Category: Computer Security Service

Submitted by: Mark McSherry

If you ve just started to work with lightweight access points, you might have already come across the term rogue access point .

The questions most people ask are:

What is it?

What can I do about it?

Rogue access points are determined by your lightweight wireless LAN controller as an access point it does not control. This can mean that there is an AP on your site that should not be there however in some cases it may be an access point which is used for a hotspot, such as a nearby coffee shop.

The good news is that on your controller you can set up some rules. These rules are used to automate the process of determining if a rogue access point is an issue or not.

You can classify on a number of different parameters and classifying on signal strength or the SSID broadcast allows you to determine if the AP may be is a friendly or a malicious AP.

If, for example, the rogue AP has the same SSID you have, then the chances are that it s malicious. It s flagged as such and you can investigate. Rogue APs are an issue because a hacker may set up an access point to impersonate one of your APs. They may also be used to send out disconnect messages, so you should also configure your network to allow clients and APs to authenticate each other.

Generally when you switch a new lightweight network on, you ll find that there are sometimes dozens of rogue APs identified however using the automated rules allows you to determine which may be safely ignored.

If you determine a rogue AP is malicious, you have several options (depending on your network configuration):

You can perform a wired trace to determine if the AP is connected to your wired network and you can then disable the switchport where the rogue AP is connected.

You can use location tracking to determine the likely location of the rogue AP and physically visit the location.

You can contain the rogue AP. This option will cause nearby APs from your wireless LAN to send de-authenticate and disassociate messages to any clients trying to associate to this rogue AP effectively rendering the rogue AP useless when in the presence of your wireless LAN. This option can be activated manually on a per AP basis or a rule can be setup to deactivate all APs connected to your wireless LAN (This option must be used with caution as accidentally disabling somebody else s wireless LAN outside of your premises may have legal ramifications)

Rogue access points are a fact of life any time you stand up a managed lightweight network you re going to see them the question is how you manage which are a threat to your business and which ones you don t care about. Once a new network is deployed it can take a fair bit of upfront work to categorise all the rogue APs.

The real lesson is that a wireless network isn t a static thing it changes and requires ongoing support and maintenance.

About the Author: IPTel Solutions are an Australian based company providing the design and delivery of Enterprise computer networks. Specialising in Wireless, we also work in Routing & Switching and Voice. Visit us at

iptel.com.au

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Submitted by: NamSing Then

The very much imminent threat to anyone using his or her computer online is the possible attacks or intrusions by Trojans, Viruses, Key loggers, Spy wares and etc. Some of the following preparations help you combat these threats in your quest to computer security.

Installing Antivirus Programs

Download and install one or more of the popular antivirus softwares and set them to update automatically. Viruses infest your computer from any of the input sources like diskettes, suspicious websites, emails and downloaded programs. Check these things every time you need to use them with these antivirus programs. You can also configure antivirus programs to automatically protect you whenever you connect to internet. If you are a professional user of internet, scan the whole system for virus as frequently as you want. These anti virus programs either destroy or quarantine viruses whenever they catch them.

Upgrade Your Operating System

Vendors of operating systems often upgrade their releases and distribute the upgrades as service packs or patches. The service packs plug loopholes in the operating systems and make them robust by taking care of bugs. Subscribe to continuous up-gradation programs which automatically download the patches as and when they are made available.

Treat Email Attachments with Due Diligence

Macros and viruses are distributed by their creators as email attachments too. Don t open the mail or download the attachment unless you are sure of the senders and you were expecting the mail. Suspicious mails and attachments could possibly contain self installing viruses. If the mail subject line sounds amazing or suspicious just delete it or scan the attachment prior to opening it.

Use Firewalls

Firewalls are by far the strongest internet/intranet protection for computer security. They are either hardware or software tools that effectively scan data transfers from and to your computer. You can set parameters to scan based on location and type of data transfer.

Password Protection

Use of stronger passwords is a great help in onsite computer security. Strong passwords are longer in length and combine alphanumeric combinations with upper and lower case alphabets thrown in. They are never the words from dictionary, names of places or humans etc.

Keep Backups of Important Data

Regularly make backups of important data, just in case.

Be sensible to check certificates when downloading something from an unknown site. Use file encryption facilities to curtail unauthorized access to your files. Finally, your office computer can be secured by password protection against manual intrusions.

About the Author: NamSing Then is a regular article contributor on many topics. Be sure to visit his other websites

Computer Security Software

and

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Times have changed and now high tech security systems are available for homeowners everywhere and they are now more affordable than ever. Other factors that make them affordable is that homeowners insurance companies give discounts of as much as 20% to homeowners that have security systems installed in their homes. Because more and more people are having these high tech systems installed in their homes, home buyers are now expecting them to be there when they purchase a home, so having a security system installed in a home will directly impact positively on the value of the home. The technology has advanced so far that a basic system now is what an advanced system was just ten years ago and the cost on that system is more affordable then ever before. There are a few required components that make up a basic home or business security system and they are what is needed to detect an intruder and ward them off unless it is a silent system that notifies local authorities or a monitoring agency. The control panel is the central computer or the heart of the system and it is where all of the basic functions are handled from. One new form of technology that has recently been developed is voice recognition technology, that allows a business or homeowner to turn on or off a security system with one button and their voice command. A basic system will also have a key pad for operating the system and giving it its commands.Motion detectors are also part of a basic system now and it wasn’t that long ago that they were too expensive for the average homeowner. Of course door contacts are also an important component of any basic home security system and they should go on any entrances to the building. Unless it is a silent system, it should also include an interior siren that will sound off when the system is tripped, which will startle and disorient any intruders and let them know that the police are on the way. Signs and decals are something that have always been a basic component of an effective security system and they work to deter any would be intruders. It is important to remember that an effective security system should begin to deter intruders before they have entered the premises and that is the purpose of signs and decals. It is important to remember that these are components of a basic system and that the technology is readily available for far more elaborate security systems and that it is more affordable then it ever has been before.

