Chris Sanders

I now write almost exclusively in support of the Rural Technology Fund. The RTF is a 501c3 non-profit organization I direct that is designed to provide opportunities for students in rural areas who are interested in pursuing computer related education and careers. I’m donating 100% of the profits from my book Practical Packet Analysis to that cause and nearly all of the proceeds from advertisements on this site and my other writing go there as well. Those donations mainly support the various scholarship programs the fund is involved with. I wanted to take a moment and post about another new exciting project going on with the Rural Technology Fund.

It’s often the case that students from rural communities have the desire to learn more about technology, but simply lack the resources. The public schools these students attend operate on shoestring budgets, and unfortunately, technical books often don’t make the cut when purchasing decisions are made. In response to this, the Rural Technology Fund has developed its Book Donation Program. This program was started in 2011 and aims to provide technical resources to students in rural areas by donating technical books to public school libraries in these communities. The ultimate goal of this program is to provide rural students with the resources they need to pursue an interest in computer technology.

Where do the books come from?

The books we donate to our recipient libraries are obtained through two primary resources. The program is primarily driven by several publishing companies who provide excess inventory to the RTF in support of our cause.
Individuals and businesses also play a key role in providing books for donation. The RTF gladly accepts used information technology books from individuals and businesses as tax deductible donations.

Can I donate my used computer books?

Absolutely! We rely heavily on individual donations to sustain this program. As a 501c3 organization, any donation you make is fully tax deductible. If you are interested in contributing books to the RTF, please send us an e-mail at info@ruraltechfund.org.

What kinds of books do you accept?

Generally speaking, we will accept any computer technology related book that is still relevant and reasonably up to date. This includes used books and prior versions of newer books. We’ve accepted books on a variety of topics including programming, web design, security, hardware, mobile devices, and more. When in doubt, feel free to e-mail us with any questions related to donations.

Where can I send donations?

All donations currently route through our primary office in South Carolina, where they are bundled with other books before being delivered to recipient libraries. Donations should be sent to this office at 1330 River Otter Court, Mount Pleasant, SC 29466. Shipping costs are also considered tax deductible. If your donation is large enough, we will gladly pay shipping charges in order to make sure we can get your books into the hands of students who will use them.

Where are recipient libraries located?

Currently, we service several school libraries throughout the state of Kentucky. As the program expands we hope to begin donations to recipient libraries in Tennessee and South Carolina.

How can I nominate my library as a donation recipient?

If you would like to nominate your library as a potential recipient of book donations, please send an e-mail to info@ruraltechfund.org with your needs and we will do our best to help out.

You can read more about the Rural Technology Fund at http://www.ruraltechfund.org.

I’m going to be out and about a few different places the early part of this year. If you are going to be at any of these events and want to get together and talk shop or have a bite to eat, give me a shout.

• ShmooCon, Washington DC – Feb 5-7
• SANS 2010, Orlando FL – Mar 6-15

I’m also planning on attending HOPE [Tentative] (NYC), Phreaknic (Nashville), Defcon (Vegas), and Black Hat (Vegas) this year.

I attended the Kentuckiana ISSA Louisville InfoSec conference on the 8^th of this month and I wanted to be sure and put something up about what a great event it was.

I participated in the CTF event that was put together by Adrian “Irongeek” Crenshaw (http://www.irongeek.com and @irongeek_adc). This is only the second CTF I’ve participated in (the first being the SANS Sec 504 CTF in San Diego) and I was really pleased with it.

You can view a write up and a brief video on the technical details of the CTF here: http://www.irongeek.com/i.php?page=videos/louisville-infosec-ctf-2009.

My team ended up coming in fourth. The winning team was led by Dave Kennedy (http://securestate.blogspot.com/) who won by a pretty good margin, and the second, third, and fourth place teams all finished within about ten minutes or so of each other.

This was the second event I’ve attended that involved the Kentuckiana ISSA and Adrian and I’ve really enjoyed being involved. I think I’ll be joining ISSA in the very near future.

I wasn’t able to attend many of the talks due to being involved with the CTF but my colleagues who did spoke very highly of all of the speakers.

A big thanks to Adrian and the Kentuckiana ISSA for organizing this! I can’t wait until next year!

I wanted to take a moment and link over to a project I have been working on for quite some time. I’ve recently founded a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization called the Rural Technology Fund. Coming from a small rural area that really lacked in opporunities for those interested in technology, I know how challenging it can be to pursue a career in that field. The goal of the RTF is to provide opportunities to students from rural areas pursuing education in computer technology.

There are two main ways this is done -

Scholarships – This year the RTF is giving away two $500 scholarships. Hopefully we can give away much much more next academic year.

The Genesis program – Working with county youth service centers and local businesses, this program aims to utilize area volunteers to refurbish donated business PC’s for donation to students who do not have computers at home. The Genesis program gives birth to opportunities for these students and their families.

How can you help?

Packet Analysis Training - A portion of the income from EVERY training program I do goes directly to the RTF. This includes live training downloadable videos (coming soon).

Monetary Donations – The RTF is accepting donations, and all of those donations are tax deductible.

Computer and Equipment Donations – The Genesis Program is accepting donated computers to be refurbished and donated to students in needs. These computers should be in fairly decent condition and at least have a functioning motherboard and processor. We are also accepting monitor, keyboard, mouse, and software donations.

For more information on the Rural Technology Fund, check out www.ruraltechfund.org.

I consider the acknowledgements section the absolute most important part of my book. As a matter of fact, it was something I was constantly working on from the books inception to its finish. That being the case, I thought it very appropriate that I post a copy of those acknowledgements here. I attribute very little of my success to myself, because it is the people around me who give me the ability to do what I do.

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, I would like to thank God for giving me the strength and fortitude it took to complete this project. When my to-do list piled up higher and higher and there was no end in sight, he was the one who helped me through all of the stressful times.

I want to thank Bill, Tyler, Christina, and the rest of the team at No Starch Press for giving me the opportunity to write this book and allowing me the creative freedom to do it my way. I would also like to thank Gerald Combs for having the drive and motivation to maintain the Wireshark program, as well as performing the technical edit of this book. A special thanks goes out to Laura Chappell, as well, for providing some of the best packet analysis training materials you will find, including several of the packet captures used here.

Personally speaking, I would like to thank Tina Nance, Eddy Wright, and Paul Fletcher for helping me along the path that has led me to this high point in my career. You guys have been great spiritual and professional mentors as well as great friends. Along with that, I have several amazing friends who managed to put up with me while I was writing this book, which is an accomplishment in itself. With that being the case, I would like to extend a very special thank you to Barry, Beth, Mandy, Chad, Jeff, Sarah, and Brandon. I couldn’t have done it without you guys behind me.

Mostly, however, I want to thank my loving parents, Kenneth and Judy Sanders. Dad, even though you have never laid hands on a computer, your constant support and nurturing is the reason all of this was possible. Nothing makes me more driven than to hear you say that you are proud of me. Mom, you have been gone from us for five years as of the writing of this book, and although you couldn’t be around to see this achievement, you are always in my heart, and that is my true driving force. The passion you showed for living life is what has inspired me to be so passionate in what I do. This book is every bit as much your accomplishment as it is mine.