McStyles Software

For those that have decided to walk into the world of technology, they may be overwhelmed by the types of knowledge that are available.  There are several code languages and words as well as different areas that you can move into.  If you are a beginner in technology, you can find programs that will help you to move past the first level.  Learning basic PC skills through IT Certification is an easy way to begin to understand the several levels and languages of technology.  However, before deciding to get IT Certification for basic PC skills, you will want to narrow down which types of PC skills you will want to get. 

The first types of basic skills that you will be able to get are related to PC fundamentals.  A PC is short for personal computer, meaning that you will learn everything about the computer that you need to use.  This will teach you the basics of how to use a computer.  It will also allow you to understand how the computers can function and what types of things they can do.  If you have never used a computer before, you can also become certified with a keyboarding class.  This not only helps to learn the basics to make typing easier, but can also allow you tips and techniques to build your speed when typing.  This certification is also good to look into if you are in a work area that requires a certain speed when typing. 

If you have already moved past the basics of PC skills, then there are other classes that you may be interested in.  Several vendors that offer the IT Certification will also provide classes on expanding basic knowledge for certain types of software.  One of these areas will focus on learning how to file different types of information with the best programs.  You may also be able to learn easier ways to compute, with specific tools given in relation to programs available on your computer.  There are various types of software and hardware that make saving and receiving information easier to put into the computer and save. 

Basic PC skills may also offer beginning areas that will lead to the other courses being offered.  For example, if you are interested in graphics, the basic PC skills can offer you introductory courses to what is available.  You may also be able to find quick guides for things such as how to use a digital camera or how to use other external sources for your personal computer.  These can all help you to begin to move into the world of technology. 

Within each of these types of classes are also several ways that you can study the courses and take the exam to move to the next level.  Vendors will offer quick guides for technology areas that don’t take as much.  They will also offer self learning courses that will allow you to read the material and take the test without any help.  For those that are more interested in a different type of learning, online courses or courses at a local community college or university are also available.

If you are noticing the changes in technology, as well as realize you need this skill, then getting IT Certification for basic PC skills is a good place to start.

The main purpose for IT Certification with desktop publishing is to show that you have adequate skills to take on consulting projects in the area of computer graphics or layouts. The first type of concentration you can have is with delivering effective presentations for your business area.  You can do this not only by creating documentation, such as newsletters and flyers, but also by using technology effectively when you have to give a report or a speech.  Desktop publishing can make sure that the presentation of your material is organized and has the visual materials to represent what you are speaking about. 

The details of desktop publishing rely on making a presentation that is varied.  This will include varieties of layouts.  For example, if you want to present text by a graphic, or if you want to change the text in the presentation, you can use these publishing tools.  You will also be able to manipulate things like color in order to prepare an effective presentation of materials.  Not only can you get a beginning certification in this area, but you can also advance in these certifications, allowing you to take several levels of the class. 

The first type of desktop publishing that is available is known as Adobe.  This program has a large variety of software that can be used for your purposes.  They are known for providing those using the material with a professional looking layout that can then be posted on the Internet or sent to someone through virtual use.  For example, you can create flyers that can then be posted on an Internet site or sent to someone to give them information.  You can also create images for a Web site.  Adobe will also allow you to present things such as catalogs to present your information to others in a professional manner. 

Adobe Certification is divided into three areas.

The first is known as Adobe Acrobat.  This particular type of presentation software focuses around presenting text in a professional manner.  You can not only present your text over these files on the Internet, but can also send them to others to edit.  Through the tools that are available on Adobe Acrobat, you can use professional tools to revise and improve your text. You can also turn security features on in documents that you create in Acrobat.

The second type of Adobe Certification is known as Adobe Frame Maker.  This not only allows you to apply text to a certain area, but also allows you to add in varied formats, graphics and objects.  FrameMaker will also give you the ability to have page layouts that differ from regular presentations. 

The last type of Adobe Certification that you can focus on is known as Adobe Page Maker.  This has all of the above qualities of the other ones, and also provides you with ways to present your material in a publication manner.  This allows you to convert your text to HTML, or computer language format.  It also provides color and text manipulation.  This program is often used for things such as publishing e-books.

The Computer Systems Auditing field has really exploded in the last 15 years and this is due to the rise in systems being used at the small business level, handling three times as much data as before. If you are a small business with a network, you should have some type of computer audit program in place.

