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IT security has always been a concern, but as we move into bigger and better technology, what are the challenges that face us? Technology changes so fast that it isn’t possible to predict exactly how things will go down, but we can prepare for as many eventualities as possible, using current challenges as a stepping stone.

Criminals have always seen the Internet as a possibility for committing more crimes, and that’s not likely to change any time soon. So, we can reasonably expect that cyber crime of all types will increase alongside technology.

Security Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8QuUEwrKm8

Improved Technology Offers New Opportunities

Cloud computing is a big security concern for many companies, according to Security Week. A number of cloud services have popped up recently, and they offer plenty of benefits, including more cost-effective operating for large companies and increased mobility of information. It’s this mobility that can cause problems.

Back in the day, bandits often hit travelers and trains because the products they carried were valuable and they were vulnerable on the move. While the Internet isn’t exactly like the Old West, it’s a good idea to keep in mind that any time information is being sent or received, it can be vulnerable to others who may want access.

As cloud services are by definition detached from the companies that use them, physical security is an issue. Employees need to be carefully screened and checks put into place to prevent leakage of information as well as the outright stealing of data. Hackers are also a concern, and so are leaks between customers. Keep in mind that all of your information is stored along with information from other companies, making it simple for a breach to occur.

Cloud will likely grow considerably in the next decade, eliminating the need for keeping up with your own virtual storage space. However, this means that the security risks will also increase and new technology will have to be developed to keep information safe.

At the moment, 75% of attacks occur through Web applications, which show where the main problems are. This is something that will need to be fixed as the Internet and IT continue to grow. Where SaaS (Software as a Service) is provided, keep in mind that designers will need to implement more rigorous methods of keeping out the riff raff.

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Hackers Aren’t Going Away
At SysSec in the UK, studies have been done to learn more about security issues we currently face, as well as how they might affect us in the future. At the moment, with social media on the rise, it’s a hotbed of activity for hackers who are using new ways of attacking social media users as well as search engines.

In 2010, hacker attacks through Adobe Reader files increased by 11.7% over 2009. While most people expect attacks from .exe files, hackers have evolved their techniques to include everything from PDFs to Word files and will continue to do so to find new methods of attacking as older ones are blocked.

SysSec’s study showed that there are already major consequences attributed to simple viruses infecting everything from cars being remotely shut down by a disgruntled employee-turned-hacker to trains failing because of a virus infecting the system. Vivian Reding told the company that we are looking at a future where the consequences could be even direr, such as hospitals shutting down, trains and planes crashing, and a lack of water and electricity.

The Biggest Threats
According to SysSec, the highest risk areas for malware and fraud in the future will be the underground economy and social networks. However, while these are likely to be the hardest-hit areas, virtualization, clouds, and routing are also going to be vulnerable. The studies also show that new attack vectors and more advanced malware will be a major issue in the future.

Areas that were a concern but not considered high risk include IPv6, online games, and DNS. It’s also expected that targeted attacks, where hackers focus on a specific victim, will be an issue, though not a high-level one.

One of the main concerns is that hackers have shifted from hacking for fun to hacking for profit, and it is no longer just a nerd in a basement suite; many crime organizations are now involved in cyber crime.

How Do We Fix It?

Of course, like all problems, there are solutions. While hackers and their malware may be improving, so are our IT security solutions such as anti-viruses and firewalls. IT will be affected, but will be required to come up with new methods of preventing attacks and leaks from occurring. ICT FORWARD offers some suggestions for improving security protocols in the future in a recent whitepaper, as does SysSec. These include:

• Separation of vital information from the Internet. If it’s not connected, it can’t be hacked as easily.
• Developing new security structures to protect against high-end attacks.
• Creating attack transactions, which include large amounts of useless data to thwart hacking systems.
• Tracking systems to identify criminals and their marketplaces.

The next decade will bring more intelligent attacks, but it will also bring more advanced technology, continuing the dance of hacker vs. security.

Wireless connection works on radio frequencies. The wireless computer has adaptor which converts its signals to radio waves. The computer router which actually receives signals sends these signals over a hard wired cable that is connected to one’s personal computer. In case a person is unaware his phone calls can be interrupted and may be listen by the unauthorized person.

If a person is using a good password that does not mean that its connection is safe and secured. It does not prevent your wireless connection from being hacked. Hackers are smart enough to decrypt your password. Other people who are using internet can hog your spectrum bandwidth and leave you with a slow internet connection. If a person is having doubt that his/her internet connection is being hogged, that there are a number of free tools available online which can monitor your internet connection called as wireless network watcher or there are other ways to judge your network: if you pay by month for an internet connection and if you are limited to the amount of data you can download, then there is a chance that someone else is using your connection. If your internet connection does work slowly, this may be due to multiple users accessing the same connection.

Tips to prevent your connection from being hacked:

1. One should turn off his computer when he/she is not using it.

2. Personal information like credit card numbers and others should only be entered after looking in URL address bar, if it begins with https instead of http, the ‘s ‘at end denotes a secure connection.

3. One can use Wireless network watcher does not allow the hackers to take advantage, and secures a person connection. Its scanning feature allows you to detect the hacker or the person using your bandwidth illegally.

