How to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

For my last tutorial blog I wanted to give tips on how to protect yourself form identity theft. It is predicted that identity theft affects 10 million people each year, which comes out to about 20 victims every minute. And according to one source, in 2005 identity theft accounted for $56.5 billion! As you can see it is a huge problem, but there are some small, simple things you can do to avoid it. So let's look some of the problems associated with identity theft, and possible ways to avoid them.

1. Phishing: This is "The act of sending an e-mail to a user falsely claiming to be an established legitimate enterprise in an attempt to scam the user into surrendering private information that will be used for identity theft." Essentially what will happen is that you could possibly get an email from a seemingly legitimate company that will ask you to update your account and credit card information, and then provide you with the link to do it. Obviously most people will ignore the email, but some people do give out their information this way. A simple thing you can do to avoid these phishing emails, is never to give personal information out through emails. If a company is asking for something so private, like bank account information, either call their number, or visit the company's site directly through your own means. Here is an example of en email "phishing" for information. 

  

2.) Pharming: According to one source, pharming is "another form of online fraud, very similar to its cousin phishing. Pharmers rely upon the same bogus Web sites and theft of confidential information to perpetrate online scams, but are more difficult to detect in many ways because they are not reliant upon the victim accepting a “bait” message. Instead of relying completely on users clicking on an enticing link in fake email messages, pharming instead re-directs victims to the bogus Web site even if they type the right Web address of their bank or other online service into their Web browser." This is kind of wordy but I can explain it in simpler terms. 

Basically There is something called a DNS Server which is responsible for changing domain names into their unique IP addresses. For example, when you type in google.com, this is a domain name but the DNS translates this into the actual web address of Google. What these pharmers will do is like phishers, but they work more under the radar. They will change your local DNS server to redirect your request to a fake site that will look almost exactly like the website you wanted to go to. Their aim is to get you to go to the site like normal, and type in your username and password so they can steal it. Here is a diagram that might be helpful:

Avoiding pharming can be difficult because the url will look the same on the fake site as it would the real one. But if you've done online banking, you'll usually see a box asking you if you want to trust the certificate. If the certificate doesn't match the site you're trying to reach, then close the browser. If it does, then save the certificate so the next time you get to that site, you'll know it's the right one. 

Acknowledgments: Media - Answers.com http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://wpcontent.answcdn.com/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/PhishingTrustedBank.png/300px-PhishingTrustedBank.png&imgrefurl

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.securetoday.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/pharming-works.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.securetoday.net/tag/pharming

Sources for information: http://ezinearticles.com/?Identity-Theft-Affects-Millions-of-People&id=479204

http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/P/phishing.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pharming

http://www.consumerfraudreporting.org/pharming.php

http://uk.norton.com/cybercrime/pharming.jsp

Secure Email Assignment

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2011/feb11/02-02msdirectprojectpr.mspx

This article talks not only about the importance of securing your email, but also specifically about how Microsoft is making strides to do just that. Microsoft recently unveiled a new email encryption function for there HealthVault. This service allows clinical partners to securely send information to patients. This is all part of something bigger called The Direct Project. The goal of the Direct Project is to create a way for users to be able to send simple and secure encrypted health information to their recipients. This will allow an encrypted copy of an individual's clinical information to be transmitted to a patient's new email address created within Microsoft HealthVault. This makes the transfer of information fasr, but more importantly it makes it secure. A patient's clinical and medical information should be very private, and security is a number one issue, which is why the encryption service of the email is so valuable.

My Avatar

I decided to use the TizMe Avatar creation tool because most of the links did not work. I was really excited about the Simpsonizeme one, but unfortunately the site has been down due to it's popularity. I remember when it first came out. I'm pretty sure it was in partnership with Burger King and I made one right away. The tool I used was pretty simplistic but still pretty fun. My avatar actually kind of looks like me. I could choose different accessories and hairstyles and colors. I liked it actually because it wasn't complex. When I tried using the Meez avatar creation tool, you had to have "coinz" to be able to personalize your avatar, and honestly I don't think it would have came out any better than the avatar I created. Here I am!

Tutorial 3: Search Engines

When I was deciding what to cover in my tutorial blog, the first topic that came to mind was search engines. We use these valuable tools almost everyday of our lives and we've even included a search engine name in our English dictionary. It comes as a surprise to me however that many people still don't know how to efficiently search the web. Also, there seems to be a standard when it comes to search engines and people will refuse to do anything but Google their search. This is why I want to share some tips on how to efficiently search the web, and maybe even offer different possibilities when it comes to your next search.

