Cryptography

[1] Cryptography is scrambling data so that it can't be read from an attacker/thief, but it can be read by the appropriate user. Basic Cryptography has been used for centuries. One common cryptography is encryption where the original text data is changed into a secret message that the appropriate user can only read. When the appropriate user reads the secret message in its original form, it is called decryption.

Data that is in unencrypted form is cleartext data, while plaintext is data that is to be encrypted.

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Cryptography provides basic information security. It is one step that can be taken to reduce security risks now-a-days. There are many ways to encrypt data. They all involve different algorithms, which contains procedures based on mathematical formulas (some can get really fancy and complex).

Wanna encrypt your files?? I know how in Windows at least. It is very simple. Now, i am bringing desktop snapshots in Windows Vista so the location of these steps may vary in other operating systems...

Choose a file. In this case i made a new Word Document.

Right click on the file to be encrypted, and click on Properties at the bottom of the list.

Then click on the Advanced button next to Attributes: Read-Only and Hidden.

Click on the box for Encrypt Contents to secure data in the new window. Then click the OK button.

Then click on the apply button at the bottom right corner.

After you clicked the Apply button this warning window will pop up and you click on Encrypt only this file. Then click OK and then OK again on the Properties window. Now your file is Encrypted Congrats!!

[1]Security+ Guide to Network Security Fundamentals

Outlook Signature

Wow, i can't believe i had to research this topic in order to help somebody with this. Here is the scenario: you send emails all day, you create documents etc.. If you want to put your contact information/business card information on the document or email you would have to type it up over and over.

Not any more...with Outlook signature you don't have to go through the endless typing. All you have to do is create the signature once and then you can copy and paste it anywhere. It will automatically be in every email message you begin to create. How do you do this?

Here is a link to a step by step instruction: Link

SSL

Secure Sockets Links (SSL) is a network protocol developed by Netscape for securing transmitted documents, webpage data, etc over the Internet.

Now Google uses SSL to encrypt and secure searches done through their web search engine. Note: some features on web pages will not work because they are not SSL capable. Here is the official Google blog about it: Link

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Now the hard part. I will attempt to explain the complex SSL protocol. First you must know what cryptography is. It makes data hidden to the public, and only private members/users can access the data. SSL is a transport protocol that makes up part of the Secure File Transport Protocol (SFTP). SFTP can also be based on Secure Shell (SSH), which is another transport protocol. SSL can also be used for securing e-mail transmissions.

[1] SSL uses a public key to encrypt data that is traveling over the connection. Transport Layer Security (TLS) is a protocol that guarantees privacy, and data integrity between applications communicating over the Internet. TLS is an extension of SSL, and i will refer to them as SSL/TSL.

[1] SSL/TSL protocol is made up of two layers. The TLS Handshake Protocol allows authentication between the server and the client. There is a negotiation of an encryption algorithm and cryptographic keys before any actual data is transmitted.

[1] The TLS Record Protocol is layered on top of a reliable transport protocol, such as the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP). It ensures that a connection is private by using data encryption, and that the connection is reliable. The TLS Record Protocol also is used to encapsulate higher-lever protocols, such as the TLS Handshake Protocol.

[1] Using SSL/TSL, SFTP provides protection from man-in-the-middle attacks because the server is authenticated with the client. In addition, it protects against packet sniffing during transmission because the data is encrypted.

How it works link

[1]Security+ Guide to Network Security Fundamentals Third Edition

Making the Internet Better

Very interesting site i happened to read about. Site

It deals with making the Internet faster. The Internet is the interconnection of all networks around the world. WWW stands for the World Wide Web, which is the collection of information that is in the Internet and also transmitted through the Internet.

Fiber optic cables are the fastest cables, and the best way to transmit data over the network. The article will explain why the Internet is not taking full advantage of light transmitting network hardware. I really hope they can figure out and perfect the transfer of data through light.

Speed kills they say. The only down side to having a faster Internet is the Malware that can be transmitted faster than ever over the Internet. Tough security measures will have to be implemented for the future if businesses, and government agencies want to survive in the future Internet.