help computer users to know more and take good care of their daily friend-the computers. Read more http://www.bestspywarescanner.net/

Smartphone Security: Today and Tomorrow

With the smartphone industry growing larger every day, there is a growing concern for the security of data on said mobile devices. The power of these devices is always increasing, as is the amount of software that can be installed on them. With the advent of these different types of software, including financial software and personal identification software, the need for more security is a must. Most of these types of devices come with some type of security built-in, but is this really enough for today's world?

For most people nowadays, their whole life is on their smartphone. It includes a plethora of personal information and data, such as:

personal/work documents, notes, pictures, and emails that can contain sensitive information
full access to Wi-Fi networks that you connect to at work or at home
calendar appointments and contacts
access to various sites/information through apps, such as social networking apps, bill paying apps, movie apps, shopping apps, and etcetera

With all this information on our smartphones, it makes it a goldmine for potential thieves. The risk of your phone being lost, stolen, or even being rummaged through by your IT guy is only the half of the security problem with them. Smartphones can also leak other kinds of data through sniffing of your internet traffic when connected to open Wi-Fi networks. Your passwords to unencrypted websites and services, such as Facebook, Twitter, web-based e-mail sites, POP3 e-mail services, etcetera could be easily be sniffed by someone else on the network. There is also the issue of viruses, malware, SMS/MMS exploits, and Bluetooth exploits; these exploits can manipulate your phone settings and prevent you from using certain features, send information to or call contacts in your phone, steal and/or destroy personal information on your phone, or render your phone completely unusable.

Though the biggest concerns for now should be more focused on protecting your phone from theft or loss or sniffing over Wi-Fi, the issues of malicious software and hacking are becoming more and more prevalent every day. These issues could become more of a concern in the not so distant future due to the lack of integrated active security systems, such as firewalls, anti-virus programs, and anti-malware programs into our phones.

To set a bit of background for the importance of securing your mobile phone, Juniper Networks conducted a study of more than 6,000 smartphone and tablet users in 16 countries about mobile security threats. They found the following:

250% increase in the amount of mobile malware over the past year
a Fortune 15 company discovered that 1,250 of its 25,000 devices were infected with malware
44% of respondents to the survey use their devices for both business and personal use
80% admit to using their devices to access their work network without the employer's knowledge or permission
one out of every twenty apps in the Android marketplace requests permissions that could allow the app to place a call without the user knowing
nine of ten mobile devices have little or no security protection
more than 60% of reported smartphone infections are spyware and 17% are text message trojans that can rack up fees that are charged to the device owner's account

As clearly evidenced by Juniper's findings, there is an inherent need for more mobile phone security. Fortunately, there are several options to help secure your phone that are built-in to the operating system and several third-party programs as well. Even the most basic of security measures can help you protect your personal information. To begin, we will start with some of the simpler defense mechanisms.

While this first one may seem pretty obvious and straightforward, do not lose your phone! If you are in a public place, do not sit it down or put it in your pocket or an open bag, where it can be easily grabbed. This is actually the most common way that phones get lost or stolen.

You should also set your phone to lock or timeout after a certain period of time (recommend thirty second or less), especially if you happen to leave your phone out on your desk at work or in other public areas. All major smartphones come with this functionality built-in. You will want to make sure that you choose something that is not easy for anyone to guess, but easy for you to remember. It should not be something as simple as your address, name, phone number, etcetera. Here is how to easily set timeout settings and passwords on your phone:

Android:

Beginning with Android 2.2 (Froyo), users have the ability to set a pattern lock, PIN code, or password on their device. Users of earlier versions of Android can only set a pattern lock. How to set the screen timeout and locks mentioned above can vary depending upon the manufacturer of the phone you have. The option is generally found by pressing the Menu button from the home screen, going to Settings, Location & security,and Set up screen lock. From there, you should be able to easily setup the different types of screen locks. (Word of caution: Make sure that you have your Gmail account linked to your phone, so that you will be able to gain access to your phone in the event that you forget your password. I highly recommend this if you setup a pattern lock, as it can be very easy to forget your pattern). You may also want to be careful with setting a pattern lock, as unlocking your phone this way leaves oily residue on the screen that can remain even if you wipe it. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania on the Google Nexus One and HTC G1 showed that taking photos of the phone's screen with a standard camera and doing simple manipulations of the images within photo-editing software revealed the pattern more than 90% of the time.

BlackBerry:

Press the BlackBerry button, go to Options andPassword. From there, select Enable Password. Set the number of password attempts to what you consider a suitable amount (recommend four minutes). After the specified amount of attempts has been exceeded, it will completely lock you out of your phone for the time interval specified in the Security Timeout field. You can also set it to where it will lock upon placing your BlackBerry in a holster. This will only work with a magnetized holster. To set the screen timeout, go back into the Options screen and select Screen/Keyboard. From there, select the specified timeout period by Backlight Timeout.

iPhone:

Beginning with iOS 4, Apple introduced the ability to setup a password in addition to the standard 4-digit PIN code. To set a passcode, go to Settings, General, and Passcode Lock. From there, set the password or PIN code that you would like, as well as adjust the screen timeout through the Auto-Lock option. You may also select the Erase Data option to erase all data on the phone after 10 failed passcode attempts.

