Start up guide to become an Information security consultant
Start up guide to become an Information security consultant
For the sake of efficiency, cost effectiveness and to focus on the core business companies world over are switching to outsourcing of IT security. It makes eminent sense too as the information security consultants are the experts of their domain and hiring them is much more economical option than maintaining a whole army of in-house IT security experts.
This cost and efficiency factors combined with the ever growing threat from hackers and exploding online shopping and e-commerce market has made sure that more and more companies are looking for information security consultants to take care of their IT security concerns.
All these factors have made the career of information security consultants quite promising. But before you get ready to jump on the bandwagon, wait and contemplate as to why a company would go for outside IT security experts. This would help you understand the industry better.
Basically there are following three reasons which make a company go for outsourcing.
7. The required services are not available in-house and getting expensive new employees is costly and time consuming option.
8. Company is facing a tight deadline to finish a highly technical project and it is not possible to hire, train new employees and expect the project to be finished in time.
9. Companies need an independent and objective perspective which is not mired in the corporate politics and infrastructure.
When you are clear about these basics you can start the process of being a successful information security consultant which is as following.
Go wholeheartedly — There are no half measures when it comes to making a career. And certainly not when you are entering a field as fluid as IT security. The job outlook and growth is better than average and there are training programs and schools which offer specific curriculum, certificates and degrees in computer security.
Do proper Research — Since this field is relatively new, the programs are new and not yet established. So go for a recognized and reputable institute which offers all encompassing curriculum in information technology (IT), consisting of but not limited to penetration testing, systems analysis, computer information systems, programming and networking.
Steer clear of frauds — As with any growing field, IT security education field is replete with fly-by-night operators which are there just to make money and offer illegitimate courses which are not recognized and can’t get you a job after graduation.
Don’t be limited to just curriculum — As extensive the curriculum might be, there is always space for more. So don’t just be limited to the courseware and keep on adding to your knowledge of vulnerability analysis, firewall management, virus protection, network and software safety, IT forensics etc.
Add to you certifications — After or during your graduation you can opt for industry recognized certification such as “Cisco” Network Security certification, those offered by Microsoft etc. They will add value to your knowledge and empower your resume.
Gain experience — Once you have graduated you should get industry exposure through school-sponsored IT internships and with entry-level IT jobs. They will help you understand the IT security threats in real time practical environment.
Nirmalya Jain is an <a href= http://www.appinlabs.com/iso-27001.php> Information security management system </a> and specializes in <a href= http://www.appinlabs.com/ethical-hacking.php> penetration testing</a>, systems analysis etc. She is also an amateur writer and her write ups on IT security have been well received.
There be Spyware here, Captain!
The ships bell had just sounded the dogwatch as Captain Skag began to check his email. He had just began to read his favorite E-zine, “Pirates gone wild” when his first mate burst into the cabin. “Captain, a dark ship approaches!” He cried. The captain, after running up on deck, examined the ship with his spyglass. “Shiver me hard drives” he bellowed as he saw the lay of her jib. “Shes a wardriver! ” (Note of historical Interest, a Wardriver is a term used to describe a way of searching for unsecure wireless networks.) “They be after plundering information on the ships server! Quick me mateys, prepare to repel boarders.” The crew scrambled to turn their laptops off while the Captain rushed to turn the wireless router off. Up on deck, the crew watched as the dark ship faded into the night. The Captain had no sooner settled back at his computer when again the cabin door burst open, this time it was the cook. “Blimey Captain, all my recipes files are gone!” This was bad news because the cooks famous secret recipe for chile con carne was highly sought after since winning 1st place at the Pirates ball last year. Thank the Kraken we have our backups” the Captain growled. The cook, cursing, left. Well, back to my email the captain thought. He pushed the send/receive button on his email client. “Blow me down” he bellowed, (Pirate Captains bellow a lot) “Whats all this SPAM mail doing in my inbox?” This was getting as back as a case of scurvy. As he sat, his rage boiling, he became aware of a lot of yelling coming from the crews quarters. “Now what” he cursed as he made his way forward. Upon entering the crew area