Zach's IT Security Tips

The "Secret" USB Drive Scenario  Let's paint a little scenario and see what you would do. You have been working at a new IT firm for almost a year now. You have really gotten to know your coworkers and get along very well with each one of them. One day, a coworker supplies you with a zip file from his USB drive. This zip file contains documents you need to help out a customer. When he gives you his USB drive, you plug it in and open it up. He tells you "Yeah it should be right there the first directory." You hesitate when you see a directory named "Coworker info". You open the "Coworker info" directory to see that there is information including pictures of you and your coworkers. You know that this isn't right, and should be reported, but if you report it, can your coworker come back and accuse you of snooping around his data? What would you do in this situation? When it comes to IT Security, there are a number of situations and ...

Careful Who You Trust When it comes to securing things in your life, whether physical workstations, electronic files, or even intellectual property, there are going to be a number of threats and possible attacks against your property! More often than not, many people when they hear about cybercrime and cyber attacks, envision that "Hollywood Hacker", you know the one you see in movies where they can type really fast and all that green text is just scrolling up their computer screens, and within seconds that have gained access to the Government's DB that contains all the secret alien files that prove that E.T. was more than just a entertaining movie. Well, that isn't always the case in todays modern world! Hackers come in all shapes and sizes. Some or even software programs that can be easily triggered by someone who doesn't really know what they are doing, but some of the hackers we need to worry about the most, or those who know the most, the internal employ...

Hello World! I remember when I created my very first "Hello World" program. I had just transitioned from being a Exercise Physiology major to now being a CIT major. It was so exciting to see that I could write a program and see it actually execute! I can't believe that was almost six years ago. So much has changed since then! Since graduating with my undergrad in 2013, I have been working the last three years a Developer for a major US automotive manufacturer. It since working there, I have learned so much. I also took advantage of the tuition assistance offered and have been working on my MIS in IT Security for almost 2.5 years now. While doing this program and gaining experience working in corporate America, I have learned quite a bit when it comes to how real world IT works. Coming out of my undergrad I had no idea what to expect with a world world IT job. You can take classes all you want, but until you get out there and start working, you can never quite un...