Submitted by: Robert Ing

Hardly a day goes by when you don t hear about a computer virus in the news or from someone you know. As a matter of fact, there are well over 8,000 active computer viruses in the world in any given twenty-four period and 5 new viruses are introduced daily. The majority of computers will catch a virus through an e-mail attachment or link. Most viruses will use an infected computers address book to distribute themselves, so you are much more likely to receive a virus from someone you know rather than a total stranger.

However, the best way to identify whether or not any attachment could be a potential virus hazard is by looking at the extension (suffix) of the attached file. Hazardous file attachments are .pif, .exe, .com, .vbs, .bat, .bin, .dot, .reg, .js, .scr, .xlm and .dll. While this list is by no means exhaustive these are the definite ones to be on-guard for. In case you re wondering, catching a virus by file sharing is the second most popular way to get infected. File sharing whether you use removable disks, CDs, DVDs, memory cards/sticks or even synch cables can make your never connected to the Internet computer, vulnerable to catching a virus.

Protecting your computer from a computer virus infection is relatively easy if you follow these simple steps:

1. Put anti-virus software on all your computers whether they are Internet connected or not.

2. Don t open or download file attachments (attached files) in your e-mails. Especially the ones with the extensions .pif, .exe, .com, .vbs, .bat, .bin, .dot, .reg, .js, .scr, .xlm and .dll.

3. Don t click on links in the body of your e-mails.

4. Don t download software from web sites that you do not know.

5. Never install software on your computer unless you know where it came from.

6. Run a manual anti-virus scan for every 24 hours you use your computer.

7. Be sure that your anti-virus software is up-to-date. All anti-virus software products usually provide updates every 2 4 weeks and this service is free of charge to registered users for up to a year.

8. Received an e-mail from someone you know but didn t expect them to send you a file attachment? Call the person first, before downloading or opening the file attachment to confirm that it really came from them. Some virus programs are very good at making it look like they are just files sent to you from someone in yours or your friends e-mail address book.

9. Put firewall software on all your computers that are temporarily or permanently connected to the Internet.

If you follow these simple steps you should be able to stop a virus before it infects your computer.

Copyright 2005-2006 Dr. Robert Ing, www.drroberting.com

About the Author: Dr. Robert Ing is a forensic intelligence specialist and has appeared on North American news networks on the issues of technology crime, computer security, privacy and identity theft. For more articles by Dr. Robert Ing please visit

drroberting.com

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Submitted by: Robert Kokoska

Defending your computer from a virus is becoming much harder every 24 hours. While it may border upon the obsessed, it’s said that you can t leave your shield for 1 second. Even corporate behemoth Microsoft have discovered its private networks weakened on a little more than a single instance.

Bring to mind the “floppy disk days”. prior to the creation of the Internet as well as software applications? Life was straightforward in those times in terms of laptop viruses and adware. With the primary means in which a trojan might be transferred being restricted to floppy disks, the facility to ensnare and eliminate the trojan was a good deal less difficult. By today s standards, it would take quite a while before a virus or trojan might infect a PC and decelerate the device. The anti-virus software from that time was usually able to classify as well as get rid of trojans before they induced a lot of destruction. Additionally, PC users were pretty knowledgeable about how to guard themselves when it comes to scanning all floppy drives ahead of saving them on to our hard drive.

The World wide web helped to transform all that. The World wide web supplied a instrument via which viruses and malware could shift from computer to computer with lightening speed. No more would a desktop user solely fret from floppy disks as virus doorways, but people now began to be concerned over electronic mail, email files, p2p file distribution, instant messaging, as well as program downloads. Today s trojans can harm through many opening points, spread without individual interference, and take full advantage of weaknesses inside a computer or program. With know-how mounting every day, and the convergence of desktops with alternative phone equipment, the potential of up-to-the-minute types of viruses also grow.

Luckily, the advancement of anti virus application software has kept pace along with existing virus threats. Anti-virus software is currently crucial to a PC’s ability to thwart off viruses and worms as well as other bad applications. These products have been created to safe-guard against the capability of a trojan to enter a personal computer over email, net browsers, web servers in addition to desktops. Also, these software programs provide a central management capability that handles operation, setups and also updating. A personal computer user should stay meticulous and keep to a selection of straightforward steps to protect against the menace of a virus or trojan:

1. Re-evaluate your existing computer security settings.

With the hazard of a new generation of viruses and adware competent to strike in a large amount of different ways, the line of attack of downloading simply 1 anti-virus software form has become out-of-date. You will have to be sure that you have protected all facets within your personal computer system ranging from the laptop to the network connection, and also from your gateway to the server. Think about a much more far-reaching security system which consists of several features including antivirus, firewall, content filter, as well as incursion detection. This form of software will make it much more tricky for a trojan to make a way into your equipment.

2. Only ever download antivirus applications made by a known, trustworthy company.

As innovative viruses and adware break out day after day, it is vital that you often modernize your antivirus application. Become familiar with the software s real-time examination feature and set it to begin repeatedly every time you boot your notebook. That will safeguard your system through repeatedly examining your desktop each time it s started.

About the Author: Guard your Personal computer from uninvited guests through

Outpost Firwall

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