ENGLISH 202C: TECHNICAL WRITING

Internet Resource Guide

A Collection of Online Resources Penn State Information Sciences and Technology Majors
Kevin Fogarty 11 February 2014

Table of Contents
Preface .................................................................................................................. 3 Contents ............................................................................................................. 3 Audience ............................................................................................................. 3 Assumptions ....................................................................................................... 3 Organization ....................................................................................................... 3 Tips ..................................................................................................................... 3 Index to Periodical Literature ............................................................................... 4 Engineering Village ............................................................................................. 4 Professional Journal .............................................................................................. 5 International Journal of Cyber-Security and Digital Forensics (IJCSDF)................ 5 Government Publications...................................................................................... 6 Catalog of U.S. Government Publications ........................................................... 6 Making Strategic Sense of Cyber Power: Why the Sky Is Not Falling ................ 7 Statistical Abstract of the United States.............................................................. 8 Internet Service Providers, Web Search Portals, and Data Processing, Hosting, and Related ServicesEstimated Revenue ...................................................... 9 Further Online Resources .................................................................................... 10 COMPASS: ISTs Job Posting System.................................................................. 10 Report to the President: Immediate Opportunities for Strengthening the Nations Cybersecurity ...................................................................................... 11 United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) ...................... 12 Network World ................................................................................................. 13

Preface
Contents

This guide contains eight valuable online resources that can aid majors in the College of IST. Undergraduate students who are new to the College of IST can use the following resources for building personal knowledge, reputable sources for coursework to include group projects, papers, and research. Featured resources include periodical literature relevant to majors in the College of IST, a professional journal, government publications, and four websites relevant to the SRA and IST majors. The intended audience for this guide is students who are entering the College of IST in either SRA or IST majors who need guidance in locating reputable sources related to their major/coursework. This guide was created under the assumption that the target audience has little prior knowledge of SRA and IST majors or their coursework. The reader may be a new student to the College of IST and in need of a guide for locating valuable internet resources that they can use for building knowledge as well as to assist them in their coursework. This guide provides information on eight internet resources that are organized into the following categories: an index to periodical literature, a professional journal, two government publications, and four websites that are relevant to majors in the College of IST. Each resource listed below will contain the URL location of the source, a description, and tips on how to use the source. Using the table of contents will help readers navigate the document and find the source and its information quickly. Also, if you still seek further information about the College of IST, SRA and IST majors/coursework, or information regarding cybersecurity, consult the IST Advising Center. They can be seen in-person at the IST building in room 104 or reached through advising@ist.psu.edu or by phone at 814-865-8947.

Audience

Assumptions

Organization

Tips

Index to Periodical Literature

Engineering Village
Location: Description: http://www.engineeringvillage.com Engineering Village provides access to two comprehensive databases, one of which is particularly useful to students in the College of IST. The two databases that are accessible through Engineering Village are Compendex and Inspec. Compendex is geared towards engineering while Inspec provides bibliographic citations and indexed abstracts from publications in a wide variety of fields. Included fields accessible through Inspec are computer science, information technology, operations research, nanotechnology and many more. The fields listed are particularly useful to students in the College of IST for coursework and furthering personal knowledge. Inspec can be used as the primary database to be searched once you are on Engineering Village by simply unchecking Compendex above the search bar. Searching is made easier by the options for Quick Search, Expert Search, and Thesaurus Search. Searches can be further refined based on a number of criteria such as Abstract, Author, Title, and ISSN, for example.

Tips: 1. For students in the College of IST, searching with both databases enabled is fine to do, but primarily using Inspec will yield better search results 2. Be sure to look at all of the search refinements available before performing a search so you can get appropriate results much quicker 3. First-time users should consider clicking on Search tips in the top right-hand corner of the search area (gray box) 4. There is a section of the page devoted to Search history where you can see what you have already searched for quick reference and backtracking to previously viewed articles

Professional Journal
International Journal of Cyber-Security and Digital Forensics (IJCSDF)
Location: Description: http://sdiwc.net/security-journal/ The International Journal of Cyber-Security and Digital Forensics (IJCSDF) is a great resource for a range of individuals. This online journal is aimed to bring knowledge to individuals in the fields of cyber security, privacy, trust, digital forensics, hacking, and cyber warfare. Access to high-quality technical papers is free to anyone and content is available to download, copy, distribute, print, and search. This journal aims to increase the widespread knowledge and visibility of scientific materials. You can submit a paper for free if you would like, however, it is subject to review and only the best papers become published. Finding papers on this site is quite easy by using tabs on the lefthand side of the page. There are currently two volumes with four sections in each. Within each part of a volume, there are multiple papers covering a wide range of cyber-related topics. This journal is a highly valuable source of information and indexed by reputable entities such as Google Scholar, Inspec, Academic Journals Database, and Microsoft Academic Research.