While password protecting your phone can greatly decrease the risk of your information being stolen, it is always good to take even more precautions. There are several different types of security suites out there from different vendors, as well as built-in software that can perform a "remote wipe" on your phone in the event that it is lost or stolen. Remote wipe means that you can completely remove all of your data from the phone, including e-mails, texts, documents, contacts, etcetera over the internet. For those corporate users who have a Microsoft Exchange e-mail account, this can easily be accomplished without any third-party software. You can either do it yourself through the Options panel in Outlook Web Access or have someone in the IT department initiate the wipe. For those who are personal users, or for those that do not have an Exchange account, there are several other options from third-party vendors.

Android/BlackBerry:

There are several different third-party applications that allow for you to remotely wipe your device, as well as provide several other security features. The most popular application out now is the Lookout Mobile Security suite. It not only allows you to remotely wipe your device, but also incorporates additional features that allow you to track your device via GPS, back up your contacts over the internet, and scan for viruses. The features mentioned above (minus remote wipe) are available through their free version of the program. The premium version of the program incorporates all of the above features, plus backup support for call history and pictures, remote locking, and includes a privacy advisor. The privacy advisor gives you insight into which apps can access private data on your phone, as well as scan every app that you download to see what data it accesses. The premium version is $2.99/month or $30/year. Some competitors to Lookout Mobile Security also offer protection from web threats by scanning apps before they are installed, scanning links for phishing URLs and other malware, and blocking unwanted calls and text messages. AVG Anti-Virus, McAfee WaveSecure, and Webroot Mobile Security are some of the other big name competitors.

iPhone:

The iPhone does not have quite as many options as other platforms. The only option available is to track your phone using MobileMe. If your iPhone has iOS 4.2 or higher, you can simply download the Find My Phone app from the App Store and enable it online through MobileMe. If you lose your phone, you can login through the MobileMe website and track your phone. If you have an older version of iOS, you will need to have a paid MobileMe account, which costs $99/year.

As far as anti-virus protection on the iPhone, there are none currently available on the consumer level. Apple relies strictly on the App Store's stringent review process to keep out any malicious software. While this sounds good in theory, it is not foolproof. With so many apps going through the approval process, there are bound to be some malicious ones that get through. The only other sort of protection available for the iPhone is Trend Smart Surfing, which blocks access to web pages with malicious content and helps circumvent phishing attacks.

However, Juniper Networks is currently working on the Juno Pulse Mobile Security suite that includes anti-virus, firewall, anti-spam, and remote monitoring/control services. It also remotely backs up and restores data and can locate lost devices. Juno Pulse is currently available to enterprise customers only, but they are looking to move into the consumer market.

Some other general security measures that you can take to protect yourself are to make sure that when installing third-party apps, you pay attention to the privileges that you are granting to them. Some of these privileges can include access to your GPS location, access to your contacts, access to your text messages, and other personal data. With BlackBerry App World and the Apple App Store, most of these problems are handled at the application store level before they are released to the masses. However, the Android Marketplace is a bit different, as Google does not screen all apps that come into it. It gives the end user more freedom, where the app asks you for specific permissions when installing and updating them. In short, it is best to use common sense and pay attention to what you are installing before you install it-read the reviews and make sure that it has a good number of users beforehand. Also, make sure that you only download apps from trusted sources. It is no different than the precautions you should use when installing programs on your computer.

Other aspects of securing your device that you should pay attention to are that when logging into a website, ensure that the connection is encrypted using SSL or HTTPS. You should also use secured Wi-Fi hotspots that will encrypt your traffic from others that utilize the hotspot. If you are unable to do this, you should opt into using the cellular data connection instead, as it is typically encrypted by the network provider. You could also use VPN to secure all your internet traffic, as there are several free providers out there, including Hotspot Shield or WiTopia.

Device encryption is also a must for any mobile users, as it will secure your personal information and data from being recovered by a hacker or any other advanced user. Entire device encryption is currently supported on BlackBerry, iPhone, and Android 3.0 tablets.

BlackBerry:

Most of the newer BlackBerry devices support encryption on the entire device and on removable storage (microSD cards)-this will protect your pictures, documents, and other files in case you lose your BlackBerry or have someone take your card out when you are not looking. When encrypting your device, you may want to leave your contacts unencrypted, as encrypting them will cause caller names to not display when your phone is locked. To setup encryption on the device and/or removable storage, press the BlackBerry button, go to Options, Security, andEncryption. From there you will able to specify what you would like to be encrypted.

iPhone:

Encryption on the iPhone is automatically turned on when you set a passcode on your device. However, it is only available on the iPhone 3GS and later-it is unavailable on earlier iPhone models. To ensure that encryption is enabled, verify that Data protection is enabled is displayed in the Passcode Lock screen in the Settings.

Android:

Unfortunately, Android does not currently support any device-level encryption for smartphones. If you would like to encrypt your emails, calendar, and contact info from your company's Exchange account, you may do so using a third-party Exchange client called Touchdown. However, device-level encryption is currently available as part of Android 3.0 (Honeycomb), which is targeted for tablet devices. It should make its way onto their smartphone operating systems sometime in the near future.

After taking a look at some of these common smartphone security issues, you should have some sort of idea on how to best protect yourself from loss or theft of your device and loss of any personal information from your device. With smartphones becoming more and more popular, more security issues will be sure to arise and smartphone operating system manufacturers will continue to adapt their operating systems to best combat these issues. At some point, these mobile security suites may even be integrated into the operating system or pre-installed by your network provider.

Eddie Burkett