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19 Aug 2014CommView for WiFi – a great option for wireless network analysis
Several years ago I wrote about the neat WEP/WPA recovery tools offered as part of TamoSoft's wireless network analyzer called CommView for WiFi. Well, those tools are no longer available but CommView for WiFi is as relevant as ever. I've been using it for years. It seems that it hasn't changed a ton other than some UI and packet analysis enhancements - probably just oversights on my part since I ...
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06 Dec 2011
School staff members and porn – Why you should care
Here's an interesting read on government employees trying to make an extra buck by serving up pornography on their high school-issued computers. What a lovely story.Don't think this kind of behavior is random. I've seen this very thing at the university level during a security assessment I did early on in my information security consulting venture.You see, one thing I do during my internal security assessments is connect a network ...
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25 May 2011
If you don’t have NetScanTools Pro v11, you’re missing out
It's been a long time coming but the latest incarnation of one of my favorite network/security tools - NetScanTools Pro v11 - is out. Kirk Thomas at Northwest Performance Software has done a bang-up job on the user interface in the new version...something that's gotten better - albeit slowly - over the years. Not that I could do any better - I can't imagine having to know network protocols at ...
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11 Jan 2011
Beware the “network assessment”
There are many IT services firms - including some run by friends and colleagues of mine - who perform something called "network assessments". The outcome of these assessments - which are usually aimed at SMBs - is to determine the overall health of your network and computing environment, supposedly including security.First, let me be clear that these are legitimate services to see where your network stands. That's fine and dandy ...
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31 Aug 2010
NetScan Tools LE – a must-have for investigators
Have you ever had a need to run a program and get a relatively small amount of data just to do your job but end up getting caught in the complexity of the application and not getting what you need after all? That's happened to me a bunch.Well, NorthWest Performance Software (makers of a long-time favorite of mine: NetScanTools Pro) has a new tool that helps resolves this problem called ...
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03 May 2010
Commercial WEP and WPA key recovery tools
Ever find yourself needing a wireless network analyzer that's easy to use and doesn't cost an arm and a leg? Well, CommView for WiFi is a great option...It's a product I've talked about for years in both Hacking For Dummies and Hacking Wireless Networks For Dummies. A neat thing about CommView for WiFi are its relatively new WEP and WPA key recovery add-ons. Referred to as WEPKR and WPAKR, they're ...
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23 Feb 2010
P2P risks, all over again
It's sad when our government has to warn businesses about their own P2P network security flaws.I wrote about the security considerations with P2P applications seemingly a lifetime ago (2003) for TechTarget in a piece titled Are P2P applications worth the risk? Around this same time I served as a P2P expert on a panel discussion at American Intellectual Property Law Association's conference in Atlanta where we discussed these same issues.Nothing ...
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16 Sep 2009
Parental software, is this where we’re headed!?
Be careful which parental monitoring software you install on your kids' computers. Looks like some people think their content filtering software is a means to capture the text of IM chats for the purposes of marketing intelligence. Sickening.Good reason to use a network analyzer to see what's being sent out of your computers/networks! Get an executive or IT admin on one of these computers talking about sensitive subjects and its ...
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13 Nov 2008
Insight into the “fight” between developers & IT
It's the never-ending battle: developers blame the network people for slow performance - and vice versa. I see it all the time and know one wants to take ownership - much less initiative - to fix the problem. Here's a funny post about handing over a network analyzer to developers to help them help themselves....
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02 Apr 2008
FTP bad for sensitive information…and lives?
When I first saw this headline, I thought to myself: Who's the detective that figured this out!? [tongue in cheek]FTP Sites Vulnerable to Data BreachesFTP poses risks?? Uh, yeah! It's just like another technology or host on the network. If it's software, addressable via IP, and has a user login prompt - then, it's undoubtedly going to have holes that are exploited eventually. Especially when network admins and security managers ...
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Resources
Client Testimonials
“A business associate referred our company to Principle Logic when we were seeking a resource to perform vulnerability /penetration testing for our external and internal networks. We found Kevin Beaver to be professional, well informed, and easy to work with. His testing did not disrupt our networks, and his progress updates were timely.
His final report was very thorough and included security recommendations for our network environment. The executive leadership was so impressed with Kevin’s security expertise, they have extended their agreement to continue to perform periodic testing. We highly recommend Kevin Beaver and Principle Logic as a resource for network security testing.”
(IT managed services firm)
Kevin has written/co-written 12 books on information security including one of the best-sellers of all time:
