IFSM 310 – Stage 2 Assignment – Due Sunday

Chapter 4

Networks and the Internet

4.1 Computer Networks

4.1.1 Networking Applications

GPS Satellite NASA art-iif.crop

There are many different types of network applications. First and foremost is the internet, the largest network of networks in the world. Second, there are our phones, the oldest of which is POTS (plain old telephone service), which one day could be replaced by the newer technol- ogy, mobile phones. Mobile phones have been around for a few years now, and are beginning to replace home phone lines. Mobile phones can be separated into two groups, cellular phones and satellite phones. Cell phones work by communicating with cell towers in order to function. There are some dual mode phones which allow you to make phone calls through a WIFI signal, and switch to cell signal when out of WIFI range. Satellite phones work by communicating with satellites in space, this is primarily used with the military, where cell tower cover- age is nearly impossible in some locations. While satel- lite phones can be used in rural and mountainous arias, the drawback to them is when there is a storm or heavy

clouds, you can lose your signal. Satellites are also used with a GPS(global positioning system). GPS functions by relaying data between your device and the 24 satellites in space. They work similarly to sonar waves. The signal leaves the satellite, and depending on how long it takes to get to you will determine your exact location. In addition to tracking subjects, satellites and networks are beginning to play a larger part in the field of search and rescue (SAR). Most ocean going boats and all air- planes carry some kind of emergency beacon on board. Aircraft carry an emergency location transmitter (ELT) and boats carry an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB). Before the mid 2000’s these devices transmitted on 121.5 mhz, the international emergency frequency, which was monitored by SAR satellites. How- ever, in 2009 [1], SAR satellites stopped monitoring 121.5 beacons in favor of the newer 406 mhz beacons. These devices guide SAR team to the site of a crash, but the signal is also embedded with data. This data includes the name of the owner of the beacon, the aircraft or ves- sel identification, and a precise GPS location. These ca- pabilities are also being used on personal locator bea- cons (PLB). These devices are small enough to carry in a pocket, but powerful enough to send an emergency sig- nal to a satellite. Hikers can use these if they are going to a remote area. The use of a satellite network allows for very precise tracking of these devices, and can bring rescue team to the site within two hours. Computer networks consist of two or more computers or hardware devices linked together to enable connections between shared hardware, software, and data. A combi- nation of networks that consist of telephone networks and computer networks are also becoming more commonly used in this generation.[2] The data is able to be passed along to other networks due to networked computing de- vices along data connections. A datagram, segment, or block is a unit of communication over a digital network, commonly known as a packet. The data breaks down into smaller units of data when needed. Once the data trav- els along the data connections, the pieces of data are re- assembled into the original data chunk. Data is structured differently, depending on the protocol enforcing the data. The structure of a packet consists of a header and a pay- load. The header consists of titles regarding transmission-

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4.1. COMPUTER NETWORKS 95

A Common PLB

related information. The payload, however, consists of the actual data the packet is carrying.[3] Computer net- works range from small private networks, to large com- puter networks. The Internet, or the World Wide Web, is the largest computer network, consisting of a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the In- ternet. Via hyperlinks, a user of the Internet can access images, text, videos, etc.

RFID chip

Monitoring Systems are another form of networking ap- plications. These systems specialize in locating a specific person, vehicle or device rather than pulling up geograph- ical information like a GPS does. However, most mon- itoring systems use GPS in locating their targets. Radio Frequency Identification (or RFID) for example, can be used to locate a person or animal with an RFID chip em- bedded inside of it. Most commonly recognized for it’s

ability track pets that have the chip implanted, RFID has also moved into the human medical field. In fact, some breast implants in the United Kingdom have been chipped so that a physician can read information about the implant years after the surgery has been completed.[4] While this is the social reasoning for this type of chipping, it seems that medical records housed on inexpensive servers would suit this purpose just fine. The fact remains that RFID chips, which are about the size of a grain of rice, oper- ate using a small silicon chip and a copper antenna which emit personal information about it’s owner. This infor- mation is then picked up by electronic networks feeding back information about the product, the person carrying it, and it’s location to the network. It’s currently being used to track cattle and Alzheimer’s patients as well as merchandise produced by manufacturers.[5] Other moni- toring systems include vehicle tracking software such as the famous OnStar. This type of networking application has been expanded so that employers can spy on employ- ees using company vehicles. With a simple installation, the latest vehicle tracking applications can feed informa- tion about the geographic location of a company vehicle, the speed of the vehicle, and even “hard breaking” events. Mobile phones aren't omitted either. Since most of the current mobile phones have stand alone GPS systems a person can track the movements of the individuals under their plan as well as their own phone if it is stolen.[6]

A video conference.

Multimedia networking has exploded as well. This type of networking offers digital multimedia content such as movies, music, and recorded t.v. shows to be viewed over a phone, p.c., or television. While most devices already have the required capabilities built in, some devices need may need a receiver. Placeshifting is common with this type of network which will allow an individual to down- load content from one place and view it in another, i.e. from a t.v. to a mobile phone. Similarly, VideoConfer- encing allows people to interact remotely from separate locations. Instead of streaming a movie in real time, a person can stream a video feed from a relative or business part who might be across the globe. They can then inter- act and speak as they normally would while viewing the mannerisms of others in real time. Also, through the use of videoconferencing Telemedicine has been used to di- agnose and treat patients who are unable to access a doc- tor in person because of their poverty level, geographical area, or physical condition. Physicians, with the assis-

96 CHAPTER 4. NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET

tance of a member on site with the patient, use videocon- ferencing to conduct tests such as simple ear and throat checkups to procedures as complex as actual surgery in some cases.[7]

One relatively new use of networking is telesurgery, or remote surgery. As the name implies, this is surgery that takes place over distances: that is, the surgeon is not ac- tually in the same room as the patient. A surgeon con- trols robotic arms that in turn perform surgery on the patient. Some advantages of this kind of procedure are that it mitigates the potential effect of a surgeon’s hands shaking, the surgeon’s arms rest comfortably throughout the entire procedure, and the surgeon can specify a task that (s)he wishes to have performed and ensure it is safe before the robotic arms actually carry it out. Initially, there was just computer-assisted surgery, where the sur- geon sat only a few meters away, but now longer-distance telesurgery has been developed: the first telesurgical pro- cedure was known as Operation Lindbergh and involved a New York doctor performing on a French patient across the Atlantic. Telesurgery still isn't especially widespread, but in time, it may see such uses as performing on astro- nauts in long-term space travel, performing on soldiers on or near battlefields, or working alongside or training surgeons in remote, developing countries. Time will tell how useful these kinds of procedures turn out to be, but they are definitely an example of a networking technol- ogy that would have been unthinkable just a few decades ago.[8]

4.2 Network Characteristics

Networks can contain many different characteristics that define how they function as well as their capabilities. These characteristics include certain factors such as topology, scalability or size, architecture, and media.[9]

4.2.1 Network Topology

Bus Topology

Network topology is how different nodes in a network are connected to each other and how they communicate.

The five most common topologies are mesh topology, star topology, bus topology, ring topology, and tree topology. In a mesh topology, devices are connected with many excessive interconnections between network mode. In a star topology, the devices are connected to a central computer, and the nodes communicate across the net- work by passing data through the hub, which is the central computer. In a bus topology, it connects all devices on a local-area network called LAN. Bus networks are not very pricey, and they are easy to install. In a ring topol- ogy, it consists of a local area network whose topology is a ring. The messages travel around the ring. In a tree topology, it is considered a “hybrid” topology that com- bines characteristics of the bus and star topologies.[10]

4.2.2 Network Architecture

Server-based-network

Network architecture is the layout of the network. The hardware, software, communication protocols, and mode of transmission in the network architecture.[11] Two main types of network architectures are server-based, or client-server networks, and peer-to-peer (P2P) net- works. Server-based networks consist of clients and servers. Servers are powerful computers that are able to transfer data and information among personal comput- ers within the local network or even to other computers across the Internet.[12] Some server-based networks can be designed for certain purposes such as to connect all computers within a given area to a printer (print server) or to even contain data such as documents or other types of files (file server). A peer-to-peer network is a network that doesn’t utilize a central server. Instead, each com- puter (or peer) within a peer-to-peer network allows it- self to use some of its resources to share with the entire network. For example, computers can give some of their processing power or bandwidth and share it with the net-

4.2. NETWORK CHARACTERISTICS 97

work participants.[13] The network architecture plays an essential role in today’s society; therefore, one should be aware of the network architecture, and the different types of network topologies as well.

4.2.3 Network Size

Network sizes are defined by a few three-letter acronyms: PANs, LANs, MANs, and WANs. Personal Area Net- works (PANs) are networks that connect an individual’s devices, such as bluetooth headsets and speakers. Local Area Networks (LANs) are networks that are used within larger areas such as corporate buildings but can also be used in hospitals or even college campuses. Some peo- ple, however, prefer to title networks on a college cam- puses and hospitals as Campus Area Networks (CANs) if they contain more than one LANs interconnected. A Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) is used to connect computers within cities. Lastly, a Wide Area Network (WAN) is a network that contains numerous LANs and is able to connect computers across continents. The largest Wide Area Network is the Internet. Some people use other terms such as Global Area Network (GAN) which is a single network with connection points across the globe, usually used to connect large corporation, or Solar Sys- tem Area Network (SSAN), which is numerous GANs, combined to connect planets within a single solar system. This technology, however, is not yet available.[14]

4.2.4 Network Media

Network media is the actual path which the signals travel to and from different components. These paths can either be physical wires, wired media, or radio signals, wireless media.[15]

Wired Networking Media

The wire used for networking media is called cable. The most common types of wired media include twisted-pair, coaxial, and fiber-optic cable.[16]

Twisted-Pair Cable Twisted-pair cable is exactly what it sounds like: two wires twisted together. This design works because it creates an electrical current that flows through the wire, which creates a circular magnetic field around the wire that increases performance. Having the wires twisted, as opposed to being adjacent, helps there to be no crosstalk (the noise/interference sometimes gen- erated by the wires). There are two sub-types of twisted- pair cable: unshielded twisted pair (UTP) and shielded twisted pair (STP). Twisted-pair cable is most used for LANs such as telephone communication.[17]

plastic jacket

dielectric insulator

metallic shield

centre core

Coaxial cable cutaway

Coaxial Cable Coaxial cable is made of three com- ponents: the inside wire, the insulation, and the outside shield. The inside wire is made of two conducting el- ements, mainly copper and covering this is the layer of flexible insulation. A second layer of woven (braided) copper or metallic foil that acts as a second wire and as a shield that reduces that amount of outside interference. Lastly, there is a cable jacket to cover the second wire.[18]

Fiber-optic Cable Fiber-optic cable is made of hun- dreds of clear glass or plastic fiber strands that are the size of a human hair. Data is transferred by light pulses at speeds of billions of bits per second. This is the newest and fasted type of cable, and while it is the most expen- sive, it is starting to replace the other types because its high-speed advantages are considered to be worth it.[19]

Wireless Networking Media

Mvdl-logo

Along with wired networks, there are also wireless net-

98 CHAPTER 4. NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET

works. Wireless networks are networks that use radio signals to transmit data through the air in order for two or more devices to communicate, rather than physical ca- bles. This gives people the opportunity to use e-mail or browse the internet from almost any location, provided there is a wireless network available. Many devices today are able to use this technology such as PCs, laptops, mo- bile devices, servers and printers. Wireless networks can be found almost everywhere including the home and pub- lic locations such as libraries, restaurants, coffeehouses and airports. Many people needing Internet access on the go will commonly take advantage of wireless hotspots. A wireless hotspot is a small range area with a usable con- nection that allows access to the internet. There are also different types of wireless networks. Wire- less Local Area Networks (WLANS) are networks that give access to the Internet to a small local area such as a college or library. Wireless Personal Area Net- works (WPANS) allow connectivity of devices in smaller ranges, typically around 30 feet. This includes Infra Red technology which may be in a television remote, or Bluetooth. A Wireless Metropolitan Area Network (WMANS) allows for the connection of many networks in a metropolitan area such as in high-rises or big build- ings. Wireless Wide Area Networks (WWANS) are net- works that spread over much larger areas such as cities or countries and are available through the use satellite sys- tems or antenna sites.

Wired Vs. Wireless Networking Media

This does not look attractive in a business setting.

While the world may be going towards a wireless route when it comes to networking, is it really the best direction when it comes to connectivity? Let’s break it down to the benefits and disadvantages of each type of network media. The benefits of having wired connection are that it it’s se- cure, reliable, and fast. They are also very much cheaper than having wireless connections. Another perk, espe- cially for businesses or enterprises, is that wired connec- tions can be controlled. This has security and productiv-

ity benefits. Disadvantages of wired connection are the sacrifice of space and portability or mobility, as well as actual physical safety and maintenance.[20]

This may look cool but is it safe?

The benefits of having wireless connection are the ac- tual lack of cables. This gives freedom to use personal as well as office devices and actual physical freedom. An- other thing is that it just looks a lot neater than a bunch of wires. Disadvantages though are in terms of security, slower speeds, and sometimes unreliable coverage. The best combination would probably to have a sort of system with some wired connections and some wireless connections. Having a mixed environment may be just enough to balance out the disadvantages and take advan- tage of the benefits of having both types of networking media.[21]

4.2.5 Types of Cables

There are different types of cables. The cables that con- nect a computer, or network or computers, to a server or router or modem are called ethernet cables. The evolu- tion of ethernet cables started when it became apparent that coaxial cables were not able to keep up with the de- mands of ever-growing and evolving networks. The ca- bles are listed in categories or “Cat” for short. The Cat 1 cables were primarily used for telephone modems and had a data transfer rate of up to 1Mbps. Cat 2,3,and 4 can all support computer networks and telephone traffic, and have maximum capacities of 4Mbps, 10Mbps, and 16Mbps respectively. When these cables are taken out of their casing, they look very similar. The same wires are present in all types of Cat cables; however, the number of wraps per inch increase in each version of Cat cables, therefore decreasing the amount of electromagnetic inter- ference in the signal being transfered. The introduction to Cat 5 revolutionized networking because Cat 5 became the standard and it was classed as “ethernet” which means that it has the capability for high speed and high capac- ity data transfers (of 10Mbps - 100Mbps), as well as the ability regulate the transfers in order to prevent simulta- neous transfers which would cancel out. After Cat 5, Cat 5e was introduced. The “e” stands for “enhanced”. The

4.2. NETWORK CHARACTERISTICS 99

Cat 5e “gigabit” cable - in theory - had the capacity for 1000Mbps (1 gigabit) transfer rates. This was accom- plished by wrapping the strands of wire tighter, therefore cutting down on “crosstalk” or interference that caused disruptions in the data transfer. Later, Cat 6 was intro- duced which added a physical separator inbetween stands of wire in the cable which lowered interference more yet and has transfer capacities of 1000Mbps (1 gigabit per second).[22] Since 2013, Cat 7,8, and 8.1 have been in- troduced, but are only practical in a small amount of in- dustrial settings.