Tips: 1. You can subscribe to the IJCSDF Newsletter by giving your name, email address, and university at the bottom left-hand corner of the page 2. Use the Search for Papers tab on the left-hand side of the page to quickly jump to a paper with a specific topic 3. If you want to browse all of the papers already published by IJSCDF, go to Paper Archive on the left-hand side of the page and click on the links

Government Publications
Catalog of U.S. Government Publications
Location: Description: http://catalog.gpo.gov/F?RN=741459810 The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP) provides a means to locate online and print publications from the three branches of the United States government. Direct links are provided for historical and current publications that are accessible online. Since July 1976, over half a million records have been added to the CGP. The CGP is updated daily and will eventually include records for publications ranging back to the late 1800s. This is a great source for new and historical government publications. For those seeking publications prior to 1976, the now discontinued Monthly Catalog of the United States Government Publications is the correct source to use. To locate a print edition of the Monthly Catalog, you can use the GPOs Locate Libraries service at http://catalog.gpo.gov/fdlpdir/public.jsp. A number of varying types of documents are available to be viewed online, such as hearings before the Committee on Homeland Security, Committee on Armed Services, Congress, and also Reports to the President.

Tips: 1. Users can refine search results by using the Basic, Advanced, and Expert tabs near the top of the page 2. Searches can be narrowed by specific collections or formats 3. You can email the search results to keep a record or share the result with someone else to assist them with their research 4. Bookshelf provides a place for a user to temporarily save items and folders from their searches 5. Previous Searches give an area for a user to save publications they are interested in, however, this is a temporary save and only keeps results during the current browsing session

Sample Document
Making Strategic Sense of Cyber Power: Why the Sky Is Not Falling
Location: Description: http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/gpo36745/pub1147[1].pdf The document, Making Strategic Sense of Cyber Power: Why the Sky Is Not Falling is an example of a publication you can find through the CGP. This document is in affiliation with the Strategic Studies Institute (SSI) and U.S. Army War College Press, written by the Director of the SSI, Douglas C. Lovelace, Jr. This document discusses the strategies, capabilities, and views of cyber power. Also, the document discusses how cyber power is and will continue to become vital to joint military operations. In particular, this document is a great publication for personal knowledge on our governments uses for cyber power as well as a source for coursework or a paper on the outlook of cyber power.

Statistical Abstract of the United States

Location: Description: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/ The Statistical Abstract of the Unites States provides a comprehensive summary of various statistics about the United States. Statistics available through this website include political, social, and economic organization of the United States. Data is provided by a number of organizations to include the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Census Bureau, and other Federal agencies. The Statistical Abstract primarily aims to provide information on national data; however, data for individual states, cities, and regions is also available. Many sections are listed on the left-hand side of the site for refinement of locating data. Along the top of the page are tabs to also aid in organizing information by people, business, geography, data, research, and newsroom. Although a variety of sections could be of interest to a student in the College of IST, the Information & Communications and Science & Technology areas are great places to start your search.

Tips: 1. Use the search bar at the top right-hand corner to search by keywords 2. Look down the sections on the left-hand side of the page to jump to an area of interest quickly 3. Use the tabs at the top of the page to quickly narrow your search for information

Sample Document
Internet Service Providers, Web Search Portals, and Data Processing, Hosting, and Related ServicesEstimated Revenue
Location: Description: http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2012/tables/12s1151.pdf The Internet Service Providers, Web Search Portals, and Data Processing, Hosting, and Related ServicesEstimated Revenue table is a good example of information made available by the Statistical Abstract. A table like this would be useful to a student in the College of IST for researching revenue of ISPs, online advertising, internet telephony, website hosting services, and many other online services. In this specific table, data is provided for 2005, 2008, and 2009. Although these figures are outdated, they are a great starting point for research.

