Network Security

 

Introduction

            Whether it is considering an individual or an organization, information and system security are crucial to have in all computers. Having security protects personal documents and information from intruders and an organization’s confidentiality such as statistics, employee payrolls, and the personal identifiable information (PII) of its employees.

Ping Attacks

            Ping attacks can be used to breach the safety of computers in multiple forms, a couple of them being the Ping of Death and a Ping Flood. While these two are similar, they do differ in important ways. For example, a ping flood attack is when multiple compromised systems send a huge volume of Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo packets to the target; in simpler terms, as implied by the name, it floods the target’s computer with a large number of requests and the system tries to respond to every ICMP request with a reply packet. This causes the target system to be overwhelmed and occupies all inbound bandwidth which prevents users from accessing the system.

On the other hand, the Ping of Death attack is a denial-of-service (DOS) attack, it is a variant of the ping flood as instead of sending many corrupted files, this attack consists of sending oversized packets that exceed the maximum IPv4 packet size (Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) is a packet that is made of 65,535 bytes). As the computer struggles to process these oversized packets, it crashes.

 

Security Incidents

            Having a computer can lead to security incidents such as phishing and computer viruses. Phishing is essentially when scam emails or text messages are sent. Within these messages are links to malicious websites that either contain malware, gather sensitive information, or transferring money; they can target individuals or organizations. Computer viruses targets files and systems of a computer and then replicating itself. These are primarily spread through email and often require user action to activate. Viruses can damage data files, destroy files, and even spread to other computers and networks.

Computers are vulnerable to threats because threats are usually computer programs designed to infiltrate and target sensitive information. For example, viruses are programs that computers can easily run, phishing consists of links via your computer to trick you into exposing your own private information, and the way they all relate is that they are created by a computer to target another computer.  If a computer gets hit with a virus, a couple of symptoms it can experience are things like corrupted information, loss of files, and accessing your email to spread the virus to people close to you.

In order to protect from these security incidents, some very important steps to take are to avoid clicking on unknown links, even from people you know until you can confirm it with them in-case their system has been compromised too. Another action is to back up all files and data, especially the important personal information. And lastly, use a trusted anti-virus to protect your computer from intruders and dangerous programs; my current anti-virus software is Avast.

 

 

Conclusion

Understanding all the risks your computer is subject to is already a massive step in knowing how to protect yourself from these intruders that wish to steal information and do you harm. Not only does this minimize the risk of your computer being affected, it also reduces the risk of contacts being infected and continuing to spread.

 

References

Fortinet. (n.d.). What is a Ping of Death and ping of death attack? https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/ping-of-death

Imperva. (2023, December 20). What is a Ping Flood: ICMP Flood Ddos Attack: Imperva. Learning Center. https://www.imperva.com/learn/ddos/ping-icmp-flood/

Phishing attacks: Defending your organisation. NCSC. (2018, February 5). https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/phishing

CISA. (2024, February 14). Virus basics: CISA. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA. https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/virus-basics

Computers in the Workplace

 I will talk about an industry that I am very familiar with and have plenty of experience in, the military, and how Information Technology (IT) in my area of expertise as a data analyst. To determine how IT is used, it is important to determine exactly what IT is the use of systems, not only computers but also telecommunications to store, retrieve, manage, and deliver information using voice, data, and/or video.

The way IT is used at my job is by throughout several steps of collecting data and sending information with the use of systems, including, but not limited to computers and office phones. The computer alone has multiple functions in order to get the job done. We use information systems, methods of verification to confirm data integrity, Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and email. This data is then used to create products that are simple and easy for leadership to understand. Considering all the systems we use, having workers with computer literacy skills is essential to the success of the mission. Understanding data and transforming it into legible information is the basis of this job.

As time goes on, technology continuously advances and so will the systems we use, the data we need will change, and so will the systems. Over the next 10 years, I am confident that the way work is conducted will receive an update or two mostly focused on performance and accessibility. Newer computers that run faster and process more data at any given time, and updated information systems that not only are easier to navigate, but also provide a cleaner report on the data used for our daily, weekly, and monthly products. Thus, enabling a higher amount of productivity. 

Traveling Through a Network: Ping/Traceroute

 I executed a  ping and a traceroute for google.com, yahoo.co.jp, and spiegel.de. The end of these domains indicate the country these websites are being hosted in. For example, ".jp" indicates that the website is being hosted by Japan while ".de" indicates that the website is hosted in Germany (It is ".de" because in German, the country is named Deutschland).

