What occurs when you assignment a series of extremely dexterous hackers to hack your financial institution bills and other mediums? Good, it could effect in unspeakable damage, especially if the hacker gets the concept that he can get wealthy by performing a few evil tips up his sleeve. It used to be the time when YouTube channel content material uploader Kevin Roose most likely realized the largest lesson of his existence via daring two hacking experts to spend a pair weeks seeking to reap access to his life, as long as they agreed not to steal cash or disclose his secrets publicly.
Would you suppose if we told you that one feminine hacker received access to Roose’s e mail address with out using any variety of code whatsoever? In fact, there's a refined technique known as social engineering, the place as an alternative of relying in your capabilities as a hacker, you rely on being a tender talker and generate lies so as to type a difficulty where the person on the opposite aspect of the mobilephone is competent to furnish you with touchy, and highly critical understanding about the consumer. Definite sufficient, in lower than 10 minutes, the female hacker was ready to get entry to Roose’s life, by impersonating his female friend. The next phase is even scarier. Next up got here Dan Tentler, who is a hacker and security expert with Phobos group. After challenging Tentler, the hacker no longer handiest obtained entry to his social security number ad bank accounts, but in essence, he clearly became Kevin Roose with the aid of gaining entry to his entire life. Roose money owed his findings as he says the next:
“If he had been a malicious attacker, Dan said, he could have done unspeakable damage: draining my bank account, ruining my credit score, deleting years’ worth of photos, videos, and important data from my hard drive, using secrets from my email inbox and my work Slack to ruin my reputation. Anything, really.”
Fusion put up a video of the ordeal on YouTube, which showed how the hackers pulled it off.
Aside from social engineering systems, hacker Dan Tentler tries the more typical route of ‘spear-phishing’ . What he does is he sends him an authentic-looking e mail designed to get him to click on on a malicious link inside of. Roughly ninety one percentage of exact cyber-attacks take place this fashion, and Roose, like many different unsuspecting victims, fall for it. Afterwards, Tentler proceeds to putting in a safety certificate that gives the hacker total control over his pc.
From there on, it used to be simple smooth sailing for Tentler as he is able to grab all his passwords, together with the one for his password management app, which you might be all aware of; 1Password. The ethical of the story is that you should suppose very carefully about challenging a hacker to hack you, due to the fact if the character surrounding that hacker is headquartered on unfastened morals and malicious intent, he can flip you homeless and penniless in minutes.
Try one of these 7 highest paying IT certifications and get yourself a megabucks job
After reading our articles on ethical hacking courses, several of our readers requested us to make a post on IT certifications. For those who have not read the old posts, launching a career in information technology (IT) requires some kind of certification preferably from the best in the class.
If you are intent on making IT your career choice, then there are a host of certifications available that you should consider pursuing. These certifications are for various fields in IT like networking, security and hacking, or systems administration and can help launch or enhance your career.
At the end of the day, everything depends on the $$$ you aspire to earn by opting for a career in IT. With that in mind, this article lists the top seven highest-paying IT certifications, what each job pays, and what the work entails.
The list has been prepared based on the salary data by Global Knowledge, a learning services, and professional development solutions provider. You can zero down on the certification program you like and visit Global Knowledge website for more details.
1. Certification in the Governance of Enterprise IT (CGEIT)
The CGEIT certification, by ISACA, recognizes IT professionals with deep knowledge of enterprise IT governance principles and practices, as well as the ability to enhance value to the organization through governance and risk optimization measures, and align IT with business strategies and goals. Since the program started, more than 6,000 individuals have achieved the CGEIT credential through ISACA.
The CGEIT exam covers five domains: Framework for the Governance of Enterprise IT (Domain 1), Strategic Management (Domain 2), Benefits Realization (Domain 3), Risk Optimization (Domain 4) and Resource Optimization (Domain 5).
Requirements: Pass one exam (150 questions, four hours); prove a minimum of five years of cumulative work experience in IT enterprise governance including at least one year defining, implementing and managing a governance framework; adhere to the ISACA Code of Professional Ethics and comply with the CGEIT Continuing Education Policy.
Exam cost: $440 to $675, depending on whether you are an ISACA member and when you register.
2. ITIL Expert
Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) certifications are tied to the ITIL framework, which describes best practices for designing, implementing and managing a wide variety of IT service projects. In ITIL-speak, certifications are referred to as “qualifications,” which create a classic certification ladder beginning with the basic-level ITIL Foundation and culminating with the pinnacle ITIL Master. One rung below the Master level is the popular ITIL Expert.
