MIS402 Strategic Information Systems - MidTerm Project

I used a Twitter account that name is Esc Computers Co and its slogan is technology solutions. Esc Computers Co is an imaginary computer company and it sells computers, computer equipments and mobile phones products. All the discounted products are just for the Twitter users. 

Sourcing information from around the world

Sourcing information from around the world

InSourcing is delegating a job to someone within a company, as opposed to someone outside of the company (outsourcing). One reason for insourcing to occur is if a company had previously outsourced a certain task, but was no longer satisfied with the work being done on that task, so the company could therefore insource the task and assign it to someone within the company who they believe will do a better job.

Near-sourcing is a term used to describe a business strategically placing some of all of its operations close to where its end-products are sold. Typically, the term is contrasted with and used to highlight the reversal of the trend to outsource low-wage manufacturing operations to developing nations.

Backsourcing is a term that more precisely describes the process of bringing jobs previously outsourced back under the roof of the company to be performed internally.
Backsourcing has been increasingly discussed as companies decide to cease outsourcing operations, whether because of the issues outsourcing agreements encounter, because of pressure to bring jobs back to their home country, or simply because it has stopped being efficient to outsource a given task outside of a company.

Crowdsourcing is, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people, and especially from an online community, rather than from traditional employees or suppliers. Often used to subdivide tedious work or to fund-raise startup companies and charities, this process can occur both online and offline. It combines the efforts of crowds of self-identified volunteers or part-time workers, where each one on their own initiative adds a small portion that combines into a greater result. 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing

Outsourcing most commonly known as offshoring has pros and cons to it. Most of the time, the advantages of outsourcing overshadow the disadvantages of outsourcing. 

The Advantages of Outsourcing

• Swiftness and Expertise: Most of the times tasks are outsourced to vendors who specialize in their field. The outsourced vendors also have specific equipment and technical expertise, most of the times better than the ones at the outsourcing organization. Effectively the tasks can be completed faster and with better quality output
• Concentrating on core process rather than the supporting ones:Outsourcing the supporting processes gives the organization more time to strengthen their core business process.
• Risk-sharing: one of the most crucial factors determining the outcome of a campaign is risk-analysis. Outsourcing certain components of your business process helps the organization to shift certain responsibilities to the outsourced vendor. Since the outsourced vendor is a specialist, they plan your risk-mitigating factors better.
• Reduced Operational and Recruitment costs: Outsourcing eludes the need to hire individuals in-house; hence recruitment and operational costs can be minimized to a great extent. This is one of the prime advantages of offshore outsourcing.

The Disadvantages of Outsourcing

• Risk of exposing confidential data: When an organization outsources HR, Payroll and Recruitment services, it involves a risk if exposing confidential company information to a third-party.
• Synchronizing the deliverables: In case you do not choose a right partner for outsourcing, some of the common problem areas include stretched delivery time frames, sub-standard quality output and inappropriate categorization of responsibilities. At times it is easier to regulate these factors inside an organization rather than with an outsourced partner.
• Hidden costs: Although outsourcing most of the times is cost-effective at times the hidden costs involved in signing a contract while signing a contract across international boundaries may pose a serious threat.
• Lack of customer focus: An outsourced vendor may be catering to the expertise-needs of multiple organizations at a time. In such situations vendors may lack complete focus on your organization’s tasks.

What do your apps know about you?

What do your apps know about you?

This is the most widely used smartphone operating system-Google Play and download android market standard for applications for which I chose Android. Game-app advertising banners keywords now have access to the internal Internet addresses, or at least can be used for business activity in the navigation.
Indeed, most of the free apps development or support third-party advertising collect checks this information to understand the ones that have integrated advertising.

The impact of 3D printing on our lives

How will affect 3D printing our daily lives?

To give this question context, let’s assume that 3D printing as a technology keeps on evolving – both in capabilities and cost. 3D printers become local, and you have either one in your home, or you can find one around the corner. I am going way forward in the future here.

