Over the past few weeks, we’ve taken a high-level overview of some of the important concepts in computer security. And while we needed to establish a foundation, now it’s time to get our hands a little dirty to see what computer security is all about.
This week, we’ll spend some time on our own computers. Doing so, we’ll be able to identify how our computers talk to each other. We will learn new terms. And in case you didn’t know, the world of computer security is loaded with acronyms. If you’re a texter, then you’ll love these acronyms. If you’re not, then get your pen/pad, PDA or whatever tool you use handy for a long list of these fun new abbreviations.
On our information superhighway, via a TCP/IP network, computers chat away. TCP/IP means Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. This is the language that computers use to communicate with each other. All computers know this language.
In order for computers to talk with one another, they must each have a unique IP address. IP means Internet Protocol and it has what’s called four octets. For example, an IP address might look like: 192.168.100.101. We’ll take a closer look at these octets tomorrow. For now, to see your computer’s IP address, just do the following:
1. Go to the Start menu and click Run.
2. Type cmd and click Enter.
3. Then type ipconfig and press Enter.
Do you see it? If so, Ya-hoo! You have now identified your computer’s unique address. Good for you. If not, just review the steps above. It’s there. Just take a closer look.
See ya’ tomorrow.
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