4.2.6 Network Architecture & Network Topologies

Bus Topology

Network architecture is the layout of the network. The hardware, software, communication protocols, and mode of transmission consists in the network architecture. The network architecture plays an essential role in today’s so- ciety; therefore, one should be aware of the network ar- chitecture, and the different types of network topologies as well.[23] Network topology is how different nodes in a

network are connected to each other and how they com- municate. The five most common topologies are mesh topology, star topology, bus topology, ring topology, and tree topology. In a mesh topology, devices are connected with many excessive interconnections between network mode. In a star topology, the devices are connected to a central computer, and the nodes communicate across the network by passing data through the hub, which is the central computer. In a bus topology, it connects all devices on a local-are network called LAN. Bus net- works are not very pricey, and they are easy to install. In a ring topology, it consists of a local area network whose topology is a ring. The messages travel around the ring. In a tree topology, it is considered a “hybrid” topology that combines characteristics of the bus and star topologies.[24]

4.2.7 Data Transmission Characteristics

Data Transmission

Analog signal

Data transmission is the actual transfer of data through a channel. The types of channels are copper wires, optical fibers, wireless communication channels, storage media and computer buses. This data transfers through a sig- nal, either electrical, radio wave, microwave, or infrared. Data can be transferred by analog transmission using ana- log and digital signals. The modem is able to receive the digital data and change that digital data and process it. The data transmitted can be from a keyboard, which is the data source. The data transmitted can also be analog though like from a cell phone that can be digitized using source coding. Source coding are computer instructions that are read and interpreted by the computer.[25]

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transmitted in a certain amount of time. Bandwidth is also referred to as throughput. The most common measure of band- width is bits per second (bps), but it is also measures in

100 CHAPTER 4. NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET

−3 dB

f1 fc f2

Bandwidth

Kbps, which is thousands of bits per second; Mbps, which is millions of bits per second; or Gbps, which is billions of bits per second.[26] Bandwidth is the capacity of the connection. A network medium with a higher bandwidth will allow more data to pass through in a certain amount of time. So the greater the capacity, the better the per- formance will be. This isn’t always true though because performance depends on other things too. Text data re- quires the least amount least amount of bandwidth and video data requires the most.[27]

Analog vs. Digital Signals

The red is a digital signal and the gray would be an analog signal

Analog and digital signals are used to transmit informa- tion, usually through electric signals. Analog signal is a continuous signal and has constant fluctuations where a digital signal is discrete time signals generated by digi- tal modulation. Analog signals are denoted by sine waves that are smooth and continues whereas digital signals are square waves that are stepping and discrete.[28] Analog signals would be things like human voices in the air and analog electronic devices (AM and FM radio, old tele- phones). Digital signals have only two levels of voltage: high and low.[29] It is an electrical signal that is converted into a pattern of bits. It has a discrete value at each sam- pling point. Each sample is defined with a series of bits that are either 0s or 1s. Digital signals are for things like computers, CDs, DVDs, and other digital electronic de-

vices. Analog signal processing can be done in real time and consumes less bandwidth whereas there is no guar- antee that digital signal processing can be done in real time and consumes more bandwidth to carry out the same information. The advantages of digital signal are that the recording does not degrade over time and groups of numbers can often be compressed by finding patterns in them.[30]

Transmission Type and Timing

Network Data Transfer

For the transfer of data and networking media, there can be two ways to send information. Serial transmission is data sent in a single path, one bit at a time. An exam- ple of this would be a classroom of students lining up single file at the door and exiting one by one. The advan- tages of serial transmission is that the only use one line so it is less expensive, for the line at least, compared to parallel transmission which uses multiple lines. Disad- vantages would be the cost of total transmission. Serial transmission is also not as fast since the bits are trans- ferred sequentially.[31] Parallel transmission is data sent one byte at a time, but each bit in the byte takes a separate route. This is a more efficient way of sending or receiving data. For instance, parallel transmission can be identified as students walking through a large hallway in a school to get to their specific classrooms. This way, there is more space involved, in order for the data to be received more efficiently. However, most networking media usually use serial transmission. Synchronous, Asynchronous, and isochronous transmis- sion are three different ways that serial transmission is transferred. Synchronous transmission is ordered into groups and blocks of data that are transferred one af- ter the other. Advantages of synchronous transmission is that is faster but the disadvantages are buffering and making sure the sender and receiver have the same clock frequency.[32] Asynchronous transmission is not used as much as synchronous because it is sent when it is ready. The data is not synchronized which makes the end re- sult less efficient.The advantages of Asynchronous trans- mission is that this method is cheaper only if the line are shorter since the idle time would be low. Each charac-

4.2. NETWORK CHARACTERISTICS 101

ter that is sent will not be messed up in the process since they are all separate. There can be different bit rates for the signal, and transmission can start as soon as possi- ble. Disadvantages of Asynchronous would be it is less efficient and slower because of the gaps between bits.[33] Isochronous transmission sends the data all at once. Data can also travel in mainly three distinct ways. Sim- plex transmission is when the data is traveling in only one direction. Half-duplex transmission sends the data in ei- ther direction, but data can be sent only in one direction at a time. Full-duplex transmission sends the data back and forth in either direction and can be simultaneous.

Delivery Method

Data is delivered by using circuit switching, which is a specific path between a sender and a receiver. A tele- phone system is an example of circuit switching because the path is dedicated to only those two people for the time being. Once they are off the phone, the path is free to use by whomever else. Sending data over the Inter- net is called packet switching. The messages sent are de- tached in “packets.” While traveling through the Internet, the packets contain all information going from the sender to the receiver. Once the transmission is complete, the packets are put back together to create the correct mes- sage.

Signature Characteristics

Characteristics include the physical transfer of data, or a digital bit stream or a digitized analog signal, through a point-to-point communication channels (copper wires, optical fibers, storage media and computer buses). Data is represented as an electromagnetic signal, such as an electrical voltage, radiowave, microwave, or infrared sig- nal. Its messages are symbolized in one of two ways. The first, known as baseband transmission, is completed by a sequence of pulses using a line code. The second, pass- band transmission, utilizes a specified set of continuously varying waveforms, created using a digital modulation method. Regardless of which technique is used, the re- ceiver must synchronize itself with the transmitter. There are two distinct types of transmission -- Asynchronous and synchronous. In asynchronous, the two devices are relatively close to each other in speed. This means that if only small bursts of data are sent at a time, its synchro- nization will be successful as long as the receiver is able to synchronize with the immediate beginning of the data burst. In synchronous transmission, a significantly larger amount of data is sent in each block, which either con- tains, is preceded, or accompanied by signaling, thus per- mitting co-synchronization of the devices. The majority of all network backbone traffic today is synchronous.[34]

4.2.8 Communications Protocols and Net- working Standards

The definition and usage of TCP/IP

This is a visual representation of how all the IP addresses are connected to each other

Example of Ethernet Cord

Communications protocol and networking standards are necessary in order to determine how devices on a net- work communicate and what requirements are needed in order for hardware and software manufacturers to de- velop computing products that function with other prod- ucts. Techopedia, an online source of computing devices, explains communication protocol as “formal descriptions of digital message formats and rules. They are required to exchange messages in or between computing systems and are required in telecommunications.”[35] Protocol deals

102 CHAPTER 4. NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET

with issues concerning packet size, transmission speed, packet sequence controls, routing, and address format- ting. These are just some of the many things that protocol and standards deal with in computing devices. Some pop- ular protocols include File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Hy- pertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and Post Office Pro- tocol (POP3). There’s little argument that the most popu- lar communications protocol being used today is TCP/IP. The protocol that’s used for transferring data over the In- ternet, TCP/IP is actually a combination of two proto- cols. The TCP part of the equation stands for Transmis- sion Control Protocol and it is culpable for data delivery. IP stands for Internet Protocol and it provides routing in- formation and addresses. There are several reasons for the continued popularity of TCP/IP. One of these rea- sons is the flexibility of the dual protocols, as the core has been able to remain largely the same over 25 years, even with the immense growth of internet popularity. An- other reason is the routing design, as TCP/IP is designed specifically to facilitate the routing of information over a network of arbitrary complexity.[36] Pretty much all op- erating systems have built in support for the TCP/IP pro- tocols so that is also a big factor in their popularity. One potential controversy related to IP’s in particular was the scare when the Internet had run out of Internet ad- dresses. The original IP version, called IPv4, had used up all the potential number combinations so no new folks would have been able to connect to the internet... that is, until IPv6 came out. It uses 128 bit addresses, versus the mere 32 bits of IPv4, ensuring that it will be another long time to go until we risk running out of internet addresses again.[37]

Ethernet (802.3) is the most widely used standard for wired networks. It is typically used in local area network- ing (LAN) with twisted-pair, coaxial, or fiber-optic ca- bling. There are many standards of Ethernet and each of those standards reaches a maximum speed. Terabit Eth- ernet standard is the most current standard that is being developed and improved. It will be used to deliver video, digital X-rays, and other digital medical images. In or- der for a device to be connected to an Ethernet network, the device needs to have an Ethernet port built into the device or added with an expansion card. Power over Eth- ernet (PoE) allows for electrical power to be set along in the cables of an Ethernet network. This is what allows security cameras to get electrical power while also main- taining a network connection.

Wi-Fi Standards (801.11)

Wi-Fi, which uses the IEEE standard 802.11, is a very popular wireless networking technology that uses radio waves to provide wireless Internet connection to devices. It is perhaps the biggest theme that today’s technological generation revolves around. With the continuous evolv- ing technology, almost every single mobile device now requires an Internet access, or a wireless network stan-

Hotspots with a Wi-Fi network will have this sign to attract and please customers.

dard like Wi-Fi. Due to this, Wi-Fi hardware is built into virtually all portable computers, mobile devices, and even other portable products like printers, digital cam- eras, gaming consoles, etc. Consequently, the popular- ity of a Wi-Fi network in houses, businesses, and pub- lic hotspots—airports, hotels, coffee shops—has grown steadily. Supporting “roaming,” devices connected to a Wi-Fi network are able to move from one access point to another, as long it is inside or around the actual building or area. The speed and strength of a Wi-Fi network de- pends on various factors like the Wi-Fi standard or the hardware being used. For example, the most widely used Wi-Fi standards today are 802.11g and 802.11n. The 801.11n, the newest Wi-Fi standard, is in fact currently the fastest standard today, which is able to transfer data five times as fast as the 802.11g standard. However, even though Wi-Fi seems like the next best technological invention after computers and the Internet, it does have some minor disadvantages that limit the ulti- mate use of it. For example, Wi-Fi networks have a lim- ited range; one will lose the connection to a network if they move out of the range of that network, usually 300 ft. away from the actual router. They would then have to connect to the next available Wi-Fi connection. An- other limitation of Wi-Fi is that many businesses may be physically too large for a conventional Wi-Fi network to cover the entire area. However, there are special network- ing connections known as WiMAX or Fixed WiMAX, that provide Internet access for a longer radius, stretch- ing from 2 to 6 miles. Using multiple WiMAX towers, similar to cell phone towers, it is even possible to provide coverage to an entire city or any geographical area! [38]

Cellular Standards

It is no secret that the technology used for mobile phones has vastly evolved over the years. What started out as basically a mobile brick has quickly transformed into a compact, highly productive, and speedy cellular com- munication device. However, many people are unaware

4.2. NETWORK CHARACTERISTICS 103

Long Term Evolution Logo

of the generational breakdown of these devices. When the first generation mobile phone was released decades ago in the 1980s, it was produced with only the pur- pose of voice communication in mind. It was not until the second generation came out years later, around the 1990s, that we started to see both data and voice com- bined into one device. This generation is best known for its access to both Global System for Mobile com- munications (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) which greatly work to enhance speed and com- munication up to 14.4 Kbps. When the third generation came along in the 2000s, we saw companies start to use packet switching and access speeds as fast as 2 Mbps. This brings us to where we are today. Cellular compa- nies across the globe are starting to utilize 4g technology and offer outstanding speeds of up to 20 Mbps. Though 20 Mbps is a lot faster than 3G’s speeds, which can be as low as 3.8 Mbps, it is not at the specified 100 Mbps that fourth generation phones are supposed to require. Fourth generation phones are using the LTE, Long Term Evo- lution, technology or the WiMAX technology, both of which allows for more capacity and faster speeds across the mobile network.[39] These two technologies are in- compatible to each other and it depends on which mobile phone provider that you are using. Currently, Sprint is using 4G WiMAX, while Verizon and AT&T are using 4G LTE.[40] This is a necessity in today’s world as more and more people buy mobile smart phones and demand a very high amount of data to be transferred to and from their phones. These technologies use OFDM, orthogo- nal frequency-division multiplexing, instead of TDMA, time division multiple access, or CDMA, code division multiple access. This change in technologies is what the mobile phone market accepts as a difference between the third generation and fourth generation of phones because OFDM is significantly faster and more efficient, even though it is not as fast as the original specification.[41] Another plus for the fourth generation phones is that they can still access broadband Internet content that many con- sumers vie for. Hopefully in the near future, technology companies can actually provide mobile phone consumers with a phone that will reach speeds up to 100 Mbps. With technology constantly evolving and expanding, where will it take us next? Into what technological wonders is fifth generation technology going to bring us? [42]

Wireless Printers

A common printer

Wi-Fi is one of the most popular networking standards that uses wireless LANs. Certain devices come Wi-Fi enabled and some can be hooked up within the wire- less network. One of the most popular devices being used today is the wireless printer. Not any printer can be used, however. Special printers nowadays have the Wi-Fi transceivers built into them to locate the available networks. The major advantage is that multiple comput- ers can print to a printer in any location that you want. Another great advantage is that you can avoid the painful cable clutter that comes with all of the devices you could hook up to the computer. It takes much less time for a computer to connect to the printer through Wi-Fi then it does to download the software and connect it manually with a USB cord. One thing to consider though is how windows and doors might affect the strength of the signal. Security is something to think about as well. Some print- ers contain a WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) encryption that allows only special computers to connect if they acti- vate the similar feature.[43] Believe it or not, these types of printers are actually reasonably priced compared to some of the other types of electronics out there on the market.

