Seems everybody is out for cheap deals on just about everything and who wouldn’t be in this recession where cash is hard to come by and jobs are being shed by the thousands. Now, there are truly some honest cell phone deals out there but you have to be sure you’re getting the right stuff. Having the latest phone gadget might be one thing but keeping that new phone secure from hacks is another. Sure you can get it cheap from the internet but how sure are you you’re getting the real stuff.
Criminals are becoming craftier than ever and they have even managed to copy branded products complete with all the security stickers and holographic security seals with them. They can also be pre-loaded with malware for the amount of computing power they pack is enough to emulate an ultraportable, in function that is. Just how dangerous are these hacking attempts, for mobile devices using Windows very dangerous for there is a group bent on exacting damage on the software giant.
ensuring you have the latest updates to your operating system is vital to maintaining your ability to fend off attacks. Having intrusion prevention systems installed is also a good thing for like your PC, they also need protection. Given the power of these gadgets and their ability to connect to the internet, they are not immune to attack. Let’s set this as an example, an unprotected PC connected to the internet for the first time will last an average of 15 minutes before it is hacked and compromised. Now you do the math for your mobile!
Categories: Cryptography, E-mail, General, IM, IT Security Basics, Malware, News, Privacy & Anonymity, Real-World Issues, Spyware, Tips, Web browsers, Wireless Security
Oh how we love to talk about technology and the lives of public figures, don’t we? I guess that while we’re at it, there is none better to talk about than the new US President and his affinity for his Blackberry?
As much as a lot of people might love this revolutionary device, it cannot be denied that it does present some security issues. As any other wireless device that transmits data over the airwaves, there is a certain degree of risk. Anyone can intercept the signals emanating from the devices as well as the signals going to it. If we’re merely talking about you and me, it should not be that much of an issue – I got nothing to hide, really. But then again, if you’re talking about the leader of the greatest nation on earth (albeit subject to argument), it’s a totally different matter.
All throughout his campaign Obama was seen fiddling with his Blackberry. Now that he is president, will the status quo be maintained? Rumor has been going around that he is now to use a really high tech gadget, the Sectera Edge, which is made by General Dynamics, a defense contractor. This baby is no ordinary smartphone and costs more than your usual computer. At $3,350, it runs on Windows but is NSA certified to be as secure as secure can be.
But is Obama really using the Edge? Sorry to disappoint tech fans out there but it seems that Obama is still using the BlackBerry 8830.
Categories: General, Wireless Security
It should not really be surprising at how mobile phones would be the target of most viruses today. For one, they are the hot commodities we hear of today and similar to PC computing before, they are the hot target viruses want to wreck havoc on.
It is not really constrained to creating a mess. They are a challenge. Their wireless means of surfing the web and using programs that may be hard to penetrate with the basic security features is the penetration issue that any hacker today would want to conquer.
Spammers are bound to have their teeth in as well. These two juvenile delinquents of the cyber world are bound to be aggressively aching to get their name in the mobile internet issues. The opportunity is simply too tempting to pass up.
According to its annual Emerging Cyber Threats report, cybercriminals will start targeting smartphones as they are being used more frequently by users when it comes to financial matters and therefore are a source of sensitive personal data such as credit card and bank account details.
Source
Tags: cyberworld, mobile phones, viruses
Categories: IT Security Basics, Network Security, Real-World Issues, Security Policies, Spyware, Wireless Security
Here should be a piece of good news to WiFi networks. Apparently, finding a solution to how hackers are able to use wireless access to do their dirty work has been a growing concern. For some reason, they are able to access vital information and computers and then create havoc as they wish. Apparently they have a modus operandi to which do-gooders often have something malicious in mind, mostly to do something foolish such as injecting viruses or even accessing another computer and perhaps deleting some files without them knowing it.
But now, the Perspective System is being groomed as a low cost that will answer these issues. Apparently the biggest targets are the websites and online businesses and security in transactions is definitely in question. One this system is installed, security for various issues that include domain names system software will hopefully be covered.
“It’s very, very, very easy for someone to convince you to go through their computer” when making connections through public WiFi, said David Andersen, assistant professor of computer science. A user who thinks he is linked to an airport or coffee shop “hot spot,” for instance, might actually be linked to a laptop of someone just a few seats away. “A lot of people wouldn’t even know they’ve been attacked,” he added.
The Perspectives system is designed to aid in authenticating Web sites for financial services, online retailers and other transactions needing secure communications. By independently querying the desired site, the system can double check whether each is receiving the correct authentication information, called a digital certificate.