I started by running a ping for each of the websites. a relation I was able to find was that each ping sent out 4 packets and received 4 packets, which mean not a single one was lost in the process, although the time differed depending on the country. Since I am in the U.S., the ping on google.com was the quickest at between 31 and 36 milliseconds per round trip with an average of 33. After that was Japan with between 161 and 163 milliseconds for an average of 161 milliseconds per round trip; and Germany staying between 128 and 131 milliseconds with an average of 128 milliseconds. The meaning to this is very simple, the farther the host country, the longer the round trip. 

Essentially, when the command to ping is executed, an echo request packet is sent to the host; after it is received, an echo reply is sent back. But what is and echo request and an echo reply? Basically, these echo requests are used to see if a system is on the network and functional, a reply confirms the functionality from the host. If the system you're trying to reach doesn't exist, isn't powered on, or isn't connected to the network, an error will be returned. The ping test can identify connectivity between two network connections, often as a troubleshooting tool. Below are the pings sent:

Traceroute on the other hand was a much longer process than ping as its goal was to trace the route a packet takes between your computer and the destination computer. One similarity noticed was that all three traceroutes timed out at least twice during the process with Japan timing out three times. If the host is not on a directly attached network, an error is returned. The traceroute test checks the path that the computer is using to connect to the network.

Microsoft program comparison

 Introduction

Identifying and documenting the details of our daily lives and presenting them in three different formats. The formats assigned to us were Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint. In the Word document, the goal was to list and explain each activity in detail. In Excel, we listed every activity, the hours spent, the percentage of the day each one takes up, and a pie chart giving a visual representation of the data. And lastly, in PowerPoint, the goal was to create a presentation using images that portray each activity using animations and transitions in each slide to hold the audience’s attention.

Comparison & Function

Microsoft Word is, as the name suggest, a word processor that is used to create research papers, essays, documentation, etc. It comes with multiple functions such as being able to add a signature to documents, font type, font size, different document designs based on user preference, and many more. With this application, I was able to document my daily life in detailed a paragraphs that provide descriptions and add context to each activity. 

Microsoft Excel was developed to create and edit spreadsheets; it allows calculations to be performed, pivot tables to be created, the option to sort or filter specific data, create graphs, and several additional functions. Using this program, I listed each of my activities on different cells, the hours calculated next to each activity, a formula adding all the total hours, and the percentage of time spent doing each activity per day. With this data, I was able to create a comprehensive pie chart that gives a visual representation of how much of my day is spent doing each activity. And lastly, Microsoft PowerPoint is a program used to create presentations, the main purpose is to create a product that catches the attention of the target audience. In addition to pre-rendered designed, it is also possible to add animations and transitions between each slide. I used this program to give a visual representation of what my daily activities look like.

Now that the functions have been discussed, it is important to also mention the disadvantages of each of these programs, for example, Word does have the function of formulas but it pales in comparison to Excel's available formulas. Excel, on the other hand, is not adequate for writing large documents or research papers. And while PowerPoint has function for writing large amounts of text, it lacks many of the details present in Word. While each of these do have drawbacks, it works best when these programs are used together to create a product worthy of an audience.

Web/Mobile App Critique

 Everyday, millions of people around the world browse the internet for many different purposes including, watching videos, reading articles, and buying products online. Another activity that fellow internet users participate in is online discussion about any and every topic imaginable; which is why I have taken it upon myself to talk about the internet's most infamous discussion board, 4chan.

4chan has a large catalog of boards to choose from, a few examples being video games, music, anime, cars, any many more. Throughout the years, this website has had quite a formidable reputation and was even reported on by national news networks. Since 4chan does not censor its users and due to the anonymity inherent in the website, people are free to talk about anything in any manner they choose. While many people may consider this an issue, it is mostly harmless and it may well be the only website (or at least on of the few) that allows its users to exercise their right of free speech. It also allows users to share images and videos anonymously but only as long as it falls within American law, so the only media that is not allowed posts that break the law. And it is because of this that I believe that 4chan represents the pure essence of the internet, all the good, the bad, and the ugly. Simply allowing users to speak their minds gives it a unique appeal that other discussion websites or apps such as Reddit do not have.

