Securing Your Wireless Home Network Using 19216811
Quite often users skip the security part when they are setting up their home network. Knowing the risks of having an unsecured network we have to think more about it and actually take some steps. When it comes to securing your home network the default IP address 192.168.1.1 can be used effectively. Most of the security tweaks can be done in the Configuration panel and as you already know you can access it by typing 192.168.1.1 into the address bar of your browser. Once you get there you can do the following to increase the security of your home network.
Change your SSID. If a person who wants to break into your home network knows your SSID we can say that he is already one step closer to doing it. Use the IP address 192.168.1.1 to access your Configuration panel and change your SSID into something more unique. At the same time SSID broadcast should be turned off.
Change the default username and password. Many users feel secure with the default settings and leave them like that. However it is strongly advised to change the default username and password. This is the first step on making your network more secure.
Enable MAC address filtering. It should be enabled as another layer of security. If you use it with wireless encryption, your home network security will be brought to a completely new level.
Enable strong encryption. Select and use the strongest encryption the wireless devices in your network support. This can be easily done in the Configuration panel and you can use the IP 192.168.1.1 to access it. WEP encryption will require from you to change your password on let's say, a monthly basis. In order to prevent someone to crack your password always use numbers, capitals and special characters in your passwords.
Enable your firewall. The firewall on your router and other PCs in the network should be turned on. You can easily configure your firewall by accessing the Configuration panel and of course you can do that with the help of 192.168.1.1 IP address. By turning on the firewalls you can be sure that your network is completely safe from network intrusions.
Disable Auto-connection. Although this security measure has nothing to do with the IP 192.168.1.1 it is still worth mentioning. Your wireless device will try to connect to an open wireless network. When this is done the security is very low. Check if you have any enabled connections and disable them.
You can find more information about 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.1 IP Address
Learning To Speak Computer Language
Most businesses today need to take advantage of technology in order to maintain a certain level of success. If you own a business that uses computers, it is important for you to make sure that everyone that is within your business is up-to-date on the latest information about those computers. This is true when it comes to operating the computer properly as well as being able to surf the Internet safely without having to worry about viruses and spyware being problematic. It also is important for you to understand how to speak computer language, as that is becoming an art form that is very frequently overlooked within the business community.
The first thing that you should understand about computers are some of the basic terms that are used in order to talk about the computer properly. Rather than thinking you are dealing with a lot of technobabble, it's important for you to understand the basic terms so that you can speak to somebody about your computers intelligently. One of the reasons why it may be necessary for you to do so is if you are having problem with the computer and need any type of repair done. It may also be necessary for you to speak a computer language properly during any type of IT recruitment, as you would want to ensure that you are getting individuals onto your IT team that understood computers very well.
It may also be necessary for you to take some type of computer based training so that you can properly inform your employees as to how they should be using the computers on a daily basis. If you have ever heard the saying that something is only as strong as the weakest link, that is especially true when it comes to a computer network. If somebody that is working for your company is acting recklessly online, it is likely that problems are going to occur that will cost you both time and money. By educating your employees properly about the use of the computer, particularly when it comes to using it online, you will save yourself quite a bit of frustration.
Along with learning about computers and the technical terms that are necessary to speak about computers intelligently, it is also important to make sure that you are updating your equipment regularly. Of course, it is not going to be necessary for you to keep up with the absolute latest in technology, as that is continually changing. What is necessary, however, is for you to ensure that all of the software that is running on your computers is updated regularly. If any type of a patch is given for a software that you are using, be certain that you install it as soon as possible. The same is also true for any updates for antivirus or anti-spyware programs that may be operating on your computers. By updating those programs regularly, you will help to ensure that you are keeping your computers as safe as possible from all the latest threats that may be in the world.
Anthony Song is the author of this article about technobabble, IT recruitment and computer based training. He is an IT professor for over 25 years and teaches computer language courses to business professional. During his free time he loves to travel and write about his experience.
Forensics For Technology - What Is It?
Forensics technology has become a broad field of investigation that refers to the scientific evidence used in criminal cases. This physical evidence is comprised of scientific collection, and its analysis. There are many new aspects of this type of technology geared toward evidence or establishing facts to be used in civil or criminal proceedings.
One of the technical areas that have much to offer is digital software. Criminals and terrorists have the opportunity to use a wide variety of electronic devices in their crimes. As crimes with a digital component are on the increase, it is necessary for law enforcement to have the equipment to counter these crimes. Digital forensic software has the capacity to recover data from a computer that has been reformatted or repartitioned
Other applicable software programs:
• A program capable of wiping a hard drive clean
• A spy type of software can locate hidden partitions, plus, quickly process large hard drives, and more.
• Images can be compresses into "flat" images from floppy disks for analysis
• A "partition manager" that examines all partitions on a hard drive and can switch them around or even hide them
• A new write blocker program protects computer information more effectively than past programs
The science which interprets image content is forensic image analysis. Several companies have produced efficient equipment that cut cost and speed up investigations. The equipment is designed to do comparison photography, analysis the content, photogrammetry (using photographs to make measurements) and to authenticate the image. Through a variety of techniques, mega data, pixil aspect ratios,and errors are utilized to extract information from video, photographs and animations. This is effective even when an individual has attempted to clock the evidence.
One of the newer tools is video forensics, which is primarily the scientific examination and evaluation of multimedia evidence in legal matters. The goal of this technology is to produce an accurate picture of evidence for a judge and jury to help determine the verdict in a civil or criminal case. In addition, this technology uses processing techniques to enhance video footage, refine grainy photographs, and to enhance a particular person or an object in a video footage, plus it converts digital video into specific formats for forensic analysis. This type of work is important in solving cases for law enforcement, security, surveillance and even military operations.
Data recovery is a process used for legal purposes to retrieve data from computers. It is much more difficult to erase all the information from a computer than most people realize. The purpose of data recovery is to retrieve lost or deleted information. The mined data is done using a process of collection, analysis, and then preservation. With the successful completion of these steps the computer expert will have the lost data to present to the court. This technology may be used in civil or criminal proceedings to provide evidence for the court.
If forensic describes evidence that can be used in court, then it also must cover the technology and science necessary to provide this evidence. A forensic investigation is conducted in a lawful manner, establishing facts and evidences that have been thoroughly examined, keeping in mind the chain of custody, to be presented in a courtroom. Subdivisions that exist under this area of investigation are firewall forensics, database forensics and mobile device forensics.
As demonstrated in this article, forensic investigation for technology is a very broad, technical body of scientific investigation utilizing state-of-the-art equipment, along with well-trained technicians. This type of technology has grown and will continue to grow due based on demand.
Identifying Mule Accounts
When there is fraud then there is mule account; in fact it is the more important than botnets or phishing methods because what will hackers do with the banking credentials they have if they cannot use them. It is an important part in fraud and fraudsters will look for ways just to recruit and also control the mules.
Today, mule recruitment is carried out in the internet by using scam. Fraudsters will send a false email about job searches saying that the victim's resume was reviewed and that they are suitable to work at home. Due to the fact that the economy is rough and it is an opportunity, victims will take the bait. In the next e-mail exchanges, victim will sign fake paperwork and receive instruction for his assignment. Sometimes mules will be told to accept funds from the compromised accounts, reshipping of goods that are bought using other person's credit card or even receiving the money.
Soon the fraudsters stumbled upon a problem, when potential recruits are asking about the company website. To fix the problem, fraudsters even built their own website as the front of their activities and candidates can view the site and see the vacancies. They made it look like a legit company by listing current employees and their jobs; details about their work and others.
Online mule recruitment has changed the way fraudsters operate because they don't need a physical presence in that country so that they can recruit potential mules. Since he is doing his recruitment online, he can further increase the number of mules to increase his profit. It has become a challenge for many law enforcement agencies and incident response teams of industries because the mules thought that they have legit jobs. Sometimes, even mules become victims as well.
Sometimes there are places where online recruitment may become a problem, thus fraudsters will still recruit mules in real world. Sometimes, these mules can be accomplices who know that they are working with fraudsters and they can open multiple banking accounts. Another type of mule is what police call as the vacation or tourist mules; mules who are flown to different country and opens accounts in certain banks for their operation.
Somehow it is difficult for banks to stop a mule in opening a banking account because mules can be like any other regular person who is trying to open a bank account. However, it is still possible to identify a potential mule and stop them before they make any wrong mistakes that they will regret. Since mules can either be accomplices who are trained liar or unwitting victims who are too willing to make money. Identifying the first one can be difficult but the second one is not.