he was assailed by a thunderous din of curses. (Pirates curse a lot) The Spainiard was yelling he couldn’t get his new game, “Pirates Revenge ” to load. The Italian couldn’t get into his stock portfolio. (Yes pirates have retirement plans too). The others were drowned out by the first mate yelling about his Blog being Hacked. As he surveyed the carnage, the captain noticed one of the crewman sitting calmly, using his laptop with apparently no problems. Bellowing loudly for quiet, he asked the crewman who he now remembered came from the land of Unix, why he was not upset. He looked up, and said “Why Captain, I’ve got a AntiVirus program along with good AntiSpyware and a reliable Firewall. I’m protected from brute force attacks, Phishing emails and drive by downloads.” He went on to say that it looked like the ships server was accessed through the wireless router, which was not secured with WEP (wired/wireless equivalent privacy). “Arrrgg”, he bellowed, the IT dogs back at the Island hideaway had told him all was peachy with the network when they sailed to pilage and plunder. The crewman whose name was Billy said he could get things ship shape by giving the other crewman the CD’s of his AntiSpyware, AntiVirus and his 3rd party Firewall…. for a price! “Aye,” the Captain replied wit a feeling of dread, “Whats your price?” Soon all onboard were back online and secure. Billy had his pockets stuffed with pieces of eight and of course, was wearing the Captains hat, looking mighty pleased with his bargaining skills. The Captain headed back to his cabin, worried that mutiny may be afoot. He had heard Billy telling the crew about those cursed Macs! The lesson learned here was obvious; You need to secure your network. AntiVirus and AntiSpyware is a must, So is a reliable Firewall. Anything less, you might as well be walking the plank, Matey! Arrrrgggg!
About the Author: Doug Woodall has a website at http://www.spywarebiz.com There he provides free information and recommended products to combat Spyware, Viruses and other Online Nasties.
How To Identify A Virus Infected E-mail Message?
It is often difficult to identify an infected e-mail message. The way modern viruses and mass mailing internet worms function, messages can seem to arrive from friends or colleagues. In reality most infected messages are being automatically sent by another infected machine who has no idea their machine even has a problem. Since the virus or worm pretend to be the owner of the infected computer it can be hard for you when you get unexpected email messages from them.
Here are a few important things to watch for:
1) E-mail messages from people you don’t know (including and especially SPAM). These are usually the culprits that put a virus on your computer.
2) E-mail messages from friends or family that you were not expecting (especially if they contain attachments). It is possible that these may not be from people you know, but may actually be spam messages.
3) Attachments in an email with subject lines that seem inappropriate or strange, even if it’s from someone you know. For example, an email from your retired father who is on a beach in Mexio titled “Update on system report” is suspicious.
4) You should NEVER EVER launch an attachment that ends with an .exe, .pif, .com, .bat, or .scr extension until you have scanned it with up-to-date virus scanner. Even files ending with .doc, and .xls (word and excel documents) can carry macro viruses and should be scanned. It does not matter if you completely 100% trust the person it came from. SCAN IT.
5) Never open SPAM email. Spam email is too easy to copy and use to send a nasty virus. I’m not saying spammers send viruses, but virus senders/creators do use spam-like messages to send their viruses, Trojans, and internet worms around.
6) If you’re not 100% sure the email is legitimate, call the sender and ask before opening the attachment. If you’re sure you’ve received an e-mail message with a virus, you should delete the email WITHOUT opening the email or the attachment. If it is important, it can always be resent.
7) Email is becoming the #1 method for viruses, worms and Trojan horses to spread. Take extra special care with your email, and you will not only protect yourself, but prevent yourself from accidentally becoming a spreader of virus loaded email messages.
The smartest thing to do is simply install a very affordable antivirus program (like Norton, McAfee, or PC-cillin) and set it to automatically scan all incoming and outgoing email messages and attachments. This way you protect your own computer, and make sure you don’t forward any infected messages to your friends and family.
The most important thing you have to realize is that viruses cannot get on your computer by themselves. You do have to put them there by opening files that can contain the harmful viruses. They could wipe out your hard drive, which could be detrimental for you if you have important files stored there and for which you don’t have a back up disk.
If you do get a virus on your computer, you don’t have to panic. If a virus is active in the memory, the anti-virus software may not be able to detect it. If you really want to make sure your computer doesn’t have a virus, turn it off and reboot it using a disk that you know doesn’t contain any virus such as your antivirus software’s recovery disk.
