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Cyber Security

Cyber Security

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Technology and internet coverage has been a major boost to globalization and connectivity among countries, individuals And companies. High internet speeds and high-tech communication devices has underhand in a new era of global online community. Today, companies are going global as they can now operate remotely from different locations. The area of online marketing and tele-health has added to the ease of operations across the world. However, amid these benefits lies a very troublesome issue of cyber security that is already threatening global security and economic stability. The European cyber data has shown that there are at least 2500 attempted and successful hacks that target major companies and health facilities within the European Union. The data also shows that the rate of hacks have grown steadily at a rate of 12.5% annually since 2014. These theft of customer and patient data has become the prime target for hackers that is raising very worrying concerns across the world.

Over the years, the increase in online crime has led to adverse threats to personal data of clients and employees. Still, theft of health data belonging to patients and health workers has become a major issue in today’s cyber security field (Kshetri, 2017). Governments in developed countries are trying to lay down policies and mechanisms to safeguard and improve cyber security in all fields. The issue of hacking of companies that deal with high number of personal data for clients has increased drastically in the past ten years (Van Schaik et al., 2017). The prime target for hackers have mainly been the online customer data, military, and patient data in health facilities.

Cybercrime mainly targets online customers and firms that engage in mass data transfer and sharing (Boeckl et al., 2019). For example, in the U.S alone, there are more than a thousand attempted hackings daily that the FBI is able to crack and prevent. Advanced countries are able to notice these issues but some go unnoticed that cause agony and financial loss to the victims. The prime issue when it comes to online theft is the loss of customer data that the hackers seek to sell on the dark online markets (Van Schaik et al., 2017). For example, the hackling of Yahoo in 2015 became a global concern that only showed the huge expense and loss the firms are bound to face in this issue of cybercrime. The loss of customer data from major companies has put the loyalty of the clients at risk making some of the firms collapse or reduce their online presence. The other perspective in cyber security looks at the inclusive approaches that have been put to address these issues (Kshetri, 2017). Today, companies and governments are hiring tech experts that seeks to safeguard and prevent these online hacks.

One of the major effects of cyber insecurity is the financial loss that victim companies an governments face. Records form the FBI shows that small firms that are yet to establish firm online security programs lose at least 25 Billion Dollars annually in the U.S (Srinivas, Das & Kumar, 2019). Globally, the financial cost of cyber insecurity that comes through hacking amounts to at least 600 Billion dollars. These figures only show a worrying trend that needs to be addressed to ensure that there is adequate cyber security for small and large firms. The way forward lies in the firms creating strong online security programs and cyber walls that will make it difficult for hackers to crack (Van Schaik et al., 2017).

The other target for hackers is the credit information of customers. The ecommerce field has been beneficial and at the same time risky for companies and customers. Cyber security in the area of ecommerce has been a major concern for governments and online sellers and firms (Srinivas, Das & Kumar, 2019). Credit card hacking and theft of customer data has become a major issue that has put ecommerce business at risk. The U.S. customers report almost 3 million cases of attempted credit card hacking annually (Kshetri, 2017). The data also shows that 90% of the credit card hackings occur when the clients make online payment for goods or services. The other area that has become a prime target for online hackers is the passenger data in air travel. The cyber criminals have noticed and utilized the field as almost all major airlines only accept online or card payments for air travel fares (Boeckl et al., 2019).

The online exposure of customer data has become a prime area for hackers where they seek to steal and sell the data to other online criminals. The whole affair has already put a major risk to the online business and payment systems particularly for international companies (Kshetri, 2017). Cyber security is targeted to become a multi-billion-dollar industry as the risks of hacking continue to rise. The exposure of online data from customers who seek online services is offering an outlet for criminals to conduct their activities. The rise of shady platforms like the Dark Web and Dark Web has worsened the fight against online hacking (Srinivas, Das & Kumar, 2019). These platforms offer an outlet and areas for criminals to conduct their activities putting more danger to customers and companies.

Governments are also victims of cyber insecurity mainly in the area of military and political stability (Kshetri, 2017). Studies have shown that militaries across the world face a major issue of data theft where the criminals seek to learn about the strengths and weaknesses. Today, the development of military hardware and technology has always faced the threat of online data theft by enemy nations (Boeckl et al., 2019). For example, the development of armed drones has always been a hit issue between Russia, China, and the U.S. military. The U.S. has accused China of stealing online data from its military that leads to the copying of the military hardware development (Van Schaik et al., 2017). This issue has increased the risk of more drift between nations and possibilities of conflicts.

Conclusion

Dealing with cyber security issues has to start with understanding the avenues used by criminals to conduct their activities. Online platforms have eased the way of doing business but on the down side, they offer a few challenges to customer security. Theft of customer data mainly for online companies has come at a huge financial and loyalty cost for the firms Victims of the cyber insecurity issues continue to rise and this puts more risk to online business. Governments are also facing acute challenges when securing the financial and military data from hackers. More collaborated efforts is required between governments, companies, and individuals in tackling tech-related hacking and online theft.

References

Boeckl, K., Boeckl, K., Fagan, M., Fisher, W., Lefkovitz, N., Megas, K. N., … & Scarfone, K. (2019). Considerations for managing Internet of Things (IoT) cybersecurity and privacy risks. US Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Kshetri, N. (2017). Blockchain’s roles in strengthening cybersecurity and protecting privacy. Telecommunications policy, 41(10), 1027-1038.

Srinivas, J., Das, A. K., & Kumar, N. (2019). Government regulations in cyber security: Framework, standards and recommendations. Future Generation Computer Systems, 92, 178-188.

Van Schaik, P., Jeske, D., Onibokun, J., Coventry, L., Jansen, J., & Kusev, P. (2017). Risk perceptions of cyber-security and precautionary behaviour. Computers in Human Behavior, 75, 547-559.

