Hello everyone and welcome back to BCB. I hope some of you have taken the chance to look at The Funky Apple. I want to thank Nigel again for taking the time out for the interview. Spring is in the air, not so much for the semester but because baseball is in the air. I just finished participating in two live drafts, one that i was about an hour late for. I think i did well overall and now begins the arduous task of managing both teams. I also have to help my wife who is participating in Fantasy baseball for the first time. I have to make sure maintains her team and if push comes to shove i may have to take over. I am also entering my final semester here at Berkeley College. I cannot believe it has been two years since i started here and how quickly time flew. I now begin my process of applying to Master degree programs.
The two schools i am looking at is Boston university and Drexel university. Boston University is my favorite choice as it has the program that i want. It is also recognized by the Department of Homeland security as having an outstanding IT Security program. I also read that the government tends to send their employees there for training and since i want to get into the government BU may give me the key to the door. I still have a busy schedule despite the fact that i am only taking one class online and another in building. I have to do PT three times a week for the next 4-5 weeks as i rehab my knee on top of seeing my therapist again in the office. We have been communicating over the phone for the past months until time elapsed that i can go and see him at his private practice. On top of all that there are preparations for my anniversary, graduation, birthday, two weddings, mothers day and my daughters birthday. Over the next few weeks it will be utter chaos so i need to make sure i get all my application stuff in as soon as possible.
One of the interesting things that i have to do as part of the application is submit my resume. That in itself is not weird but they told me not to stay to the one page minimum since they want all the information possible on what i do. It will be difficult because i am currently studying for things on my own and that doesn't necessarily reflect in what i do at work. I guess i will have to just add that in to both the resume and writing portion that i must submit. I will keep all of you abreast of the process in the hopes that you will be prepared when you are ready to go for a Masters program. I have heard that Berkeley College is in the process of having a Masters program but I will be gone by the time it is ready and implemented. Anyway i will catch all of you guys later on BCB. Have a great week!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Funky Apple
Hello everyone and welcome back to the blog. I have decided going forward to referencing the blog as BCB for Berkeley College Blog. If i come up with anything more creative i will change it then. We are in week 12 and if you have not cleared for the Spring Semester you have until next week to do so or risk being dropped from classes. Today's blog is actually an interview of a friend of mine who runs the blog called The Funky Apple. The Funky Apple is all about NYC but instead of me telling all of you here is what the Editor himself, Nigel Chiwaya had to say:
- Where did you go to college? I went to college at New York Institute of Technology located at 61st and Broadway in Columbus Circle.
- What degree did you earn at NYIT? I earned a BSA in Communication Arts.
- What do you do now besides running The Funky Apple? I am the production design director and sports editor for the Queens Ledger.
- What is The Funky Apple? The Funky Apple is a blog and a network that lets New Yorkers know what interesting or cheap things to do in their city.
- How did the concept of The Funky Apple come to be? One day i was sitting in a chair and figured i want to start a blog about NYC. I goatherd old classmates from my old student paper at NYIT and some other friends to contribute. The Funky Apple officially launched on January 25, 2010.
- Who writes for The Funky Apple? Typically the editors of the blog are college students and people who are entering or have entered their career fields.
- Are there any requirements to write for The Funky Apple? No not really, just live in the NY Metro Area and have a passion for the city.
- Where do you hope The Funky Apple will go? This year we have a lot of interesting things in the works. We are currently planning to publish an EBook, and have discount cards. I also have high hopes for the overall community that it will continue to grow.
- If someone is interested in writing for The Funky Apple how or who do they contact? They can contact me by shooting me an email at nigel@thefunkyapple.com with just a brief description of yourself. NO Resumes, this is not a job.
- How is the blog doing since January? On average the blog has 50 unique visitors a day but average 100 visitors in total. Currently we are trying to build a consistent fan base and readership and focus on developing good content.
- Is there anything else you would like to add? If there is anything you want to see on The Funky Apple or have any suggestions do not hesitate to email any of the editors. We are quick in responding and listen to ideas. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
I would like to thank Nigel for taking the time out for this interview. The Funky Apple is a quick and easy way to find out interesting things going on in NYC. If you are interested in contributing they would love to hear from you. That is all for now and i will see all of you next time.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Don't Get Owned
Hello everyone and welcome back. I can finally say i am all caught up with school work from the weeks i was out from surgery. We are in week 12 and if you have not paid your bill for next semester you have until the end of the week. I personally have to go and do that on Wednesday. Today's blog is taking a different approach to what i normally write. I figured that since i am an Information Systems Management major that i should do some posts regarding my field. This will also help me practice communicating technical things into easier to understand language.
Today's blog is about some vulnerabilities that have come out recently. some of you may have heard that Google, along with approximately 33 high tech industries were hacked sometime last year. The blame is being put on China but I am not here to tell you who did what. What i am trying to focus in on here is this concept, if Google can be hacked what about me? We all know of viruses, spyware and malware that infect our personal systems but never do we think about being hacked or as the industry calls it "owned."
This threat has become so important they now have training on how to test your network and how to ethically hack it. You can actually receive a certification in Ethical Hacking. A lot of this information is very technical in nature, in fact I personally am doing my own work at home with a test network. The average user is usually unaware of any attempts to gain access to your computer from the outside. There are simple things the average user can do at home that can help minimize the risk. The first thing is that if you have a wireless router please put a passcode to lock it and also change the default password to the admin menu. The other day i was testing a wireless card at my house and it joined me to an unlock router. I decided to see if i can get access to the admin menu since i knew the standard username and password for Linksys routers. Low and behold i got into the admin menu. From their i could have easily changed all passwords and locked the router out and when they try to connect they will be out of luck.
