A LITTLE ABOUT ETHICAL HACKING

- by Anjum Dhir Kulkarni

Like people all over the world, we are increasingly dependent on the internet for fast and effective interactions on personal and professional fronts. Despite its convenience, the web poses many security risks including attacks by malicious hackers. Most vendors on the internet employ ethical hacking as a means to safeguard against such attacks. Here is a brief overview of how it works:

Who is an ethical hacker: He is a computer and network wizard who attacks a security system on behalf of its owners, identifying areas susceptible to attacks by hackers. He uses the same methods as the unethical hacker but instead of taking advantage of loopholes, he reports them. Once identified, the problems are fixed and the system is made secure.

How to become one: Ideally, an ethical hacker obtains a certification from the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council). Certifications like CISA (Certified Information System Auditor), CISM (Certified Information Security Management), CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professionals), CCSP (Cisco Certified Security Professional) and MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer) also help to start a career in cyber security.

Skills required: One has to have an interest in computers and the internet. Strong programming and networking skills are essential, as is a good knowledge of several operating systems, computer hardware and software. Software engineers do have a preference but the basic requirement to be a cyber crime professional is a graduation in any discipline.

Maintaining confidentiality: Before being hired, candidates are screened through background checks for security clearances, especially for jobs in Government agencies. While working, the professional comes across confidential information which he is legally bound to safeguard.

Expected remuneration: Companies like Wipro, Infosys, IBM, Airtel and Reliance are always looking for ethical hackers at home and abroad. The starting salary for professionals in India ranges from Rs. 3 lacs - Rs 4.2 lacs p.a. Those with 5 years experience can get up to 8-10 lacs. With career progression, the salaries can sky rocket.

Along with intelligence, the job of an ethical hacker also requires a lot of patience and persistence, since it is very time consuming. No matter how good a security system is, criminals are always trying to crack it. Ethical hackers can tackle them by thinking like them, adopting their methods and then outsmarting them!
 

COPYRIGHT LAWS FOR BLOGGERS

- by Anjum Dhir Kulkarni

From opinions and ideas to stories and photographs, you can publish anything online, anytime. You can upload material on your own blogs, web pages and social network sites or leave comments on other people's web pages. But there still are some rules to the game. Remember these basic copyright laws to insure that you are protected against plagiarism and libel:

1. Quote someone's work carefully
The Copyright Act defines that short quotations of another person's work for the purpose of criticism, commentary or news reporting are considered “fair use”. Along with the quote you can credit the author as well as provide a link to their website or blog. Never copy and paste an entire article of someone else's - this is plagiarism.

2. Use materials not subject to Copyright
There are many classes of materials that can not be protected under the Copyright Law. These include names, familiar symbols, listing of ingredients or contents, short phrases, titles, slogans and procedures. Some of these might be protected by trademark, though. You are free to use any work that is in public domain as well.

3. Work with facts and ideas
Copyright Law protects the expression of facts and ideas, not the facts themselves. You are free to use facts and ideas reported by others. You can even use a company's name or logo to criticize or analyze it as long as you are not deceiving people into believing that you are speaking on behalf of the company.

4. All published work is right protected
Do not copy material just because it does not show a copyright message. The Copyright Law states that every published work, be it on paper or digital media, automatically gets copyright protection. Also, do not assume that if you credit the author there is no copyright infringement.

5. Images are covered by law
Photographs and videos are governed by the same law that governs the publishing of words. Even if it is not for commercial use, do not copy images and words. You can only use copyrighted material if you have explicit permission from the author to do so.

When you comment on a blog for the purpose of public display, you are probably giving an implied license at least for that display and the incidental copying that goes along with it. This does not, however, permit one to defame another, or entirely copy someone else's work. The bottom-line is: be cautious and blog away!
 

TWITTER-ING IT RIGHT!

- by Anjum Dhir Kulkarni

Twitter is the latest craze! It is a very easy-to-use social networking website that has become the rage these days. Once you sign up with Twitter, you answer one simple question: What are you doing right now? Your answer is an update of your life and is read and "followed" by your contacts, signed up with twitter as well. "Following" is mutual and the cornerstone of keeping people in touch with each other. Here is how you can twitter for maximum fun and benefit...

1. Create a Twitter Account: Visit www.twitter.com  and sign up. The best part: It's free! It is a good idea to put up your picture to help people identify you. You can even use twitter from your phone, standard SMS rates apply. It is best to cross check the same with your mobile network provider.

2. Develop your Twitter Personality: Twitter-ing comprises of short and interesting updates of your life. No update can be longer than 140 characters. In order to catch and retain people's attention, it is vital to make your update crisp and appealing. Depending on your target audience, you can tailor your statements.

3. Get Your Family and Friends to Sign Up: You can add contacts to your twitter account from your address books on mail servers like yahoo, hotmail etc., if they are already on twitter. In case they are not, you can invite them to join. You can even search people on twitter who interest you and follow their updates!

4. Connect and Network: It pays to be interesting to your "followers", but it pays more to be interested in your followers; so communicate and network to your hearts content. Even certain institutions, organizations and publications are present on twitter. You can follow them and stay in touch with whatever it is that interests you.

5. Re-Tweet: Even the most attentive follower will not read all your posts. Repost updates you feel are particularly interesting or valuable, spacing them broadly across time. When others do the same, it will become much easier for everyone to stay in touch and twittering will not even eat up too much time.

