Downloading Music and Music Sharing

          Downloading music from the internet has recently become the main source of listening to music.  Ever since the creation of mp3 players, CD's and cassettes are old news.  The problem with this new feature is illegally downloading music.  When downloading music you must pay attention to the copyright protection laws which are broken everyday by downloading music tracks off the internet.  Websites like Limewire and Frostwire have been shut down in 2011 and are dealing with legal issues in court as we speak.  

         Avoid downloading music from unknown website because you are not sure where these files are coming from.  Majority of viruses come from these unknown sources and once you hit that download button, theres not turning back.  Some alternatives to legally downloading music would be iTunes which you can purchase songs or if you are looking for a free mp3 website you can look at PureVolume.  

Source:

Webopedia

35 Places to Download Music

Social Networking

          The internet provides many services.  One of the most popular is social networking.  Social networking is an online service that focuses on establishing relationships among people through posting information about yourself such as interests on any specific website.  The main goal for social networking is to communicate over the Internet whether it is through e-mail or instant messaging.  When using social networks you are grouped into specific groups like your neighborhood or community.  Traditional social networks are specific websites that are grouped based on your interests, beliefs, or hobbies.  Today, there are websites where you can join for free and there is no criteria you have to fulfill in order to become a member.  
          Like every other website on the Internet, you must be careful how you use this tool.  Social networking can be used as a very useful tool but at the same time it can also be misused to harm others.  When using social networks, make sure you know who you are talking to and just like Wi-Fi precautions, do not give out any information to strangers.  After knowing the precautions to take when using a social networking website, you can search for sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Google+, and sign up to be a member and sooner or later you will get to meet people from all over the world.  

Sources:
SOCIAL NETWORKING?
Mashable.com

Wireless Network Precautions

         Although wireless network (wi-fi) is very useful because it gives you the luxury of going anywhere and having access to the internet, there are some precautions you must take in order to protect you personal information.  In order to protect your computer while using Wi-Fi at home is to make sure you have an up-to-date antivirus program that can be easily installed on to your computer.  What the antivirus program does is, it automatically scans your computer in order to detect viruses or possible threats.  You can enable WEP or WPA, encryptions on your computer, to help prevent hackers that can install a virus/worm onto your computer.  It is crucial to take this precaution because it protects all your valuable information from people that try to hack into accounts such as online bank accounts.
          When purchasing a router, make sure it is one that has a firewall installed on it.  This is just one of the many tools to prevent those hackers.  If your router does not have a firewall installed, you can easily get a software program and add it to the router.  Today technology has advanced, and now you can go into public and use Wi-Fi.  With all these protective software on your computer, you will be able to go to public Wi-Fi spots such as hotels and airports without having to worry about possible viruses.  One thing to pay attention while using Wi-Fi in a public area is to avoid putting any personal identity on your computer because you are using a shared network which makes it easier to have someone else access your computer information.  

SOURCES:

IT LIst

Windows Security

Using and Creating a Strong Password

          When creating a password, there are two important rules to follow: password length and password complexity.  Creating a password with at least eight characters is essential.  The longer the password the more time it will take for a person to crack your password.  Just choosing a word is not enough; you must include an uppercase and lowercase letter as well as a number and a special character (!,@,#,$.)  You should also change your password every six months.  

         Some things you should not do when creating a password is writing it down, sharing it with someone, and using the same password for two accounts.  Do not log into any of your accounts on an unfamiliar computer.  Overall, creating a password is no joke.  You must take time to think of a complex password to make sure you are secure.   If you are worried you will not remember you password, you can use a password manager.  Programs like Password Dragon are used to store multiple passwords so you do not have to struggle remembering them.  

Sources:

Geek Stuff

Microsoft Security

Internet filters and Parental Control Software

Internet Filters


          Internet filters are software tools that help monitor web content viewed on a particular computer or network.  Internet filters can be used for family safety settings which helps parents manage how kids use the internet in terms of communicating.  School administrators can also use internet filters to protect kids for viewing inappropriate content.  You can block websites according to the content type and prevent unwanted sexual content from showing up on search results.


Parental Control Software


          Parental control software, like internet filters, are uses to limit access to the internet.  It does not necessarily have to do with only internet, some Cable TV providers provide parents the option to limit what channels their children are watching.  Besides TV and Internet, cell phone companies allow parents to add restrictions to phone usage as well.  Parents might want to limit access to graphic websites, dangerous contacts, sharing too much information, as well as cyber bullying.

PC Mag
WIKI

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)

          Radio frequency identification is a term used to describe a system that transfers the identity of an object or person wirelessly using radio waves.  In general, radio frequency identification is automatic identification technologies.  RFID is used in many items we use such as EZPass or ID tags for your pets.  The purpose of RFID is to enable data to be sent by a portable device which is called the tag.  The tag is then read by an RFID reader and created according to the requirements of that application.  The information that is stored on this tag can contain identification or location information.  Identification can be anything such as price, color, date of purchase, etc.  The tag also can be used to track moving objects.  

          RFID consists of three components: antenna, transceiver, and transponder.  The antenna send out radio signals to activate the tag and to read and write data to it.  The reader then receives the radio waves in ranges from one inch to 100 feet or more.  When an RFID tag passes through the electromagnetic zone, it pics up on the reader's activation signal.  Lastly, the reader decodes the data that is encoded in the tag and then the data is passed to the host.  

SOURCES:

AIM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES

FDA GOV

Digital Image Steganography

          Digital is used to describe anything that can be stored electronically whether it is an image, data file, or sound.  Steganography means to conceal a message in digital format.  Digital steganography is used in graphic, sound, video, HTML, and text files.  It is the process of hiding a message with a larger one so that someone does not know the content of that hidden message.  The three components of the basic structure of digital steganography is: the carrier, the message, and the key.  The carrier can be a painting, image, mp3, or basically any other type of media.  The carrier is what will carry the hidden message.  The key is what is used to decipher the hidden message.  The key can be anything from a password, pattern, or even a black light.  

          Image Steganography allows two parties to secretly communicate.  It has many applications in the high-tech world.  One of the main concerns with people on the internet is privacy and anonymity.  Image steganography can be used to transport top-secret of high-level documents within the government.  Unfortunately, image steganography can be used for bad things too.  Hackers can use it to send viruses and trojans to compromise machines and terrorists as well as other organization use it to communicate secretly.   

Sources:

Image Steganography PDF

Image Steganography Concepts