1876
Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone, for which he receives two patents. With two financial backers founds the company that becomes AT&T.
1892
AT&T reaches its initial goal, opening a long distance line connecting New York and Chicago. The circuit could handle only one call at a time. The price was $9 for the first five minutes.
1894
Alexander Graham Bell's second telephone patent expires, opening the telephone industry to competition. Within a decade, over 6,000 companies went into the telephone business in localities across the country.
1908
Vail begins national advertising, and introduces the slogan "One System, One Policy, Universal Service."
1919
AT&T installs the first dial telephones in the Bell System, in Norfolk VA. The last manual telephones in the system were not converted to dial until 1978.
1927
AT&T begins transatlantic telephone service, initially between the US and London. The conversations crossed the Atlantic via radio. The initial capacity is 1 call at a time, at a cost of $75 for the first three minutes.
1937
Clinton Davisson of Bell Telephone Laboratories wins the Nobel Prize in Physics for experimental confirmation of the wave nature of the electron. He becomes the first of seven Nobel Prize winners produced by AT&T.
1941
The first non-experimental installation of coaxial cable in the network is placed in service between Minneapolis, Minn., and Stevens Point, Wis. The type of coaxial cable installed was invented at AT&T in 1929 and is the first broadband transmission medium.
1946
AT&T begins offering mobile telephone service. With a single antenna serving a region, no more than 12 to 20 simultaneous calls could be made in an entire metropolitan area.
1948
AT&T begins offering networking services for television on facilities connecting major cities in the northeast and midwest. The service reaches the west coast in 1951. Television networks use this service to transmit programming to their affiliated stations around the country.
1958
AT&T introduces the first commercial modem.
1962
AT&T launches Telstar I, the first active communications satellite. Telstar transmits the first live television across the Atlantic.
1964
AT&T opens TPC-1, the first submarine telephone cable across the Pacific. It went from Japan to Hawaii, where it connected to two cables linking Hawaii with the mainland. This brought the same improvements to trans-Pacific service that TAT-1 had brought to trans-Atlantic service in 1956.
1968
AT&T introduces 911 as a nationwide emergency number.
1970
AT&T introduces customer dialing of international long distance calls, initially between Manhattan and London.
1971
Researchers at Bell Telephone Laboratories create the Unix computer operating system, which is designed to be hardware independent. It eventually becomes the underlying language of the Internet.
1988
AT&T lays and opens TAT-8, the first fiber optic submarine telephone cable across the Atlantic. It has a capacity equivalent to 40,000 calls, ten times that of the last copper cable. (Today's cables have capacities equivalent to over 1,000,000 calls).
1994
AT&T completes its merger with McCaw Cellular. The newly acquired wireless systems gradually adopt the AT&T Wireless name.
1995
On September 20, AT&T announces that it is restructuring into three separate companies: a services company, retaining the AT&T name; a products and systems company (later named Lucent Technologies) and a computer company (which reassumed the NCR name). Lucent is spun off in October 1996, and NCR in December, 1996.
1997
NCR, AT&T's computer business, becomes an independent company.
1998
AT&T signs a definitive merger agreement with TCI, the second largest cable company in the United States.
2000
AT&T completes it acquisition of MediaOne, and becomes the largest cable company in the United States. The combined cable systems operate as AT&T Broadband.
For the first time, the volume of data traffic on the AT&T network exceeds the volume of voice traffic.
2001
AT&T completes its spin-off of AT&T Wireless, which becomes an independent company.
The Comcast corporation makes an unsolicited offer to acquire AT&T Broadband. AT&T accepts a revised and improved offer later in the year.
2004
AT&T introduces Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services for consumers, a breakthrough alternative to traditional voice services. The company already serves hundreds of businesses with its managed VoIP services.
AT&T introduces AT&T Internet ProtectSM , a revolutionary service that can detect and help stop network-based worms and viruses before they infect and wreak havoc on corporate and government networks. Thanks to AT&T's groundbreaking technology, businesses can protect themselves from network-based worms and viruses without having to deploy firewalls at each location.