The next tip is to not always click on things that are sent by people you know. This week i got three emails from my business partner. I clicked on one because i recognized the website the others i did not. I sent him an email because i knew his email address had been compromised. This is probably because of weak passwords. Many people have simple passwords that can eventually be broken, using complex passwords can minimize the likelihood of your email address being compromised. Make sure the sites you go to are legit sites and if you question anything do not open just delete it. These are just some of the ways you can help protect yourself, is it absolutely fool proof, probably not but it will help minimize any attacks that can occur. Well that is all for now see you guys next time when i interview the editor to a new blog that is all about NYC and written by college students for college students.
Today's blog is about some vulnerabilities that have come out recently. some of you may have heard that Google, along with approximately 33 high tech industries were hacked sometime last year. The blame is being put on China but I am not here to tell you who did what. What i am trying to focus in on here is this concept, if Google can be hacked what about me? We all know of viruses, spyware and malware that infect our personal systems but never do we think about being hacked or as the industry calls it "owned."
This threat has become so important they now have training on how to test your network and how to ethically hack it. You can actually receive a certification in Ethical Hacking. A lot of this information is very technical in nature, in fact I personally am doing my own work at home with a test network. The average user is usually unaware of any attempts to gain access to your computer from the outside. There are simple things the average user can do at home that can help minimize the risk. The first thing is that if you have a wireless router please put a passcode to lock it and also change the default password to the admin menu. The other day i was testing a wireless card at my house and it joined me to an unlock router. I decided to see if i can get access to the admin menu since i knew the standard username and password for Linksys routers. Low and behold i got into the admin menu. From their i could have easily changed all passwords and locked the router out and when they try to connect they will be out of luck.
The next tip is to not always click on things that are sent by people you know. This week i got three emails from my business partner. I clicked on one because i recognized the website the others i did not. I sent him an email because i knew his email address had been compromised. This is probably because of weak passwords. Many people have simple passwords that can eventually be broken, using complex passwords can minimize the likelihood of your email address being compromised. Make sure the sites you go to are legit sites and if you question anything do not open just delete it. These are just some of the ways you can help protect yourself, is it absolutely fool proof, probably not but it will help minimize any attacks that can occur. Well that is all for now see you guys next time when i interview the editor to a new blog that is all about NYC and written by college students for college students.
Monday, March 15, 2010
March Madness
Hello everyone and welcome back. I apologize but i am still recovering from surgery and trying to make up for the two weeks worth of work. I am back to work and back to school and i am feeling pretty good. Registration is still on going for the spring but now your down to two weeks. Tomorrow is also the first of three graduation pick up days. Pictures, Cap and Gown and rings will be there tomorrow in the student center on 43rd street in the city. Check the Campus Life link on Blackboard for more information. As you know March Madness is in the air and that means office pools and brackets are being thrown around. Not to mention that next week is FINALS week. As we whine down our semester i reflect on everything that has occurred in my time at Berkeley college.
I started at Berkeley College two years ago and i through myself right in. I started blogging for Berkeley pretty much from the get go. I started with all the basic classes and did pretty well that semester. It was a tough semester as my wife was in a lot of pain as she was pregnant with my son Jose. As the months went by i realized that the program i was in was not quite what i had in mind but was great none-the-less. The professors were great and the staff was overall friendly and helpful. I don't know if it was because they knew i blogged or that was my experience. As i continued my studies at Berkeley i made some decisions on where i wanted to do with the degree i was earning. All my experiences have now culminated in to wanting to do my Masters in IT Security.
I do believe Berkeley has prepared me for a Masters degree program. I am applying to both Boston University and Drexel University. My current first choice is Boston University because it is where a lot of government agencies send their personnel to get trained. Since i do want to possibly enter the public sector it seems like a good place to start. I am planning to do my Masters online because i cannot physically take the demands of traveling late and getting up really early. If i was single or even married with no kids i may have the energy but those little clones of mine sap me of a lot of my strength. I cannot wait to enter the next part of my education i am grateful and glad that Berkeley prepared me for it. The next post will be more technical as i want to add some technology into my blogs. I feel since i am in the IT field why not share so interesting tips and warnings to everyone. So tune in next time and i will see you guys later.
I started at Berkeley College two years ago and i through myself right in. I started blogging for Berkeley pretty much from the get go. I started with all the basic classes and did pretty well that semester. It was a tough semester as my wife was in a lot of pain as she was pregnant with my son Jose. As the months went by i realized that the program i was in was not quite what i had in mind but was great none-the-less. The professors were great and the staff was overall friendly and helpful. I don't know if it was because they knew i blogged or that was my experience. As i continued my studies at Berkeley i made some decisions on where i wanted to do with the degree i was earning. All my experiences have now culminated in to wanting to do my Masters in IT Security.
I do believe Berkeley has prepared me for a Masters degree program. I am applying to both Boston University and Drexel University. My current first choice is Boston University because it is where a lot of government agencies send their personnel to get trained. Since i do want to possibly enter the public sector it seems like a good place to start. I am planning to do my Masters online because i cannot physically take the demands of traveling late and getting up really early. If i was single or even married with no kids i may have the energy but those little clones of mine sap me of a lot of my strength. I cannot wait to enter the next part of my education i am grateful and glad that Berkeley prepared me for it. The next post will be more technical as i want to add some technology into my blogs. I feel since i am in the IT field why not share so interesting tips and warnings to everyone. So tune in next time and i will see you guys later.
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