Q. 1

Select a specific type of organization (such as a bank, a hospital, or some other) and imagine you are an IT professional working there. Go online and look for information about WinGate. Look for reviews, articles, and other information beyond what can be found on the vendor's site. Based on your research, what advantages would this product offer to your organization? What disadvantages?

Q. 2

Go online and search for free tools that can scan a PC for vulnerabilities. Select two such tools and review them. Compare their capabilities, features, and ease of use. Even though such products are free, does this fact make them more worthwhile than a commercial program that performs the same tasks? Why or why not?

Q. 3

This chapter discusses the SonicWALL and D-Link firewalls for use in SOHO environments. Go online and locate hardware-based firewalls from other vendors that are comparable to these firewalls. Compare specifications and cost. As much as possible, try to determine which of these firewalls would be easiest for an inexperienced administrator to use.

Q. 4

Use the Web, newsgroups, bulletin boards, and other online resources to lurk within the hacker community. Find online spaces where hackers meet and share information, to see what they are like and how they operate. However, do not participate in any discussions, post any messages, or do anything that might reveal your identity. Simply browse these resources and see what kinds of information you find. Prepare a report to share your findings with the rest of the class.