2005
AT&T and SBC Communications announce an agreement whereby SBC will acquire AT&T in a $16 billion transaction and create the industry's premier communications and networking company.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
E-commerce
E-commerce (electronic commerce or EC) is the buying and selling of goods and services on the Internet, especially the World Wide Web. In practice, this term and a newer term, e-business, are often used interchangeably. For online retail selling, the term e-tailing is sometimes used.
E-commerce can be divided into:
• E-tailing or "virtual storefronts" on Web sites with online catalogs, sometimes gathered into a "virtual mall"
• The gathering and use of demographic data through Web contacts
• Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), the business-to-business exchange of data
• e-mail and fax and their use as media for reaching prospects and established customers (for example, with newsletters)
• Business-to-business buying and selling
• The security of business transactions
E-tailing or The Virtual Storefront and the Virtual Mall
As a place for direct retail shopping, with its 24-hour availability, a global reach, the ability to interact and provide custom information and ordering, and multimedia prospects, the Web is rapidly becoming a multibillion dollar source of revenue for the world's businesses. A number of businesses already report considerable success. As early as the middle of 1997, Dell Computers reported orders of a million dollars a day. By early 1999, projected e-commerce revenues for business were in the billions of dollars and the stocks of companies deemed most adept at e-commerce were skyrocketing. Although many so-called dotcom retailers disappeared in the economic shakeout of 2000, Web retailing at sites such as Amazon.com, CDNow.com, and CompudataOnline.com continues to grow.
Market Research
In early 1999, it was widely recognized that because of the interactive nature of the Internet, companies could gather data about prospects and customers in unprecedented amounts -through site registration, questionnaires, and as part of taking orders. The issue of whether data was being collected with the knowledge and permission of market subjects had been raised. (Microsoft referred to its policy of data collection as "profiling" and a proposed standard has been developed that allows Internet users to decide who can have what personal information.)
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
EDI is the exchange of business data using an understood data format. It predates today's Internet. EDI involves data exchange among parties that know each other well and make arrangements for one-to-one (or point-to-point) connection, usually dial-up. EDI is expected to be replaced by one or more standard XML formats, such as ebXML.
E-Mail, Fax, and Internet Telephony
E-commerce is also conducted through the more limited electronic forms of communication called e-mail, facsimile or fax, and the emerging use of telephone calls over the Internet. Most of this is business-to-business, with some companies attempting to use e-mail and fax for unsolicited ads (usually viewed as online junk mail or spam) to consumers and other business prospects. An increasing number of business Web sites offer e-mail newsletters for subscribers. A new trend is opt-in e-mail in which Web users voluntarily sign up to receive e-mail, usually sponsored or containing ads, about product categories or other subjects they are interested in.
Business-to-Business Buying and Selling
Thousands of companies that sell products to other companies have discovered that the Web provides not only a 24-hour-a-day showcase for their products but a quick way to reach the right people in a company for more information.
The Security of Business Transactions
Security includes authenticating business transactions, controlling access to resources such as Web pages for registered or selected users, encrypting communications, and, in general, ensuring the privacy and effectiveness of transactions. Among the most widely-used security technologies is the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), which is built into both of the leading Web browsers.
E-commerce can be divided into:
• E-tailing or "virtual storefronts" on Web sites with online catalogs, sometimes gathered into a "virtual mall"
• The gathering and use of demographic data through Web contacts
• Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), the business-to-business exchange of data
• e-mail and fax and their use as media for reaching prospects and established customers (for example, with newsletters)
• Business-to-business buying and selling
• The security of business transactions
E-tailing or The Virtual Storefront and the Virtual Mall
As a place for direct retail shopping, with its 24-hour availability, a global reach, the ability to interact and provide custom information and ordering, and multimedia prospects, the Web is rapidly becoming a multibillion dollar source of revenue for the world's businesses. A number of businesses already report considerable success. As early as the middle of 1997, Dell Computers reported orders of a million dollars a day. By early 1999, projected e-commerce revenues for business were in the billions of dollars and the stocks of companies deemed most adept at e-commerce were skyrocketing. Although many so-called dotcom retailers disappeared in the economic shakeout of 2000, Web retailing at sites such as Amazon.com, CDNow.com, and CompudataOnline.com continues to grow.