The first and foremost effect, I think, is that consumers can become creators again. They are able to manipulate the final product or create one from scratch. There are several routes to take here: one route is that the customer is involved in the product creation process through coöperation with designers or companies. This is called co-creation or mass-customization. Another route is that they become makers themselves, and start creating without the help of others. Software evolves too and becomes more intuitive, and help the user to make useful and meaningful products.
The effect of this change in behavior is that the perception of a product is going to fundamentally change. The product becomes to be an extension of your personality, and defines who you are in a much more profound way than today. A product becomes more valuable and more personal.
The rise of personal fabrication services is already showing that the long tail of products becomes longer – much longer. It enables to create and make niche products available which would never existed before.
In essence, it will change how we consume and perceive products.

Another effect of 3D printing is that the manufacturing industry will change. Large companies, like Apple, totally depend on design, mass-production, mass-distribution and branding to make and sell their products. Take out their added value on production and distribution, and you are left with design and branding. A lot of companies need to adapt, and will experience massive changes in how they operate and are organized. With any disruptive technology, there will be winners, losers and newcomers. For sure, the landscape of products will change, and industries will have to change. People will lose their jobs, and new jobs are created.

Designers can directly deal with customers, and do not need the support of large corporations to produce and distribute their goods. Retail faces yet another challenge, after internet e-commerce companies have taken over part of their role already. One of their key offerings today is instant satisfaction, and 3D printing will take that away as well. What is left is personal service, advice and consultancy.

Why is Facebook losing millions of users?

The world's largest social network, Facebook, increasingly diverse and increasing number of users continues to lose against competitors. The internet looking for new and different social media platforms and mobile users, Facebook is terminating their commitment. Facebook, to explain the preparation of the data for the first quarter of 2013, investors are waiting for the occurrence of the company's revenues increased by 36 percent.Brought the correct strategy followed by advertising revenue associated with mobile devices, in spite of these expectations, Facebook in many European countries, especially the United States and the United Kingdom are now not able to increase the number of users specified. SocialBakers'ın analysis firm, according to the number of users of Facebook in the United States decreased by 4 percent last month, and six million people had to leave the social network. While the rate of 4.5 per cent in the UK, 1.4 million users, Facebook accounts closed. In both countries, the number of members in the remaining 6 months 9 million was lost in the month.

Possible Factors:

College Graduates: Originally, Facebook was actually limited to college students.  You needed an active college email address to become a member. College age students also now make up a vast majority of the active users on Facebook. So why would they delete their accounts? Graduation! Each year, Facebook experiences a loss of users due to the fact that students who are graduating college are on the job hunt, and don't want potential employers seeing pictures of them doing keg stands on the internet.

Privacy and Bullying Concerns: There is a growing number of parents that are concerned with their children being on the internet and having pictures and tons of information about them out there for anyone to see. The trend has been parents refusing to let their children even be part of Facebook until they are of legal age. Bullying online has also become a growing concern for children and parents alike. Access to a child's interests and every move is perfect ammunition for bullies to hound and badger fellow classmates online.

Law of Diminishing Returns: Facebook has reached every nook and cranny of the world, especially the United States.  Over half of the U.S. population has a Facebook account currently, meaning the room for growth has started to hit it's sealing meaning Facebook has had to focus on expanding overseas to other markets.

Spam: We all have experienced this in some way or another on Facebook. We don't want to see our friends high scores on Farmville or Mafia Wars 30 times in an hour. Facebook has started to implement privacy and publishing restrictions customizable by individual users as to what is posted on their wall or Status Feed to help reduce this, but it's inevitable to continue.

Copyright in Technology

The case, which has centered over a panoply of patents relating to both hardware and software design, should settle one major argument once and for all: did Samsung rip off Apple's design when it started churning out touch devices of its own? Does Apple own the right to tech features that've become completely ubiquitous, like icon grids and black rectangles? The repercussions here are mammoth—this decision could literally and profoundly change the way our gadgets look for years and years to come.

