Network Security Tech Topic

I believe that one of the most fundamental aspects of information technology is the network security that goes into protecting us on an individual and network level. Whether we are talking about programming, web/mobile applications, email, or anything associated with web technology where information is shared, we are putting our systems at risk. They are at risk of catching a virus which according to Vahid (2017) “A computer virus is a program that runs on a user's computer without permission, and spreads itself to other computers, often via email” (Chapter 8.2, para. 1). Without protection setup we could spread a virus to thousands of people without evening knowing it.  

            When computers first came into play they were very large and were not for home use. As the years passed however technology advanced, home computers became more and more common. Now today most people carry a computer of some sort with them on a regular basis with their cell phones or mobile tablets. The technology has become so advanced but with that grew concerns have regarding the safety of how our information is stored and protected. There always people out to hurt others and what better way than through network travel? There are thousands of known viruses out there and many more that have yet to be detected.  

Antivirus protection is something that has become a necessity in order to protect your computer. Many individuals and companies, buy varying versions of this software which Vahid (2017) defines as “Antivirus software is a program that looks for known viruses and strives to disable found viruses, by searching a hard drive, and/or by monitoring visited websites and downloaded files. Some company websites, like drive.google.com, check for viruses on the server before providing a file for download” (Chapter 8.2, para. 3). This software is downloaded into their hardware system where it is stored. Many people opt to have these programs run on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. It depends on the individual person on how they want to handle the safety of their computer. Thankfully, with the ever-advancing world of technology, many web developers have put software into their sites to verify they are virus-free before allowing through. Today’s firewalls are also a way to block unwanted guests into your system and you can control those firewall settings right from your computer to be as lax or as advanced as you would like.

Application software as well as programming languages use antivirus coding within them to help keep outsiders away. As I stated above, many programs have them built into their firewalls so that they cannot breach their own systems let alone visitors to their sites. According to Lu Jiang (2019) “A firewall is a system consisting of one or a group of advanced access control devices. It is generally deployed between two or more different networks, making it the only way to pass through the internal and external network information. Information is controlled by access to enhance the security of the internal network” (pg. 220, para. 4). So the firewalls protect from the internal aspects on our own computers but many applications have firewalls and antivirus software built in to add an extra layer of protection. This also helps to aid in database management for websites like Google, who utilize this technique to help protect their users and customers who advertise through them.

Network architecture, management, and security are all built with the ability and technology to run extra network security to help protect us all. By using many of the points talked about above, we strive to keep out networks running smoothly and without viruses, malware, worms, trojans, and whatever other new development is out that there someone has created to cause harm to those in the virtual world. According to Thapliyal, S., Gupta, H., & Khatri, S. K. (2019) “As the new technologies are emerging and rapidly growing the security advisors have the focus on developing the complex solutions for monitoring and detection of the intruder” (page 26, para. 1). So while we are all working on keeping ourselves protected, know that there are always others out there developing newer technology to continue to fight those who are using technology to harm others. Network security seems to be the place to be in this continually evolving world.

    

References

Lu, J. (2019). Research and Implementation of Security Technology in Campus Network Construction. 2019 International Conference on Computer Network, Electronic and Automation (ICCNEA), Computer Network, Electronic and Automation (ICCNEA), 2019 International Conference On, 219–224. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1109/ICCNEA.2019.00050

Thapliyal, S., Gupta, H., & Khatri, S. K. (2019). An Intruder Monitoring System for Improving the Network Security. 2019 4th International Conference on Information Systems and Computer Networks (ISCON), Information Systems and Computer Networks (ISCON), 2019 4th International Conference On, 26–31. https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1109/ISCON47742.2019.9036195

Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2017). Computing technology for all. Retrieved from zybooks.zyante.com/

Network Security

One of the most important jobs that we have as individuals is to protect ourselves and our privacy. This should translate to every part of our lives. With the ever-growing world of technology and the emphasis of safe sites and protected passwords, we lose sight of how much information we are really putting out there for everyone. By not protecting our online identity against scammers, we could have valuable information stolen and possible financial downfalls as well.