Further Online Resources

COMPASS: ISTs Job Posting System
Location: Description: https://ist-psu-csm.symplicity.com/students/ This website is invaluable to undergraduate students in the College of IST who are searching for internships, co-ops, and full-time jobs with companies in need of students in SRA and IST majors. The News Feed is updated on a daily basis, providing announcements regarding upcoming events in the College of IST and internship/co-op opportunities. Shortcuts are provided on the righthand side of the page with links to pages for job searches, career explorer, scheduling campus interviews, IST Career Solutions, IST resume templates, and more. Similarly, a list of tabs is shown across the top of the homepage to help a user navigate easily. These tabs include: Profile, Documents, Resources, Jobs, Employers, Interviews, Surveys, Events, and Calendar. All of these are useful shortcuts to provide a student with important information they may be looking for. This website is a phenomenal resource to undergraduate students majoring in SRA and IST since it is tailored to them by showing opportunities from potential employers solely interested in these majors.

Tips: 1. When you are invited to make an account on COMPASS by the College of IST, be sure to fill out your Personal Profile and Academic Profile 2. Make sure to put a polished and recent copy of your resume on COMPASS so that companies can have that to review without having to contact you first 3. Check the calendar frequently to stay on top of events happening in the College of IST 4. Before attending a career fair, you can learn more about the companies that will be attending by using the Employers tab at the top of the page (contact information is also available here)

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Report to the President: Immediate Opportunities for Strengthening the Nations Cybersecurity
Location: Description: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/pcast_cybersecurity_nov-2013.pdf The Report to the President: Immediate Opportunities for Strengthening the Nations Cybersecurity is a valuable report available to the public in an online version. This report originated from the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, which is an advisory group, composed of the nations leading engineers and scientists who make policy recommendations regarding science, technology, and innovation. The purpose of this report is to highlight areas where executive action can make progress in protecting the nations information systems and assets. Currently, and for decades to come, this will be a topic of concern as there is an exponential increase on reliance of devices connecting to the internet. The report outlines areas and threats that are present and predicted in relation to cybersecurity. Information presented in this report is vital to national security and policy which is of high importance to students majoring in SRA and IST.

Tips: 1. Reading the address to the President on page 9 provides an overview of the document 2. Use the table of contents to locate a section of the report that is relevant to your research or personal interest 3. The Summary of Findings and Recommendations can provide valuable information at a quick glance

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United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT)

Location: Description: http://www.us-cert.gov/ The US-CERT is a part of The Department of Homeland Security. Their purpose is to improve the nations cybersecurity, manage cyber risks to the nation, and coordinate cyber information sharing among government departments/agencies. On the US-CERT homepage, you can find a variety of cybersecurity publications by clicking on the Publications tab at the top of the page. Once here, publications are grouped by Securing Your Computer, General Internet Security, Technical Publications, Distributable Materials, and Recovering from an Attack. The publications listed in these sections are invaluable to anyone in the cybersecurity field, especially students in the College of IST who need to find government publications on a wide-range of topics. Links on the left-hand side of the Publications page can narrow publications based on Control Systems Users, Government Users, and Home and Business. Another great set of resources is the Alerts and Tips tab at the top of the page. Here you can find information provided by the National Cyber Awareness System. Links can be found for Current Activity, Alerts, Bulletins, and Tips.

Tips: 1. On the US-CERT homepage, you can subscribe to security alerts, tips, and other updates by entering your email address 2. Click the Report button on the right-hand side of the homepage for a quick overview of current incidents, malware, phishing, and vulnerabilities 3. The Current Activity area on the homepage provides a feed of important software releases and updates needed to keep your system more secure

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Network World
Location: Description: http://www.networkworld.com/index.html Network World is a great site for anybody interested in an array of cyberrelated news. The site provides information, intelligence, and insight aimed at Network and IT Executives. This site delivers news, opinions, resources, and analytical tools that can be used by those who build and deploy IT business solutions. On their homepage youll find Top Stories related to all things cyber. Further refinement of news can be done with one click at the top of the page where various aspects of the cyber domain are listed. These tabs include Security, LANs & WANs, UC/VoIP, Cloud, Infrastructure Management, Wireless, and Software, for example. Using these tabs, students in the College of IST can pinpoint an area and find news grouped by their interest.

Tips: 1. If using this news source for personal knowledge, take a look at the Most Popular section on the bottom left-hand side of the homepage for news being read by many other users 2. There are numerous ways to stay up to date with news from Network World by liking the site on Facebook, following the site on Twitter, and subscribing to newsletters 3. When considering purchasing new tech products or software, you can read articles posted under the Tests tab at the top right-hand corner of the page for reviews of products

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