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Happy Data Privacy Day
Data Privacy Day is an international holiday that occurs every January 28. The purpose of Data Privacy Day is to raise awareness and promote data privacy education. It is currently celebrated in the United States, Canada, and 27 European countries.
Go out and look for ways to secure your data, if your sites don’t then request they do or save your data in places that do.
Cloud types
What are the general cloud types?
Public cloud
Public clouds provide access to computing resources for the general public over the Internet. The public cloud provider allows customers to self-provision resources typically via a web service interface. Public clouds offer access to pools of scalable resources on a temporary rent as you go basis without the need for capital investment in data center infrastructure.
Private cloud
Private clouds give users immediate access to computing resources hosted within an organization’s infrastructure. Users self-provision and scale collections of resources drawn from the private cloud, just as with a public cloud. However, because it is deployed within the organization’s existing data center, and behind the organization’s firewall, a private cloud is subject to the organization’s physical, electronic, and procedural security measures and thus offers a higher degree of security over sensitive code and data. In addition, private clouds consolidate and optimize the performance of physical hardware through virtualization. Since you use your current data center infrastructure you have a better idea on how the resources are being utilized. The cloud systems I will discuss are of this type.
Hybrid cloud
A hybrid cloud combines computing resources and draws from one or more public clouds and one or more private clouds at the behest of its users.
The Cloud
What is the cloud?
Terms and general.
Currently there are many different terms and descriptions that define what is cloud or cloud computing. Some say it is the “delivery of computing as a service”, others say it is “processing data in a expandable environment. I like the definition that cloud servers are a way to get “flexible resources as they are required”.
Cloud computing is a way to access computers and their functionality via the Internet or a local area network. Access to the cloud come through a set of web services that manage a pool of computing resources (i.e., machines, network, storage, operating systems, application development environments, application programs). A fraction of the resources in the pool is dedicated to the user until he or she releases them. It is called “cloud computing” because the user cannot actually see or specify the physical location and organization of the equipment hosting the resources they are allowed to use. The resources are drawn from a “cloud”of resources which are used and then returned to the cloud when they are released. A “cloud” is a set of machines and web services that implement cloud computing.
cloud styles
IaaS
IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) style clouds provide access to collections of virtualized computer hardware resources, including machines, network, and storage. Users assemble their own virtual cluster on which they are responsible for installing, maintaining, and executing their own software stack.
PaaS
PaaS (Platform as a Service) style clouds provide access to a programming or runtime environment with scalable computer and data structures embedded in it. Users develop and execute their own applications within an environment offered by the service provider.
SaaS
SaaS (Software as a Service) referred to as “Software on Demand” style clouds deliver access to collections of software application programs. Providers offer users access to specific application programs controlled and executed on the provider’s infrastructure.
Cloud Types
Public cloud
Public clouds provide access to computing resources for the general public over the Internet. The public cloud provider allows customers to self-provision resources typically via a web service interface. Public clouds offer access to pools of scalable resources on a temporary rent as you go basis without the need for capital investment in data center infrastructure.
Private cloud
Private clouds give users immediate access to computing resources hosted within an organization’s infrastructure. Users self-provision and scale collections of resources drawn from the private cloud, just as with a public cloud. However, because it is deployed within the organization’s existing data center, and behind the organization’s firewall, a private cloud is subject to the organization’s physical, electronic, and procedural security measures and thus offers a higher degree of security over sensitive code and data. In addition, private clouds consolidate and optimize the performance of physical hardware through virtualization. Since you use your current data center infrastructure you have a better idea on how the resources are being utilized. The cloud systems I will discuss are of this type.
Hybrid cloud
A hybrid cloud combines computing resources and draws from one or more public clouds and one or more private
Welcome
Welcome to Otaku Systems blog.
From time to time there will be news of note in the technology world
E-Mail Security Tips
E-mail security tips.
This posting I will define some E-mail security tips, as always it is not a full and all fix for security but a good list of tips.
If you use a browser to access your Email, one of the most important tips is to make sure it uses SSL to connect you to the mail server. SSL or Secure Socket Layer is a internet standard of connection that will encrypt the connection so no or very little information is visible about what is being send.
A way (but not all the ways known) is to look for the https:// in the browser path. Some will change part of the dialog box green. Google does this, Other E-mail systems do as well.
If it connects using HTTPS then falls back to HTTP, my advice is to use a different web based E-mail client. On that note when ever possible do not use public machines to Login to your E-mail. Firstly you have no idea the setup of the machine and what programs are running at he same time your are trying to log into your account. Many places will add logging programs to there systems. This is not as a desire to track you but some places must to protect them from you.
When setting up A Email client connection (the way I would recommend when possible), IMAP or POP, try to set the connection to SSL or TSL to begin with. You will need to look at your client closer to know were the settings are located. Or go a simple search using your search engine of choice.
I want to talk a little on email clients, there are many to choose from, some are cross platform others are single platform. Cross platform clients are nice because you only need to learn one way to do something and most have the same function for each of the operating system. Many have the same basic functions, most are free so give them a try.
The ideas discussed here will only get you security for the connection and the exchange from your machine to the email server. There still is a risk if the other receiver gets the message from a unsecured machine or connection. One way to reduce the risk is to encrypt the message on the mail server and in turn require the receiver un-encrypt any messages sent. The next posting will hope to cover ways to to have your messages kept secured on the mail server, your own client and the receivers system.
General Security Post
Being this is the first post of the year, I am going to start again with the basics of general security. These postings will cover simple security tips and tricks for things like, E-mail, site access, etc. Some of this may be things you know already some may not be.
First and foremost a question – “How long has it been from your last password change?”
This includes E-mail, the machine your currently using now, banking sites. If it has been over a few months then change them today to new ones. And try not to use the same password for everything, yes it difficult to remember but in the long run you will be safer. When you think up a password make sure it has a number letter mix, with upper and lower cases. Don’t use your kids, pets, or easy to find names like that..
A question many times arises, “were do I keep the password?”. There are many programs that will store the passwords for you. Yes you can write it down on a sheet of paper and put in “safe” place. Do a google, bing or what ever your search engine of choice is for password saving programs. There are many ways out there, but use something.
Now go forth and change them..now.. now.. now..
Also when accessing your sites using your web browser make sure you connect securely. When your at the login site see if there is a “https://” in the site bar, or some will have a lock or green bar to tell you they are security connected. If no then enter https://, Example – https://mysite.com. Later I will cover ways to always force the secure SSL connection to sites.
This will keep you busy for a while..bye for now
Passwords Passwords Passwords
New month starting soon.. Time to change your passwords.
Time to change your passwords
OtakuSystems Blog
Welcome to Otakusystems Blog
Security tips and tricks, general open source and Linux information.
Security of your information
Encryption
In this day and age your information in more valuable then ever. It needed to be protected from others, that be single persons to governments.
From time to time there will be posts that help you secure your information. It will be from general tips and tricks, to in-depth how-to’s.
This sections will evolve as needed and wanted by the group. Some people will say this information can help bad guys, we say it will help more then hinder. Evil minded people already have and use this information.
It is believed it will be better if everyone knows how to protect there information.
from us .. to you.
Welcome
Welcome to OtakuSystems LLC
Check back from time to time for updates and information on Linux, Unix,Open Source, Security and some general information on other operating systems and IT in general.
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