James Settle
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Good post Teisha,
The analogy of the motherboard as the backbone of the computer is great. It is great that manufacturers create motherboards with expansion in mind knowing that technology is every evolving. Lower level boards may have processors hard wired on the motherboard, but most boards will have chipsets that allow for possible upgrade with quicker processors and memory slots that are expandable from 8GB to 32, 64GB or greater. Also it’s worth mentioning many manufacturers today produce multi layered circuit boards. Those components that are bound together by design on motherboards would otherwise be multiple breadboards with a mass of wires running from component to component. They are very essential indeed.
Amazing analogy Carlos,
I couldn’t have said it better myself. The CPU being the brain and the motherboard being the nervous system. The highway is a great analogy as well since the motherboard interconnects each component so the CPU can transport information across the information super highway.
Excellent post Isabella,
I think documenting the problem & solution are both very valuable parts of troubleshooting. As you stated many issues that arise when troubleshooting and fixing an issue. But proper documentations of the issue makes it so if the issue arises again there is recorded procedure on how to resolve that issue whether you see it or another colleague a thousand miles away, and we all know that most devices like cars have specific manufacturing defects that are common to the make or model.
The motherboard also referred to as the main board, system board, or controller is the physical board that houses every component required to make your computer function. Whether it is an actual HP, Dell, or Apple desktop or laptop or not, any programmable device that can compute mathematical and logical functions is considered a computer. Down to a simple calculator or electronic watch. The components on a PC motherboard usually consist of the CPU, memory, and various connectors for graphics interface, HDD, SDD, and other I/O devices
The CPU, which I refer to as the processor, is the Central Processing Unit. The processor does just that, it processes and executes the calculations and instructions of whatever it is programmed to do. In a calculator the processor is programmed to execute or output the results of mathematical functions. In a watch the processor is programmed to output the time of day in military or 12-hour time sometimes in addition to the day of the week, temperature, etc. Both are necessary in order for the computer to operate.Troubleshooting is significant in most any aspect of life. My background is in electronics engineering technology, so I have been repairing hardware for about 20 years and as with any problem you face in life you have to get to the root of the problem in order to determine how to fix it. Deciphering or interpreting the information that the end user or customer gives you is just as vital as finding the problem itself. If the end user tells you it doesn’t work, that can be a million things. The first step with hardware is identifying the issue, finding out if it’s plugged in, if it powered on, do you see any lights, etc.
My current role is as a technical support specialist for printers, so I am no longer physically repairing the hardware, but troubleshooting issues remotely to determine whether it is a network issue, software issue, driver, or something physical that requires a hardware ticket in order to be repaired. No matter the aspect of troubleshooting, it is vitally necessary as a way to quickly identify problems and resolve them.I find solace in this passage because it reminds me, I can cast my care on him, for He cares for me. 1st Peter 5:7 parallels this passage a lot because it connotes the peace you find when you give it all to God. When we truly enter into His rest, we allow God to becomes our source, our protection, as well as our provision. We can let go of all fear, anxiety, every doubt, every burden and just rest in the assurance that He is going to work it out.
The comforting thing about resting in God’s kingdom is there is room for everyone. The invitation to come is to all. Jesus came to seek and save them that were lost. This included everyone that recognized they needed Him. When we don’t rely on Him and continue to do things our way and make things happen on our own, we aren’t relying on God and are therefore have not truly entered into His rest. We must come to the realization that He can do a better job taking care of us than we could ever do on our own. True rest in Him requires faith and trust regardless of situations and circumstance.Great Job Carlos,
I’m sure most post will have similar answers regarding SoHo routers, to which I think you did a wonderful job answering as well. I am sure this will be discussed in another course [not fundamental InfoSec], but I would like to add something different to the conversation. What similarities and differences can you list between SoHo routers and corporate or enterprise routers?
Excellent post Isabella,
Unsecured public networks as well as rouge wifi are both ways users open themselves up to making their devices vulnerable to attack and potentially permit data to be stolen.
