Local Area Networks are computer networks that can be set up in the work place or in your own home. Networks that are connected to the Internet use a technology called Ethernet. This technology allows the Internet to be sent directly to your own private computer with a few simple connections.

Ethernet is most known for its use with Ethernet cords. Most people who have a computer network will have at least a couple of these cords. They are used to make all the Internet connections between computers, network devices, and modems.

Having the Internet will require you to have at least one Ethernet cord if not more. The cord gets plugged into the Ethernet outlet also known as the Ethernet port. Most computers and network devices have an Ethernet port.

There are times when Ethernet ports are unavailable. This can happen if your computer is outdated. Most new computers and laptops have these ports unless it’s a really cheap model.

A broken port is also fairly common. Sometimes the Ethernet ports can get jammed or blown out if they are misused. A broken port can be fixed but there are other less expensive solutions out there.

Before you pay a lot of money to have this port fixed, think about another option. There are USB Ethernet adapters available at great prices. As long as your computer has a USB drive, you will be able to use one of these adapters without having to worry about a port.

Ethernet adapters are pretty inexpensive depending on the brand. Go to an office or computer store with a large variety so you can get the best one. Adapters for PC’s are really easy to find while Macs may present a challenge. The Mac adapters may also be more expensive.

Ethernet technology really is revolutionary. Anyone who is connected to the Internet will most likely be using it. Ethernet technology is easy to use and very reliable. It’s also easy to find Ethernet adapters when needed.

Prime Electronics is concerned about the environment, so we aim to recycle consumer electronics and promote replacement parts, including Directv Tivo Remotes, Avaya Phones, Cisco Modules, and Wireless Networking Equipment.

Internet connections can be confusing if you don’t know what each of them does. There are many ways to connect to the Internet and they are always changing things as more technology becomes available. Understanding the benefits to each Internet connection is important if you’re trying to find what’s right for you.

Analog was one of the first mainstream Internets available to the public. It is also known as dial-up. It has a lot of negative stigma surrounding it because it is slow and because it takes up your phone line. The best thing about dial-up today is the extremely low cost. If you’re looking for the cheapest connection dial-up is your answer.

DSL is another type of Internet connection. DSL is much more popular than Analog because it is quicker and doesn’t tie up your phone line. You don’t have to dial into the connection, which makes it always readily available.

One really popular connection is Cable Internet. This uses your cable modem to connect to the Internet. Because this connection is routed through your cable lines, the bandwidth is much greater which increases Internet speeds.

Of course, we can’t forget to mention wireless Internet. This type of Internet has skyrocketed in popularity in the past few years. Most populated areas now offer wireless and many bookstores, libraries, and schools have it as well.

Wireless internet runs through radio waves, but requires a wireless router in order to actually become wireless. The router sends the signal throughout your home or other space. This allows you to connect with another computer or laptop anywhere where the signal is present. If you have a hub that links your computer network, your wireless router can do the same thing your hub is doing. Hubs aren’t needed when you have wireless Internet. The router will cost some extra money, but without it there’s no point to having wireless.

Most basic forms of Internet are available in almost any populated area. Make sure you check into what’s available where you live as your options may become limited. Once you know what’s out there, you can then decide what best fits your needs.

Make sure you are aware of what each connection entails. Make a list of what’s good and bad about each connection so you can see what will benefit you the most. With so many options out there, you are bound to find one that works for you.

Prime Electronics is an Earth-friendly business that focuses on recycling consumer electronics and replacement parts, including Directv Tivo Remotes, Avaya Phones, Cisco Modules, and Wireless Networking Equipment.

The world of computers comes with its own set of rules, regulations, and even its own language. In order to use computers, you don’t need to know this language or even all of the computer terms, but knowing the basics can be really helpful. Those that aren’t familiar with computer terms may need some help understanding them.

This article will be discussing the WEP key, which stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy. If you’re not sure what this is, that’s perfectly okay. It’s a pretty basic concept that most anyone will be able to grasp.

A WEP key is a set of numbers and letters that made up a type of code. This code is needed in order to set up your wireless network. When first linking into it or first setting it up, you will be required to enter a default WEP key. Later, you can change this key but make sure you remember what it is.

WEP keys are normally associated with wireless routers. The reason routers have these codes is to provide security for the network. What it does is encrypts the information that is sent across the network so that outsiders cannot see what is going on.

A wireless router will come with a default WEP key. Lots of people leave it as the default key so they don’t end up forgetting it. It’s easy to forget because you only really need it when you first set up your network.

There are some instances when you may end up needing this key again. If you have lost it or forgotten it, don’t worry. There are a few options for retrieving this security key.

