Signal Patterns

One way to provide frame detection is to begin each frame with a pattern of signals representing bits that the Physical layer recognizes as denoting the start of a frame. Another pattern of bits will signal the end of the frame. Signal bits not framed in this manner are ignored by the Physical layer standard being used.

Valid data bits need to be grouped into a frame; otherwise, data bits will be received without any context to give them meaning to the upper layers of the networking model. This framing method can be provided by the Data Link layer, the Physical layer, or by both.

The figure depicts some of the purposes of signaling patterns. Signal patterns can indicate: start of frame, end of frame, and frame contents. These signal patterns can be decoded into bits. The bits are interpreted as codes. The codes indicate where the frames start and stop.

The three fundamental functions of the Physical layer are

The three fundamental functions of the Physical layer are:
The physical components
Data encoding
Signaling

The physical elements are the electronic hardware devices, media and connectors that transmit and carry the signals to represent the bits.

Encoding

Encoding is a method of converting a stream of data bits into a predefined code. Codes are groupings of bits used to provide a predictable pattern that can be recognized by both the sender and the received. Using predictable patterns helps to distinguish data bits from control bits and provide better media error detection.

In addition to creating codes for data, encoding methods at the Physical layer may also provide codes for control.

purposes such as identifying the beginning and end of a frame. The transmitting host will transmit the specific pattern of bits or a code to identify the beginning and end of the frame.

Signaling

The Physical layer must generate the electrical, optical, or wireless signals that represent the "1" and "0" on the media. The method of representing the bits is called the signaling method. The Physical layer standards must define what type of signal represents a "1" and a "0". This can be as simple as a change in the level of an electrical signal or optical pulse or a more complex signaling method.

Cisco RV120W Wireless-N VPN Firewall - Router

Cisco RV120W Wireless-N VPN Firewall - Router
The Cisco RV120W Wireless-N VPN Firewall combines highly secure connectivity - to the Internet as well as from other locations and remote workers - with a high-speed, 802.11n wireless access point, a 4-port switch, an intuitive, browser-based device manager, and support for the Cisco FindIT Network Discovery Utility, all at a very affordable price. The Cisco RV120W Wireless-N VPN Firewall's combination of high performance, business-class features and top-quality user experience takes basic connectivity to a new level.

What It Is and Why You Need It

High-speed, standards-based 802.11n wireless connectivity to help employees stay productive while away from their desks
Integrated 4-port 10/100 switch with quality of service (QoS) support for enhanced voice, video and data traffic
Support for separate 'virtual' networks enables you to control access to sensitive information and to set up highly secure wireless guest access
IP Security (IPsec) VPN support with hardware acceleration to deliver highly secure, high-performance connections to multiple locations and traveling employees.

Call or email today for a quote.

Refurbished Cisco ASA Call today for a quote.

[REFURBISHED] Cisco ASA 5505 10-User Bundle Firewall - 6 x 10/100Base-TX LAN, 2 x 10/100Base-TX PoE LAN - 1 x SSC
 

Cisco Aironet

Cisco Aironet 1130AG Series IEEE 802.11a/b/g access points provide high-capacity, high-security, enterprise-class features in an unobtrusive, office-class design, delivering WLAN access with the lowest total cost of ownership. With high-performing dual IEEE 802.11a and 802.11g radios, the Cisco Aironet 1130AG Series provides a combined capacity of up to 108 Mbps to meet the needs of growing WLANs. Hardware-assisted Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) or temporal key integrity protocol (TKIP) encryption provides uncompromised support for interoperable IEEE 802.11i, Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) or WPA security. Orderable supporting either Cisco IOS Software, or the Lightweight Access Point Protocol (LWAPP), the Cisco Aironet 1130AG Series uses radio and network management features for simplified deployment, along with built-in omnidirectional antennas that provide robust and predictable WLAN coverage for offices and similar RF environments. In addition, when running Cisco IOS Software the Cisco Aironet 1130AG Series supports both access point and workgroup bridge functionality. The competitively priced Cisco Aironet 1130AG Series is ready to install and easy to manage, reducing the cost of deployment and ongoing maintenance.

CCNA class notes.

Long before desktop computers with sophisticated graphical interfaces existed, people used text-based systems which were often just display terminals physically attached to a central computer. Once networks were available, people needed a way to remotely access the computer systems in the same manner that they did with the directly attached terminals.
​
Telnet was developed to meet that need. Telnet dates back to the early 1970s and is among the oldest of the Application layer protocols and services in the TCP/IP suite. Telnet provides a standard method of emulating text-based terminal devices over the data network. Both the protocol itself and the client software that implements the protocol are commonly referred to as Telnet.
​
Appropriately enough, a connection using Telnet is called a Virtual Terminal (VTY) session, or connection. Rather than using a physical device to connect to the server, Telnet uses software to create a virtual device that provides the same features of a terminal session with access to the server command line interface (CLI).
​
To support Telnet client connections, the server runs a service called the Telnet daemon. A virtual terminal connection is established from an end device using a Telnet client application. Most operating systems include an Application layer Telnet client. On a Microsoft Windows PC, Telnet can be run from the command prompt. Other common terminal applications that run as Telnet clients are HyperTerminal, Minicom, and TeraTerm.
​
Once a Telnet connection is established, users can perform any authorized function on the server, just as if they were using a command line session on the server itself. If authorized, they can start and stop processes, configure the device, and even shut down the system
​
Telnet is a client/server protocol and it specifies how a VTY session is established and terminated. It also provides the syntax and order of the commands used to initiate the Telnet session, as well as control commands that can be issued during a session. Each Telnet command consists of at least two bytes. The first byte is a special character called the Interpret as Command (IAC) character. As its name implies, the IAC defines the next byte as a command rather than text.
​
Some sample Telnet protocol commands include:
​
Are You There (AYT) - Lets the user request that something appear on the terminal screen to indicate that the VTY session is active.
​
Erase Line (EL) - Deletes all text from the current line.
​
Interrupt Process (IP) - Suspends, interrupts, aborts, or terminates the process to which the Virtual Terminal is connected. For example, if a user started a program on the Telnet server via the VTY, he or she could send an IP command to stop the program.
​
While the Telnet protocol supports user authentication, it does not support the transport of encrypted data. All data exchanged during a Telnet sessions is transported as plain text across the network. This means that the data can be intercepted and easily understood.
​
If security is a concern, the Secure Shell (SSH) protocol offers an alternate and secure method for server access. SSH provides the structure for secure remote login and other secure network services. It also provides stronger authentication than Telnet and supports the transport of session data using encryption. As a best practice, network professionals should always use SSH in place of Telnet, whenever possible.
​
Later in this course, we will use Telnet and SSH to access and configure network devices over the lab network.
​
The Application layer is responsible for directly accessing the underlying processes that manage and deliver communication to the human network. This layer serves as the source and destination of communications across data networks.
​
The Application layer applications, protocols, and services enable users to interact with the data network in a way that is meaningful and effective.
​
Applications are computer programs with which the user interacts and which initiate the data transfer process at the user's request.
​
Services are background programs that provide the connection between the Application layer and the lower layers of the networking model.
​
Protocols provide a structure of agreed-upon rules and processes that ensure services running on one particular device can send and receive data from a range of different network devices.
​
Delivery of data over the network can be requested from a server by a client, or between devices that operate in a peer-to-peer arrangement, where the client/server relationship is established according to which device is the source and destination at that time. Messages are exchanged between the Application layer services at each end device in accordance with the protocol specifications to establish and use these relationships.
​
Protocols like HTTP, for example, support the delivery of web pages to end devices. SMTP/POP protocols support sending and receiving e-mail. SMB enables users to share files. DNS resolves the human legible names used to refer to network resources into numeric addresses usable by the network.
​
The Application layer is responsible for directly accessing the underlying processes that manage and deliver communication to the human network. This layer serves as the source and destination of communications across data networks.
​
The Application layer applications, protocols, and services enable users to interact with the data network in a way that is meaningful and effective.
​
Applications are computer programs with which the user interacts and which initiate the data transfer process at the user's request.
​
Services are background programs that provide the connection between the Application layer and the lower layers of the networking model.
​
Protocols provide a structure of agreed-upon rules and processes that ensure services running on one particular device can send and receive data from a range of different network devices.
​
Delivery of data over the network can be requested from a server by a client, or between devices that operate in a peer-to-peer arrangement, where the client/server relationship is established according to which device is the source and destination at that time. Messages are exchanged between the Application layer services at each end device in accordance with the protocol specifications to establish and use these relationships.
​
Protocols like HTTP, for example, support the delivery of web pages to end devices. SMTP/POP protocols support sending and receiving e-mail. SMB enables users to share files. DNS resolves the human legible names used to refer to network resources into numeric addresses usable by the network..

