Security precautions for wireless networking

The best way to protect our computer when you have Wi-Fi is to make sure that you have an up-to-date antivirus program installed on your computer. Most anti-virus software will automatically scan your computer to check for any possible threats or viruses. By enabling a WEP or WPA (encryptions on your computer) you can help pr

event any intruders from accessing your computer and installing a virus or worm on it. This is very important for wireless internet users as any half-way decent hacker can use your Wi-Fi connection to get into your computer.

When you look for a router for your wireless internet, make sure to get one that has a firewall installed on it. This will greatly reduce the chances that someone will be able to hack into your computer. If you find that your router does not have a firewall installed on it, there are firewall software programs that you can add to your existing router.

Disable the SSID link on your wireless internet. The SSID link is a network that the Wi-Fi uses that regularly broadcast over the air. If you disable the SSID, that means that others can not access your network. This mean

s they won’t have access to your computer either.

Information Source: http://www.itlist.com/security-precautions-for-wireless-internet-users/

Choosing a Strong Password

Passwords can be a key to many things, for example your emails, your Facebook profile, or your bank account. Did you know that some people still use passwords like “password” or “123456″? Needless to say, it’s dangerous to use one and the same simple password for all of your online accounts. Imagine a hacker cracked that one password? To be safe, you should create unique and difficult to crack passwords.

So do you know how to create a good password? And how can you remember more than one of them? Here are some tips and tricks to maintain individual strong passwords for all of your online accounts.

Know The Characteristics Of A Safe Password

• it cannot be found in a dictionary.
• it contains special characters and numbers.
• it contains a mix of upper and lower case letters.
• it has a minimum length of 10 characters.
• it cannot be guessed easily based on user information (birthdate, postal code, phone number etc.)

Information Source: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/create-strong-password-forget/

Internet filters and parental control software

An "Internet Filter" is a hardware or software solution that prevents access to certai

n undesirable areas of the internet. They filter by various methods - some by comparing site requests with a list of previously known bad URLs and preventing viewing if they are listed, others by scanning incoming data and blocking it if it contains undesirable keywords, file types or other parameters. Sometimes the parent can control or create the list of keywords or sites filtered, sometimes not. Parental control software is a type of internet filter used by parents to maintain supervision while their children surf the web.

There are a number of internet filter software products which prevent inappropriate sites being visited or content being downloaded from the internet. Search for 'internet filter' on Google. Some maintain a log of the sites visited that have raised a red flag, so attempts to visit sites can be reviewed later. A n

umber of products exist which provide an alternative browser specifically geared toward children. They feature access restriction to only pre-approved websites and allow parental modification of the acceptable site list. Some include a safe email system so your kids can safely email their friends, and again the list of acceptable contac

ts can be controlled by the parent.

Information Source: http://www.internet-filters.net/info.html; http://www.parental-control.org/faq.html

RFID

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is a generic term that is used to describe a system that transmits the identity (in the form of a unique serial number) of an object or person wirelessly, using radio waves. It's grouped under the broad category of automatic identification technologies.

RFID is in use all around us. If you have ever chipped your pet with an ID tag, used EZPass through a toll booth, or paid for gas using SpeedPass, you've used RFID. In addition, RFID is increasingly used with biometric technologies for security.
Unlike ubiquitous UPC bar-code technology, RFID technology does not require contact or line of sight for communication. RFID data can be read through the human body, clothing and non-metallic materials.

Information Source: http://www.aimglobal.org/technologies/RFID/what_is_rfid.asp

Digital Image Stenography

Paranoia allows a user to securely transfer a text message by hiding it in a digital image file. 128 bit AES encryption is used to protect the content of the text message even if its presence were to be detected. Currently, no methods are known for breaking this kind of encryption within a reasonable period of time (i.e., a couple of years). Additionally, compression is used to maximize the space available in an image.

To send a message, a source text, an image in which the text should be embedded, and a key are needed. The key is used to aid in encryption and to decide where the information should be hidden in the image. Either another image or a short text can be used as a key. To receive a message, a source image containing the information and the corresponding key are both required. The result will appear in the text tab after decoding.

Information Source: https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~eberdahl/Projects/Paranoia/index.html