Barack Obama: On Net Neutrality

Maintaining net neutrality, for those of us that use the internet on a fairly regular basis - for business, blogging etc, is a big deal. It's sometimes referred to as the "First Amendment of the Internet".
So, what is Net Neutrality? Simply put: creating a level playing field on the internet such that data can traverse networks transparently without regard for where data is sent from or heading to or the actual content.
To drive this home, here's a (more simplified!) definition and couple of examples from democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Barack Obama, while on MTV:



While on Candidates@Google, Obama had this to say on the subject and open internet:



To be fair: I checked Hillary's website for any mention on net neutrality and open internet and didn't find any specifics from her Innovation agenda. Let me know if i missed something!
Another aside: I really think this guy is brilliant, and as it stands, has a good chance at leading this nation. He has some great ideas on Technology and Innovation.

Update#1: Check out the Google guide to Net neutrality for more info on this.

#1 Tip for Certification Exam Prep - Schedule Exam Early!

That's right! Registering for your exam early is one of those gems of wisdom that, if practiced, could account for a couple of extra points on your score report. Once you "see" the dollar$ leave your account when you click "Submit" during registration, there's almost like a fire in you seat that makes you want to start doing something... like getting your study plan together, if you've not already.

WHEN should you do it? As soon as you've made up your mind that you're indeed pursuing a Cisco certification to better (and validate) your knowledge in a particular aspect of networking with Cisco gear. By the way, you probably know this, but taking one of these Certifications is one of those decisions you will not regret having taken down the road.

WHY should you do it? Because it definitely keeps you focused and motivated. You realize that you have a finite amount of time to LEARN (emphasis: not cram) all the material, and that what you should be doing is structuring your study around this schedule.

ALSO: Do keep in mind that Cisco and their exclusive testing partner, VUE, have now updated their registration policy, now requiring test centers to collect digital photos and digital signatures as part of the admissions process.
Read about this here.

CCNA Practical Studies, Part III: Rent Cisco Practice Racks

There's a great article on the subject of renting Cisco practice racks from online providers written by David Davis on the subject.
The take-away:
"You don't have to be a network engineer working full-time on high-level Cisco routers to get practical experience with the equipment."
If you're interested in pursuing a Cisco certification or you're hoping to land an IT job that includes managing Cisco networking equipment, you must get hands-on experience with Cisco equipment. It's as simple as that.

Read more..

Exploiting Cisco Routers

Cisco routers are everywhere. In fact, most network architectures are built on Cisco routers. It is because of this ubiquity that security researchers (white-, gray- or black-hat's) look to these boxes for network penetration testing and access.
An (older, but still applicable, sadly) well-written article by Mark Wolfgang for Security Focus highlights exploitation of vulnerabilities and poor configurations in Cisco routers.

Take a read.