What is Nmap?

I use nmap for port scanning. I also use nmap to detect what services are running. Nmap is easy to use once you get the syntax down. Nmap was created by Fyodor. I plan to upload some videos to Youtube thus year to show how to use nmap. Here is a description from the nmap website.

Nmap ("Network Mapper") is a free and open source (license) utility for network exploration or security auditing. Many systems and network administrators also find it useful for tasks such as network inventory, managing service upgrade schedules, and monitoring host or service uptime. Nmap uses raw IP packets in novel ways to determine what hosts are available on the network, what services (application name and version) those hosts are offering, what operating systems (and OS versions) they are running, what type of packet filters/firewalls are in use, and dozens of other characteristics. It was designed to rapidly scan large networks, but works fine against single hosts. Nmap runs on all major computer operating systems, and official binary packages are avalable for Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X. In addition to the classic command-line Nmap executable, the Nmap suite includes an advanced GUI and results viewer (Zenmap), a flexible data transfer, redirection, and debugging tool (Ncat), and a utility for comparing scan results (Ndiff).

Nmap was named “Security Product of the Year” by Linux Journal, Info World, LinuxQuestions.Org, and Codetalker Digest. It was even featured in eight movies, including The Matrix Reloaded, Die Hard 4, and The Bourne Ultimatum.

What is Tor?

Tor is a network of virtual tunnels that allows people and groups to improve their privacy and security on the Internet. It also enables software developers to create new communication tools with built-in privacy features. Tor provides the foundation for a range of applications that allow organizations and individuals to share information over public networks without compromising their privacy.

Tor can also be used when penetration testing. Tor can use multiple proxies to hide your source address. there are plugins for Firefox. This tool is as easy to use as clicking a button.

Command Line Kung Fu

I came across a blog today that I thought was interesting. I'm always looking for ways to be more productive in a shell. I use Bash for most Linux commands.

Wireshark protocol analysis

I use Wireshark for packet analysis. I use this in my CCNA class and with clients. Wireshark can analyze hundreds of protocols. The Wireshark interface is simple to use. It can follow TCP streams. This is usefull for grabbing passwords that are not encrypted.

Backtrack

I use Backtrack for penetration testing. it has most of the tools I need. For anyone interested in security assesments feel free to email me.

Playing with Scappy.

Scapy is a powerful interactive packet manipulation program. It is able to forge or decode packets of a wide number of protocols, send them on the wire, capture them, match requests and replies, and much more. It can easily handle most classical tasks like scanning, tracerouting, probing, unit tests, attacks or network discovery (it can replace hping, 85% of nmap, arpspoof, arp-sk, arping, tcpdump, tethereal, p0f, etc.). It also performs very well at a lot of other specific tasks that most other tools can't handle, like sending invalid frames, injecting your own 802.11 frames, combining technics (VLAN hopping+ARP cache poisoning, VOIP decoding on WEP encrypted channel, ...), etc. See interactive tutorial and the quick demo: an interactive session (some examples may be outdated).

The text above was copied from the Scappy website.

I like the fact that I can manipulate packets with this program.

Nikto

Hello world. It's 2011. Things are going good. I have been studying penetration testing. I'm currently enrolled in college studying for my CCNA. I will be posting my notes on this blog.

Nikto is a web vulnerabilty scanner.

Nikto is an Open Source (GPL) web server scanner which performs comprehensive tests against web servers for multiple items, including over 6400 potentially dangerous files/CGIs, checks for outdated versions of over 1000 servers, and version specific problems on over 270 servers. It also checks for server configuration items such as the presence of multiple index files, HTTP server options, and will attempt to identify installed web servers and software. Scan items and plugins are frequently updated and can be automatically updated.

Update

I cannot beleive it has been a year since I posted last. I have a new son Jeremiah.My son Alexander is getting big.
I'm trying to network as much as possible. I'm on Facebook and Linkedin. I'm looking for clients that need managed security services and remote support. Phuture Networks now has a associate that can instal VoIP solutions to your small business.

Things on my mind today

I went to a job fair. It was basically a waste of time. Every company wanted you to apply online. I'm already doing that. I do everything online. I read about several technologies, games, and toys today at the library. I went to learn more about NAS or network attached storage and RAID levels. I feel these are fundamental skills to know. I also want to increase my reasoning and logical abilities so Im going to start playing more puzzles. I read about KENKEN a math game, unlike Sudoku you do math. I also read about game theory and how it ties to everything. I read about a article about cryptoanalyst in Wired. It talked about the CIA and Langley. It was a good article.

TGIF

It's Friday about 11:00AM. I just got done washing dishes, how exciting. I'm excited about going to work. I really like my job. I will be working on the website today. I have a ton of ideas to get some more traffic. If any one needs any help with computer consulting or repair in the Orange County area give me a call.

Content Development and website advice

Today I had a good day at work. I wrote some content on loan modifications. I advised my boss on how to optimize his website better to get more traffic. I talked about blogging, podcasting and even getting some video on You Tube. I love security, but the economy is so bad right now I'm willing to take on new ventures. I downloaded MAMP today to learn PHP and MySQL. I need to keep my blog updated more. Its 11:49 and I want a Red Bull. My one month year old son is up and crying. The joys of parenthood.

A new year

Phuture Networks is planning on obtaining more client's this year. Phuture Networks wants to focus on prospecting and delivering the best service possible to our clients.

TEST

Orange County Computer Consultant

Call Phuture Networks for all of your IT needs in Orange County.

Panasonic BB-HGW700A Network Camera Management System with Router

Network setup is simple, as the camera management system automatically configures up to 16 Panasonic network cameras (IP address, port number, etc.), enables Internet access, creates a custom portal page and enables multi-level security control. A customized, flexible network for your computing environment is made possible by 802.11b/g wireless communication as well as four switched Ethernet connections. The system automatically configures the network connection for up to 128 computers or devices, and additional devices can be manually added.The camera management system's built-in firewall helps protect every network computer from hackers. Use the system with a Virtual Private Network (VPN) server to access a corporate or secure network. You can also customize the firewall to best suit the needs of your home or small business.The BB-HGW700A automatically adds the image from up to 16 cameras on a single web page which can be used from a local network or even the Internet. For easy access, just click a camera image on the camera portal page and that camera's individual screen will open allowing you to view and control that camera easily.

Panasonic BB-HGW700A Network Camera Management System with Router - 4 x LAN, 1 x WAN - Wireless Security Router

SonicWALL SSL-VPN 200 VPN Gateway

SonicWall SSL-VPN 200 Appliance
The SonicWALL SSL-VPN 200 provides small organizations with a simple, cost-effective alternative to traditional remote access products with one that requires no pre-installed client software.

Utilizing only a standard Web browser, users can easily and securely access e-mail, files, intranets, applications, remote desktops, servers and other resources on the corporate LAN from any location. Because there’s no need for a pre-installed or “fat” VPN client, you’re freed from the tasks of deploying, configuring and updating software, reducing maintenance and support costs. Additionally, granular access controls enable you to extend connectivity beyond your organization by providing trusted partners and customers with remote access to specific and defined resources. SonicWALL SSL-VPN solutions integrate seamlessly into virtually any network topology to deliver powerful, scalable and affordable remote access to corporate resources.

Seamless Integration Behind Virtually Any Firewall
The SSL-VPN 200 integrates seamlessly into any network topology and can be easily deployed alongside almost any third-party firewall as a secure remote access solution. This enables you to leverage your existing network infrastructure without the need to purchase additional hardware. The benefits don’t stop there, however. When deployed with a SonicWALL Internet security appliance running SonicWALL Gateway Anti-Virus, Anti-Spyware and Intrusion Prevention Service, the SSL-VPN 200 enhances network integration and security. Deep packet inspection capabilities in the SonicWALL gateway decontaminate mobile user connections to prevent vulnerabilities and malicious code from being introduced into the corporate network.

