Ezad Blog

How your Browser Speeds up Cross Domain Loading using DNS Prefetching

<strong>How it Works</strong><br>
What DNS prefetching does is attempt to resolve domain names before 
we, the  users, try to follow a link. This is accomplished using the 
computer's built-in  DNS resolution mechanism. Once a domain name has 
been resolved, if we do  navigate to that domain, there will be no 
effective delay due to DNS resolution  time. While downloading speed 
remains the same, looking up the IP address before  hand will save you 
an easily perceptible second or two when going from page to  page. A 
good example where DNS prefetching can really help is when a user is  
looking at a page with many links to various domains, such as a search 
results  page. When the browser encounters an a hyperlink that does not 
share the same  domain name as the current location, it first checks its
 cache and then, lacking  a cached copy, resolves the domain to the 
associated IP address through a  request from a DNS server. These 
requests happen in the background so as to not  block the rendering of 
the page. Moreover, since all this takes place in  parallel with the 
user's reading of the page, it places only a negligible load  on CPU and
 network resources. How much navigation time will a user save can  range
 from an average savings of about 200 milliseconds for non-cached 
content,  to one to two seconds for the worst DNS resolution delays.<br>
By default, prefetching of embedded link hostnames is not performed 
on  documents loaded over HTTPS. You can change this by setting the  
network.dns.disablePrefetchFromHTTPS browser preference to false.<br>
<br>

How your Browser Speeds up Cross Domain Loading using DNS Prefetching

How it Works What DNS prefetching does is attempt to resolve domain names before we, the users, try to follow a link. This is accomplished using the computer's built-in DNS resolution mechanism. O…

26 Nov 2013

Wireless Threats: Is Your Broadband Secure Enough?