4.2.9 Networking Hardware

Network adapters or “Network Interface Cards,” (NICs) are used to connect a computer to a high-speed network. Most recently manufactured motherboards have them already built in. Otherwise, a NIC may be installed onto an open PCI expansion slot on the mother- board. Modems are able to convert your computer’s digital data to analog data that can be sent over telephone service lines and converts incoming analog data to digital data that the

104 CHAPTER 4. NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET

Network Adapter preferences

computer can work with. The better quality modems are able to do the work directly on the card. They are known to be faster and more efficient than a cheaper modem, go figure![44]

Cisco Model EPC3010

The term modem is short for modulator/demodulator. Modems are used to connect with internet services providers. They transfer data between the internet ser- vice provider and the computer. There are a few differ- ent types of modems available. Analog modems can be used with dial-up connections. Digital subscriber line or DSL and cable modems are used with high speed broad- band connections. Integrated services digital network, or ISDN modems are used for even higher speed connec- tions. [45]

Wireless routers have changed drastically in recent years. Once just a simple tool to broadcast the internet into a home or an office, today many wireless routers have addi- tional functions and capabilities. They can offer multiple frequencies to help avoid interference. They can be setup to allow guest access to the network. Some even allow for the advanced security setup with enhanced features like parental control to limit access to certain websites. Another convenient feature is the addition of storage to

the device. Some routers allow connection of external storage devices, while others have storage built in. Many routers also have mobile apps designed to control them. In the age of tablets and smartphones, the ability to con- trol your network settings via a mobile device is key.

Hardware for Connecting Devices and Networks

A wireless router

There are different configurations used in connecting de- vices to a network as well as connecting networks to other networks. An example of a configuration for a home net- work is a star topology where there is one central device that provides a connection for other devices. This central device, or hub, is not as efficient regarding the availabil- ity of bandwidth between the devices, specifically com- puters, that are connected to the hub. More exactly, the hub can lead to unnecessary traffic build-up because it repeats everything it receives to other devices. This may or may not be an issue depending on the size of the net- work. A small network will not have much issue with using a hub for a central device, but for other, larger net- works a different device may be more practical. A switch is more suitable for larger networks. Like hubs, switches allow devices to communicate with each other. However switches contain ports that are designated for individual devices, which allows for a more efficient allocation of bandwidth for the devices as a whole.[46]

Routers are used to connect different networks together. [47] Because they maintain configuration information in a storage known as a routing table, routers can filter incom- ing or outgoing traffic.[48] Wireless access points are de- vices that allow a device access to the network. This, along with a switch, can be found in wireless routers. These routers connect both wired and wireless devices to a network, which then connects that network to the Inter- net. Another device is a bridge, which simply joins two LAN segments. An example of this would be connecting a game console to a home network.

4.2. NETWORK CHARACTERISTICS 105

Satellite dish

Repeaters, Range Extenders, and Antennas

Network repeaters regenerate incoming electrical, wire- less or optical signals. Today, most data transmissions rely on Ethernet or Wi-Fi, both of which can only span a limited distance before the quality of the signal degrades. The goal of the repeater is to help preserve a tolerable signal over long distance while examples like Ethernet or Wi-Fi have trouble to.[49] While repeaters are available for both wired and wireless networks, repeaters for wire- less networks are referred to as range extenders. Range extenders are commonly found in homes in order to elim- inate “dead zones”, or areas where the normal network doesn't offer coverage. A range extender will typically wirelessly connect to the network, then repeat the wire- less signal. One of the most reliable and popular ways of increasing the range of a network is through the use of an antenna. Antennas are highly effective because of their ability to convert radio-frequency into alternating current, or vice-versa. The most common type of antenna is the dish antenna, which is used for satellite communications. An example of antennas being used can be seen on an ev- eryday home rooftop, where dish-like antennas are often used for television signal [50]

4.2.10 Review

Review Definitions

Analog signal: A type of signal where the data is repre- sented by continuous waves. Bluetooth: A networking standard for very short-range wireless connections; the devices are automatically con- nected once they get within the allowable range. Bus Network: A network consisting of a central cable to which all network devices are attached.

Coaxial Cable: A networking cable consisting of a cen- ter wire inside a grounded, cylindrical shield, capable of sending data at high speeds. Ethernet (802.3): A widely used wired LAN networking standard. Extranet: An intranet that is at least partially accessible to authorized outsiders. Fiber-Optic Cable: A networking cable that utilizes hundreds of thin transparent fibers over which lasers transmit data as light. Intranet: A private network that is set up similar to the Internet and is accessed via a Web browser. Local Area Network (LAN): A network that connects devices located in a small geographical area, such as within a building. Mesh Network: A network in which there are multiple connections between the devices on the network so that messages can take any of several possible paths. Modem: A device that enables a computer to communi- cate over analog networking media, such as connecting to the Internet via telephone lines. Parallel Transmission: A type of data transmission in which bytes of data are transmitted at one time, with the bits in each byte taking a separate path. Router: A device that connects multiple networks to- gether; routes packets to their next location in order to efficiently reach their destination. Serial Transmission: A type of data transmission in which the bits in a byte travel down the same path one after the other. Virtual Private Network (VPN): A private, secure path over the Internet that provides authorized users a secure means of accessing a private network via the Internet. Wireless Network: A network in which computers and other devices are connected to the network without phys- ical cables; data is typically sent via radio waves.

Review Questions

1.) Third generation computers became smaller and more reliable than earlier computer generations, incorporating multiple transistors and electronic circuits on a singles tiny silicon chip by utilizing ______________. 2.) A small business needs a computer that can act as a server for a number of PCs and handle a number of users running different applications. The class of computer best suited to its needs would be a(n) __________ 3.) Programs designed to perform specific tasks or applications, such as computing bank-account interest, preparing bills, or creating letters, are contained in ____________

106 CHAPTER 4. NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET

4.) An example of system software is __________________ 5.) PC-compatible and Mac are the two major personal computer ____________ 6.) The purpose of a computer network is to allow com- puters to _____________ 7.) Computers and the traditional devices that we use every day- such as the telephone, TV, and home enter- tainment system- have begun to merge into single units with multiple capabilities; this trend is referred to as ____________ 8.) Having a basic understanding of computers and their uses is called _______________ 9.) The four main computer operations are input, output, storage, and _________ 10.) A mobile device based on a mobile phone that can be used to access the Web and e-mail wirelessly, as well as other capabilities such as taking digital photos, is often referred to as a(n) ___________

Review Answers

Answers 1.) Integrated Circuits 2.) Midrange Server 3.) Application Software 4.) Windows 5.) Platforms 6.) Communicate with each other, share software, and share hardware 7.) Convergence 8.) Computer Literacy 9.) Processing 10.) Smartphone [51]

[1] http://www.aopa.org/News-and-Video/All-News/2009/ January/22/Whats-up-with-121-5-MHz-ELTs

[2] http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/N/network.html

[3] http://voip.about.com/od/glossary/g/PacketDef.htm

[4] http://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?11093

[5] http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/ high-tech-gadgets/rfid.htm

[6] http://www.caranddriver.com/features/ vehicle-tracking-systems-and-data-recorders-tested-gearbox

[7] http://www.americantelemed.org/learn

[8] http://www.surgeryencyclopedia.com/St-Wr/ Telesurgery.html

[9] http://computernetworkingnotes.com/ network-security-access-lists-standards-and-extended/ network.html

[10] http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_ Software/Networking/tree_topology.html

[11] http://en.kioskea.net/faq/ 2761-what-is-network-architecture

[12] http://compnetworking.about.com/od/ basicnetworkingconcepts/g/network_servers.htm

[13] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer-to-peer

[14] http://therealping.wordpress.com/2008/01/30/ network-sizes/

[15] Understand Computers Today and Tomorrow 14th Edi- tion Comprehensive

[16] Understand Computers Today and Tomorrow 14th Edi- tion Comprehensive

[17] http://www.ciscopress.com/articles/article.asp?p= 31276&seqNum=3

[18] http://www.ciscopress.com/articles/article.asp?p= 31276&seqNum=3

[19] Understand Computers Today and Tomorrow 14th Edi- tion Comprehensive

[20] http://smallbusiness.chron.com/ disadvantages-wired-technology-17833.html

[21] http://www.computerweekly.com/feature/ Wired-vs-wireless-in-the-enterprise

[22] http://www.firewall.cx/networking-topics/ cabling-utp-fibre/112-network-cabling-utp.html

[23] http://en.kioskea.net/faq/ 2761-what-is-network-architecture

[24] http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_ Software/Networking/tree_topology.html

[25] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_transmission

[26] http://searchenterprisewan.techtarget.com/definition/ bandwidth

[27] http://compnetworking.about.com/od/speedtests/g/ bldef_bandwidth.htm

[28] http://www.diffen.com/difference/Analog_vs_Digital

[29] http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Analog_and_Digital_ Conversion/Analog_vs_Digital

[30] http://www.diffen.com/difference/Analog_vs_Digital

[31] http://ecomputernotes.com/computernetworkingnotes/ communication-networks/data-transmission

[32] http://ecomputernotes.com/computernetworkingnotes/ communication-networks/data-transmission

[33] http://ecomputernotes.com/computernetworkingnotes/ communication-networks/data-transmission

[34] https://umuc.equella.ecollege.com/file/ d0edbbfc-0779-4cd5-8203-51719a5ffc2e/1/ CMIS435-1109.zip/Modules/M5-Module_5/popups/ Data.html

[35] http://www.techopedia.com/definition/25705/ communication-protocol

[36] http://www.tcpipguide.com/free/t_ TCPIPOverviewandHistory-3.htm

[37] http://mashable.com/2011/02/03/ipv4-ipv6-guide/

4.3. INTERNET 107

[38] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1473553/ Wi-Fi

[39] http://www.mmfai.org/public/docs/eng/MMF_LTE% 20Brochure.pdf

[40] http://www.mobileburn.com/definition.jsp?term=4G

[41] http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/ definition/4G

[42] http://bpastudio.csudh.edu/fac/lpress/471/hout/3G.htm

[43] http://www.hp.com/global/us/en/wireless/ wireless-basics.html

[44] http://www.kitchentablecomputers.com/nic.php

[45] http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/pc-mac/ networking-and-wi-fi/modem-routers

[46] http://www.darron.net/network/secondpage.html

[47] http://whatismyipaddress.com/routers

[48] http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/routers/g/bldef_ router.htm

[49] http://compnetworking.about.com/cs/internetworking/g/ bldef_repeater.htm

[50] http://searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com/ definition/antenna

[51] http://coursemate.cengage.com/CPReader/View/ 9781133114598/default.aspx?eISBN=9781133114598# da32b353-ffd5-4a88-91a8-c28f124d2211

4.3 Internet

4.3.1 Evolution of the Internet

ARPA1974english

The internet has changed dramatically since its first incar- nation. In 1969 the U.S. department of defense created ARPANET.[1] The original concept of this project was to connect researchers located in different places to be able to communicate and collaborate from far distances. The fear of nuclear attack was very prevalent at this time, so the team also wanted to make a network that could still

operate after a nuclear attack. Therefore creating many different fail safes, and alternative routes for packet send- ing was necessary. As this project grew, more and more people gained access to the internet and began shaping it to what we know today. As we have described before, everyone who uses the internet is called an internet user. For these users to obtain access to the internet, you must go through an ISP (internet service provider.) Side note, while the internet is not owned by any one company or government, it is most assuredly not free. It costs money to build, run, and maintain the servers that bring you the funny cat videos.

map of Internet

Internet 2 is an amalgamation of different leaders in the field of academia, technology, industry, and government that formed together in order to collaborate on pioneer- ing and innovative ideas that help advance education and research. They test new network applications and tech- nologies using high-performance networks. Contrary to popular opinion, Internet 2 is not a gathering of minds who intend to replace the current Internet but congregate to ensure that the future Internet will be capable of oper- ating with today’s engineering. Internet 2 is currently be- ing upgraded to 8.8 terabytes! This will aide in the ability to offer advanced telemedicine and long distance learn- ing opportunities across connected countries through its network.[2]

4.3.2 The World Wide Web

The World Wide Web is different than the Internet. The Internet started out being used more by private industries and people such as scientists, schools, and the govern- ment. The public had not used it for the most part be- cause it was complex and you had to have a computer in order to access it, which not everyone did. In 1989 Tim Berners-Lee came up with the World Wide Web and

108 CHAPTER 4. NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET

Web-browser-openclipart

thought it would be a good way to organize information and take place of the Internet. Although the Internet still stayed around, and still is today, the World Wide Web was a great tool for researches at the time. The World Wide Web is not owned by one single business or per- son, but the webpages are. The Web consists of things such as HTML, URL, and HTTP. HTML stands for Hy- per Text Markup Language and is used for formatting documents on the Web. URL is the Uniform Resource Locator which most of us are familiar with when typ- ing in addresses to websites. And lastly, HTTP is Hy- per Text Transfer Protocol. This is what lets people click on hyperlinks and be redirected to that specific location. The World Wide Web has changed the way schools teach, businesses run, and average people have been able to ac- cess organized information.[3] Pictures and documents are now easier to access and research and recreational websites can now be found in one place.[4]

4.3.3 Using the Internet

Getting Set Up To Use The Internet

Almost every household has access to the internet; there- fore, it is important to know how to have access to the world wide web. There are five basic steps to set up an internet connection which consist of the following:

1. One must connect the hardware. Different hardware and software contain directions in setting up. Use the directions to set up these systems.

2. The internet needs a wireless connection or an Eth- ernet cable before it can go online. Therefore, the computer owner must make this connection.

3. The computer owner must connect to the default IP

Crystal Clear app Internet Connection Tools

address. The IP address usually consists of eight numbers, and it is broken up occasionally by peri- ods.