Powerful SonicWALL NetExtender Technology
The SSL-VPN 200 makes remote access incredibly simple. Users require only a standard Web browser to launch a personalized Web portal that is unique to that person. From this portal, the user has access to e-mail, files, applications and internal Web sites. For more powerful capabilities such as seamless, secure access to any resource on the corporate network including servers and complex or home-grown applications, the appliance transparently pushes a downloadable thin client called NetExtender to the user's desktop or laptop.

Granular Policy Configuration Controls
Your organization includes remote users who require varying levels of access to resources on the corporate network. The SSL-VPN 200 extends secure remote access beyond remote offices and corporate controlled laptops out to network environments and remote computers that are not controlled and managed by the corporate IT department. Built-in granular access controls enable you to provide not only your employees, but also trusted contractors, partners and customers with remote access to specific and defined resources based on company policy.

SonicWALL SSL-VPN 200 VPN Gateway - 4 x 10/100Base-TX WAN, 1 x 10/100Base-TX

Juniper NetScreen 5GT

Weighing in at less than 2 pounds, the NetScreen-5GT is a feature rich enterprise-class network security solution with one Untrust 10/100 Ethernet port, four Trust 10/100 Ethernet ports, a console port and a modem port. Using the same firewall, VPN, and DoS mitigation technology as NetScreen's high-end central site products, the NetScreen-5GT is fully capable of securing a remote office, retail outlet, or a broadband telecommuter. The NetScreen- 5GT supports dial-backup or dual Ethernet ports for redundant Internet connections when network uptime is business critical. The NetScreen-5GT supports embedded virus scanning using Trend Micro's antivirus technology.

Juniper NetScreen 5GT 10 User VPN/Firewall - 4 x 10/100Base-TX LAN, 1 x 10/100Base-TX WAN, 1 x

Cisco ASA 5540 Adaptive Security Appliance

The Cisco ASA 5540 Adaptive Security Appliance delivers a wide range of high-performance, high-density security services with Active/Active high availability and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity for medium-to-large enterprise and service-provider networks, in a reliable, modular appliance. Using its four Gigabit Ethernet interfaces and support for up to 100 VLANs, businesses can segment their network into numerous zones for improved security. The Cisco ASA 5540 Adaptive Security Appliance scales with businesses as their network security requirements grow, delivering exceptional investment protection and services scalability. The advanced network and application layer security services and anti-x defenses provided by the Cisco ASA 5540 Adaptive Security Appliance can be extended by deploying a high performance Security Services Module. Businesses can scale their IPSec and SSL VPN capacity through multiple means to support a larger number of mobile workers, remote sites, and business partners. VPN capacity and resiliency can be increased by taking advantage of the integrated VPN clustering and load balancing capabilities of the Cisco ASA 5540 Adaptive Security Appliance, with support for up to 10 appliances in a cluster supporting a maximum of 50,000 VPN peers per cluster. Businesses can also scale up to 5000 IPSec and 2500 SSL VPN peers on each Cisco ASA 5540 Adaptive Security Appliance through the installation of a VPN upgrade license. Using the optional security context capabilities of the Cisco ASA 5540 Adaptive Security Appliance, businesses can deploy up to 50 virtual firewalls within an appliance to enable compartmentalized control of security policies on per-department or per-customer basis, and deliver reduced overall management and support costs.

Cisco ASA 5540 Adaptive Security Appliance - 4 x 1000Base-T , 1 x 10/100Base-TX

Cisco PIX 506E

The Cisco PIX® 506E Security Appliance delivers enterprise-class security for remote office/branch office environments in a robust, purpose-built appliance. Ideal for securing Internet connections for remote/branch offices, the Cisco PIX 506E Security Appliance, which is part of the world-leading Cisco PIX Security Appliance Series, provides a wide range of rich integrated security capabilities and powerful remote management capabilities in a cost-effective, high-performance solution.

The Cisco PIX 506E Security Appliance delivers a multilayered defense for remote offices through rich security services including stateful inspection firewalling, protocol and application inspection, virtual private networking (VPN), in-line intrusion protection, and rich multimedia and voice security in a single device. The state-of-the-art Cisco Adaptive Security Algorithm (ASA) provides rich stateful inspection firewall services, tracking the state of all authorized network communications and preventing unauthorized network access.

Remote offices benefit from an additional layer of security via intelligent, 'application-aware' security services that examine packet streams at Layers 4-7, using inspection engines specialized for many of today's popular applications. Administrators can also easily create custom security policies for firewall traffic by using the flexible access control methods and the more than 100 predefined applications, services, and protocols that Cisco PIX Security Appliances provide.

Cisco PIX Security Appliances provide market-leading protection for a wide range of voice-over-IP (VoIP) and multimedia standards, allowing businesses to securely take advantage of the many benefits that converged data, voice, and video networks deliver. By combining VPN with the rich stateful inspection firewall services that Cisco PIX Security Appliances provide for these converged networking standards, businesses can securely extend voice and multimedia services to remote office environments for additional cost savings, improved productivity, and competitive advantage.

The Cisco PIX 506E provides several options for securing all network communications between mobile users, remote offices, and corporate networks over low-cost Internet connections. Solutions range from standards-based site-to-site VPN leveraging the Internet Key Exchange (IKE) and IP security (IPsec) VPN standards, to the innovative Easy VPN capabilities found in Cisco PIX Security Appliances and other Cisco security solutions—such as Cisco IOS® routers and Cisco VPN 3000 Series Concentrators. Easy VPN delivers a uniquely scalable, cost-effective, and easy-to-manage remote-access VPN architecture that eliminates the operational costs associated with maintaining remote-device configurations typically required by traditional VPN solutions. Cisco PIX Security Appliances encrypt data using 56-bit Data Encryption Standard (DES), 168-bit Triple DES (3DES), or up to 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption.

The integrated in-line intrusion-protection capabilities of the Cisco PIX 506E Security Appliance can protect remote office networks from many popular forms of attacks, including Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks and malformed packet attacks. Using a wealth of advanced intrusion-protection features, including DNSGuard, FloodGuard, FragGuard, MailGuard, IPVerify and TCP intercept, in addition to looking for more than 55 different attack 'signatures,' Cisco PIX Security Appliances keep a vigilant watch for attacks, can optionally block them, and can notify administrators about them in real time.

The Cisco PIX 506E Security Appliance is a reliable, easy-to-maintain platform that provides a wide variety of methods for configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting it. Management solutions range from centralized policy-management tools to integrated, Web-based management to support for remote monitoring protocols such as Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) and syslog.

Administrators can easily manage a large number of remote Cisco PIX Security Appliances using CiscoWorks VPN/Security Management Solution (VMS). This suite consists of numerous modules including Management Center for Firewalls, Auto Update Server Software, and Security Monitor. This powerful combination provides a highly scalable, next-generation, three-tier management solution that includes the following features:

* Comprehensive configuration and software image management
* Device hierarchy with 'Smart Rules'-based configuration inheritance
* Customizable administrative roles and access privileges
* Comprehensive enterprise change management and auditing
* 'Touchless' software image management for remote Cisco PIX Security Appliances
* Support for dynamically addressed appliances

Cisco PIX 506E Firewall - 1 x 10/100Base-TX LAN, 1 x 10/100Base-TX WAN, 1 x Management

Orange County Computer Security Firm supports Linux

Phuture Networks can help with your Linux and open source needs. We specialize in open source solutions and configuration of operating systems.

Phuture Networks Partners with PGP

Phuture Networks has partnered with PGP to provide encryption solutions to home and small companies. This includes email security, whole disk encryption and secure file transfers. Phuture Networks is also certified by PGP.

Orange County Technical Support Call 714-786-5878

Phuture Networks provides expert support in Orange County for the following services.

* Virus Removal and Protection
* Spyware, Popups, Spam
* New PC Setup and Data Transfer
* E-mail and Internet Issues
* Troubleshooting and Repair
* Wireless Networking
* Network Cabling
* Hardware Upgrades
* Operating System Installation.

