An Overview on Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) With IIS, you can further secure websites by using the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption technology. SSL was developed by Netscape Communications, and enables secure communication over the Internet. SSL operates at the transport layer of Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol suite, and uses public key cryptography to establish a secure SSL session between a Web server and client. A few features provided by SSL include authentication, message integrity, and data confidentiality through encryption. To utilize SSL in IIS, the Web server Read More

Host Name Resolution Overview In networks running the TCP/IP protocol suite, IP address information is used to forward packet to the destination computer. The packets that are transmitted over the network contain the IP address of the computer sending the packet; and the IP address of the destination computer intended to receive the packet. The IP addresses of computers therefore have to be both unique and correct so that they can be forwarded to the correct destination. IP addresses contain the network address and the host address. A host name Read More

A multivibrator is a device that switches between two states. It is a type of oscillator and can be used as a trigger, converter, moderator, or divider. It usually produces changes in a system at timed intervals, depending on the number and placement of resistors and other elements within the system as well as the input signal’s intensity. An astable multivibrator is a multivibrator that does not rest in an unstable state like other multivibrators, but continuously switches between two states. How an Astable Multivibrator Works Astable multivibrators switch between Read More

A database management system (DBMS) is a collection of computer programs that controls databases in every way–creation, maintenance and use of the database. Specifically, it enables an organization to hand power and control of the database into the hands of the administrators and other specialists who understand the database. One of the most important aspects of a DBMS is the end user. A DBMS ensures that information is presented to users from the database in a logical fashion. Organization of a Database Management System A DBMS is categorized based on Read More

Erasing the history on a computer is very important for personal safety. There are two main types of history that computer users may want to remove from a system: the Windows and Web Browser history. There are several different locations where computer usage information is stored in Windows. Modern Windows operating systems are preconfigured to track everything from recently opened documents, search items, save history, and run history. The process of removing this personal information is relatively simple if these steps are followed: Recently Opened Documents in Start Menu – Read More

A chosen plaintext attack is an attack where the cryptanalyst is able to define his own plaintext, feed it into the cipher, and analyze the resulting ciphertext. Mounting a chosen plaintext attack requires the cryptanalyst to be able to send data of his choice into the device which is doing the encryption, and it requires the cryptanalyst to be able to view the output from the device. Because of these requirements, a chosen plaintext attack is in some cases impossible to attempt. A good example is the attacks on the Read More

CAPTCHA is actually an acronym for “Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart”. As the name implies, it is a computer-generated test which aims to separate a bot (automated program) from a live, breathing human being online. The “Turing” refers to Alan Turing, a computer scientist who, in the 1950s, undertook research to distinguish a man from a machine. CAPTCHA typically involves a computer which ‘serves up’ a puzzle (this usually involves number and/or letter combinations) that a user has to input into a designated box Read More

The Refresh rate is the number of times a display's image is repainted or refreshed per second. As it denotes a frequency of a process, the refresh rate is expressed in hertz. That is, a refresh rate of 75 Hz means the image is refreshed 75 times in one second. For academic interest, it should be kept in mind that refresh rate is different from frame rate in that refresh rate means the repeated illumination of identical frames, while frame rate measures how often a display image can change into Read More

How to Edit the Registry The System Registry is a database used by the Windows operating system. It is used to store hardware, software, and operating system options, settings, and configurations. The registry was originally developed in order to decrease the amount of time that the OS would take to look-up settings while the end-user made selections on the computer. The registry also performs a function as a kernel gateway for the OS. Unfortunately, the longer that you own a computer and add or remove programs, the more junk that Read More

  A key server is a networked computer used to provide cryptographic keys to other computer programs or end-users. Key servers can be used on both internetal networks as well as across the Internet. Today, the primary keys that are served by key servers are keys in Open PGP, x.509, or PKCS key certificate formats and help serve to verify information by a company or individual in the public key infrastructure architecture. How Key Servers Were Created Key servers were initially developed as part of the overall creation of public Read More