Market Research
In early 1999, it was widely recognized that because of the interactive nature of the Internet, companies could gather data about prospects and customers in unprecedented amounts -through site registration, questionnaires, and as part of taking orders. The issue of whether data was being collected with the knowledge and permission of market subjects had been raised. (Microsoft referred to its policy of data collection as "profiling" and a proposed standard has been developed that allows Internet users to decide who can have what personal information.)
Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
EDI is the exchange of business data using an understood data format. It predates today's Internet. EDI involves data exchange among parties that know each other well and make arrangements for one-to-one (or point-to-point) connection, usually dial-up. EDI is expected to be replaced by one or more standard XML formats, such as ebXML.
E-Mail, Fax, and Internet Telephony
E-commerce is also conducted through the more limited electronic forms of communication called e-mail, facsimile or fax, and the emerging use of telephone calls over the Internet. Most of this is business-to-business, with some companies attempting to use e-mail and fax for unsolicited ads (usually viewed as online junk mail or spam) to consumers and other business prospects. An increasing number of business Web sites offer e-mail newsletters for subscribers. A new trend is opt-in e-mail in which Web users voluntarily sign up to receive e-mail, usually sponsored or containing ads, about product categories or other subjects they are interested in.
Business-to-Business Buying and Selling
Thousands of companies that sell products to other companies have discovered that the Web provides not only a 24-hour-a-day showcase for their products but a quick way to reach the right people in a company for more information.
The Security of Business Transactions
Security includes authenticating business transactions, controlling access to resources such as Web pages for registered or selected users, encrypting communications, and, in general, ensuring the privacy and effectiveness of transactions. Among the most widely-used security technologies is the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), which is built into both of the leading Web browsers.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Wireless access point
In computer networking, a wireless access point (WAP or AP) is a device that connects wireless communication devices together to form a wireless network. The WAP usually connects to a wired network, and can relay data between wireless devices and wired devices. Several WAPs can link together to form a larger network that allows "roaming". (In contrast, a network where the client devices manage themselves - without the need for any access points - becomes an ad-hoc network.) WAPs have IP addresses for configuration.
Low-cost and easily-installed Wi-Fi WAPs grew rapidly in popularity in the early 2000s. These devices offered a way to avoid the tangled messes of category 5 cable associated with typical Ethernet networks of the day. Whereas wiring a business, home, or school often requires stringing many cables through walls and ceilings, wireless networking allows connecting with few or no new cables. Wireless networks also allow greater mobility, freeing users from the restrictions of using a computer cabled to the wall. In the industrial and commercial contexts, wireless networking has had a big impact on operations: employees in these areas now often carry portable data terminals integrating barcode scanners and wireless links, allowing them to update work in progress and inventory in real-time. At home with a residential gateway, any convenient chair or lawn becomes a desk for the laptop.
A typical corporate use involves attaching several WAPs to a wired network and then providing wireless access to the office LAN. Within the range of the WAPs, the wireless end user has a full network connection with the benefit of mobility. In this instance, the WAP functions as a gateway for clients to access the wired network. Another use involves bridging two wired networks in conditions inappropriate for cable: for example, a manufacturer can wirelessly connect a remote warehouse's wired network with a separate (though within line of sight) office's wired network.
Another wireless topology, a lily-pad network, consists of a series of access points spread over a large area, each connected to a different network. This provides hot spots where wireless clients can connect to the Internet without regard for the particular networks to which they have attached for the moment. The concept can become organic in large cities, where a combination of coffeehouses, libraries, other public spaces offering wireless access, as well as privately owned open access points, allow clients to roam over a large area (like hopping from lily pad to lily pad), staying more or less continuously connected.