To start, I wanted to see the difference between 2 of the titans of the search engine market. First the Market Leader Google, then the new guy, Bing. Bing seems to be in competition with Google and boasts about how they are a "decision engine" and can offer more specific returns. So just to get a feel between the two, I typed in a search that had enough vague words in it to bring back some kind of discrepancy. The following are the results returned when I typed in: "greatest achievements of the past 100 years:" 

I note just a couple of differences between the 2 search engines, but they could be important ones when you try to do research for your next project. First of all, it seems like Google returned better results for what I was trying to accomplish. For example, if I was doing a project which required me to present on one of the greatest achievements of this century, it would appear that Google's results were more focused on inventions and scientific achievements which would probably be more helpful. It is interesting to note however that Bing returns videos and Google doesn't. Sometimes a video can be more helpful and can even be more credible based on the source.

Now that we've looked at some small differences between different search engines, I thought it would be useful to look at one search engine and see how you can more efficiently return results that will better suit your needs. For this I will be looking only through Google. I will be focusing on the 3 most helpful (and sometimes lesser known) tips for searching.

1) Use "quotation marks" - I know it seems simple enough but many of my friends still don't use this trick. If you put quotation marks around a phrase, then Google will only return results with that exact phrase included. For example, If I searched...best anti-aging regimen... it returns any result with any of these words. The problem with that is that it gives back sites on anti-aging creams when I want regimens. When I type in..."best anti-aging regimen" I get much more specific results and fewer that I have to go through (951,000 vs. about 3,000,000)

2) Use (-) - Using the subtraction key is actually a very cool useful tip that not a lot of people know about. Basically what it allows you to do is narrow your results. For example if I typed in...cars -sale....it would return all results that had to do with cars that excluded the sites that had to do with sales. It will eliminate the word directly to the right of the (-)

3) The last tip I can give is just one I have come to realize over the years. It really has to do more with logical sense. When you are using a search engine, try to understand that these are computers and bots returning your results, so try to think like a bot. Try to think about what will make the most sense to a computer if you typed something in. Essentially you are trying to think of what end result you are trying to achieve. For example, instead of typing in "what are the best songs to play at a bar to get the crowd involved" you might want to type something like "best bar sing a longs." You are basically achieving the same result but with much less words. You are trying to find songs that can get the bar involved and singing and having a great time. The second way will get you that result.

Acknowledgments: The two images are screen captures from the computer of Leandro Gutierrez 2011

Database Project

       I learned a lot when completing the Database project, and that is because I had never used Microsoft Access before. First of all, the learning began even before I started the project. Downloading Access was a lesson in its own. I didn't use the detailed instructions in the "How Do I" section because I feel like I know a little bit more about computers than I did at the beginning of the year and I wanted to test my knowledge. Seeing as how I was able to download the program I would say I was pretty successful. I also learned a thing or two about patience ( : But like I've said before, it's one thing to watch a lecture and think you know how to do something, and it is a totally different ball game when you actually go out and try to do it yourself. I feel like a have a pretty good basic understanding of Microsoft Access at this point. Maybe even enough to be able to write "basic knowledge in Microsoft Access" on my resume. Creating new tables and importing data was new to me at first, but by the end of this project, I had a much better understanding and I am much more comfortable with the program.
       I can think of just a couple ways that we could possibly enhance the database we have been working on. Firstly, it is possible that different groupings could be more helpful. For example, in our database we grouped by cities, however the instructions made it seem like there was more significance involved in whether or not the member was an individual or with a family. Also, there were only 2 cities, Gainesville and Alachua so grouping by those 2 cities alone didn't really seem helpful. Another way we could maybe make the database more helpful is if we exported the data onto some type of document. Putting it all together could make the information seem more organized, and might cause a few less headaches. Having a slightly better understanding of how the database would be used could be helpful as well.

Tutorial 2: Video Compression

One concept I found particularly interesting was the idea of inter-frame compression. The idea behind this type of compression is that you don't want to transmit pixels that aren't changing from frame to frame because that would be a waste of bandwidth. I realize though that those are a lot of words/ideas some of you may not be familiar with so let's take it from the top.

Pixels

Every image is made up of several tiny colored dots that will form that image to what you and I see. The more pixels the image has, the more realistic it will look. 

Take for example the two images above. The one on the right has a much higher pixel density meaning it has more pixels per inch. Obviously the quality on the image on the right is far superior.

Motion Pictures

I bring up the idea of motion pictures because I mentioned the process of frame to frame compression. That's all motion pictures really are. They are separate frames of one image per frame that, when compiled together at extremely fast speeds, look as though there is motion. 

Inter-Frame Compression

This brings me to the idea of Inter-Frame Compression. The first thing to know is that a key frame will be identified. This is the first frame in the series that acts as the base point for comparison. It is the initial frame. In the image below, the first image all the way to the left is the key frame. The I Frames are the next frames in the series of images.

So let's say this is a small sample of frames in a video that you want to compress. You could compress each of these images individually but this is an unnecessary use of bandwidth. This does not take advantage of the capabilities of video compression. You'll notice that, from frame to frame, some of the images do not change. These pixels then will not be transmitted when compressing the video. Think of a lecture that you've seen where the teacher is hardly moving around the classroom. So many of the pixels are identical from frame to frame, so why waste space transmitting those identical pixels. There is just a command that will copy that part of the identical pixels. For example, in the image I created above, The second image is identical, so instead of the second frame being transmitted, it will simply be copied. Moving on to the third frame, once again the identical pixels will be copied, and the new pixels that make up the red line will be transmitted.