If you still can’t find it, you can usually log in using your routers IP address. The login information will probably be in your manual as well. Once logged in, you will be able to find the WEP key.

A WEP address isn’t normally thought of very often. It’s hardly ever used and easy to forget. Make sure you know what yours is so you don’t have to go digging around to find it. Also make sure you understand what it actually is and what it provides for your network.

At Prime Electronics, we specialize in recycling consumer electronics and replacement parts, including Directv Tivo Remotes, Avaya Phones, Cisco Modules, and Wireless Networking Equipment. We strive to keep the Earth a greener place.

Penetration testing is an frequently confused term. Just what is a penetration test?

Why conduct penetration testing?

What can be tested?

What should be tested?

What do you get for the money?

What to do to ensure the project is a success

Just what penetration test?

Much of the confusion surrounding penetration testing stems from the fact it is a relatively recent and rapidly evolving field. Additionally, many organisations will have their own internal terminology (one man’s penetration check is another’s susceptability review or even specialized danger assessment).

If nothing else, a penetration-test (actually, we prefer the term security assessment) is the procedure of actively evaluating your information security measures. Note the emphasis on ‘active’ assessment; the information systems will be tested to find any security issues, instead of a solely theoretical or paper-based audit.

The results from the assessment will then end up being documented inside a report, which should be presented at a debriefing session, where questions can be answered and corrective strategies can be freely discussed.

Why conduct a penetration test?

From a business perspective, penetration testing helps safeguard your organisation against failure, through:

Preventing financial loss through fraud (hackers, extortionists and disgruntled employees) or through lost revenue due to unreliable business systems and processes.

Proving due diligence and compliance to your industry regulators, customers and shareholders. Non-compliance can result in your organisation losing business, receiving heavy fines, gathering bad PR or ultimately failing. At a personal level additionally, it may mean loosing your job, prosecution and sometimes even imprisonment.

Protecting your brand by avoiding loss of consumer confidence and business reputation.

From an operational perspective, penetration testing helps shape information security strategy through:

Identifying vulnerabilities and quantifying their impact and likelihood in order to be managed proactively; budget can be allocated and corrective measures implemented.

What can be tested?

All parts of the way that your organisation captures, stores and processes information can be assessed; the systems that the information is stored in, the transmission channels that transport it, and the processes and personnel that manage it. Examples of areas that are commonly tested are:

Off-the-shelf products (operating systems, applications, databases, networking equipment etc.)

Bespoke development (dynamic web sites, in-house applications etc.)

Telephony (war-dialling, remote access etc.)

Wireless (WIFI, Bluetooth, IR, GSM, RFID etc.)

Personnel (screening process, social engineering etc.)

Physical (access controls, dumpster diving etc.)

What should be tested?

Ideally, your organisation should have already conducted a risk assessment, so will be aware of the main threats (such as communications failure, e-commerce failure, loss of confidential information etc.), and can now use a security assessment to identify any vulnerabilities that are related to these threats. If you haven’t conducted a risk assessment, then it’s quite common to start with the areas of greatest exposure, like the public facing systems; web sites, email gateways, remote access platforms etc.

Sometimes the ‘what’ of the process may be formed by the standards that your organisation is required to comply with. For example, a credit-card handling standard (like PCI) may require that all the components that store or process card-holder data are assessed.

What do you get for the money?

While a great deal of technical effort is applied during the testing and analysis, the real value of a penetration test is incorporated in the report and debriefing you get at the conclusion. If they are not clear and clear to see, then the whole exercise is of little worth.

Ideally the report and debriefing should be broken into sections that are specifically targeted at their intended audience. Executives need the business risks and possible solutions clearly described in layman’s terms, managers need a broad overview of the situation without getting lost in detail, and technical personnel need a list of vulnerabilities to address, with recommended solutions.

How to proceed to guarantee the project is a success

Defining the scope

The scope should be clearly defined, not only in the context of the components to be (or not to be) assessed and the constraints under which testing should be conducted, but also the business and technical objectives. For example penetration testing might be focussed solely on the single application on a single server, or may be more far reaching; including all hosts attached to a particular network.

Choosing a security partner

Another critical step to ensure that your project is a success is in choosing which supplier to use.

As an absolute fundamental when choosing a security partner, first eliminate the supplier who provided the systems that will be tested. For their services will create a conflict of interest (will they really tell you just how they deployed the systems insecurely, or quietly ignore some issues).

Notable organisations and standards include:

PCI

The Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Requirements were established in December 2004, and apply to all Members, merchants, and service providers that store, process or transmit cardholder data. In addition to a requirement to comply with this standard, there’s a requirement to independently prove verification.