            One form of attack that is very popular and has caused huge security breaches and financial loss is the Denial of Service or DoS attacks. Vahid and Lysecky (2017) stated “A denial of service (DoS) attack is achieved by submitting huge numbers of access requests simultaneously to one target website, causing that site's web server to be overloaded, thus preventing legitimate requests from being handled (those requests are "denied service"). A DoS attack may be used to try to hurt a company's business, to hassle an organization, to express dissatisfaction with a government, etc. DoS attacks are of course illegal in most countries” (8.6, para 1). These are often used through a process known as pinging. Ping techniques are not always a bad thing. They are a wonderful source of troubleshooting to find out where a connection may be faltering. Many people have figured out how to use these commands to cause problems for other people and possible scam individuals or hurt businesses. Since pings request a response, you can determine the reachability of a site and determine where a breach could possibly be made.

            Email spam is one of the easiest ways to dupe an unsuspecting individual is. According to Swetha and Sarraf (2019) “Studies show about 59.56% of all emails sent in 2018 were spam” (page 1, intro). Most people do not think twice about an email that comes from their bank, for example, that asks for specific account information. Think twice however and look at the address again. Validate the address. Many spammers will make it look legitimate but there will be a characteristic that is not right. You will try to log in and they then have your account information to go to the real banking institution and walk away with your money. Email spam is one of the most popular methods as well since there is little investment for the spammer, so if no one responds then they are not out much but they have the potential to steal tons from unsuspecting victims. You can also infect your system as well by accepting these spam emails as they often have malware attached. People just need to be careful with unsolicited emails before opening.

            Phishing is another highly used form of gathering information from computer systems. This is another type that comes in email form but with a more specific agenda of gathering that banking or credit card information. People really need to be careful about giving out information just because you believe it really is from your bank, Amazon, or another trusted company you use often, such as Paypal for example. Look closely at the web addresses and names to verify that these are legitimate companies and not someone just trying to get your information to use it for malicious means. There are many types of phishing and some more severe than others. According to Vida M. Vilic (2019), “Identity theft using malicious software (pharming) is a special form of phishing in which a hacker attempts to redirect electronic communication and data from a legitimate website to a completely different internet address. This type of abuse is usually performed by changing files on a user's computer or by exploiting the shortcomings on the server that the victim has been used” (pg. 5, para 3). The sheer variety of phishing schemes out there is mind-blowing so we must all be vigilant.

            With so many ways out there for spammers to get to your personal information, we must make a conscious effort to always be vigilant with our choices of what we post and share, what information you freely give out, and verifying the sites that is asking for our information. The more vigilant we are, the better protected you will be.

Computers in the Workplace

                        The industry that I would like to focus on is construction. I currently run an office for an electrical contracting company, and we use computers in almost every aspect of our company. Every morning when I go in, I make sure to update google calendar which the guys access through their phones to view their daily tasks plus anything I might add throughout the day. Many of our contractors use computer programs to design their layouts for pools, pergolas, new home builds, and many other projects as well. Most contractors require permits for many projects with thankfully have mostly gone to online systems I can receive a job request and within 15 minutes have a permit in hand now where 10 years ago, that would not have been possible. Ten years ago, I would have had to print out the paperwork, fill it out, and then sit in the permitting office and wait to have approval as they verified all information was accurate and then after several hours of scrolling through files of information they could approve a permit. This saves both time and energy for all parties since everything is pretty much digitalized and reachable in seconds. It is important for employees to be knowledgeable with computers because technology has made it so easy to update and change information on-site and quickly distribute the information so that mistakes are not made. For smaller companies like ours, the evolution of computers has greatly benefitted the construction industry with the knowledge that we can get the office work finished more quickly and efficiently from not only the office but on the go from our mobile phones if we need to and allow us to be out in the field and keeping our customers happy by being able to complete the work in a more timely manner. I believe that with the forward motion and advancement that technology is currently providing, it will only continue to benefit not only our industry but many others as well.