Identifying unwitting mules can be very easy by asking simple question before they can open bank accounts. It is the same as security screening found in airports, where weird sets of questions are asked; questions that are not designed for liars but for certain individuals who were duped and place into a particular situation.
For example bank employees will ask the individual whether someone else told him or her to open a banking account in this bank; or asking if opening this particular bank account is related into a particular job offer he or she received on the internet or even in the real life. Or any other questions that would raise an alarm for the bank, but it doesn't mean that the employee can truly assess if that person is a potential mule or not. In fact the answers will be recorded and opening the bank account will be put on hold until further results from the investigations made by the incident handling or security team is available.
Basically, banks do not need to perform additional special training for their employees, a simple information campaign regarding new procedures will do. Customer education is really not that important at all, but it won't hurt the bank if they will try like giving away fliers or posting ads that explains the danger of mule scams would help. Instead, banking clients and the public will appreciate the information given by banks and can help deter frauds in recruiting more mules.
The International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council) is a member-based organization that certifies individuals in cybersecurity and e-commerce. It is the owner and developer of 20 security certifications. EC-Council has trained over 90,000 security professionals and certified more than 40,000 members. These certifications are recognized worldwide and have received endorsements from various government agencies. They also offer incident response training.
More information about EC-Council is available at http://www.eccouncil.org/, incident response, incident handling.
MS Outlook Tip: How to Automatically Organize Incoming Emails
The Ford Model T assembly line is often cited as a world-changing example of productivity. Outlook rules may never have that honor but it's a great productivity tool if tweaked properly. Outlook's rules can truly serve as an assembly line for all your incoming email management tasks.
Think of rules as traffic cops who direct and move (email) traffic and streamline the flow. Rules are specific sets of instructions that are applied to messages under a specific set of conditions. Rules are applicable for messages as well as RSS feeds.
All Outlook rules broadly are of two types "" those that deal with organizing your emails by moving it around and those that notify you when some action occurs.
The best things about rules are that they can be selectively applied, applied in combination, automatically run or even run manually. Think about it, in the absence of rules, we would have had to spend considerable time sifting through the emails by hand one at a time.
One of the most often used application for rules are when you want to organize emails in Outlook and move emails to a folders automatically as they land in the inbox. The obvious benefit of shunting emails automatically is cleanliness and organization. The rule is best suited for mails which arrive frequently - like newsletters, email updates or feeds. Such mails are usually kept in "˜storage' for later reading.
So, creating personal folders for such mails are the first thing, creating a system to automatically organize those emails into these folders is the next.
1. Setup a folder or folders for saving the emails (e.g. Job, Family, Pals, and Newsletters etc).
2. You can create a rule directly from a message. Right-click on the email you want to automatically move to the special folder. Click on Create Rule.
3.In the Create Rule box that opens up, you can select one or more conditions and the follow through actions by checking the boxes. As shown, you can screen the email by sender address (or distribution list), subject and/or recipient. You can also set a sound alert or a desktop New Item Alert for the incoming mail. To move the email to a specific folder, checkmark Move the item to folder. Click on the Select folder button to select the folder or click on New for a new one.
4.Click on OK to confirm the new rule. All emails satisfying the new rule will get moved automatically to the folder from now. If you instantly want to run the rule, check Run this rule now on messages already in the current folder.
5.Further fine-tune the rule if you want by clicking on Advanced Options. The advanced option wizard lets you select other conditions, select a range of actions to perform on them and select exceptions to the rules if any.
5. So, thought of interesting plays with the rules? Let's see... you can move mails with attachments to another folder but with an exception that it's within a set size range. Another good use is to assign a priority level to incoming mail so you can deal with the more important ones first and leave the rest for later.
Alternatively, instead of selecting a single message to start a new rule, you can also start create a rule from scratch using the wizard by opening it from Tools "" Rules and Alerts "" New Rule.
In Step 1: Select a template. Under the entries of Stay organized, select Move messages from someone to a folder.
In Step 2: Edit the rule description "" click on the underlined link for people or distribution list to set the From address filter. Next, click on the specified folder link to set the target folder.
The next sequences of steps are the same as in the Advanced Options wizard.
Many interesting automatic actions can be performed on your emails with a combination of different rules. Remember, rules are performed in sequence as shown in the Rules and Alerts box. Rules can always be edited at any step and also their order changed.
Key Steps to Lessen Your Chances of Getting Hacked
Having your computer hacked is a disturbing problem for any internet user. It has been estimated that around 75% of all breaches have been the result of external threats. However, it is becoming very difficult to keep your personal details secure due to advanced hacking techniques. Recently, even Google accounts have been easily hacked through cleverly-crafted HTML emails. Online users should be even more careful when using computers at internet café centers (Wi-Fi areas) because advanced hacking software is capable of recording all of your movements.
According to latest web incidents hacking reports, most hackings are carried out using two strategies; SQL injection and cross-sire scripting. As technology grows, hacking techniques are becoming more and more advanced. Hence, it is important to know smart ways in which to secure your personal details with less fear of being hacked.
Here are some key steps that will help lessen the chances of getting hacked:
First and foremost, when you are using computers that are not secure, don't log into email or bank accounts. Instead, use a highly secure personalized computer to perform online transactions.
Next, create a strong password:
Passwords that are simple and taken from a dictionary can be traced more easily by the hackers. Advanced hacking tools are now available to crack the password in no time. So, you need to create passwords that have a minimum of 12 characters and are difficult to trace. Creating your password by combining numbers can also be more powerful than passwords that consist of just characters.
Never type out your password:
"Key logger" is a tool that can record all the keystrokes from an infected computer. So, eliminate typing your password and paste it instead. To do this, type the password onto a notepad and copy and paste when your password is required.
Avoid entering passwords on websites without https:
Unsecure websites have just "http" tags and not "https" in which the "s" stands for secure. If you enter details on websites that are not https, your data might easily be hacked without your knowledge.
IP-address protection:
You can also install IP-address protection software which allows access to the sites you have added to your list. This can prevent unwanted sites or software from obtaining access to your accounts.
Secure your computer:
Enhance the security of your computer by installing high quality antivirus software that is powerful enough to prevent malicious programs from accessing your computer details. Regular updates are a must to update your computer's security from a wide range of virus or Trojans that are created on a regular basis.
These are just some of the important steps to take that will assist you in lessening your chances of getting hacked computers.
Jeff Foxhoven is an IT Consultant and Vice-President of Sales & Marketing with Net Sales Direct (NSD). They specialize in managed services, virtualization, and disaster recovery. What Jeff loves the most is helping his clients find the right solutions to their IT issues, including reviewing their existing networks, infrastructure, and personnel in the private and public sectors.
Why Passwords Are Exposing Us to Insider Crime
Millions going missing in SA
R5.5m was stolen from the education department in Mpumalanga via password and sign-on fraud in August and September last year. Bank details of genuine beneficiaries were changed on the department's Basic Accounting System and several payments of between R864 000 and R989 000 were channelled to seven other accounts
In March this year, it was reported that stolen passwords were used to divert funds from the Social Security Agency into personal accounts and three people were arrested for fraud in Esikhawini, KwaZulu-Natal.
In the same month, three officials in the marine and coastal management branch of the department of environmental affairs were suspended for allegedly diverting donor funds into a private account
Passwords: the root of all evil?
Controlling system access and managing passwords is a big headache for IT departments. It is frustrating, time-consuming and costly. Aside from the persistent admin problems and costs of passwords, we write them down, put them on sticky-notes, share them, pop them into our phones and even keep them on spreadsheets. Driven by the need for speed and convenience, this happens every day in offices all over the country.
But passwords also leave the door wide open for insider crime and the increasing damage it is causing.
Just how damaging can insiders be?
IT-based insider crime is all bad for the bottom line. Insiders modify data to enrich themselves, their families and friends. They steal data and sell it to others. They're often bribed by outsiders to alter data and frequently they vandalise or 'publish' sensitive data because of a grudge against the organisation.
Some of the common dangers are as follows:
Fraudulent paymentsModifying data such as credit records, licences, identity docsProperty theft via fraudulent invoices, delivery notes / addressesSabotage: data vandalism and the ensuing costs of IT downtime, recovery and restorationReplace passwords with biometric sign-on: Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
One South African organisation taking the issue seriously is the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries which implemented a password replacement solution in 2009.
Within the Department, the Budgets & Reporting Directorate manages financial control systems. This includes controlling sign-on to PCs and secure applications used by finance, HR and supply chain management.