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Internet use in Malaysia is at an all-time high and is still
growing, and broadband adoption is rapidly spreading along with mobile
connectivity. In this environment of increasing digital interconnection,
security threats are likewise growing in number.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As an active broadband user, you at least need to know the
threats and the preventive measures available to pre-empt them.<o:p></o:p></div>
<h2>
Increased Risk, Improved Security<o:p></o:p></h2>
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Findings from industry leaders and research institutions
like Alcatel-Lucent are showing signs of an increased number of security
threats to broadband networks, both fixed and mobile. Data points out that the
wireless threat trend is growing with telling statistics, including:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">     </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>10% of home networks have been infected by Malware in the second
quarter of 2013<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">     </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>6% of home networks were shown to exhibit high-level security
threats, including rootkits and Trojan banking viruses<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">    
</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>0.5% of mobile were invaded
by Malware in the second quarter of 2013<o:p></o:p></div>
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Compared to data from the previous quarter, the numbers
indicate a rise in threats to broadband networks. The research was conducted in
Europe, but the same analysis would apply especially for a boisterous and
dynamic market full of technologically-agile users like Asia.<o:p></o:p></div>
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These security threats are being used by hackers to perform
illicit activities ranging from the simply annoying, like spamming, to the
devastatingly dangerous, like personal identification theft and espionage.<o:p></o:p></div>
<h2>
Broadband Gateways<o:p></o:p></h2>
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Broadband networks are 500% more prone to security threats
compared to other forms of internet connectivity, including dial-up. Hackers
typically perform three general activities when breaking into wireless
networks:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">     </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>Use them as stepping stones to perform more attacks<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">     </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>Use them to store illegal copies of software or digital goods<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">    
</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>Launch waves of unsolicited
activities (spamming, illegal information collection, et al)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Malware, viruses, and hackers share the same “gateways” to
attack your broadband connection or network. Some of the most common entryways
include:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">     </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b>Phishing</b> – Ever
received a suspicious email claiming to be from your bank, asking for personal
information? Phishing is nearly as old as email itself, but modern variations
can be very complex, making it difficult for the layman to see it for what it
is. Some phishing setups even buy official-sounding domain names and setup
email addresses from them and then contact people.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">     </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b>Cookies</b> – Cookies are
your browser’s way to track your internet surfing activities to make sure it
keeps your preferences for websites you visit regularly. Unfortunately, because
cookies can store information like passwords and other similarly telling data
on your activities and behaviour online, they are also usually targeted by
hackers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">     </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b>Spyware, adware, malware</b>
– All of these virus-ware are designed with devious endeavors: spyware spies on
your computer activities, adware collects information on your behaviour online
so it can spam you with ads, and malware is generally any piece of code intent
on causing harm to your computer in any way. All of these can be gateways into
your broadband network.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">    
</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span><b>Ports</b> – Your computer interfaces with other devices connected to it
via “ports,” and a single computer can have thousands of ports. A good number
of them connect to your network, and each one is a vulnerability that can
potentially be taken advantage of.<o:p></o:p></div>
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These are just a handful of examples, and hackers are
usefully ready to exploit them all and more to get what they want.<o:p></o:p></div>
<h2>
Implementing Measures for Tighter Wireless Security<o:p></o:p></h2>
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It’s not all hopeless, gloom, and doom for your broadband
network. Your firewall, your anti-virus, and the individual efforts implemented
by your trusted websites and service providers all counter and pre-empt any
malicious attempts to compromise your network or your computer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For your part, the first step is to arm yourself with
knowledge on how these wireless threats affect you, and how they work, so you
can prepare properly. If you know how a phishing scam works you’re less likely
to be victimized, right?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Beyond that, however, there are always best practices you
can adhere to so you can ensure that you are part of the fight against these
wireless broadband threats:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">     </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>Faithfully install and upgrade software, apps, games, and
anything installed in your device. These patches and updates are typically
offered free by providers, as they are also constantly fighting against
broadband threats.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">     </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>Always use a firewall. Your firewall is your sifter that screens
potentially dangerous information and stops it from ever going into your
computer or network. You have a network firewall and a computer firewall, at
the very least. You can control its settings to allow trusted data to always
pass through, which still provides sufficient flexibility for good security.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -17.95pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">     </span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>Deploy an anti-virus. Anti-virus providers always try to keep
abreast of developments in the industry, and are always updating their
databases so your software always knows about the latest viruses or other threats
to your security.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;">●<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">    
</span></span><span dir="LTR"></span>Use an Intrusion Detection
System (IDS). An IDS does exactly what it sounds like: it provides warnings
about potential attacks or illicit entries into your system. It can also
monitor critical areas of your computer or network.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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Ask your service providers for more information and more
options to prepare yourself against wireless threats to broadband security.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/b2a4f04659d5bb4b310e233323ed8190.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Ian G. Elbanbuena" border="0" src="http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/b2a4f04659d5bb4b310e233323ed8190.png" title="Ian G. Elbanbuena" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/110532977385282494579/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">Ian G. Elbanbuena</span></a> is a blogger and infopreneur
who writes on various topics mainly finance, web security, network connections,
broadband plans and other technical topics . At present he works as marketing
staff at <a href="http://comparehero.my/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #1155cc;">comparehero.my</span></a>,
Malaysia's leading comparison website. This portal helps individuals in making
the best decision by comparing rates from different  finance providers.</span></div>

Wireless Threats: Is Your Broadband Secure Enough?

Internet use in Malaysia is at an all-time high and is still growing, and broadband adoption is rapidly spreading along with mobile connectivity. In this environment of increasing digital interconnec…

17 Nov 2013

Simple step to use php.ini using htaccess

Simple step to use php.ini using htaccess

If you use linux hosting such as cpanel, you really are not able to update your php.ini settings. This is the best way to use your own php.ini in your hosting. But make sure it not read by public and …

16 Nov 2013

SQL Injection-how about your site ?

SQL Injection-how about your site ?