A computer security audit is a systematic, measurable technical assessment of how the organization’s security policy is employed at a specific site. Computer security auditors work with the full knowledge of the organization, at times with considerable inside information, in order to understand the resources to be audited.

Security audits do not take place in a vacuum; they are part of the on-going process of defining and maintaining effective security policies. This is not just a conference room activity. It involves everyone who uses any computer resources throughout the organization.

Computer security auditors perform their work though personal interviews, vulnerability scans, examination of operating system settings, analyses of network shares, and historical data. They are concerned primarily with how security policies - the foundation of any effective organizational security strategy - are actually used. There are a number of key questions that security audits should attempt to answer:

• Are passwords difficult to crack?
• Are there access control lists (ACLs) in place on network devices to control who has access to shared data?
• Are there audit logs to record who accesses data?
• Are the audit logs reviewed?
• Are the security settings for operating systems in accordance with accepted industry security practices?
• Have all unnecessary applications and computer services been eliminated for each system?
• Are these operating systems and commercial applications patched to current levels?
• How is backup media stored? Who has access to it? Is it up-to-date?
• Is there a disaster recovery plan? Have the participants and stakeholders ever rehearsed the disaster recovery plan?
• Are there adequate cryptographic tools in place to govern data encryption, and have these tools been properly configured?
• Have custom-built applications been written with security in mind?
• How have these custom applications been tested for security flaws?
• How are configuration and code changes documented at every level?
• How are these records reviewed and who conducts the review?

These are just a few of the kind of questions that can and should be assessed in a security audit. In answering these questions honestly and rigorously, an organization can realistically assess how secure its vital information is.

As a small business, your audit checklist might not be that detailed but these are some of the questions that you want an outside auditor to ask just in case you decide to have your system audited.

IT Certification also provides courses in object-oriented design and analysis as a computer language.  This class will first take objects that are available through software and analyze how they work with specific computer languages.  It will then allow you to take this analysis and create your own specific design from the other computer language that is used.  By taking this class, you will be able to learn how to find other types of computer languages and use them for your own development of computer programs.  This particular certification class is part of a larger program known as the Enterprise Developer Certification.

The next type of programming language that is widely known is C++.  This is mainly used as a development tool for software or the Internet.  If you are interested in developing more technology to help with business or personal needs, then you can use the computer language of C++ to help.  Many times, this particular program will be used to help with graphics as applications on your computer.

If you are interested in another type of object oriented computer language to learn, then you can look into Visual Basic.  This is used mostly for Microsoft and will teach you how to program different types of visuals.  Programmers can use this effectively on the Internet.  They can also take a specific visual basic course that will teach programmers how to learn this same language for data and text.  This is known as visual basic for applications.  It will be important to distinguish between these two before deciding which one will be most applicable for your purposes.

Another type of computer language that has been developed and is available for IT Certification is Perl.  This particular program is based around being able to process text.  If you want to learn how to set up accounts through the computer this will be a good language to learn.  It is also effective for learning how to post various forms of information and be able to process the information as well, such as order form requests.  When you take this course, you will not only learn how the language works, but will also learn to write your own programs to benefit your technology use.

For those that are looking into fiber optics technology technology, they may also be noticing that there are several routes to take.  You can get a security certification in fiber optics technology.  There are several training programs that can allow you to get IT Certification in fiber optics, all which will increase your ability to work in a specified career field or understand the details of how fiber optics works.

Fiber optics is based around understanding the role that technology has when light has to move through the fibers.  This allows the fibers to become transparent and allow for a display.  If you are dealing with fiber optics, it will usually include understanding how to transmit this light through glass or plastic.  Telecommunications, medicine, industrial areas and other types of areas will all use fiber optics in order to enable their technology to create the right display.

After you know what fiber optics is, you can decide if it is a field that you would be interested in studying in.  There are various types of fiber optics training that will allow someone to do a variety of things in order to get the displays right with technology.  Usually, an IT program that teaches fiber optics for an IT Certification will include education about how fiber optics works, as well as details on how to use them for your benefit.

Technicians who are working towards the goal of getting IT Certification in fiber optics will first learn safety issues that are related to this specific field.  They will then learn how to install and split fiber optics into certain technological devices.  From here, they will learn how to link the different fibers and to test the links to make sure that they are working correctly.  If there are problems, technicians will also need to help those dealing with fiber optics.  There are specific courses in the IT Certification programs that allows for a fiber optic technician to learn the troubleshooting when dealing with this field.