For years, passwords had created problems for users and system controllers. With sign-on credentials for the Government's transversal systems, including BAS, Persal and LOGIS, changing every 15 to 30 days, there was a high incidence of forgotten passwords, resulting in lockouts and wasteful downtime. Resetting passwords also placed an unnecessary burden on help desks, diverting the technical support team from more productive tasks.
An audit of password procedures and risk revealed that staff were writing down their passwords and the proximity of workstations meant users could see each other's passwords when they were being entered. By installing a product called SuperSign with Sagem desktop fingerprint readers, all passwords - from initial PC sign-ons to credentials for accessing each application - were replaced with fingerprint sign-on.
As well as enhancing security, there are no more lockouts stemming from confusion over which password goes with which application and SuperSign has eliminated password queries for all biometric-protected applications.
Fingerprints control IT sign-on at the Department of Home Affairs
To end IT-based fraud around ID documents, Home Affairs is introducing this sort of biometric-based security. In April this year, the department said that it was tackling internal corruption and that biometric sign-on is being implemented.
Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said that, "We want to identify who was involved at every step of the process - a definite paper trail, so if there is an allegation of corruption, then we can deal with it." The minister said that 3 833 employees within Home Affairs have been enrolled onto this biometric system so far.
The perception of detection: the biggest deterrent to insider fraud
In June this year, the US Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) released its 2010 Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse. The report is based on a study of 1,843 cases of insider fraud from 106 countries between Jan 2008 and Dec 2009.
The researchers reckon that the typical organisation loses 5% of its annual revenue to fraud. Applied to the estimated 2009 Gross World Product, this translates to a potential global fraud loss of more than $2.9 trillion.
According to ACFE founder, Dr Joseph T. Wells, "In most organizations the accounting department is the place where controls are most strongly enforced, and yet we're still seeing more fraud there than anywhere else. This shows that traditional controls alone are insufficient to keep occupational fraud from occurring. A large part of the reason is that accounting department employees are more likely than just about anyone in the company to be familiar with the controls and how to develop methods to circumvent them."
"Saying that there is deficient internal control when fraud occurs is much like saying that when there is a fire, heat is present: it doesn't tell us much that we don't know. While controls are necessary, that isn't what really deters fraud; it's the perception of detection. Succinctly stated, those who perceive that they will be caught committing fraud are less likely to commit it."
Insider fraud: a solution at your fingertips
According to the ACFE study, insider crime remains impervious to traditional controls - most fraud is still only detected by accident or tip-offs. Scarcely more than 1% of the insider fraud was detected by IT controls. However, in 20% of the cases, internal controls were overridden by the fraudsters.
Biometric sign-on offers a compelling solution by linking IT users to their transactions, creating a definitive audit trail of who did what, where and when.
This article was provided by Charlie Stewart of Cape Town SEO company 2Stroke on behalf of biometric solutions company transmetriX.
Spider Webs, Bow Ties, Scale-Free Networks, And The Deep Web
The World Wide Web conjures up images of a giant spider web where everything is connected to everything else in a random pattern and you can go from one edge of the web to another by just following the right links. Theoretically, that's what makes the web different from of typical index system: You can follow hyperlinks from one page to another. In the "small world" theory of the web, every web page is thought to be separated from any other Web page by an average of about 19 clicks. In 1968, socologist Stanley Milgram invented small-world theory for social networks by noting that every human was separated from any other human by only six degree of separation. On the Web, the small world theory was supported by early research on a small sampling of web sites. But research conducted jointly by scientists at IBM, Compaq, and Alta Vista found something entirely different. These scientists used a web crawler to identify 200 million Web pages and follow 1.5 billion links on these pages.
The researcher discovered that the web was not like a spider web at all, but rather like a bow tie. The bow-tie Web had a " strong connected component" (SCC) composed of about 56 million Web pages. On the right side of the bow tie was a set of 44 million OUT pages that you could get from the center, but could not return to the center from. OUT pages tended to be corporate intranet and other web sites pages that are designed to trap you at the site when you land. On the left side of the bow tie was a set of 44 million IN pages from which you could get to the center, but that you could not travel to from the center. These were recently created pages that had not yet been linked to many centre pages. In addition, 43 million pages were classified as " tendrils" pages that did not link to the center and could not be linked to from the center. However, the tendril pages were sometimes linked to IN and/or OUT pages. Occasionally, tendrils linked to one another without passing through the center ( these are called "tubes"). Finally, there were 16 million pages totally disconnected from everything.
Further evidence for the non-random and structured nature of the Web is provided in research performed by Albert-Lazlo Barabasi at the University of Notre Dame. Barabasi's Team found that far from being a random, exponentially exploding network of 50 billion Web pages, activity on the Web was actually highly concentrated in "very-connected super nodes" that provided the connectivity to less well-connected nodes. Barabasi dubbed this type of network a "scale-free" network and found parallels in the growth of cancers, diseases transmission, and computer viruses. As its turns out, scale-free networks are highly vulnerable to destruction: Destroy their super nodes and transmission of messages breaks down rapidly. On the upside, if you are a marketer trying to "spread the message" about your products, place your products on one of the super nodes and watch the news spread. Or build super nodes and attract a huge audience.
Thus the picture of the web that emerges from this research is quite different from earlier reports. The notion that most pairs of web pages are separated by a handful of links, almost always under 20, and that the number of connections would grow exponentially with the size of the web, is not supported. In fact, there is a 75% chance that there is no path from one randomly chosen page to another. With this knowledge, it now becomes clear why the most advanced web search engines only index a very small percentage of all web pages, and only about 2% of the overall population of internet hosts(about 400 million). Search engines cannot find most web sites because their pages are not well-connected or linked to the central core of the web. Another important finding is the identification of a "deep web" composed of over 900 billion web pages are not easily accessible to web crawlers that most search engine companies use. Instead, these pages are either proprietary (not available to crawlers and non-subscribers) like the pages of (the Wall Street Journal) or are not easily available from web pages. In the last few years newer search engines (such as the medical search engine Mammaheath) and older ones such as yahoo have been revised to search the deep web. Because e-commerce revenues in part depend on customers being able to find a web site using search engines, web site managers need to take steps to ensure their web pages are part of the connected central core, or "super nodes" of the web. One way to do this is to make sure the site has as many links as possible to and from other relevant sites, especially to other sites within the SCC.
For more information visit http://www.online-workplace.co.cc/
Computer Forensics, Computer Crimes, and Data Recovery
Computer Forensics
Computer forensics is the science of obtaining information from computers and digital media. This information is usually intended to be used as legal evidence. The aim of the computer forensic analyst is twofold. First, he or she must retrieve data from the computer discs and other digital media in question. Then the data must be stored. It must be stored in a manner that is safe and that allows the analyst to affirm that it was found on the original device. A computer forensics specialist must be expert in both the technology of data recovery and the legal aspects of evidence handling.
Computer Crimes
Computer forensics is a relatively new science. Before the 1980s, there were no personal computers and therefore no computer crimes. Now computers figure in a wide variety of illegal activity, both directly and in the form of an information storage medium.
There are some crimes in which computers are directly involved. One of these is hacking into corporate and government websites. Hackers may try to obtain information like customer's credit card or bank account information. They may try to embarrass government agencies and prevent the access of citizens by shutting down websites or posting false information. Another crime is that of abuse in chat rooms and social media sites. This may take the form of bullying, encouraging others to attack a person or spreading false information about someone to damage their reputation.
In other crimes, the computer is not used in committing the crime itself. It is used to store information that may be used as evidence of the crime. This might include journals of criminal activity, spread sheets with financial information or emails.
Another category of computer crime might be considered to be one in which the computer is not absolutely necessary for the crime, but makes it much easier and more likely to be committed. Crimes of this nature might include storing child pornography or attempting to solicit meetings with minors.
Data Recovery Techniques
The main mission of the computer analyst is data recovery. There are several techniques that might be used:
Live Recovery - If the computer is seized while it is still running, or is shut down but operational, live recovery may be used. This may involve searching the hard drive of the computer using the installed operating system or third-party software.
Deleted File Recovery - Many people do not realize that when files are deleted from a computer, they are seldom actually removed from the hard drive. When the delete function is used, all this does is remove the file's location from the computer's file location list. Software is available to recover these files in most cases. Even if the hard drive has been erased, the data is often still there.
Steganography - This is an interesting method of hiding data in which the information is mixed into an image. The data may also be intermixed with the coding of a computer file.
Computer forensics is a fascinating science. Its practitioners must be part computer expert, part evidence handling specialist and part detective.
To learn more about Electronic Evidence Discovery Services, as well as more information about computer forensics, visit Elluma Discovery.
