Finding the right Mac for you.Written by Stephen Howson
So lure of buying a Mac has finally overcome you and you’re going to take plunge. The only problem is that when you start to look at machines there are to many to choose from. Do you pick new or used / refurbished, Power Mac, iMac, eMac, Mini, G3, G4, G5... argghhh.. Hopefully this article will help you through that decision.As with all machines, Mac or Intel based… whoops.. non-Mac Intel based, you should get what you need, not what’s “cool” at time. Think about what you want to do with machine, weather you’re going to want to upgrade in future and how much you want to spend. Just because it might be tempting to get dual processor 2.7Ghz PowerMac G5, doesn’t mean you need it. Here’s deal, there are basically three processors you’re going to be dealing with; G3, G4 and G5. All of them will run versions of OSX up to 10.4.1, which is most current at time of this article. A bit about processors: In interest of compatibility I would recommend going with a G4 or G5 as G3 is getting aged. However, if you’re just using machine for email and browsing web, a G3 iMac is a good machine. The G4 is a 32 bit processor and will allow you speeds up to 1.42Ghz – These machines are more than sufficient for average user. The G5 is a 64 bit processor and will allow you speeds up to 2.7Ghz – These are more for gamers, advanced to power users and developers. This may be overkill if you just want an internet machine, email, word processing, etc… A little about machines: Mini – Most inexpensive Entry level G4 based machine. Very small and compact and does not come with a keyboard or mouse. eMac – Most inexpensive All-in-one entry level. This resembles G3 style iMacs. They resemble a CRT monitor, but contain display and machine ‘All-in-One’. iMacs – These machine are available in G4 or G5 (or G3 listed above). These are mid-priced all-in-one, mid-level machines. The G4 have half circle base and an ‘arm’ with a flat screen monitor attached. The G5 iMac basically looks like a flat screen, but is entire machine. These machines are excellent machines for average user that is not going to want to add internal drives, upgrade video card, etc. External drives can be added via USB2 or Firewire ports.
| | Vulnerability Assessment and Network SecurityWritten by Vlad Sharoiko
Dicar Networks 97 East Brokaw Road Suite #230 San Jose, CA 95112THE DYNAMIC PROCESS OF NETWORK SECURITY by Vlad Sharoiko Network security is a dynamic process because of new threats and vulnerabilities that are uncovered every day. Your software may be secure today, but intense pace of upgrades will continue to create openings for new issues to arise. According to statistics released by CERT Coordination Center, more than 300 vulnerabilities are reported every month. The process of discovering them, determining potential security risk, and recommending fixes is called a Vulnerability Assessment. A Network Vulnerability Assessment can: Identify any potential security breaches a hacker could exploit Analyze discovered vulnerabilities existing in network Provide a detailed explanation of recommended fix for each threat Despite fact that most security measures are put in place to protect a network from malicious outside world, many intrusion attempts are now happening from inside organization. With proliferation of laptops and handhelds, possibility of an internal intrusion has greatly increased. For this reason, a complete assessment should be done with scanners located inside and outside network to determine if potential issues exist in either place. In addition, reports generated should be structured for 2 levels of review. The Executive Report should represent a high level overview of number of vulnerabilities detected, while IT Department should receive a highly detailed report containing descriptions of each vulnerability and explanations of fixes recommended for each one. The key features of a Vulnerability Assessment are: Automated scanning of internal and external network devices Scan schedules customized to times of least activity on network Full SSL support to scan SSLized services such as https, smtps, & imaps Smart service recognition to detect services moved to non-standard ports Non-destructive scanning to avoid interruption of normal network activity Complete reporting designed for 2 levels of review A Vulnerability Assessment should be performed on a monthly or quarterly basis, depending on network size and usage. New vulnerabilities are discovered every day, including ones that can provide back door access through desktops or laptops already connected to network. Even a configuration change or faulty upgrade can introduce an opportunity for breach that was not available a week ago. Testing and review on a regular basis can help discover potential issues and reduce possible damage that can be done to network, and in turn, productivity of organization.
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