13 Free Disk Encryption, Network Authentication And Port Scanning Tools

Data security covers a lot of things nowadays. There are tools that protect your data from attackers in different stages and forms. While some protect your network to avoid the entry of attackers, others encrypt the data. Here are some immensely useful tools.

Disk Encryption Tools: The risk of loss of information is a very realistic threat to anyone using a computer regularly. Data encryption ensures that even if your data is stolen or lost, the attacker has another line of defense to get by first.

1. loop-AES

2. dm-crypt

3. cryptsetup

4. SD4L

5. TrueCrypt

Port Scanners When connecting to servers, it is important to find out whether the systems ports are open or closed. These are the tools that do that.

1. Nmap

2. Unicornscan

3. Zenmap

4. nast (Network Analysis Sniffer Tool)

5. Knocker

Network Authentication Servers: Network authentication is an important aspect in maintaining security. The Rapid Authentication Dial In Service (RADIUS) is usually the choice

1. FreeRADIUS

2. OpenRADIUS

3. BSDRadius

Top 6 TCP/IP Utilities For Networking Pros!

TCP/IP essentially provides end-to-end connectivity specifying how data should be formatted, addressed, transmitted, routed and received at the destination. The following tools will help networking pros to check the status of their network and troubleshoot and test connectivity to remote hosts.

1.Ping

Utility used to test the reachability of a host on an Internet Protocol (IP) network and to measure the round-trip time for messages sent from the originating host to a destination computer. operates by sending Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) echo request packets to the target host and waiting for an ICMP response. In the process it measures the time from transmission to reception (round-trip time)[1] and records any packet loss.

2.traceroute

Computer network diagnostic tool for displaying the route (path) and measuring transit delays of packets across an Internet Protocol (IP) network. The history of the route is recorded as the round-trip times of the packets received from each successive host (remote node) in the route (path); the sum of the mean times in each hop indicates the total time spent to establish the connection.

3.ARP

Telecommunication protocol used for resolution of network layer addresses into link layer addresses. ARP is used to convert an IP address to a physical address such as an Ethernet address (also known as a MAC address).

4.Netstat

Command-line tool that displays network connections (both incoming and outgoing), routing tables, and a number of network interface and network protocol statistics.

5.Nbtstat

Diagnostic tool for NetBIOS over TCP/IP. It is included in several versions of Microsoft Windows. Its primary design is to help troubleshoot NetBIOS name resolution problems.

6.NSLookup

Network administration command-line tool available for many computer operating systems for querying the Domain Name System (DNS) to obtain domain name or IP address mapping or for any other specific DNS record.

7 Most Useful Network Monitoring Tools

In the networking world and server admin world, it’s all about visibility. If you are not aware what your network and servers are doing right now, then it might prove disastrous for you. There are some excellent tools, which are both commercial and open source, which can help you in the networking world. These tools are excellent to use for network and server monitoring, graphing and so on. Here are seven such tools for you:
1. Cacti :
Cacti is one of the best open source network graphing tools in present times. It’s a LAMP application which provides a complete graphing framework for data. There are templates which can monitor variety of devices and there are collections too for a greater array of hardware and software. Cacti’s default collection method is SNMP, local Perl or PHP. The PHP Network Weathermap plug-in for Cacti can create live network maps which show link utilisation between network devices. Cacti is very efficient in performance graphing and it’s highly customisable too.
2. Microsoft Network Monitor :
This is a packet analyser which allows capturing, viewing and analysing network traffic. This tool is extremely useful for troubleshooting network problems and applications on the network. When this tool is launched the adapter needs to be selected from the main window and after clicking on “New Capture” to initiate a new capture tab. In this tab if you click on Capture Settings you can change the filter options, adapter options and hit Start to begin the packet capture process.
3. Nagios :
This is a powerful network monitoring tool which ensures that all your critical systems, applications and services are always running. It helps implement plug-ins to monitor services, applications and metrics. It’s a mature network monitoring framework which is written in C and its Web GUI is quite fast as well as intuitive. Nagios has a full email/SMS notification engine and an escalation layout too. The Web GUI can be used to suspend notifications when they occur, and it can also record notes which are provided by admins.
4. Icinga :
It was initially a forked version of Nagios but now it has a rewritten version as Icinga 2. Icinga 1.x is backward compatible with Nagios plug-ins and configurations. The newer version is sleeker and smaller and it allows distributed monitoring too. It can monitor anything from IP to SNMP. Icinga has more than one Web UIs and it’s the configuration which makes it different from Nagios. Several graphing and monitoring packages are integrated with Icinga like PNP4Nagios, inGraph and Graphite.
5. NeDi :
NeDi is a LAMP application which goes along with the MAC address and ARP tables on network switches. NeDi Web GUI allows conducting searches to determine switch, switch port and wireless AP of a device through its MAC address, IP address and DNS name. It has a very simple configuration and it allows high amount of customisation too. NeDi uses Cisco Discovery Protocol or Link Layer Discovery Protocol and it also integrates Cacti to certain extent.
6. BandwidthD :
It monitors TCP/IP network usage and it also shows data which has been gathered in forms of graphs and tables. Each protocol is colour-coded and it runs as a background service.
7. EasyNetMonitor :
It’s a very lightweight tool which can monitor local and remote hosts. It’s useful for monitoring critical servers from desktop and it also allows immediate notifications when a host doesn’t respond to a periodic ping. After the tool is launched, it appears as an icon in the notification area on desktop where the IP addresses can be added for monitoring.

