ENG2575 OL70 Technical Writing, Fall 2021

TO: Prof. Ellis

FROM: Kanak Das

DATE: 12/01/2021

SUBJECT: Expanded Definition Term: Networking Firewall

Firewall is one of the important topic on Information technology. The purpose of the memo indicates that the computer or the network we use; how it can protect our information, data and applications. There are also other terms that goes along with Firewall, such as Wireless security, Network Security, Virtual private network (VPN), Virus, Ransomware. Some resources I have used for research to focus on my term is Forcepoint, Vmware, Dictionary.com. the term I have selected to focus is Firewall; A firewall is a network security device that monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic. My interest in computer is mostly network security where firewall comes up big when computer or network requires protection from hackers or malicious users.

“A firewall is a network security device that monitors incoming and outgoing network traffic and decides whether to allow or block specific traffic based on a defined set of security rules.” “Advanced firewall can no longer single-handedly defend a network against today’s complex cyber threat landscape, these devices are still considered to be the foundational building block for creating a proper cybersecurity system”. From these two quoted definitions we can understand that firewall might protect network from malicious traffic, but it’s still not capable enough to stop higher complicated attack or threat. While in network firewall can be divided int two types of protection proxy and stateful, which decided what to use when, proxy can be regularly use for any kind of websites that the users might think it’s not safe website to work on. On the other hand, stateful monitors the full state of active network connections. This means that stateful firewalls are constantly analyzing the complete context of traffic and data packets.

Moreover “traditional” firewall, a stateful inspection firewall allows or blocks traffic based on state, port, and protocol. It monitors all activity from the opening of a connection until it is closed. Filtering decisions are made based on both administrator-defined rules as well as context, which refers to using information from in previous connections and packets belonging to the same connection.”  And “and applications crossing through the network perimeters – especially due to the growing volume of IoT and end user devices – and less overall centralized control from IT and security teams, companies are becoming much more vulnerable to cyberattacks.” These two sentences basically talk about the fact that stateful inspection firewalls and application crossing through a specific network can be harmful for the company and for the applications itself. When data or packets being transfer form one network to another if the stateful firewall don’t investigate those packets or file a company’s or any firms information can be in wrong hands.

For example, in simple terms NAT is used to convert your IP address into your routers IP address , this is done because ipv4 which is a 32 bit IP address is limited and exhausted . Ur private IP address is not recognized by google so yuir router does the talking to the internet. It is like a cell phone which allows u to talk to “google.So” your private IP address is converted into the internet IP address with the help of net masking which u can see on seeing ifconfig which shows that your private IP address is converted into the routers IP address. Basically, when u buy internet connection you are buying an IP address that can talk to the world.  ISP has globally bought a range of Ip address from IANA and it is giving u an ipaddress. So all the devices which access internet from ur home would actually be converted into the routers ip address in ur router and those packets are shoots up into the net. So   router does the working of a postman when it receives reply from google and internally unmask the Ip address to determine who was the person who send that request.

In conclusion, Firewall term can be referred as where protection is needed. Whether it’s in computer, hardware, software. A firewall acts as a defensive border by helping to protect your computer from hackers, blocking malware from penetrating your system, and removing sensitive data from a compromised system. Such as stateful Firewalls scan each “packet” of data, small chunks of a larger whole, reduced in size for easy transmission, to make sure these packets don’t contain anything malicious. and interacts with the internet they come between you and the internet and thereby prevents direct connections this protects your device’s identity and keeps the network safe from potential attacks.

1. “Firewall.” Fine Dictionary, http://www.finedictionary.com/firewall.html.
2. “Firewall Definition and Meaning: Collins English Dictionary.” Firewall Definition and Meaning | Collins English Dictionary, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd, https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/firewall.
3. “What Is a Network Firewall?” Fortinet, https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/firewall.
4. “What Is a Network Firewall?” Fortinet, https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/firewall.