4. It is the internet’s server’s responsibility to show the computer owner how to actually establish the con- nection. One must then set up a name and password for security purposes.

5. Save the settings, and the internet light will turn green to indicate one is online.[5]

Different Internet Connections

There are many different kinds of internet connections. A few of these connections consist of wireless, broad- band, and dial-up. Wireless is a router or a network that connects to a hot spot. A broadband is connected directly to a broadband modern, and one needs a user name and password to connect. A dial-up is used remotely via a telephone line.[6] Different types of internet connections come with their own pros and cons and it is important to choose one that will work well with your lifestyle and your wallet.

Dial-up Dial-up connection requires a phone line to function. Because of this, people cannot be using the phone and the internet at the same time. When con- necting to the internet via dial-up, the computer tries to

4.3. INTERNET 109

connect through the phone line and causes dial-tones and many numerous sounds to emit from the modem. Dial-up is also the slowest form of internet connection and has a maximum speed of 56 kilobits per second. It is also the most archaic type of internet connection and only about 3% of Americans are still using it.[7][8]

Wi-fi Hotspots Wi-fi hotspots are another form of in- ternet connection in which a wireless access point, such as a router, has a direct connection to the internet and al- lows people to connect wirelessly through the use of wi- fi. Although they aren’t used very much at home, wi-fi hotspots are often used at locations such as restaurants, hotels, and airports. Many restaurants such offer free wi- fi to entice customers, while others have a fee for using their internet.[9]

Fiber-Optic Cable

Broadband over Fiber A new technology called broadband over fiber (BoF) is a direct connection option for internet access. Internet service providers are start- ing to adopt this new technology and sell it for a fee.[10] For example, Verizon’s version of broadband over fiber is called fiber-optic service (FiOS). FiOS, in particular, is able to provide services such as telephone, television, and internet. BoF is advertised on Verizon’s FiOS webpage as a network that, “provides bandwidth to meet today’s dig- ital demands and the possibilities of tomorrow.”[11] This statement is probably used because BoF’s data transfer speeds are much faster than other services. In fact, with fiber-optic cabling, data transfer can travel at the speed of light. One drawback of BoF is that it is very expen- sive. In order to create a fiber-optic network, you must invest a lot of money in constructing an essential infras- tructure. Another negative with broadband over fiber is that the cables are very sensitive. This means that cables can not be installed on telephone poles or underground. Cables must be installed above ground, usually in piping, so that the cables are protected from bending and shift- ing. BoF is practical and efficient for small networks due to less complex construction of infrastructure. This being said, the United States probably won’t have nation wide BoF networks.[12]

Selecting an ISP

There are many different Internet Service Providers, some of the most popular include Comcast, AT&T, Ver- izon, and Time Warner Cable.[13] When you choose an ISP, there are many factors to take into consideration. Some of those factors include price, type of internet con- nection you want, speed, customer support, types of de- vices you use, and cancelation policies.[14]

Fiber Optic Cable

Some internet service providers, such as Verizon and Google, are now starting to offer fiber- optic internet connections. Fiber-optics allows unsurpassed connec- tion speeds, both upload, and download. Fiber-optic in- ternet connections employ Fiber-optic cables that trans- fer large amounts of data through hundreds of stands of glass or plastic which employ an entirely light based, op- tical technology. The technology has existed for many years, but many may have begun to hear that it has be- come more commonly available over the recent years. After implementing fiber-optics in commercial internet service packages, Internet Service Providers are now able to confidently boast connection speeds exceeding 100gi- gabits per second, speeds that are much more desirable to many households as well as businesses. [15] Fiber op- tic networks are, to no surprise, very expensive. Massive internet service providers such as Comcast, AT&T, and COX may not be ready to spend hundreds of millions, and even billions on city wide fiber- optic networks, thus mak- ing the transition to fiber-optics before the technology a long one. Google alone spent over 80 million dollars to reach 150,000 households with their fiber-optic connec- tions. Only a small handful of cities currently have the luxury of a fiber-optic connection, and it may take some years before the technology is available to a majority of households. [16]

4.3.4 Searching the Internet

Search Sites

Search sites are websites that are specifically created to help search the Internet. Examples would include,

110 CHAPTER 4. NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET

Bing! A popular search site.

“Google,” “Bing,” “Yahoo! Search,” and “Ask.com.” There are also many other not as well known search sites. Search sites generally use a search engine, which is a pro- gram for the retrieval of data from a database or network. A search engine includes a spider, which goes to every page on every Web site that wants to be searchable and reads it. Then there is a program that creates an index from the pages that have been read. Then a program that receives your search request and compares it to the index, then gives you results.[17] Most search sites today are de- signed for keyword searches, which is when you type in keywords describing what you are searching for. A direc- tory search is the other kind of search hat some sites allow and it uses lists of categories instead of a search box.[18] Many search sites will also contain tools that can be used to find information. Many sites try to present their results as clearly as possible. They will also tend to make sugges- tions about things that are similar to what you searched that may help you find what you are looking for.[19]

Google Search

When it comes to search sites, there are a few that almost everyone is familiar with. The common phrase, “Google It,” is an indication that Google has become a household name when it comes to search engines. Google boasts an astounding 1,100,000,000 monthly visitors. With num- bers like that, it is easy to see why Google has become the household name for search engines. However, few are as familiar with some of the other search sites that are available today that provide the same kind of service that Google does. One of these lesser known search sites is Duck Duck Go. One of this sites great features is that it does not share any of its clients data with other search sites which makes for less advertisement pop ups and stronger privacy for the user. This has appealed to more and more users after information surfaced that the U.S.

has direct access to the servers of major search engine companies allowing the U.S. government to gain knowl- edge of exactly what people are searching for. This infor- mation inspired the founder of Duck Duck Go, Gabriel Weinberg, to start this company in 2008, to ensure the rights and privacy of its users. Gabriel Weinberg was quoted as saying, “Search data is arguably the most per- sonal data people are entering into anything. You’re typ- ing in your problems, your desires. It’s not the same as things you post publicly on social networks.” Duck Duck Go has is a great alternative to larger search engines and for users who really value their privacy.[20]

DuckDuckGo zero-click info

Search Strategies

Icon search updates 96x96

Searching for particular information can be fun but also can be very frustrating. Here are few different search strategies which can help to find the information needed, such as simple, complex, phrase, natural language and de- fault Boolean Logic searching. Simple searching is the easiest method of using a search tool.[21] The user can type one or more key words (spelling counts) in the search box then click on the search button. Complex searching

4.3. INTERNET 111

is using Boolean Logic[22] to improve search efficiency. The words such as AND, OR, and NOT are entered be- tween keywords to refine the search. In phrase search- ing, a user should enclose quotation marks when search- ing for specific phrase. Most search engines like Google, Bing, and such recognize this protocol. Natural Language searching is allowing a user to type a sentence or question just the way he/she might like and the search tool will try to determine key words and locate pages based on these words. Default Boolean Logic searching allows a user to type key words as in simple search. Search tool, depends on its default, will use OR or NOT. If a user is tired of typing, she/he can click on the microphone icon in the Google app or Chrome’s search box to search by voice.[23]

4.3.5 Beyond Browsing and Email

Instant Messaging and Text Messaging

You send text messages with a cell phone such as this one, though SMS has been on the decline

Communication is quite possibly the most important tool that humans can hone. While e-mails are a fast and environmentally-friendly method of Internet-based com- munication, there are two types of messaging that are faster and easier. These two types of messaging are: in- stant messaging and text messaging. Instant messaging, also referred to as chat, allows you to type out a message on your keyboard and then press 'enter' to have it sent im- mediately to the other party. Unlike emails, where you have to wait for the other person to be around at their computer to read the message, and THAT is assuming

your email didn't get lost because of a faulty spam filter, IM’s create a connection that is almost as good as being in the same room with the friend. To instant message a friend, you typically both need the same IM client, of which there are many free varieties such as AIM, MSN, YIM, and Skype. Text messaging, which is also called SMS (Short Message Service), used to be the most popular means of speedy communication though it has been on the decline.[24] Text messaging allows users to send fast and typically short notes with their cellular phones. The major downside of text messaging is how many cellphone companies charge a ton for your texts while instant messaging is free (plus the cost of the internet for your computer or phone, of course). Also text messages, like emails, need to be waited for and can sometimes not make it to the right place without a glitch whereas instant messengers tend to have a better track record.

Online Shopping: Amazon and More

Amazon Box

Online shopping is so convenient for many who are on the go. There are no hours of operation to abide by, no lines to wait in, and consumers do not even have to leave the comfort of their own home to get what they want. There are some downsides of online shopping, such as not being able to try on clothes to see if it is the right size. The largest online retailer is Amazon.com. Shop- pers seems to go-to website for all online shopping needs. The retailer started as an online book store, but now offers purses, electronics, movies, music, and even sports equip- ment, just to name a few. Sellers can create accounts fairly easy and try to sell their goods. Buyers need to be the cautious ones and look into the reviews to see who they are buying from. One advantage of shopping with Amazon is that they have an A-Z guarantee that helps the buyers resolve conflict with the sellers.[25] Amazon expanded their services to include areas such as Ama- zon Art, Amazon Instant Video, Amazon Prime, Ama- zon Local, Amazon Wireless, Amazon Fresh, and Ama- pedia. One controversy that comes up with Amazon.com,

112 CHAPTER 4. NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET

as well as online shopping, is that consumers are not pay- ing their true county sales tax. Instead they are paying the sales tax that Amazon collects.To challenge Amazon, Google has decided to start to expand its e-commerce role. Google wants to compete with amazon and their ability to sell merchandise around the world. Google is allowing consumers to search for something and Google would tell them if there is somewhere nearby to purchase that item. It is a great retaliation against amazon. They would charge $95 a year or $10 a month, or pay $4.99 per order. Google is also offering overnight shipping.[26]

Online Banking

Online Banking has become increasingly popular in this tech-savvy generation. Most banks now allow transac- tions to be done online through their website or through phone apps. While some people question the security of making transactions online, the biggest advantage is that online banking is very convenient. People can set up ac- counts through a few simple steps, can make transactions between different accounts they have, transfer money, make payments on credit cards, and more. Some only- online banks have formed and are gaining popularity be- cause they have less fees and thus are cheaper. Some banks try to offer deals with higher yield to make online banking more appealing. Lastly, it is handy to have 24/7 access to speedy transactions, which traditional banks cannot offer. Online banking did have a shaky start, but now it is growing quickly.[27] According the Bankrate website, 65% of consumers use online banking.

4.4 Pros and Cons

Money Online Logo

In the last few years, online banking has become increas- ingly mainstream. For some, it is the new norm, as having to make daily or weekly trips to the bank can be both un- pleasant and inefficient. For the most part, online bank- ing is advantageous -- and though the pros certainly out- weigh the cons, no system is flawless. First, an obvious pro is convenience. An ability to pay the majority of bills online, whether it is through a checking, savings, money market account, etc. is something that is necessary in our fast-paced, demanding world. Many

creditors offer an automatic plans to ensure customers are not charged penalties if they forget to pay a bill. In addi- tion, there is also mobile capability. Most banks feature mobile-friendly websites that allow customers to bank on- the-go. The applications banks offer are typically free, and are being implemented with new features all the time in an effort to expand availability to smartphone users. Lastly, the ease of navigation is comparable to that of any other website. To prevent or assist with issues, most banks have 24-hour live customer service or e-mail cus- tomer service. The most significant con to online banking is security, with computer hacking and identity theft being such widespread problems. Despite the best security measures, there is always risk that someone, somewhere will be able to gain access to your bank account and/or sensitive in- formation. Another concern is transaction issues. There are some aspects of banking that should be done behind a teller’s desk instead of a monitor or screen. Deposit- ing cash, certain types of international deals, and similar difficulties may be challenging to address or solve via the internet. Another, less threatening issue for those who frequently make impulse purchases or budget poorly is a lack of money management, as instant access to a balance can precipitate irresponsibility. [28]

Social Media

Voip HowItWorks 0203v2

Besides texting, instant messaging, and online shopping, there are hundreds of other things you can use the Web for. One of the main things people use it for today is so- cial media. Things from Facebook and Twitter to email

4.4. PROS AND CONS 113

Skype-icon

Snapchat Logo

and online newspapers are all forms of social media, or sites used to share information to groups of people over the Internet. The problem with the huge explosion that has been the beginning of the social media era is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to believe information posted online. The Internet has evolved so much that now we are able to even perform video and telephone functions through it. Sites like Skype are taking advantage of this technology. According to the FCC (Federal Communica- tions Commision) the technology used by Skype, Vonage, and other similar Companies is called VoIP. They define this technology as one “that allows you to make voice calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a reg- ular (or analog) phone line”.[29] Essentially, performing telephone functions through the Internet is VoIP. Social Media has seemingly encompassed the younger genera-

tions of today; while it has been slower to catch on with the older generations, it is something that has been in- creasing over time.Skype had recently acquired a newer company called Qik and plans on dominating the new way for people to communicate using mobile video messag- ing. Skype Qik is supposed to be very simple, and it is exactly like texting but all video. A person can send a Qik video to anyone and they do not even have to have the app. These conversations are asynchronous and Skype Qik is a great idea for communication since things like facetime have been a big trend. The thing with facetime though is that someone has to answer the phone and both people need to use it at the same time; with Skype Qik people have the ability to have that type of video interac- tion but at no specific time. Skype Qik was developed by Microsoft,a dn is available on a PC or Mac, and for the iPhone, Android, or Windows phone.[30]

Another popular social media app is Snapchat. This app allows people to send pictures, videos, and texts, just like other apps, but the catch is that once the pic- ture/video/text is opened, it disappears after the set amount of time and cannot be see again. Snapchat has many features which make Snapchat photos and videos more fun and interesting than on other apps. Such fea- tures include filters, different text fonts, and the ability to draw on the pictures/videos with different colors. In addition to these original features, Snapchat has added a feature called “My Story” where users can create a chain or video of multiple pictures and videos combined. This story is not sent to one specific person, rather any of the user’s friends can see it; the set time in this feature deter- mines how long the picture shows in the “slide show” and the story is available for only twenty-four hours. The lat- est feature is “geolocation” which can give you the time, weather, miles per hour, or other site-specific filters based on your location.[31]

RSS and Podcasts

Almost every popular website will have this RSS logo.

114 CHAPTER 4. NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET

First invented by Netscape, Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is an online tool designed to quickly distribute new articles and other content when it is changed or added to. The reason for its invention was because it was an easy way for Netscape to share headlines and stories from other sites, and automatically add it to their own. To help people keep updated on their favorite websites, RSS uses an XML code that constantly scans a website and then broadcasts those updates to all the subscribers through its RSS feed. Subscribing to an RSS feed—usually for free—is fairly simple, as all one has to do is sign up with a feed aggregator, which will store all of one’s RSS sub- scriptions, and then click the subscribe link on the asso- ciated Web page. Finally, its feed content will automat- ically be added to their browser feed list, similar to the Favorites Feed list in Internet Explorer. For better ac- cessibility for today’s evolving generation, RSS feeds can also be delivered to mobile phones and maybe even di- rectly to televisions sometime in the future. [32]

Another simple way to gather useful information from the Web is a Podcast, which is simply a recorded audio or video file that can be downloaded from the Web. De- rived from the combination of the words “broadcasting” and “iPod,” podcasting is a form of audio broadcasting, which can be listened on one’s iPod. However, this is not a limitation since podcasts also be listened to on comput- ers via the Windows Media Player or iTunes, or smart- phones. The difference between podcasting and simply downloading and listening to music online is the fact that with podcasting, files come to you through syndication, instead of the other way around. Much like the blogs and websites mentioned previously, podcasts can be sub- scribed to in order to download new podcasts whenever they become available. [33]

Online Testing

Online testing is becoming a new alternative for taking tests in this technology-based world that we live in nowa- days. Online tests can be used for both objective tests, like multiple choice or true/false, or performance-based tests, like a concussion test. The state of Washington started using online testing in the spring of 2010 to ad- minister tests of math and science for grades 3-8.[34] This testing format creates more options for a teacher’s cur- riculum. Usually, one or two days are necessary to com- plete a test in class, but with an online test, no class days are taken up. This allows for the teacher to either go more in-depth on topics, allow for more Q&A during class room time to make sure his or her students under- stand the material, more time to prepare for an online test day, or it allows for more material to be covered. All of these options are great for the education system be- cause students gain more knowledge from their tuition. One problem with online testing is security. How would a teacher know if the right student is taking the test, if the student is looking online or using another person to help

them? To overcome this obstacle, technology companies are creating devices like the Securexam Remote Proctor system that takes a 360-degree image of the room and uploads it to a server where the teacher of the class can view it. All in all, online testing is the wave of the future for the education system with testing.

Blogs, Wikis, and Other Types of Online Writing

Wikipedia logo

A blog is a Web page that contains short, frequent up- dated entries in chronological order, typically as a means of expression or communication. Blogs can be written by anyone, including ordinary people, celebrities, or even experts of certain fields. As blogs become more and more popular, commercial advertising begins to be com- monly seen on more of the popular blogs. Some of the most popular blogs are websites that offer information or helpful tips to their readers. For example, as of Octo- ber 2014, the top three most popular blogs are: Huff- ington Post, TMZ, Business insider.[35] Another form of online writing, most often used for education purposes, is the wiki. Wikis are a way of creating and editing col- laborative Web pages quickly and easily. Unlike a blog, wikis are meant to be edited by anyone, not just the owner of the typed information. One of the largest wikis is Wikipedia(Wikibooks is an example of a wiki too). While wikis are helpful and collaborative, erroneous in- formation can be added intentionally. As a result, it is recommended to be careful when fully trusting a wiki page. Another type of online writing is an e-portfolio. An electronic portfolio is a collection of an individual’s work accessible through a website. Today. e-portfolios are commonly linked to student-related information, such as resumes, papers, or projects.

4.4. PROS AND CONS 115

2008 Intel Developer Forum Taiwan Day2 MID Keynote Online Game Demonstration

Online Gaming

Everywhere you look, young people are using smart- phones, notebook computers, iPads, etc. Often, they are not just using these devices for school research, home- work, or studying. Young people can be seen playing games on computing devices as young as 3 years old. On- line gaming is a rapid habit that is starting from a very young age. Often, the habit carries into the young adult years for many individuals. Nowadays, there are whole web sites whose sole purpose is hosting games that can be played online. Online games can be played alone or with other individuals who are also online. The games that are designed to be played by multiple players are called online multiplayer games. Some examples of online mul- tiplayer games are Doom, EverQuest, Final Fantasy, City of Heroes, and World of Warcraft. Also, gaming devices, such as, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii, are deigned to be Internet-enabled so they can be connected to the Internet to play with other players. Online gaming has also been associated with Internet addiction. An arti- cle about online gaming addiction in The Kernel, states that often individuals are playing online games 12 hours a day. The article explains that individuals that develop online gaming addiction lose jobs and loved ones, have withdrawal symptoms, and develop migraines and back problems. The article states that it is a very real problem and will potentially continue to grow in the population as the Internet becomes more readily available to more and more people.[36]

Video Chatting

Video calls have played a major part in science fiction for decades. They were a major part of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, and many other films and TV shows of that genre. Now, video chatting capabilities are found as standard on most desktops, and mobile devices. On of the most well known programs, and the program that pioneered video chatting, is Microsoft’s Skype. In re-

Facetime Logo

cent years, Skype has been joined by Apple’s Facetime, and a video chat program embedded in Google Hang- outs. Skype is compatible with Microsoft, Mac, and Linux computers, and there is and app for mobile devices. Facetime however, is only available on Apple devices, al- though the company has promised to make it compatible with other devices at some point. Google Hangouts, be- ing a part of Google online app suite, is available as long as the user is able to access the Internet. There are other free source programs, but these three are the most com- mon and the most trusted by security programs. Video chatting was touted as a futuristic ideal, but in recent years, this has not held true. Video chatting use has de- cline in favor of texting and online testing apps. These may be the future as opposed to video chatting. [37]

4.4.1 Censorship and Privacy

Bypassing internet censorship

Censorship

Censorship is the control of the information distributed within a society and has been a sense of dictatorships throughout time. It’s the suppression of offensive expres- sions that are used for when people want to provoke their

116 CHAPTER 4. NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET

personal political or values to another group. Typically now censorship is filtered by the government to control the information that is given to the public. Censorship by the government is typically unconstitutional because of the freedom of speech and is highly fought against in the First Amendment. Different countries are now censor- ing their countries privacy information for their countries safely and they occasionally stop the information coming in and out of the country. On another note, when individ- uals are on strike or boycott an event they are protected by the First Amendment which can be dangerous but they are still known to be protected. Some private censorship campaigns are best countered by groups and individuals speaking out and organizing in defense of the threatened expression.[38][39]

TOR logo.

Fighting Internet Censorship Internet users who live in countries where the government tries to block or in- hibit Internet use can still sometimes access material that is supposed to be forbidden. One way to do this is via a proxy, where Internet connectivity is routed through an- other server. If, for example, Facebook is blocked, an In- ternet user can use connect to a proy server that, in turn, connects to Facebook, giving the user access to Face- book without directly connecting to it.[40] There is also a browser dedicated specifically to Internet activity known as TOR for “The Onion Router”, which proves multiple layers of encryption, like layers of an onion, as the data

people are submitting or accessing is routed through mul- tiple different 'nodes’ and encrypted in between each one. The idea is that this will provide total anonymity, so that people cannot be tied to their access of or posts on certain websites. While it is sometimes given a negative conno- tation as a tool only for criminals, TOR is actually incred- ibly useful for people in countries whose governments are trying to oppress their citizens’ freedoms of speech and press.[41] In short, while it is not easy or necessarily safe for people in these nations to access everything they should be able to access on the Internet, it is possible, and there are some means of circumventing government censorship of the Internet, which is not always holeproof.

Web Browsing Privacy

Knowledge of internet privacy is vital

Privacy is of great importance to all users of the In- ternet. According to Wikipedia, internet privacy in- volves the right or mandate of personal privacy concern- ing the sorting, repurposing, provision to third-parties, and displaying of information pertaining to oneself via the Internet.[42] This has been a subject of concern for decades. For example, one article that addresses the po- tential implications of privacy and computer dates back to 1965.[43] While it is certain that privacy can be infringed, a simple awareness of how exactly certain processes, like using a search engine, interact with a user can be help deal with some of these concerns. When one uses a search engine, such as Google, small files known as cookies are created to help identify pref- erences for the user. This enables a more accurate and quicker response when beginning a new session. To put this into context, cookies can help retrieve information like what was in a shopping cart for a previous session. However, third-party cookies can be more of an issue to some. Companies use these cookies to target adver-

4.4. PROS AND CONS 117

tisements towards users depending on their browsing pat- terns. Using the Internet Options in Internet Explorer (for Windows) can help one decide what types of cookies can be allowed as well as delete all cookies off the hard drive. A more serious threat to internet privacy is spyware, which refers to any software that is installed without knowledge of the user that obtains information about that user through an Internet connection. The degree to which these programs can cause harm range from simple an- noyances (e.g. setting a homepage to something else) to full-scale threats on system integrity (e.g. rewriting the Windows registry to restrict the user from changing the homepage back to its original state). Adware, while related to spyware, is less harmful. Ad- ware is usually installed alongside other software, and this leads to advertisements that appear on-screen. This can be installed without prior knowledge during the instal- lation of another program by not reading the licensing agreements that came with the program. Therefore it is important to read carefully the agreement to ensure un- wanted software is kept away from the computer.

Proxy BobAlice

Ask Bob what the current time is

What is the current time

The time is 7pm

Bob says the time is 7pm

A simple diagram of how proxies work

In order to prevent personal information from being com- promised and to keep your computer and internet run- ning smoothly there are several precautions that should be taken to ensure that your web browsing experience is a safe and private one. Perhaps the easiest method to do this is by activating private browsing on your inter- net browser application. Once turned on the browser can not save any files or data to your local machine, includ- ing cookies, cache, and history. If you are using regu- lar browsing, these files can still be deleted through your browser or another application. Disposing of these files ensures that online sites cannot track your activity on the web. You can also use programs to ensure that you are not being targeted for certain advertisements because of your browsing history, a common occurrence in the mod- ern marketing age. To be very anonymous on the internet, a Tor network can be setup that encrypts the data you are sending so that your IP address is not compromised.[44] Another similar method is proxies, which are intermedi-

ates that receive and deliver information requested. This keeps your personal computer information private as the server is technically the one making the request, not you.[45]

E-mail Privacy

Gmail Controversy

It is extremely important to always make sure that any important or confidential information being shared over the Internet is being done in a private and confidential way. One of the unfortunate downfalls to everything be- ing done electronically today is that we lose a sense of privacy. Things are much easier to attain on the Inter- net, and sadly there are hackers out there who spend their time trying to break into and gain access to this confi- dential information. If you are going to send important information electronically, it is necessary that you send it in an encrypted message. Encrypted messages make it so that others cannot hack into your e-mails and read what you are saying. One of the more recent controversies with privacy in e-mailing has to do with Google mail. Google has come out saying that they should be able to read the information sent by any of its Gmail users. People find is- sue with this because they are gaining personal and confi- dential information that individuals do not want out there. The purpose of sending a specific email to a specific indi- vidual is so that it can be done in privacy, with the hopes that only that recipient will receive it. However, today this is unfortunately not the case, and if you are going to send mail electronically, one needs to proceed with caution.[46]

4.4.2 Review

Review Definitions

Mobile Phone:A phone such as a cellular, or satellite phone that uses a wireless network. Cell Phone:A mobile phone that communicates via a cel- lular network. Satellite Phone:A mobile phone that communicates via satellite technology. Dual-Mode Phone:A mobile phone that can be used with more than one communications network, such as with both a cellular and Wi-Fi network.

118 CHAPTER 4. NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET

Global Position System (GPS:A system that uses satel- lites and a receiver to determine the exact geographic lo- cation of the receiver. Videoconferencing:The use of computers, video cam- eras, microphones, and networking technologies to con- duct face-to-face meetings over a network. Telecommuting:The use of computers and networking technology to enable an individual to work from a remote location. Telesurgery:A form of robot-assisted surgery in which the doctor’s physical location is different from the pa- tient’s physical location and the doctor controls the robot remotely over the Internet or another network. Telemedicine:The use of networking technology to pro- vide medical information and services. Wireless Network:A network in which computers and other devices are connected to the network without phys- ical cables; data is typically sent via radio waves. Star Network:A network that uses a host device con- nected directly to several other devices. Bus Network:A network consistent of a central cable to which all network devices are attached. Mesh Network:A network in which there are multiple connections between the devices on the network so that messages can take any of several possible paths. Personal Area Networks (PANs):A network that con- nects an individuals’s personal devices that are located close together. Local Area Networks (LANs):A network that connects devices located in a small geographical area, such as within a building. Wide Area Networks (WANs):A network that connects devices located in a large geographical area. Intranet:A private network that is set up similar to the Internet and is accessed via a Web browser. Extranet:An intranet that is at least partially accessible to authorized outsiders. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs):A private, secure path over the Internet that provides authorized users a se- cure means of accessing a private network via the Inter- net. Analog Signal:A type of signal where the data is repre- sented by continuous waves. Digital Signal:A type of signal where the data is repre- sented by 0s and 1s. Serial Transmission:A type of data transmission in which the bits in a byte travel down the same path one after the other. Parallel Transmission:A type of data transmission in which bytes of data are transmitted at one time, with the bits in each byte taking a separate path.

