Network Security: Firewalls

Today’s organizations face an increasing number of malicious threats across their networks (LAN, WAN, and at endpoints). Fast-paced business world need unified, multifaceted protection from these threats, backed by strong performance and complete reliability. Protecting them all can result in security sprawl, an ever-increasing set of product that is hard to manage and result in inconsistent security.
A firewall is a protective system that lies, in essence, between your computer network and the Internet. When used correctly, a firewall prevents unauthorized use and access to your network. The job of a firewall is to carefully analyze data entering and exiting the network based on your configuration. It ignores information that comes from an unsecured, unknown or suspicious location. A firewall plays an important role on any network as it provides a protective barrier against most forms of attack coming from the outside world.

Firewalls can be either hardware or software. The ideal firewall configuration will consist of both. In addition to limiting access to you computer and network, a firewall is also useful for allowing remote access to a private network through secure authentication certificates and logins.

In the past, a connected enterprise needed a complex set of tools, systems, and personnel for access control, authentication, virtual private networking, network management, and security analysis. These costly systems were difficult to integrate and not easy to update.
Today, the Hardware firewall systems (e.g. Watch Guard, Check Point etc) deliver a complete network security solution to meet these modern security challenges:

# Keeping network defenses current
# Protecting every office connected to the internet
# Encrypting communications to remote offices and traveling users
# Managing the security system from a single site

A hardware firewall uses packet filtering to examine the header of a packet to determine its source and destination. This information is compared to a set of predefined or user-created rules that determine whether the packet is to be forwarded or dropped. Hardware firewalls are important because they provide a strong degree of protection from most forms of attack coming from the outside world. Additionally, in most cases, they can be effective with little or no configuration, and they can protect every machine on a local network.

A hardware firewall in a typical broadband router employs a technique called packet filtering, which examines the header of a packet to determine its source and destination addresses. A more advanced technique called Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) looks at additional characteristics such as a packet's actual origin and whether incoming traffic is a response to existing outgoing connections, like a request for a Web page.

To most hardware firewalls, the traffic generated by such programs would appear legitimate since it originated inside your network and would most likely be let through. This malevolent traffic might be blocked if the hardware firewall was configured to block outgoing traffic on the specific Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) port(s) the program was using, but given that there are over 65,000 possible ports and there's no way to know which ports a program of this nature might use, the odds of the right ones being blocked are slim.

When properly configured and administered, the hardware firewall system reliably defends any network against external threats.

Are You A Safe Cyber Surfer?

Cyber safety
The Internet is a useful tool for millions of peoples, but there is a danger of having the world at our fingertips, especially for children. There are some very real security issues that should concern every computer user. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect your computer, your information and your peace of mind from computer creeps who try to slow down a network operation, or worse yet, steal personal information to commit a crime.

Almost any Internet activity - from banking online to surfing the Web just for fun - opens a virtual gateway to personal information on your computer, including credit-card numbers, phone numbers, addresses, and even bank balances. Thieves can use your personal information to steal your money or even your identity. Viruses that are spread through e-mail and websites are also an ongoing problem in cyberspace. Viruses can infect an unprotected computer, destroying important information and leading to costly repair bills. The fact that so many different things are available on the Internet can cause problems. Basic precautions can protect you, your children and the computer.

Strong passwords, firewalls and up-to-date anti-virus software can go a long way toward protecting computers, and personal or business information from those who would try to damage a network operation, or worse yet, steal personal information to commit a crime. There are some simple steps that can be taken to remain safe while online:

Make sure your passwords have both letters and numbers, and are at least eight characters long. Avoid common words: some hackers use programs that can try every word in the dictionary. Don't use your personal information, your login name or adjacent keys on the keyboard as passwords-and don't share your passwords online or over the phone with anyone. If possible keep separate passwords for different sites and change them frequently.