What You Need to Know About AC Adapters for Laptops
AC adapters for laptops could sometimes be the first one that is going to give out. If you have a laptop, basically, all of its parts are sturdy in construction except the adapters. Adapters are the first ones giving out because of the wire and the careless use of some owners.
The AC adapters are known to charge the battery of the laptops. Without the adapters, your laptop's 2-4 hour battery capacity would have been nothing. Depending on how you use the AC adapters, it could even protect other parts of the laptop from wear and tear.
Aside from charging the battery, it could also be used directly to power the laptop. If you see most people conserve the life of their laptop's battery by removing the battery pack when it is at home and instead using the adapter, this is among the many ways on how the adapter helps to sustain durability of the other laptop parts.
The problem with AC adapters for laptops is the fact that they differ from one brand to the other. This means that if you happened to have problems with your adapter, what you need to do is to go to the manufacturer and buy a new one. But the trouble with these things is the fact that they are so expensive. The fact that there is a specific laptop charger makes it just that.
There are many ways in order for you to take care of your adapters. One, you need to know that the function of the adapter is to charge the batteries. If you are going to use your laptop, it is highly suggested that you make sure to plug it to the suggested current. For the US made laptops, they typically require 110V.
The problem with this kind of charger is the basic premise that you need to have a transformer. If you are not going to have a charger, plugging it in to the 220V outlet especially in Asia may bring you trouble. It could affect your batteries and your adapter. Typically today, the manufacturers created an auto volt system which allows chargers to be used from 110V to 220V.
Always read the manual first before you even use the laptop. There are times when the warranty wouldn't cover for such instances. You need to be careful when you are dealing with electronic items.
If you are going to use the adapter, make sure that you are not bending the wires. The bend in the wires would sometimes cause the charger not to charge the laptop's battery. You could however fix the problem if you have a tester. You could check for the continuity of the wire.
There are times when you need to replace the wire. In replacing a wire, you don't need to cut the whole wire. But instead, you could in fact focus resetting the broken part and solder it with the good ends. If you are not aware on how to do this, you could go to your laptop experts for more information.
If you want to know if your AC adapter is charging well, you could look into the LED that would light when it is charging. You could also have the laptop's monitor checked if it says "charging". This way, you could isolate the problem if it is with the charger, the laptop battery or the female jack of the laptop that needs repair.
It is common to see AC adapters for laptops become forgotten parts of laptops. What you need to remember is that it is imperative to have a good and functional adapter to have a good laptop as well. With these things in consideration, your AC adapter will last definitely last longer.
To know more about AC adapters for laptops, visit and find out about How To Chose a Laptop 2012 today. Not only that will aid in anything computer related since our expertise covers most of the general PC related topics.
Buy Sexy Servers Online - Or Make Your Own
Servers are not often seen as particularly 'sexy' products. For most people who are ready to buy server cases for their computing business, image will be at the very bottom of the pile of specification requirements - if they feature at all.
However for the domestic technophile who is looking into the world of home servers, style can be an important consideration. Rather than sitting in the office all week and being associated with little more than hard work, a home server will be a permanent feature of your household. Like other permanent features, your home server will give visitors to your home a certain impression about you - and if you want to make sure that impression is good, you will also want your home server to look good. Netgear routers
There are a number of businesses online that can provide ready-made custom home server cases with style firmly embedded in the design. For the more creative people amongst you, even the most dull and drab of server cases can be modified to look rather cool. Whilst this is not necessarily a task for those who are short of time, this is the route to the most original and unique server cases on the planet. To get some inspiration, simply search "show off your rig" in Google and look for one of the many threads in computer hardware forums where users have uploaded pictures of their beloved beauties.
Of course it is not only server cases that can be given a stylish makeover. In fact, depending on the space available inside your server cabinet vs the space free inside your desktop PC case, you may find modifying a PC to be easier. Whether you go down the home server or desktop PC route, there are a number of different features you can add to make yours stand out from the crowds.
Here are a couple of hints and tips for to get you started if you have decided that case modding is for you:
1. Windows
No, we don't mean the operating system, silly. If you're serious about showing off your computer, you will either want to purchase a basic case with a window installed in the side panel or invest the time and energy required to install a window in an existing case. This will show off the internal components of your computer, and pave the way for your more interesting modifications.
2. Lights
There is something very appealing about adding extra lights to your pride and joy. Just as car modders will often add undercarriage lighting to their creations, so case modders will often add LED lights to their computer cases. You can pick any colour you want, and apart from space restrictions inside your case, you are pretty much free to put them wherever you like.
We'll leave it to you to investigate the more intricate details of case modding. Or just buy your case ready made and modded from one of the reputable retailers you'll find online.
If you're looking for a computer case to use as the foundation for a modified masterpiece, you need look no further than Microbite. Whether you need a server cabinet or something as pedestrian as Netgear routers, Microbite are sure to have the answer.
Emergency Notification Systems
Technology is growing faster than the world is turning. How do I know this? Because as a video forensic expert, I am on the front lines investigating new technologies and systems as they are implemented in law enforcement communities.
I recently came across a public safety system manufactured by a company called Nice Systems. Much like the Pelco systems, Nice Systems are capable of doing much more than only capturing audio and video recordings of predetermined coverage areas.
If a municipality has installed a Nice System in their community that includes intricate sensors and cameras connected to 911 call center software, those sensors and cameras can notify 911 dispatch minutes before any person can make a call to that same call center. This reduces emergency response time.
For example, let's say that a busy intersection has the Nice Systems equipment installed. An accident occurs at that intersection. The equipment will automatically notify that area's 911 call center of the accident seconds-if not minutes-before any person can place a call to that same call center.
This equipment is saving lives and will continue to improve technologically, keeping us forensic experts on our toes. It is the forensic expert's job to understand how this equipment works and to use that knowledge to help the courts better understand evidence presented in a litigation that was created on this high tech equipment.
I recently reviewed an operator's manual for a type of Nice System call center software to confirm some aspects of a case I have been assigned. The details of the manual are astonishing and the capability of the software is extremely advanced. Law enforcement officials have to spend time learning how this equipment functions so that they can maintain and operate the system to their advantage.
Sure, it takes more time and tax payer money, but this technology actually saves lives and solves crime. The time and expense are worthwhile.
As an audio and video forensic expert, not only do I have to research new systems that I receive evidence from, but I also help litigators understand the limitations and capabilities of these highly technical emergency notification systems so that the evidence created by these systems can be properly addressed by the courts. The bottom line is that as forensic experts, we never stop learning and growing in order to keep up with technology. When we learn, we help others learn as well.
The Uses of 19216811 and Its Importance
The most famous broadband router manufacturer Linksys uses the IP 192.168.1.1 as a default IP address for the routers they produce. This IP address is also used by numerous other router manufacturers. This IP is used to access the configuration options of the router and at the same time it can help us troubleshoot some networking problems like loss of connectivity, or restoring the password for your home network.
In this article, we want to help you understand better what an IP address is, how private IPs work and what are default IPs. So let's get started.
IP Address - What Is It?
The term IP is used to represent a sequence of numbers usually used by devices like routers, personal computers, and so on, when they have to connect to a local computer network. When we take a look at the numbers of an IP we can see the following. We call these numbers octets because there are 8 different positions. Every single position can be 1-on or 0-off and there are 256 possible combinations. This applies for only on octet ant as you can see there are four of them. Some of them can't be used as IPs and belong to the restricted addresses. For example:
• 255.255.255.255 - network broadcasts
• 0.0.0.0 - default network address
• 127.0.0.1 - loopback address
Private IP Addresses - How Do They Work?
The IP address 192.168.1.1 is a so called private IP. These IP are mainly used in local networks ( school LAN, business LAN, etc). Computers with a private IP are not able to connect to the Internet on their won. For that to be possible they have to use a NAT. The entire system can be applied in the different direction, too. A computer which is not part of the network cannot identify or connect to another computer that is in a network. All the connections must go through a NAT or Network Address translation. NAT is often used as an additional security measure which is completely justified if we taken into account the constant increase of the number of threats on the Internet today.
Default IP Address - What Is It?
Default IPs are used in private networks. The most popular is 192.168.1.1 but there are others too like 192.168.1.0, 192.168.1.2, 192.168.1.254 and so on. The main reason why these IP are used is to make it easier for new users to access their network router configuration utility and set it up or solve networking problems.
You can read more information about this ip address on this site: http://www.192-168-11.org/ and 192.168.1.1
Tips From Reputable SEO Companies
The best SEO companies provide e-marketing services. These firms train online businesses specifically small-scale proprietors to sell their merchandise in a highly cost effective way to intended customers. One critical function of this provider is to build and sustain traffic to websites to get customers or obtain email addresses and build an inventory of prospects.