Twisted-Pair Cable:A networking cable consisting of wire strands twisted in sets of two and bound into a cable. Coaxial Cable:A networking cable consisting of a cen- ter wire inside a grounded, cylindrical shield, capable of sending data at high speeds. Fiber Optic:A networking cable that utilizes hundreds of thin transparent fibers over which lasers transmit data as light. Cellular Radio:A form of broadcast radio designed for use with cellular telephones that broadcasts using anten- nas located inside honeycomb-shaped cells. Microwave Station:An earth-based device that sends and receives high-frequency, high-speed radio signals. Communications Satellite:An earth-orbiting device that relays communications signals over long distances Infrared (IR) Transmissions:A wireless networking medium that sends data as infrared light waves. TCP/IP:A networking protocol that uses packet switch- ing to facilitate the transmission of messages; the protocol used with th Internet. Ethernet:A widely used wired LAN networking stan- dard. Wi-Fi:A widely used networking standard for medium- range wireless networks. WiMax:An emerging wireless networking standard that is faster and has a greater range than Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi Direct:A standard for connecting Wi-Fi devices directly, without using a router or an access point Bluetooth:A networking standard for very short-ranged wireless connections; the devices are automatically con- nected once they get within the allowable range. Ultra Wideband (UWB):A networking standard for very short-range wireless connections among multimedia devices. WirelessHD:An emerging wireless networking specifi- cation designed for connecting home consumer devices. Wireless USB:A wireless version of USB designed to connect peripheral devices. TransferJet:A networking standard for very short=range wireless connections between devices; devices need to touch in order to communicate. Network Adapter:A network interface, such as an ex- pansion card or external network adapter. Network Interface Card (NIC):An expansion card through which a computer can connect to a network. Modem:A device that enables a computer to communi- cate over analog networking media, such as connecting to the Internet via telephone lines. Switch:A device used to connect multiple devices on a single (typically wired) network; forwards packets to only

4.4. PROS AND CONS 119

the intended recipient. Router:A device that connects multiple networks to- gether; routes packets to their next location in order to efficiently reach their destination. Wireless Access Point (WAP):A device on a wireless network that connects wireless devices to that network. Wireless Router:A router with a built-in wireless access point; most often used to connect wireless devices to a network and an Internet connection and often contains a built-in switch. Bridge:A device used to bridge or connect two LANs; most often used to connect wired devices wirelessly to a network. Repeater:A device on a network that amplifies signals. Range Extenders:A repeater for a wireless network. Antennas:A device used for receiving or sending radio signals; often used to increase the range of a network.

Review Questions

4.4.3 References

[1] wiki: ARPANET

[2] http://www.internet2.edu

[3] http://webfoundation.org/about/vision/ history-of-the-web/

[4] http://www.nethistory.info/History%20of%20the% 20Internet/web.html

[5] http://www.wikihow.com/ Set-Up-an-Internet-Connection

[6] http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/ what-are-the-different-internet-connection-methods

[7] http://www.cnet.com/news/ 3-percent-of-american-adults-still-cling-to-dial-up-internet/

[8] http://www.packetworks.net/blog/ internet-connection-types

[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotspot_(Wi-Fi)

[10] Understanding Computers 14th Ed. by Deborah Morley & Charles Parker

[11] http://www.verizon.com/home/fios/

[12] http://www.wisegeek.com/ what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-fiber-optic-broadband. htm

[13] http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/ 3225-20-Top-Internet-Service-Providers

[14] http://www.easyt1.net/blog/ 10-things-to-consider-when-choosing-an-internet-service-provider

[15] http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/04/ one-big-reason-we-lack-internet-competition-starting-an-isp-is-really-hard/

[16] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiber-optic_ communication

[17] http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/S/search_engine. html

[18] http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/K/keyword_search. html

[19] http://webaim.org/techniques/sitetools/

[20] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2360059/ DuckDuckGo-little-known-search-engine-refuses-store-data-users-doubles-web-traffic-amid-NSA-tapping-scandal. html

[21] https://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/models/tips/ searchstrategies.html

[22] http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/B/Boolean_logic. html

[23] https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/134479? hl=en

[24] http://blog.brosix.com/ why-instant-messaging-is-now-more-popular-than-sms/

[25] http://www.ioba.org/newsletter/archive/8%284%29/ toolbox2.php

[26] http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20141014/business/ 141019213/

[27] http://www.bankrate.com/finance/checking/ pros-cons-online-checking-accounts-1.aspx

[28] http://www.nasdaq.com/article/ the-pros-and-cons-of-online-banking-cm386361

[29] http://transition.fcc.gov/voip/

[30] http://www.theverge.com/2014/10/14/6973625/ skype-qik-video-messaging-features

[31] http://mashable.com/2014/08/13/ snapchat-tips-and-tricks/

[32] http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-rss.htm

[33] http://www.entrepreneurs-journey.com/230/ what-is-a-podcast/

[34] https://www.k12.wa.us/Assessment/StateTesting/ OnlineTesting.aspx

[35] http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/blogs

[36] http://theweek.com/article/index/255964/ the-psychology-of-video-game-addiction

[37] http://www.howtogeek.com/186267/ the-3-easiest-ways-to-video-chat-online-or-on-the-go/ #

[38] http://gilc.org/speech/osistudy/censorship/

[39] https://www.aclu.org/free-speech/censorship

120 CHAPTER 4. NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET

[40] http://www.rfa.org/about/help/web_access.html

[41] https://www.torproject.org/

[42] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_privacy

[43] http://www.multicians.org/fjcc6.html

[44] http://www.cnet.com/how-to/ five-smart-ways-to-keep-your-browsing-private/

[45] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proxy_server

[46] http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/09/05/ google-seeks-to-dismiss-gmail-privacy-lawsuit-says-it-has-right-to-scan/

4.5 Security

4.5.1 Unauthorized Access and Control Systems

Encryption - decryption

Firewall is a type of security system that creates a wall that checks all incoming and outgoing messages to ensure only authorized traffic goes through. There are many different forms of this application such as Norton[1] and Windows Security Essentials.[2] Another way to protect your infor- mation is encryption. Encryption basically scrambles and makes any message sent unreadable to anyone who does not have a key. The key is then used to decrypt the scram- bled message into the original format. Whenever you go to a website that has an S after the HTTP that means it is a secure web page. Meaning the entire web page is encrypted, so people hacking to your web browser can- not get you credit card number or SSN. One question that arises is, can't you just make every website a secure web page? The simple answer is money, a site owner needs to pay someone to encrypt the site. Then to send the data takes up more bandwidth, and slows down traffic in gen- eral. Another form of protection is a VPN (virtual pri- vate network). A VPN creates a link between the user and some other destination. In order to access the VPN you will need a username and password, in order to keep it more secure and to block out hackers. Firewalls can work in a number of ways, but a cou- ple types of firewalls are more widely used over others. The two most common firewalls are packet-filtering and proxy. A packet-filter simply examines each packet to determine whether it is safe or not. After examining a packet, the filter will either allow in or block out the packet depending on if it’s safe or not. Packet-filters are

Firewall

common among routers, switches, wireless access points, etc. A disadvantage of using a packet-filter firewall is that some packets that are safe may be blocked by accident. This means that it is possible that parts of information could be missing due to a packet being blocked.[3] The other common firewall, called a proxy firewall, is often referred to as the most secure type of firewall. Proxy firewalls are very secure due to the fact that it limits, or totally excludes, direct connections. Direct connections are limited by packets being sent from one computer to the proxy, and then mirrored over to the computer on the receiving end. A disadvantage of a proxy firewall is that it can slow down the transfer speed of packets. Although decrease in speed or functionality is a disadvantage, it is important to remember key advantages. While using a proxy firewall it is difficult for someone to figure out the location of where packets were sent from.[4]

Firewall

The Internet was created as an open system for the free exchange of information. Due to the openness of an ide- ology the Internet provides to “bad guys” the significantly greater opportunities for the penetration into information systems. Firewalls make it possible to filter incoming and outgoing traffic that flows through your system. The Fire- wall uses one or more sets of rules to check the network packets as they enter or exit through a network connec- tion, it either allows the traffic through or blocks it. The Firewall could be applied for protection a single host as well as to protect the entire network. A computer Fire- wall may be built-in into the Operation System or in- stalled separately. The network Firewalls are the more complicated systems, combined hardware and software. These days, there is no single, the universally accepted classification of firewalls. But according to the methods

4.5. SECURITY 121

of deploying it is possible to identify three following types of them. Filtering routers are the routers or a servers running on a program configured to filter incoming and outgoing packets. The Packet filtering is carried out on the basis of information contained in TCP- and IP-packet headers. Firewalls based on Session layer gateways. This class of routers is a repeater TCP-connection. Gateway receives a request from authorized client for specific ser- vices and after validation of the requested session estab- lishes a connection to the destination. Firewalls based on Application layer gateways. In order to protect a num- ber of vulnerabilities inherent filtering routers, firewalls should be used by applications to filter connections with services such as Telnet and FTP. This application is called proxy-service. This gateway eliminates the direct interac- tion between the client and authorized external host. The gateway filters all incoming and outgoing packets at the application layer. Application Layer Gateways are good for protection; since the interaction with the outside world is realized through a small number of authorized appli- cations, fully control all incoming and outgoing traffic. Note that application-level gateways require a separate application for each network service.These categories can be considered as the basic components of real firewalls. However, these components reflect the key features that distinguish firewalls from each other.[5]

Retinal Scanner

Biometric Access Systems identify an individual based on their fingerprint, iris, or facial features or other unique physiological characteristic. Keystroke Dynamics recog- nize an individual’s personal typing pattern to authenti- cate the user as s/he types a username or password. Bio- metric readers allow access based on the persons physical characteristics. Fingerprint readers and retinal scanners isolate an unchangeable property in an individual in order to identify them and offer high security based on these measures. They are typically used to control access to high risk facilities such as government property, prisons, and corporate headquarters. Fingerprint scanners have

also been equipped into laptops in order to offer a higher standard of protection in securing personal files. In the same way, a person can download face recognition soft- ware onto their laptop as well. Because biometrics are entirely unique to the user, they are extremely accurate. In the same way no two people will have the same fin- gerprint, a persons facial features and iris’ are as equally unique. In fact, the odds of another person having the same features as another is about 1 in 10^78 power.[6]

PassWord Strength

Identification Systems are a type of Access Control Sys- tem that reassures whoever wants to access your system has authorization. Along with this, Authentication Sys- tems makes sure the person is who they say they are. Possessed Knowledge Access Systems use passwords us- ing information only the user should know. Downsides to this system would be the ability to forget this informa- tion or for it to be found out by someone who should not know. Cognitive Authentication Systems require users to think of their answers to certain personal questions such as their first pet, where they were born, where they have been on vacation, etc. The disadvantages to this system are the same as Possessed Knowledge Access Systems; with a lapse of time a person is more likely to forget their answer to a security question, especially if it had multiple answers. Lastly, Possessed Object Access Systems are a way to identify you with a physical object such as a key- card or badge. Access Control Systems link up to differ- ent types of readers that have the ability to hold data and retrieve it when needed. Some may even have function buttons that let them collect different data used for tim- ing and attendance purposes. Identification Systems are a great tool to ensure the safety and privacy of users and are useful for everyday computers and accounts, business accounts, and much more.[7]

Many WI-FI connections are unfortunately left unse- cured. This allows for any individual with a WI-FI compatible device to potentially piggy back the network. Once an individual is connected to a network, most de- vices connected to that network become available for a skilled hacker to view. This leaves an opening for many possible risks, especially if that network has a high traffic of sensitive information or data.[8] Some war driving soft- ware exists which allows a user, usually with a portable device, to identify many unsecured networks in a short amount of time. This gives a hacker to identify a large

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Wireless Connection

number of potential targets. Cyber-Crime has become increasingly prevalent over the years. Hackers are notori- ous for the various crimes they commit. Using malicious software, a skilled hacker is capable of stealing credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and other personal in- formation, some of which make it possible for them to even steal identities. Using a program such as a keylog- ger, a hacker can monitor keystrokes without the individ- ual knowing, allowing them to acquire sensitive informa- tion such as a credit card number, social security number, bank account, or password. A skilled hacker with an un- derstanding of web design can create a phishing website and acquire account information from unsuspecting web- site visitors.[9]

Public Hotspot Safety

Portugal Airport offering a public hotspot

Public hotspots are public networks, usually found within buildings such as restaurants, airports, and hospitals that allow a free or fee-based wi-fi connection to nearby users.

Because these hotspots are public, it is beneficial to take certain precautionary measures when using them. Some of these safety measure include, disabling your computer automatic wi-fi connection feature. Many modern com- puters will automatically connect to any available wi-fi networks and it is important to be aware of this. Also, using a firewall can protect connections from working in the opposite direction. Instead of your computer connect- ing to the wi-fi, there is a chance that other softwares or devices that are perhaps malicious will try to access your computer through the network. Also, you should avoid viewing or inputting personal information while using a public hotspot. Avoid online shopping which requires a credit card as well as using passwords which can link to sensitive accounts. If you are viewing and inputting per- sonal information then try using a virtual private network through the public hotspot which will avoid others from accessing your data. Other precautions include turning off file sharing, using antivirus software, and watching to see if others are trying to look at your computer screen within the public area.[10]

4.5.2 Computer Sabotage

Malware

Malware is a term for unwanted software that gets in- stalled on a user’s computer and performs malicious tasks. It can be as simple as pop-up windows containing adver- tising, otherwise known as Adware, or it can cause signif- icant damage in the form of a Virus. A Virus is a program that can replicate itself and spread to other computers wreaking havoc along the way. There are many differ- ent types of computer viruses that can cause all different kinds of damage to a computer. Another form of Mal- ware is Spyware. Spyware can track a computer user’s web browsing habits and transmit that information to ad- vertisers without the user’s knowledge. Unfortunately, without adequate protection, it is rather easy for a user to inadvertently allow malware installation. It can be as simple as clicking the wrong box in pop-up window on a website. Protection from malware is avail- able through various security software programs. Some are even available for free download, Malwarebytes. [11] Often times, if a computer is already infected, it can block anti-malware apps. One of the benefits of Malwarebytes is that it can be installed even a PC already has malicious programs on it.