Apple has contended that the entire mobile industry had nothing but messes of buttons and switches before Steve Jobs descended with the iPhone—after which point a unadorned glass face with rounded, bouncy icons became the de facto standard for pretty much every phone and tablet, for the rest of time. Samsung says they came up with this stuff on its own before the iPhone ever dropped. Apple, of course, claims the opposite.

Keep in mind that probably everything below will be appealed, so this is by no means over. As much as we wish it were.

Update: According to The Verge, reporting from the courtroom, an enormous swath of Samsung's devices have been found to illegally rip off Apple's software interface ideas (namely bounce-back scrolling and gestures):

Continuum, Droid Charge, Exhibit 4G, Galasy Ace, Prevail, S 4G, S II, Galaxy Tab, The Gem, Indulge, Infuse 4G, Mesmerie, Nexus S 4G, Replenish and Vibrant

Captivate, continuum, droid charge, fascinate, Galaxy Prevail, Galaxy S 4G, Galaxy S II, i9100, Galaxy s 2 Tmobile, Tab, Tab 10.1, Gem, Indulge, Infuse, Nexus S 4G

The list goes on. Virtually every Samsung device in question has been found to infringe on Apple patents. Very, very few exceptions. This is a landslide for Apple so far.

Update 2: Another giant blow to Samsung—the following devices have been found to infringe upon Apple's "front trade dress"—meaning the way it looks:

Fascinate, Galaxy S, S 4G, S 2 ATT, S2 i9100, S2 Tmobile, S 2 Epic 4G touch, Skyrocket, Showcase, Infuse 4G, Mesmerize, and Vibrant.

Update 3: The Galaxy Tab gets off clean for design! Major points for Samsung.

Update 4: Samsung willingly infringed upon multiple Apple patents, the jury says. That's very bad. Intentional intellectual property theft. Big loss for Sammy.

Update 5: Another trouncing for Samsung: the company didn't prove that a single one of Apple's contested patents is invalid. This will have big consequences when it comes time to hand out punishment.

Update 6: Samsung hit with over $1 BILLION in damages, paid to Apple. Hoo boy! That's enough to buy an Instagram, with cash left over. $1,051,855,000, to be exact.

Update 7: Jury says Apple violated zero Samsung patents, and owes Apple nothing so far. Welp. Remember that part in Starship Troopers, when all of the bugs kill all the humans? This is like that, and Samsung is the humans. The question now: where will Apple's legal team be dining tonight? A giant lake filled with molten gold?

Update 8: Samsung's statement, according to CNET:

"Today's verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices, less innovation, and potentially higher prices. It is unfortunate that patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved every day by Samsung and other companies. Consumers have the right to choices, and they know what they are buying when they purchase Samsung products. This is not the final word in this case or in battles being waged in courts and tribunals around the world, some of which have already rejected many of Apple's claims. Samsung will continue to innovate and offer choices for the consumer."

Update 9: Samsung scored a 0.24% discount on the bill they owe Apple because of a jury screw up. The bill is now... wait for it, wait for it: $1,049,343,540.

Update 10: Apple and Samsung get a schedule for post-trial filings, with a hearing set for September 20th.

Apple didn't win literally every single possible victory, but almost all of them. Here they are, in the blue jersey. The gentleman in white makes Android phones.

Should government agencies be allowed to censor Wikipedia?

As technology evolves, it is easier to access information on the Internet, both good and bad. Different countries have different views and ideas about the extent of how to censor the Internet. For example, Kuwait not censor search engines or blogs, but censorship pornography. On the other hand, access to certain keywords in search engines in China. Currently, most Internet users in the U.S. access anything on the Internet, but it is monitored by the government and private entities with programs that look for certain activities.

Due to the progress in technology, it is necessary for the authorities to sensor and the Internet. For state censorship to be effective, it must follow a specific department to censor and made enforcement of rules and regulations.