You can use twitter to connect to people and increase your presence online, be it for business or pleasure. In fact, you can make twitter the centre of your online universe. All profiles across the social media universe can list and link to your twitter page as your primary page. Eventually, it can help you grow your client base, spread the word about your business, advertise, make new friends and more, if you use it right. So go ahead, and explore the endless possibilities!
 

TAKE PRECAUTIONS WHILE USING SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES

- by Anjum Dhir Kulkarni

Social networking websites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Orkut allow users to create their own web pages to put up information about themselves and interact with other like minded individuals. The network grows as people connect to each other and promote themselves and their services. Although useful, these sites are not risk-free. Hackers, spammers, virus writers and identity thieves follow the traffic. Precautions must be taken while using these sites:

1. Add only the people you know
Since it is extremely difficult to verify a user’s identity on the net, it is best to connect with people known to you. You can grow your circle gradually by connecting to friends’ friends, colleagues etc. Do not add unknown people to your contacts, they could be stalkers.

2. Security weaknesses of add on features
Most of the advanced applications that you can add to your online profile are developed by a third party. Not all of them have air-tight security and can damage your computer through trojans, worms and viruses. Adding lesser know applications may be a risk.

3. Danger of identity theft
Phishers and identity thieves might create fake profiles in order to get information from you. Only upload necessary and relevant information and do not make available sensitive data like intimate photographs, bank account numbers and credit card details.

4. Be vary of external links
Hackers can break into accounts and send messages that look like they are from your friends, but aren't. Use caution while clicking links that you receive in messages. They could hold a virus in them or they could lead you to a phishing site.

5. Connect to the site with caution
Type the address of your networking site directly into your browser or use your personal bookmarks. Clicking a link to your site through an e-mail or another website may lead you to enter your account name and password into a fake site set up to steal your personal information.

Unscrupulous individuals use such sites to steal identities, stalk, spread viruses, form hate communities and hatch crime plans. You need to minimise your exposure to risks by taking reasonable precautions. Remember to practice safe social networking and you can fearlessly tap into the huge possibilities of a networked world.
 

A TO Z OF INTERNET RADIO

- by Anjum Dhir Kulkarni

Internet radio is also known as web radio, net radio, streaming radio and e-radio. It is an audio broadcasting service transmitted via the internet, accessible from anywhere in the world. It caters to varied interests, offering various genres of music. Finding and listening to your favourite music on internet radio can be easily managed in a few steps:

1. Set up your computer
To get connected to internet radio you require a computer with speakers and a sound card and a broadband internet connection. Downloading and installing Windows Media Player and Real Player on your computer will enable you to listen to music streamed in either of the two formats.

2. Locate internet radio websites
Websites offering internet radio are listed on search engines like Google and Yahoo. The best way to search for the sites that offer the music you like is to type in key words including the genre of the music, artists' and their albums' names in the search engine.

3. Search for music
Some popular net radio sites include live365.com and radiotower.com. Once on these sites, you can browse for the desired music, whether it is Indian, Western, popular film music or even regional music. After having found what you are looking for, hit the "Click here to listen" or "Listen Live" link.

4. Play music
On clicking the "listen" or "play" link, the system will automatically play the music on the default player. 2-3 minutes are needed for the music to buffer into your system before it starts playing. If the music does not start automatically, manually select one of the players to play the music.

5. Broadcast
Most web radio sites allow people to broadcast their own music to a world wide audience from their own computers. This way anyone can be a DJ. You might need to sign up and even pay a small fee to the site for this facility.

The possibilities of finding and listening to or even broadcasting the music of one's choice on e-radio are limitless. In fact, web radio sites have blurred the boundaries between cultures and countries, making it extremely easy to cultivate your interest in different genres of music. So what are you waiting for? Rock on!
 

SECURE YOUR WIFI NETWORK

Wireless internet connectivity carries a number of threats that often offset its ease. Hackers can break into your systems to steal and use your personal information while remaining invisible. They could even use your IP address to send out terror emails and coordinate terrorist activities. Here are some tips to help secure your WiFi network:

1. Change the default user name and password:
Change the default password used to modify configuration settings for your WiFi System. Make it difficult to guess by combining letters and numbers. Similarly, set up a password for your wireless internet connection.

2. Do not broadcast your SSID:
Your router comes with a default system ID called the SSID (Service Set Identifier), the name of your WiFi setup. Change this to something personal to differentiate you from other unprotected networks. WLAN routers broadcast the SSID, making it visible to wireless systems within range. Turn off the broadcast, making it invisible to others.

3. Enable encryption of data:
To avoid theft of data, protect your WLAN with WPA2 (WiFi Protected Access) encryption, a cloaking mechanism. Use an encryption key difficult to guess and change it often. With an older system you could use WPA or WEP (Wired Equivalency Privacy), the latter being the least strong.

4. Use MAC filtering for access control:
Every WiFi gadget is assigned an identity code, the “MAC address.” Feed the MAC addresses of your home equipment into your router. The network will then allow connections only from these devices by comparing the MAC address of the devices trying to connect to the WiFi with the list held by it.

5. Reduce your WLAN transmitter power:
Lower the power of your WLAN transmitter to reduce the signal range. Position the router in the center of the home. Also keep remote administration of the router via the internet turned off. Shut off your wireless signal when not in use. All these measures minimise opportunities for outsiders to access your WLAN.

For added security, enable your router’s and computer’s firewalls, limit intra-network file sharing, change the default IP address of your router, assign a static IP address to each of your PCs, update your computer’s anti-virus software and anti-mal ware etc. While no single layer of precaution is enough to withstand every attack, adding layers to your security will help ensure that spy ware and mal ware are kept out.