Botnets and Computer Viruses

A botnet is a large group of computers that have been taken over; botnets are a serious threat to computer users because of their devious ways of taking over computers. At the time, computer owners did not know their com- puters were being altered. Botnets are commonly used

4.5. SECURITY 123

Protect Your Computer

for DDoS attacks, click-fraud, phishing campaigns, key logging,and host malicious web sites. There are warn- ing signs a computer user should be aware of if he or she’s computer is apart of a botnet. For example, the computer will be extremely slow, one will receive emails accusing he or she of spam, and the computer user will have email messages in his or her’s outbox that was never sent.[12] Also, a malware is any type of deleterious soft- ware. A computer virus is a common type of malware that ruins computers. There are many harmful effects that could come with a computer virus. For example, a virus could delete important data, send out fake emails, and could possibly delete the information that contains on the hard drive. Therefore, it is important for a computer user to buy an anti virus system for his or her’s computer to avoid these terrible malfunctions that are very common in computers.[13]

Security Software is a Computer’s Doctor

Although computer viruses in the past were sometimes designed to create confusion and mischief, more recent viruses have been designed to inflict much more serious damage. The perpetrators of creating such viruses are

Cartoonvirus

more often working for foreign governments or intelli- gence agencies. In recent years there have been several viruses that have become well known due to the large amount of damage they caused. One such virus was called Conficker Virus and affected Windows-based Pc’s in 2009. This worm crawled through millions of comput- ers which created an immense botnet that was able to steal financial information and data. The virus is still affecting computers today. Another well known virus was called agent.btz and occurred in 2008. This virus spread through infected thumb drives and was found on Pentagon com- puters. It was believed to be the work of foreign spies, and lead to the creation of U.S. Cyber Command, an agency created to battle cyber war. PoisonIvy, another computer virus launched in 2005, allowed the attacker to control the infected user’s computer. This malware is known as re- mote access Trojan. It allows the hacker complete control of a computer. Once control is gained, the hacker could manipulate files and even get access to the computers speaker and webcam. PoisonIvy affected both defense and chemical industries in the West. Computer viruses are a serious threat. With the world relying on computers for everything from personal use to national defense, it is vital that computers be safeguarded against viruses. The next section goes on to describe security software.[14]

Data, Program or Website Alteration

Alteration attacks could take many different forms and occur when someone makes unauthorized modifications to code or data, attacking its integrity.[15] Alteration at- tacks have a range of consequences such as altering, de- stroying, suppressing, or stealing output, usually to con- ceal unauthorized transactions.[16] For example, students are changing grades, employees are altering or deleting corporate data as well as hackers changing social net- working accounts and posting statuses on victim’s behalf.

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Facebook Logo on Monitor

Many politicians like French President Nicolas Sarkozy whose Facebook page was hacked in 2011[17] are under website alteration attack. The government or corpora- tion website can be hijacked as well. In 1996 U.S. Cen- tral Intelligent Agency’s website was altered by Swedish hacker and in 1998 The New York Times’ website was hacked.[18] Although people may feel helpless against these attacks, victims of sabotage have the law on their side. A person who knowingly, willfully and without au- thorization creates, alters or deletes any data, informa- tion, image, program, signal or sound contained in any computer, system or network which, if done on a written or printed document or instrument is guilty of forgery.[19] In 2012, the IC3 (receives, develops, and refers crim- inal complaints of cybercrime) received and processed 289,874 complaints, averaging more than 24,000 com- plaints per month. Also, unverified losses reported to IC3 rose 8.3 percent over the previous year.[20]

Security Software

Security software are programs that run alongside the other programs on a computer to try and prevent viruses from penetrating into the system. If software does not prevent the virus with its defensive properties, then it can detect a virus and detect the user. Most viruses can be removed by security software, but if there is one that cannot be removed, the software will “corner” the virus so that it cannot ruin any other areas in the com- puter system. Viruses are a big problem for every com- puter that uses the internet, no matter what type of ac- tivity is done on the internet. Viruses can be used for theft, corruption of data, destruction of data, or system failure. The way to get security software is to down- load it digitally or through a DVD-ROM. According to the Anti-Virus Software website, the top ten anti- virus softwares are the following, respectively: McAfee, BullGuard, Trend Micro, Kaspersky, Norton by Syman- tec, BitDefender, ESET, ZoneAlarm, ParetoLogic, and VIPRE. These softwares provide web browsing protec-

tion, protection against Phishing scams, and parental con- trol in addition to the basic anti-virus features. The way to choose the best anti-virus software is to check out all of the details and features to determine what extra character- istics are really necessary and what price range is suitable for personal circumstances.[21]

4.5.3 Online Theft and Fraud

Identity Theft

Pennsylvania-Drivers-License-1

Identity theft is when someone identity in order to gain ac- cess to their bank accounts and possibly rent apartments or take out loans in that persons name. They then use their credit cards to make purchases. It usually begins when someone gets the name, address, and social secu- rity of someone from thrown a discarded document, usu- ally mail. They can also get people’s information form the Internet. Identity theft is typically grouped into two subcategories. One is true name identity theft and that is when the thief uses another person’s information to open new accounts. The other kind is account takeover, which is when the thief uses someone else’s personal informa- tion to gain access to their existing accounts.[22] There are different techniques such as skimming and social en- gineering. Skimming is when the thief uses a device that

4.5. SECURITY 125

reads and stores credit and debit card numbers and stores them for later retrieval by the thief. Social engineering is when you pretend to work at a bank and ask people for their information.[23] Thieves rummage through garbage, trash in business, public dumps to get what they are look- ing which is someone’s personal information. Some good indicators that your account identity has been stolen are if there are withdrawals that you can’t explain, not get- ting bills in the mail, refused checks, IRS contacting you, bills received that you are not aware of, and if your health plan will not cover you. All of these are big indicators that your identity has been stolen. It is important to be aware of bank transactions to be cautious of these thieves. There are certain types of Identity theft as well. Tax re- lated would be one of them. If a Social Security number is stolen that can be used to get a tax refund or job. If you get paid by someone you do not know or find more than one tax return those would be big indicators that someone stole from you. Contacting the right people im- mediately would be the first thing to do in any situation dealing with identity theft. The IRS can help if a So- cial Security number has been stolen and they can protect the account. Children can also have their Social Security number stolen so it is important to keep that information private and on file.[24]

Phishing

Phishing is when a thief sends out an e-mail that looks like it is from a legitimate site and then they steal your information. They are typically sent to a large group of people and they include an urgent message. It usually says that they need to update their banking information or something to that affect. Phishing attempts can oc- cur anywhere, including Twitter, MySpace, or e-bay.[25] Something that is becoming more targeted is spear phish- ing. Spear phishing e-mails are personalized. It is often targeted to social media sites because it is easier to find personal information on people.[26]

Pharming, Drive-by Pharming, and Online Auction Fraud

Many people today are victims of identity theft. Another type of fraud or scam is called Pharming. Pharming is usually a fraudulent domain name intended to redirect a website’s traffic to another “trick” website. Pharming can be conducted either by changing the hosts file on a vic- tim’s computer, or by the exploitation of a vulnerability in DNS server software.[27] Sometimes this happens via email. The hacker gets ahold of the user’s email address

Online Fraud

and sends the code or website to the specific user. Once the user receives and opens the email, the hacker can re- ceive the user’s information. Pharming usually happens most often with DNS servers at a company with a com- mon and well-known Web site. The hacker can change IP addresses intended for the company URL. Then the com- pany URL is routed to the “poisoned” URL, which then takes over the Web server. This method of pharming is useful to the hacker because the “poisoned” Web site is usually made to look exactly like the company Web site. Once the user logs in, the hacker captures the username and password for the first time. The user receives a login message error and is then returned to the original com- pany Web site. Drive-by Pharming is a little more recent. This method is used by logging into the user’s personal routers by using a common password that a script within a website can run. When it is accessed, the information on the router can be modified to suite the hacker.[28]

Online auction fraud happens when a payment online goes to the seller, but the item is never delivered. For instance, if a buyer wants to make a bid online and buy tickets to a show or a concert, the buyer pays the seller for the tickets, and the seller never sends them. Many people are scammed each year and need to be careful with who they are trusting over the Internet.

4.5.4 Protecting Against Online Theft and Fraud

Protecting Against Identity Theft

Just as the Internet is always evolving for good, there are also constantly scheming e-criminals hoping to take ad- vantage of those who aren't careful with their online iden- tities. Identity Theft is one of the scariest things that can happen to a person, especially if they don't have a strong friend or family base to help convince the proper authorities of their true identity. There is no one universal

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The key to internet safety is always being self aware.

way to protect yourself from identity theft; instead, there are a number of steps you should take to keep yourself fully protected. The first thing you can do is be respon- sible with your bank accounts and credit cards. If you're checking your balance every day, you will be quick to see if there are any suspicious discrepancies occurring.[29] The next important step to protect against identity theft seems simple but can be easily overlooked: do not give out your personal information on the internet. This in- cludes phone numbers, addresses, or anything else that hackers could potentially trace back to something you hold valuable. One of the final ways you can protect your- self from identity theft is being wary of your mail. It is very easy for an e-criminal to send you a destructive link in an email that looks like it came from one of your friends, where one small click will lead you into a world of pain. Just follow these few rules and you will be doing fine online.

Avoiding Phishing E-mails

Most e-mail programs will automatically disable links in e-mail messages identified as questionable.

Due to the advantage taken of today’s improving technol- ogy, phishing has emerged as one of the most damaging forms of identity theft. Using very convincing and per-

sistent language, e-criminals are able to trick millions of users into revealing confidential information over the In- ternet. As mentioned earlier, to lure people in to click- ing an attached link, e-criminals tend to steal the iden- tity of a legitimate and well-known company to write a very “important-sounding” e-mail, solely for the purpose of tricking the reader into thinking the contents of the e- mail really are significant. Nonetheless, however urgent the e-mail may seem, it is actually designed to steal your money! A typical phishing e-mail will usually consist of: spelling errors, links, threats to make the content seem urgent, and a popular company name to sound reliable. If examined carefully, some phishing expeditions may be fairly easy to spot, due to the poor spelling and gram- mar used, making it obvious that the message is not from a legitimate company. The link in the e-mail is used by the cybercriminals to install malicious software on your computer, ultimately enabling them to steal personal and sensitive information off of your computer. The e-mail could also even ask you to provide personal information, such as your bank account number, credit card number, or your Social Security Number; this should automati- cally be a red flag for the recipients because an authentic business would never request such information in any way other than in person. Therefore, if one is alert and careful about the content they receive in an e-mail, they can ul- timately help protect their identity and their money, even if the e-mail seemed rather urgent.

Phish

The act of a phisher setting up a Web site that appears to look like the legitimate business is an act called Web site spoofing. As mentioned above, phishing emails can be sent to a wide group of people or can be personalized and sent to one person. This more targeted trend of phishing is called spear phishing because it targets a specific indi- vidual. A phisher may gather personal information from a networking site and send an email to a particular indi- vidual in order to convince the recipient that personal lo- gin information or account information is needed. Phish- ers may also doing something that is called typosquat- ting, which is setting up spoofed Websites with addresses slightly different from legitimate sites in the hopes that a user would supply login information via the spoofed site

4.5. SECURITY 127

when they arrive. Another form of online threats include pharming. Pharming is another type of scam that uses spoofing. With pharming, the criminal reroutes traffic intended for a commonly used Web site to a spoofed Web site set up by the pharmer. The pharmer makes changes to the DNS server. The DNS server is the computer that translates URLs in to the needed IP addresses to display the Web page corresponding to a URL. A pharmer will usually target company DNS servers. Lastly, online ac- tion fraud can also be a concern for Internet users. This threat occurs when an online auction buyer pays for mer- chandise that never is delivered.[30] [31]

Digital Certificates

Box showing digital certificates

One way of protecting yourself from online thefts or frauds is by looking for a digital certificate when brows- ing the Web or looking through e-mails. A digital cer- tificate is granted by Certificate Authorities, which prove to the person that the website they are accessing is se- cure. A digital certificate binds the owner of a website to a specific pair of electronic keys, one being public and the other private. This allows the owner of the certificate to encrypt their files and e-mails and provides the user with the knowledge that their actually is an owner to the web- site that they are on. This can protect users from giving away their credit card numbers to unprotected websites that try to scam people of their money. A digital certifi- cate can either be an SSL or EV (Extended Version) SSL. The SSL digital certificate is the ordinary certificate that still requires an application and verification process while the EV SSL requires a more in-depth verification process.

For users, an EV SSL digital certificate indicates that it is more secure than just an SSL digital certificate, while both of them are considered to be safe. This can be rep- resented by the fact that when you enter an EV SSL web- page, the Address bar turns green and for an SSL web- page it doesn’t change color at all. A digital certificate, in general, is definitely a good security advisor for users on the Internet.[32]

The Safety of Using PayPal

Credit-cards

Internet users have to be very cautious of the information they put on the internet. PayPal seems to be a popular e-commerce business that many people use and willing give their private information to. Is this payment pro- cessor to be trusted? PayPal makes the lives of every- day internet consumers much easier. Its secure server stores your credit card information so payment over the internet is more efficient. Not much effort has to be put in by the individuals that use this payment processor. Other accounts require a vast amount of paper work to be signed beforehand.[33] One drawback to using PayPal is that there is a long list of rules the users must abide by, and if a user breaks any of these rules their money could be locked for up to six months while under investigation. An interesting feature that was added to PayPal in 2006 was an additional security option. Instead of only entering a login id and password, PayPal users can choose to type a six-digit number code in as well. This lowers the risk of malware bots trying to hack into the account. The only bad part is that there is a fee associated with this added security measure. Users might be discouraged to protect their accounts because of this additional fee. They should still take caution when it comes to entering personal in- formation into PayPal.

The Safety of Digitally Storing Cards

Now with the advancement of technology and the new innovations of companies like Apple and Google. New forms of paying have appeared or rather a new way of

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A new way of paying. But is it safe?

paying. Apple Pay and Android Pay are ways of pay- ing wherein the user puts their credit cards or debit cards into their phones and can then use their phones or smart- watches to use their credit cards instead of bringing the physical cards with them. With the phone’s it uses bio- metrics to make sure the owner is using Apple Pay and with smartwatches they use passcodes. But the real ques- tion is this new way of paying secure? Apple claims that it is so. In fact, they claim that it is actually more secure and that they will never upload the details on your cards to their servers. In fact, if your smartphone or smartwatch was ever stolen, you have the ability to revoke the infor- mation on your smartphone or smartwatch. Also Apple creates a Unique Device Account Number in order to protect your purchases when making transactions. How- ever, there are those who do believe that this may not be safe. The best way to not have to deal with the risk is not actually use Apple Pay. Although that depends on the person.[34]

Basic Home Network Security

An icon of a wireless router, the kind of device one uses for the networks ones needs to keep secure.