Governments should not hire private companies to regulate and enforce the rules because of their different agendas and values. In the future, we believe that some of the biggest problems that people will encounter on internet pornography, privacy, identity theft, file sharing and social networks, like Facebook, people are connecting. All these problems have the potential to ruin or destroy people "s reputation and harm others.
We believe that the governments of the most powerful and influential person censorship and enforcing guidelines for the Internet. Government censorship is always a controversial topic, but government regulation of certain areas is an ethical thing to do. It is ethically acceptable under utilitarian and consistency-based framework based on the government's Internet censorship. Of course it is a contradiction to believe, but they have a common guideline set and enforce.

The Future of Search

1. Augmented Reality (AR)

The term ‘augmented reality‘ or AR when used in the context of computer technology refers to what we perceive through our senses (usually sight) enhanced through the use of computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics and GPS data. Simply put, AR makes available more information for us users by combining computer data to what we see in real life. Using the camera on your phone, you can point it somewhere ‘live’ to get an information overlay of where you can find the nearest cafes or dining places, for example.

Smartphones being portable serve as a good platform for AR to work. You can just whip out your phone to get the latest and relevant info for what you are searching for – information which you would otherwise have to call and ask or search online before heading out of Wi-Fi coverage. Most AR apps available now utilize some form of Global Positioning System (GPS) to facilitate location searches and this feature is likely to develop further over the next couple of years because of its potential. So why isn’t it in all smartphones yet?

It seems that the primary limiting factor is the limited recognition accuracy for ‘live’ views when we point our camera lens at places, buildings or even people. For AR to work seamlessly and reliably, the technology for recognizing places, things or people must be of a certain standard.
One example on the use of AR via smartphone can be found here. Expect more of such apps to be made available in the market in the years to come.

2. Flexible Screens

It may soon be the case where smartphones are able provide a large screen to watch and play your favorite movies and games while maintaining a pocketable size. Screens can be folded and unfolded, all thanks to Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) technology. This paper-thin screen can even project future-features-smart-phones/ from both sides of the screen, so you can show pictures or videos to your friend on one side while using the other as a control. Check out this concept smartphone by Ikev.

With such physical flexibility for smartphones, some companies even have plans on make wearable smartphones for the masses. For instance, Nokia is currently conducting research on their concept device, which offers users the option of wearing it as a wrist watch or unfold it to use as a typical handset as and when required. It all depends on the task the users are engaging with.

3. In-Built Projector

If flexible screens are not enough to compensate for the small screens on smartphones why not integrate a projector within? Samsung Galaxy Beam was released back in the second half of 2010. It features a built-in DLP (Digital Light Projection) WVGA projector that is able to project future-features-smart-phones/ at up to 50 inches in size at 15 lumens. What good will this do? Well, for one thing, future smartphones can actually be turned into an interactive gaming consoles without a need for a TV screen; all you’ll need is a flat surface. Instead of a physical controller, you can use your body or your voice. Similar to Kinect, a smart camera and a voice control function can capture your movements and voice commands to let you interact with objects and future-features-smart-phones/ on the projected screen.

Of course, you can imagine the drainage rate on your smartphone’s battery life and there’s also the other issue with luminance i.e. the amount of light it outputs. In-built projectors for smartphones must be small, and as the paradox sits: the smaller the projector is, the lesser light it will be able to give out. With better technology though, issues such as these will be addressed in time, making projectors a part of a new experience you can now engage with your smartphone.

4. Seamless Voice Control

Voice control has been receiving much attention since Siri made headlines. Voice control has existed in many earlier mobile phones even though the voice recognition function was crude at best. Research has been made to advance the development of voice control, but it has proved to be a paramount task.

Siri might have signaled a breakthrough to the way voice control and recognition programming ought to be made. Instead of recognizing commands via sound waves like most voice-recognition systems, Siri interprets diction and syntax in a similar fashion to how we recognize speech. SuchNatural Language User Interfaces prove to be more effective and accurate.

