Guest Speaker: Rebecca Chisolm

This show’s guest is Rebecca Chisolm, who is the Cisco Networking Academy, Regional Manager of the US and Canada. Her role in leading Cisco’s state and local government and education business development team, she translates technical concepts and leverage corporate use cases to help customers understand how Cisco solutions can solve their biggest challenges. To learn more about Rebecca Chisolm you can visit her LinkedIn Profile! 

Cyber Bytes: Nintendo 3DS Certificate Vulnerabilities

Cyber security attacks don’t just happen on large businesses for money. One example of exploitation that happened in an everyday setting was on the Nintendo 3DS. To allow for the users to have a lot of customization options opened a vulnerability in the SSL. This allowed for people to spoof in the estore and as well as make MitM attacks. These attacks are where a player can access a game before it has been resolved to get an advantage. People could also spoof into the Nintendo eShop servers. Luckily this flaw wasn’t with the technology, but with an implementation that was made and could be fixed. Nicknamed the “SSLoth” and was available in any firmware version 11.13. This is an example of why it’s important to keep your systems updated. It will help makes sure that vulnerabilities such as SSLoth aren’t on your machine. What makes this story interesting is how the bug was found. A user MrNbaYoh was the one to report it. Nintendo has a bug bounty where ethical hackers can report exploitations to them for money. MrNbaYoh was able to earn $12,000 for helping to find this bug. Learning about ethical hacking is just other amazing opportunity that can be found in cyber security.

For more information check out the following articles:

• Nintendo Vulnerability 
• Nintendo Vuln explained
• Do I need an SSL Certificate?
• What is SSL?

Technology Corner – Packet Tracer

Packet Tracer is an amazing tool if you are interested in networks and how day-to-day communication works. Packet Tracer is a cross-platform visual simulation tool designed by Cisco Systems that allows users to create network topologies and imitate modern computer networks. This is great for beginners, as it introduces how to create networks and manage them through various labs that can be created via the software. 

Getting Started: 

Here is the process to download Packet Tracer if you do not have it already: 

1. Go to this link, it will lead you to NetAcad where you will have to make an account 
2. Sign up and login to your account 
3. Then use this video by cisco for the rest of the download

Here is an introduction to Packet Tracer, it is a custom lab that I created just for you (you’re welcome) so, if your brand new to networking this lab is for you! I walk through how to do the lab in show 6 so, if you get stuck you can refer to that. 

Also if you want more resources outside of NetAcad here are some excellent resources on YouTube for you to check out! 

• Network Chuck 
  • Free CCNA course, very enthusiastic teacher and has some very motivating videos on how to get started in IT.
• David Bombal 
  • Also has a free CCNA course. The great thing about David is that he is very thorough in the topics, he goes through every nook and cranny of a topic. If you have holes in your knowledge I recommend watching his videos.
• Keith Barker
  • Another very enthusiastic instructor. His smile is contagious and you might end up getting the same passion for technology as him. He does weekly Kahoots on Cisco topics. Definitely worth watching if you’re going for Certification. 

Visit Cisco Networking Academy Packet Tracer Page

Cyber Opportunities

Cisco Networking Academy

Looking to get into cybersecurity but don’t know where to start? Cisco Networking Academy has some great resources for beginners! If you go to netacad.com, you’ll notice that the Networking Academy has a lot of opportunities to get started in cyber, programming, packet tracers—there’s lots to explore. While not all of its curriculum is free, there are definitely some amazing intro courses. You can try Intro to Cybersecurity, Intro to IoT (the Internet of Things), and many more. The free options are self-paced and easy to sign up for! Here is the list of options that you should definitely try out!

Visit Cisco Networking Academy: https://www.netacad.com/