23 Tech Terms Writers Should Know

Technology has its own vocabulary, and I’m often fascinated with the terms and where they come from. Here’s a list of 23 that could worm their way into your writing.

1. Account Harvesting - This is the method of collecting a system’s account names.

2. Back Door - This is a tool that’s installed to give the attacker access and bypasses security.

3. Biometrics - These are physical attributes of a user that can be used to provide access to a device or software (e.g. retinal, fingerprint, or facial scans).

4. Brute Force - This is a type of attack that tries all possibilities by bombarding the victim with one option after another in a continuous attack.

5. Cookie - When you access a website with your browser, some information is stored on your computer that can be retrieved later.

6. Data Mining - This is a technique used to analyze information, sometimes from different sources. It’s often used in business and marketing tasks.

7. Denial of Service - This is a type of attack that prevents users from accessing system.

8. Hardening - This is when computer engineers identify and fix vulnerabilities.

9. Honey Pot - These are defense mechanisms that appear to be vulnerabilities in a system. When attacked, they track information on the attacker. (Flies are attracted to a honey pot.)

10. Least Privilege - This is where system administrators assign the least amount of access or permissions necessary for a user.

11. MAC Address - This is the number that uniquely identifies your network device from all the other devices.

12. Masquerade Attack - This is a type of attack where one system falsely poses as another. It pretends or assumes the identity of the victim.

13. Phishing - This is when the bad actor uses emails that look like trusted sources to get the victim to enter his or her credentials. It allows them to steal logins, passwords, and other personal information.

14. Ping (Packet Internet Groper) - The is the time it takes a small data set or communication to go from a server to your device and back again. It allows the sender to see if the destination exists or accepts requests. It takes its name from a submariner’s sonar pulse.

15. Plain Text - This is ordinary (readable) text before it is encrypted or decrypted.

16. Smurf - This is a type of attack on a system that sends a call out (ping) to the site. It usually results in a lot of communication activity.

17. Social Engineering - This is the term that describes the nontechnical ways that bad actors get information to attack a system. It can be by phone calls, lies, tricks, or threats.

18. Spoof - This is when a bad actor tries to gain access by posing as an authorized user.

19. Time to Live - This is a value in the code that tells the network router whether or not the request (network packet) is too old and should be discarded.

20. Trojan Horse - This is a program that appears to be useful, but it has malicious code that allows it entry or access to a system. The user thinks he/she is accessing a program, but it loads dangerous code that allows the bad actor to bypass security protocols.

21. Worm - This is a computer program that infects other hosts on a network. It often uses the victim’s computer resources for malicious purposes.

22. Zero Day - This is the day that a new computer vulnerability is discovered. Often a patch to correct it has not yet been released.

23. Zombie - This is a type of computer that is connected to the internet and is infected by a virus or controlled by a hacker. It is often part of a botnet (network of bots involved in malicious attacks) Most owners of zombie computers are not aware that someone is using their computer this way.

Bluetooth Tips (And Geeky Stuff You Should Know About)

Bluetooth and wireless technology have made our lives so much easier. We’re no longer tethered to a device, and we can be portable. Bluetooth is now an every-day part of our lives in headphones, keyboards, cars, personal digital assistants, TV, and the list goes on and on. Here are some things you need to be aware of to keep your devices safe from bad actors.

Where the Name Came From - The trademark for this technology is named for King Harold “Bluetooth” Gormsson who united Denmark and Norway in 958. He had a bad, discolored tooth that led to his nickname. King Harold was one of the last Viking kings to rule over Denmark, Norway, and parts of Germany and Sweden, and he is buried in Poland.

Bluejacking - This is a term to describe when someone sends unsolicited or unwanted messages through Bluetooth on your wireless devices. It’s a nuisance, and it could be dangerous if the message has viruses or other malware.

Bluesnarfing - This describes when a hacker gets access to one or more of your wireless devices and can steal information.

Bluebugging - This is when a hacker takes control of your devices through your Bluetooth. They have full access to your device and its information. This can include anything from full access to your texts and contacts to listening or watching you through a camera.

Things You Can Do

• If you don’t need wireless access to a device, turn it off.

