Domenico's Tech Corner

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32-bit vs. 64-bit: What are the differences

- August 31, 2020

As with all Microsoft Windows Operating Systems, there are many different flavors. From Home to Pro editions from 32-bit to 64-bit, there is something for everyone. In terms of architecture, what are the differences? A quick history In 1993, Microsoft released Windows NT 3.1, which was a fully 32-bit operating system. This version of Windows brought NTFS to the masses. In 2003, Microsoft would introduce a 64-bit Windows XP edition that took advantage of the 64-bit processors released. What are the differences? 64-bit processors are more complex than 32-bit versions. This is because 64-bit processors can handle more data at once compared to the 32-bit processors. It can store more computational values, including memory addressing, which means it can access over four billion times the physical memory of a 32-bit version. In terms of Windows Server, having the 64-bit version of the Server OS would allow for better performance with applications and utilize

The Five Ways to Migrate Applications to the Cloud.

- August 21, 2020

Hello, and welcome to my blog! This week we will be discussing the Five Ways to Migrate Applications to the Cloud. Before we begin, perhaps it would be best to chat about what is Cloud computing. So, Cloud computing is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage and computing power, without direct active management by the user. Now, to make things clear from some, the Cloud is a server that is located in another location. On that server, the user may store applications, which then he or she can have access to that information at a later time via the Internet. However, there can be some issues when trying to migrate applications to the Cloud, which we will be discussing. Organizations seeking to move applications into the Cloud have five options: rehost on infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS), refactor for platform-as-a-service (PaaS), revise for IaaS or PaaS, rebuild on PaaS, or replace with software-as-a-service (SaaS), according

The Internet of Things and possible vulnerabilities

- August 18, 2020

So, what is the Internet of Things anyway? The Internet of Things or IoT is an extensive network of devices that are constantly sharing information. For example, all over the world, there are millions of devices, such as smartphones, TVs, computers, game consoles, tablets, refrigerators, stoves, and even havoc systems connected to the Internet. Moreover, other things, such as motor vehicles, trains, ships, and other things, are now obtaining access to the Internet. All these devices are exchanging information every day other the Internet. Thus, the Internet of things. It is strange to think about these things as having access to the Internet; however, some of these items require receiving updated firmware like refrigerators or electric cars. These updates carry new features, and security updates that protect these items from attack as hackers look to gain access to obtain financial information or access to sensitive information. But why would someone what to gain access to m

User Acceptance Testing

- August 01, 2020

What is User Acceptance Testing? User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is the final stage in the software development life cycle. At this stage, users will test the software to see if they can carry out tasks that the software was designed to do and check for any issues that can be brought to the developer for tweaking. A well designed UAT test provides a thorough vetting of the application. Also, a UAT test provides a macro-level overview of how complete an application is. How are they administered? Several steps need to be considered before performing a UAT test. Following these phases is essential to a successful test result which are: 1. Knowledge Gathering for Test Plan A UAT test planning should always be done first as gathering information required to perform a comprehensive test. It requires extensive collaboration between the integration manager, the relevant business process owners, and the different functional leads. The informati

A Look at Defense-in-Depth

- July 26, 2020

What is Defense-in-Depth? Defense-in-Depth is the method to which multiple layers of defense protect a network. These defenses are intended to delay an attacker's attempt to further into a system but not stop them completely. By slowing down the attacker, the IT team has time to reacted and mitigate any damage to the network. The idea behind Defense-in-Depth stems from a military strategy that revolves around having a weaker perimeter defense and intentionally yielding space to buy time. In the case of cybersecurity, the approach here involves multiple layers of control but not give up any ground. Here is a video that can bring a little light on to the idea of Defense-in-Depth from Network Direction: Below is the topology of how Defense-in-Depth would potentially look like: Fig 1. A large scale highly secure deployment of Siebel Business Applications Having a setup, such as the one above, would bring security to any business of any size. In this case, for the

What is Single Sign-On and How it may benefit a company.

- July 19, 2020

Hello, and Welcome to my blog! This week we will be discussing how single sign-on is used and how it can be beneficial to a company. What is Single Sign-On? Single sign-on (SSO) is a session and user authentication service that permits a user to use one login credentials to access multiple applications with a username and password. How does it work? When you are signing on to a website, you may be presented to sign on with a username and password from Facebook, Google, or Apple. These are what is called single sign-on or SSO. This allows users to sign on to a website using credentials from other accounts, such as Google or your Apple ID. It is a federated identity management (FIM) arrangement, and the use of such a system is sometimes called identity federation. O-Auth , which stands for Open Authorization and is pronounced "oh-auth," is the framework that enables an end user's account information to be used by third-party services, such as Fa

A quick look at NIST CSF (Cybersecurity Framework) core and how they are organizes into functions.

- July 12, 2020

Hello, and Welcome to my blog! This week, I will be discussing how the NIST CSF (Cybersecurity Framework) core organizes into functions. What is a NIST Cybersecurity Framework? The National Institute of Standards (NIST) and Framework’s Cybersecurity (CSF) was published in February 2014 in response to Presidential Executive Order 13636, “Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity,” which called for a standardized security framework for critical infrastructure in the United States. What are the NIST CRF Framework cores areas? The NIST CSF is comprised of four core areas. These include Functions, Categories, Subcategories, and References. We will be talking about the different functions in the NIST CSF core and how they are organized for today. What are the Framework Functions? The NIST CSF is organized into five core functions, which are also known as the Framework Core. These functions are arranged with one another to represent a security cycle. Each p

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