February 4, 2009

Plagiarism Checker

I know this Web site will certainly come in handy for me as a student, but it's also very beneficial for teachers who want to check whether or not the work their students have turned in is plagiarized.

It’s really easy to use too! All you have to do is copy and paste the assignment into the text box and click on the Check the Paper button. It will then process the paper, checking it against its database.

Please note that it's only intended to accurately scan whole papers, not sentences or partial paragraphs. It will tell you if the document isn’t long enough and it gives you the option to go back if the paper doesn’t meet the parameters it was set up for.

Once it processes the paper, it will show you where in the text it could be plagiarized. Check it out!

http://www.dustball.com/cs/plagiarism.checker/

what is cialis used for

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Key Logging

Q:
What exactly is keystroke logging? I've heard it mentioned in your tips before, but I'm not quite sure what it is. Please explain!

A:
Oh, sure, I can do that! You're right, we have mentioned keystroke logging in many of our security tips before, but we've never really gone over what it is by itself. It's very important for all computer users to understand what all is involved with keystroke logging, so I'm glad you asked. I'm sure you're not the only one who has been wondering about it either. So, without further ado, let's have a discussion about keystroke logging!

Basically, keystroke logging (also known as keylogging) is a method used to capture and record user keystrokes. It's often thought of in a negative sense, but it can be used for good as well. For example, keylogging can be used to track down certain computer system errors, to research how users what is cialis professional interact with certain systems and it can even be used to check on employee productivity for certain tasks. Keylogging is also useful in law enforcement, as it provides a way to unlock passwords and encryption keys.

Of course, keystroke logging is also a method used by hackers to get into another user's computer and steal information. That's the type we talk about the most in our computer tips, because we want to keep you safe at all times. There's really not that much to it though. If you have an antivirus program, a good firewall and some type of anti-spyware software on your computer, you'll be safe from keystroke loggers. Those types of applications can stop keystroke loggers in their tracks so that your information stays protected.

Back on the other side, there are two types of keystroke logging: hardware and software based. Hardware loggers come in three different types. First, there are the devices that are attached to the keyboard cable. They're inline devices and they're very easy to install, but they're also easily detected. Secondly, there are the devices that can be installed inside an actual keyboard. They're rather difficult to install, but once they're in, they're almost impossible to detect. Thirdly, there are replacement keyboards that already have the key logger built in. Those are obviously the easiest to work with and the logger is very hard to detect.

The software loggers are basically set up to see how users interact with different software programs on a computer. Like I said before, they can be used to keep track of how an employee is performing and so on. There are several different types of software keylogging, including local machine software keyloggers, remote access software keyloggers, wireless keylogger sniffers and acoustic keyloggers. They're all used for different tasks and they all provide different results.

As you can see, keystroke logging is used in a variety of ways and while it's used for both positive and negative aspects, it's a useful procedure. There's probably a lot more technical jargon I could bog you down with in terms of keystroke logging, but I think you get the gist. Everything you really need to know about keystroke logging is discussed above. I hope you now have a better understanding of what keystroke logging is and you can go out and tell your friends all about it. It's a great dinner table topic, don't you think?!

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Securing Your E-mail

Did you know that when you send an e-mail, it's not secure? I'm sure you've heard people say you should never send personal information, such as credit card numbers, social security numbers and sensitive files through e-mail, but do you know why? Well, today, I'm going to explain all of that and give you options for sending e-mails that are safe for sensitive data. Here we go!

Let's first talk about why it's not safe to send a regular e-mail with sensitive data. When you send an e-mail, the information inside is sent just as you see it. The actual text you type is sent across the Internet. When something goes across the Internet, it doesn't just go from point A to point B. It actually goes through an average of six to 10 computers before it reaches its destination. Most of the time, the e-mail will be delivered without anyone seeing it, but there's always the chance a bad person could intercept the e-mail and read the contents. Since the e-mail isn't scrambled or encrypted, it's very easy to read and your information could be stolen.

Now that you understand the troubles of unencrypted e-mails, let's discuss e-mail encryption. When an e-mail is encrypted, it's scrambled using a special "secret key." The key can be used to descramble the e-mail and it's only known by the computer receiving the message. E-mail encryption is great! It secures e-mail so that no one can read it. It's nearly impossible to steal and it makes it so that very sensitive data can be sent in an e-mail with no worries. There is one problem though: if encrypting e-mail was simple, everyone would be doing it. Unfortunately, there are a couple requirements when it comes to e-mail encryption.

1.) You must be using an e-mail client, such as Outlook Express, MS Outlook, Thunderbird, etc. No Web based e-mail programs support e-mail encryption.

2.) In order to send an encrypted e-mail to someone, the person you're sending it to needs to have already shared their key with you. (Don't worry, I'll explain that more if you keep reading!)

Now, I understand that number 2 may have thrown you off a bit, so here's how it works. Like I said earlier, e-mail is encrypted with a special key that only the recipient can unscramble. That means, in order to send an encrypted e-mail, the person you're sending the usa cialis e-mail to needs to have an encryption key installed. That's why hardly anyone encrypts their e-mail. To have truly safe e-mail communication, both people sending and receiving the e-mail need to have an encryption key.

