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The Perspective System To Fend Off Hackers

26 August 2008 By Saran

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

Filed Under: Real-World Issues, Security Policies, Wireless Security Tagged With: domains, hackers, perspective system, software, wifi

Users Should Set their Passwords Independently

8 August 2008 By Saran

As far as security when it comes to computer or network access is concerned, does the real beef in being safe and secure really lie in passwords? There are about billions of potential combinations before a hacker can be able to find out your password but just the same, there are other ways to get it like phishing or probably common passwords that some take for granted these days.

Unless you have been among the many victims of being hacked for access on certain programs or events, chances are you may not even care if and when another person would suddenly gather interest in hacking your account. Surely, not all people may have something interesting to go all through the trouble of but just the same, the bragging rights and distinction of being able to crack the access granted to a certain program, site or email is still vulnerable.

Passwords are slowly losing their use. They are indeed security precautions but perhaps the best person to make sure that they still serve their purpose would be the person who is given access. It is not all about making it hard to guess but making sure that you are the only one who knows it by heart and mind.

Also, do not be content with being assigned one. You should have the freedom to set your own password without anyone knowing it. This is one thing about security administration these days. Administrators should not be the only one to set passwords but the actual users themselves.

Filed Under: General, IT Security Basics, Tips Tagged With: access, hackers, passwords, phishing, security

The Cat’s out of the Bag (Part 2)

19 June 2008 By Saran

The admittance by an executive from within the industry was sure to happen and doing so may have given more importance on how you implement online security at home and in the office for knowing you are never always protected is the norm of the internet. There is no one software or provider that can promise total protection whatever the case and you are always infected with one form or the other how ever expensive the anti-virus software you have installed on your computer system. The industry is also in a dilemma of how best to present information on the ones that got away and caused mayhem before they caught it and issued a cure. You only hear of the ones they get and not the other way round, why, it’s bad for business. Getting your clients to know that they are not the total solution might get them thinking that if that’s the case, why spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars a year for something that may be effective? There are even instances that these programs that are designed to protect us from viruses and malware being infected and doing the dirty work themselves.
All the hype about technology and new software development tools also mean nothing for the very people who does the programming for these anti-virus programs also have the ability to use it for no good. The reality of using the net is to accept the fact that every click may be your last and that is the gauntlet you walk each and every day as you surf, download and do whatever you wish over the internet. True that it has allowed us more freedom and information but it also opened up the world to these scoundrels who are up to no good.

Filed Under: General, IT Security Basics, Malware, Network Security, Privacy & Anonymity, Programming, Real-World Issues, Security Policies, Spyware Tagged With: anti-virus, anti-virus-software, hackers, Malware, Software development

Handhelds : Still the Biggest threat to Corporate Security

30 November 2007 By Saran

hh3.jpghh3.jpghh2.jpgEmployee’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]

Filed Under: Cryptography, General, IM, Instant Messaging, IT Security Basics, Network Security, News, Real-World Issues, Security Policies, Wireless Security Tagged With: hackers, internet, security, Vulnerabilities, Wireless

Breaking Codes, Breaking Rules… Is it Prestige or Trouble?

5 March 2007 By Saran

Hackers, code breakers and some people who want to try out their best interest in the line of penetrating the supposedly well-secured network infrastructures that large business empires have on the web will always be the target of people who want to prove a point on their capacity to override such challenging securities.

Code Breakers and Hackers

To programmers and people who are up to date with technology, such an outlook can be fulfilling to their curious personality aspect but could also be asking for trouble. Breaching security walls is like intruding in high voltage areas where people would never experience a normal life once again once they are caught.

Hackers and code breaking individuals have made it a point to try their hand in determining up to which content they can call themselves geeks or nerds in technology and breaking a password or security id is something that is definitely up for them to consider. But hopefully, they would know the consequences for such as privacy of their lives may eventually become intruded in the future as well.

[tags]hackers, security, network, coding, code breaker[/tags]

Filed Under: IT Security Basics, Network Security, Physical Security, Privacy & Anonymity, Real-World Issues, Security Policies, Tips Tagged With: code-breaker, coding, hackers, network, security

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