Fiber optics will also go into more details that relate directly to how information technology works.  When you are getting into this career field, or if you need to know it to relate to a different career that you are in, there will be several levels of understanding associated with it.  One of the requirements for getting IT Certification in fiber optics is to know how to plan a route for the fiber optics to move into the technology area.  You will also need to know how to install or take out the technology that is in a certain area.  If you can’t simply trouble shoot to find a problem with the fiber optics, then you will also need to know how to test the technology, even if it is before it goes into the specified area.  These several techniques will be important to learn when getting your IT Certification.

Sometimes, to get the service you want, you have to make changes. Things happen, especially with web hosting providers. Your host services may have taken a performance dip or you may have notice a lack of customer support. You make a decision to change host providers and you go with it.  You have to be smart about changing over so here are some steps for you to consider.

Backup Your Files – Most people don’t perform backups of their files on their web servers. That’s bad because if something does happen, you lose everything. Make sure that you backup your files before you switch providers. Don’t forget to copy some files, designs, graphics, databases, or emails prior to discontinuing your present hosting service. Otherwise you will find that once you are no longer a customer, all of your data is wiped clean.

Get a compatible host for your business - Many customers switch web hosting providers not even considering researching the host services to see if they are compatible. Find out if the new provider supports your applications or files. This is important when it comes to server side scripts, shopping cart systems, merchant accounts, e-commerce software, SSL security. make sure they can support your operation and applications.

Know Your Transfer Settings - One fundamental step in transferring your site to a new web hosting provider is going to be to change name servers for your domain. Don’t wait until the last minute to do this. Waiting too late could mean your site and domain name could be down for a few days.

Make sure that everything goes smooth if your old host goes out of business or if something happens, such as a change in service that would prompt you to look for another web host. Treat it as a marriage! Make sure your new web host is compatible.

If you have a SOHO and you use more than one computer in the home, you don’t want to get two DSL connections to hook other computers up in the home with. Your husband might prefer to work in the basement while you work in the home office and your children might want to surf the net all at the same time. What you need to do is configure a wireless network in your home.

There are several options to consider in creating a wireless home network which is simply allowing other computers to communicate with one another in the same house. These computers can share an internet connection, printers, scanners, files and other gadgets and devices. If you have a SOHO business, you can partition applications and documents from certain users.

The different network types use different hardware, but they all have these components:

• More than one computer
• Hardware devices (such as a router) and software (either built in to the operating system or as a separate application).
• A path for the information to follow from one computer to another

The two most popular home network types are wireless and Ethernet networks. In both of these types, a routing device or router does most of the work by directing the traffic between the connected devices.

Ethernet networks are slowly phasing out because of the cables that you have to install. Wireless is becoming the standard for the home network because of the drop in cost of wireless components.

You connect the router to your dial-up, DSL or cable modem interface. This will allow several users to share one connection to the internet. Some of these routers are combo routers that combine both wireless and Ethernet technology.

If you’re going to connect your network to the World Wide Web, you’ll need a firewall. A firewall is simply a program or hardware device that protects your network from users that hack systems and offensive Web sites. Many software firewalls block all incoming information by default and prompt you for permission to allow the information to pass. In this way, a software firewall can learn which types of information you want to allow into your network.

There are fault tolerant firewall devices also build in routers in case of a network crash. These devices will make sure none of your information gets damaged.

It is a good idea to put a wireless network in your SOHO so that everyone can share access and use different computers instead of the business computer.

The question is, “can you be tracked down on the internet?”

Your IP address is no secret. It’s a basic part of internet communication protocols to send your IP address whenever you connect to another site, request a web page, chat, play an online game, etc. Without your IP address, the computer on the other end wouldn’t know where to send the reply.

But that doesn’t mean that Evildoers can find your house if they know your IP address. Each time you go online (if you have dialup) or each time you start your computer (Cable or DSL) you are assigned an IP address, randomly selected from a pool of IP’s assigned to your Internet service provider (ISP).

So a person MIGHT be able to get a general idea of your geographic location, based on your IP address, by doing a lookup on the WHOIS database, but that will only tell them the physical location of your ISP — not YOUR home address.