A professional with the ITIL Expert qualification has a deep understanding of ITIL service best practices as they apply across an IT environment, not just to one service area. In other words, the Expert is able to support an organization by bridging service lifecycle stages, seeing the big picture as a sum of the parts.
Requirements: Achieve the ITIL Foundation certificate or a Bridge qualification equivalent, acquire at least 17 credits per the ITIL Credit System and pass the Managing Across the Lifecycle (MALC) exam at the end of an approved training course.
Exam cost: $799 (online) to $2,800 (classroom), which includes training and exam.
3. Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)
One of the most sought-after GRC certifications by candidates and employers alike is the CRISC from ISACA, which identifies IT professionals who are responsible for managing IT and enterprise risk and ensuring that risk management goals are met. A CRISC is often heavily involved with overseeing the development, implementation and maintenance of information system (IS) controls designed to secure systems and manage risk. Since 2010, ISACA has issued over 18,000 CRISC credentials, which is a relatively high number in the GRC certification field.
The CRISC exam covers four domains: Risk Identification (Domain 1), Risk Assessment (Domain 2), Risk Response and Mitigation (Domain 3) and Risk and Control Monitoring and Reporting (Domain 4).
Requirements: Pass one exam (150 questions, four hours), prove a minimum of three years of cumulative work experience in IT risk and information systems associated with at least two of the four domains, adhere to the ISACA Code of Professional Ethics and comply with the CRISC Continuing Education Policy.
Exam cost: $440 to $675, depending on whether you are an ISACA member and when you register.
4. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
A Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) is a seasoned employee or consultant, usually with a title like Security Manager, Security Analyst or Chief Information Security Officer, to name a few. This person has been on the job for 5 or more years and has a thorough knowledge of the IT threat landscape, including emerging and advanced persistent threats, as well as controls and technology that minimize the attack surface. A CISSP also creates policies that help set the framework for proper controls, and can perform or oversee risk management and software development security.
Requirements : You must be able to show proof of 5 paid full-time years of work experience in at least 2 of the 8 CISSP CBK domains, such as Identity and Access Management, Security Engineering, Security and Risk Management, Security Operations and more. On the job experience is crucial for both the exam and the certification process.
5. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
This certification course is also a must have for ethical hackers and security researchers. However, unlike the CISSP, the CISM certification is focused primarily on information security management. If you intend to look for the post of CSO or CIO, you should take this certification.
The test will cost approximately $415 excluding prep materials and tutions and consists of 200 multiple choice questions. The only issue with this test is that you need 5 years of hands on experience in the relevant field. Passing the CISM certification will land you a $121,177 per year (average) job with good career opportunities.
6. Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA)
The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) is a global professional association that provides information, networking opportunities, and education to auditors in business, government and the financial services industry. One of the IIA’s certifications is the CRMA, which recognizes individuals who are involved with risk management and assurance, governance, quality assurance and control self-assessment. A CRMA is considered a trusted advisor to senior management and members of audit committees in large organizations.
Requirements: One exam in two parts: CIA Exam Part 1 – Internal Audit Basics (125 questions, 2.5 hours) and CIA Exam Part 2 – Internal Audit Practice (100 questions, 2 hours). In addition, prove achievement of a 3- or 4-year post-secondary degree (or higher), or two years of post-secondary education and five years of internal auditing experience (or equivalent) or seven years of internal auditing experience. Prove at least two years of auditing experience or control-related business experience in risk management or quality assurance. Finally, provide a character reference signed by a person holding an IIA certification or a supervisor, provide proof of identification and agree to abide by the Code of Ethics established by The IIA.
Exam costs: $350 (members), $450 (non-members).
7. Project Management Institute-Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)
Anyone who has pursued a project management certification is familiar with the Project Management Institute (PMI), either through research or by picking up the coveted Project Management Professional (PMP) credential. However, PMI also offers the Risk Management Profession (PMI-RMP) certification, as well as several others that focus on business management, processes, analysis and scheduling.
The PMI-RMP identifies IT professionals involved with large projects or working in complex environments who assess and identify project-based risks. They are also competent in designing and implementing mitigation plans that counter the risks from system vulnerabilities, natural disasters and the like.
The PMI-RMP exam covers five knowledge domains: Risk Strategy and Planning (Domain 1), Stakeholder Engagement (Domain 2), Risk Process Facilitation (Domain 3), Risk Monitoring and Reporting (Domain 4) and Perform Specialized Risk Analyses (Domain 5).
Requirements: Pass one exam (170 questions, 3.5 hours), prove achievement of a secondary degree (high school diploma, associate’s degree or global equivalent), and prove at least 4,500 hours of project risk management experience and 40 hours of project risk management education. The experience and education requirement can be substituted with a four-year degree (bachelor’s degree or global equivalent), at least 3,000 hours of project risk management experience and 30 hours of project risk management education.