Learn how to<a href="http://www.reprint-content.com/Article/Remove-Blackworm-Virus/1581">remove blackworm virus</a> and how to block trojan horses, spyware, computer viruses, in the future. Large choice of <a href="http://www.reprint-content.com/Category/Security/149">Computer Security Articles</a>
Why Pay When You Can Get Free Anti Virus?
I?m sure you have heard this from a friend before, even some of your computer literate friends; but what I want to warn you of is that this is a dangerous question to be asking. You for sure know about viruses and that anyone today is vulnerable to them if they haven?t taken appropriate efforts to protect themselves, but other than that (if you are like most people you don?t really know what is out there (lots more than just viruses) and how to really protect yourself properly. In the next few paragraphs I want to tell you some critical information to save you lots of time and money and tears.
So viruses are, just like their biological counterpart, parasites in that they use a host to exist and more importantly to replicate. A virus is made up of computer code that is written in such a way as to insert itself into existing code of (most often) an executable file that already exists on the host computer. It uses the internet mostly to travel but can and has been transferred by removable forms of media like floppy disks, smart cards, etc. Like viruses, worms use the computer as a host, but only in order to use the hardware, as they do not need the host computers software to replicate. Trojan Horses are another example of malicious software or malware that use techniques that evade the natural and built up defenses on a computer. The point is that there is more than just viruses that you need protection from and not all anti virus software (especially free anti virus software) provide the comprehensive coverage that you need.
The sad thing about free anti virus software is that it lulls computer users into complacency and they end up as bad or worse off than when they were virus free. The companies that offer these freebies are doing it more or less as an advertising ploy, bringing more traffic to their sales page.
Now there is a caveat to this that I would like to explain and that is that free anti virus software is better than having nothing at all. So, if you are too poor to purchase your own security software package than by all means get it on your computer. However I seriously doubt that if you are able to purchase a computer you would not also be able to get anti virus protection. Consider it nothing more than a necessary maintenance cost, kind of like putting oil in your car every once in a while.
Trenton Martkes has been helping average PC users get to know their machines and how to protect them. He is the voice of reason for many the computer illiterate user. Learn more about <a href="http://www.freeantivirusdeal.info">free anti virus</a> software at www.freeantivirusdeal.info.
Proxy Sites 101
What are proxy sites?
Proxy sites give you the power and ability to keep your personal information and IP safe from many different things like spyware. You may not know this but every time you go on a website you are actually exposing your IP and other personal information. So, if you are like me and most people and want to keep your IP safe then I a totally proxy will benefit you.
However not only do proxies give you the power to protect yourself online but they also give you the ability to unblock any websites which your school/work establishment has blocked, sites such as myspace, games and facebook. I know everyone has had a time when they are at school and work and have nothing to do and they are bored out of there mind and want to go on Myspace, Games or Facebook but can’t because it’s blocked, so what do you do? You open a proxy and type in the site you want to go to and hey presto you have bypassed the filter!
The great thing about proxies is that you don’t have to pay anything to use them as they are 100% free and there are many available out there so if one does get blocked then you can find a working one in a matter of seconds!
So, to get you going on your proxy surfing journey I recommend http://www.sneakystudent.com which allows you to unblock myspace, unblock games, unblock facebook and any other sites.
Happy Browsing!
Daniel Lambert has been using proxy sites since high school and runs the popular proxy <a href="http://www.sneakystudent.com">Sneaky Student - Unblock MySpace, Unblock Games, Unblock Facebook</a>.
Cheating Spouse- Infidelity Investigations
Not only does infidelity hurt emotions and disrupt lives, it may also be extremely dangerous for health reasons. At Lakeside Investigations, it all begins with very detailed background work, which includes planning and investigation that is tailored to the lifestyle of your spouse or significant other.
How The New Computer User Can Reduce Spam
Every computer user gets spam in their email almost daily. There is just no way to avoid junk email unless you want to delete it without reading it. Yes, you can compare it to those telemarketers who call you at dinnertime (or any other time). There is no way to avoid having an email address on the computer because if you have an account, you must have an email address to do business on the Internet. Someone will find a way to contact you either by phone, snail mail or email to try to “sell” you an idea, plan, or a product. There is just no escaping junk email if you have an account on the Internet, and this unwanted email can become annoying at times.
