Binary Code
Computers and other electronic devices store information as Binary Code (which is a series of 1s and 0s that might look like this: 10101001 01101100 11001010).
Network Topology Map
A Network Topology Map is a diagram of a computer network's components, including network access points and connections between its various parts.
Fake Anti-Virus Software
Fake Anti-Virus Software - also known as 'scareware' - is designed to trick you into buying worthless anti-virus protection that you do not need.
Domain Name System
The Domain Name System (DNS) is like the ‘telephone book’ of the Web – it translates a website's name into its corresponding numerical IP address on the Internet.
Social Engineering
A Phishing e-mail is an attempt to trick the recipient into giving up information, such as account, credit card or password information.
Data Encryption
Data Encryption is the intentional scrambling of information into unreadable form - until it is later converted back into its original form by the intended recipient.
Botnet, or Compromised Computers
A Botnet is a collection of computers compromised by a malware attack that can be controlled remotely (via the Internet) to attack websites, send out spam emails, etc.
Distributed Denial of Service Attack
A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attack can use a botnet to force a website, network or other resource to shut down by overloading it with requests for data.
USB Flash Drive
A USB Flash Drive, aka a 'stick drive' or 'thumb drive' is a portable data storage device which connects to a computer's USB port to send and receive data.
Electronic vs. Static Media
Static Media is something like a book, magazine or printed photo, while Electronic or Digital Media (websites, digital photos, etc.) requires power to be viewed.
Administrative Access
A user with Administrative Rights has unrestricted power to create, modify or delete files, folders, settings and programs on a particular computer.
My new program for Lawline, Legal Ethics & the Risk of Mishandling Electronic Evidence, will be broadcast live at 12:30pm EDT on August 18, 2016 (and available on demand shortly thereafter). It will offer a comprehensive look at legal ethics and the risks associated with mishandling electronic evidence. Please feel free to tune in.
Here is the course description from the Lawline site:
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By Stephanie J. Rodin, Esq.
Many healthcare providers are subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA); however, these laws do not apply to everyone. HIPAA relates to covered entities or business associates acting on behalf of a covered entity, and the law is very particular on what falls into these categories.
A covered entity is any healthcare provider that transmits any Protected Health Information (PHI) in an electronic form in connection with a transaction for which the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has adopted a standard. A healthcare provider includes any doctors, psychologists, clinics, dentists, chiropractors, nursing homes or pharmacies. In today’s age of technology, there is an increased chance that a healthcare provider will be transmitting this type information electronically, especially to third party insurance carriers, and thus is covered under the act.
However, a self-pay practice that operates without any insurance – i.e., the patient is providing payment by credit card, check or cash – may not be considered a covered entity pursuant to HIPAA.
It is imperative that every healthcare practitioner understand whether HIPAA applies to their practice and to then ensure that they are compliant with the rules and regulations.
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My new program for Lawline, Data Protection, Security & Legal Ethics, will be broadcast live at 10am EDT on August 18, 2016 (and available on demand shortly thereafter). It will offer a comprehensive look at legal ethics and information security concerns affecting law firms and businesses now. Please feel free to tune in.
Here is the course description from the Lawline site:
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Baiting involves a piece of portable electronic storage media like a CD, laptop or USB stick drive left at or close to the target’s workplace in order to tempt the curious victim into seeing what’s on it. In effect, the CD, stick drive, etc. is the worm on the fishhook. You’re the fish.
If you enjoyed this video, you can see more on TheSecurityAdvocate YouTube channel.
Image: Stephen Swintek/Stone
When the time comes to throw away, give away, sell or otherwise dispose of a computer, you should be sure to permanently erase the data on it. Otherwise, the new owner – or someone who has fished it out of the trash (yes, this actually happens) – will be able to read any financial, business, personal, or other sensitive data that was on the hard drive when you stopped using it. Often this will also include data that you may have thought was deleted but is actually still on the hard drive. Pressing “delete” doesn’t actually erase a file or program permanently and even a moderately skilled hacker will be able to retrieve it. This begs the question: how do you permanently delete the data that you don’t want lingering on the computer once you are ready to dispose of it?
The National Institute of Standards and Technology publication related to data disposal is SP 800-88 rev. 1. It details three levels of “media sanitization” – clear, purge and destroy. Data is considered cleared when it’s not readily accessible on the computer or device in question, though someone with digital forensic tools (like that moderately skilled hacker noted above) can still get at it. Purging involves removal of the data to the extent that it is “infeasible to recover” using state of the art forensic lab methods and destroying is pretty much what it sounds like. NIST SP 800-88 references a number of destructive methods relating to computer data. Here are a few common ones:
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