Cryptography is both the practice and the study of hiding information. This is an extremely important concept in network security.
There is an interesting set of video by Art of the Problem on this topic on YouTube
Part 1
Free WebinarFree webinar available about the Internet of Everything. To enrol you need to go to http://www.cisco.com/web/AP/partners/emails/IoE_Campaign_10.html
“The Internet of Everything (IoE) brings together people, process, data, and things to make networked connections more relevant and valuable than ever before – turning information into actions that create new capabilities, richer experiences, and unprecedented economic opportunity for businesses, individuals, and countries.”
Source: Cisco.com
Existing students at the Cisco Academy “Manukau Institute of Technology” located in Auckland get free access to the full course.
A list of the available networking courses can be found on
http://www.technologysecurity.org/cisco-networking-auckland/
Comments Off on The Internet of Everything
Posted in Cisco, Cisco Academy, Course
Tagged Cisco Academy
Passwords Stolen
Image courtesy of chanpipat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
500 millions email addresses have been compromised, representing 1.2 billions usernames and passwords stolen by a Russian gang. The breach was discovered by Hold Security .The company did not reveal who exactly is affected, as it usually is the custom in the industry. Big players are involved, and you need to pay Hold security in order for them to recoup the costs, if you want to know if your company is affected.
One way to stay protected, is to use a password manager to create complex passwords. This allows to use different password for different sites and services. If one set of credential gets compromised, this does not affect the other services. This is however not of much value if your PC has been compromised, or if the email servers themselves have been compromised.
It looks like so far, the hacked email addresses are only being used for sending spam.
Sources
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Posted in Hacking
Tagged authentication, details compromised, password, password management
A nice and interactive visualisation of the connections to the New Zealand Internet Exchanges (a view of NZIX BGP participation). You can click on the graphic to get to the interactive part, and there is also a search function available.
View of the New Zealand Internet exchange.
You’re communicating, socializing, researching, playing, creating, exploring. Chances are, you’re doing it on some kind of network.
But if you think digital networks are pervasive now, just wait. By 2015, there will be 15 billion global network connections — twice as many as there are people on Earth.
Learning about networks will give you lots of options. Because your future will be running on them.
With the right network skills, you can embark on an exciting and well-paying career in network engineering. Or you can bring those vital skills to an internship or job in some other industry. You may even catch the entrepreneurial spirit and start your own network-based company.
Get a VIP pass to your future by enrolling in Cisco Networking Academy classes offered at Manukau Institute of Technology.
Networking skills are in high demand. The mass of digital information grew 5000% in the last decade, but the number of IT professionals is expected to increase by only 1.5% over the next 10 years. That means opportunities will proliferate. Consider just a few possibilities:
• Network-driven smart grids are greening the power industry—good news for the planet.
• Advanced video-conferencing systems reduce business travel.
• Specialized networks are revolutionizing video and graphics.
• Global companies run their entire operations on networks, from designing and manufacturing to sales and support.
• Non-profit organizations work to solve social problems worldwide, using innovative networks to enable positive change.
• Cloud computing empowers software as a service, data center visualization, and more.
• Schools and universities rely on networks. So do local governments, small businesses and home offices.
Courses can lead to a Cisco certification—an impressive and desired addition to your resumé. Open the door to an exhilarating and opportunity-rich future.
• Learn by doing. Our courses feature simulations, hands-on labs, and gaming— you may get inspired, and you won’t get bored.
• Extend your reach. These classes will add to your personal skill set. Our diverse graduate population proves that you don’t have to be a techie to succeed.
• Join a community. Connect online with Cisco students in 165 countries around the world.
• Make a difference. Here’s your chance to build expertise that has a real impact. Knowledge is power. Especially useful, marketable knowledge.
• Equalize ♀pportunity. Women are assuming an ever-growing role in the technology sphere. Networking Academy aims to reinforce that trend by preparing women for positions in IT and other careers where networking skills are highly rewarded.
It’s your future.
You can ring on 09 968 8765 Ext 8263, or use http://www.technologysecurity.org/contact/ to plan your best path into computer networking offered at MIT, whether it be CCNA, CCNP or specialization options such as CCNA Security or IT Essentials taking you towards A+.