10 Apps For Best Use Of Ubuntu

Are you switching to Ubuntu or any other Linux product? Then it means more than a change in the operating systems and you must know that. You should know all the apps which will help you in this change. There are a lot of critical apps but we will be sharing 10 of them on which you can rely on.

1. Firefox:

When it comes to a Linux desktop software, there are two categories – everyday use and other uses. So Firefox comes under the category of every day use and it's the most trustworthy among others. It's reliable, safe and also cross-platform. Firefox is great for daily browsing and you can also make bookmarks through Firefox. Firefox performs daily duties like Plex, Zoneminder, router/WAPs and my file server.

2. Parcelite:

If you don't have a good clipboard manager then it's difficult to perform on Ubuntu. And in this category Parcelite is the best option for GNOME desktop. It's simple, easily accessible, and it includes everything like white space handling. There are many other clipboard managers on the board, but Parcelite is the best, and it's undisputed.

3. Bittorrent Sync:

Among all the open source alternatives for file syncing the best one is Bittorent Sync. It will never let you down as it's easy to run and install. Its new GUI offering has made this app more simple. Bittorent Sync allows you to transfer huge video files quickly from one machine to others without wasting much time. You can also share files with others through this tool very easily.

4. System Monitor:

A tabbed GUI is always better for your eyes. If you use GNOME's System Monitor, then you can discover a runaway process and kill it too easily. You can also get a visual perspective using graphs in real-time for CPU, memory and disk usage. So if you are a visual person then real-time resource usage is the best option for you.

5. PulseAudioControl:

If you are confused about sound devices and continuously change you options then here comes PulseAudioControl for you. If you are such a person who loves to have control over your audio then this is the most precious tool that you can have.

6. Skype:

If you are looking for a podcast or just want to catch up with your business contacts, Skype simplifies your Internet video conversations. There are several alternatives but if you use Skype for once then you just can't get your hands off. There are some other awesome open source options like Ekiga and Jitsi, but at the end of the day it's Skype which makes your day the best.

7. Kdenlive:

Video editor options are always flooding us but if you want to edit a video heavily then the best tool that you can use is Kdenlive. This tool is best used for picture compositing and editing large-complex videos. Even if you are not successful in editing any video on other video editors, Kdenlive will surely not disappoint you.

8. OpenShot:

This is another video editor which is more frequently used by Ubuntu users. For video editing tasks you can blindly rely on OpenShot. OpenShot is most popular for quick edits and using this editor you can work on two tracks simultaneously. It also offers great effects and its blender title effects as well as video transitions make OpenShot a fabulous editor for your projects.

9. Writer:

Writer is quite a reliable option which you can use both with OpenOffice and LibreOffice. It does everything what a word processor is capable of. Some other office suites may offer more options than Writer, but what 99 per cent people want in these office suites are covered by Writer. So LibreOffice Writer is another great app to use for you.

10. SimpleScreenRecorder:

If your job requires multiple monitor support then there is no better option than SimpleScreenRecorder. It can also capture OpenGL applications and it's very easy to use and it's reliability is unquestionable. SimpleScreenRecorder offers a great experience and it's highly recommended for multi-tasking people.

So whenever you decide about apps, don't bother much about their popularity or brand label. Just have a note how it performs for you.