4. One can export and save its result as .xml, .txt or other formats which he/she can keep for future reference or help. This software is working and is tested on 32 or 64 bit versions of windows vista, windows7 etc.

Now the question arises how to use it?

5. Wireless network watcher is easy and straight forward to use. First of all download file from the link: http://www.computingunleashed.com/find-who-is-accessing-wireless-connection.html. Its a small file around 250 KB. After downloading use it.

6. Its fast software it will be easily downloaded will scan the network very fast and display the results. The result obtained from it contains IP address, device name, MAC address and manufacturer.

7. If a person wants to save the result, just he/she has to select all and click on save selected items key.

8. This can easily help you to detect the culprit, who hacked your network, prevention of your network from such unauthorized person is essential, if one wants to enjoy uninterrupted and full bandwidth of the network.

We have been repeatedly forewarned that we should avoid dealing with questionable and unverified sites for any of our online transactions.  Much like in the real world where we are told to avoid suspicious-looking characters, we are constantly reminded that online transactions are much safer when done with sites that have proven track records of reliability and consistency.

When you wish to promote your blog, isn’t it a given that it is done in conjunction with respected sites as well.  Reliability equates to better security and there is much sense in choosing to be associated with sites that promote quality online presence.  In truth, we can practice security even by choosing the sites which our blogs will be associated with. 

Blogsearchengine.com is backed up by SplashPress Media Network.  It is a site that offers reviews and listings to blogs for the purpose of providing critical exposure and attention that would result to added traffic and relevant links.  Its reviews are in depth and are meant to support a blog’s goal to maximize readership and earning potentials.

Membership packages start at the standard rate of $ 14.99 which can be upgraded to the Silver Package for $ 24.99, the Gold Package for $ 59.99, and the Platinum Package for $ 99.99.  Those who wish to avail of this important service can simply sign up and pay the required fee which will only take about a minute to complete.  Reliable sites complement each other as they work for their respective goals.  The reliability of each is reinforced as they join forces to project security to consumers.  A single quality link is worth more than a hundred trash links.

Many people are not aware that they are making it very easy for cyber criminals to invade their privacy.  This typically happens when convenience is prioritized over the more critical matter of security.  People relax their guard as they choose the easiest path to go about their online transactions.  Let’s face it, the use of the Internet is a risk in itself but we multiply that risk when we fail to consider the factors that make us susceptible to fraud and theft.

Protecting our most basic online defenses is a primary concern.  User names and passwords are our first line of defense but they tend to be compromised by the tendency to use the same names and passwords for all online transactions.  The main problem here is that we make it easy for cyber criminals  to penetrate our transactions in the same manner as we give easy access to ourselves.  The practice can admittedly save time during the initial stage but the probable resulting loss requires more time and effort to correct.  Identity theft can be a traumatic experience both in the physical and emotional aspects.

Cyber criminals are at their work without people realizing it.  They are constantly trying to discover passwords by fishing for personal information such as names and dates related to family or work.  They can also try to steal passwords saved from memory. They can even be looking into various word and number permutations that will provide them the key to the doors of your private world.

A little effort towards making yourself less predictable to cyber thieves goes a long way.  It can be readily understood why some people persist on unsafe online practices especially if they don’t have prior bad experience in transacting online.  Due to the sheer amount of information we are encouraged not to put in writing for our own protection,  we try to help our memory by choosing letters and numbers that we can easily recall.  That is the very weakness which cyber criminals are looking out for.

Career Environments for IT Professionals

There are many options IT professionals can take when it comes to the environment they work in.

1. Small Businesses: it’s normal for IT professionals to work in smaller businesses. While there may not be quite as many career opportunities within one small company, small businesses are great environments for IT professionals.
2. Self-employed: some IT professionals work for themselves and contract their services out to businesses. As your own boss you can have more reign over your hours and who you work for, but you’ll also have to bust your butt getting your own contracts.
3. Corporations: there are thousands of huge corporations that employ IT professionals in many different careers. While there are many options and flexibility when it comes to picking your desired career within a larger company, it’s possible that the job itself can be quite rigid within a large corporation.

Types of Careers for IT Professionals

IT professionals can find work in so many different types of careers. Such careers include:

• Programmer/Software Developer/Software Engineer

• Project Manager
• Hardware Engineer

• Systems Administrator

• Database Administrator

• Network Administrator

• Enterprise Architect
• IT Architect

• Program Manager
• Business Analyst

• IT Security Manager

• Business Continuity Manager

• Vendor Relationship Managers

• IT Procurement Managers

One thing about IT jobs is that the industry is always evolving and changing, so, while some of the careers listed above might eventually be phased out with new technologies, new jobs are always being created and expanded upon at the same time. For instance, cloud computing jobs are quickly becoming more prevalent.

IT professionals can also go into more business-oriented roles and away from strictly technical positions. These business specialists will identify specific technologies a company can use to make more money or run more efficiently.

As you can see, career opportunities for IT professionals span a wide spectrum. Consider partnering with IT staff augmentation services to determine exactly where your job opportunities lie. It’s up to you to see where your niche is in the market, but you can be confident in the knowledge that there are opportunities out there for you.

