Category: Networks

Network security is important in the online world, and many helpful posts can be found here.

  • DDoS Attack Metrics for 2013 [Infographic]

    DDoS Attack Metrics for 2013 [Infographic]

    Getting yourself informed on DDoS attack trends from quarter to quarter through the year is a vital part in understanding and preventing these attacks on your data and security. Only through obtaining accurate facts and figures will you able to get yourself properly learned and well-prepared in the event you need protection. Take a look at this infographic to get a clear and coherent review, through stats and figures, of DDoS attacks from the first quarter of 2013, compared to the second quarter.

    In merely a single quarter, DDoS attacks have grown not only in size, but power and duration as well. This infographic will give a break down on the comparison of total DDoS attacks, DDoS attack modes, and average duration, bandwidth, and packets-per-second. From the first quarter to the second, the percentage of total DDoS attacks has went up a full 20 percent, while average duration has increased 10 percent. Get detailed info on all aspects of DDoS attacks from the first to second quarter, through this infographic.

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  • FAQ: Securing Your Wireless Network

    FAQ: Securing Your Wireless Network

    Ever since I have been writing posts about securing home wireless routers, I have been asked many questions about such security. Many of the questions were the same, such as what happens if you forget your router’s password, while others have been about how best to secure a wireless router.

    Since I have received quite a few questions over the years, I decided to gather the questions in a post and then add my answers to those questions. Of course, if you have additional questions you can continue to send them to me, or write them in the comments section of this post.

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  • Why Your Wireless Network May Not Be As Secure As You Think

    Why Your Wireless Network May Not Be As Secure As You Think

    I have written several posts on securing a wireless router. I have even written posts that provide step-by-step detail on how to secure specific models of wireless routers. While you should enable WPA2 and use a strong passphrase, that may not be enough to keep your wireless network protected by unauthorized users.

    In many routers manufactured today, there is a known issue related to a technology that has been pushed by the wireless industry to make setting up and securing a wireless network easier. Unfortunately, this new technology has also opened up a large security hole that can allow unauthorized users access to your wireless network – even if you secured your network with WP2 and a strong passphrase.

    WPS – WiFi Protected Setup

    When wireless networks started to become popular, many people weren’t aware of the security that needed to be implemented in order to protect their network. Most people were just used to use standard network routers where you just plugged in a computer using a network cable and everything was good to go.

    Unfortunately, with wireless, security is vital. Anyone with a wireless network card that is within range of your wireless router can connect to your network. The problem is that many people don’t understand how to properly secure a wireless router. Let’s face it, many people don’t want to navigate through an array of confusing options and try to understand terms like WPA, WPA2, AES, TKIP, etc.

    In 2007, the WiFi Alliance created WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) that provides an easy way for someone to configure and setup security on a wireless network. The way WPS works is a wireless router is shipped with a personal identification number (PIN) – usually 8 digits in length – that is printed on a sticker on the router. With WPS, a user can then enable encryption for the wireless network by pressing a button on the router and then entering the PIN in the network’s setup wizard.

    While this sounds like a great way of connecting devices to a wireless network easily, there is one issue: is can easily be hacked. WPS was created with usability in mind and not security.

    In December 2011 researcher Stefan Viehböck reported a flaw that showed brute-force attach feasible against WPS. This flaw allows unauthorized users to gain access to a wireless network.

    While the PIN is an 8 digit number, the last digit is a checksum of the first 7 digits, which leaves 107 = 10,000,000 possible PIN numbers. The issue is that the router will confirm validity of the first half (4 digits = 10,000 possibilities) and the second half (3 digits = 1,000 possiblities) separately, which reduces the number of possibilities to guess to about 11,000. Since WPS doesn’t lockout after several incorrect attempts, it wouldn’t take long for a device to guess the correct PIN and gain access to the wireless network..

    Protecting Your Network

    The issue with WPS is that many routers may have it enabled by default – even if you have used the feature or not. This makes your wireless network vulnerable to a brute-force attack.

    The only solution, at the moment, is to disable WPS from within the router’s administrative dashboard. Some routers provide an option to disable WPS, while others require a firmware update. My Linksys E4200 required a firmware update to disable WPS.

    If you are unsure of whether your router provides the ability to disable WPS, you should ask the manufacturer, or use their support forums and ask other owners. You may have to update the firmware on your router, as I had to do.

    While WPS provides an easy way to attach devices to your wireless network, the lack of security in such a feature, in my opinion, far outweighs the usability. I suggest you manually attach devices to your network, once the network is secured, and turn off WPS instead.

  • Need to Hide Your IP Address? VPNs Can Help

    Need to Hide Your IP Address? VPNs Can Help

    In this age of the Internet, many people are trying to find ways to keep themselves protected online, by hiding their IP address, for various reasons. Some may just want the privacy aspect of being anonymous, while others may want to access specific services without being monitored. Privacy has always been at the forefront of technology, and with the Internet, privacy has become a big issue.

    There are many reasons why you might want to hide your IP address when accessing the internet. Some of the most common include:

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  • How Virtual Private Networks Can Protect Your Mobile Device

    How Virtual Private Networks Can Protect Your Mobile Device

    Needing a safe way to communicate through the World Wide Web has never been more crucial. You no longer need a computer to log on. Your handheld mobile device can fit in your pocket and go pretty much everywhere with you, which means you’re that much more vulnerable to hackers since you’re spending more time on these networks. There are several ways to safeguard yourself, however, and here’s a good one to read up on: VPNs.