Drawback

1) Data Corruption - If the first frame is corrupted then the corruption will carry on until a new key frame is established. 

Acknowledgments: http://www.gadgetell.com/tech/author/Gregadeaux/      © 2011 Gadgetell LLC. See our Privacy Policy.

Second Image produced and copyrighted by Leandro Gutierrez 2011

Excel Project

       I found this Excel project to be extremely helpful. Excel will undoubtedly be an important asset when we enter the business environment. In fact, it has proved to be extremely helpful even now with school projects and various internships I have participated in. This particular project didn't necessarily demand a wealth of knowledge concerning Excel and its attributes, but it covered many of the basic tools and shortcuts that virtually everyone needs when completing tasks in Excel. The project started off simple enough, requiring me to rename certain worksheets and center some information. Quickly however it required us to utilize some of the other functions in Excel, such as the "Help" function. Of course, we could have just as easily googled how to "Freeze Panes" but that would have been just as helpful, requiring that we put to use our searching skills previously learned in this course.
       What I liked about this project is that it did require us to put into practice everything that we've learned. Last week we watched several tutorial videos on how to properly and efficiently use Excel, but it's one thing to learn, and another thing to practice. For example, it's quite helpful to have a visual of someone utilizing absolute and relative cell addressing, but it takes it to an entirely different level when you are asked to create formulas that can involve both times of addressing, like this project demanded. It really helps you understand the concepts behind the formulas. This project asked that we do MAX functions and IF logical tests. The concepts seemed easy enough when I was listening to them being explained in the comfort of my room, but the knowledge really stuck when I had to make these formulas on my own.
       At my last internship over the summer, I used Excel almost on a daily basis. Any knowledge or skills I had came from my middle and high school memories of learning the system. I was no master by any means, and I certainly didn't think I could ever make a pivot table, let alone really even know what one was. This project really helped me understand how to properly use one. I actually felt it was necessary to go back and watch both Pivot Table videos over again which really helped solidify everything I had learned.

Tutorial 1: Memory and Storage

       Hardware is a generally new subject to me. I am a Marketing major will very little background in computer knowledge. When it comes down to it, computer knowledge is like another language to me; it's foreign in almost every way. This was initially the reason I took the class, as a challenge and an opportunity to delve into unfamiliar territory. But even with my elementary knowledge, I still found many of the topics in this module to be interesting, in particular, memory and storage. Although somewhat complicated to the computer newbie, I figured the best way for a newbie to learn is to hear it from a newbie.

    

       The first topic I found particularly interesting was cache. To understand cache though, there needs to be a basic memory of Random Access Memory, or RAM. RAM is basically where all the work gets done. It is the general memory in your computer and is used to perform the necessary tasks when the computer is on. While RAM is substantially faster than it used to be, your computer has much more potential for speed, and that's where cache comes in. Cache is a block of a small quantity of high speed memory located in the RAM. As shown in the picture, imagine RAM as a large circle of memory. Inside that circle is another small circle called the cache, only this circle is much quicker and more efficient. You make several requests as you use your computer, and if you make certain requests several times then the data will be stored in the cache memory. The next time you go to make that same request, your command will be sufficed much quicker because your CPU will request the data from the cache. An easy way to think about it is to relate it to when you fold clothes in your drawer. Naturally you will put the clothes you wear most often at the top of the pile. For example you would put your favorite shirt at the top of the pile especially if you knew you were going to wear it soon. Taking out that shirt to wear takes very little time because it's easily accessible. If you wanted to wear a different shirt, let's say the one at the bottom of the pile, you could still retrieve it pretty easily, but it would obviously take more time to search through the pile.

       When watching the lectures I found fragmentation to be particularly interesting as well. When you save files on your computer they are not necessarily stored on a disk in one continuous piece because throughout the lifetime of your computer you are constantly saving new files and deleting old ones. Fragmentation occurs because your computer wants to be as efficient as possible. It's almost like a game of Tetris. Consider the following situation, and I'll make the numbers as easy as possible for simplicity's sake:

 

1) You have a rectangle dish that's 40 inches long

2) You put 5 in of red jello in the rectangle

3) You then put 10 in of green jello in the rectangle

4) Then you put 7 in of blue jello

5) You then take out the red jello and the blue jello

6) Now you want to put in 8 in of yellow jello, but to be more efficient on space you want to start putting it in from the beginning of the dish. So you put in 5 in to the right of the green jello and the remaining 3 in to the left of the green jello

Now the yellow jello is fragmented, and imagine if this process continued for several years. It would become extremely messy and complicated and you can imagine how your storage would slow down because your computer would have to work that much harder to be able to locate these fragmented files.