I completely agree there may not be a way to ever be invulnerable to attacks, but with proper education you can prevent many attacks. With viruses and malware attacks everchanging it is crucial to stay ahead of the game and on the cutting edge when it comes to new protection measures as well.So based on week eleven’s lesson, SOHO or small office home office routers are MFD or multifunction devices that create local networks for computers and other devices to connect to the internet through WLAN, or wireless local area networks. Routers are multifaceted like Swiss army knifes as they can act as a switch, a firewall, a DHCP server. Some also contain a wireless access point or WAP, as well as DSL, broadband or coaxial cable modems. They are essentially computers themselves which also contain a user interface. Lastly most current SOHO routers have a WAN port, usually an ethernet port, sometimes a DSL/coaxial cable connector that allows direct access by the ISP for easy setup on the internet. While most SOHO routers do not require configuration, some things may require configuration or setting changes.
Three emerging vulnerabilities on mobile & physical devices would be phishing attacks, rogue wifi hotspots, and social engineering.
Phishing attacks come in the form of fake websites, or links via email, from mobile or physical devices where attackers use targeted messages to try to trick people into revealing personal information or clinking a link with malware, usually resulting in some way to obtain their financial information.
Rogue Wifi is where attackers set up fake wifi hotspots in order to direct network traffic their and intercept and obtain sensitive data from users.
Social engineering in infosec, the best way i can explain it is catfishing. Manipulating people in attempt to gain information about them. Basically building up a case file on people, info gathering, gaining access to their systems, and sometimes fraud.
Countermeasures to reduce these vulnerabilities would be virtual private networks on any outside/ public network connections, data encryption, and enabling multiple firewalls as a deterrent, MFA, and constant user education as new threats and techniques to implement them continue to emerge.
I am so thankful to know the Son. Proverbs 9:10 says “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (James, 2019) I thank God for a healthy reverence or fear of Him. 1 John 5:12 helps us to further understand that same reverence and fear, should extend to the Lord Jesus Christ. More than that when we fear, or esteem the Lord in his proper respect, we realize we don’t have anything to fear from man at all. When we are reconciled to God through salvation in Jesus Christ, we have proper relationship with God, and as we build relationship with Him through prayer & reading of the word we are made more and more into the image of God. Christ has given us power over all the power of the enemy & if God is for us he is more than the entire world against us. So even in perilous times not only can we rely on the Father to take care of us, but he has given us power to overcome the enemy ourselves with the help of the Holy Spirit. Those are just a few scriptures that help me in times when the fears and doubts of life try to creep in.
References
James, K. (2019). Holy Bible: King James Version, 1611 Edition.
Great post as usual Isabella. Excellent point regarding how essential antimalware software is on a systems to prevent spread of malicious software. I would go even further to say equally as important as it is to have antimalware software, it is just as important to stay up-to-date on downloading and installing current definitions. This will help to prevent intrusions on the individual systems and better yet stop the spread of viruses and malware to the network at large.
Great post Misty. Some physical security hardware such as surveillance cameras (IP cameras or NVR systems) have IDS features included such as motion detection for times outside business hours and alarms that trigger after prolonged time inside these areas. Not only do they deter criminals ,but they also allow the ability to track the movements of certain individuals or items throughout the building in the event something needs located or recalled. This can be viewed as a positive in many ways, but also a negative to some in terms of profiling.
Excellent post Teisha. I pointed out poor user behavior as an issue as well. Leaving passwords out in the open, or written down on a post it, taped to the monitor, leaving a workstation unlocked on breaks and lunches. All user behaviors that increase the likelihood of vulnerability to cyberattacks. Companies have attempted to curb such behavior by adding features to change passwords every 90 days & not being able to add incremental numbers to the end of existing passwords. Even though things have become more frustrating for employees, any and all efforts to create stronger more complex combinations of alphanumeric passwords with requirements to have at least one number, one capital letter, and one symbol as well as minimum password length requirements are all considered best practices.
So one device we utilize on the multifunction devices we service are RFID readers, so only those users who have passwords or readers can print to the specific network connected printer. This would be considered network access control. Also in a lot of the financial institutions we install them in or school systems, they are installed in secure locations or rooms with physical locks or rooms you need to badge into, which again utilize some type of RFID reader or key fob. Finally, most businesses, churches, schools, banks or corporations today utilize some sort of surveillance system, NVR, or network video recording system for monitoring secure areas and after hours activity. Others might include biometric authentication such as retina scanning, fingerprint reader, VPN gateways.
