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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2009)
18 in other words august 2009 Intruder Alert – Safe Computing Practices: Creating a Safer Infrastructure By Burt Tschache In my many years spent in the high tech and information processing professions, one of the functions I enjoyed the most was explaining how something highly technical works, in the common tongue. Computers are mysterious enough without having a complete language with acronyms constructed as a moat around a castle. What I will explain in this column, using as much of the common tongue as possible, is how a network functions, any network. How does your information get from point A to point B (or even further)? The process is not really that mysterious. Everything on a network moves in the form of a Packet. The Packet is the basic electronic physical construct that moves throughout cyberspace carrying the bits and pieces of your information. The Packet has essentially three sections: the header, the data and the trailer. The header and trailer are like the To and From fields on an envelope. The data is your information in convenient chunks. The header and trailer also contain information about how to reassemble the information once it reaches its destination, as most times information does not come to you in a straight line. There are innumerable ways that Packets can get lost in their journey, so they are re-sent by the sender without you even having to do a thing about it. The header and trailer also contain security information to make sure that no one intercepts your packet and messes with it. This has worked well within a wired network environment. Unfortunately, in the wireless environment, there are those individuals and institutions that have discovered the ability to intercept your packets. Your wireless will just send replacement Packets for the missing ones. This is how hackers are able to get your personal information from your wireless computer or cell phone. Some even have the ability to change Packets without changing the header and trailer. This is what security technicians in the wireless environments are working diligently at repairing. As more and more information processing is done in a wireless environment, it is important for us, as the user community, to keep aware of our surroundings. When using a wireless computer or a cell phone, take a quick check of your environment to make sure that there are not suspicious individuals using suspicious equipment about. We all have different ideas of what that may entail, but I leave it to the individual to make their own assessment of the situation. Cell phones are extremely vulnerable when used in a car. Besides the dangerous distraction factor, there are mobile units about just looking to hack someone’s cell signal, and the hacked person will never know. When using any wireless equipment at home, make sure that you use non-breakable keys and passwords on your wireless router. Use the strongest security level that your systems will handle and still function at a reasonable level. Once you have established connectivity with your wireless router, you can turn off the SSID or ESSID broadcast function on the router. If people can’t see you, they can’t hack you, or at least it adds another level of difficulty to the process. You may even want to consider encryption of your data if it is of a highly sensitive nature. The more secure your computing environment is, the more secure your Packets of information will be. You want to give your Packets the best possible start on life, just like your children. Burt Tschache is the owner of B&B Computing in Vernonia. He can be reached at bnb998@msn.com or 503-429-0817. Meet Bob Young (continued from page 1) so I stepped in and started to do what needed to be done. So I learned a lot about what an administrator does. Then we hired an administrator, who left after two years. So again I filled in as the Administrator while I was also the Mayor. And I also took a number of courses that the University of Washington offered on Public Administration for public officials, and that got me into the university system. I was Mayor for two terms-- eight years-- and as I was finishing my last year, they asked me if I would be interested in getting my Masters in Public Administration, and I thought that sounded interesting. So when I finished my term as Mayor, I went and got my Masters, which I finished last December. And then I started to apply to cities for positions as a City Administrator. are involved in the rebuilding process. All the different the river. Computers are also an interest of mine. committees. I was told there were a lot, but to actually see them in action and to be part of it, that is quite a VV: Anything else you would like to say to our delight to find. You have a community who are part of readers? the process. BY: I would like to say that the previous Interim Something I would like to change-- in talking Administrator, Jim Johnson, did this city an incredible to people, this is a city that is in recovery, there are service. Everything I have seen about Jim has construction projects going on everywhere. But one impressed me, and I am in debt to him. He laid the of the things that I want to see if we can’t help is the groundwork for me. And, because with all the things appearance of our city, help people be proud of their we have going on, I’m glad that he has stayed on with a community. This is a city that has been through a lot, personal contract to help. and I can understand people struggling with it. But I I also want to let people know, I’m here to be part see life coming back, so I want to see what we can do to of the community. I’m part of Vernonia now. improve the image and look of Vernonia. I’m not sure yet how to go about that, but I would like to somehow be a VV: You have three weeks under your belt here. catalyst for it. Are there things you’ve seen that you’re excited about working on? VV: Why did you chose a BY: Yes. You have your Bicycle Skills Park that is small place like Vernonia? moving ahead. And I think that eventually a Skate Park BY: My wife and I wanted for young people will be good. I built a skate park in our a community where we could last city, and it becomes a focal point for youth, if you make a difference, be part of put it where people can watch it. We’re moving ahead a team, and it didn’t matter with the new wastewater and stormwater plans. You’ve the size. I’ve lived in small had two floods here--so helping be prepared to handle communities before, where the next one, or any kind of emergency is a priorities. I I was very involved in the have some emergency preparation background, that has community itself. We like to been one of my interests. New schools-- that’s going to be involved in the community. be an exciting thing for the city-- putting a new school I’m not an isolationist. I’ll together. What an opportunity! And then the change on go to committee meetings Bridge Street when the old schools go away and what and get out there and be part we do with that, how we change the look of Vernonia of the community. If we’re on the main street is important. Economic development going to lead the community, on our main street, what we can do to encourage that is then we should be involved. also very important. I think those are all positives that And hopefully we can bring I am looking forward to working on. some encouragement and direction and hopefully have VV: Have you ever been involved in any new school a positive impact. construction projects previously in your career? BY: Yes, we built a brand new high school in Bonney VV: What do you do in Lake. As part of the growth and expansion of Bonney your spare time? Lake, we built a new high school, junior high and two BY: My wife and I like to ride grade schools. So we went through the siting, the bikes-- we ride recumbent permitting, the oversight and the occupancy for new bikes, so we’ll be exploring schools as well as a bus barn and maintenance facility. out on the trails around here. So I worked with the superintendent, the school board, I am restoring my second the construction engineer-- I was part of that all the way cabin cruiser, a twenty- through to occupancy. eight foot Carver-- it’s a big boat. We just had the motors VV: Any big concerns, red flags or surprises that running last week for the first you’ve come across since you’ve been on the job? time, and we’re hoping to Anything you see that you want to change or start get it in the water soon. I’m doing differently? hoping someone around here BY: No, no surprises to this point. It’s what I thought can teach me how to fish, 834 Bridge St., Vernonia 503-429-6364 I would find. 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