The interest with voice control for computers and especially smartphones has always been there since the pioneer MIT research, "Put That There" studied different ways to communicate with computers in 1980. With the newly improved voice recognition app, Siri, as well as the greater capabilities of smartphones in the years to come, seamless voice control seems to be a viable goal. That, combined with gestures may bring interactivity to a new level for smartphones and their users.

5. 3D Screens & Holograms

Smartphones may have already reached the peak for their screen resolution with Apple’s ‘Retina Display‘, which actually provides a resolution that is sharper than what the human eye can perceive. Yet, even then, we still want more. Mobile companies are now moving from 2D future-features-smart-phones/ to 3D future-features-smart-phones/ for the smartphone screen. At present, we have a couple of 3D smartphones in the market, such as the LG Optimus 3D, the Motorola MT810 as well as the very first Samsung AMOLED 3D. So what happens after 3D?

Well, the next path could possibly be holographic projections. In essence, holographic projections will mean a combination of 3D future-features-smart-phones/ and projections from the smartphone. According to Mobiledia Network, MasterImage 3D had previously showcased their ongoing development on a projection system that allows smartphones to display 3D holograms at the annual Mobile World Congress last February. If you want to talk about the potential of holographic projections in smartphones, it’s great. 3D displays can be integrated with elements of movements when it comes to user interactions with the phone. For example, you can resize your photos by using your hands to ‘pull’ or ‘compress’ the holographic photos that appear in front of you, move objects by ‘grabbing’ them from one place to another, etc. If you’rea fan of Tom Cruise’s ‘Minority Report’, this would be your dream come true.

MIS404 Ass #3 Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a type of computing that relies on sharing computing resources rather than having local servers or personal devices to handleapplications.

In cloud computing, the word cloud (also phrased as "the cloud") is used as a metaphor for "the Internet," so the phrase cloud computing means "a type of Internet-based computing," where different services -- such as servers, storage and applications -- are delivered to an organization's computers and devices through the Internet.

Cloud computing is comparable to grid computing, a type of computing where unused processing cycles of all computers in a network are harnesses to solve problems too intensive for any stand-alone machine.

                     

How Cloud Computing Works

The goal of cloud computing is to apply traditional supercomputing, or high-performance computing power, normally used by military and research facilities, to perform tens of trillions of computations per second, in consumer-oriented applications such as financial portfolios, to deliver personalized information, to provide data storage or to power large, immersive computer games.

To do this, cloud computing uses networks of large groups of servers typically running low-cost consumer PC technology with specialized connections to spread data-processing chores across them. This shared IT infrastructure contains large pools of systems that are linked together. Often, virtualization techniques are used to maximize the power of cloud computing.

From Strategy To Architecture To Infrastructure

Example: 

•TennisUp, a supplier of tennis raquets,  serves to illustrate the process of creating IT architecture and infrastructure.

•CEO Love Addin, is concerned because they can hardly keep up with demand.  

•The process includes four steps:

–Step 1: Define the Strategic Goals

–Step 2: Translate Strategic Goals to Business Requirements

–Step 3: Apply Strategy-Architecture-Infrastructure Framework

–Step 4: Translate Architecture to Infrastructure (see Fig 6.6 & 6.7).

–Step 5: Evaluate Additional Issues

–Step 1: Define the Strategic Goals

•The company’s strategic goals are as follows:

–To lower costs by outsourcing raquet manufacturing

–To lower costs by outsourcing raquet distribution

–To improve market responsiveness by  outsourcing raquet manufacturing

–To improve market responsiveness by outsourcing raquet distribution

–Step 2: Translate Strategic Goals to Business Requirements

•Consider the first goal: outsourcing raquet manufacturing. How can the company’s architecture

support this goal?