If your computer is running slow or you would like to try Linux or get set up on the Internet give us a call today!

Phuture Networks Orange County Computer Services Call 714-786-5878

Phuture Networks offers the following services in Orange County. Call today for your free estimate.

# Hardware/Software Installation, Troubleshooting, Repair, Upgrades, Maintenance.
# Computer Network\Server Design, Installation, Security, Troubleshooting, Repair, Upgrades, Maintenance.
# Internet (T1/DSL/Cable/VPN) Sharing Setup, Troubleshooting, Repair, Upgrades, Security, Maintenance.
# Virus, Worm, and Spyware Removal.
# Backup and Recovery.
# Router/Firewall Design, Installation, Troubleshooting, Repair, Upgrades, Maintenance.
# Windows 9x, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, 2003 Server, Small Business Server.

Phuture Networks Services offered in Orange County, CA

Phuture Networks provides the following services for client's in Orange County:

Information Security Consulting

Intrusion Prevention Systems

Firewalls

Web Filtering

VPN

Secure Voice

Cisco IOS Firewall

I have attached a link to Cisco's information on there opertaing system. These includes a complete list of features that you enable with their security products.

Cisco Security Podcasts

I do allot of learning online. I frequently listen to podcast's to keep up on all the security alerts. Here is a link to Cisco's Security Podcasts. Enjoy!

Phuture Networks is now a Cisco Partner

Phuture Networks has just become a Cisco Parter. This will enable Phuture Networks to provide you with all of your Cisco needs. Phuture Networks will have more resources ready for our clients. Call today for your free quote. Phuture Networks will also do a network survey for your company.

Cisco PIX and Cisco ASA multiple security vulnerabilities

Attention network administrators running Cisco gear. According to reports on the Internet there are multiple flaws with these security appliances.

These range from DoS attacks, memory leaks, and authentication flaws with VPN. These is also potential to mess with SIP traffic.

Watchguard Firebox X Edge X20e UTM

The new Firebox® X Edge e-Series security appliances deliver powerful network protection for small businesses and remote/branch offices. Available in both wired and wireless models, the Edge can be used as a stand-alone integrated security appliance or as a VPN endpoint solution. The Firebox X Edge offers stateful firewall, VPN, and URL filtering, plus advanced networking and traffic management capabilities to maximize network configurability. An intuitive, Web-based user interface makes it easy to deploy and manage.

For remote offices/small businesses with up to 30 users. A smart choice for branch office VPN endpoint connectivity to a central office running a Firebox X Core or Peak, allowing centralized management of Edge functionality with WatchGuard System Manager.

Features

* Dynamic stateful packet firewall and VPN capabilities
* Easy setup and configuration with application-specific security policies
* Spoof detection, site blocking, and port blocking
* Advanced networking features including WAN failover, QoS, Traffic Management
* Work/home network separation for telecommuters
* Support for Dynamic Network Address Translation (NAT), 1:1 NAT, and Port Address Translation (PAT)
* Managed desktop antivirus protection
* Six network ports to connect a variety of devices on your network

Watchguard Firebox X Edge X20e UTM Bundle Security Appliance - 6 x 10/100Base-TX

Cisco PIX 535 Firewall

The Cisco PIX 535 Security Appliance delivers enterprise-class security for enterprise and service provider networks in a high performance, purpose-built appliance. Its highly modular three-rack unit design supports up to ten 10/100 Fast Ethernet interfaces or nine Gigabit Ethernet interfaces as well as redundant power supplies, making it an ideal choice for businesses requiring the highest levels of performance, port density, reliability, and investment protection. Part of the world-leading Cisco PIX Security Appliance Series, the Cisco PIX 535 Security Appliance provides a wide range of rich integrated security services, hardware VPN acceleration capabilities, and powerful remote management capabilities in a highly scalable, high-performance solution.

Cisco PIX 535 Firewall - 2 x 10/100Base-TX LAN, 1 x Management, 1 x

SonicWALL PRO 4060 VPN/Firewall

The SonicWALL PRO 4060, part of SonicWALL's PRO Series, provides complete business continuity for even the most complex networks. Powered by SonicWALL's next-generation SonicOS operating system and powerful deep packet inspection architecture, the PRO 4060 delivers enterprise-class firewall throughput and VPN concentration. Unbeatable price/performance characteristics make the PRO 4060 the ideal solution for companies that need rock solid network protection coupled with fast, secure VPN access for remote employees.

SonicWALL PRO 4060 VPN/Firewall - 4 x 10/100Base-TX LAN, 1 x 10/100Base-TX WAN, 1 x 10/100Base-TX

Check Point Safe@Office 500 UTM Appliance

Designed for the small business, Check Point Safe@Office 500 Unified Threat Management appliances deliver proven Internet security. A single Safe@Office appliance can protect a network of up to 100 users (recommended) from a wide array of Internet threats, providing a solid line of defense against threats ranging from hacking attempts and denial of service attacks to phishing and viruses.

Check Point Safe@Office 500 UTM Appliance - 4 x 10/100Base-TX LAN, 1 x 10/100Base-TX WAN, 1 x 10/100Base-TX DMZ

Watchguard Firebox X Edge X55e

The new Firebox® X Edge e-Series security appliances deliver powerful network protection for small businesses and remote/branch offices. Available in both wired and wireless models, the Edge can be used as a stand-alone integrated security appliance or as a VPN endpoint solution. The Firebox X Edge offers stateful firewall, VPN, and URL filtering, plus advanced networking and traffic management capabilities to maximize network configurability. An intuitive, Web-based user interface makes it easy to deploy and manage.

For small businesses requiring an affordable, integrated security appliance with unmatched ease of use. Includes best-in-class firewall and VPN capabilities, optional URL filtering, and advanced network traffic management features, such as WAN failover and configurable QoS, to ensure that your business is always secure and connected.

Watchguard Firebox X Edge X55e UTM Bundle - 6 x 10/100Base-TX Management, 1 x

PROCURVE SWITCH 2524 24PORT MANAGED 10/100

The HP Procurve 2524 switch can perform at 9.6 Gbps. It supports layer two switching and offer VLAN capabilities.

The switch can be locked down on a per port basis and offers TACAS as well. There is also a web interface so that you can manage the switch remotely.

PROCURVE SWITCH 2524 24PORT MANAGED 10/100 W/ 2 EXP SLOTS

Technical Details
General Information
Manufacturer: Hewlett-Packard
Manufacturer Part Number: J4813A#ABA
Product Name: ProCurve 2524 Ethernet Switch
Brand Name: HP
Manufacturer Website Address: www.hp.com
Product Line: ProCurve
Product Type: Ethernet Switch
Interfaces/Ports
Number of Ports: 24
Interfaces/Ports: 24 x RJ-45 10/100Base-TX LAN
1 x DB-9 Console Management
Fast Ethernet Port: Yes
Media & Performance
Connectivity Media: Twisted Pair 10/100Base-TX
Performance: 9.6Gbps Switching Fabric
6.6Mpps Throughput for 64-byte Packet
I/O Expansions
Number of Expansion Slots: 2
Expansion Slots: (2 Total) Expansion Slot
Network & Communication
Flow Control: IEEE 802.3x (Full-duplex)
Address Table: 4K MAC Addresses

Cisco ASA 5505

The Cisco ASA series provides best of class security protection for networks. Security features include firewall, VPN with IPsec, intrusion prevention. The Cisco ASA series has replaced the PIX line of products. There are five different modules that can be integrated.

Cisco ASA 5505 50-User Bundle - 8 x Management, 3 x , 1 x

Information Security Consultation Costs Call 714-786-5878

Phuture Networks provides information security services starting at $30 an hour. We will provide a security assessment of your home network or business network. Phuture Networks will provide you with a full report of security vulnerabilities. Remediation of these threats can be provided at additional costs.

Phuture Networks can test your network remotely. If needed a security consultant can come on-site for a physical analysis. Travel costs will be incurred. Phuture Networks serves the Orange County, CA area.

Phuture Network Services offered Call 714-786-5878

Phuture Networks offers the following services in the Orange County Area:

1. Information Security
2. Process Security
3. Internet Technology Security
4. Communications Security
5. Wireless Security
6. Systems integration and configuration
7. Procurement Services.