Home wireless networks, the majority, generally have only one WAP to connect all the computers in a home. Most are wireless routers, meaning converged devices that include a WAP, Ethernet router, and often a switch in the same package. Many also converge a broadband modem. Most owners leave their encryption settings at default, hence neighbors can use them. In places where most homes have their own WAP within range of the neighbors' WAP, it's possible for technically savvy people to turn off their encryption and set up a wireless community network, creating an intra-city communication network without the need of wired networks.
A WAP may also act as the network's arbitrator, negotiating when each nearby client device can transmit. However, the vast majority of currently installed IEEE 802.11 networks do not implement this, using a distributed pseudo-random algorithm instead.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Hackers
The term computer hacker first showed up in the mid-1960s. A hacker was a programmer -- someone who hacked out computer code. Hackers were visionaries who could see new ways to use computers, creating programs that no one else could conceive. They were the pioneers of the computer industry, building everything from small applications to operating systems. In this sense, people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were all hackers -- they saw the potential of what computers could do and created ways to achieve that potential.
A unifying trait among these hackers was a strong sense of curiosity, sometimes bordering on obsession. These hackers prided themselves on not only their ability to create new programs, but also to learn how other programs and systems worked. When a program had a bug -- a section of bad code that prevented the program from working properly -- hackers would often create and distribute small sections of code called patches to fix the problem. Some managed to land a job that leveraged their skills, getting paid for what they'd happily do for free.
As computers evolved, computer engineers began to network individual machines together into a system. Soon, the term hacker had a new meaning -- a person using computers to explore a network to which he or she didn't belong. Usually hackers didn't have any malicious intent. They just wanted to know how computer networks worked and saw any barrier between them and that knowledge as a challenge.
In fact, that's still the case today. While there are plenty of stories about malicious hackers sabotaging computer systems, infiltrating networks and spreading computer viruses, most hackers are just curious -- they want to know all the intricacies of the computer world. Some use their knowledge to help corporations and governments construct better security measures. Others might use their skills for more unethical endeavors.
The Hacker Toolbox
The main resource hackers rely upon, apart from their own ingenuity, is computer code. While there is a large community of hackers on the Internet, only a relatively small number of hackers actually program code. Many hackers seek out and download code written by other people. There are thousands of different programs hackers use to explore computers and networks. These programs give hackers a lot of power over innocent users and organizations -- once a skilled hacker knows how a system works, he can design programs that exploit it.
Hacker Culture
Individually, many hackers are antisocial. Their intense interest in computers and programming can become a communication barrier. Left to his or her own devices, a hacker can spend hours working on a computer program while neglecting everything else.
Computer networks gave hackers a way to associate with other people with their same interests. Before the Internet became easily accessible, hackers would set up and visit bulletin board systems (BBS). A hacker could host a bulletin board system on his or her computer and let people dial into the system to send messages, share information, play games and download programs. As hackers found one another, information exchanges increased dramatically.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Java Technology
Java technology was created as a computer programming tool in a small, secret effort called "the Green Project" at Sun Microsystems in 1991.
The secret "Green Team," fully staffed at 13 people and led by James Gosling, locked themselves away in an anonymous office on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, cut off all regular communications with Sun, and worked around the clock for 18 months.
They were trying to anticipate and plan for the "next wave" in computing. Their initial conclusion was that at least one significant trend would be the convergence of digitally controlled consumer devices and computers.
A device-independent programming language code-named "Oak" was the result.
To demonstrate how this new language could power the future of digital devices, the Green Team developed an interactive, handheld home-entertainment device controller targeted at the digital cable television industry. But the idea was too far ahead of its time, and the digital cable television industry wasn't ready for the leap forward that Java technology offered them.
As it turns out, the Internet was ready for Java technology, and just in time for its initial public introduction in 1995, the team was able to announce that the Netscape Navigator Internet browser would incorporate Java technology.
Now, nearing its twelfth year, the Java platform has attracted over 5 million software developers, worldwide use in every major industry segment, and a presence in a wide range of devices, computers, and networks of any programming technology.