Upon entering the website, the home page greets you with three eye-catching elements, first, the four-leaf clover located at the very top of the page, the next thing you see directly below is a box that contains all the boards available, 76 total boards to choose from. Following below is another box advertising current popular threads. The image posted below is how the front page looks like to all members.

After choosing and clicking on a board to view, you are presented with up to 10 pages containing samples of threads each talking about your chosen topic; every individual thread can be opened separately on multiple different tabs simultaneously. A comparison I can give to this description is an assorted box of chocolates, since chocolate was chosen, everything in the box will be chocolate but there will be a variety of different flavors available. For example, on the homepage, I click on the Video Games board an am able to view multiple different discussions regarding video games. and starting a thread of your own is very simple, all you need to do is click on the button at the top [Start a New Thread]. The following image is an example of threads generally look.

Now of course, no website is perfect and the design of 4chan is incredibly outdated despite still being easy to use which calls for a modernized design that is more attractive and customizable. Another issue is that the homepage is simply unattractive to look at, especially since first impressions are the most important ones. A cleaner look for the front page will make it easier on the eyes and appeal to a larger audience. And the final improvement I'd make is adding their search bar to the front page rather that solely within each board, this way a user can search for specific keywords and find related threads.

Programming Languages

 Introduction

            Programming is the language of computer systems; it is the process of telling a computer which tasks to perform and in what order. Scratch is a website designed for newcomers to programming to create simple animations or interactable commands. Other coding programs such as Python are used to develop software, task automation, websites, and data analysis. So each program his its own benefits and drawbacks.

Scratch

            This assignment marked the first time in my life that I ever used Scratch. Seeing the different commands available fills one’s imagination with ideas that may or may not surpass their current abilities. For example, when I opened the website and saw the little cat sprite, some ideas of acrobatics entered my imagination but since I was inexperienced with the website, my final product was nothing like I imagined. With practice and studying further, I am certain that I can enhance my performance using this program. I was able to overcome this by playing around with several of the functions and observing the functions of each one. With this, I was able to successfully create a simple, yet primitive animation.

When compared to the interactive learning found in the textbook, the content in the textbook was engaging as interaction simplifies the process of learning. When reading about the high-level language, it made it clear that I have a long way to go and am looking forward to witnessing my progress throughout this class and how much I have improved by the fifth week. At the moment, the easiest one to use is Scratch, but that is only due to the lack of experience in the generalities of programming.

 Scratch is very effective when making simple animations and even small interactable games. Python, on the other hand, is a high-level programming language that is dynamic and specializes in the rapid creation of programs and applications. In terms of popularity, I believe that C++, Java, and Python are the big three that are used in programming. But in my opinion, I believe that Python stands on top as the most popular one simply because it is regarded as being among the easiest coding programs for beginners to learn.

Conclusion

Upon engaging in this activity with Scratch, my interest has been piqued and I am now even more curious to learn the language of programming so I can perhaps create masterpieces in the future. Understanding the language of programming with Scratch or any other coding programs proves to be helpful in the long-run as it also opens the doors to high-paying jobs throughout the world. There is a lot of detail that goes into creating something special and it’s something that benefits anyone.

https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/961842939

 

References

What is python? executive summary. Python.org. (n.d.). https://www.python.org/doc/essays/blurb/

How long does it take to learn python? (+ tips for learning). Coursera. (n.d.). https://www.coursera.org/articles/how-long-does-it-take-to-learn-python-tips-for-learning

About

 As someone who has spent the past 22+ years using computers on an almost daily basis and always trying out new technologies, understanding computers and the advancement of tech is akin to second nature for me. My job as a data analyst for the U.S. Air Force is to compile multiple sources of data using an information system, verify the legitimacy or integrity of the data, and on a daily basis, transform that data into legible information, identify any emerging or continuous trends, and present the data to leadership so they can make decisions based on the information reported. 

I am currently majoring in Information Technology in college and will possibly follow that up by securing a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity and a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering once I'm finished with this one. By studying information technology, I hope to further expand my knowledge in computer-based and technological specialties.

Once I build up experience from my job and obtain my degree(s), I will pursue a career in the tech field that pays well and where I can comfortably build my retirement over the years. My ultimate goal is to work a good job until I can live comfortably for the rest of my life. But even after retiring, I will continue to stay updated on anything technology because it’s always fun to learn.