So, how can you get a key and how do you use it?

Well, here's the good news: getting an e-mail encryption key is free and easy! If you get a key, people can then send you encrypted e-mails if they're sending the e-mail using Outlook Express, Outlook or Thunderbird. Here's how to do it:

1.) First, head on over to this Web site.

2.) Once you're there, choose the option to get your free certificate.

3.) Fill out the form to get your certificate. Also, make sure you use the correct e-mail address and choose the high-grade size.

4.) An e-mail will then be sent to you. That e-mail will have directions on how to use the certificate. Click on the button to install the certificate.

5.) After the certificate is installed, you'll have the ability to digitally sign e-mails. That means you can send e-mails to people and they'll know for sure it's coming from you. After you send someone a signed e-mail, they can then send encrypted e-mails to you as well.

Okay, I'm almost done! The last part of this is how to actually sign and encrypt the e-mail. In Outlook Express, when you write a new e-mail, you should see a button that says Sign. Just click on that button and then send your e-mail like normal. If you have a signature from the person you're sending to, just press Encrypt and the e-mail will be protected.

Now, I know some of you are saying, "What do I do? I want to encrypt an e-mail to someone who doesn't have a certificate." Well, there's a way to do that too, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow. In tomorrow's newsletter, I'll show you a free download to use with Outlook Express or Outlook that will allow you to send encrypted e-mails to anyone. So, until tomorrow, stay safe out there, my friends!

As you probably remember, yesterday, I wrote about how you can secure your e-mail using a security certificate (you can read that tip here if you missed it). That process required both parties to be using an e-mail client, such as Outlook Express or MS Outlook. Well, today, I'll talk about another method of e-mail encryption that allows you to send secure e-mails to anyone if you're using Outlook Express. The best part about this method is that while you still have to be using an e-mail client, the recipient can be using any program and they can still read the e-mail by going to a secure link through the provider of the program. Let's check it out!

The program is called Comodo SecureEmail and it's completely free! All you need to do is install Comodo SecureEmail, use the wizard to get an e-mail certificate and start sending out secure e-mails. When you send a secure e-mail to a person who doesn't have the correct requirements, they'll be directed to a Web site where they can read your e-mail securely and safely.

To learn more about SecureEmail and download it for yourself, simply go here. Enjoy!

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LCD Zoom

Has this ever happened to you? You take an amazing shot with your digicam, it looks great on the camera's LCD monitor and you think you have a real winner. However, when you get back home, you're disappointed when you discover it wasn't quite as sharp as it looked on the LCD screen. Is there a way to have averted this tragedy? You bet there is!

Most (not all, but most) digital cameras have a "zoom" feature for their LCD screens. By "zooming in" on various areas of your image, you can tell if it's sharp or not.

Looks good small:

But maybe not so great enlarged:

Usually, the procedure works like this:

You set the camera to "review" mode, so you can look over the images you just shot. Most cameras will have a magnifying glass symbol somewhere near a button you press to zoom in. It may even be integrated into your camera's zoom lens function (for example, in "review" mode, you press the "zoom" button you use for the lens to zoom in on the image).

Once you start zooming, you can probably "scroll" around the image using a dial or set of buttons on the back of your camera. To determine exactly how your camera's zoom and scroll features work, it's probably a good idea to check your owner's manual.

Now, here's the trick. LCD screens on digital cameras tend to be a little less than perfect. They usually give a false sense of color, contrast and even sharpness. So, as you zoom in, you may find that the image looks a bit on the soft side when it's really not or it may seem sharp when it's anything but.

My advice is to leave your images on street value of cialis your card the next time you download them onto your computer. Find a few that are really sharp and print them out to be sure. Now, turn your camera on and take a good look at those pictures. Zoom in, zoom out, scroll around. Get a feel for how your camera's LCD monitor displays a sharp photo.

Let me tell you, the first time I had my new digicam, I was zooming in and thought every image I was taking was soft. I was on a trip and it was more than a little frustrating. It was only after I arrived home and started looking over the images on my computer that I got a feel for how my camera's LCD screen shows sharpness. Now, when I take a picture, I can zoom in and right away, I know if the image is sharp or soft. It was just a matter of getting myself "calibrated" to it. Give it a shot for yourself!

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Wireless Security

The ability to share an Internet connection is great and the ability to do this wirelessly is even better. Wireless networks are easy to install—you don't have to run cables, and you can roam around a location within the WLAN (wireless local area network), or physical range of wireless connectivity ( here's a way to get started ). These features are what makes wireless networks so popular with both end users, and hackers.

The one problem with wireless networks is the vulnerability of your network. A typical hardwired network has physical security due to limited access to the actual network and one opening to the internet (Gateway) has a firewall or two in place (or it had better). This can stop most unauthorized access to your network. The difficulty in setting up wired networks has discouraged a lot of people from installing networks in the first place.