This online enterprise that has acquired the expertise can impart to enthusiastic entrepreneurs the requirements to thrive in the business. There are some guidelines that the reliable online expert would like to share with website owners:
• The major objective of a website used for business ventures must always be to build up conversion and not merely website traffic. The ultimate aim is acquire more traffic that could be transformed into income. The volume does not guarantee the success of the enterprise. A good number of daily visitors should be convinced to buy from you. This decides the profitability of your initiatives.
• Website owners should be capable of classifying the types of visitors with the help of the best SEO companies. There are aggressive visitors who know the requirements and what they want from websites. There are methodical clients who will require many details and find time to assess these before opting to buy from you. Accuracy and logical judgment are relatively important to them. The irresponsible visitors are not so sure about their needs but anything that catches their attention can urge them to buy immediately. This category is easily impressed by website videos, pictures and graphics as well as promotional offers and bonuses. Finally, the social client is often knowledgeable about social networking and are inclined to check with a lot of friends and associated before deciding to purchase any merchandise. These people are brand and product-conscious.
• Website owners should consult expert about the attitudes and characteristics of visitors. This will enable them to highlight the principal features and benefits of their goods and services. These business managers must be able to make use of techniques that can induce the shrewd or cautious customer to buy from them.
• Social networking is crucial to websites. This unique concept is a big help to the marketing efforts of online entrepreneurs. A social bookmark is valuable although the bookmark appears on a freely accessible social media site. Other people can perceive the bookmark and be exposed to the content of the website. As a bookmark obtains more views, its importance in the social site is enhanced and will drive more and more users to your site. The aim here is to have one of the bookmarked pages emerge on the homepage of a social site.
Before anything else, the website developer should work together with the best SEO companies to craft attention-grabbing, quality and unique content that will entice more visitors and hep in positioning the website in premier search engines.
Blue Flurry, one of the Better search engine positioning provides high quality and Best SEO Companies.
Private and Public Digital Evidence and Forensic Investigation
This article discusses the specific sub-field of digital forensics and the types of crimes that would need digital forensics for an investigation.
Digital Forensics
This sub-field of forensics examines data and information from computer storage media so that it may be used as evidence in a court of law or to answer a specific legal question as it may need.
For example in private investigations, digital forensics investigator may use digital forensics at the request of a private attorney for a defendant in a public case. And evidence may be gathered to prove that an employee is using company resources for personal private business use such as selling goods online or visiting the site that is against the company rules and regulation about Information technology. In this case, the employee may be subject to disciplinary action by the company, more personal liability, and perhaps criminal liability.
More so, evidence that proves an employee has violated an employment agreement. For example, evidence may be gathered that proves an employee accessed records or other information without authorization. It may also give that one employee has harassed another employee or perhaps stolen company information.
While public investigations require digital forensics only when a crime has been committed and computers can be used in crimes in one of the following ways, such as, Crimes associated with the prevalence of computers i.e. copyright violations, crimes in which computer is the instrument of the crime or crime in which computer are incidental to another crime such as using it to store illegal records and crimes in which the computer is the target such as crimes that involve stealing information from a computer or denial of service crimes.
Digital Evidence Collection
The collection of digital evidence may have several prominent roles in collection. These roles may include:
Physical Technology Collection: Investigators will collect the physical media. Physical media is any technology that stores data or information. E.g. hard disks, PDAs, flash and other electronic devices.Physical Media Analysis: Investigators will analyze the physical evidence for finger prints or other evidence found on the surfaces of the physical technology. This role requires a deep understanding of the technology and may be able to aid the roles of digital evidence collection and digital evidence analysis even when the physical device is severely damaged.
Digital Evidence Collection: Investigators will collect the digital data from the physical device. Here, the evidence is the full set of files, folders, and bits stored on the physical media.
Digital Evidence Analysis: Investigators will analyze the data collected. Analysis of digital evidence may show hidden information.
Digital Evidence
Digital evidence is both the full set of bits, bytes, and blocks retrieved from the technology. It is also any subset of that full set such as e-mail, log files, text documents, spreadsheets, and other files.
Digital evidence has several unique challenges and questions that must be addressed. The highest challenge is found in modern computers which are implanted as multi-user systems with potentially hundreds of users. Since evidence must conclusively show facts in an investigation, it becomes critical to clear up ambiguities of who owns the data, how the data came to be on the system, and who or what originated the data.
Another concern is the legal issues surrounding the collection of evidence from privately owned devices such as cell phones in private investigations as well the expectation of privacy for employees using company provided resources. While no clear answers have emerged, many businesses specify the proper use of their assets and need employees to waive any such rights to privacy on company assets as part of their employment contract.
Furthermore, this issue has recently become more complicated with the onset of free publicly available encryption technologies. This specific question is whether or not a user retains an expectation of privacy by using encryption on company assets. Clearly, the company has the right to the encrypted version of the data; but does the company have the right to mandate the employee offer an unencrypted version? Subsequently, can a person be ordered by a court of law to give a password to law enforcement to decrypt the digital evidence?
One may be tempted to argue that no digital bit has ever been seen, so plain sight is not possible and not an issue. This issue of privacy raises the question of "plain sight" while collecting evidence from digital sources. Others may argue that a permit to collect any digital evidence stored on a disk or computer device is enough to collect any and all evidence from a computer for any crime.
The plain sight doctrine is best interpreted conservatively so that any seizure of evidence of one crime revealed during the search for evidence for another crime should be then justified by a permit.
Company Policies That Will Help Lower Computer Repair Costs
A lot of small enterprises expend a substantial amount of money trying to keep their computer systems working. Usually we are called in due to virus troubles and operating system concerns that are caused by staff members browsing the internet and looking at email and other personal activities that cause the computer system to get corrupted and worse. Some staff install any and all programs on their computer systems. The price tag to get things operating once again could be in the hundreds of dollars. We often times have to backup all of the data and reformat the personal computer to fix it appropriately.
That may be not the conclusion of it though. The programs must be reinstalled. More often than not that involves Anti Virus, Microsoft Office, Quickbooks and more. It has to have printers setup and mapped drives, system connections, connecting to domains and email restored and set up. It will require time which costs money.
I strongly recommend an organization. Tips and hints to consider:
Installing software applications which are not accepted are forbidden.Internet browsing is for business functions only, not personalized browsing.Staff must be taught to stay away from opening emails from unknown sources and ignore opening attachments which are not requested or expected.Downloading applications or anything else is forbidden.Private email will not be looked at on the business computer.Examining company email should be limited to business pursuits only.
An alternative good idea will be to provide your worker with another computer to be used for checking their private emails and a lot more. It won't have a company purpose so that if it is corrupted it is very easily reformatted and ready to use again.
Are you aware that huge corporations setup their computers so that employees are not able to install programs, access email etc. They have costly computer software that could do all of that. Frequently the PCs at large companies may have 2 or 3 applications installed and that is all it does. Many small companies have 20 programs installed plus more. They're even more complicated and more difficult to bring back to their prior state when problems occur.
A correctly configured web filter could be used to prevent access to the internet except for those website the worker needs to access in order to complete their task. This minimizes the undesired browsing or checking private email. Also a good antivirus and firewall program is important.
If you want to read more about computer issues you can visit more of Steve at Utah Computer Repair. We also do server repair and installations and you can visit our page Utah Windows Server Repair.
The Inner Workings of E-Discovery Software
With famous litigation making the rounds of cable and local news channels, e-discovery software has found its place in the legal process. Electronic discovery, or e-discovery, is the process by which electronic documents such as e-mails, instant messaging and other types of computer communication are found by investigative means. E-Discovery software is the computer equipment used in these investigative matters. Find out how e-discovery software aids in the finding of possible evidence in legal proceedings.
Managing and Identifying Evidence
In the past decade, legislation has been passed that requires employers to keep track of important documents and communications. In the event of impending litigation, the employer, or party to the court proceeding, is required to either produce any pertinent information themselves or to hire a company that specializes in e-discovery. Once this process has been completed, attorneys, IT professionals and investigators have to identify evidence that could be useful in any impending court proceedings.
Using E-Discovery Software to Collect Evidence
As stated before, employers are required to preserve certain documents and to retrieve any communications regarding a viable piece of information in the event of a subpoena or lawsuit. When an employer finds out that they need to use e-discovery software to retrieve company emails, instant messages and other electronic communication, they can either enlist the help of IT professionals or even the services of an e-discovery company. E-discovery companies are getting more and more popular as the evolving technology makes it even easier to retrieve lost documents.