Many people have wireless networks in their homes, but they may not necessarily keep these networks as safe as

they can or should. If somebody else accesses your net- work without your knowledge or consent, then they may do things on that network that you do not desire, they may eat up your allotted data usage, and, most concerning, they may be able to get your personal information. There- fore, people with wireless home networks should take precautions to keep them secure. First, networks should always have some sort of a password to keep them safe; a network should never, ever be left unsecured, because then absolutely anybody within range can go on it. Typing any password at all is better than nothing, since it'll de- ter people from mooching, but—as is always the case— it is not wise to go with a predictable password such as the network name, 'password', 'Internet', etc. Something that is meaningless on the surface level but has a deeper meaning for you is a better way to go; for example, the first letters of words in an individual phrase that only you will remember. Also, to add yet another layer of secu- rity, you can make it so that your network is not available to other users by default but instead they must know the network name; this way, for a hacker to gain access, they would have to guess both the ID of the network and the password, which is highly unlikely. With these incredi- bly simple steps, one can make their network incredibly secure compared to one that has absolutely no measures preventing access from anybody within a certain physical proximity.[35]

4.5.5 Personal Safety

Only starts with one message

Cyber-bullying

This is a new way of bullying especially for the amount of social networks and how it has influenced our soci-

4.5. SECURITY 129

ety today. Unfortunately, it happens 24 hours of the day and anything can be posted or distributed anonymously in which it could be difficult to track where the bullying is coming from. And as everyone is informed these days, once something is on the internet, there is no way to per- manently delete the comment after it has been sent. It happens when individuals are bullied through electronic technology. For example, you can cyber bully over text message, emails, rumors send through any type of social networks. There’s no way to prevent an individual from making a comment that could be known as the start of cyber bullying, but simply ignoring or reporting the com- ment to either a parent, friend or any type of guidance person could benefit you most in not having the bullying continue. To elaborate, you can simply block the individ- ual that had started the commenting and keep any type of evidence of the bullying for future documents in case it gets worse. A last important note is to recognize the signs of attitudes if a student were to be cyber bullied; some re- actions are abusing drugs and alcohol, skip school, receive poor grades and have lower self-esteem.[36]

Cyberstalking

Cyberstalking is a serious issue.

Cyberstalking is the use of the internet, email, or other electronic communications to stalk another person. This occurs when there is a continuous pattern of malicious or threatening activity from an individual. Cyberstalk- ing is considered the most dangerous form of harassment over the internet and is punishable by law. Depending on the state, punishments can range from misdemeanors to felonies.[37] Victims of cyberstalking can be targeted by strangers online who find personal information some- where on the web or by more personal colleagues or indi- viduals who know the person they are targeting well. Un- fortunately, cyberstalking can move beyond the computer and become a problem in the real world if the stalker dis-

covers or knows how to find the individual personally. This is a very serious issue and should be brought to law enforcement agencies or even the FBI. It is important to not give away any personal information that can be used to stalk you and to ensure that you trust anyone or anywhere that you may be giving personal information to online. The best solution to stop cyberstalking is to not respond at all or to change the information on what ever resource the cyber stalker is using to harass you.[38]

Online Pornography

Protecting the Children

Along with the lifespan and constant evolution of the In- ternet came the controversial issue of online pornogra- phy. Though pornography has unfortunately been around on paper for centuries, electronic access has made it much easier, quicker, and more convenient for any individual to get ahold of it at any given time. With this online access comes a much bigger and more controversial is- sue. It has introduced people, especially children, to new and substantial safety issues. Though child pornography is banned and illegal, there is a considerable amount of it being circulated and passed throughout the Internet. With the link that has been made between this horri- ble content and child molestation, it is reasonable to be concerned about the spike that this will bring. Not only does it encourage sick people to do horrible things, but the computer also gives them an outlet to meet and dis- honestly introduce themselves to children. It is unfortu- nate that today we have to be concerned about what could come from our children talking to people on the Inter- net; however, it is important that we voice these risks and make sure that parents take every precaution possible to keep their children from ever experiencing these horrific possibilities.[39]

4.5.6 Protecting Against Cyberbullying, Cyberstalking, and Other Personal Safety Concerns

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Safety Tips for Adults

Be careful what you send

While it may seem unnecessary to state, the Internet is accessed by not only those with good intentions but also those who can pose a threat in a variety of ways. It is important to be aware of this fact because it is quite easy to forget how vast of an entity the Internet is and count- less masses who use it daily. This makes for the task of safeguarding information from those who mean harm an important responsibility. Some of the ways one can pre- vent cyberbullying, cyberstalking and other issues are by using names that are gender-neutral. This hides the iden- tity of the user, and this is important for female users because unfortunately they are more likely to be targets compared to male users.[40] Also, one should not give phone numbers, addresses and other personal informa- tion to strangers for obvious reasons.

Safety Tips for Children and Teens

Monitoring how children and teenagers use the Internet through the computer, smartphone, game console, etc. is the most important step in protecting them. It is recom- mended to place certain restrictions on how they use the Internet so that they do not access certain sites that might make them more susceptible to dangerous individuals or certain sites (e.g. adult sites). It is also important for older teens to understand the potential ramifications, including not only personal but also legal issues, that can arise from sending explicit messages or pictures via text messaging.

Using Your Computer In A Safe Way

One of the best ways to stay safe online is to make sure you have your computers operating system and antivirus / anti-malware software update and set scanning schedules however the most important part of protection is user awareness. A recent blog post from Antivirus Talk de- tails a list of good computer rules. Remember the ma- jority of the time the user has allowed a virus onto the system. [41]

• Always Run Antivirus Software

• Don’t Go To Websites You Don’t Know

• Don’t Open Emails if you don’t know where they are from

• Use A Different Password For Everything

• Keep Your System Up-To-Date

• Don’t install unknown programs

By just following these rules you have the best chance of a safe journey online.

4.5.7 Network and Internet Security Leg- islation

DC3 seal

New legislation is frequently introduced to address new types of computer crimes. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to keep pace with the rate at which the technology changes. Along with this, there are both domestic and international jurisdictional issues because many computer crimes af- fect people in geographical areas other than one in which the computer criminal is located. Regardless, computer crime legislation continues to be proposed and computer crimes are being prosecuted. Some of the most important and impactful laws follow: Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1984- Makes it a crime to break into comput- ers owned by the federal government. Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998- Makes it a federal crime to knowingly use someone else’s means of identifi- cation, Social Security number, or credit card, to commit any unlawful activity. Homeland Security Act(2002)- In- cludes provisions to combat cyberterrorism. One of the

4.5. SECURITY 131

most famous cases of a cyber crime happened quite re- cently, the criminals charged in 2013. Five cyber crim- inals were responsible for a hack that targeted compa- nies more than $300 million. They did this by stealing usernames and passwords, personal identification infor- mation, credit card and debit card numbers through se- cure computer networks. The criminals were sentenced up to 20 years in prison, depending on the amount stolen and involvement with the hacking group.[42]

[1] http://us.norton.com/

[2] http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/ security-essentials-download

[3] http://www.networkworld.com/article/2255950/ lan-wan/chapter-1--types-of-firewalls.html

[4] http://www.bullguard.com/bullguard-security-center/ pc-security/computer-security-resources/ how-proxy-firewalls-work.aspx

[5] http://web.mit.edu/kerberos/firewalls.html

[6] http://www.biometricupdate.com/201308/ human-recognition-systems-integrates-biometric-access-control-with-cscs

[7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Access_control#Access_ control_system_components

[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wardriving

[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystroke_logging

[10] http://us.norton.com/travel-hotspot-security/article

[11] http://download.cnet.com/ Malwarebytes-Anti-Malware-Free/3000-8022_ 4-10804572.html

[12] http://www.ucalgary.ca/it/help/articles/security/ awareness/botnets

[13] http://www.ucalgary.ca/it/help/articles/security/ awareness/botnets

[14] http://www.smithsonianmag. com/ist/?next=/science-nature/ top-ten-most-destructive-computer-viruses-159542266/

[15] http://www.sans.edu/research/security-laboratory/ article/alter-code

[16] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_crime

[17] http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ facebook-hackers-french-president-nicolas-sarkozy-resign-article-1. 150369

[18] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/130595/ cybercrime/235711/Sabotage

[19] http://law.justia.com/codes/nevada/2013/chapter-205/ statute-205.481

[20] http://www.fbi.gov/news/pressrel/press-releases/ ic3-2012-internet-crime-report-released

[21] http://www.top10antivirussoftware.com/

[22] http://money.howstuffworks.com/identity-theft.htm

[23] http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/identity+ theft

[24] http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/ 0040-child-identity-theft

[25] http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/phishing

[26] http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/ spear-phishing

[27] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharming

[28] http://highsecurity.blogspot.com/2007/02/ pharming-and-drive-by-pharming.html

[29] http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/how-to-tech/ how-to-protect-against-identity-theft2.htm

[30] https://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/alerts/ phishing.html

[31] http://www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/ phishing-symptoms.aspx

[32] http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd361898. aspx

[33] http://www.xsitepro.com/ the-pros-and-cons-of-using-paypal-as-your-primary-payment-processor. html

[34] http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/ science-technology/591309/ Apple-Pay-UK-Launch-Safe-Safer-Contactless-Credit-Debit-Card

[35] http://www.pcworld.com/article/130330/article.html

[36] http://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it/ index.html

[37] http://www.ncsl.org/research/ telecommunications-and-information-technology/ cyberstalking-and-cyberharassment-laws.aspx

[38] http://www.cyberangels.org/security/stalking.php

[39] http://www.popcenter.org/problems/child_pornography/

[40] http://www.cyberbullying.us/research.php

[41] http://www.antivirustalk.com/

[42] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-07-25/ 5-hackers-charged-in-largest-data-breach-scheme-in-u-s-. html

132 CHAPTER 4. NETWORKS AND THE INTERNET

4.5.8 Review

Important Terms antivirus software

[1]

Software used to detect and eliminate computer viruses and other types of malware. biometric access system: An access control system that uses one unique physical characteristic of an individual (such as a fingerprint, face, or voice) to authenticate that individual. bot: A computer that is controlled by a hacker or other computer criminal. botnet: A group of bots that are controlled by one indi- vidual. computer crime: Any illegal act involving a computer. computer sabotage: An act of malicious destruction to a computer or computer resource. computer virus: A software program installed without the user’s knowledge and designed to alter the way a com- puter operates or to cause harm to the computer system. computer worm: A malicious program designed to spread rapidly to a large number of computers by sending copies of itself to other computers. cyberbullying: Children or teenagers bullying other chil- dren or teenagers via the Internet. cyberstalking: Repeated threats or harassing behavior between adults carried out via e-mail or another Internet communications method. denial of service (DoS) attack: An act of sabotage that attempts to flood a network server or a Web server with so much activity that it is unable to function. digital certificate: A group of electronic data that can be used to verify the identity of a person or organization; includes a key pair that can be used for encryption and digital signatures. digital signature: A unique digital code that can be at- tached to a file or an e-mail message to verify the identity of the sender and guarantee the file or message has not been changed since it was signed. dot con: A fraud or scam carried out through the Internet. encryption: A method of scrambling the contents of an e-mail message or a file to make it unreadable if an unau- thorized user intercepts it. firewall: A collection of hardware and/or software in- tended to protect a computer or computer network from unauthorized access. hacking: Using a computer to break into another com- puter system. (I bet you need this for class.) identity theft: Using someone else’s identity to purchase goods or services, obtain new credit cards or bank loans,

or otherwise illegally masquerade as that individual. malware: Any type of malicious software. online auction fraud: When an item purchased through an online auction is never delivered after payment, or the item is not as specified by the seller. password: A secret combination of characters used to gain access to a computer, computer network, or other resource. pharming: The use of spoofed domain names to obtain personal information in order to use that information in fraudulent activities. phishing: The use of spoofed e-mail messages to gain credit card numbers and other personal data to be used for fraudulent purposes. possessed knowledge access system: An access control system that uses information only the individual should know to identify that individual. possessed object access system: An access control sys- tem that uses a physical object an individual has in his or her possession to identify that individual. private key encryption: A type of encryption that uses a single key to encrypt and decrypt the file or message. public key encryption: A type of encryption that uses key pairs to encrypt and decrypt the file or message. secure Web page: A Web page that uses encryption to protect information transmitted via that Web page. security software: Software, typically a suite of pro- grams, used to protect your computer against a variety of threats. spear phishing: A personalized phishing scheme tar- geted at an individual. Trojan horse: A malicious pro- gram that masquerades as something else. two-factor authentication: Using two different methods to authen- ticate a user. unauthorized access: Gaining access to a computer, network, file, or other resource without per- mission. unauthorized use": Using a computer resource for un- approved activities. virtual private network (VPN): A private, secure path over the Internet that provides authorized users a secure means of accessing a private network via the Internet. war driving: Driving around an area with a Wi-Fi- enabled computer or mobile device to find a Wi-Fi net- work to access and use without authorization. Wi-Fi pig- gybacking: Accessing an unsecured Wi-Fi network from your current location without authorization.

Questions 1. Which of the following is an example of something used to gain access to a possessed object access system? [2]

a. password

4.5. SECURITY 133

b. smartcard c. username d. pin 2. The most common type of possessed knowledge, com- prising secret words or character combinations associated with an individual, are: a. security keys b. passcodes c. usernames d. passwords Fill in the blanks: 3. Driving around looking for a Wi-Fi network to access is referred to as ________. 4. _______ access control systems use some type of unique physical characteristic of a person to authenticate that individual. 5. A(n) ____________ can be used at a Wi-Fi hotspot to create a secure path over the Internet. 6. A(n)____________ can be added to a file or an e-mail message to verify the identity of the sender and guarantee the file or message has not been changed. True or false? 7. A computer virus can only be transferred to another computer via a storage medium. 8. An access control system that uses passwords is a pos- sessed knowledge access system. 9. Using a password that is two characters long is an ex- ample of two-factor authentication. Answer 10. Secure Web pages use encryption to securely transfer data sent via those pages.

Answers [3]

1. b 2.d 3. war driving 4. Biometric 5. virtual private network or VPN 6. digital signature 7. F 8. T 9. F 10.T

[1] http://coursemate.cengage.com/CPReader/View/ 9781133114598/default.aspx?eISBN=9781133114598# 53c50e83-32b2-46bf-8d09-fe73e2cb62b2

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[3] http://ng.cengage.com/static/nb/ui/index.html?nbId= 7345&nbNodeId=1013914#!&parentId=1013935