-
Amazon’s “Sidewalk” Mesh Network Goes Live; All Devices Are Opted-In Automatically By Default
Amazon’s neighborhood mesh network dubbed “Sidewalk” has gone live. Via the New York Times: On June 8, Amazon is set to flip the switch on its new free service called Sidewalk, which will automatically be enabled on many of Amazon’s Echo smart speakers and smart displays, as well as some Ring devices (for more details, see the complete list of compatible devices). Once Sidewalk goes live, compatible devices such as speakers, light bulbs, locks, and sensors will be able to connect anonymously to other Sidewalk devices to borrow a little slice of internet connectivity. That should enable some interesting features down the line as more compatible devices appear. It’s also creating a fair amount of…
-
What is a ‘NOC’? What is a ‘SOC’? The Battle of ‘NOCs’ vs. ‘SOCs’…
Noc’ing the Soc’s Off You!! First of all, I want to preface this by stating and asking, “Why aren’t NOCs and SOCs the same thing???” Just initially hearing what the acronyms stand for alone, and going based off of that, I would think we would want “Network” and “Security” intertwined and treated with a holistic approach. Similar to how security should be “baked in” to software. NOC–Network Operations Center A NOC is a Network Operations Center (NOC, pronounced like the work ‘knock’), which can also be referred to as a “network management center”. It can be one or more locations from which network monitoring and control (i.e. network management) is…
-
What is Traffic Light Protocol (TLP)?
Traffic Light Protocol (TLP) is a system for classifying sensitive information created in the early 2000s in order to facilitate greater sharing of information. “TLP is a set of designations used to ensure that sensitive information is shared with the appropriate audience. It employs four colors to indicate expected sharing boundaries to be applied by the recipient(s).”[1] TLP is “optimized for ease of adoption, human readability and person-to-person sharing”.[1] It is to be noted that TLP is distinct from the Chatham House Rule, BUT may be used in conjunction, if deemed appropriate by the information exchange participants. Chatham House Rule— “when a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the…
-
What is Remote Code Execution?
What is Remote code execution (RCE)? A simple web search brings up a Wikipedia page on Arbitrary code execution (ACE). According to Wikipedia: In computer security, arbitrary code execution (ACE) is an attacker’s ability to execute arbitrary commands or code on a target machine or in a target process. An arbitrary code execution vulnerability is a security flaw in software or hardware allowing arbitrary code execution. A program that is designed to exploit such a vulnerability is called an arbitrary code execution exploit. The ability to trigger arbitrary code execution over a network (especially via a wide-area network such as the Internet) is often referred to as remote code execution…
-
Network Monitoring–Advanced IP Networking–NETWORKING, SECURITY, & MORE ESSENTIALS—CompTIA Network+ (N10-007) NETWORK-PLUS Certification Prep Course Notes
Network Monitoring SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) SNMP uses (listens on) UDP port 161 or port 10161 when using TLS. SNMP–managed devices run an agent that talks with a N.M.S. (Network Management Station) (Note: A NMS can run on a virtual machine.) N.M.S. (Network Management Station) SNMPv1 is unencrypted, SNMPv2 added basic encryption, SNMPv3 added TLS encryption. (It’s ok if there are different versions on the same setup.) SNMP allows us to administer & manage network devices from a single source. SNMP Manager is the device that “talks with” SNMP devices. The SNMP Manager (usually a computer) runs the NMS (the interface that talks with the managed devices). The NMS…
-
Managing The Network–Advanced IP Networking–NETWORKING, SECURITY, & MORE ESSENTIALS—CompTIA Network+ (N10-007) NETWORK-PLUS Certification Prep Course Notes