In fact, its versatility, efficiency, platform portability, and security have made it the ideal technology for network computing, so that today, Java powers more than 4.5 billion devices:
over 800 million PCs
over 1.5 billion mobile phones and other handheld devices (source: Ovum)
2.2 billion smart cards
plus set-top boxes, printers, web cams, games, car navigation systems, lottery terminals, medical devices, parking payment stations, etc.
Today, you can find Java technology in networks and devices that range from the Internet and scientific supercomputers to laptops and cell phones, from Wall Street market simulators to home game players and credit cards -- just about everywhere.
The best way to preview these applications is to explore java.com, the ultimate marketplace, showcase, and central information resource for businesses, consumers, and software developers who use Java technology.
Why Software Developers Choose Java Technology
The Java programming language has been thoroughly refined, extended, tested, and proven by an active community of over five million software developers.
Mature, extremely robust, and surprisingly versatile Java technology has become invaluable in allowing developers to:
Write software on one platform and run it on practically any other platform
Create programs to run within a web browser and web services
Develop server-side applications for online forums, stores, polls, HTML forms processing, and more
Combine Java technology-based applications or services to create highly customized applications or services
Write powerful and efficient applications for mobile phones, remote processors, low-cost consumer products, and practically any device with a digital heartbeat
Some Ways Software Developers Learn Java Technology
Of course, colleges and universities offer courses in programming for the Java platform. In addition, developers can enhance their Java programming skills by reading Sun's java.sun.com Web site, subscribing to Java technology focused newsletters, using the Java Tutorial and the New to Java Programming Center, and signing up for web, virtual, or instructor led courses.
The secret "Green Team," fully staffed at 13 people and led by James Gosling, locked themselves away in an anonymous office on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park, cut off all regular communications with Sun, and worked around the clock for 18 months.
They were trying to anticipate and plan for the "next wave" in computing. Their initial conclusion was that at least one significant trend would be the convergence of digitally controlled consumer devices and computers.
A device-independent programming language code-named "Oak" was the result.
To demonstrate how this new language could power the future of digital devices, the Green Team developed an interactive, handheld home-entertainment device controller targeted at the digital cable television industry. But the idea was too far ahead of its time, and the digital cable television industry wasn't ready for the leap forward that Java technology offered them.
As it turns out, the Internet was ready for Java technology, and just in time for its initial public introduction in 1995, the team was able to announce that the Netscape Navigator Internet browser would incorporate Java technology.
Now, nearing its twelfth year, the Java platform has attracted over 5 million software developers, worldwide use in every major industry segment, and a presence in a wide range of devices, computers, and networks of any programming technology.
In fact, its versatility, efficiency, platform portability, and security have made it the ideal technology for network computing, so that today, Java powers more than 4.5 billion devices:
over 800 million PCs
over 1.5 billion mobile phones and other handheld devices (source: Ovum)
2.2 billion smart cards
plus set-top boxes, printers, web cams, games, car navigation systems, lottery terminals, medical devices, parking payment stations, etc.
Today, you can find Java technology in networks and devices that range from the Internet and scientific supercomputers to laptops and cell phones, from Wall Street market simulators to home game players and credit cards -- just about everywhere.
The best way to preview these applications is to explore java.com, the ultimate marketplace, showcase, and central information resource for businesses, consumers, and software developers who use Java technology.
Why Software Developers Choose Java Technology
The Java programming language has been thoroughly refined, extended, tested, and proven by an active community of over five million software developers.