•It must provide the following interfaces to its new manufacturing partners:

–Sales to manufacturing partners: send forecasts, confirm orders received

–Manufacturing partners to sales: send capacity, confirm orders shipped

–Manufacturing partners to accounting: confirm orders shipped, electronic invoices,

various inventory levels, returns

–Accounting to manufacturing partners: transfer funds for orders fulfilled.

–Step 3: Apply Strategy-Architecture-Infrastructure Framework

•An architecture needs to be established.

•How to obtain, store, and use data to support those business requirements.

•Database designed to provide sales data to support sales applications.

•Database designed to support manufacturing applications – confirm orders shipped, manage

inventory, etc.

-Step 4: Translate Architecture to Infrastructure

•With architectural goals in hand, apply framework.

•Figure 6.6 lists questions raised when applying framework to TennisUp’s architecture goals.

•Figure 6.7 lists possible infrastructure components.


-Step 5: Evaluate Additional Issues

•Weigh the managerial considerations outlined.

•Weigh them against the same architectural goals outlined in step 2.

Ass #2 Global Collaboration MIS420 Strg Info Sys

Global Collaboration - MIS402 Assignment # 2

Current technological tools that could be used to facilitate global collaboration

•E-mail - a way of transmitting messages over communication networks.
–First uses of the Internet.
–Composted primarily of text but can include other mediums (video, audio, etc.).–Mailing list server.

•Intranet - Looks and acts like the Internet–Comprised of information used exclusively within a company–Unavailable to the Internet community as a whole. 

•Instant Messaging (IM) – an IP-based instant communication application.

–Provides convenient communication between people using computers, cell phones, etc.

–Can be used to check on telecommuting employees by managers.

•Voice over IP (VoIP) - Method enabling telecommunications (phone calls) to be transmitted

over an IP based network.

–Skype is a type of VoIP system that permits users to make free phone calls over the Internet.

–Very useful for communicating with remote workers.

•Video Teleconferencing - set of interactive  telecommunication technologies allowing two or

more locations to interact via two-way video and audio transmissions simultaneously.

• Unified communications (UC) - an "evolving communications technology architecture which

automates and unifies all forms of human and device communications in context, and with a

common experience.

•RSS - refers to a structured file format for porting data from one platform or information system

to another.

Commonly used to keep up to date data at hand.

•VPN (Virtual Private Network) - private data network that leverages the public

telecommunication infrastructure.

–It maintains privacy through the use of a tunneling protocol and security procedures.

–Very useful for telecommuters.

•File Transfer - consists simply of transferring a copy of a file from one computer to another on

the Internet.

–File transfer protocol (FTP), the most common type. Permits transfer of files, of almost any

size, to be sent across a company or the globe.

•Thomas Friedman argues that collaboration is the way that small companies can “act big” and

flourish in today’s flat world.

•Social networking - a web-based service that allows its members to create a public profile

with their interests and expertise, post text and pictures and all manner of data, list other users

with whom they share a connection, and view and communicate openly or privately with their list

of connections and those made by others within the system (MySpace, Face Book, etc.).

•Virtual worlds  - computer-based simulated environments intended for its users to inhabit

and interact via avatars (like Second Life).

•Web logs (Blogs) - 0nline journals that link together into a very large network of information

sharing.

–Companies use for a variety of communication purposes.

•Wikis - software that allows users to work collaboratively to create, edit and link webpages

easily. 

•Groupware - software that enables group members to work together on a project, from

anywhere, by allowing them to simultaneously access the same files.

The Largest Cyber Attack

What has been the main consequence of this attack?

Background:

Following the blacklisting, the attacks began as waves of large but typical DDoS assaults. Spamhaus has alleged that Cyberbunker is behind the attack. Cyberbunker has not directly taken responsibility for the attacks; however Sven Olaf Kamphuis, spokesman for Cyberbunker, said that Spamhaus was abusing its position, and should not be allowed to decide “what goes and does not go on the internet”.

 

Who are thought to be the perpetrators?