And if you use a large regional or nationwide ISP, the IP lookup probably reveals nothing of interest. For example, if you are an AOL subscriber, your IP address lookup will show the location as Dulles, Virginia — regardless of where you live.

There is an exception to every rule. If a stranger calls your ISP and wants to know who was using a certain IP address last Tuesday, the ISP will tell them to go away. But if an officer of the law hands your ISP a court order to reveal that information, they must do so. Your ISP’s logs will enable them to determine which customer was using a certain IP address on a certain date & time, and they must reveal that information if a court has found probable cause for criminal activity.
But for the truly paranoid (or the criminally inclined) there are ways to surf the web anonymously. There are services that will act as a proxy between you and your ISP, and they claim that your information cannot be subpoenaed because they do not store it.

What About Email Addresses?

The same concepts apply to your email address. The part that follows the "@" sign is your ISP’s domain name. And given the domain name, one can determine the ISP’s physical location, but nothing personally identifying about the email user without a court order.

Web-based email accounts are not truly anonymous, either. Even if you don’t provide your real name when signing up, they can capture your IP address and track you through your ISP if necessary.

It’s easy to lose your domain name if you don’t pay attention to the renewal notices that come in your inbox. Usually, web host companies start sending these notices about 90 days from the date that the domain name is to expire. It’s a bad feeling to go to your site and all you see is a 404 page.
So how do we avoid this problem?

First of all, most people don’t keep their domain registrar in the loop concerning emails and contact information that changed during the course of the registration period. For most domain name owners, they have the attitude that they will get to it someday. The last time that the domain registrar hears from the person that owns the domain is the first day that they purchased the domain. How unfortunate!

When your web site stops working, that’s when reality hits. You haven’t paid your hosting fees or haven’t renewed your domain name. Renewing your domain name is the hardest deal because there is nothing written in stone saying that you might get that name back.

Some registrars honor a 30 day "redemption period" allowing expired domains to be redeemed. It may be possible to save the registration within 30 days following expiration by contacting registrars during 30 day domain redemption periods but you have to act quickly. If there is a problem, check out this link at the ICANN organization on redeeming domain names.

www.icann.org/bucharest/redemption-topic.htm

So how does a domain owner find out who their registrar is if they’ve forgotten? Simple WHOIS inquiries will tell you everything the registrar knows about your domain. Public WHOIS records show the owner’s contact email, street address, phone and fax numbers. But that’s not all; it also shows the current registrar, DNS servers, and the creation and expiration dates of the domain name.

Keep track of what’s going on with your domain name so you won’t have headaches as far as trying to redeem your URL name down the road.

A “cookie” obtains information sent by a web server to be stored on a web browser so that it can later be read back from that browser. This becomes useful for having the browser remember specific information about a visitor to a particular website. The cookie is a text file that is saved in the browser’s directory and is stored in RAM while the browser is running. The cookie may also be stored on the computer’s hard drive once a user logs off from that website or web server.

Cookies can tell a web server if you have been there before and can pass short bits of information (such as a user number) from the web server back to itself the next time you visit. Most cookies last only until you exit your browser and then are destroyed. A second type of cookie known as a persistent cookie has an expiration date and is stored on your disk until that date. A persistent cookie can be used to track a user’s browsing habits by identifying him whenever he returns to your web site.

Persistent cookies are stored in different places on your system depending on which web browser and browser version you are using. Netscape stores all its persistent cookies in a single file named cookies.txt on your computer. You can open and edit this file with a text editor and delete any cookies that you don’t want to keep or delete the file itself to get rid of all of your cookies. Internet Explorer stores persistent cookies in separate files named with the user’s name and the domain name of the site that sent the cookie.

One use of cookies is for storing passwords and user ID’s for specific websites. On sites with personalized viewing, your web browser will be requested to utilize a small amount of space on your computer’s hard drive to store these preferences. That way, each time you log on to that website, your browser will check to see if you have any pre-defined preferences (a cookie) for that unique server. If you do, the browser will send the cookie to the server along with your request for a web page. Common uses for which companies utilize cookies include: on-line ordering systems, site personalization, and website tracking.

Cookies have some beneficial things. Site personalization is one of the most beneficial uses for cookies. You must have also seen in some websites that when you log in (using a User ID & Password), there is an option for ‘remember me when I visit next time’; that’s possible because it stored your password and id on your machine in a cookie.