Hacking as a Profession?


February 10th, 2008

The word hacking carries a very negative meaning that it can be hard to imagine someone doing it as a legal profession. Many organizations are starting to realize that they would be in a better position to evaluate the threat of intruders gaining admission into their system if they could anticipate the offensive action. One way to do this is to hire professionals that would think like the enemy and attempt to do exactly as an intruder would.

This is where the so-called ethical hackers enter the picture. These people should be completely trustworthy since the responsibility of testing a client’s system security will place them in an advantageous position of gaining confidential information. This is the reason why ex-hackers are not considered for the position. Trust has been placed a higher consideration than hacker skills gained from questionable experience.

Accessing Computers Remotely


January 27th, 2008

The ability to access files and information over the Internet has been proven to be beneficial whether at work or play. The technologies that enable this kind of access fall into two general categories: those that access files remotely and those that access and control desktops remotely. While file access essentially allows the user to access files from a remote location using the Internet, desktop access and control brings the entire desktop of a person’s home computer to the computer that is being used elsewhere.

The idea is to bring the entire working environment of a computer to another which is being used from another geographical location. This eliminates the need to synchronize files between laptops and desktops and allows the user to really work away from the home or office. However, computing experience tend to be slower since current technology still does not allow lag-free control over a remote connection.

The Use of Templates


January 26th, 2008

A template is a format for saving documents wherein the basic elements are to be used in future documents. It remains unaltered for further use and a copy of which appears for the user to work on once a template is opened such as a letterhead. It is especially useful when a few specific kinds of documents are needed for home use or personal business. Templates can be created as long as a program supports them. Short documents like letters, memos and agendas can be made as well as more complex documents such as reports and newsletters.

There are actually three options open in the use of templates. One can open and use an existing template as is, open and modify, or create one’s own template from scratch. New or downloaded templates can be arranged to build a comprehensive library to be used whenever the need arises. The use of templates is very ideal when a document is regularly produced using the same basic settings.

A spreadsheet is basically a document for storing and calculating numerical data, thus it is typically used for financial planning and accounting purposes. It is a fact that spreadsheets have a lot of complex mathematical formulas built into it, but they have potentials beyond manipulating figures. They are excellent in calculating in different scenarios, but a lot of other tasks can be accomplished due to their great capability in structuring information.

The spreadsheet is based on the cell, which is a small rectangular section on the spreadsheet or database into which text or figures are entered. It is quite handy in math matters such as recalculation but it can also function as a way to hold lists and schedules of varied subjects.

How Secure is Linux


January 25th, 2008

The facilitation of the spread of malware is made more possible when a software is widely used thus maximizing the number of those that can be infected. Slowly patched software also maximizes the time the malware remains effective while maximizing development effort for new ones. Monolithic software or that which has no compartmentalization of components likewise maximizes the damage a malware can do.

Linux has a small user base that discourages malware development, rapid updates that neutralize new threats and a compartmentalized structure that isolates damaged sections. There have been file viruses that were written specifically for Linux but none have yet been propagated successfully. Proponents of Linux believe that they have a more secure platform because all the codes are reviewed by so many people that a bug easily becomes visible. Such is the principle behind the so-called Linus’ Law.

Standard video conferencing is associated with prohibitive costs. The introduction of web conferencing is an important development in business communication as it has enabled cost to decrease while application increases. More than ever, business can be done in the comfort of people’s homes courtesy of their desktop computer. Web conferencing has allowed users to do many things at a click of a button, doing away with the substantial cost entailed in traveling to do business. It has provided a suitable substitute to face-to-face meetings as users see, hear, text, chat, present and share information.

For all intents and purposes, people can meet through web conferencing whenever and wherever needed as long as the participants have access to an online PC or laptop. High costs associated with bandwidth are no longer a deterrent to communication due to the tremendous savings afforded by web conferencing.

The SSH-2 or the revised Secure Shell protocol has a clean internal architecture made up of well-separated layers. The transport layer handles initial key exchange and server authentication and thereby sets up encryption, compression and integrity verification. The user authentication layer handles client authentication and provides various authentication methods. However, it should be noted that authentication is client-driven thus a password prompt may be initiated by an SSH client rather than the server.

The connection layer defines the concept of channels, channel requests and global requests using SSH services that are provided. SSH-2’s open architecture allows for substantial flexibility so that SSH can be used for a variety of purposes beyond the Secure Shell.

Communicating the IM Way


January 20th, 2008

Instant messaging or IM is considered by many as a better form of communication compared to email. This is due to the ability of IM to offer real-time communication while allowing for easy collaboration. IM is more similar to a genuine conversation as against the letter format of email. Peers are able to know when a user is busy, available or away from the computer. The difference however is negligible once a system allows offline messages or the sending of messages to people who are not logged on.

Additional features such as seeing the other party, using web-cams or direct conversation over the Internet for free helped in propagating IM’s popularity. Instantaneous and simultaneous communication is possible between several parties. Information is transmitted swiftly and efficiently and conversations can be saved for future reference.