Using E-Discovery Software to Analyze the Evidence
Once all documents have been retrieved from the computer in question, the time has come for investigators to go through all pertinent papers for the purpose of getting evidence that could provide the much needed ammunition for their case. One way this software helps investigators in this process is through examining the metadata of each document. Metadata is the encrypted information that is contained in each electronic file. This information contains needed clues such as the date and time that the file was created, as well as the program in which the file was created.
Even though investigators still search through boxes of yellowed documents, e-discovery software takes litigation into the 21st century. This software allows companies involved in legal proceedings to go about their business without a huge interruption in doing what they do best, a godsend to any company who just find out they're about to be involved in a costly court case.
Read more about comprehensive, flexible e-discovery software.
Cyber Crime - Can Locard's Exchange Principle Be Applied to Cyber Crime?
Cyber Crime is replacing drug trafficking. Recent government findings indicate that cyber crime has pushed aside the illicit drug trade as one of the top sources for hundreds of millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains the world over. In its infancy, the Internet seemed like something that could develop into a useable tool for scientific research. If we had only known back then what potential it held, perhaps more thought would have gone into its protection.
Today the newswires are filled with reports of massive thefts of personal information as well as depleted bank accounts-all due to the criminal element that, for a small investment in a computer and an Internet connection, is changing the landscape of criminal investigation. One highly regarded research survey stated that 8.1 million Americans were victims of identity theft in 2010. Losses were in the hundreds of millions.
The Locard Exchange Principle (LEP)
Dr. Edmond Locard (1877-1966), known to many as the French "Sherlock Holmes," was a pioneer in forensic evidence investigation. Locard formulated the basic principle of forensic science, "Every contact leaves a trace," Of course Locard's theory dealt with the physical contact made by the perpetrator to items in the crime scene. But today's crime scene may not involve a physical structure-more than likely the crime scene is located out there in cyberspace.
So the question evolves, "Does Locard's Exchange Principle apply to an electromagnet passing over a spinning disk?" Some digital detectives believe that it does. For example, a hacker gains access to a computer system that may or may not be secure. Is any computer completely secure? Granted, security software is effective against many such invasions, but a secure system will only take the hacker a little longer to get into it. Now, the question is, does the exchange principle apply?
Cyber crimes leave no physical evidence
On the surface, the infiltrator would leave no physical trace of his having been there. But other electronic trace evidence may be present. If the computer's file access logs were accessible, it's possible that a record will be available showing that the file was, in fact, accessed, and even that a network transmission followed. Also a possibility is that a side-channel analysis of any activity on the hard drive will uncover network operations. As a last resort, the examiner may check the access logs of the Internet Service Provider (ISP) to uncover surreptitious entry. This step will not necessarily divulge what specific data was removed, but it will indicate that data was, in fact, lifted from the line.
Industrial espionage is becoming commonplace
Personal information and cash are not the only targets of this spreading menace. Online industrial espionage is a growing threat to the U.S. economy as well as our national security. U.S. intelligence agencies recently warned elected officials that China and Russia are engaged in cyber-espionage. "Trade secrets developed over thousands of working hours by our brightest minds are stolen in a split second and transferred to our competitors," said one counterintelligence executive. These foreign governments deny this claim.
The Cyber Exchange Principle
Perhaps when relating to cyber crime, the "Cyber Exchange Principle" applies. Forensic examination of a computer or server will uncover artifacts of invasion. The investigator is then, faced with a situation that the crime scene is not limited to a single computer and may involve another computer half the world away.
The hacker will not be leaving latent fingerprints, foot prints, or traces of physiological fluids in the wake of his intrusion. But electronic activity in this case can be far more valuable in the bits and bytes this activity leaves behind. The principle that Locard espoused so long ago must be forefront in the minds of our digital detectives as they seek what clues an invaded computer holds as well as what traces are awaiting discovery out there in cyberspace.
According to a leading manufacturer of cyber security software, the annual take by cyber criminals in 2011 was about $114 billion from 431 million adult victims globally. Learn more about cyber crime at the CSI TECH BLOG
Expert Author Don Penven is a freelance writer and professional photographer based in Raleigh and Morehead City, NC,
The Benefits of 19216811
The IP address 192.168.1.1 is a private IP address. What does it mean - you may ask. Well private IP are to be used in networks and not on the Internet. So basically your home computer can have this IP address as a default and the computer in the nearby Internet café can have the same IP. Will this cause an IP conflict? Certainly not, since these computers are parts of different networks. However, if these two computers were in one network and use the same IP address there would be problems. This is known as IP conflict and occurs because each device in a network must have its own, unique IP.
Private IP can be identified only inside the network. If we want them to be identified on the Internet we have to use NAT or Network Address Translation. What NAT does is that it will assign a public IP to one or more computers which are in a private network. It is interesting to know that private IPs can be used over and over again and by many different users but they have to be parts of different network groups.
Fortunately some manufacturers saw the need for communication outside the network and for that purpose they made a NAT which acts like a middleman between the local network and the Internet.
At first the IP 192.168.1.1 was meant to be used only by one or two manufacturers. However, other manufacturers liked the idea and they implemented it in their routers as well. The number of modems and routers that use this default IP address is huge. However, it doesn't mean that you have to use this IP no matter what. It is your choice. On one hand it is easier but it may result in some accessibility issues. With the increasing number of threats on the Internet many users simply like to feel more secure and this is the reason why they don't want to use the 192.168.1.1 IP.
On the other hand millions of users can say nothing but the best about this IP. It makes it easier to solve some networking problems, because the popularity of this IP is really great. Whatever problem you have just go to Google and type this IP address and the problem you have. You will be presented with thousands of search results and we believe that you will be able to find a solution to your problem on some forums, blogs, etc.
Find more information about IP Address 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.1
Cloud Computing Solutions: Deployment Models
August 2010 reports of the Consumers Research Network (CRN) estimate that by 2014, spending on cloud computing solutions would reach the $100 billion mark. Cloud computing is a very versatile and flexible computing model and thus can be customized as per requirements of individual organizations. Organizations need clouds for the different computation, software, data access, regulatory compliance, data security and storage services it offers. The degree of customization is so high that one can choose from different types of deployment modes for the same.
Deployment Options in Cloud Computing Solutions
The growing popularity of cloud computing is not only because it makes the business more agile and cuts costs, but also it is a dynamically scalable technology. Following are the commonly used deployment modes for Cloud computing solutions:
Public Cloud: This is usually how mainstream services are provided over the web. This type of web hosting is backed by a fairly large amount of shared infrastructure and resources that may be present on a single location. This model is provided to organizations on a self-service basis over the Internet. The billing is done on the basis of usage.
Private Cloud: Private cloud computing solutions would be an extension of the Virtual Private Network (VPN) concept. This is best suited for individual companies that want to exercise significant level of control over their sensitive data. It offers great deal of security to the data while still allowing for sharing.
Community Cloud: Community based cloud computing can be best understood as a culmination of various public cloud networks that come together to host a network. This joint effort is driven by similar needs and requirements of organizations that belong to a certain industry along with large scale requirements that cannot be hosted on a single public cloud. There are fewer users than a public cloud but more than private clouds. However, this expense is justified by higher standards of privacy and security levels.
Hybrid Cloud: This type of a computing environment has the organization managing some resources in-house and others on a public cloud model. It is best known to be used in cases where companies want to grow and expand inorganically without committing huge capital in the process. Hybrid systems also offer relatively greater control over data.
You should ensure you have all the information before deploying cloud computing solutions for your organization. Find out about the deployment models, platforms and benefits that you can avail so that you can leverage any investment you make in this upcoming technology.
Visit CloudAccess.com for cloud computing solutions and products. Their prompt customer service will help you deploy the system that best suits your requirements. Contact them now to avail a 30 day free trial.
Web Mining
With the bang of the era of information technology, we have entered into an ocean of information. This information blast is strongly based on the internet; which has become one of the universal infrastructures of information. We can not deny the fact that, with every passing day, the web based information contents are increasing by leaps and bounds and as such, it is becoming more and more difficult to get the desired information which we are actually looking for. Web mining is a tool, which can be used in customizing the websites on the basis of its contents and also on the basis of the user interface. Web mining normally comprises of usage mining, content mining and structure mining.
Data mining, text mining and web mining, engages various techniques and procedures to take out appropriate information from the huge database; so that companies can take better business decisions with precision, hence, data mining, text mining and web mining helps a lot in the promotion of the 'customer relationship management' goals; whose primary objective is to kick off, expand, and personalize a customer relationship by profiling and categorizing customers.
