Technology Ideas

NTLM, a Windows network authentication protocol, is a challenge/response system that allows a client to prove its identity without sending a password to the server. The Windows domain controller challenges the client to perform a complex mathematical calculation on the user's domain password and send this encrypted password to the domain controller. The domain controller then uses the same calculation to decrypt the password. If the decoded password matches the password obtained from the Security Account Manager (SAM) database, then the client is authenticated and may log into the network and access network resources. NTLM is an abbreviation for Windows NT LAN Manager; it offers improved security over the now-obsolete LAN Manager protocol. The Indiana University network is configured to use only the latest version of this protocol: NTLMv2. This version provides increased security over NTLMv1. A Real Time Communication (RTC) application may specify RTCAU_NTLM in the tag to ind...

etworks are networks. Despite best efforts to keep things smooth all the time every day, things happen. Here’s a look at some common network issues, some tips for quickly resolving them, and even better, how to prevent them from occurring again. 1. Duplicate IP Addresses When two devices attempt to share a single IP, you see the dreaded “Address Already in Use” error — with no ability to access the network. The Quick Fix: The blame for this often rests with your router’s default DHCP configuration. DHCP is probably trying to assign your new device an address at the beginning of your subnet, and another device may already occupy these low-numbered addresses with static IPs. If you’ve just introduced a new device or server to your network, it may have its own DHCP server. Simply disable the DHCP server on that device to restore sanity to your network. The Preventive Measure: You can take one simple step to avoid IP conflicts by modifying your router’s configuration to begin assig...

Does your network diagram look like a plate of spaghetti? Do you even have a network diagram? In many businesses, networks grow haphazardly. First two devices get connected, then two more, then more, and eventually, it creates an unmanageable tangle of cables. If you haven’t rethought your network design in a while, now is a good time to take a step back and see if you can straighten out that mess. The first question to ask is, what infrastructure do you already have? This means pulling out any existing documentation to identify servers, switches, routers, and other connected devices. If you don’t have documentation, you may need to crawl around in the computer room and trace cable routes to see how things are currently working. Next, ask what demands your network needs to support. This means identifying the applications your users work with and the bandwidth those applications require. Your network likely needs to accommodate file servers and print servers along with database ser...

Despite the budget cuts many IT teams operate under, paying less attention to your network isn’t a good choice. Today’s cloud-based, collaborative work environments rely on stable network connections to support business functions, making network monitoring both more important and more challenging. In fact, it’s likely you should look for ways to pay more attention to networks, not less. Reasons to Increase Network Monitoring The biggest reason to increase network monitoring, of course, is the rise of cloud. Traffic to public cloud providers now constitutes nearly half of most business’s network traffic. Ensuring this traffic is delivered is essential to keeping the business operating. The second biggest reason for increasing network monitoring is the ever-increasing number of security threats. Making sure security solutions such as firewalls don’t block valid traffic requires the ability to monitor and inspect data, as well as a close communication between network and security te...

Would you like to add Tim Cook to your LinkedIn network? How about Sundar Pichai, Elon Musk, or Sir Richard Branson? It would be wonderful, of course, but connecting with the big names in the industry might not be as helpful as most people think. The Importance of Networking Let’s begin by stressing on an old adage – “It’s not about what you know, but who you know.” Ask your senior manager, team leader, or a colleague which skills helped them excel in their professional careers – a vast majority of the responses will have one thing in common: personal networking. The potential benefits of establishing a strong network are seemingly endless. These are some of the many reasons to consider personal networking for improving your engineering career. 1. Guidance: Whether you are a budding developer or a veteran engineer, you should never underestimate the importance of guidance. Building and maintaining a strong network of relevant contacts will help you grow your knowledge, become mo...

As cyberthreats are constantly evolving in complexity and volume, the battle against them implies ‘spreading’ the protection across all the systems in the corporate network – servers, databases, services, installed software, etc. What’s more, attention should be paid to ensuring that the company’s employees understand and follow cybersecurity principles, and will not (un)intentionally compromise the corporate network security with their actions. However, cybersecurity measures applied inside the organization may differ depending on the company’s size, its financial capabilities, the industry it operates in (regulated or non-regulated), the information it has to deal with in the course of business activities, etc. The minimum of cybersecurity measures essential for the implementation is a properly configured firewall protection working together with regularly updated antivirus software. Firewalls scan network traffic to detect anomalous packets or packet fragments. Antiviruses ensu...