Information Literacy

Aaron McKenzie

Page 1



When we think of routers and IPSs (Intrusion Prevention System), we typically think of
two separate devices. A router forwards packets (units of transmitted data) according to the best
route in its routing table. An IPS monitors those packets and blocks the malicious. We probably
havent thought of the possibility of integrating the two. The founders of Itus Networks, Jock
Breitwieser and Daniel Ayoub, realized this. They named the device integration iGuardian
(Seltzer).
I ran two searches with entry iGuardian, one via Google (Prindle) and the other via
Bing (Radon). Both outputs understandably confused my entry with the cyber police yet
understood in part my intentions of seeking an article on the integrated device. Since both
outputs listed a relevant article, though of different web pages, five down and were no more or
less accurate than the other, it would be presumptuous to declare the superiority of either.
The article authored by Prindle was published early August. It says discount purchases
are offered to contributors of Itus Networks Kickstarter project. Because that project has
expired, that hints the article hasnt been updated. His article assesses iGuardian and, thus, is
relevant. Prindle is humorous and educated but lacks an academic credential in a technical field.
For that reason, hes not qualified to write on technological topics, let alone network security.
The innovation is within its software development stage, so it hasnt yet been tested. The
logic behind iGuardian is sound in that Snort (an IPS open source software) is embedded in the
router. Insofar that Prindle draws his information from reputable sources, his article is
trustworthy. As one without a formal education in technologies, Prindle is not interested
substantiating his article. Hes only interested in stylizing technical information to his own.
Information Literacy
Aaron McKenzie

Page 2


I selected two topics: (1) security and (2) emerging technology. iGuardian is an emerging
security technology and, hence, fits both. I found a couple of articles using the keyword
intrusion prevention system, one from Access Science (Charles P. Pfleeger) and the other
Environment Complete (Wade Roush). I chose those two databases for the following reasons: (1)
each meets this assignments fifth criterion, which states that the database must be of CCBCs
library; (2) they were the top two listed in the Science/Technology section; and (3) the
description beside their respective hyperlinks were telling.
Each respective articles ease of access via Google and Bing surpasses that of CCBCs
library. The latter has an unfamiliar interface and requires authentication. In terms of timeliness,
CCBCs library trails again. One of its articles was without a date of publication and the other
was published in 2006, far removed from the time-setting of iGuardians debut. Scholarly
journals, by and large, are subject to academic scrutiny. Consequently, Prindles and Radons
articles lack authority in contrast to the others.
Bibliography (MLA)
Seltzer, Larry. Snort on home routers - what a great idea. 18 August 2014. 13 September 2014
<http://www.zdnet.com/snort-on-home-routers-what-a-great-idea-7000032676/>.
Prindle, Drew. Protect your smart home from hackers with iGuardian. 7 August 2014. 13
September 2014 < http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/protect-smart-home-hackers-
iguardian/>.
Information Literacy
Aaron McKenzie

Page 3


Radon, Michael. iGuardian puts a stop to suspicious data before it ever reaches your device. 25
August 2014. 13 September 2014 < http://www.backerjack.com/iguardian-puts-a-stop-to-
suspicious-data-before-it-ever-reaches-your-device/>.
Charles P. Pfleeger. "Computer security." Access Science (n.d.).
Wade Roush. "Computer Immunity." Technology Review (2006): 28.