Perpetrators are cyberbunker that is providing hosting for spammers and contacted their upstream provider,

How was such an attack made possible?

The attackers used Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), which floods the target with large amounts of traffic, rendering it unreachable. imagine a door with thousands of people standing on outside of it, Everyone is trying to enter, and no one can get out. This is the equivalent of a DDoS attack.

In most common DDoS attacks, hackers use thousands of “zombie” computers to send traffic to a particular site, with the intention of overloading it. These computers have often been infected with malware (most often received through spam email), which gives a hacker control of the machine, unbeknownst to its owner. Hackers can amass large networks of these infected computers, called “botnets”, and use them to conduct attacks.

Once the attacks began, Spamhaus immediately hired a security firm, CloudFlare, which enacted systems to prevent the DDoS from making a large impact. The attackers then changed tactics and targeted network providers of CloudFlare. To do this, they exploited a fault in the Domain Name System (DNS). The DNS converts a web address into a numeric IP address. A DNS resolver finds the connection from the IP address to the server, which then delivers content to a user’s computer. If a network is set up incorrectly, an open resolver can become an easily exploited vulnerability.

In this case, the hackers identified 25 million vulnerable DNS servers worldwide which could be used for attack, and instructed those vulnerable servers to forward an initial attack. Thus the attack, which was initiated at a single location, was amplified millions of times by exploited DNS servers around the world.

What can governments do to prevent such attacks in the future?

Preventing cyber attacks is a normal part of the world we live in. Gone are the days when only bulletin board users had to be careful with their computers; now we are all vulnerable to one extent or another. By now you've heard all of the general recommendations for dealing with security risks, including using anti-virus software, implementing a firewall, and being careful with email and attachments. These are all good suggestions which can and should be followed. But there are some other steps you can take which are not often heard about, yet they are equally effective in helping to mitigate the risk of attacks.

Utilize Security Features of Wireless Routers

Drive down the average residential street with a laptop computer and scan for available networks. You'll be amazed by how many wireless home networks are open and unsecured. This presents a dangerous potential for attackers to access the home network and seize control of individual computers. Even for less nefarious hackers, at the very least an unsecured network allows them to steal your internet service. You can protect against this in two ways. First and foremost, use whatever security encryption is available on your wireless router to block unauthorized access. Most modern routers offer both WEP and WPA security protocols which are adequate for home use. While they both have weaknesses which allow them to be cracked, hackers have so many other choices they usually won't spend the time to do so. Second, configure your router so that it doesn't broadcast the ESSID. The ESSID is the name of the network which the router broadcasts over the airwaves. Once all of the computers on your home network are setup to access it, the ESSID no longer needs to be publicly broadcast. Turn it off. If a hacker doesn't know it's there, he can't go after it so easily.

Change passwords and usernames frequently

Malware authors whose intent is to steal personal information for criminal purposes often count on the lax attitude of victims to maximize their potential gain. For instance, one might write a trojan horse to record keystrokes and report them back to the author. In analyzing the data, the author may discover a user name and password for a site his victim visited. He'll test that user name and password in other places depending on the keystroke data, and may gain access to other websites, accounts, or even administrative privileges on the compromised computer. It is a good idea to change your user names and passwords every 30-60 days. It might be a hassle but it can help prevent disaster. You should also stay away from the temptation to use the same user name and password for every account you own. Most people do and they're asking to be hacked.

Switch to a new OS

For most people, switching to a new operating system is the most radical of all steps, but it's well worth it. The well known OS out of Redmond, WA may be the most popular around the world, but it's also notoriously bad in terms of security. As proof one only need look at all the security software on the market to see which OS it's written for. Although Unix-based systems like Mac, Linux, and BSD are not completely free form cyber attack, the risk to these systems is a fraction of what it is for Redmond-based systems. This is partly due to their low market share, but also due to their much more robust security implementation. Once you get past the learning curve of a new OS, you'll be happy you made the switch, at least from the standpoint of security.