Source
Tags: domains, hackers, perspective system, software, wifi
Categories: Real-World Issues, Security Policies, Wireless Security
If you happen to be a small or medium scale company that cannot afford multiple data stores and infinite numbers of mirrored hard drives, that becomes a problem. An encrypted hard disk in a laptop that gets banged up damaging the hard disk may still have some of the information intact enough for recovery but damage some of the vital keys and software and you are left hanging by a thread or down in the gutters. Data recovery is possible but only through expensive methods with the hard disks being opened up, the platters extracted and installed into another similar hard disk for data extraction. Only the military and federal government would have enough cash to burn in terms of data recovery at that level for the price is computed in the amount of megabytes recovered and on a per hard disk basis, and imagine a 1 terabyte drive at say $50/MB then you’d be scratching your head by now, and that’s just for a single drive.
The risks of identity theft and information leakage is real but the technology is still quite prone to failure even with today’s quad-core which is why we didn’t discuss the performance issue in the discussion. Today’s multi-core processors are capable of handling complex tasks such as real time encryption and decryption as if there was nothing happening on the background. The performance issue has been addressed by more powerful microprocessors but the reliability of the hard disks which stores the information and even the CD’s are still quite weak. Till there is more definite proof that all parts of the computer has reached such a reliable level that failure is a less of a factor more people would still retain their own proprietary security measures (birthday passwords, flash thumb drives that always get lost and physically carrying their discs with them).
Tags: encryption, Security Policies
Categories: Backups, Cryptography, General, IT Security Basics, Malware, Network Security, Operating Systems, Physical Security, Real-World Issues, Storage, Wireless Security
Wireless networks and ways of protecting them will top most of the IT Security issues for the coming year. Predictions place wireless networks to slowly take over the now existing networks and development into WiMax which has more coverage area in terms of distance compared to WiFi is making this a fast reality. Players in the WiMax development include the biggest names in the wireless network area such as Intel, Samsung, Motorola and many more. Innovations will continue to push the technology to better and improved performance like never before.
Studies also show that more and more workers are turning to wireless computing for their network and office needs doing what they do in the most unlikely places such as coffee shops and anywhere else they can get a stable and sustainable connection. It also raises ethics issues for people will no longer be out of reach of networks and equally their jobs. Family time and other more casual needs for privacy and quiet time will be secondary for your boss can always reach you anywhere on the planet there is coverage of a network.
The death of satellite based communications has spurred rapid development of Voip allowing anybody connected to the internet instant access to telephone-like services without the use of dedicated telephone lines. This saves on telephone bills and has been in use heavily initially with call centers and has now shifted to mainstream use so more is to be expected of the technology in the years to come which may ultimately result in the death of the standard telephone service many opting for high-speed internet access instead.
The release of the Quad-core processors and planned development of more multi-core microprocessors fuels the future of laptop supercomputers which may come in following years. This and all of the better and improved technology will allow computing to soar into new heights making them a mainstay in our everyday lives for the future.
[tags]Multi-core Processors, Mobile Computing, Mobile Workforce[/tags]
Tags: Security-Outlook-for-2008, Wireless Security
Categories: General, IT Security Basics, Network Security, Physical Security, Privacy & Anonymity, Real-World Issues, Security Policies, Storage, Wireless Security
In the time when people are going more and more mobile making the telecommuting concept a true reality, the existence of the wall-less office has slowly been realized. The shift to WiFi and other wireless networking solutions has allowed people to work like never before without the wires that tied them physically to desks. More and more areas like metropolitan areas are putting up hot spots that allow constituents to work within specific areas which already have existing wireless networks. Even offices have shifted to the technology due to cheaper implementation without the expensive wires needed for each and every workstation. Maintenance of said wired networks also proved to be a very challenging task due to the restricted spaces and conduits which housed them behind walls, ceilings and under the floors. WiFi allowed then network to function without physical connections allowing mobile devices to be connected and linked to the network which could be taken anywhere in the office.
The wireless office has indeed given us more in the area of freedom but it has also created a more vulnerable network for control on who gets which access and other security issues quickly emerged. Software and hardware systems like Retina from eEye Corporation allowed network engineers and managers to analyze and address security loopholes such as unauthorized devices connected to the network like the occasional iPhone and most other unauthorized wireless devices. It also serves as an analysis tools on the proper placement and function of wireless antenna which can be analyzed based on signal strength. Weak signals can mean re-positioning the antenna system or worse it could be a signal of a pending failure for a specific network device. It can also show the effectivity of the network in terms of utilization and bandwidth that is being effectively shared/used by the users.
[tags]Network Invetory, Network Usage, Maximizing Internet Use[/tags]
Tags: Data-integrity, Network Security, Wireless-Network-Security
Categories: Cryptography, General, IT Security Basics, Network Security, Privacy & Anonymity, Real-World Issues, Security Policies, Wireless Security
Security experts agree and still recommend that passwords be as tough as possible to prevent access to information on computer systems/networks. Yeah, it sounds very redundant and has become a bit tiring to read but it truly is the best protection ever for a computer may it be in the office or home. Encryption is one of the most promising technologies that has swept the IT security arena but even these robust encryption technologies (hardware/software based) protection technologies can be circumvented given enough time and resources.