As we’ve 16 Facebook acknowledged, Facebook is utilized by millions of souls all over the planet on a daily with over 5000,000 people joining in every day. Apart from the web based version Facebook is totally mobile and more interestingly through their mobile app, Facebook Messenger. It is loaded with a plethora of functions from chatting with your friends with fun features like voice/video calls, stickers and lots more to offer. Facebook Messenger is a cross platform app (it has a web version that can be used in the browser).
This only makes it much better and more appealing. If you are thinking that’s the best Facebook Messenger can offer, then you better think twice. There are lots of cool tricks in the rabbit hat that you probably don’t know about. These are some of the coolest Facebook Messenger tips and tricks you ought to try out.
1. Mute chat notifications
A lot of us undoubtedly get irked and annoyed by the constant chat notifications at times, especially in moments when we do not need any interruption. Amazingly, you can be easily muted for a specific period of time or until you just unmute them manually. To do this, tap and hold on the conversation (alternatively for iOS, swipe left on the conversation) go to mute notifications and specify the period for which you want to mute the notifications. Check out the screenshot above.
2. Create shortcuts for quickly accessing chat with contacts (Android only)
In existence of certain Facebook Messenger contacts with whom you chat frequently, you can pin them to your android device’s home screen for faster access to them. Simply tap and hold on the conversations from the contact of whoever it is you want to pin, select the create shortcut option and you are good to go. Pinned contacts appear as chat heads on the android device’s home-screen.
3. Disable chat heads (Android only)
Floating chat heads are some of the most unique features of Facebookmessenger. They let you chat quickly without having to launch Facebook messenger. In any case, one may find the chat heads rather officious and in such a case you can easily disable them. For this, tap on the gear icon to go to Facebook messenger’s settings and un-check the chat heads option. Bare in mind that disabling chat heads has no effect on contacts pinned as shortcuts.
4. Download photos and videos over Wi-Fi to save data
Without limitation to text messages and stickers, Facebook messenger also lets you send and receive photos and videos. Nonetheless, the received photos and videos are downloaded automatically which if not restricted can be quite a pain in the neck if you are on a limited data plan. Gratefully, you can set Facebook messenger to download photos and videos only over Wi-Fi thereby saving data. To do this, simply go to Facebook messenger’s settings >> photos and media then check the use less data option. As simple as that.
In the present world, smart phones have since been praised for their redefinition of how people take photos and for that they have purposed the front cameras for selfies and of course video calls. But in most scenarios, they are not as good as primary or rear cameras. Amazingly, with Facebook Messenger you can use the rear camera as well for video calling your friends. All you need to do is tap the camera icon on the top right corner to switch to the rear camera.
Unbelievably, Facebook Messenger comes with a built in mini chess game that you can play with your friends. So if you ever feel the urge to challenge a friend to a chess match then don’t hesitate. To commence a game with a contact, send @fbchess as a message and you`ll be offered anonline chess game that you and your contact will play with each of you making moves simultaneously. However, the game isn’t touch based and therefore can only be played by typing in commands. For that, type in @fbchess help to see the list of all the commands. Doubt you knew that!
Note: Facebook Messenger commands are nothing but the simple commands like the @fbchess mentioned above which starts a cool chess game. Facebook seems to be working on more of these commands since when you type @ in a conversation, a list of commands is relayed. But as it is, currently there are only a few commands available which are @fbchess and @dailycute. We expect Facebook to keep changing and adding to the commands so the best option would be to always keep checking the @ Option.
7. Send random cute animal images to contacts
In any situation, photos of cute animals, especially dogs and cats can lighten up anyone. With Facebook Messenger, you can cheer up your buddies with just that. It’s very easy. Just send @dailycute as a message to a contact and random imgur hosted photo of a cute animal will be automatically sent to the contact. Isn’t it cute?
8. Change conversation color
Over time we’ve all grown very familiar with the white and blue Facebook color scheme. It has gotten somewhat boring eventually and you want to shake things up a little bit and guess what, much as you can do nothing about the white, you can switch the blue to a variety of colors you would love and this comes in handy too for differentiating conversations with contacts. To do this, just open up a conversation and tap on the details icon (the one with a little “i” in a circle) on the top right corner. Now tap on the color and chose any of the colors from the presented palette. By doing so you change the color of the conversation in your contact’s Facebook Messenger app.
