Posts

The objective of this exercise was to use Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer (MBSA) to identify improper configurations and missing security updates that could lead to vulnerabilities. The system this was tested on is a dedicated server located at Core Networks (http://www.corenetworks.com). The server is used to host small business websites, from freelance web development work. Up until recently a shared hosting plan was used at a company called Wiredtree, however the need for more server resources meant it was time to move to a dedicated server. ...

For those that may be unfamiliar with its meaning, the term blog comes from the combination of the words web and log. Blogs can typically consist of entries that include comments on culture, hobbies or everyday life, occasionally featuring a video or music. ...

Outsourcing has become very common in recent years, especially in the field of Information Technology. So that companies can focus more on their core business, it makes sense to outsource many of their IT services and work to external organizations. In addition to this, quite often outsourcing can provide a cheaper means of labor if sent off shore, which enables the company to reduce costs and remain competitive. ...

I have been developing in ColdFusion for a while locally using the built in web server. Recently at work several of the projects I am involved with moved to an IIS production server. In order to test fully in my local environment I needed to install IIS and setup ColdFusion to use it as the server instead of its built in version. ...

There has been a lot of buzz around the web in recent years regarding information assurance and cybersecurity especially with an increasing trend in cyber attacks and intrusions. UMUC just recently started several cybersecurity degree and certificate programs in the fall of 2010. Over the next few weeks articles will be posted here related to cybersecurity, starting with answering the basic question of what the terms cyberspace and cybersecurity mean. ...

The objective of this exercise was to use the various password cracking tools available in the Cain and Abel software application and to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of each technique. The following user accounts were created for testing purposes. The first user account had a relatively easy to break password and the two that followed had slightly more complex password structures. Username Password Character set ictest1 testing Lowercase letters ictest2 break1ng Lowercase letters and numbers ictest3 Bre@k1ng Lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers and symbols ...

The last decade has seen a noticeable shift of commercial application development from in-house computer software to the web browser in the form of web applications. Many company web sites today have evolved from small collections of informational pages to a combination of massive database driven applications for sales, marketing, finance, extranets and customer relationship management systems. ...

Aptana, the company behind the popular programming Integrated Development Environment (IDE) Aptana Studio, announced today that they have been acquired by Appcelerator. Aptana has been the choice for many web development professionals for quite some time. ...

The new version of the popular Joomla Content Management System (CMS) was released early last week and has already reached over 115k in downloads. 1.6 has been in the making for some time and earlier beta versions have been tested over the last few month. The first release candidate (RC1) was made available for download on December 14th, 2010. ...

One of the challenges of having a long commute to work is finding new and interesting ways to make the morning and evening drives more interesting. Over the last year I have found the perfect answer by subscribing to podcasts that I am interested in, which have also served to advance my own personal development and education. ...