Mature, extremely robust, and surprisingly versatile Java technology has become invaluable in allowing developers to:
Write software on one platform and run it on practically any other platform
Create programs to run within a web browser and web services
Develop server-side applications for online forums, stores, polls, HTML forms processing, and more
Combine Java technology-based applications or services to create highly customized applications or services
Write powerful and efficient applications for mobile phones, remote processors, low-cost consumer products, and practically any device with a digital heartbeat
Some Ways Software Developers Learn Java Technology
Of course, colleges and universities offer courses in programming for the Java platform. In addition, developers can enhance their Java programming skills by reading Sun's java.sun.com Web site, subscribing to Java technology focused newsletters, using the Java Tutorial and the New to Java Programming Center, and signing up for web, virtual, or instructor led courses.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Mobile security devices
Mobile devices have made securing organizations more challenging than ever. Computer networks are no longer confined to the office, even at small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). However, SMBs can prevent and protect against mobile security vulnerabilities, even without a dedicated information security team. Existing IT and network staffs can follow these easy guidelines without increasing their workloads. The best practices listed below involve tweaks to systems and monitoring of networks, which you may already be doing. If not, add them to your daily routine and you'll be on your way to securing and protecting your mobile devices.
There are different steps to take when securing mobile devices, depending on the type of device you have. USB keys and wireless access points (WAPs) are two very different creatures. What works for one may not work for the other.
No matter the device, the first step is to have a written security policy prohibiting employees from installing and using nonstandard equipment. Nonstandard means anything not purchased, approved, scanned, built or reviewed by your IT department. This includes devices such as the latest WAP or mobile gizmo that an employee buys on his own.
Securing USBs
For devices that provide direct physical access, such as USB keys and tokens, or iPods, which are overgrown USB devices, there are equally effective physical controls for blocking access. Some of these controls are already baked into Windows and can be easily turned on by any system administrator.
Restrict access to USB ports to only those employees who may have a specific business need to download and take data off the premises. Even then, only limited bits of data should be allowed, like information needed for a single project. Physical access to USB devices can be restricted in the Group Policy Objects (GPO), the Device Manager or the registry on Windows machines, or through BIOS settings on other machines.
Turn off AutoRun on Windows machines to block bootable USB devices from automatically connecting to your network.
Allow only USB devices that have been approved and scanned prior to use by your IT department. If possible, have them use encryption.
Turn on Event Logging in the Auditing section of the GPO on your Windows machines to monitor traffic. If malware is downloaded from a USB device, this will enable you to trace back the offending desktop and, hopefully, who put the contaminated USB key there.
Cleanse any USB devices after use by purging any data on them after completion of a project.
Securing laptops
The time is long gone when an SMB's computer network was confined to the office. Now, it's wired -- and unwired -- to the world, for good or bad.
Employees should only be allowed to use laptops purchased, reviewed and scanned by your IT department. Personal laptops, or other laptops brought in from the outside, shouldn't be allowed on the network.
Use encryption tools, such as SafeBoot, to protect malicious access to stolen or misplaced laptops.
Laptops should be set up with a standard build for employees that can't be modified, or allow the downloading of software. They should be hardened with antiviral and firewall software.
Use Network Access Control (NAC) software to scan laptops and remote desktops connected to your network, to make sure they meet your IT security standards and are sufficiently hardened.
Securing WAPs
Wireless devices can be particularly insidious, since they can sit unnoticed under a desk for a long time, spewing data out to the world and doing all kinds of damage. USB devices, on the other hand, are usually put in and taken out quickly.
Generally, WAPs should be barred altogether from your network. But, as with other portable devices, if there is a business purpose, only those devices approved, reviewed and installed by your IT staff should be allowed.
Make sure all WAPs have encryption, such as Wired Equivalent Privacy or Wi-Fi Protected Access, always turned on. Better yet, set up your WAP as part of a virtual private network (VPN). This ensures all traffic between the WAP and the device move in an encrypted tunnel.
Scan your network regularly for unauthorized wireless devices. There are several good tools, including free ones, like NetStumbler and Kismet. Any unapproved WAP should be taken down as soon as it's found.
Confidential data walking out the door is scary for any organization. For SMBs without a dedicated information security staff, data loss can be fatal. Large organizations may take a hit in the press, lose prestige and business, or even be sued, but they have the corporate bulk to eventually survive. SMBs can lose their entire business -- and livelihood. Follow the simple steps above and you'll be much less vulnerable.
There are different steps to take when securing mobile devices, depending on the type of device you have. USB keys and wireless access points (WAPs) are two very different creatures. What works for one may not work for the other.