9. Use Facebook Messenger with your phone number
With Facebook Messenger, even without a Facebook account, anyone can use the Messenger. All that is needed is your phone number and for this, just tap on the not on Facebook? Option at Facebook Messenger’s first screen and follow the simple steps to set up the Facebook Messenger with your phone number. Pretty nice right?
10. Log out of Facebook Messenger
As we all know, Facebook Messenger provides no option to log out once logged in and this may be pretty much annoying to some of us, but thankfully with android you can easily log out of Facebook Messenger and by that I don’t mean there is a log out button somewhere but all you need to do is follow these very simple steps. Go to Android’s settings > Apps and tap on Messenger. Now tap on storage > clear data and you’re done. This comes in handy for those of you who would like to use multiple accounts on Messenger and that is what the next segment is exclusively about.
11. Use multiple accounts with Facebook Messenger
This is yet another trick in the hat for Messenger geeks. It’s possible to add multiple accounts to Facebook Messenger at the same time and switch between accounts at your convenience. Contact lists, chats and all other relevant info are automatically loaded by the app on the account that is currently active so no need to worry. To do this, go to settings > Accounts and use the “+” icon on the top right corner to add another account to Facebook Messenger. Additionally, you can specify whether or not to require the account password when switching between accounts.
Note:In the event of testing this feature on three android devices havingFacebook Messenger, the feature was available only on one. Accordingly, it’s no surprise that this is a feature due to come in future Facebook Messenger updates.
12. View messages sent by Facebook users not in your friend list
Much as Facebook Messenger is about chatting with your friends, you can also use it to check out messages sent by people that don’t exist in your Facebook friends list. To check out the messages, go to Facebook Messenger’s settings>people>message requests. Easy peezy!
13. Integrate additional apps with Facebook Messenger
Much as Facebook messenger is amazing individually, you can integrate a variety of additional apps into it so as to heighten its capabilities even more. Some of these apps include giphy, memes and the weather channel. Remember that you must install each of the apps separately from the play store. Once installed, the content created by these apps can be forwarded directly to Facebook messenger for sharing with contacts. To view the listing of available apps, open up any conversation and tap on the “three dots” icon and after that it’s all about hitting the install button corresponding to the app you want as a companion for Facebook Messenger. (Check the screenshot).
14. Hail Uber rides with Facebook Messenger
Uber has changed the way we hail rides with the use of Facebook messenger, you do not require the official Uber app to get a ride with the service. All you need to do is open up a conversation, Tap the “three dots”icon and chose transportation. The driver updates can as well be checked directly from Facebook Messenger. This can be helpful if you and one (or more) of your friends are at different locations but need to share a ride. Nevertheless, the service is currently only available in the United States of America. Click here for more information.
15. Send & receive money with Facebook Messenger
In need of sending some funds to someone or making payments. Amazingly, you can do that conveniently on Facebook Messenger. All you have to do is add debit card (issued by US banks only) to your Facebook account and use it to send/receive money directly through Facebook Messenger. You can as well use the app (settings > payments > security) to add a PIN for securing the transactions. Check here for detailed information on how to do it. Take a note that this feature is currently available only in the USA.
16. Use Facebook Messenger to communicate with customers
In any business reliable customer service is needed for progress. Thankfully, with Facebook Messenger you can have real-time conversations with your customers. Developed in partnership with cloud based customer service provider Zendesk, this feature can be used by businesses to impart information such as order confirmation, package delivery tracking etc. to customers not forgetting responding to any queries they may pose. Yet again, bare in my mind that this service is only available with select US businesses at the moment.
Every coder and wannabe programmer should read these five ‘must have’ books
Books, which was once considered as a great source of knowledge and wisdom are hardly been read by people these days. To add to that, it is an even fewer occurrence a programmer reading books, as they mostly depend on the internet search results to get their answers.
With the technology moving forward at a speed quicker than anytime in the history of mankind, there are new programming languages and tools every few months, seeking to be the silver bullet for all deficiencies of existing languages, tools and practices.
Even the great minds of yesteryears have faced the same problems and worked out the best possible solutions to solve them. The strategies to approach and solve the problems have been caught in some great books.
Provided below is a list of wonderful books that every developer in the industry should read.
The Pragmatic Programmer
The Pragmatic Programmer is a gem of a book about software engineering by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas. The knowledge in this book applies to all programming languages, as this book is not about any particular programming language. It covers topics ranging from personal responsibility and career development to architectural techniques for keeping your code flexible and easy to adapt and reuse.
The visions in this book extend across a number of interesting areas such as “tracer bullets”, fighting software decay, expensive tools do not produce better designs, avoiding duplicate knowledge, writing flexible, dynamic, and adaptable code, avoid programming by coincidence, bullet-proof your code with contracts, assertions, and exceptions, capture real requirements, test cruelly and efficiently, build teams of pragmatic programmers, writing code that writes code, separating views from models and make your developments more precise with automation.