16 Free Resources That Will Tell You Everything About Algorithms!

Programmers have to know about algorithms and computational math. These things come in handy for a variety of purposes. In fact, most computer related professionals have something to do with this field. So, with that in mind, here are 16 of the best resources that we could find on algorithms.

1. Undergraduate and Introductory Graduate Courses on Algorithms: This is a compilation of links by Kirk Puhs, which will give you a lot of useful information on Algorithms.

2. A Computational Introduction to Number Theory and Algebra: This book, by Victor Shoup, contains all the basic concepts of computational number theory and algebra. It also includes the necessary mathematical background required.

3. Algorithms for programmers by Jörg Arndt: This is a pretty useful resource for those looking to learn about algorithms. Some of these will help beginners, while others will be suited for advanced students too.

4. Numerical Recipes in C and Fortran: This website contains various ebooks and allows you to read a particular number of pages for free every day. You can also get subscriptions for the books.

5. Numerical Methods lecture notes: These lecture notes by Stuart Dalziel will come in handy to anyone looking to gain knowledge in algorithms.

6. Algorithms and Complexity: Herbert S. Wilf's book on Algorithms and Complexity is another useful resource for understanding this topic.

7. East Side, West Side: These lecture notes by Herbert S. Wilf are useful in understanding "the generation of combinatorial objects and Maple programming that gets the job done."

8. Lecture Notes on Numerical Analysis: These lecture notes from Dennis Deturck and Herbert S. Wilf could be your ticket to becoming pros in algorithms.

9. Computer Algebra I and Computer Algebra II: Download these lecture notes by Joachim von zur Gathen and Jüergen Gerhard to your desktop and keep them there for whenever you need them.

10. The Stony Brook Algorithm Repository: Many have said that this book is all you need in order to understand combinatorial algorithms. Try it out!

13. An Annotated List of Selected NP - Complete Problems: This book is written by David Johnson, who also writes a column for the Journal of Algorithms.

14. A compendium of NP optimization problems: This compendium is a part of the book Complexity and Approximation.

15. Various notes by Ragesh Jaiswal: This lecture contains the following topics: Algebraic Structures, Probability Basics, Number Theory, Randomized Algorithms, Factoring Algorithms.

16. Graph Theory: These lecture notes by Tero Harju deals with Graph theory.

10 Cool Notepad Tricks To Have Fun With!

Notepad may be one of the least liked text editors, but it sure has some nifty tricks. These are simple tricks that can be used for fun. Some tricks can be quite damaging to your PC though, so use them with caution. Enjoy!

1. World Trade Center Attack Trick

We'll start with a simple and well known trick. In fact, this isn't exactly a trick. The flight number for the plane that hit the World Trade Center on 9/11 was Q33N.

- Put the flight number of Notepad.
- Change font size to 72.
- Change font to Windings.

The result shows you an airplace, two identical tower like things and a skull and cross bones symbol. Coincidence?

2. Matrix Falling Code Effect

This is another well known trick. The green falling code in the Matrix movies can be emulated using Notepad. Here's how,

- Copy the code below to notepad.

@echo off
color 02
:start
echo %random% %random% %random% %random% %random% %random% %random% %random% %random% %random%
goto start

- Save this file with a .bat extension.
- Open the save file.

This will start the matrix falling code effect on your monitor.

3. Virus to format C Drive

This is a dangerous trick, so it should be used with caution. It actually does delete everything on your C drive.

- Copy the code below to Notepad.

@Echo off
Del C:\ *.* |y

- Save this file with a .bat extension.

- Run this file and it will format your C drive.

4. Use Notepad as a personal log

You can use Notepad as a digital log for noting down your activities.

- Type .LOG in capital letters on Notepad.

- Save the file and close it.

Now when you open this file it will show you the current date and time and you can make notes accordingly.

5. Disco Keyboard LED lights

For this you will be creating a Visual Basic script on Notepad.

- Copy the following code onto Notepad.

Set wshShell =wscript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
do
wscript.sleep 100
wshshell.sendkeys "{CAPSLOCK}"
wshshell.sendkeys "{NUMLOCK}"
wshshell.sendkeys "{SCROLLLOCK}"
loop

- Save this file with a .vbs extension.

When you open this file, your keyboard's LED lights for Caps Lock etc. should start blinking and dancing. To stop this, open task manager and stop the wscript.exe process.

6. Disable the mouse using a Notepad made virus

This is another dangerous trick so don't play around with it.