Managing The Network Managing Risk What is Risk Management? Security policies are documents with broad overview statements. Security controls provide more details. Procedures discuss specific implementation of policies. Security Policies Security Policies document to users how to access system resources and what is allowable and acceptable. Safety policies apply to the IT department, too! NDA’s, software licensing, & data restrictions need to be considered to protect an organization. A.U.P. (Acceptable Use Policy) What can people do with company equipment?? defines ownership; web-site access; access times; R.A.P. (Remote Access Policy) VPN usage; Authentication rules; Password Policy Complexity; Lockout IT Safety Policy Lifting equipment; Equipment handling; Spills; Procedures; License Restrictions Usage; Transfer;…
-
Building a Real-World Network–Advanced IP Networking–NETWORKING, SECURITY, & MORE ESSENTIALS—CompTIA Network+ (N10-007) NETWORK-PLUS Certification Prep Course Notes
Building a Real-World Network Network Types Know the differences between all the “area network” acronyms. Geographical: LAN, WAN, CAN, MAN, Internet; Wireless: WLAN, PAN; Network Design Network design starts with assessing customer needs. Design considerations include documentation, compatibility with existing hardware & software. Bring in security early & make sure to assess external connectivity. Assess current networking infrastructure. Analyze existing network documentation. Assess wireless needs. Power Management UPS–Uninterruptible Power Supply A UPS is a battery back-up & should be used for short-term power loss. Power generators can be diesel or gas, and are used to maintain power for when electric power is not available. Dual power supplies and redundant circuitry…
-
Mobile Networking–Advanced IP Networking–NETWORKING, SECURITY, & MORE ESSENTIALS—CompTIA Network+ (N10-007) NETWORK-PLUS Certification Prep Course Notes
Mobile Networking Cellular Technologies Mobile communication can use cellular towers which have a range of over 17 miles. Cellular WAN has developed several standards to handle data traffic. Mobile protocols include: HSPA–3G, HSPA+–4G, and LTE. WiMax–extension of Wi-Fi networks; uses the 802.16 standard for more range than the 802.11 standard. HSPA (High Speed Packet Access)–single Mbps range 3G technology. HSPA+–multiple Mbps range; considered a 4g technology. LTE–ten’s of Mbps range; 4G technology. Tethering–using the cell phones signal to get other devices online. Can be wired or wireless (hotspot). Mobile Connectivity ANT/ANT+ are used for health applicances (e.g.-monitoring; workout equipment; heart-rate monitors; watches), run in 2.4GHz band, range is 20-30 meters,…
-
Virtualization & Cloud Computing–Advanced IP Networking–NETWORKING, SECURITY, & MORE ESSENTIALS—CompTIA Network+ (N10-007) NETWORK-PLUS Certification Prep Course Notes
Virtualization & Cloud Computing Virtualization Basics Don’t confuse virtualization with emulation! Emulation uses software to imitate hardware. Virtualization uses a system’s actual hardware! Recognize the benefits of virtualization. There are two types of hypervisors: Type 1 (bare metal) Type 2 (hosted) Virtualization doesn’t pretend to be anything that it’s not! (Remember, virtualization uses a system’s actual hardware!) Virtualization saves power; & it consolidates hardware; & it makes system recovery easy, & it’s handy for IT research! Hypervisor–V.M.M. (Virtual Machine Monitory) the thing that manages & runs the Virtual Machine for us! Type 2 Hypervisor–runs on top of the host OS. Type 1 Hypervisor–runs directly on top of hardware, independent of…
-
Wireless, Virtual, Cloud, & Mobile Networking–Advanced IP Networking–NETWORKING, SECURITY, & MORE ESSENTIALS—CompTIA Network+ (N10-007) NETWORK-PLUS Certification Prep Course Notes
Wireless, Virtual, Cloud, & Mobile Networking Wireless Networking (Note:Ad-hoc networks are Wi-Fi networks comprised only of peer computers.) Intro To 802.11–uses radio waves to transmit info between nodes. A WAP (Wireless Access Point) is a bridging device that connects into an Ethernet network & communicates via radio waves to wireless clients. A WAP has a SSID (Service Set Identifier), a word or phrase used to connect wireless devices to the WAP device. CSMA/CA (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance) is the method used to prevent wireless collisions. Almost all devices & gadgets today have wireless NICs built-in to them! 802.11 Standards Early wireless standards were 802.11b (2.4-GHz) and 802.11a…