However, there are numbers of matters that must be addressed while dealing with the process of web mining. Data privacy can be said to be the trigger-button issue. Recently, privacy violation complaints and concerns have escalated significantly, as traders, companies, and governments continue to gather and warehouse huge amount of private information. There are concerns, not only about the collection and compilation of private information, but also the analysis and use of such data. Fueled by the public's concern about the increasing volume of composed statistics and effective technologies; conflict between data privacy and mining is likely to root higher levels of inspection in the coming years. Legal conflicts are also pretty likely in this regard.
There are also other issues facing data mining. 'Erroneousness of Information' can lead us to vague analysis and incorrect results and recommendations. Customers' submission of incorrect data or false information during the data importation procedure creates a real hazard for the web mining's efficiency and effectiveness. Another risk in data mining is that the mining might get confused with data warehousing. Companies developing information warehouses without employing the proper mining software are less likely to reach to the level of accuracy and efficiency and also they are less likely to receive the full benefit from there. Likewise, cross-selling may pose a difficulty if it breaks the customers' privacy, breach their faith or annoys them with unnecessary solicitations. Web mining can be of great help to improve and line-up the marketing programs, which targets customers' interests and needs.
In spite of potential hurdles and impediments, the market for web mining is predicted to grow by several billion dollars in the coming years. Mining helps to identify and target the potential customers, whose information are "buried" in massive databases and to strengthen the customer relationships. Data mining tools can predict the future market trends and consumer behaviors, which can potentially help businesses to take proactive and knowledge-based resolutions. This is one of the causes why data mining is also termed as 'Knowledge Discovery'. It can be said to be the process of analyzing data from different points of view and sorting and grouping the identified data and finally to set up a useful information database, which can further be analyzed and exploited by companies to increase and generate revenue and cut costs. With the use of data mining, business organizations are finding it easier to answer queries relating to business aptitude and intelligence, which were very much complicated and intricate to analyze and determine earlier.
Security Sphere 2012 - Sneaky Malware That Rips Users Off
Security Sphere 2012 is a malicious application that can be easily labeled as rogue anti-spyware. It applies invasive methods for getting inside the system and in most of the cases uses Trojans for getting into poorly protected systems. However, PC users should keep in mind that this threat is not capable to get inside the properly protected machines, so it is highly recommended having both, anti-virus and anti-spyware, programs installed on computer. Besides, these progras must be continuously updated in order to have the full virus database. Only in this case Security Sphere 2012 or other virus will be stopped immediately if it tries to get inside undetected. Note that when downloading or updating something, you should use only official websites because this virus can easily be downloaded together with faked Flash Updates or other malicious downloads.
When Security Sphere 2012 manages to get into the targeted system, its first activity always stays unnoticed - malware makes some Registry modifications by adding startup entries and a few other values there. This results in continuous interruptions of Security Sphere 2012 every time PC is rebooted. Perhaps it should be the very first sign user should pay attention to: as soon as those annoying pop-ups, warnings and notifications start appearing, run anti-spyware program and check the system for this scam.
Malicious computer utility Security Sphere 2012 goes far enough to reach the main its goal - steal the money from computer users. Malware applies its dirty scheme which should make people believe that they need to purchase its license: first of all, it starts reporting about various viruses detected, like Trojans, worms and other. However, these viruses that are detected on PC by Security Sphere 2012 are harmless files that should never be removed unless you want to damage your PC.
After creating a need to remove viruses detected, this scam additionally offers to purchase its licensed version. Victims usually report about continuous redirections to malware's purchase page that also offers to buy this program for viruses' removal. Remember, the only thing you must remove is the same thing that keeps alerting on your desktop without stopping. Get rid of Security Sphere 2012 once you notice it on your computer. If you have purchased this rogue anti-spyware already, contact your credir card company to dispute the changes. In addition, if you have problems with this application, read this guide how to uninstall Security Sphere 2012.
Giedrius Majauskas writes security -related blog http://www.2-viruses.com/ which helps people to remove malware infections at no or low cost.
Basics of Digital Forensics and Evidence
The science of forensics is essentially the study of legal issues and pursuit of answers to legal questions by applying scientific knowledge using technology. There are two specific cases where legal system becomes involved are; first, is when a private party, such as a business, requires facts to support a civil action like a lawsuit. The second instance occurs when a crime is suspected or has been committed. Now, in both cases, a forensics investigator, or rather a practitioner of forensic science must check the current available resources to find facts that are supported by the available resources. And more so, the facts help answer the questions expected or asked by the legal system.
Forensics Investigations
There are differences between investigations initiated within the private business sector differ much from investigations initiated by public officials for criminal investigations. The most significant difference is the potential impact from the investigation. Private sector investigations potentially result in any or all the following events:
The loss/gain of money or goodsThe loss or retention of employmentPotential disciplinary actionsCriminal chargesThe most frequent cause for an investigation in the public sector is criminal activity which has the potential to incarcerate private citizens. In very few cases, a public investigation will involve the liability of public officials in issues involving public safety and these investigations can result in the loss of public taxpayer funds, or may influence new legislation. Since most public investigations involve crimes and the criminals that commit them, the term public investigation will be used synonymously with criminal investigation in the rest of the text.
The monetary costs associated with legal action are notable motivators for forensics in investigations. In public investigations, prosecution can take years and cost millions of taxpayer dollars in court costs. Suspects in the prosecution must legal defense which comes at a cost and, even if ultimately proven innocent, defendants in legal cases may suffer loss of reputation and employment. If the prosecution fails to successfully convict, the suspect entitled to restitution for losses to reputation or wages. To make matters worse, the suspect will likely have to pursue a private legal action to recoup damages which result in yet more costs.
Legal actions in the private sector are not exempt from monetary motivators. Private sector legal action can extend over several years and cost millions in private funds. Besides the potential monetary costs, private sector cases often bear a high cost in time and inconvenience for all participants.The likelihood of successful legal action whether it be private or public increases substantially as the confidence level in the facts of the investigation increase.
For example, private sector cases are often examining facts to assess if a company policy or employment contract violated. With very few exceptions, public sector investigations that involve law enforcement such as investigations that result from a crime occurring or in cases where a crime is suspected to have occurred.
Private investigations have the potential of revealing criminal activity. Though the technology and tools for gathering facts are the same or similar in private and public sector cases, the procedure to gather the two will differ much. Even though they differ, the two rules are rarely incompatible; but do need agreement with all private parties including the forensics investigators, and private sector attorneys as well as local law enforcement and public attorneys to keep up confidence levels in the facts of the investigations.
Forensics Investigators
Forensic investigators is trained to be a professionals who apply the science of forensics. They apply skills to many sciences and disciplines such as geology, physics, chemistry, toxicology and many more. Therefore, forensics can be defined as the application of diverse scientific disciplines to the answering of legal questions. The first function of a forensics investigator is to assess the legality and appropriateness of collecting evidence. The nature of investigations requires that evidence collection and analysis be performed in full compliance with the law. Both public and private investigations must respect the rights of private citizens.
Once probable cause is established, a call for is issued. With call for in hand, law enforcement is granted the right to search for only specific evidence of a crime but is allowed to collect any evidence in "plain sight" that is clear and telling that any crime has been committed.
Another function of the forensics investigator is to support an exact "chain of custody" of all evidence gathered in a case. The chain of custody is a simple record of what the evidence is who gathered it, when it was gathered, and who accessed it. An exact chain of custody is required to prevent contamination or even the appearance of contamination of the evidence. The chain of custody is equally important in both public and private investigations.
Evidence
Whether public or private, the facts of a case emerge from evidence in an investigation. Evidence is best defined as anything real or ephemeral that reveals and objectively proves the facts of an investigation. Evidence is generally used to prove the facts that a crime was committed; the suspect committed or did not commit a crime, the order of events during the commission of a crime, the motive:
The forms of the evidence can be either; blood evidence, material traced evidence, finger prints, private or personal records, public records, drug content, surveillance evidence, confession and testimony.
During an investigation, two very different roles emerge in the field of forensics. The first role is that of evidence collection. This role requires relatively limited experience, training, and qualifications. An investigator in this role will often travel to the scene of a crime or can be called to prepare evidence for the second role. The second role is that of evidence analysis. Here, evidence is reviewed, assessed, and analyzed for facts and conclusions.
How Digital Forensic Services Help Companies
It's no secret that computer-facilitated crime, or "cybercrime," is one of the major problems in today's business world. However, many businesses are unaware of both their vulnerability to cybercrime and the steps they can take to minimize their exposure to such malicious acts by outsiders. This short article will explore some areas of concern that can be addressed by hiring a Digital Forensic Services (DFS) firm.
