Posts Tagged ‘security’

Basic Features and Benefits Of Scada Software

A Scada system takes data from various sensors connected to various instruments in a factory or any location. It collects and analyzes the data with a central computer on which the scada software is installed.

The nuclear power generation plants also employ the scada systems. Many large scale industrial units depend upon SCADA systems to control and analyze parameters for various equipments. The number of input output channels are in multiples of a hundred thousand.

A scada system has various hardware attached to it. These include controllers, HMI Interfaces and software. The data from various sensors is collected and sent to a central computer that may be located nearby or several miles away.

The main computer that controls everything and has scada software installed on it is called the MTU or master terminal unit. For remotely located equipments, there are several remote terminal units that work in coordination with MTU.

Scada systems used in factories are often known as Distributed Control Systems or DCS. These have their control units at a confined location. The communications are handled within a LAN. Closed loop control is more often used in such systems.

Unlike the above locations, open loop control is used in scada systems. There may be few cases where closed loop is also used but it is rare. Not all communication links are established over LAN here. The control devices are also not confined to small areas.

Due to the usage of various hardware and software in such control systems, these may be vulnerable to hacker attacks that can cause a lot of chaos and damage. Penetration testing can help identify windows that can be exploited by hackers. Thus the important infrastructure can be secured.

Various hardware and software equipment is used for penetration testing and all systems are monitored to find out any problem or leaks as they occur. Various equipments used in communication are also monitored for security windows.

Learn more about use of Scada Systems. Learn how Process Monitoring can be useful for you.

Delta Hacked My Email

An airline passenger rights advocate is accusing Delta Air Lines of hacking into her computer and e-mail accounts to sabotage her organization’s attempts to mandate basic services during flight delays.

Kate Hanni, a resident of California, is the founder of the Coalition for an Airline Passengers Bill of Rights, an organization lobbying for federal laws that require airlines to provide bathroom access, clean air, and access to medical treatment when passengers are held up for hours on the tarmac. The legislation would also give passengers an option to exit the plane if they have been delayed on the tarmac for over three hours. Four versions of a “Airline Passenger’s Bill of Rights of 2009″ are currently pending before Congress.

In a lawsuit filed in Houston, Texas on Tuesday, Hanni accuses the world’s largest airline carrier and an aviation consulting firm of conspiring to breach her computer and email in order to derail her lobbying efforts. She seeks a minimum of $11m in damages.

According to court documents, Hanni claims earlier this year she began exchanging emails with Frederick Foreman, an analyst with Virginia-based Metron Aviation who was researching US government airline surface delay data. During their correspondence, both swapped data and information about surface delays without explicit permission from Metron, of which Delta is a client.

Hanni said her PC and American Online email account were both accessed illegally this summer, with AOL confirming the email breach. Some of her data was copied to an unknown location, and other files were corrupted and rendered useless.

The plot thickens in Foreman’s affidavit. He claims that on September 25, 2009, Metron executives confronted him with “what appeared to be hacked and stolen email communications” between Hanni and himself, as well as two media contacts. The emails were sent from his private accounts on MSN and AOL and not sent through Metron’s internal email system, he claims.

Foreman states in his sworn affidavit that the executive informed him the emails were sent to the Metron from Delta and that the airline was “mad and upset” Hanni had been provided with the flight delay information. Foreman claims he tried to explain that the data was publicly available online from US government statistics, but was still fired and escorted off the premises.

When reached for comment, Delta flatly stated, “the allegation that we would hack an individual’s e-mail is absurd.”

Hanni claims Delta has a motive for seeking and destroying her data because if passenger rights bills are passed, airlines stand to lose over $40m in revenues in addition to millions more in accommodations for customers exiting planes during long delays. Currently, airlines are not restricted by law on how long planes can hold passengers on the tarmac.

Arhur Monderos is working in a company as antivirus software specialist and he runs his cool blog where he helps you to choose best antivirus software for you computer.

Beating Identity Robbers By Utilizing A Reverse Telephone Index

Identity thievery has seen a climb in the past few years. Above and beyond the inconvenience of such a crime, it can also be a very sensitive experience for victims involved. For this reason it is crucial to follow some rules to get around becoming a target.

Before you can start shielding yourself, you must first find out if you are not already a victim of this malicious offense. Your best bet would be to obtain a complimentary copy of your credit report in order to ascertain if someone is using your credit report.

