Dr. Keen

Dr. Keen
Cyber Defender & Diagnostics Lab Technician

Dr. Keen is in charge of Diagnostics and has the equipment and knowledge to fix most computer related problems.

Abandoned by her computer hacker parents when she was a child, Dr. Keen focuses on helping others overcome the attacks of cyber criminals just like her parents.

Favorite Quote:

You can't direct the wind but you can adjust the sails
- Anonymous

Favorite Food:

French fries

Interests:

Inventing, watercolor, playing fetch with Scout

Scout

Scout
Cyber Defender & Dr. Keen's robot assistant

Scout is in charge of keeping the Cyber Defense Force's security measures up-to-date. His computer brain carries fixes to most security and computer problems that can be administered at any time.

Scout is always eager to help make Cyberspace a safe and fun place.

Favorite Food:

Memory chips

Interests:

Fixing computers, making antidotes for malware, playing fetch

May 18 2009

Cyber Defense Tips: Surge Protectors

A surge protector is an extension for your wall's electrical outlet that both allows you to plug multiple devices into one outlet and also protects those devices from power "surges." A power surge is an increase in voltage that is a lot higher than the normal level and can be caused by lightening storms, faulty wiring, downed power lines, or even by using a high-power electrical device, like a microwave or air conditioner.

Power surges can cause serious damage to electronic devices, like computers. Too much voltage in their wiring and components can cause them to burn or melt. Even if a power surge doesn't immediately break your computer, it can weaken it, so it's a good idea to always protect your expensive electronics by plugging them into a surge protector. Surge protectors work by detecting when the voltage increases significantly and diverting the extra voltage into a grounding wire.

It's a good idea to get a surge protector with an indicator light that lets you know when it is functioning properly. If you get one with a power switch then you can use it to switch off a group of devices at the same time. This can also help you be more energy-efficient by preventing "vampire power," which is power that devices use even when they are turned off.

Power surges caused by lightening can be too powerful for even a surge protector to stop, so it's a good idea to unplug your electronic devices during a lightning storm to protect them.

posted by Dr. Keen
topic: Cyber Defense Tips

May 5 2009

Phishing Filters

To help defend against a phishing attack, Scout and I have installed phishing filters on all the Academy machines.

These filters will alert you when a site is suspicious, but they won't stop you from entering your information. The Cyber Villains need you to fall for their phishing attack, so remember that you still have all the power.

posted by Dr. Keen
topic: Miscellaneous

May 4 2009

How Computers Work: What is a Graphics Card?

A graphics card, or video card, is an expansion card that processes and outputs images to the computer's monitor. Less expensive graphics card are integrated directly into the motherboard, but more powerful (and more expensive) cards come as a separate component that you can replace without having to change the entire motherboard.

The graphic card receives information from the CPU about what to display, decides how to use the pixels on the screen to display that image, and sends that information to the monitor. For 3-D images, the graphics card first creates everything out of straight lines, called a "wireframe," and then fills in all the lighting, texture and color. In a fast-paced game, it has to do this around sixty times per second.

Many people think that graphics cards are just used for playing computer games. While it is important to have a good graphics card for playing many computer games, they are also useful for graphic designers, video editors, and 3-D animators, who usually need the best display possible.

If your graphics card is not integrated into the motherboard, it's very simple to replace. Before you buy a new one though, make sure you know what your system can support. Some monitors can't display the highest resolution that an expensive graphics card can produce, and some graphics cards rely on the computer's memory rather than their own to produce their display. To be on the safe side, figure out how good of a card you need based on what you'll use it for, then make sure your monitor and computer's memory can support it before buying anything.

posted by Dr. Keen
topic: How Computers Work