Please email today for a free consultation.

Email

Linkedin Profile

I decided to post my Linkedin profile. Please feel free to view it. Potential clients can email me at benjamin.hargis@gmail.com. 

Asus EEE and Backtrack 3 Beta

I want to get a Asus EEE PC galaxy black with Backtrack 3 Beta. This is a great setup for my business. The machine is small and light enough to take with me anywhere. Backtrack has all the security tools I need to do vulnerability and penetration testing for my clients.

Need a Router Password?

If you ever need to look up your default router password check out this website. It allows you to search by manufacture as well. 

Redhat Linux Videos Online

I learn allot from watching videos online regarding Linux, computer science and security from websites like You Tube and Google Tech Videos. These are great tools to use and learn for free.

Relaunch of Phuture Networks website

I temporarily brought down Phuture Networks for upgrades. Phuture Networks new website will have a more user friendly feel to it. Client's will receive their own login username and passwords so you can check on project status, billable hours and post any questions, comments or suggestions regarding Phuture Networks or your security project.

Phuture Networks

This is shameless self promotion. I'm really trying to get my consulting business going. It is allot of work. I work 8 hours daily doing solutions selling in IT. I tell clients to think of me as a consultant for free.

I want to be on my own in three years. With my own clients. I want to provide security consulting on a contractual basis. I will handle all aspects of security. This includes updating servers. Patching software. Keeping virus signatures up to date. Managing firewall rule sets.

I spend my nights and evening eating breathing and sleeping IT security. Anyone need a security consultant?

CA Arcserve

There are reports from Secunia that CA Arc Server has multiple vulnerabilities. The exploits can used to bypass security restrictions.

Secunia has a very good list of up to date alerts.

Hacker Methods

So how do hackers and crackers go about attacking networks and hosts? The best ones do research first. They want to know about your company, workers names, hobbies. The more information the better.

The first step would be to scan your target to determine which ports are open on your network. This can be done with many tools on the Internet. I will not list the tools as this is not a hacker tutorial but more of a heads up. Once they find what ports are open they can determine what services are running. A simple scan on Google or other websites can tell you which vulnerabilities are known for this application or service.

The next step would be to search for exploit code for that open port/service. At this point the attacker could craft a packet with a payload with the exploit code. The exploit code can tell the remote host to send back a shell or any other numerous things. Most attackers want access to the system to look for things. Others are malicious.

Attackers will often install a sniffer to grab more passwords on the network. Then cover their tracks and come back at a later time to grab the information or use your host as a jump off point for more attacks. Some hackers use mulitple systems to do Denial of service attacks. DDos is used with multiple systems.

The lesson here is patch and patch often, install IDS systems and have a firewall that will drop any suspicious traffic. Monitor your logs and encrypt your data!

Layered Technologies Hacked

It appears that hackers have managed to get into Layered Technologies databases. There are reports that over 6,000 user id's and passwords were compromised. This just shows why encryption should be used more vigilantly.

It looks like the hacker got in over HTTP. He then accessed the database and copied the information. Passwords for SSH, MySQL, Cpanel and other applications were taken. I would suggest to anyone using this company to switch their passwords or think about another hosting company.

Intrusion Detection Systems

In my previous post I talked about a IDS. IDS is a system that is used to monitor your network or hosts for behaviour that is out of the norm. They look for known attacks and alert you. You can usually have a back end database to store this information.

IDS systems can protect against zero day exploits, directory traversal, SQL injection attacks, buffer overflows, worms and othe Mal ware.

A good IDS should be able to do the following:

1. Deep Packet Inspection
2. Behaviour analysis
3. Logging

SNORT is a great and free IDS. It can do network analysis and logging.

There are plenty of books availiable to learn and configure SNORT.

Cisco also has a IDS, they call it IPS or Intrusion Prevention System.

McAffee Intrushield

McAffee Intrushield is a IPS. Intrusion protection system. The Intrushield can scan data at up to 10Gbps. Their are different models. I was told by a security enginerr by McAffee security engineer that it is effective because it uses FPGA's and ASIC's to transfer data. I noticied a bullet point that stated that the device could even scan for encrypted threats. I asked how can the IPS device determine if it is legit traffic or Malware? He stated that the device decrypts the packets and then scans the contents.

This device also supports QOS. Which will allow you to prioritize data. For instance VoiP would need more bandwith than P2p. They also have a technology called Vitual IPS to protect VLAN's.
The Intrushield is compatabile with McAffe Orchestra and and Mcaffee NAC.

Business Intelligence

Business Intelligence is used to find patterns and trends to spot opportunities. This is awesome technology. Databases can be modeled to look for this data, then turn it into information. The saying information is power is true. Business Intelligence allow you to peer into all the data to see your best customers, best locations for real estate, stock trends, and economic data.

It can be used to look at customer behaviour, what magazines they order, websites visited to, and much more. This is information can then be used by marketing and advertising companies or even worse spammers or telemarketers.

The future hold real time data analytics and business intelligence. Where decision's can be made on the spot. Talk about pressure.

There is a open source data mining tool called Rapid. Data mining, AI, data warehousing and analytics are interesting topics. I will be taking SQL next semester.

The government uses a similar technology for homeland security using databases to look for patterns and similarities to detect threats to our nation.

Microsoft Products

It seems like everyday there is a new Microsoft software title. It's mind boggling. There is Microsoft Expression. Which is web design suite. It allows for CSS layouts and also works well with .NET. This is not a surprise. There is also something called Microsoft accounting. I found this interesting, because I need accounting program for Phuture Networks to bill my clients.

Microsoft also has something called start up center. It's a good resource covering everything from tax laws to office setup. I like the fact it has list's of things that can be needed as office supplies and then links to Kinko's and other office supply places. It's a startup portal.

They have a certification called Microsoft Small Business Specialist. This is a test that I'm planning to take. Microsoft has allot of good information.

Microsoft Working with Sun on Virtualization

According to a article in CRN, Micros0ft is working with Sun to make sure that their virtualization will be compatible. This means that if I purchase a Sun server with Solaris, It should, emphasis on *should* be able to run MS Server.

Do I want this? Sure why not. I like running multiple operating systems to see what I like the best. They all have benefits and flaws. For instance MS Windows is great for the business world. i.e. applications. I love Mac OS X for it's beauty and simplicity. It is the perfect OS and system for home users.

If I want to code, I then use Linux/UNIX depending on what platform I need to try to write or debug software on. I'm no expert programmer, but can read and write some C, HTML (not a programming language) PERL and Assembly X86.

With Web 2.0 taking off. A popular buzzword. What it really is is services using AJAX. Think of applications on the web to use. Google Apps comes to mind, Facebook and Myspace.

To sum this up I think it is a smart move for Microsoft. After all Novell has Xensource.

Windows Vista Encryption Algorithim

A few months back I asked a Microsoft Sales Rep what encryption was used for Vista. He did not know. The encryption algorithm implemented is AES-CBC. This is Advanced Encryption Standard in cipher block chaining mode.

AES is a block cipher developed by our government. The key sizes can be 128, 192 or 256. The block size is 128bits. It can change the plain text 10, 12, 14 rounds.

To learn more detailed information. Wikipedia has a excellent article.

Artificial Intelligence

When will AI come to the point that we live in a world like IRobot. I often think of developing a massive database of information. It would be very sweet to have AI, running in the database. It would look for patterns, learn and try to make logical decision's. I read about data mining, data warehousing, and data modeling. This is all in the field of informatics.

Artificial Intelligence is developing intelligent systems to mimic human behavior. AI can be applied to all fields of research. There is also the thought that AI will one day take over humans. Pretty scary.

There are so many databases out there on the Net. Imagine if someone developed a intelligent spider to crawl the net looking for correlations, trends over even try to predict future events. This is already a reality.

VM Ware Products

Their are several products that VW Ware offers. There are products for first time virtualization users, for enterprise users, technical and programmers and products for locking down the desktop and as well as management.

For Servers there is VM Ware Server -----> VM Ware Infrastructure
For desktops there is VMWare player. You can run virtual machines on any machine. These are free downloads.

Virtual Manager allows you to create virtual machines.
VM Workstation allows developers to run multiple virtual machines for software development.