Written as a series of self-contained sections and filled with entertaining anecdotes, thoughtful examples, and interesting analogies, The Pragmatic Programmer demonstrates the best practices and major drawbacks of many different aspects of software development.
This book will not only change your coding habits, but it will also change your personality as a Programmer. It is complete with practical advice on getting the best of both you and your code. It also includes a guide that sums up the tips and checklists.
Clean Code: A Handbook of Agile Software Craftsmanship
Written by Robert C. Martin, this is an classic book on software craftsmanship. Ever looked at someone’s code and went “Oh My God, What is this?” Rest assured, that someone hasn’t read Clean Code.
An epic book on software craftsmanship, which not only the book tells you how to write good code, but also an effective way to develop and approach software development. It will instil within you the values of a software craftsman and make you a better programmer but only if you work at it.
“Clean Code” is divided into three parts. The first describes the principles, patterns, and practices of writing clean code. The second part consists of several case studies of increasing complexity. Each case study is an exercise in cleaning up code of transforming a code base that has some problems into one that is sound and efficient. The third part is the payoff: a single chapter containing a list of heuristics and smells gathered while creating the case studies. The result is a knowledge base that describes the way we think when we write, read, and clean code.
While all the examples in this book are in Java, the learnings can be applied to any programming language. This book is a must for any developer, software engineer, project manager, team lead, or systems analyst with an interest in producing better code.
The Clean Coder: A Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers
Again, this is another programming book from Robert C. Martin. It is recommended that you read this book after “Clean Code”. While “Clean Code” is about the code, this is about the “Coder”.
In this book, Martin introduces the disciplines, techniques, tools, and practices of true software craftsmanship. This book is packed with practical advice about everything from estimating and coding to refactoring and testing. It covers much more than technique: It is about attitude. Martin shows how to approach software development with honor, self-respect, and pride; work well and work clean; communicate and estimate faithfully; face difficult decisions with clarity and honesty; and understand that deep knowledge comes with a responsibility to act.
The book also explores topics that programmers often overlook.
• What does being professional programmer mean? • How to carry yourself as a true software craftsman? • How to manage your skills? • How to deal with conflict, tight schedules, and unreasonable managers? • How to handle unrelenting pressure and avoid burnout? • How to manage your time, and avoid blind alleys, marshes, bogs, and swamps? • When to say No and how to say it? • When to say Yes and what yes really means? • ..and more.
You may not always agree with certain sections given by the author but it does provide good food for thought. It may be not what you expect, but may just be what you need.
Code Complete: A Practical Handbook of Software Construction
Written by Steve McConnell and published in 1993, Code Complete is a software development book that urges developers to get past code-and-fix programming and the big design up front waterfall model. It is also a compendium of software construction techniques, from naming variables to deciding when to write a subroutine and a must read.
This mammoth book is a must read that synthesizes the most effective techniques and must-know principles into clear, pragmatic guidance. This book will inform and stimulate your thinking and help you build the highest quality code no matter what your experience level, development environment, or project size.
Every aspect of software development is included in the book ranging from code structure, code formatting, variable method and class naming, right up to how to manage a team. Also, included in the book are riches of references and additional materials covering specific topics.
You surely do have an advantage if you read this book, as only a small percentage of software developers’ end up reading this book.
The Mythical Man-month: Essays on Software Engineering
The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on Software Engineering is a book on software engineering and project management by Fred Brooks, whose central theme is that “adding manpower to a late software project makes it later”.
This classic book was first published in 1975, which included Brooks’ observations based on his experiences at IBM while managing the development of OS/360. This book was called “The Bible of Software Engineering”, because “everybody quotes it, some people read it, and a few people go by it.” The book is widely regarded as a classic on the human elements of software engineering.
It is surprising to know that the quotes below all came from the book.
“All programmers are optimists: All will go well”
“Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later”
“Bearing of a child takes nine months, no matter how many women are assigned”
“An omelette, promised in two minutes, when not ready in two minutes, the customer has two choices – wait or eat it half-cooked. Software customers also have the same choices.”
It is disastrous that year after year, we are making the same mistakes in software development. This is a must read for every project manager and developer.
While the book has an excellent selection of essays, the only flipside to the book is the references to 25-year-old technologies. But that doesn’t lessen the worth of the book.
If you like the above books, we will bring out a part-2 of this article with even more books for programmers. Give your opinions/recommendations about books on programming in the comments section below.