• Don’t accept pairing requests (the process that allows your wireless device to connect) from sources that you don’t know.

• Know what Bluetooth devices you have and the ones that are paired with your network.

• Know your environment or surroundings when you are using Bluetooth. Are you in a very public place with lots of people nearby? Remember, hackers don’t have to be at the table next to you.

• Review your device’s security settings and security options before you pair your device. Take advantage of options to secure your devices.

What I Learned about Writing from Lean IT

Lean IT comes from the manufacturing world and is based on the Toyota Production System (TPS). Key values and processes have been added to the service and technology industries through the years. Recently, I took a class on how Lean improvements can be added to IT’s service delivery, and I realized that the key principles can be applied to the writing world, too.

1. Continual Improvement (in small steps) is one the key principles of Lean. Revising, editing, and critiques are ways that writers can improve their craft. It needs to be a continuous cycle.

2. Focusing on Long-term Goals helps deliver a solid product and involves continuous improvement. Writers need to focus on where they want to be and work toward this.

3. Quality, Delivery, and Costs are key to production. They’re important in the writing world, too. You need to balance your writing, time, and monetary outputs to reach your goals.

4. The Deming Cycle (Plan, Do, Check, Act) is integral to the continuous improvement cycle. Writers plan, draft, review, and then finish/publish. The writing cycle needs to include all the elements for revising, editing, and proofreading to improve your writing process and your output.

5. The principles of Lean center around Customer Value. The output and delivery of the final work is always centered around the reader and his/her experience. The ultimate goals are to sell books and bring readers back for more.

6. Flow is a key component to the manufacturing process. You need to have the right parts at the right time to keep the process moving. I would argue that flow is key to the writing process too. You need to make time to write. It’s often good to write your first draft and then work on the revising and editing stages. Sometimes, writers get bogged down with the first draft if they edit as they write.

7. In the Lean world there are value-add, necessary non-value-add, and non-value-add activities. You want to optimize your value-add work (writing, editing, etc.) while minimizing the necessary non-value-add tasks (building your platform, maintaining your social media sites, keeping accounting records, paying taxes). You also want to look at your writing life and try to remove any non-value-add activities. (For me, I cut back considerably on TV and movie-watching.)

8. Lean philosophies also focus on cutting Waste which results in financial gain. Cutting out ineffective purchases (software, services, retyping handwritten pages, marketing efforts that don’t show results) can help you to focus your efforts on what does work.

9. Overall Performance focuses on delivery and the right skills and capabilities to do the job. As writers, we need to make sure that we are learning new things and honing our craft. Make sure to build in time for learning that doesn’t consume all of your writing time. When I started writing, I bought every how-to book on the craft that I could find. I spent so much time reading about writing that I wasn’t doing. I kept a few key books, donated the rest to my library, and started writing.

While the Lean methodology is primarily for manufacturing, it has been adapted and implemented in other industries. Many of the principles apply to the writing world, and they’re good reminders to constantly strive to improve and to reach one’s goals.

Computer and Data Security for Authors

I returned from a rainy week in Orlando to buckets of rain in Central Virginia. I went to an IT conference and heard about all kinds of new technology. One of the highlights was when I had liquid nitrogen ice cream. Literally, too cool. The smoky fog (and probably all the rain outside) gave me flashbacks to the "Creature from the Black Lagoon" and "Swamp Thing."

While I was there, I had the pleasure of attending Dr. Eric Cole's keynote presentation on IT Security. Many of the key points relate to authors. It's important to protect your data and your devices.

He reminded the audience that most people buy security/alarm systems AFTER a break in. Security should be a constant thought in order to defend against hacks and attacks. You need to be prepared.

As a user, you need to be aware of passwords. Don't use the same one for everything. You're giving a hacker the keys to the kingdom. Be careful what you click on and what attachments you open. You are one click away from being compromised.

The risks of compromise will always be there. You need to minimize or mitigate these risks. Don't click on strange links. Make sure that your security settings on your device are set.

Regular patching is important to ensure that known vulnerabilities are corrected. Make sure that your PC/laptop gets its regular updates. 