VMWare Ace is used on desktop for security, it can be used to lock down endpoints.
VMWare Infrastructure.

ESX Server is the flagship or foundation for distributed virtualization. ESX server takes care of managing memory, hardware, networking and splits them up into virtual machines. Virtual center gives you a birds eye view of your virtual machines. It also handles workloads, optimizing and it has templates.

There are several add-ons for ESX server.

VM Ware is great for Malware analysis. You can view and run the source code in the vitual machines in a controlled enviroment. There are Anti-Virus companies that use VMware and software debugging tools such as Soft Ice to look into worms and see what there are meant to do. What worms, viruses and othe Malware is contained in the payload.

Open Source Search Engine

Today while working I came across Koders. Koders is a open source search engine. This is nice. There is also Google Code search. The beauty of this is that you can search for functions and routines that other programmers have written. Why reinvent the wheel?

I also went through a hour of Microsoft licensing training. There are so many options. I'm currently working on loking for companies that need Enterprise Agreements. This can be for SQL, Windows Server, Microsoft Exchange, Server, Windows Vista all the favors. You can also get software assurance which alows you to get software upgrades. This can be valuable because Microsoft is coming out with Microsoft Exchange 2008.

Microsoft Security Alerts for Sept 2007

Microsoft released some security alerts. There is only one critcal alert. It allows an attacker to run code remotely on your machine. This is dangerous because they can ask fr a shell back to their computer to execute commands.

Here are four of the alerts:

•	MS07-051 - addresses a vulnerability in Windows (KB 938827)
•	MS07-052 - addresses a vulnerability in Visual Studio (KB 941522)
•	MS07-053 - addresses a vulnerability in Windows (KB 939778)
•	MS07-054 - addresses a vulnerability in MSN Messenger and Windows Live Messenger (KB 942099)

To update your system. Click here.

Microsoft has a ton of use full information on security.

Here is their security portal.

Microsoft also has a security response center. The one thing I wonder is why there are so many holes in the first place? There is software that will scan your source code for known vulnerabilities. This should be done before shipping the product!

Cyberwar

The DOD has stated that Cyberwar is real. Our US networks have been attacked by China. I heard on CNN that our Secretary of Defense's computer was also penetrated. I do not know if this is true. President Bush says it's not.

The Air force has some of the best cyberwarriors. They have classes to train our troops on information warfare. The have a degree in Cyberwarfare. It's in the electrical and engineering department. They train on IP networks, telecommunications, radars, satellites, transportation systems, and power systems.

The NSA also does try to stop these attacks. The DOD had one of the lowest security rating's out of goverment agencies. The National Science foundation had some of the best security.

Virtualization

Virtualization is hot right now. I sale VM Ware products. I'm currently studying for the VM Ware professional sales. There are plenty of other player in the field right now. There are open source solutions. Such as Virtual Box.

There is also Novell is Xensource.

Virtualization allows you to run multiple virtual machines on one computer or server. It is handy. I run Parallels here at home on my Macbook. The benefit is that I can run Mac OS X and then have Redhat Linux in another window. This allows me to focus on programming in Linux and using Mac OS X for my photos or running ITunes.

Companies can use virtualization to reduce IT cost's, There does not have to be as many desktops. You can run multiple virtual machines on the server and have clients connect with dumb terminals.

Virtualization is also good for security. A virus or worm will only stay in the virtual machine and not infect other machines, or virtual machines. Virtual machines can also be transported with VMware. This can be carried on person in a USB drive.

Microsoft Automatic Updates

It appears that Microsoft has been installing updates without our permission. Tommorow is patch Tuesday. I wonder how many holes they are going to patch?

You can view the knowledge base articles to see what they are installing on your computer there are allot of updates. It would be nice of Microsoft to let users know that they are going to be installing software. It's bad enough that I cannot see the source code. How do I really know what is in those updates? More Spy ware? This is why I love Open Source/Linux. I can view the code and run MD5 checksums to insure that the software has not been tampered with.

I was reading this article in Eweek that stated that they have been doing this for quite some time.

AOL Instant Messenger Attack

It appears that it is possible to send HTML code to AOL messenger, to shut it down or try to gain information from the clients computer.

Here is the link to Bugtraq.

Cisco Adaptive Security Appliance

Every morning I get up and sign into My Yahoo and IGoogle. I have them configured to show me the days exploits and vulnerabilities. I do this to keep my clients informed. My clients consist of Network administrators, CIO's, CEO's and business owners.

Today I recommended a Cisco ASA to a client with IPS. IPS stands for intrusion prevention system. The Cisco ASA comes standard as a firewall. You can then add different modules such as VPN, Content filtering and Anti-X.

The VPN can support different users depending on the module selected. It does SSL and IPsec. There are different encryption protocols that can be utilized as well such as DES and 3DES. A VPN is a virtual private network. It allows you to login remotely form home or Starbucks securely. When you do this without a VPN, you send your data in clear text. A simple sniffer between your computer can pick up these packets and read what is in them. Encryption slows the process of reading the contents. 3DES and DES are very strong and it would take years or even longer to crack it. When you are surfing at your local Starbucks, the guy next to you can run a wireless sniffer and grab your bank account information, Yahoo Login ID, or Amazon login.

The content filtering module allows network administrators to implement security policies. Like blocking Yahoo instant messenger, Myspace, and ESPN during work hours.

Anit-X is a anit-Malware application. It defends against viruses, trojans, key-loggers, exploit code and other goodies that attackers like to use to gain info, mess up data, and just for fun.

The IPS module is nice. It attempts to stop attacks before they happen. How? It has a signature database, the firewall does deep packet inspection. This means it looks at the content of the packets and compares it against a updated databse of known attacks. It it looks suspicious it is dropped or quarantined for later inspection.

Working for a VAR

I have not posted to this blog for a long time. There has been allot of good stuff going on in my life. My son Alexander was born in May. I have not had allot of time to do anything really. I started working for a value added reseller. I enjoy my work. I focus my sales on storage, security and networking products. I.m trying to gain as many certifications as possible to increase my knowledge and provide solutions to clients.

Right now I'm going for VMware sales professional. I enjoy learning, it keeps my brain going. I work with some people who dont have the drive to really learn the new technologies. They just want to make the sale. I understand that and am not putting them down. I'm different. I want to know what I'm selling and how it works. I want to see if I can make it better. It can be software that needs added functionallity or hardware that could run faster or cheaper.

In five years from now I want to be running my own business Phuture Networks full time. I'm looking to provide managed security solutions for clients. This can include remote and onsite penetration testing. Wireless assesments, web server hardening, OS hardeing and verification of firewall rulesets. Recommendations on intrusion detection systems and physical security.

Computer Security News

Its Friday night. I'm listening to some techno and reading many different feeds. The one that caught my attention is about an Israeli computer security firm, discovered how to read enrypted pin traffic used by banks. The secret service is investigating this claim. It makes me wonder what type of encryption protocols are in place to protect me at my local ATM ? Are they strong ? Is there a standard or do banks get to choose ?

There were also some reports that Wall Street and other financial institutes could be attacked shortly. The goal of the terrorists is to hurt the US economy.

I also read a article today about how mainframes seem to have been forgotten. There are still IBM mainframes and I'm sure many other supporting our nations infrastructure. Security needs to be considered for all hardware and software on the network regardless of how old it is. Even printers are open season for experienced crackers.

In other news a hacker from Romania, hacked into NASA the department of energy and the US Navy. This worries me. Were talking the Navy and DOE. What type of testing is our goverment doing to protect against these attacks ? We have the NSA who is supposed to be protecting our networks and communications. But they choose to listen to US citizens. Protect first guys.

I still don't get why people don't use encryption. You hear almost every day. they got access to all these records. Is it that its too difficult to implement. I admit my grandma does not need it but our universities and goverment sure does.

Review of HP iPAQ hx2495

I just picked up one of these PDA's from Amazon. Im quite happy. It is a little heavy compared to my Toshiba PDA, but so much more powerfull. It has built in WiFi and Bluetooth. I connected to my corporate network with no problem at all.

I really missed having my PDA around. One day my Toshiba just quit. It was a refurbished model. I picked this up for $288.99. It was a good deal.