Then a long came the wireless which, as I stated earlier in the article, made the home networking game more appealing and not as intimidating. Having a wireless network means that the physical security that is inevitable in a wired network is simply not there. Anyone in the range of your wireless network can see your network, and if not secured properly, can gain access. If your wireless access point isn't the router on your network then outsiders can slip in behind your firewall. This used to happen at my college—there was an apartment complex behind a portion of the school, and the other techs would piggyback on some guy's network. He had an unsecured wireless network—no one did anything bad to him (at least to my knowledge)—they just used him for Internet access but he never knew.

There are some practices you can perform to insure that no one is using your connection or trying to get on your personal network. First and foremost you need to get WEP (Wired Equivalent Protection) in place, which is an encryption that stops unauthorized users from accessing your network. There are at least two encryption types in 802.11b (128bit, and 64bit) and should probably be changed every other week or so. WEP encryption used to be completely the user's responsibility, but now I'm seeing hardware out of the box with at least one encryption key configured, forcing the user to configure his PCs in order to connect.

Using WEP is essential to wireless security, but don't rely on it alone, there are other security measures you can put in place as well. With some wireless units you can set a MAC address filters, witch can really beef up your security. A MAC address is an identification number the manufacturer stamps on a network device, and is (or should be) completely unique. If this security is in place then even if someone knows the WEP Key they still cannot get into the network because your wireless access device will deny it.

There are two other things you might want to do to tighten up your network: The first thing you should do is go through and change all of the default security settings, and passwords. The reason I said this is most Routers and access points usually have a lot of these configuration fields (i.e. username and password or the SSID ) filled out with generic values for ease of setup. The bad thing about this is that people can use these settings against you to gain access into your network. Secondly, with a lot of routers your SSID is set to broadcast by default, this means that it's broadcasting your network's name to the physical reaches of your network. Not good, even if your neighbors don't have the security rights to access your network they will constantly see it every time they boot up one of their wireless PC's.

Through the use of these practices you will not only protect your network, but render it practically invisible, and that's what you want. Just a side note before I go, if one day you boot up your wireless PC and you see a new connection that isn't secure, please take it easy on 'em, it's probably your neighbor. You have to remember not everyone is as informed or prepared as the Worldstart site cialis Readers and if your feeling nice go over and warn them to tighten up there network before someone not nice finds it open.

Wireless Network Security, part two: AirSnare

Those of you who look forward to the security articles I put out may remember last week's article on the basics of wireless network security. This week's article is along the same lines, not so much locking a wireless network down, but rather how to monitor it, and a really cool way to give any freeloaders a little scare.

Before I get ahead of myself, let's do a little recap of last weeks security article. I talked primarily about locking down your wireless network using some of the integrated tools on wireless routers and WAPs (Wireless Access Points). Things like MAC filters, WEP keys, and changing "out of the box" passwords and SSIDs can stop most users from accessing your network, but what about a knowledgeable experienced user.

In case you didn't know, there are sites and tools out there that advanced users can use to circumnavigate certain security measures, in order to get what they want. This could be the neighbor trying to get free Internet access or their kid who's just horsing around. Either way you don't want this and it's a nice feeling to be able to catch' em, who knows, you might even set them straight and teach them a lesson.

If you remember last week I mentioned how my classmates snuck on to some poor guy's wireless network behind the university (bad place to have an unsecured network—these guys knew what they were doing and had the tools to do it) and surfing the web. If Mr. X had the program AirSnare he would've caught the students in the act, and he could've sent them a message letting them know the "jig is up".

AirSnare is a wireless network monitoring system that has some pretty cool features. In a nutshell, AirSnare takes a list of MAC addresses that you have OK'd as being your network devices, (i.e. your home PCs) and alerts you of access by any other MAC address. The program actually warns you by telling you with a voice that there is "unauthorized access on your network", and you can even set it to email you any security breeches. In addition to the audio warning, the interface also turns red and you can see the user's MAC address and what they are doing. That's right, you can actually see if an intruder is checking their mail or surfing the web.

Not only does it tell you this info, but you can actually double click the destination IP address and Airsnar will connect you to the site. This is all very cool, but the best is the Airhorn, an element of AirSnare that allows you to send intruders a message that pops-up on their screen telling them what ever you type in, for example "I'm watching every move you make, so get off of my network".

The GUI is a little on the primitive side, but that's because it was meant as a low requirements tool, and not a bloated end-user program. Before you download the AirSnare look over the manual, especially the setup instructions. One thing you have to do is download, and install the WinPcap library—it's a protocol analyzer and is an important component in AirSnare. The whole process (download and install) takes just a couple of seconds, basically download and double click. It doesn't install a program just a library that AirSnare uses to capture network packets.

AirSnare may be a little different than other programs you're used to, but it really is easy to use and if you have a wireless network I think it could be an invaluable tool for maintaining tight security. Besides, if friends or family come over you can blow them away with your knowledge of wireless security and your super-cool monitoring tools.

Download WinPcap…
http://winpcap.polito.it/

Download AirSnare…
http://home.comcast.net/~jay.deboer/airsnare/

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