Posted on in Networking
The first layer of the OSI Reference Model is the physical layer. This layer describes the physical characters of the network. This layer defines the tangible aspects of the network medium, such as types of cables and pin arrangements, but it also defines how much voltage is used in copper …
Posted on in Information Systems
Managing isolated systems is already a complicated task. Network connectivity from outside the Local Area Network (LAN) introduces new complexities that must be taken into account when designing an information security plan. The most significant concern when connecting a LAN to the Internet is protecting internal information from external attackers …
Posted on in Networking
The fifth layer of the OSI Reference Model is the session layer. Since applications running on different hosts may need to establish a connection in order to operate, the session layer is responsible for setting up the connection. It is important to note that the session layer is responsible for …
Posted on in Information Systems
Initially, information security was tightly bound to physical security. The introduction of networked systems created a need for a new kind of security system. Not only must information be protected from improper physical access, it must also be protected from outside attackers using the very tools that make distributed computing …
Posted on in Networking
The Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Reference Model first came into being in 1978. The OSI group was intent on getting a model into the field quickly, so they elected to adopt a seven-layer model created by Charles Bachman of Honeywell. By this time, the lower four levels of the model …
Posted on in Information Systems
Email communication has become so common, users often forget that there is no inherent security in the common implementation. For general correspondence it might be acceptable to forsake security in the interest of ease of use. After all, the sharing of recipes between old friends is not always a matter …
Posted on in Software
Today (Aug 28, 2009) is the big day for Mac OS X lovers. Snow Leopard has finally been released. If you were smart enough to pre-order it on Amazon then you'll be getting it soon. Not only that, but you saved \$4 off the list price!
On a related note …
Posted on in Information Systems
A week after the official deadline for electronic submission of applications for the Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) and the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) revealed today that nearly 2,200 applicants have requested \$28 billion in funding. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act …
Posted on in Information Systems
In the field of information technology, there are two kinds of professionals. Those that seek to make information more accessible through applications and services, and those that strive to protect that same information. Information security professionals protect information by first striving to identify the individuals access the system and then …
Posted on in System Administration
I was involved in a project to apply a maintenance release to an existing Lotus
Domino installation running on Windows Server 2003. The goal was to upgrade the
server from version 6.5.5 to 6.5.6. During the upgrade process, the installer
checks the version of Domino that …
Posted on in information_systems
It can be said that security policies are living documents that must be frequently reviewed and revised. As organizations evolve, their security needs evolve as well. Policies written before the evolution of the organization may not adequately reflect newly developed needs. Therefore, it should be considered standard procedure to review …
Posted on in Networking
No matter how small, all network installations go through an initial planning phase before implementation. The new network administrator must take many factors into consideration when planning a network. Most importantly, the administrator must understand the required capacity, compatibility, and flexibility of the new network. Gathering this information requires a …
Posted on in Networking
In most VPN setups, each VPN user is given unique login credentials. Very rarely, you might run into a situation where a group of individuals is going to be sharing a set of credentials. For example, you might assign VPN credentials to another company for temporary access to part of …
Posted on in Programming
For the last couple of years, I've used the Tag Suggest Thing WordPress plugin to recommend tags for my posts based on the post content. Beginning with WordPress 2.5, that plugin started to have problems interacting with the WordPress administration pages. In August 2009, Yahoo! announced that they would …
Posted on in Networking
There are a few network devices out there that allow you to connect, but don't give you an option to disconnect. For example, you might be stuck at a password prompt, but have no authentication details. Most telnet clients allow you to break these connections with the ^] (control-]) command. <acronym …