McAffe Secure Internet Gateway

I just done with a presentation on the McAffee Secure Internet Gateway. This is a unified threat solution. It has Anti-Virus, Anti-Spware and firewall capabilities. It also has anti SPAM system.I stayed after the presentation to ask what operating system runs on the device. It is a modified version of RedHat. It is also checked by a outside third party for any vulnerabilities.

It comes in different models like the 3100, 3200 and 3300.

These models also have web filtering capabilities. This device is capable of protecting both POP 3 and SMTP fro email security.

To find out more go to www.mcaffee.com

Math and computer science

I'm currently in school majoring in computer science with a focus on security. I'm really need to brush up on my math skills. I was on Slashdot and came across this post about what type of math CS majors should look into.



Article on Slashdot

CCNA Notes

Flow Control provides data integrity prevents the sending host from overflowing the buffers of the receiving host. Sends data in segments. Synchronization and windowing is also handled at this layer.

Routing is handled at the network layer. The network layer is also responsible for routing thru the internetwork and network addressing.

Router update packets include RIP, IGRP, and OSPF.

Kevins Mitcnicks Security Advice

I came across this on Wired Magazine site. This is quoted from Kevin Mitnick. One of the most famous hackers of all time.

Here's my Top 10 list of steps you should take to protect your information and your computing resources from the bad boys and girls of cyberspace.

• Back up everything! You are not invulnerable. Catastrophic data loss can happen to you -- one worm or Trojan is all it takes.
• Choose passwords that are reasonably hard to guess -- don't just append a few numbers to a no-brainer. Always change default passwords.
• Use an antivirus product like AVG or Norton, and set it to update daily.
• Update your OS religiously and be vigilant in applying all security patches released by the software manufacturer.
• Avoid hacker-bait apps like Internet Explorer and disable automatic scripting on your e-mail client.
• Use encryption software like PGP (pretty good privacy) when sending sensitive e-mail. You can also use it to protect your entire hard drive.
• Install a spyware detection app -- or even several. Programs that can be set to run frequently, like SpyCop, are ideal.
• Use a personal firewall. Configure it to prevent other computers, networks and sites from connecting to you, and specify which programs are allowed to connect to the net automatically.
• Disable any system services you're not using, especially apps that could give others remote access to your computer (like Remote Desktop, RealVNC and NetBIOS).
• Secure your wireless networks. At home, enable WPA (Wi-Fi protected access) with a password of at least 20 characters. Configure your laptop to connect in Infrastructure mode only, and don't add networks unless they use WPA.

This is great advice and I recommend following his points....

I love Open Source Software

I can do anyhting with Open Source, I love it. Need a webserver ? Get Apache. How about a web proxy why not try Squid ? Lets not even mention security. Vulnerability Scanners, Intrusion Detection Systems and its all free. The only thing I see is the learning curve and time it takes to configure and manage this software.

Attack can disable Windows Firewall

A attacker can send a crafted packet to shut down Microsoft Windows firewall. Not shocking. Microsoft has never been known for security. The attack involves ICS or Internet Connection Serivce.

The attacker would have to be on the local LAN for this to work properly.

Google picks up JotSpot

Jotspot was one of my prospects for a company who shall remain nameless. When I talked to a guy over there, I told him him how I thought that there idea was good and was amazed that Google has not bought them yet. Now I read this morning that they bought them.

They offer wikis to families and businesses.

http://www.jotspot.com

Cisco ASA 5500

Cisco ASA 5500

This is a review on the new Cisco ASA 5500

The Cisco ASA or Adaptive security appliance can use different modules for different security needs.

There are currently four unique modules. They include the firewall module, IPS which is a intrusion

protection system. Anti-x module and a VPN (virtual private network) module.

The benefits of this appliance is that modules can be added as your needs grow. All in one device.There is a business edition provides small to medium businesses with VPN and gateway capabilities.

The firewall module can be implemented to stop corporate users from abusing instant messaging, theintroduction of spyware and adware onto the corporate network.It will also protect against externalthreats suck as hackers or crackers. Policies can also be set up to bloak peer to peer file sharing.

The Cisco ASA 5500 can also provide VPN access for remote users. The SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and also IPsec protocols can be used to encrypt traffic.

Different forms of authentication can be used such as Kerbeos, Microsoft Active directory, LDAP lightweight directory protocol and RSA secure ID.

Everythinbg can be controlled through the Cisco Security Manager, a all in one management platform. I watched a video on this at Ciscos website. I like the interface, you can even see attacks in real time and decide to section off that part of the network. Thats pretty slick. Another way to do this is through MARS, which is Cisco's analysis tool.

There are diffrent modules for different needs Some firewalls can support up to 1.2Gbps.

The Anti-X technology is based on Trend Micros technology to stop threats like viruses, spyware, trojans and worms.

CCNA Progress

Im still studying working on my CCNA, I'm studying IP addressing and subnetting currently. its going well. I have decided to rewrite my business plan for Phuture Networks. I'm going to focus solely on IT Security.

I injured my knee, I have been out of work for about a week since I cant drive. Its my right knee. The one good thing I can say about it, it has given me time to think. I have been analyzing allot of code in C, PERL and Python. I want to be able to read the stuff like English.

I have almost completed my introduction to engineering class. I like it. It has made me more methodical and detail oriented.

My son is getting huge, I cant believe how fast kids grow. Its really amazing.

Microsoft Vista and Pirates

Microsot has come up with a plan to thwart illegal software copies. The solution ? They will lock out anyone who does not register their OS within 30 days ! I wonder how long it is going to take for some skilled cracker to reverse engineer the code.

It will not actually lock you out just give you real limited functionallity. Which would suck. During the 30 days you will get popups. Lovely. Letting you know that you must register.

During this grace period warnings will be displayed and Vista will block access to the Windows Defender anti-spyware tool, ReadyBoost memory expansion feature and Aero advanced graphics option, Microsoft said.

Just run Linux. IMAO

Day 1 Studying for CCNA

I have made up my mind to stay focused on obtaining my CCNA or Cisco Certified Network Associate, I have downloaded many study guides and plan to read one chapter daily, out of my CCNA book. When I pass the exam I will focus on security. I would like to become a expert with firewall technologies, configurations and setup.

The main subject for today is the OSI layer or open systems interconnect. This is a standard that allows vendors software/hardware to communicate. There are seven layers for the OSI model. They include: Application, Presentation, Session, Transport, Network, Data and Physical layers.

The Application layer provides network access to programs, it also does error recovery and flow control. It makes sure that communications can be established by checking resources. The following protocols can be found here. NCP, SMB, Telnet, SMTP, Appletalk and SMB.

The Presentation layer does protocol conversion and my favorite encryption and data compression. This layer uses protocols such as NCP, TDI and AFP.

The Session layer does just that it opens a session it does connection establishment, data transfer and cloese the connection. The protocol NetBios can be found on this layer.

The Transport layer put messages into smaller packages adn does error detection and correction. Some of the protocols here NetBeui, NWLink, IP, IPX, and TCP.

The Network Layer does routing, handles addressing, translates logical addresses to physical ones as well as traffic management. The protocols here are IP, IPX, NWLink and NetBeui.

The Data Link Layer packages bits into frames so they can be transported over the network layer. There is also the MAC sublayer that puts the MAC address into the frame header.

The Physical Layer would bethe actual cabling, connectors and electrical signals transmitted on the wire.

That is my quick synopsis of the OSI layer.

Current BrainBench Certifications

I guess I really am a geek. This didnt take long at all....

Alexanders Doctor Visit

I took my son to the doctors today, he had to get four shots. I hated every second of it. He is only 4 months old. But its over for at least a couple months. My girlfriend went with me.

I made it into work late today, doctors note and all. I find my inbox is full of spam. We sell spam firewalls and but I guess the rules are not configured properly on our network. Today is a typical Monday, making cold call and not reaching anyone.

I'm currently enrolled in Engineering at a community college. It is ok. I can say it is making me think about things differently. It's like programming in the sense of breaking the complex problems into smaller chunks. I have always liked taking things apart as a kid. Now here is my chance to start building. Next semester, I will be taking more math and physics. I do not want to stop going to school. There are so many subjects that interest me. I'm a geek :)

I still want to take technical writing and drawing, CAD, CAM and more advanced electronics. I'm still undecided on my major. I'm thinking about information assurance or computer engineering.