Having a network that is well-protected against both external and internal disruption should be a goal of every business. Hiring an experienced DFS firm, one that has seen "all the tricks" used by those that would attack a business network, is an ideal way to implement and maintain a high level of network security.
All DFS firms can conduct a wide variety of simulated computer attacks against a network to determine that network's security level. Once an attack has occurred, a DFS company is often able to "backtrack" to the attack source by using resources such as system logs and Internet Service Provider traffic records.
A secure computer network is vital in the protection of intellectual property such as original research and prototypes of software applications. An evaluation by a DFS firm can help provide the level of security appropriate to any business operations.
It is common for an intruder to leave behind files or malicious programs that will attempt to associate a business with unsavory business practices. This is often done in order to "sabotage" a business's reputation with its suppliers and/or clients. In such instances a DFS firm will often be able to pinpoint the date and circumstances under which such events occurred and demonstrate that an outside entity was responsible for its presence on the victim's computer system.
One of the basic "rules" of digital information technology can be summarized as follows: "Given enough computers, and enough time, someone will eventually do something stupid and crash the computer that contains the data most essential to normal business operations." A DFS company can usually recover such data within a few days and, more importantly, how to take steps to prevent similar instances in the future.
Many hackers are members of criminal elements that operate purely to profit from stolen business data. Many of these elements recognize that there is little likelihood that they will face criminal prosecution simply because evidence of their crimes that would be "left behind" would not stand up in court. Since most established DFS firms meet or exceed the most stringent federal standards recommendations, they will provide services whose techniques will satisfy all legal requirements related to the processing of evidence.
To learn more about Digital Forensic Services, as well as more information about computer forensics and electronic discovery, visit Elluma Discovery.
Cloud Computing Forensics Using a Communication Data Trunk Transmission Filter - Will It Work?
China, Iran, and a number of other nations have built giant intranet systems which then connect to the overall global Internet. By doing this they can watch the traffic, censor information, and do their intelligence work. Unfortunately, in doing so they also find and eliminate dissension - we don't like that concept in the United States because we believe in freedom and liberty above all else, nevertheless, this is how they do it in their countries. Okay so let's talk about this for second shall we?
The NSA had a decent concept which was approved by Congress and that was to funnel the information from major Communications Systems which handle Internet, facsimile, and voice traffic and allow a computer to read through what is passing through that chokepoint. They call this system; Einstein 2 and 3. This makes sense, and this is a good way to do it. Why are they doing it here in the United States? Well, in 2003, they were worried about terrorism, and it's a good way to find out who the bad guys are as communications come from overseas.
Lately, it has also been considered that once a system like this was up and running, it can also look for malicious computer code, viruses, or even worms which could infiltrate our software, banking system, stock market, military contractors, or infrastructure. It would also help anyone who had a computer, or was connected to the Internet via a smart phone, tablet, laptop, computer, or perhaps an entire IT system from catching a cold or virus as well. All this makes sense right? Sure it does, but you can imagine that those who wish to maintain privacy, thus guaranteeing freedom and liberty, specifically freedom of speech are up in arms over all this.
Now then, as the infiltrators try to get through this system, certainly they will figure out ways to get by it, but as we sift through the data we have collected we could also go back and look at all the previous data which came through, seemingly looking at data without time. In other words time is no longer a variable, as all past and present communication would be available. Strong algorithms could look for variations in various software viruses, malware, and worms - and get smarter as they go with artificial intelligence looking for new exploits.
Could this shut down the hackers once and for all? Could we catch all the terrorists? Could we use this to keep America safe? Perhaps the answer is yes, although it is a moving target, and every time we get better, so do the bad guys. However with such a system only super well-funded hackers, perhaps state-sponsored would have the money to keep up with such a system. In the future as long as no one uses it for ill purposes such as the other countries mentioned above, the US would be a lot safer with such a strategy. Please consider all this.
Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Future Internet Concepts. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net/
File Integrity Monitoring and SIEM - Why Layered Security Is Essential to Combat the APT
Every time the headlines are full of the latest Cyber Crime or malware Scare story such as the Flame virus, the need to review the security standards employed by your organization takes on a new level of urgency.
The 2012 APT (Advanced Persistent Threat)
The Advanced Persistent threat differs from a regular hack or Trojan attack in that it is as the name suggests, advanced in technology and technique, and persistent, in that it is typically a sustained theft of data over many months.
So far the APT has largely been viewed as Government sponsored cyber-espionage in terms of the resources needed to orchestrate such an attack, such as the recent Flame malware which appears to have been a US or Israeli backed espionage initiative against Iran. However you always see the leading edge of technology become the norm a year later, so expect to see APT attacks reach the more mainstream, competitor-backed industrial espionage, and 'hacktivist' groups like Lulzsec and Anonymous adopting similar approaches.
The common vector for these attacks is a targeted spear phishing infiltration of the organization. Using Facebook, LinkedIn or other social media makes identification of targets much easier today, and also what kind of phishing 'bait' is going to be most effective in duping the target into providing the all-important welcoming click on the tasty links or downloads offered.
Phishing is already a well-established tool for Organized Crime gangs who will utilize these same profiled spear phishing techniques to steal data. As an interesting aside regarding organized crimes' usage of 'cybermuscle', it is reported that prices for botnets are plummeting at the moment due to oversupply of available robot networks. If you want to coerce an organization with a threat of disabling their web presence, arm yourself with a global botnet and point it at their site - DDOS attacks are easier than ever to orchestrate.
Something Must Be Done...
To be clear on what we are saying here, it isn't that AV or firewalls are no use, far from it. But the APT style of threat will evade both by design and this is the first fact to acknowledge - like the first step for a recovering alcoholic the first step is to admit you have a problem!
By definition, this kind of attack is the most dangerous because any attack that is smart enough to skip past standard defense measures is definitely going to be one that is backed by a serious intent to damage your organization (note: don't think that APT technology is therefore only an issue for blue chip organizations - that may have been the case but now that the concepts and architecture of the APT is in the mainstream, the wider hacker and hacktivist communities will already have engineered their own interpretations of the APT)
So the second fact to take on board is that there is an 'art' to delivering effective security and that requires a continuous effort to follow process and cross-check that security measures are working effectively.
The good news is that it is possible to automate the cross-checks and vigilance we have identified a need for, and in fact there are already two key technologies designed to detect abnormal occurrences within systems and to verify that security best practices are being operated.
FIM and SIEM - Security Measures Underwritten
File Integrity Monitoring or FIM serves to record any changes to the file system i.e. core operating system files or program components, and the systems' configuration settings i.e. user accounts, password policy, services, installed software, management and monitoring functions, registry keys and registry values, running processes and security policy settings for audit policy settings, user rights assignment and security options. FIM is designed to both verify that a device remains hardened and free of vulnerabilities at all time, and that the filesystem remains free of any malware.
Therefore even if some form of APT malware manages to infiltrate a critical server, well implemented FIM will detect file system changes before any rootkit protective measures that may be employed by the malware can kick in.
Likewise SIEM, or Security Information and Event Management, systems are designed to gather and analyze all system audit trails/event logs and correlate these with other security information to present a true picture of whether anything unusual and potentially security threatening is happening.
It is telling that widely adopted and practiced security standards such as the PCI DSS place these elements at their core as a means of maintaining system security and verifying that key processes like Change Management are being observed.
At the core of any comprehensive security standard is the concept of layered security - firewalling, IPS, AV, patching, hardening, DLP, tokenization, secure application development and data encryption, all governed by documented change control procedures and underpinned by audit trail analysis and file integrity monitoring. Even then with standards like the PCI DSS there is a mandated requirement for Pen Testing and Vulnerability Scanning as further checks and balances that security is being maintained.
Summary
In summary, your security policy should be built around the philosophy that technology helps secure your organizations' data, but that nothing can be taken for granted. Only by practicing continuous surveillance of system activity can you truly maintain data security, very much the essence of the Art of Layered Security.
NNT is a leading provider of general Security and PCI DSS Compliance solutions. As both a PCI DSS Compliance Software Manufacturer and Security Services Provider, we are firmly focused on helping organisations protect their sensitive data against security threats and network breaches in the most efficient and cost effective manner.
NNT solutions are straightforward to use and offer exceptional value for money, making it easy and affordable for organisations of any size to achieve and retain compliance at all times. Each product has the guidelines of the PCI DSS at its core, which can then be tailored to suit any internal best practice or external compliance initiative.
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