Change Your Passwords

One way to keep your payments secure is by regularly changing the passwords you use to log into shopping sites. This will help you if your details somehow fall in the wrong hands as the next time someone tries to log into your account, you will have changed the password. Try to stay away from easily guessed or recognizable series of numbers and if you have to write your passwords down, make sure you don’t leave the piece of paper anywhere that strangers can read it.

Look For Security Signs

When you are taken to a payment page online, you should see either a ‘lock’ symbol or ‘https’ at the beginning of the URL (rather than the standard ‘http’). If you see these signs then you can be sure that you are on a secure page and can go ahead with your transaction. If you do not see these symbols you should leave the page immediately before entering any of your data, as it is possible that other people will be able to see your details as you input them.

Use Reputable Retailers

Online stores like Amazon.com or Apple.com have a wide array of safety measures designed to deter criminals and keep purchases secure. If you are using sites like these, you are more likely to protect your financial information than if you are using a little known retailer that does not have such a good reputation. When shopping online, it is best to stick with the main players to protect your data.

Install Relevant Programs

You can also boost your security online by updating your computer with firewall and anti-virus programs. Firewalls are specifically designed to give you an extra element of security online and ensure the safe transfer of data between computers. Likewise, a good anti-virus program will protect your computer from attackers who are looking to get hold of your personal information.

Read the Agreement

Although it is tempting to simply skip past the agreements and contracts online retailers give you, you should take the time to read through each one of them. This will help inform you of exactly what relationship you are getting into with your retailer and will help you protect yourself in the event of a security breach.

Keep Records

You should also keep track of your spending on your bank accounts. Doing this will show you exactly where your money has gone and will highlight any errors or ‘lost’ money that has gone where it shouldn’t have.

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Step 3 – Read the terms and conditions
After signing up, it is important that you read the bank’s terms and conditions very carefully. Most of the times, the term contract are written in very small font so that customers will refuse to read them. But this is where you will find out about the hidden fees and other concerns that might cause complications in the future.

The hatred felt is seen in the rising occurrences of these same people becoming the entry point for attacks on corporate networks when they visit social sites to pass on the otherwise boring day. This is also counterproductive for their attention to work and the other nuances such as physical security and IT security is so much a threat that it is under study on how to improve the working conditions for these people. They are distracted and left to do almost anything they please which is where the security gap seems to be, using the corporate network to access social sites to which they are members of. Even the installation of hardware and software security measures cannot guarantee security coverage at all angles for the main security risk is still the human behind the keyboard who does the typing and not on the structure of the system itself. It might be helpful to get them out more often to allow their facilities more practice letting the steam and pressures/boredom to dissipate. Role rotation may be a key but is not always feasible for there are certain knowledge associated issues that have to be addressed to be able to do that. Training and re-training people allows them to sharpen skills and add new knowledge to their already bored lives.

Big business has been reminded again and again that complacency is it’s worst enemy and they have failed again and again at the area. Why? Well first, total protection is almost always imperfect and somebody out there with enough intent and resources can break-in however expensive the protection methods may be. Next is that the best systems for protection is always the ones that cost too much yet they still remain vulnerable and hackable. Contrary to most ad’s you see in print, the internet or your Television there is no one true solution to protection, for if the hardware and software measures succeed in protecting you, the human behind the computer/s are always the biggest risk. That is why even the most expensive solutions are used in conjunction with other solutions to provide the best of both worlds combining physical and software solutions hoping that combination will be enough protection from the continuous influx of attacks from the web and elsewhere. Encryption is nice but it takes a lot of computing power to implement making it too expensive for implementation on all levels of the company. All of these high-tech solutions and hardware would be nothing if the people using the various computer systems in the said organization fail to use them so the weakest link in every system is still the human. Strict adherence and compliance is the key with systems that process information somewhat autonomously already in use doing the searching and classification of information without the user’s input. This uses the latest in Artificial Intelligence with minimal intervention or input from the users.

Biometrics are security systems that are based on the differences the human body manifests in terms of eye structure, facial features and now vein geometry. We’ve all heard of DNA or the so-called blueprint for life and the way it makes each and every human different from everyone else on this earth (well, except for some genetic disorders and diseases that changes the DNA makeup). That is what biometrics takes advantage of as a source of a very unique key or method of identifying one from another person.

Your fingerprint is mapped when it is initially scanned into a computer system which convert’s your analog (actual) print into a digital map that is as unique as you are an individual. Iris scanners take into account the differences the iris has from each and every individual (through the use of a low powered light and scanner to obtain a picture of the eye’s iris which is also unique). Voice recognition takes into account, the differences our voices have from everybody else also converting it into a digital map or password of sorts. Vein geometry, uses a thermal imaging camera to take a picture of your hand or whole body which is sensitive to heat showing all the blood vessels which show as hotspots thus giving you a unique id of sorts as that is also mapped and converted into digital form. All of the above biometrics systems rely on our individual differences which are quite unique to us and add onto it, other more basic security measures such as a physical key (password, key or other devices) to give the ultimate security system preventing intrusion.