Girl Geekette

*Update* Nov 21, 2008

The newer version of Microsoft Word had a problem opening these older files and the .doc format was noted as corrupt. I was able to open it in Open Office (A free alternative to MS Office) and resave the files as *.pdf files. The files have been updated on the server and are now available for download again.

Download

• Erica’s Security+ Study Guide

This file is now a *.pdf file

Adobe Acrobat to maybe download to view the *.pdf files (A free download)

CompTIA offers a certification for people wanting to certify in Security. This certification tests for security skills and knowledge gained after the equivalency of 2 years on the job training in network with emphasis on the security aspect. This certification covers different topics such as communication security, infrastructure security, cryptography, access control, network attacks, authentication and other subjects in the matter of security. It may also be applied toward a MCSA + Security Certification as a core exam. See Microsoft’s website for further details

Warchalking is a term that describes the act of walking around with a laptop, picking up locations of wireless access points, and drawing symbols to mark various information about the wireless access points. The term was coined in London of June of 2002 by Matt Jones and a group of friends who used hobo-inspired symbols with chalk to mark various attributes to the wireless access points they encountered. He later posted the symbols on his blog and they became well known. The symbols - seen below each represent different descriptions of these WAPs.

The first symbol, on the left, represents an open Wireless Access Point. Anyone

 (Somehow this post got cut off. I will have to re-write the rest)

Back in the first article, Wireless Networking - At What Cost? , John Hancock was introduced. He had just bought all of his supplies at Circuit City to set up a wireless network at his home. He bought a new laptop that has a built in B/G network card and a wireless access point. When he got home, he simply set up the access point, went through a simple configuration wizard and was on the network in less than fifteen minutes surfing the internet with his high speed internet cable modem and his new laptop. John did not take any security precautions when he set it up. He did not think he needed any type of security on his network. Because the type of wireless router he bought is also considered a firewall, and because he has a software firewall on his laptop, he did not even consider the need to have any kind of security set up on his network. It was also mentioned in this article what when he received an alert from his software firewall that he did not pay any attention to the alert. He did not notice that it was coming from inside his network, not from the internet.

Flash - (5.84 MB)

This movie will open in a new window.

Discussing wireless networks can be a very broad subject. It can lead to many different subjects. One of the best ways I have found to sum it all up - the good and the bad - is by presenting it as a movie. Although this movie covers the very basics of wireless networks, it is one that the average person might even discover a few new things about wireless networking and what it can do.