Install anti-virus software and update it regularly. The best anti-virus software products recognize old and new viruses and update automatically. If you decide to download anti-virus software from a web site, make certain the site is owned by a reliable, legitimate software company. Pirated software is no bargain.

Don't open a file attached to an e-mail unless you are expecting it or know what it contains. If you send an attachment, type a message explaining what it is. Never forward any e-mail warning about a new virus. It may be a hoax and could be used to spread the virus.

Prevent unauthorized access to your computer through firewall software or hardware, especially if you are a high-speed user. Some recently released operating system software and hardware devices come with a built-in firewall. Firewalls that block outgoing information as well as incoming files can stop hackers from planting "spyware" programs that cause your computer to send out your personal information without your approval.

Back up your files. This is in case a virus does get into your computer. It is a guarantee that you will have your important files no matter what happens.

Never put personal information or photos on a Web site, blog, or forum. Online predators are not only patient, they also tend to "cultivate" many potential victims at once. A name here, a city or office name there-if you're not careful you may be dropping clues all over the place. And you don't know who might be picking them up.

Turn off your computer's guest account; use a password-protected account instead.

If people implement these simple procedures, monitor children's activities, it is easy for everyone to be a Safe Cyber Surfer.

Cyber Security Technology:Data Encryption

Data Encryption
Encryption is a cyber security technology used to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information stored on or transmitted between computers. Encryption software solutions (Checkpoint, DESlock and XTool etc...) automatically obscure digital files and make them unreadable to unauthorized users. The software allows authorized users to automatically de-encrypt files for use with appropriate applications. The use of these solutions is transparent to users and provides a vital infrastructure service similar to electricity or gas.

The worth of encryption is a significant issue for the modern enterprise. In the early days of computing, digital resources were under an organization’s strict control. The Internet did not exist yet and the transfer of digital files to computers outside an organization’s sphere of control did not occur. Today, digital information can go anywhere easily. Previously, most cyber-security precautions have focused on preventing hackers and criminals from accessing sensitive computing resources via the network perimeter or endpoints. Now enterprises must also address the risk of losing portable computing devices that contains sensitive data.

Surveys indicate that up to 60 percent of information theft results from lost or stolen equipment. Every laptop, PC, personal digital assistant (PDA), portable music player, flash memory stick, external hard drive, smart phone, or any other mobile device that can store data is a potential weak point. It is impossible to always control who has possession of or transfers confidential files onto mobile devices. But, access to that information can always be controlled— with encryption. For more information visit http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-dataencr.html

Do Not Reuse Mineral Water Bottles For Long

DO NOT REUSE MINERAL WATER/COOL DRINK BOTTLES FOR LONG

Many are unaware of poisoning caused by re-using plastic bottles. Some of you may be in the habit of using and re-using your disposable mineral water bottles (e.g. Nestle, Bisleri, Aquafina, Kinley, Evian,SAFA , etc.....), keeping them in your car or at work. Not a good idea.

It happened in Dubai, when a 12 years old girl died after a long usage (16 months) of SAFA mineral water bottle, as she used to carry the same fancy (painted by herself) bottle to her school daily. In a nutshell, the plastic (called Polyethylene Terephthalate or PET) used in these bottles contains a potentially carcinogenic element (something called Diethyl-hydroxylamine or DEHA). The bottles are safe for one- time use only; if you must keep them longer, it should be or no more than a few days week max, and keep them away from heat as well. Repeated washing and rinsing can cause the plastic to break down and the carcinogens (cancer-causing chemical agents) can leak into the water that you are drinking. Better to invest in water bottles that are really meant for multiple uses. This is not something we should be crimping on. Those of you with family do please advise them, especially children.

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This is a special! Warning for families who hang on to these disposable bottles and use them for cold water in their fridges for ages.

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When a bottle looks a bit DISCOLOURED - please get rid of it as a precaution. ALWAYS USE COLOURLESS BOTTLES RATHER THAN THE COLOURED ONES