No matter the device, the first step is to have a written security policy prohibiting employees from installing and using nonstandard equipment. Nonstandard means anything not purchased, approved, scanned, built or reviewed by your IT department. This includes devices such as the latest WAP or mobile gizmo that an employee buys on his own.
Securing USBs
For devices that provide direct physical access, such as USB keys and tokens, or iPods, which are overgrown USB devices, there are equally effective physical controls for blocking access. Some of these controls are already baked into Windows and can be easily turned on by any system administrator.
Restrict access to USB ports to only those employees who may have a specific business need to download and take data off the premises. Even then, only limited bits of data should be allowed, like information needed for a single project. Physical access to USB devices can be restricted in the Group Policy Objects (GPO), the Device Manager or the registry on Windows machines, or through BIOS settings on other machines.
Turn off AutoRun on Windows machines to block bootable USB devices from automatically connecting to your network.
Allow only USB devices that have been approved and scanned prior to use by your IT department. If possible, have them use encryption.
Turn on Event Logging in the Auditing section of the GPO on your Windows machines to monitor traffic. If malware is downloaded from a USB device, this will enable you to trace back the offending desktop and, hopefully, who put the contaminated USB key there.
Cleanse any USB devices after use by purging any data on them after completion of a project.
Securing laptops
The time is long gone when an SMB's computer network was confined to the office. Now, it's wired -- and unwired -- to the world, for good or bad.
Employees should only be allowed to use laptops purchased, reviewed and scanned by your IT department. Personal laptops, or other laptops brought in from the outside, shouldn't be allowed on the network.
Use encryption tools, such as SafeBoot, to protect malicious access to stolen or misplaced laptops.
Laptops should be set up with a standard build for employees that can't be modified, or allow the downloading of software. They should be hardened with antiviral and firewall software.
Use Network Access Control (NAC) software to scan laptops and remote desktops connected to your network, to make sure they meet your IT security standards and are sufficiently hardened.
Securing WAPs
Wireless devices can be particularly insidious, since they can sit unnoticed under a desk for a long time, spewing data out to the world and doing all kinds of damage. USB devices, on the other hand, are usually put in and taken out quickly.
Generally, WAPs should be barred altogether from your network. But, as with other portable devices, if there is a business purpose, only those devices approved, reviewed and installed by your IT staff should be allowed.
Make sure all WAPs have encryption, such as Wired Equivalent Privacy or Wi-Fi Protected Access, always turned on. Better yet, set up your WAP as part of a virtual private network (VPN). This ensures all traffic between the WAP and the device move in an encrypted tunnel.
Scan your network regularly for unauthorized wireless devices. There are several good tools, including free ones, like NetStumbler and Kismet. Any unapproved WAP should be taken down as soon as it's found.
Confidential data walking out the door is scary for any organization. For SMBs without a dedicated information security staff, data loss can be fatal. Large organizations may take a hit in the press, lose prestige and business, or even be sued, but they have the corporate bulk to eventually survive. SMBs can lose their entire business -- and livelihood. Follow the simple steps above and you'll be much less vulnerable.
Friday, January 11, 2008
Web 2.0
the phrase Web 2.0 can refer to a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services — such as social-networking sites, wikis, and folksonomies — which aim to facilitate creativity, collaboration, and sharing between users. The term gained currency following the first O'Reilly Media Web 2.0 conference in 2004. Although the term suggests a new version of the World Wide Web, it does not refer to an update to any technical specifications, but to changes in the ways software developers and end-users use webs.
"Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.
"Web 2.0 is a knowledge-oriented environment where human interactions generate content that is published, managed and used through network applications in a service-oriented architecture.
Defining "Web 2.0"
In alluding to the version-numbers that commonly designate software upgrades, the phrase "Web 2.0" hints at an improved form of the World Wide Web. Technologies such as weblogs (blogs), social bookmarking, wikis, podcasts, RSS feeds (and other forms of many-to-many publishing), social software, and web application programming interfaces (APIs) provide enhancements over read-only websites. Stephen Fry describes Web 2.0 as:
"an idea in people's heads rather than a reality. It’s actually an idea that the reciprocity between the user and the provider is what's emphasized. In other words, genuine interactivity, if you like, simply because people can upload as well as download".