ISACA

ISACA was established in 1967 and has turned into a pace-setting global organization for information governance, control, security and audit professionals. Its IS Auditing and IS Control standards are followed by practitioners worldwide and its research pinpoints expert problems challenging its constituents. CISA, the Certified Information Systems Auditor is ISACA’s cornerstone certification. Since 1978, the CISA exam has measured excellence in the region of IS auditing, control and security and has grown to be globally recognized and adopted worldwide as a symbol of achievement.

CHECK

The CESG IT Health Check scheme was instigated to ensure sensitive government networks and those constituting the GSI (Government Secure Intranet) and CNI (Critical National Infrastructure) were secured and tested to a consistent high level. The methodology aims to identify known vulnerabilities in IT systems and networks which might bargain the actual confidentiality, integrity or availability of information held on that IT system. Even without the other standards, CHECK has become the de-facto standard for penetration testing in the uk. This is mainly out of its rigorous certification process. While good it just concentrates on infrastructure screening and not application. However, open source methodologies like the following are providing viable and comprehensive alternatives, without UK Government association. It must also be evident that CHECK consultants are only required when the assessment is for HMG or related parties, and meets the requirements above. If you prefer a CHECK test you will need to surrender your penetration testing results to CESG.

OSSTMM

The purpose of The Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM) is to set forth a standard for Internet security testing. It is supposed to form a comprehensive baseline for testing that, if followed, ensures a thorough and comprehensive penetration test has been undertaken. This should enable a client to ensure of the level of technical assessment independently of other organisation concerns, like the corporate profile of the penetration-testing provider.

OWASP

The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is an Open Source community project developing software tools and knowledge based documentation that helps people secure web applications and web services. It’s an open source reference point for system architects, developers, vendors, consumers and security professionals involved in designing, developing, deploying and testing the security of web applications and Web Services.

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A firewall is a computer program which protects computer systems from unwanted intrusion. They check everything entering and leaving the connection so that other users cannot spy on or steal from the system. Everyone who has a computer which is used to connect to the internet needs a firewall. They are not just for large companies who have to protect private information.

The fact is we all have sensitive information which can be useful to other people and therefore we need to protect our computers. When using the internet we often use personal information to do things such as shopping or banking. We also have passwords which need to be kept secret.

If hackers can access your computer they can acquire many kinds of information about you. This can be sold to people who use false identities to commit fraud or the hacker can use it themselves. Also if an intruder enters your email accounts they can send emails which look like they came from you. Any of these intrusions can cause all manner of problems.

Hackers can also use your processing capacity by hacking into your system. This can mean that your system runs slower. There have also been cases of people discovering files on their hard drives which they did not place there. If someone else has access to your system they could store files which could be potentially problematic for you.

Every computer user is aware of the problem of viruses. They are usually designed to cause problems and can be very malicious. Some viruses will erase data from your hard drive, cause the system to work slowly or even disable it altogether. Some can be cured but others have caused people to have to replace hard drives. A good firewall is one part of your protection against viruses.

Everyone who has a computer with an internet connection needs a firewall. You can buy them online and download them quickly and easily. It is worth investing in a good one as there is so much to lose if someone can access your hard drive.

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Wireless speakers are a great choice for anyone that wants to get rid of the clutter and tangle of messy wires. Indeed they are also an excellent choice for outdoor use, when stringing wires is not even an option. Hear rock in the kitchen, listen the music in the bathroom & concentrate on your play in the playroom in a steady mind. Of course, setting up wireless speakers is an easy and simple job. Most systems need only be turned on and properly tuned to the receiving speakers without damaging your walls.

Wireless speakers generally fall into two categories. Infrared like a television remote control, beams a signal to the speakers, which requires a direct line of site, and remember if any objects in the way it can prevent the wireless speakers from receiving the signal and creates an obstruction on your hearing process. Radio frequency is waves to transmit the signal. And while the signal can pass through objects, some static can interfere with the sound just like when listening to the radio or when using a cordless telephone.

Don’t forget to consider the range, especially for use outdoors. Many living rooms aren’t bigger than your requirement i.e. twenty or thirty feet, but to reach 100 feet away is a definite challenge. So for that purpose many speakers can be purchased from the market in order to fulfill the ranges. Remember not to believe the manufacturers assurance. One most important factor to be remembered i.e. your house width vis-a-vis the speaker you are using, building materials, other electronic devices cluttering the radio band, and even geographic location.

Last but not the least the weather proofing also can cause a muffled sound, though in the backyard, acoustics and audiophile quality sound are generally not the main concern anyway, of these can significantly reduce the range of wireless speakers. Wireless speakers are getting better every day as technology advances and they become more and more popular with consumers.

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