Posts

Week 12 Post - Wrap it up

Security threats are everywhere. Recently, I have received more than one phone call from Korea. Of course, I didn’t answer.  I have also received an email from the “IRS” that informed me that my tax return might have been compromised and I should call the provided number. Again, I didn’t respond. I went to the IRS website and called an official phone number. The real IRS said everything looks fine. I also try to avoid clicking links within emails so I don’t accidentally give access to malicious software. The main thing to remember is that you need to be defensive. I have enjoyed this class. For the most part, I didn’t learn of new hardware components or Windows security options that I was not aware of before this class. However, I did learn additional in-depth concepts of SSD technologies, WANs, internet protocols, windows features and utilities, and data paths within computer systems. I am sure I learned more, but I can’t recall anything else at the moment. Currently, I am not in a
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Week 11 Post - Printing

Some individuals own a printer and others do not, but everyone uses the product of a printer. Printed documents are used for items such as loan agreements, education documents, and restaurant receipts. There are several types off printers, but a few of them are more popular. The primary printers types are Inkjet printers, laser printers, tank printers, and thermal printers. Cannon and Epson are two types of Inkjet printers. Both of them squirt ink on a piece of paper, but LaserJet printers are a little more unique. It uses electricity to create a positive and negative charge that makes the toner (not ink) stick to the paper. Then a hot roller melts the toner onto the paper. Thermal (receipt) printers don’t use ink or toner. It uses heat to cause thermal paper to react. There are a few features to consider when buying a printer. Some of the features include black and white prints, color prints, print resolution, and print tray capacity. You also need to decide if you want to buy i
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Week 10 post - Security Concerns

Currently, there are two mainstream operating systems on mobile devices. For Apple and Android developers, security is one of the foremost considerations. Security of company properties and customer’s confidence in privacy are both important. Simplistically speaking, the basic concept of operating system security of a mobile device is the same as the more robust desktop and laptop computers, but on a smaller scale. Although, iOS and Android devices do not need security software installed like most desktops and laptops. System security is an integrated part of the operating systems and continuously updated by major and minor updates. The primary methods of data transfer are through cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, near-field communication. There are several best practices are should be strongly considered.  The first thing is to ensure the operating system is up-to-date, which will help reduce the likelihood of compromising security. Additionally, be to use dissimilar passwords on your d
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Week 9 Post - LAN troubleshooting

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Generally speaking, there are four common means of getting internet service. You can receive internet through Fiber, cable, DSL, and satellite services. Fiber is exactly as it sounds, data travels through a fiber optic cable. Cable internet uses the same cabling that supplies your TV programs. DSL internet uses a phone line, and satellite internet travels by Ku band frequencies. In any case, losing your internet connection is a pain and a terrifying experience if you have never had to troubleshoot it. In my experience, it is one of four things that cause me to lose internet. I could accidentally unplug the Ethernet cable, the wireless dongle turns off, the cable modem (or router) needs to be rebooted, or the provider is having issues. Although, a few years ago I moved to a different home. We purchased cable internet, but could not connect to the internet. Come to find out, the line that came from the phone pole to the house was the original line from the early 90's. fortunatel
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Week 8 Post - Parts of Network Systems

Network systems are important in today's tech-centered society. In reality, many of the common infrastructures we use would be crippled (at least for a short time) if something was to happen. A network, usually internet based, is comprised of multiple devices that are interconnected. The devices can be any system that has the ability to connect to the internet. For a home network, devices connect to the internet through a router. The router is the host that sends and receives data to an external network (such as Walmart.com). The two basic types of networks are the Local Area Network (LAN) and Wide Area Network (WAN).  A LAN is a self-contained network that connects multiple devices together and is usually connected to the internet (World Wide Web).  A step up from a LAN is the WAN. A WAN connects multiple LANs, in which the LAN is the “device” and the WAN is the self-contained network. Businesses and some home networks use hubs and switches. Hubs and switches are used in LAN sy
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Week 7 Post - System Trouble

Computers are amazing machines. They can crunch thousands and millions of data points in a few seconds. Government officials can share vast amounts of intelligence and gamers are able to play complex and visually stunning video games. Unfortunately, computer systems occasionally run into errors that cause problems and bring the system to a halt. Those issues can be caused by malfunctioning hardware and software. Hardware malfunctions occur while installing new hardware, improper re-installation after maintenance, and over-working hardware (overclocking). Fixing a hardware malfunction may be as simple as removing the hardware, cleaning it, and reinstalling. Other times, the hardware must be replaced to resolve an issue. Conversely, the software or driver might be faulty if the hardware was replaced and it still does not function. software errors can be caused by erroneous code, a bad device driver, or missing device driver. Software and driver errors may occur at any point. They can o
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Week 6 Post - Data oversight

Not all users need enterprise level security, although, controlling your data is important. There are numerous options that will improve single-user and multi-user security. First option is to create user accounts and set appropriate permissions. A user account will improve system security by allowing an administrator to manage account access and restrictions. The user account can be limited to certain files, settings, and functions unless the user has the administrator password. The administrator can also manage file permissions by accessing the properties of specific files or a parent file and managing the permissions under the Security tab. Second option, the user can encrypt data. Basic data encryption, of some internal devices, is available on Windows 10 Home. Although, Windows 10 Pro will unlock additional capabilities with BitLocker. Additionally, the administrator can restrict applications. For Windows 10 Enterprise and Windows Education, the AppLocker can limit certain appli
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