SCP Vault
The SCP Vault provides monthly articles on pertinent security issues and security tips.
Click on a headline below for the article and pdf version of each article.
July 2008
SCP Interview with a Security Certified Network Professional (SCNP) and Industry Leader
Katie Cahill has been a technical instructor for many years and has expertise in self-paced learning programs (Mentored Learning). SCP spent an afternoon interviewing Katie to learn more about her desire to obtain SCNP certification...
May 2008
Patching and Updating your Computer
Time to wake up, it is the second Tuesday morning of the month, do you know where your monthly Microsoft patches are? Is your computer all up-to-date? What about all the computers in the office; do they all have the most current patches applied? What is a patch, anyway?
Patch Management Tools
Keeping track of your organization’s patches and updates can be an overwhelming task for any IT professional. There are numerous vendors that now offer Patch Management Tools to help network administrators install and track their organization’s patches and updates...
April 2008
Secure Email with Encryption
Email continues to be the most used application on the Internet, surpassing web surfing, instant messaging, and other online applications. Virtually every person who uses the Internet relies on email as one of their core online functions. However, with this use of email, comes a risk. And, it is a risk that virtually none of the users of email are aware of.
The Email Security Policy
Email encryption is simply a way to make sure that the email you send to someone actually came from you and that it was not modified on its route. Email Security can be implemented into a security policy along with other important topics.
March 2008
Identity Theft and the Workplace
As discussed last month, Identity Theft continues to grow as a serious problem. The problem is not limited, as one might think, to individuals at home. Identity Theft has consequences and impacts to the workplace as well.
February 2008
Identity Theft
According to the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC), over nine million (9,000,000) Americans have their identities stolen every single year... In this article, some methods of identity theft will be discussed, followed by some common practices to defend against having your identity stolen.
January 2008
The End of the Password
“You need to change your password.” How often have you seen that prompt on a screen and wondered, again? Did you try to reuse the same password that you had last time? How about using the same password you have on other accounts and systems? We’ve all done it, because the simple truth is that passwords are not easy to deal with.
Biometrics by Tom Wright
Biometrics, the technology of using unique physiological or behavioral characteristics to identify a person, is taking on greater importance in both the business and consumer world. Many body parts, personal characteristics and imaging methods have been suggested and used for biometric systems: fingers, hands, feet, faces, eyes, ears, teeth, veins, voices, signatures, typing styles, gaits and odors. All are dependent upon an accurate reference or "registration" sample. If a biometric system is to identify a person, it first must have this sample, positively linked to the subject, to compare against.
December 2007
Information Security in 2008
As we move into 2008, much of the Information Security world challenges remain the same, while new challenges will appear on the horizon to cause chaos ...five of the issues facing the Information Security professional in the New Year.
Information Security Checklist
This is a great time to review the information security posture in your organization. Of course no two organizations are going to be exactly the same, there are a few key points that you should address, and these points are provided here in your InfoSec checklist.
November 2007
Keeping your Certifications up to Date
It is becoming more important to qualify your "on the job experience and training" with current certifications when you are applying for a new job or seeking a promotion. That certification you received 5 years ago may not assist you in your job hunt if it has expired and could even be detrimental when put on a resume.
The Path for Your Security Career
One question I seem to get quite often is, "How do I get started in security?" This is almost always followed up by, "Then what is the best path for a security career?" In this article, I'll walk you through the process from getting started through defining career goals. By the end, you should have a solid grasp of how to plan, and follow, your path through the world of security certifications.
October 2007
Cyber Terrorism
"With the events of September 11, 2001, the concept of terrorism was thrust onto the headlines and into everyday language and conversation. It took an event of that magnitude to bring the discussion of terrorism to every level of government, and forced businesses to implement solid disaster recovery plans. Many people feel that it will take a similar event to bring computer security to the front of discussions in governments and businesses of all sizes..."
September 2007
IT Security – Education and Certification
"When the Security Certified Program (SCP) was first developed in late 2000, the goal was to develop a security education and certification program that would allow individuals in the IT world to add security skills to their current abilities. Seven years later, SCP has met those core goals, while building a world-class program..."
Is IT Certification Experiencing a Renaissance? Absolutely!
"The Security Certified Program is pleased to announce that Ray Kelly from Prometric has written this article exclusively for SCP. Through several conversations with Ray Kelly about a rennaissance that is occuring in their IT testing, we asked Ray to write a summary of his thoughts, and this is what we are sharing with you...'After several years of declining certification volumes, information technology exam programs are staging a comeback, with annual growth for the last two years that is trending significantly upward...'"
July 2007
Yes, You Still Need a Firewall
"Every day there are hundreds of thousands of unknown networks that connect directly to your company’s network, or at home, potentially straight to your own computer. On those hundreds of thousands of unknown networks sits quite literally millions of people..."
DDTs – there’s always a catch
"Every few months a new technology creates a huge amount of buzz and either becomes main stream or fades into the deep recesses of the technology graveyard. One of the more recent buzz topics is direct-to-desktop technology or DDT..."
June 2007
Survey Finds IT Security Still Hot
"As the number of devices connected to networks continues to explode, and workforces become increasingly mobile, security has become the hot-button issue..."
May 2007
SCP Testing Tips
"As we release our new Tactical Perimeter Defense (TPD) and Strategic Infrastructure Security (SIS) exams we are reminded of the energy, excitement, and anxiety that correspond with taking a certification exam..."
April 2007
Finding the Security Policy Balance
"Finding the right balance between these categories is crucial. A policy that is too restrictive can lead to work slow-downs and increased time spent dealing with unnecessary access limitations. If the security policy is too lax it can lead to legal liability issues and too few limitations on access..."
March 2007
Navigating IT Roles in the Security WorkSpace
"It is critical that we develop a baseline understanding of key job roles, and evolution of skills required at each career level, within a typical organization for the purpose of selling IT security-training solutions..."
February 2007
Instant Messaging – Friend or Foe?
"No matter how much we try to deny it technology is becoming a critical part of our communication processes. When email, websites, and instant messaging services are teamed up with audio and visual communications the communication possibilities are endless. This article will take a brief look at both the benefits and risks of instant messaging and offer a few tips for using it more securely..."
January 2007
Creating Strong Passwords
"So here you are with 10 passwords all of which you should memorize. How in the world is anyone without a photographic memory supposed to remember all of them without writing them down or making them out of common words? The solutions are actually simpler than people realize. "