Table 7-4 Securing a SOHO Wired Network

Security Feature	Benefit	Notes
Changing default user-	Prevents unauthorized	Be sure to record new username and
names and passwords	users from accessing	password for access to router.
	router setup screens

Enabling MAC Allows only listed net-

filtering work devices to use net-

work

MAC addresses can be spoofed, so use other security features as well.

Assigning static IP	Only devices known to	Requires you to create a list of
addresses	you get an IP address	IP addresses to assign to known
		devices; each device must be set up
		separately; disable DHCP unless you
		host transient wireless guests (tab-
		lets, smartphones, and so on).

		Chapter 7: Security 147
Security Feature	Benefit	Notes
Disabling Ports	Prevents unused ports on	Some routers might not include this
	router from being used	feature. Look for firmware updates
		(vendor and third-party) to add this
		option.
Establishing physical	Prevents unauthorized	Routers and switches need adequate
security	access to router	ventilation to avoid overheating, so
		be sure to choose a secure location
		that has adequate airflow.

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Chapter 8

Mobile Devices

Mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones have broadened the scope of business automation and, as a consequence, have broadened the responsibility of IT technicians. As a result, mobile devic-es are a new domain in the CompTIA A+ Certification exams, representing 9% of the 220-802 exam.

Mobile Operating Systems

Although there are other players in the mobile operating systems space, Android and Apple iOS are the principle players. The following sections review their differences and cover features of these mobile operating systems.

Android (Open Source)

Android is an example of open source software. It is a Linux-based operating system used mostly on smartphones and tablet computers and is developed by the Open Handset Alliance, a group directed by Google. Google releases the Android OS code as open source, allowing developers to modify it and freely create applications for it.

To find out the version you are currently running, start at the Home screen; this is the main screen that boots by default. Then tap the Menu button, and then tap Settings. Scroll to the bottom and tap the About Phone(or justAbout) option. Then tapSoftware Informationor a similar option. This willdisplay the version of Android. Figure 8-1 shows a smartphone running Android version 2.3.3 (also known as Gingerbread).

Many versions of the Android operating system are currently in use. Table 8-1 provides a brief over-view of the major Android releases.