Some companies have even turned to military-grade encryption which is tough and almost impossible to break but a wrong move along the way (encryption, transmission and decoding) can lead to catastrophic data loss. Carbonite has another approach to data security by actually backing up data offsite from subscriber’s computers may they be corporate or home users. The initial process of copying and indexing may take a few hours or even days depending on the amount of data to be copied but the subsequent back-up process which is simultaneous (which means that it works in the background when there is not much going on in terms of resource use) as one connects to the internet. So you can be working all day and stop fro a few minutes for a coffee break and return to a computer that has all the necessary information backed up by the system automatically.
Data loss due to hardware failure, software corruption due to malicious code (viruses and the likes) and people simply being reckless and deleting information without following the proper assessment of the information still cost a lot of money to recover from and the approach Carbonite uses is a better option. The system uses secure military-grade encryption which even the Carbonite servers cannot break and use adding to it the use of SSL in the transmission of the information for one mean back-up solution. As a user in the article says, it is like getting an insurance policy for your data. More on the said technology in the coming posts so do return and check us out from time to time for more information on the latest and hottest information from all over the world in terms of IT Security. Merry Christmas and a Happy New year to all.
[tags]Data Security, Data Backup, Strong Passwords[/tags]
Tags: Carbonite, data-security, hardware-failure, Online-remote-data-back-up
Categories: Backups, Cryptography, IT Security Basics, Network Security, Real-World Issues, Security Policies, Wireless Security
Employee’s love them, Network Administrators hate them, the advent of more function packed handheld devices have sparked a re-evaluation of the threat these small devices pose. Traditionally, networks were quite safe for to gain access to it you needed to be hooked up to the network, physically with a LAN cable. Now that the shift to wireless has become the network engineer’s best friend the network has surely been simplified and companies are switching to the new technology. Thy no longer needed wires and all existing computers are either replaced with ones that support Wi-Fi or bought individual dongles that allowed connection within the office. That was still an easy security agenda for they usually had a range of a couple of hundred feet.
Then came wireless internet hotspots which commercial developers started to put up to get more workers out of the office into their shops allowing them to work while, say having coffee. That’s where the problems began for the more office correspondence left the walls of the office, the more harder was it to secure. VPN’s were implemented that allowed a secure channel within existing networks making it a bit better. But that was still quite vulnerable to attack and security experts needed a better way of securing corporate data where-ever the user might be. Projections by business and security analysts estimate volume to increase to 100 million email transactions to and from outside the office locations that is still causing nightmares as the next step is found in the drive to secure this network without physical bounds.
[tags]Handheld Computing, Mobile Computing[/tags]
Tags: hackers, internet, security, Vulnerabilities, Wireless
Categories: Cryptography, General, IM, Instant Messaging, IT Security Basics, Network Security, News, Real-World Issues, Security Policies, Wireless Security
Many of us have been using Windows XP for quite sometime in it’s many forms and versions. We have Media Center Edition, Windows XP SP1 and the one which is now most common Windows XP SP2. An independent demonstration of vulnerabilities by the British Government and Private industry (which was also an indirect drive to get more people to shift to the more recently released Windows Vista) to show a wide open gap in the security measures implemented by computers still using Windows XP SP1 without any protection (anti-virus, firewall and other upgrades implemented by the parent company after the products were released to the public).
The test involved two officers from a special task force that handles crimes such as those related to computer fraud, piracy etc. It showed how easy it was to get hold of tools that searched for vulnerabilities on a computer running the said Operating system without the owner/user even knowing about it. These tools are widespread on the internet and can be downloaded for free. After getting knowledge of the vulnerability list which can include open ports and much other wireless vulnerability, the second officer then proceeded to make a program in MS-DOS which was then sent and executed onto the victim computer.
Viola, in a matter of minutes the second officer has gotten hold of many vital files such as password lists, credit card information, bank statements and other personal information that may be stored into the said victim unit under a quarter of a minute.
Many such vulnerabilities have been discovered in the XP generation of Operating Systems since its release in 2003 and Microsoft has continued to come out with patches to resolve such issues. Vulnerabilities such as simple programs that can disable the windows firewall have been publicly released on the internet and are quite numerous. To date, Microsoft has managed to keep up with these vulnerabilities but XP remains open malicious attack. Asked for their opinion, a Microsoft executive replied that it truly was alarming but that all those vulnerabilities have been addressed with the release of XP SP2 and all subsequent updates and patches.
Tags: Media-Center, windows-xp, Wireless Security, Wireless-networks, XP-SP1-and-XP-SP2
Categories: General, IT Security Basics, Malware, Network Security, News, Operating Systems, Real-World Issues, Security Policies, Wireless Security
