eSecurity Institute

The Benefits of Wireless Technology

Wireless technology has become more prevalent over the last two decades as technological capabilities have increased. These days it seems like simple wireless networks are in every home and business in the modern world. Additionally we have new developments in wireless technology to include 5G cellular networks, ZigBee, BlueTooth, Z-Wave,

What is Fiber to the Home (FTTH)?

Fiber to the home (FTTH) is a newer method for providing internet access to homes and businesses through the use of optical fiber. It first appear in the 1980’s and has grown in popularity in recent years. The use of optical fiber increases the speed of legacy cables by

Open VS Closed Standards

Open and Closed Standards Open internet standards refer to the non-proprietary mechanisms that are used to develop modern internet protocols that serve as the foundation of the internet. The most notable open standard relating to the formation of the internet is TCP/IP. This standard was made available by the

Modern Technology and Privacy Concerns

Modern information technology presents multiple risks to the privacy of individuals and organizations that were not present just decades ago. One of the biggest areas of privacy concern is data aggregation which can be access through open source intelligence practices. Information such as phone numbers, emails, home addresses, work details,

Smartphones and Cyber Crime

A common cyber crime involving is the act of SIM swapping. The subscriber identity module (SIM) card is a small physical and now electronic component of a cell phone that allows the phone to communicate over its respective cellular carrier’s network. This allows the phone to make and receive

5G and MAN

Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN’s) span across several miles to cover an entire city or urban area. This type of network can be used for a variety of purposes such as supporting modern infrastructure like traffic signals, city lighting, transportation, communication and other needs. Most people use MAN’s every

The Evolution of Computer Networking Technology

This report will describe three phases of computer networking with the first being the early development of common principles such as packets, protocols and routing. This section will also cover early concepts, technologies and security principles. This section will then conclude with an assessment of how these technologies have impacted

5 Skills to Start a Career in Digital Forensics

Cybersecurity and information technology are two of the fastest growing industries in the technology space. It is expected that with the growing adoption of technology and subsequent cyber attacks the need for cybersecurity professionals will continue to rise for decades. One of the most interesting fields of cybersecurity is digital

Not-Petya Cyber Attack (Russia vs Ukraine)

One of the most recent attacks using malware was an event known as NotPetya (Not-pet-ya) which involved a massive Russian cyber attack directed toward Ukraine in 2017. This attack was targeted at an accounting software firm called MeDoc (Mee-Doc) which is used all over Ukraine and other parts of the

What is Cyber Crime?

Cybercrime, also known as computer crime or digital crime, refers to criminal activity that involves the use of computers or the internet. Cybercrime can take many forms, including hacking, identity theft, fraud, cyberbullying, and more. Cybercrime is a growing concern due to the increasing reliance on computers and the internet

Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA)

The Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) is a law that was developed by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) which was signed into effect July of 1999. UCITA was developed in order to create legal standards and guidelines for aspects of electronic transactions that were

Uniform Electronic Transactions Act

The Uniform Electronic Transactions Act is a law that was established in 1999 by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL). The Uniform Electronic Transactions Act provides guidelines on the use of electronic records, contracts and signatures in personal, business and governmental transactions. As the world has

The Privacy Act of 1974

The Privacy Act of 1974 was developed in order to established a standardized set of principles and guidelines regarding the collection and disclosure of private data on individuals within the United States. The Privacy Act of 1974 introduced guidelines that inform individuals records that store their information and their rights

The Computer Security Act

The The Computer Security Act was created in 1987 by U.S. Congress in order to enhance security policies surrounding the use of sensitive data on computer systems. The Computer Security Act lead to the formation of several guidelines under the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) regarding the

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a law within the United States that protects individuals’ privacy rights in relation to their sensitive health data. This law is enforced by regulating how organizations within the healthcare industry store and transmit patient data and information. The primary HIPAA regulation that

Computer Fraud and Abuse Act

The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) is a federal law in the United States that criminalizes computer-related fraud and abuse. It was enacted in 1986 and has been amended several times since then. The CFAA makes it illegal to intentionally access a computer or computer network without authorization or

Volatility: Digital Forensics

The Volatility Framework is an open source digital forensics software created by the Volatility Foundation. Volatility is a tool that is used for memory forensics which is an aspect of digital forensics that involves extracting and analyzing digital artifacts on information systems. Volatility is available for Windows, MacOS and Linux

What is a MAC Address?

The Media Access Control address or MAC address is unique address similar to an IP address that is associated with a particular piece of hardware. The MAC address helps users identify the type of hardware and the manufacturer of the device. MAC addresses help to differentiate between multiple devices on

What is Quality of Service (QoS)

Quality of Service (QoS) is a method of prioritizing network traffic to allow for better functionality of essential services. This could be done by filtering traffic based on port numbers, applications and MAC addresses. Traditionally these options needed to be configured manually which may prove to be difficult for inexperienced

Types of Encryption

Symmetric Encryption Symmetric encryption uses one key that is shared between all parties in order to access the encrypted data. Symmetric encryption is faster but less secure and is considered an older method of encryption. It is less secure because you are trusting all parties to use one key in

Hard Drive Types

Hard Drive Disk (HDD) HDD is a tradition storage device that uses a complex series of moving parts and is generally slower than a Solid State Drive (SSD). In the early years of computers Hard Disk Drives were the standard for storage devices however Solid State Drives are now becoming

Apple File System (APFS)

APFS is a file system that was released by Apple in 2016 and offers some new features when compared to HFS and HFS+. APFS takes advantage of Solid State Drives (SSD) which is a newer form of storage that provides faster speed. Therefore APFS allows for better storage utilization, better

Elcomsoft Forensics

Elcomsoft is a developer of digital foreniscs software for law enforcement, business and personal use. Elcomsoft provides a variety of digital forensics tools such as the Elcomsoft Mobile Forensic Bundle for Law Enforcement which costs $3,500. This tool allows for physical, logical and over the air acquisition of forensic

Cellebrite UFED

Cellebrite UFED is a world renowned mobile forensics platform used by governments, law enforcement and enterprise clients. Cellebrite allows the user to quickly extract data from smartphones, drones, SIM cards, SD cards, GPS devices, and more. Cellebrite UFED is a complete digital forensics toolkit equipped with proprietary software, physical hardware,

4Discovery: Digital Forensics Solutions

4Discovery is an organization which has designed a variety free digital forensics tools available online. Some of the tools created by 4Discovery are the MetaExtractor, USB Historian, ShellBagger and LinkParser. MetaExtractor is a software that allows investigators to quicky extact metadata from multimedia files. This is similar to the ExifTool