Know the value of your data. And know where your critical files are. He talked about his million dollar laptop. He has files and client work on his device. Add up the value of what you've stored. Data is king. What would it cost you if you lost that document. Regular backups are important.

Also, free doesn't always mean "free." Games, apps, and services that are free are often mining or monitoring your data. Read the user agreements before you access them. And watch your children's free games. Many of them monitor or share your location. 

If you're traveling to parts of the world where hacking is rampant, he suggested taking a "throw-away" device for use there. Don't access your critical information (e.g. banking, etc.). Don't use the device when you return. 

Security often becomes an after-thought in today's busy world. Be careful. The chances of being hacked are high. Be prepared and do what you can to mitigate the risks.

Mustangs and Rearview Mirrors

My husband asked me to help him bleed the brake lines in his '69 Mustang convertible this weekend. Pumping and releasing the brakes several hundred times gave me a moment to observe and ponder. I had a '74 Mustang as my first real car in the 80s, and the technology of his convertible was close to my yuck yellow one with the avocado-colored top. (I saved my money from my part-time job to have it painted red.)

I drive a 2015 Mustang now, so looking at the gears and switches was a trip down memory lane. The '69 has slides for the defroster and heat (no air conditioning), a cylinder on the floor for the high beams, a cassette player, metal slide seatbelts, windows that wind down, a hard plastic steering wheel with a mental arc for the horn, and a square key for the ignition and a round one for the trunk. It also has an ashtray and cigarette lighter.

Juxtaposed to my '15, I don't have to take the key out to open the doors or start the engine as long as it's in my purse. I can even start the engine remotely if I want to warm the car up. And the kickin' sound system, phone, and climate controls are changed on the touchscreen in the dash, or I can use voice commands. I can get music through AM, FM, satellite, my phone, or a host of other devices.  And I can enjoy my tunes from space in my heated or cooled seats.

This week is all about memories. My high school reunion is coming up soon, and I'm looking forward to seeing friends who've known me since kindergarten and the old high school. We're going to the homecoming game on Friday. At some point, we're the same people from back then, but in other ways, we're not. We've changed (on all levels), and had a lot of experiences outside of those school walls we shared for twelve years.

We've come a long way. I love the nostalgia of the reunion and the classic cars. It's fun for a summer cruise with the top down, but for every day life, I like my airbags, computer-controlled engine, anti-lock brakes, power steering, and padded steering wheel. 

I love visiting the past. The nostalgia and memories are great. But like with the cars, I've adapted to the technology and ways of today. And, there's a reason that the rearview mirror was designed to be a lot smaller than the windshield.

Enjoy the memories and where we've come from, but celebrate the present and where you're going. Every decade has its own surprises.

The '69 Mustang's dashboard

This is where roll down the window comes from...

My 2015 Mustang

"It's a Great Time to be a Geek!" - Ideas for Writers

I returned this week from the Gartner IT Operations Strategies and Solutions Summit in Orlando, Florida. It's a "Great Time to be a Geek!" Technology is always changing, and there will be exponentially more devices and applications in the next five years that will access the Internet. It's mind-boggling.

Good writers are always looking for ideas - no matter where they are. I came up with a great plot line for my PI series. Here's some of what I learned:

• There are already smart elevators that use scans to get to your floor, rather than buttons.
• There are mining operations with computer-driven equipment, including trucks.  The biggest problem they had was with the ruts in the road. All of the trucks took the same path back and forth, and caused a lot of damage. The operators had to program a variety of algorithms to save the mining roads.
• Ethical reviews are important with technology. For example, should medical devices be blue-tooth-enabled for monitoring? It's a great way for your physician to monitor you, but what happens if it's hacked? Think about the possibilities for legal and medial thrillers.
• Everything is possible, and nothing is certain. Sounds like a lot of change in the future. As a writer, you do need to be careful when mentioning specific technology unless your work is set in a specific time period. Fax machines and flip phones are out of date.
• By 2020, over 25 BILLION things will be connected to the Internet. In addition to phones, tablets, and laptops, things like printers, copiers, cars, hospital beds, and refrigerators will be reporting data or communicating to other devices and services.
• Work is now an activity and not a place. People can work anywhere, anytime.