I have been going through YouYube and found this great video about IPSec…

Popularity: 3% [?]

When a Name Server looks up a domain for the IP address, it stores the information into the cache so it doesn’t have to look it up every single time a request is made. For example, if someone looks for www.nishv.com the DNS server will look up the domain and stores the IP address 72.52.178.35 into the cache for a given time so it doesn’t have to look up that domain again for a given period of time.

DNS cache poisoning (also known as DNS cache pollution) is a maliciously created or unintended situation that provides data to a DNS Server that did not originate from authoritative DNS sources.

It happens when an attacker sends malicious data in response to a DNS query. For example, DNS query for www.nishv.com can be redirected to another website.

This method is taking the phishing scam to another level, you might be visiting your bank’s website but without you realising it, you will actually be putting in all the login information into some hackers servers which made it look exactly like the bank’s website. Yes, this is very serious!

How do you patch it?

On the client side (we are talking about Microsoft Windows here), your machines should have been patches automatically if you set the Auto-Update option. If not, I recommend you check the available updates and patch it as soon as possible.

If you use a DNS Server, my recommendation is to use the following command to figure out whether it has been patched or not. If it is not, STOP using it and have a look at this post on OpenDNS for more info.

Use the following DIG command on UNIX

and you should get a result similar to this…

Or something like this…

If you don’t get GREAT or GOOD and gets something like POOR, you should immediately stop using it.

If you manage that DNS server, patch it or decommission it!

This is how to check on Windows

Open up command prompt by going Start –> Run –> CMD or on Vista typing CMD on the Start Search box

You must see the GREAT or GOOD, if not your DNS Server is compromised.

You can see Dan Kaminsky’s presentation below…

Popularity: 6% [?]

This is a controversial question among people whether UK should monitor all Internet and communication activates like the USA. When this subject is brought up, people automatically go on the defensive and starts to argue the fact about privacy and human rights; Granted, privacy is a major issue, and when it involves national security, it will spark some inimitable questions among us.

I am not in favour of the Government breaching privacy and human rights issues; on the contrary, in my opinion, national security should be given priority among other things.

This is a very sensitive issue and when this subject is brought up, people seem to think that all their internet activities are going to be watched, including their internet shopping. This is not the case here, and if the government goes ahead and do such monitoring system, it will cost billions.

I think the word monitoring should be redefined when it comes to this topic and should be balanced in a way that it does not interfere with people’s privacy issues, thus a flagging system to use for such monitoring would an ideal choice. This way, people’s privacy won’t be compromised and at the same time it would allow the government to monitor the internet.

All we see in the news lately is terrorist activities directly linked to the internet and how they used the net to communicate with each other. So, if such system was in place, in theory the chances of stopping such thing would be extremely high.

I think it’s safe to say, UK should monitor all Internet and communication activities so they can rule out terrorism in their home soil.

Popularity: 21% [?]

In this post I will only be covering how you are connected to the interent, and most users are connected to the internet via a router and connected via an Ethernet Cable (Cat5/Cat6). It is definitely the best way to connect to the internet because when you use a router, it doesn’t normally expose your PC to the internet. By using a router, a user is reducing the risk of being vulnerable on the internet.

When you are using a Router, your PC is not directly connected to the Internet but the router handles the connection. Most routers nowadays have some sort of protection system by default. It is typically used when there are multiple computers sharing one Internet connection.

Cable and some DSL providers only give their users an Ethernet Modem, in some case a USB modem. When you use such devices, you are directly connected to the Internet and your computer is exposed unless the PC is fully configured and there is a Firewall present to block all the unwanted activities. It is recommended to use a router with the modem to minimize the risk when you use the internet.

If you use an ADSL USB modem, I would recommend you to get an ADSL Modem Router and replace the USB Modem; and If you are using an Ethernet Modem, I would recommend you to get a Broadband Router and use it with the Ethernet Modem.

Popularity: 16% [?]