New York City Technical College Department of Business

TO: Prof. Ellis

FROM: [ Shemei John]

DATE: 9/29/2021

SUBJECT: Expanded Definition Term: [Transhumanism]

            [Introduction]

The intent of this memo is to introduce and inform technological Terminology we may or may not be fully familiar with. Terms such as “Networks”, “the internet of things”, “information technology”, “information sciences”, “data”, “transhumanism”, “hive-mind concept” and “Artificial Intelligence”. After careful consideration, I decided to research the term “Transhumanism”. Although, according to its popularity, the term isn’t mentioned a lot in today’s topics regarding technology, I do find it to be fascinating since it deals with the ideology that Mankind will transcend our current limitations through the use of technology. There are several sources I am considering for this topic to convey the definitions. So, I am going to include the definition of the word and its origins, throughout its history, from the Oxford etymology, and also from an excerpt taken from the books, “New bottles for new wine”, on Transhumanism, which discusses the ideology behind the term and its definition today.

[Definitions]

The Oxford English dictionary’s definition of transhumanism (n), is a deviation of the English word, transhuman, with the prefix “trans” meaning beyond or across the farther side of. The term was first used by Julian Huxley in his book “New bottles for new wine (1957)” in which he said, “The human species can..transcend itself..in its entirety, as humanity. We need a name for this belief. Perhaps transhumanism will serve: man remaining man, but transcending himself, by realizing new possibilities of and for his human nature.” [1] What Huxley is saying is, the belief in the will to surpass our current nature as humans is transhumanism. The term has surfaced occasionally in its etymology, being used again by Tom Bell, in his writings from “Extropy”, in which he says that the alternative to religion would be transhumanism. The term also has a definition more relevant the modernity of time.

[Context]

Over the course of its history from when it was first coined to current times, the word transhumanism has variated into slight nuances. Huxley’s definition of transhumanism is the belief that humankind will transcend our nature, but he was speaking specifically about the beliefs. He believed that either synchronously, or not, humans will consciously give rise to this belief in order to evolve. Today the word has slightly a different definition which includes some addition to it. [2] The definition today is familiarly used in science fiction. So, the current definition of the 21^st century would be that, transhumanism is the belief that one day humankind with transcend our current limitations, ultimately achieving immortality, by use of science and technology.

I checked in the Oxford dictionary of science-fiction for some comparison. The word transhuman references with two other words, “cyborg” and “posthuman”. The definition of a transhuman according to the science fiction definition, [3]“someone whose body or mind has been transformed (e.g. by cyborgization or genetic engineering) so greatly that they are no longer considered human, especially one who now possesses greater abilities than normal humans.”

The term is more relevant today since we marvel at our current level of technology. This definition is what most of us are familiar with. We put a lot of our faith in technology. It has embedded its way into our lives. As I stated earlier, trans, the prefix, means beyond or across the farther side of, however, the suffix ‘ism’, usually accompany a verb, and means or implied an action that was or is to be performed, or a state of being, (Like Buddhism or Plagiarism). This definition is on par with current events.

Professor M. Battle-Fisher, in his article, “Transhuman, posthuman and complex humanness in the 21^st century”, defines Transhumanism as the philosophy that you are already posthuman once you remove the current limitations of the current human being, “…the present state of our bodies.” Any kind of capacity that can enhance our abilities beyond our current state of flesh is transhumanism. He also states in the article that the only way to do that on the horizon is through the use of technology.

[1] Julian Huxley, New Bottles for New wine (page 17), Harper and Brothers publishing, 1957

[2] C. Christopher Hook, Transhumanism and Posthumanism, Encyclopedia of Bioethics(Vol. 5. 3rd ed.) Page 2517, Gale Publishing, 2004

[3][Oxford reference] Jeff Prucher, The Oxford Dictionary of Science Fiction, (Version 2007),

Oxford University Press, published 2006

[4] M. Battle-Fisher, Transhuman, posthuman and complex humanness in the 21st century, Science Direct, library.citytech.cuny.edu, 25 March 2019

[5]”Transhumanism,” in Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Oxford, UK: Oxford Univ. Press, Oct 6, def. 1. [Online]. Available: https://www.oed.com