In the unlucky event that you credit profile has already been expose to identity robbers, you should contact your neighborhood police right away to file a report. This circumstance is not one that is effortlessly resolved. It can actually take years. That is the explanation behind why so many companies endorse pre-emptive actions.

There is not a shortage of companies that recommend identity security services. You can use your credit card company, the credit bureaus or even a exclusive company such as Life Lock.

You can also help prevent identity stealing by subscribing to a yearly reverse telephone search index. The reason being is that so many crooks have gotten inventive enough to even call their victims pretending to be creditors.

With the reverse cellular phone lookup service, you can run anyone’s mobile phone number and find out precious data on who’s calling your cellular phone. This works for cell phone numbers, home telephone numbers and non published numbers. This is a excellent tool to have for getting to the bottom of false business calls.

To make sure you always have the phone number of anybody who calls your mobile phone, you can turn the element on your cellular phone that discards calls from unknown callers. This feature gives you the capability to know the number of everyone who calls.

You can never have too much protection when it comes to your personal identity. The more time you spend on securing yourself, the fewer dissatisfaction your will suffer later.

Before you lose your identity to identity thieves, you can first perform a reverse phone lookup in the United States or a Canada 411 reverse lookup in Canada.

Basic Facts About Scada Penetration Testing – How Is It Useful

Scada programs are used to control the best industrial plants. Scada stands for supervisory control and data supervision”. The data from various sources in a plant is collected and analyzed by the central computer.

Scada systems are being used to control entire plants. These are used in various industrial sectors and help manage the most complex processes in industrial plants worldwide. These are being used in all types of sectors like oil and gas, nuclear power and other manufacturing sectors.

The applications are also found in sectors like water treatment and telecommunication. Various processes running on different equipments can be analyzed in real time with the central master unit that has scada running on it.

Every time a system is modified, hacked or any problem occurs, the system gets to know about it and suitable measures can be taken to prevent any tragedy. There have been reports about some Chinese hackers attempting to hack US power grid and create a scare.

Penetration testing is crucial to protect vast infrastructure and industrial plants. Hackers can cause widespread damage. Various leaks and windows should be identified and fixed and this is where penetration testing comes in. Penetration testing can help secure entire systems.

The critical infrastructure is prone to attacks by hackers and terrorists. Penetration testing can help find out any security windows and fix them before someone takes advantage of them to launch any attacks on the systems.

Various intrusion detection systems are installed. The firewall systems and remote terminal units are analyzed regularly. Various open ports are also checked. All servers are checked for vulnerabilities. Unsecured code can also cause problems so it is also monitored.

The communications between various computers are also monitored. It is important to check both the hardware and software vulnerabilities. It may be originated by employees, so it is important to monitor everything in detail.

Find out more at Lee Dickens Scada Systems and Process Monitoring services.

How To Discover Address Info With The Assistance Of A Mobile Number

The reverse phone number search option has made it difficult for anyone trying to hide their identity. You can trace anyone you want with the simplicity of just typing their phone number into a reverse phone directory. This technology has definitely replaced the need of hiring a professional snoop.

In the beginning stages of this service, one was only able to search numbers that were listed in the white pages. The times have definitely changed, you can now perform reverse phone lookups using only a cellphone number.

The service works the same as it did with the home telephone number. The only difference is as an alternative of keying in a house number, you now have the decision of doing a search by cellular number. You can still get the same essential information such as name, number, address, and illegal background.

In the past, some people who preferred to remain anonymous would block their phone number; That option though still available, is no longer effective. When anyone uses the star 67 feature on their phone, the other party does not have to accept the anonymous phone call.

The feature that allows you to block restricted numbers now makes everyone that calls your phone visible. Having access to what use to be restricted numbers literally means game over for anyone with the mindset to deceive.

The ability to search anyone’s cell phone or landline telephone can also come in handy when searching the people behind phone calls on your phone bills. You can even go deeper to locate whose behind the calls of your cheating spouse.

One more plus to reverse search directories is the preference to become a member for an total calendar year for one flat charge. With this kind of membership, you will be able to perform searches 24/7 on any person without having to pay every time.

New advances in technology has made it simpler to access databases by the use of mobile numbers as well as land line numbers. Hopefully we can use this information to provide our families with more security to make us feel safer.

Before you make a decision to perform a trace cell number in the U.S. Or Canada, you can go to canada people search.