Many web developers are unaware of how SQL queries can be tampered with, and assume that an SQL query is a trusted command. It means that SQL queries are able to circumvent access controls, thereby b…

23 Jun 2013

New Standard Pushes for a More Secure Web

There is no silver bullet when it comes to encryption. Even the most complex, invulnerable encryption today could be child’s play in the future. The NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) is <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/260922/new_nist_encryption_guidelines_may_force_federal_agencies_to_replace_old_websites.html">publishing new encryption standards</a> for public review to try and keep up with the times and stay a step ahead of the bad guys. <br>
<a href="http://images.pcworld.com/images/article/2012/04/secure_browser-11351369.jpg"><img alt="" height="227" src="http://images.pcworld.com/images/article/2012/04/secure_browser-11351369.jpg" width="320"></a>The NIST is a government agency, and its guidelines only really impact other government agencies. However, many security experts and organizations look to the NIST standards as a baseline. <br>
All of security is more or less a game of cat and mouse. Security measures are put in place, and they work for a while until attackers find the weak spots, or figure out how to compromise or circumvent them. Then, security experts have to devise new methods, and the game starts over. Website encryption, and the certificates we use to prove a site is legitimate, are subject to this same cause and effect.<br>

New Standard Pushes for a More Secure Web

20 Jun 2013

Defcon Wi-Fi Hack Called No Threat to Enterprise WLANs

<p>Enterprise Wi-Fi networks can keep using WPA2 security safely, despite a <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2012/072912-tools-released-at-defcon-can-261242.html">recent Defcon exploit</a> that has been widely, but wrongly, interpreted as rendering it useless. <p>The exploit successfully compromised a legacy authentication protocol, MS-CHAPv2, which was created by Microsoft years ago. But the vulnerabilities of this protocol (and other similar ones) are well known, and Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 makes use of additional mechanisms to protect them. That protection is still in force, according to both the Wi-Fi Alliance and a wireless architect, who blogged in depth on this issue after the Defcon exploit was reported. <p>IN PICTURES:&#160;<a href="http://www.networkworld.com/slideshow/58324">Quirkiest moments at 2012 Black Hat security conference</a> <p>In the wake of the Defcon demonstration, enterprises were being urged by some to abandon MS-CHAP, the Protected Extensible Authentication Protocol (PEAP), WPA2 or all of the above. None of that is necessary. <p>The Wi-Fi Alliance has reviewed the chapcrack tool and cloudcracker service announced last week at Defcon 20 and these tools do not present an exploitable vulnerability in Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products, according to statement issued by the Wi-Fi Alliance, via Kelly Davis-Felner, the WFA marketing director. These tools exploit previously-documented weaknesses in the use of Microsoft CHAP (MS-CHAP).&#160;All uses of MS-CHAP in WPA2 are protected by the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol. TLS is the same strong cryptographic technology that protects all online e-commerce transactions. TLS prevents interception of the MS-CHAP messages used in WPA2 Enterprise and effectively protects against attacks using chapcrack or cloudcracker.</p> </p></p></p></p>

Defcon Wi-Fi Hack Called No Threat to Enterprise WLANs

Enterprise Wi-Fi networks can keep using WPA2 security safely, despite a recent Defcon exploit that has been widely, but wrongly, interpreted as rendering it useless. The exploit successfully compromi…

15 Jun 2013

DNSChanger Malware: What's Next?

DNSChanger Malware: What's Next?

The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates around 64,000 computers in the U.S. infected with the DNSChanger Trojan may have Internet connectivity problems Monday. This particularly nasty piece of …

14 Jun 2013

Changing user agent with your browser

Changing user agent with your browser

Before this someone ask me to edit registry to change default user agent. If we want to change only one user agent it maybe easy. but how about when we want to change hundred of user agent out there ?…

19 May 2013

Subhanallah! Gambar Cicit Rasulullah Yang Comel

Subhanallah! Gambar Cicit Rasulullah Yang Comel

Masih ingatkah anda apakah gelaran Rasulullah s.a.w untuk zaujahnya (isterinya), iaitu Saidatina Aisyah r.a? Rasulullah s.a.w menggelar Saidatina Aisyah r.a dengan gelaran Al-Humaira yang bermaksud p…

04 May 2013

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