Spam filters are used by most of the Internet Service Providers such as American Online. The computer user fills out a list of overused spam words in the email settings filter and saves it. After the settings go into effect, any any future email containing the spam word that you inserted into the filter will not make it into your email account. You may get spam in your spam folder, but some of it may be email you may want to read. If you want the email in your regular email , you can whitelist the email address in your address book so that the email is sent directly to your email account.
Be cautious in revealing your personal email address, for privacy or for safety reasons as well as avoiding spam. Do not let fear of spammers limit your time on the Internet forums or groups, as you can use a free email address or a disposable email account such as those on Hotmail, Mail.com, and Yahoo. Addresses from these accounts are often used by people to guard their privacy on forums and groups on the Web. When you feel that you know someone trustworthy, you can give them your personal email address. But have at least one or two different free disposable email addresses to cut the spamming in the personal email account.
Avoid responding to unsolicited spam as it will confirm your address to the spammer which could, in turn, send you even more spam than you will ever want to see. Also if you answer or complain about the offensive emails it may only come back to your email address as undeliverable or may be sent to some other annoyed computer user’s address. You can call or email your Internet Service Provider and ask what their procedure is in blocking spam. Several years ago, I remember sending manually a few hundred junk emails back to the Report Abuse team at my free email account. This worked very well as it has not happened again. Find out from your Internet Service Provider how they can help you end the onslaught of spam. Usually the spammer’s account will be terminated or shut down if there are enough complaints from consumers.
Check with Spam Cop and Network Abuse Clearninghouse’s resources and information for people who receive spam. These informative resources can contact the Internet Service Providers so that the spammer is made aware of complaints, although at times they may not always be accurate. Remember that the spam will continue if people remain complacent or just too lazy to report it.
Reducing the level of spam in your mailbox may take a little time and effort on your part. What you can also do is start blocking certain email addresses that come from repeated spammers. The junk emails are then blocked before they even reach your mailbox address. Again, set up the spam filter to block emails containing certain spam words so that you will not receive them. These two techniques alone will reduce the onslaught of unwanted junk emails in your personal email account.
The computer user must be careful of not clicking on email attachments from unknown senders as they can contain various types of viruses and infectious worms that can harm your computer or files. If you did not request a email to be sent to you, do not open an attachment as it could be a worm. You do not want to pay for expensive computer repairs. These problems, in turn, can be avoided if you have a strong firewall and good antivirus software in place on your computer. Do not be indifferent and believe that it will not happen to you. Be cautious, and try to research on protecting your computer. your online and offline privacy, and your Internet account.
John Chan is a writer and researcher who has a an interest in the Internet. His website is <a href="http://www.theantispamguide.com" title="http://www.theantispamguide.com" target="_blank">http://www.theantispamguide.com</a> and <a href="http://www.ezantispam.com" title="http://www.ezantispam.com" target="_blank">http://www.ezantispam.com</a>
Computer Backup
It’s happened to most of us; we’ve lost a document or a folder because there was no computer backup. Whether you lost a few lines you were typing because of power failure or your entire system crashed, computer backup is the only way to prevent such mishaps from destroying your files. Computer backup can be basic or sophisticated, costly or simply the price of your average floppy disk. Depending on your needs and the importance of your files, you will need a computer backup system that reflects your budget and your lifestyle.
Many computer users prefer to keep it simple and back up their data with a floppy disk or by copying and pasting documents. This is the most basic form of computer backup, but it is not satisfactory for everyone. Floppy disks often wear out, and you can have files stored on floppy disks for years that might be not perform if they are stored on old disks. On the other hand, if you use your files quite frequently, your floppy disk could wear out, which creates another problem for your floppy disk storage. If you simply store your document elsewhere on your computer, it might not survive a complete computer crash, although minor annoyances should not interfere with your files. Because of problems with viruses, computer crashes are becoming a more frequent occurrence for many PC users, and therefore, computer backup software is the best option for many consumers.
There are many files that are worth the time and investment involved in obtaining good computer backup software. Examples of such files are:
? Bank records
? Personal documents
? Digital photos
? Address books
? Software downloads
? Special projects
The best computer backup software not only creates a copy of your documents automatically, but it uses encryption algorithms to protect your information from unauthorized access and spyware. Your filename will also be encrypted to protect against intrusions. Most computer backup software is quite user friendly, and new files can be added instantly at the click of a mouse.
In addition to many great features, most computer backup software will enable you to:
? Create new backup programs
? Select files and folders for backup
? Define compression settings
? Choose target of backup
? Store backup info in various locations
The best computer backup programs are not rigid, but allow the user the flexibility to choose where and how their files will be stored. You can choose to have everything copied automatically, or specify which files you wish to have a backup. If you have a large volume of material to store, you can select compression settings, which will minimize the size of your documents and will enable you to store more information. You can also choose where you want your backup information to be stored, and you can place the data in various locations automatically, for instance, in your hard drive, USB stick, Network folder, CD, DVD and Remote FTP Server. You can also create a simultaneous backup communication between a remote FTP server and local storage devices.
Your computer backup software should provide easy user interface, the option to store your data in multiple versions and the capability to restore your files to their original folders. Most programs have a very easy to use help menu, and many have service lines to help customers who wish to communicate with an assistant. You can also obtain special features for your computer backup software, such as a disaster recovery CD or DVD, which will get your computer back up and running after a crash. You can have peer to peer backups for extra protection and virus scanning capabilities that will safeguard your valuable files against tampering.
Computer backup software varies in prices, and it is worthwhile to invest in the best program you can afford, especially if your business depends on valuable files. Don’t let an unexpected computer crash destroy your valuable data, but invest in computer backup software today.
Matt Garrett <a href="http://www.xoftspy.co.uk">www.XoftSpy.co.uk</a> <a href="http://www.data-recovery-experts.net">www.data-recovery-experts.net</a>
The Key To Computer Security - Anti Virus Software
In the computer world today it is important to remember that at every second your computer is at risk of being contaminated with an ugly virus. There are many ways your computer may become infected from e-mail viruses to Trojans. These infections can cause damage to your hard drive, attach themselves to your programs, or can even spread to other peoples computers from your e-mail. It is essential to protect your computer from these invasions by using a good anti-virus software program.
There are many different types of infections that can invade your computer some of which include viruses, worms, e-mail viruses, and Trojans. A virus can be transmitted from computer to computer by attaching itself to another program. When the program is running the virus is able to infect other programs or documents. Worms are a computer program that copies itself from computer to computer through the use of computer networks. They are often used to invade security holes in software programs. The latest computer invaders are e-mail viruses. An e-mail virus moves around in your e-mail messages and duplicates as it automatically sends itself to people in your address book, which in turn infects their computers in the same way. A Trojan horse invades your computer by pretending to be a program it?s not. When you open the program, the Trojan wreaks havoc on your computer that can cause irreversible damage.
In order to protect yourself from such invasion it is very important to make sure your computer is safe. One thing you can do is to run a more secure operating system like UNIX that can protect your computer from traditional viruses. Another option is to buy virus protection software if you are using an unsecured computer. Avoiding programs from unknown sources, disabling floppy disk booting, and making sure that Macro virus protection is enabled, are also things that can further protect you from invasion.
The best option for protecting your computer though, is to invest in an anti-virus program. There are many anti-virus programs like Norton antivirus, McAfee, and PcCillin, and some are even free like Avast and AVG. Anti virus programs work by keeping patterns of virus infected files and compares them to the files stored on your computer. If it finds any viruses you are immediately prompted to delete the contaminated file. Make sure to up-date your anti virus software consistently, which can be done through the Internet and most up-dates are free of cost.
If you are going to use the computer it is always best to protect yourself and your precious memories from all the dangerous computer infections. When you invest in a good computer and store your information on it, you are setting yourself up for a potential disaster that many viruses can cause. It is essential that you make sure that your computer is always protected by investing in a good anti virus program.
Dave Michaels writes on home and computer subjects. For more anti virus tips visit <a href="http://www.antivirustips4u.com">Anti Virus Program</a>
Recent Entries
- The Key To Computer Security - Anti Virus Software
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