You can also use the same contact page, should you wish to have a look around and meet one of the instructors.
Study Computer Networking in Auckland at the Manukau Institute of Technology
The CCNA Security certification is a CCNA level certification. The pre-requirement to take the certification is to hold a valid CCENT, CCNA Routing and Switching, or any CCIE certification.
The code for the certification examination is 640-554 IINS (Implement Cisco IOS Network Security). The exam lasts 90 minutes, and includes 55 to 65 questions.
The Cisco Academy in Manukau Engineering (Auckland) is running the Cisco Academy CCNAs course, starting this year on 21st July 2014. The course ends on 31st October, spread over 12 weeks.
In Week one, we discover the fundamental principles of a secure network, malware, and attack methodologies.
In week 2, we start securing network devices.
In subsequent weeks, we discover AAA, implement firewall technologies, intrusion prevention. We then learn to secure the LAN.
Before discovering how to implement VPN (Virtual Private Networks), we spend a week learning about Cryptography.
The last two topics are managing a secure network, and implementing the Cisco ASA (Adaptive Security Appliance). This is an advanced stateful firewall also providing VPN functionality (VPN concentrator) as well as intrusion prevention (IPS).
You can ring on 09 968 8765 ext 8263 or use http://www.technologysecurity.org/contact/
You can also use the same contact page, should you wish to have a look around and meet the instructor.
The “official” name for the course is Advanced Network Engineering 1.
The CCNA Security course can be completed as a stand alone (Certificate of Proficiency), or as part of the Bachelor of Engineering Technology (Electrical), Networking major.
One of the devices used in the course.
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Posted in Certifications
Tagged CCNA, CCNAs, Certification, Cisco Academy, IDS, VPN
Interesting interactive map displaying in real-time the Denial of Service attacks taking place worldwide. The map also allows access to historical records. DoS is only one type of attack, and include multiple flavours. Source: http://www.digitalattackmap.com/
There has recently be an increase in the now classic scam by which so-called technicians are targeting New Zealanders with phone calls informing them that their computer had been infected. The scale of the problem has become such that Microsoft New Zealand and NetSafe have issued an alert this week (Fraud Awareness Week).
– The caller, often from overseas, states they are from Microsoft
– indicates that
– Con the computer owner to give the caller remote access using a genuine networking service.
– Use the ‘Event Viewer’ tool on the computer to highlight error messages which are supposedly signs of an infection.
– Offer to clean up the infection and/or install security software and provide an ongoing support service costing anywhere up to $500.
That software, looking like a security software could also be collecting your credentials for identity theft and financial fraud. The credit card number supplied can be used to purchase goods using your account. The remote technician could install ransomware on your device, which means that he or she could encrypt your data, and demand a payment to give you access back to them.
Several possibilities:
This article has been inspired by this post on Geekzone.
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Posted in Attacks
Tagged details compromised, identity theft, ransomware, scam
Interesting to see these statistics about the internet in real-time. It put its use into perspective.
Click the animation to open the full version (via PennyStocks.la).
The National CyberCrime Unit at NCA has recently launched a major operation against Cybercriminals in the UK. The operation lasted one week, and seventeen people were arrested. These people are suspected of using software designed to steal data from other people’s computer. This is part of a worldwide operation that has taken place worldwide against the set of malware tools named Blackshades.
The most used tool in the suite is called Remote Access Tool, and allows the crooks to take a computer over remotely. Other capabilities of Blackshades include being able to control the video camera, microphone, and to record the keys being pressed on the keyboard, allowing for example to record an internet banking session, password included. It is estimated that more than 200,00 password have been stolen via Blackshades worldwide.
Users get their PCs infected by following a link that can be located for example in a spam email, a twitter post or a Facebook post. The installation is invisible to the user.
Do not follow links in an email if you do not know the sender. Do not trust your Facebook friends when then publish a link: either their account might have been hacked, or if they might have shared with you a link that has already infected their machine.
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Posted in Security
Tagged Cybercrime, details compromised, identity theft, security