Stolen Laptops and Data

It seems like daily I hear about security breaches, laptops being stolen. All this personal information is being leaked. I dont understand why people dont use encryption ? I admit it seems daunting, but there are programs out that now that require you to click a button. Its that simple. But what standard do you encrypt with ? I personally like AES which stands for Advanced encryption standard. It is FIPS compliant another lovely acronym that stand for federal information processing which means the goverment uses it to secure unclassified data.

If you want to know the ins and outs of the algorithihm here is a paper published by NIST.

AES Text

After finishing the document, I feel like I need another Red bull.

It talks abouts ciphers, bits, plaintext and other goodies. A knowledge of C C++ or Unix is helpfull. There are alot of functions.

XOR is used in the algorithim to encrypt plaintext into ciphertext.

The cipherkey itself can have lengths of 128, 192 or 256 bits.

There is to much math for me, gives me a headache, although I can understand some of the code.

Microsoft Presentation

We had Microsoft come out to our office to show us Vista. It looks clen but the hardware requirements are going to require allot of people to upgrade. Thats good new to me but bad for consumers. Personally I love Linux. Vista looks allot like OS X. Apple's OS.

There are some new security feautures including a way to encrypt directories and filesystems. When I asked what encryption protocol would be used, I did not get an answer. That's marketing for you. I also read that Microsoft released 12 security alerts. 8 are critical. You can read about the here .

Goals and Career

I currently work for a large IT company consulting enterprise accounts on hardware software needs. I'm working on obtaining my Associates degree and have decided that my major is going to be information assurance. (IT Security). I plan on studying for my CCNA and have a goal of obtaining it by January of 2007. After I complete my self-study. I will go after my CISSP. Currently I'm a MCP or Microsoft Certified Proffesional.

Here is a sample of the courses:

Bachelor of Science - 127-128 credits

Programming and Computers - 25 Credits
CT-115 Introduction to Programming	3
CT-152 Introduction to Unix Completed	3
CS-130 Computer Science Fundamentals I	4
CS-220 Database Management	3
CS-230 Computer Science Fundamentals II	3
CT-301 Website Construction	3
SE-301 Software Engineering	3
SE-458 Senior Design Project	3
Computer Security - 18 Credits
CS-356 Web/CGI Programming Using PERL	3
CS-418 Operating Systems	3
NS-201 Network Security Protocols and Administration	3
NS-351 Secure Website Administration **	3
NS-352 Unix Administration and Security ***Completed	3
NS-401 Network Security Theory and Algorithms	3
Mathematics and Sciences - 21 Credits
MA-114 Algebra and Trigonometry	4
MA-124 Discrete Mathematics	3
MA-128 Introduction to Statistics	3
MA-261 Calculus I	4
MA-262 Calculus II	4
Science elective (1)	3
Telecommunications and Networking - 6 Credits
TC-110 Introduction to Telecommunications	3
CT-240 Internetworking with Routers and Switches	3
Management - 6 Credits
MIT-201 Introduction to E-Business Completed	3
MIT-208 Internet and the Law	3
Humanities/ Social Sciences - 19 Credits
FS-100 Freshman Seminar	1
HU-331 or HU-332 Arts and Ideas	3
SS-351 Ethics	3
Humanities/History/Philosophy electives (2)	6
Social Sciences electives (2)	6
English Communications - 9 Credits
EN-101 English Communications I	3
EN-102 English Communications II	3
EN-408 Writing Seminar in Technical Research	3
Technical Electives - 24 Credits
Technical electives (6)	18
Technical electives (2) - must be 300 or above	6

Final Project for Internet Technologies Class

My final project is about having a Internet presence. I already have this blog up, so I'm going to point a link here to my blog. This was my first online class and I enjoyed it. I will be taking critical thinking in August for my next online class.

I also have some articles that I have written that I would like to share with my classmates here is the link.

I also have a business website I made called Phuture Networks.

I have also beent thinking about doing some security podcast's. I keep up with numerous RSS feeds in my Firefox browser. I had a great time with this class and encourage my classmates to keep in touch. I can be emailed at phuturegenius@yahoo.com

A new Morning

It has been some time since my last post, things have been great. My son was born on May 5, he is awesome, most of my time now consists of working, and spending time with my family. Time management skills are in order here. There is so much going on in the IT industry. I like the fact that Apple has released a new Macbook. Its Intel Dual Core,and goes for $1099. I'm in the process of seeking for a new laptop. I have one, but could see myself owing 3. One for the windows platform, anohter for Apple Mac OS and well a third for Unix. Why ? Not only because Im a geek, but I write, try to code and just now getting into photos. I found my dads old 35mm. He is no longer around. So I like photography now. Some many gadgets to get, baby formula to buy. I feel like there is not enought time in the day. Not to mention blogging, soon podcasting. Well thats it today folks have a great one !!!!

The mischief makers BOTS

Bots can be automated to do just about anyhing, there really just scripts that are deisgned to do do network snooping. Here is the scenario, a new exploit is announced online, within minutes a cracker firs up his *nix box, code some PERL and bingo, this script is sent loose to probe networks looking for vulnerable PC's and delivering the result to a system in Finland.

First step is to keep your updates current, run a firewall, and dont use file sharing networks. I cannot stress this enough most malware comes thru those networkds even with Spyware running.

Phishers and VOIP

Now it seems that Phishers are reocrding automated services with VOIP, just imaagine calling into Bank Of America, your call is routed over a VOIP network and someone is on the the line with a digital recorder. Man does that suck, Im sure they already nknow how to decoded DTMF codes to get your banking account number. My suggestion get PGPhone, its a product that will encrypt your Voip traffic. That way they can try to do cryptanalysis and by the time they crack (they wont) You will no longer even need a bank account.

Search Engine Marketing Job

Well things are changing for the better in my life, I got a new job placing ads in search engines thru Yahoo Search Marketing and Google Adwords.Its a cool company too. I cannot beleive how much money is in the industry, and all the new stuff I'm learning about. The biggest issue? Click Fraud. There is alot but not as much as people think.

I'm currently learning about Google's API's and plan on taking PHP next semester. Everything is going webbased. This is cool and scary at the same time. Most of the stuff on the net is vulnerable on the net there are exploits posted daily. How much stuff of mine do I really want on the web? Besided this and a couple of other blogs not much.

What Linux Live CD's are good for security?

I use Whoppix alot, it is a great CD, with alot of good tools, categories include penetration testing, wireless testing, it has compilers being that is Linux, it has a ton of usefuill perl scirpts and a vulnerability DB.

You can find it here:

Apple and Dual Boot

This is great, but why not triple boot? I know its possible, what if I want to run Windows 2000 Mac OS X.. and BSD or any flavor of Linux? I like many operating systems for many different reasons. Im looking at VMware so I can run virtual machines to test code in a controlled enviroment. I want to analyze malware and peek beneath the hood to see what functions and system calls it might be trying to access.

Microsoft now offers a virtual server, for free :) I like free stuff Go open source. I have not tested it yet. Im curious to see how stable it is lol.

Pay Per Click Management

I have created another blog for my day to day activities at a PPC management firm I work for check it outby clicking on the title Pay Per CLick Management.

DRM- Digital rights management

The word for the day is Digital Rights Management
Is it ok to burn and copy music or to use servies for Limewire? I know it's illegal. I cant think of someone nowadays that does not burn music, I personally notce everything that I read I can find online and it usually more up to date.

The copyright protection schemes will continue to be cracked. Is it of any use?

DRM is used on DVD's, product activation, and digital water marketing.

Adware

I hate Adware, I'm always looking for great tools to get it removed. Here is a great adware and spyware remover.If your PC is running slow, or downloand alot of music, I recommend checking this out!

No Adware

Krav Maga

Today I woke up and went to my first Krav Maga class.It was fun and a great workout. They also played really cool music which was a plus. I have been blogging alot I have three blogs up currently and one website. I have decided to blog my classes online, not only for a learning experience, but to rehash my studies and to give back to the online community. My classes this semester are HTML and Ecommerce.