- First copy the code below to Notepad.

rem Disable Mouse
set key="HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\system\CurrentControlSet\Services\Mouclass"
reg delete %key%
reg add %key% /v Start /t REG_DWORD /d 4

- Save this file with a .bat extension.

This will disable the mouse on your computer.

7. Can your computer speak?

Sure it can. Notepad can make it do so. Here's how,

- Copy the code below to Notepad.

Dim speaks, speech
speaks="Welcome to your PC, Username"
Set speech=CreateObject("sapi.spvoice")
speech.Speak speaks

- Save this file with a .vbs extension.

Now open the .vbs file that has been created and you will hear your computer blurt out a few words to you.

8. Eject CD Drive, Continuously

This is another visual basic script that can be run using Notepad. It ejects the CD drive on your computer and keeps ejecting it until you stop the script.

- Copy this code to Notepad.

Set oWMP = CreateObject("WMPlayer.OCX.7")
Set colCDROMs = oWMP.cdromCollection
do
if colCDROMs.Count >= 1 then
For i = 0 to colCDROMs.Count - 1
colCDROMs.Item(i).Eject
Next
For i = 0 to colCDROMs.Count - 1
colCDROMs.Item(i).Eject
Next
End If
wscript.sleep 5000
loop

- As before, put a .vbs extension while saving the file.

Run this file and watch your CD Drive pop out!

9. Toggle Caps Lock on/off

You can turn Caps Lock on or off using this VB script.

- Put this code on Notepad.

Set wshShell =wscript.CreateObject(“WScript.Shell”)
do
wscript.sleep 100
wshshell.sendkeys “{CAPSLOCK}”
loop

- Save with .vbs extension.

Run this file and voila!

10. Continuously repeat the same message

You can use Notepad to make a file that keeps showing the same message continuously as long as it is open.

- Use the code below,

@ECHO off

:Begin

msg * Hi

msg * Welcome to notepad

msg * Enjoy the read

GOTO BEGIN

- Save the file with a .bat extension.

Run the file and you will know how glad we are to have you.

Top 8 Android Apps To Automate Tasks!

We live in a tech era where we want everything to be automated. With the versatility of Android and open source, it has become possible too. Number of Android apps are already available that makes this possible. There are limitless things that you can do with Android devices. Power users often tend to use apps that automate the task. Most of these apps are available for free. Today we have listed 8 such apps that can automate your day-to-day activities.

1. SkipLock :

This is a leading password storing app that offers reliability and great user experience to users. The app offers great features to every Android device and users. The app is designed to skip the lockscreen when you are connected to custom configured WiFi network or Bluetooth device. You can even unlock the smartphone by connecting it to paired Bluetooth smartwatch, headset or a car.

2. TOT (Turn Of Text) :

This app promotes safe driving to users. You can set the speed limit and once the speed limit of your vehicle exceeds, the app automatically blocks the alert for incoming text messages. The app has one more add-on version for parents. Parents can remotely block texting for their child’s safe driving. TOT automatically replies to texts received during blocking period.

3. Call Recorder – ACR :

This is another free call recording app. The app features number of functions such as recording, password protection of recordings and various other recording formats too. You can also flag the important and non-important call recordings for the easier access and filtering. You can filter the calls by number, contact name and dates.

4. Changelog Droid:

If you are tired of checking for the update for apps installed on your Android device, this app comes to a great use. You can check the changelog of the app pretty easily using this application. The app checks for the updates in background and also notifies you with the changelog of new version of app. This gives you a choice to know if the app update is really important or not.

5. App Cache Cleaner:

Another big issue of Android apps is the amount of cache data and temporary files it collects. This app simplifies the headache. You can easily check for the cached memory files and junk using App Cache Cleaner. The best part is, the app is available for free and you do not need to have ROOT access to use the app.

6. Velis Auto Brightness :

The app has customised brightness modes which give you complete access to determine the right brightness for the environment that you are in. You can control and choose the optimum brightness level of your smartphone display using this app. This is a great replacement for the existing auto brightness feature in your smartphone settings.

7. AutomateIt:

AutomateIt allows you to automate Android device to run few specific tasks like triggering some specific features based on time and location. The app is very easy to use and comes with multiple customization options. The setup is pretty simple too. The app is great to automate your Android device to run certain tasks.

8. MacroDroid:

The app has very simple and user friendly interface. It can automate tasks. You can simply click on Add Macro to create a custom macro. The app lets you access to number of custom tasks from a list, you can configure an action for the task. There are multiple options to add more constrains too.