The idea of "Web 2.0" can also relate to a transition of some websites from isolated information silos to interlinked computing platforms that function like locally-available software in the perception of the user. Web 2.0 also includes a social element where users generate and distribute content, often with freedom to share and re-use. This can allegedly result in a rise in the economic value of the web as users can do more online.
Characteristics of "Web 2.0"
Web 2.0 websites allow users to do more than just retrieve information. They can build on the interactive facilities of "Web 1.0" to provide "Network as platform" computing, allowing users to run software-applications entirely through a browser. Users can own the data on a Web 2.0 site and exercise control over that data. These sites may have an "Architecture of participation" that encourages users to add value to the application as they use it. This stands in contrast to very old traditional websites, the sort which limited visitors to viewing and whose content only the site's owner could modify. Web 2.0 sites often feature a rich, user-friendly interface based on Ajax or similar rich media. The sites may also have social-networking aspects.
Technology overview
Web 2.0 websites typically include some of the following features/techniques:
rich Internet application techniques, often Ajax-based
semantically valid XHTML and HTML markup
microformats extending pages with additional semantics
folksonomies (in the form of tags or tagclouds, for example)
Cascading Style Sheets to aid in the separation of presentation and content
REST and/or XML- and/or JSON-based APIs
syndication, aggregation and notification of data in RSS or Atom feeds
mashups, merging content from different sources, client- and server-side
weblog-publishing tools
wiki or forum software, etc., to support user-generated content
Innovations sometimes associated with "Web 2.0"
"Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.
"Web 2.0 is a knowledge-oriented environment where human interactions generate content that is published, managed and used through network applications in a service-oriented architecture.
Defining "Web 2.0"
In alluding to the version-numbers that commonly designate software upgrades, the phrase "Web 2.0" hints at an improved form of the World Wide Web. Technologies such as weblogs (blogs), social bookmarking, wikis, podcasts, RSS feeds (and other forms of many-to-many publishing), social software, and web application programming interfaces (APIs) provide enhancements over read-only websites. Stephen Fry describes Web 2.0 as:
"an idea in people's heads rather than a reality. It’s actually an idea that the reciprocity between the user and the provider is what's emphasized. In other words, genuine interactivity, if you like, simply because people can upload as well as download".
The idea of "Web 2.0" can also relate to a transition of some websites from isolated information silos to interlinked computing platforms that function like locally-available software in the perception of the user. Web 2.0 also includes a social element where users generate and distribute content, often with freedom to share and re-use. This can allegedly result in a rise in the economic value of the web as users can do more online.
Characteristics of "Web 2.0"
Web 2.0 websites allow users to do more than just retrieve information. They can build on the interactive facilities of "Web 1.0" to provide "Network as platform" computing, allowing users to run software-applications entirely through a browser. Users can own the data on a Web 2.0 site and exercise control over that data. These sites may have an "Architecture of participation" that encourages users to add value to the application as they use it. This stands in contrast to very old traditional websites, the sort which limited visitors to viewing and whose content only the site's owner could modify. Web 2.0 sites often feature a rich, user-friendly interface based on Ajax or similar rich media. The sites may also have social-networking aspects.
Technology overview
Web 2.0 websites typically include some of the following features/techniques:
rich Internet application techniques, often Ajax-based
semantically valid XHTML and HTML markup
microformats extending pages with additional semantics
folksonomies (in the form of tags or tagclouds, for example)
Cascading Style Sheets to aid in the separation of presentation and content
REST and/or XML- and/or JSON-based APIs
syndication, aggregation and notification of data in RSS or Atom feeds
mashups, merging content from different sources, client- and server-side
weblog-publishing tools
wiki or forum software, etc., to support user-generated content
Innovations sometimes associated with "Web 2.0"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
