Basics of IT

Previously the commands of ping and traceroute were learned. These commands assist in troubleshooting network connectivity and issues. These commands are usually used to check, diagnose, and understand network issues. However, they can also attack other computers by sending large data packets to crash a recipient's computer or try to take over a recipient's computer and spread a virus. All the attacker needs is an IP address (Okta, n.d.). Luckily there are ways to counteract these attacks by always keeping software up to date, blocking fragmented pings, and enhancing the computers' ability to take on large packets with an overflow buffer. Ping commands are not the only way for attackers to penetrate or corrupt a system. Email spam and phishing are other routes cyber terrorists can take.   Email spam is an unwanted message sent to emails that advertise unwanted deals or products or irrelevant information. These emails can come from companies that a person already does busi...

An interesting experiment is using ping and traceroute commands on your computer. To use ping or traceroute commands on a windows computer right click the Start menu and click run. Then type cmd into the textbox and click OK. Then in the command prompt, type ping, then space, then the specific domain name or IP address, and press enter. Follow the same steps to perform a traceroute, but instead of typing ping, type traceroute. Using ping and traceroute, you send signals or packets of information from your computer to websites, other computers, or devices within the network. After sending the signal through a ping or traceroute, you will be able to see if the other device or website got the signal, if it was returned, and how long it took to reach the other device or website. If, when doing a ping for a device such as a printer in the local network and you receive a “request timed out” message, this could mean an issue with the printer, such as not being connected to the internet. I...