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  • The Possibilities of VPN

    The Possibilities of VPN

    The initials VPN stand for Virtual Private Networks. VPN’s are a safe means of communication through the internet and are able to link internet sites from all over the world. It can work on any data service standard. A VPN provider, a private user or company can manage a VPN and the main users of this technology are huge corporations and institutions.

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  • Why Network Cabling Your Home Can Beat Wireless

    Why Network Cabling Your Home Can Beat Wireless

    It seems that with every time a new technology comes along, everyone needs to have it and traditional methods get sunned no matter how useful they still are. Although wireless networks are handy for a number of reasons, such as connecting phones and easy access anywhere, there are many advantages of network cabling, hence why schools and businesses still rely on it.

    Not only is it good in these sectors but it can be of use for your home networks and connections too!


    Image via Connect Data.

    Should you Use Network Cabling at Home?

    If you live in a rented abode or move home often it’s probably more hassle than it’s worth and wireless is the best option. If however, you own your house and plan on staying, then network cabling is worth doing as much as it was getting an arial plugged into your TV and electricity running through the house!

    By no means is this a suggestion to replace a wireless network however. Most of us have smartphones that are unable to connect via cable, laptops that make movement/comfort unpractical with a cable connection and possibly want some kind of connection available to guests such as WiFi. What I’m suggesting is the two can sit side by side quite well in one household for dual purposes!

    Why Network Cabling?

    Security

    Wireless networks are available for anyone in range to connect to and getting hacked is always a risk. I have a friend with a son at university who had issues with his wireless about a year ago. The student house he moved into had the same network from the previous owners, and somehow another house on the road knew the WEP key because there was constantly another 3 or 4 devices hooked up at any time! Although it was just students over the road using it for internet access (alas a free one courtesy of his son) and never did anything malicious, it could have been worse if the wrong people had said connection. No matter how secure your home is there is always a chance someone could break in, and the same goes for a wireless network.

    Speed

    Downloading, streaming, uploading, downloading, streaming, uploading, downloading, etc. The days of the internet being a browsing task are almost as old as dial up connections, and if the average internet user split up their time spent online it might look a lot like the aforementioned. Add to this home consoles strongly based around online connections and households having more than one computer and that’s a lot of internet usage! Wireless can struggle with bandwidth depending on position of the router, the access point, walls and various other factors. A wired network will deliver faster speeds with no signal drop out to anywhere you connect so long as your network is set up efficiently.

    Do I Have to do it Myself?

    No, of course not! Plenty of companies exist dedicated to network cabling, some for home and some for business. These people are experts and even if you do choose to go ahead and build a network yourself having one on side for help and advice is only going to be of benefit if something goes wrong, won’t work or a question you’re unsure of arises.

    What to Consider When Building a Wired Network?

    Most importantly, SAFETY!

    Not just to be considered when installing the network, but after too. Electrical faults are a major factor in house fire causation so consider every scenario from wiring location to measures in place in the event of a fault.

    Where do you want to connect the network?

    What rooms are going to need a wireless connection? Do the kids use the internet and have computers in their rooms? Are you going to use a device as a main storage hub for media? Is there a chance a room may not need a connection now but may do in the future?

    What do you want to connect to the network?

    There’s no point in just assuming you need a connection by the TV without considering what exactly you require the connection(s) for. Most modern TVs and consoles come with a built in Media Centre as standard including streaming services, and you probably want anything that can connect to the internet abled for software updates at the very least.

    Also bear in mind that just because you own 2 consoles and a TV that need the internet now it doesn’t mean 3 connections is enough. Wires can fail or become worn over time and constantly moving gadget trends could mean the need for extra connection ports in the future. Three or more extra ports are always for the best.

    Layout

    Are you going to be tearing walls apart, running wires under the floorboards or along the floor itself hidden by cable tidiers to create your cabled network? Either way a plan of your electricity sources and house layout is essential.

    The initial costs of building a cabled network can be quite pricey, so planning what length cables you need can save extra expense and waste. If building your network into a permanent position (EG. inside plaster walls) the above point of considering what rooms you’re connecting and how many ports you need if vital to prevent having to rip all your hard work out for changes later down the line.

    Also remember for copper cabling 100 metres (300 feet) is the rough maximum distance for gigabyte internet speeds. Bear this in mind and try to keep cables as straight and short as possible (obviously apply some common sense for movable slack) for best connection results. 300 metres should be more than enough for the average household, although if you are lucky enough to own an estate or mansion it might be worth considering two or more separate networks!

    Wireless vs. Cables is an on-going argument discussed on many forums. Some swear that wireless is just as good a connection as cabling if not better and vice versa. My opinion is that many factors can effect internet connections, some obvious and some unsolvable, that the answer is simply; which one will work best for YOU?

  • How Small Businesses Should Secure Their Networks

    How Small Businesses Should Secure Their Networks

    Computing systems are an integral part of any volume of business. Most of the day to day activities are dependent on computers. Hence, these systems should be protected from both offline and online attacks. Your business requires a comprehensive policy on security.

    You should know what kind of technologies should be deployed to boost productivity. You should not compromise on security while being lured by productivity. Let us find more about how small businesses can protect their systems and networks from various threats.

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