Nature of Conflict and the Negotiation Process

Nature of Conflict and the Negotiation Process

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Introduction

Conflict is among the most genuine and raw human reactions in response to interactions and engagements with others. In fact, it can be said to be an indication of the different perspectives that are healthy for human-human interactions. Conflict arises from the different points of view regarding what is of value and importance to an entity. It also emerges out of priorities and the process of prioritizing. Different opinions and points of view yield power struggles. A power struggle is defined by Van Bunderen, Greer, and Van Knippenberg (2018) as a situation where different entities compete for the control of a particular element. For example, in negotiating for better employee benefits, union members and employers will likely be entangled in power struggles as each group competes for control of what is of value and priority. In this essay, the overall purpose is to provide a reflection on the nature of conflict within the negotiation process. It also looks at power struggles and how they end up being scenarios for negotiations and bargaining. Specifically, the NBC Universal Media case (02-CA-262640 JD(NY)-02-21) will be analysed regarding the decision, the conflict, the negotiation issues, and the outcome. Ultimately, power struggles birth negotiations and bargaining.

The Case

The NBC Universal Media case (02-CA-262640 JD(NY)-02-21) was tried remotely by administrative law judge Kenneth Chu on December 21, 2020. It was found that NBC Universal Media had engaged in unfair labor practices. The decision made was for the organization to compensate employees for the earnings and costs suffered. This was against the organization’s decision to rescind the 2020 merit wage increase. It was ruled that NBC Universal Media’s wage rollback was unlawful.

Before the pandemic, NBC News employees were not represented by a union until recently, which was a significant change. A group of editorial employees on the company’s digital side won union certification, signaling the beginning of a sea change in the media corporate culture. The New York NewsGuild has been designated as the bargaining unit for this contract. In opposition, NBC Universal Media was determined to protect its margins and shareholder bottom lines from the effects of the pandemic by rescinding all wage increases for a specific group of employees. The company went further to carry out this policy without adequately involving the employees and their bargaining platform. The conflict was regarding the Union of NBC Universal Media employees, NewsGuild, was denied an opportunity to bargain over the changes to the pay structure that has traditionally defined the relationships between the employer and the employees. According to an administrative law judge, NBC Universal Media should have given NewsGuild a chance to bargain over the pay structure changes before going public with the decision. An administrative law judge for the National Labor Relations Board raised concerns about the decision to rescind the wage increases. NBCUniversal violated labor laws by implementing pay changes without giving the NewsGuild a chance to bargain, as required by the National Labor Relations Act. It is important to note that NBC is not the only company that has had to make difficult pay decisions as a result of the pandemic. power struggles led to the issue being taken to the National Labor Relations Board. NBC employees now have a say in wage negotiations, thanks to a successful organizing drive in 2019, and the company can no longer unilaterally cut wages without a CBA in place.

The negotiation issues are quite straightforward. NBC employees affected by the decision to rescind wage increases wanted a chance to bargain through their union. The issue is that NBC’s executives had made an executive decision and policy that was not up to debate. The style of breaking the news and the consequent ramifications for the workers led to a need to at least provide a counter offer in relation to the percentage or merit wage increase that should be expected by the employees. The employees, through their union, had offered and were willing to table a discussion on the need for wage reductions due to the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. They even requested to discuss the issue multiple times yet the management refused. There was a power struggle between the employees and the management, with the latter attempting to bulldoze its way on the decision to rescind merit wage increases that have been a part of the organization for a while making a tradition. Overall, the main issue is the obligation by NBC to bargain with the workers’ union over all matters relating to their welfare, whether there have been severe financial effects or otherwise. In their brief to the National Labor Relations Board, NBC presented that their position on the matter was not aimed at unlawfully or unfairly affecting the welfare of union members. However, the issues and ensuing conflict point to an effort by the media company to subvert the collective bargaining representative.

Evaluation of Conflict Present in the Case

In the NBC workplace, the type of conflict present was labor relations with a particular emphasis on the need to retain the right to bargain and the collective bargaining representative of the employees through their union. The main issue is that NBC ignored its obligation to listen to what the employees and their bargaining platform, NewsGuild, had to say and the counter offer they were willing to present on the issue of the decision to rescind merit wage increases. Therefore, there was industrial conflict that led to labor disputes.

Industrial action is a term that refers to a situation in which employers or employees take collective actions to exert necessary pressure on other collective bargaining parties so as to accomplish their objectives. The term is frequently used interchangeably with labor dispute. Conflicts of interest can cause people, groups, and organizations involved in the industrial relations system to engage in disagreements of varying intensity as a result of their involvement. The relationship between business owners/shareholders/managers and their employees/unions/workers is frequently tense. At any level of industrial relations, whether subtly or explicitly, conflicts can arise. Theft, go-slows, work-to-rule, output reductions, noncooperation, and industrial action are all examples of conflict among employees (strikes, lock-outs, boycotts). Industrial conflict can result from disagreements over values and objectives, as well as differences in power, status, and distribution relationships. If you want to put it another way, industrial conflict is the place to look for both conflict and peace in the workplace. Various explanations for the emergence of industrial conflict have been proposed, ranging from Marxism that is focused on the working class to explanations that link industrial conflict to a clash of economic interests between employers and employees.

How the Negotiation Process Helped Resolve the Conflict

In the event of a disagreement, it is common for the conflict to escalate, with each side accusing the other in ever-more-aggressive terms (Kearney & Mareschal, 2017). A lawsuit could end up being filed, which would permanently harm the relationship. Most of the time, both sides in a negotiation are well-aware of their goals and are willing to compromise in order to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome for all parties involved. The goal of negotiation is to reach an agreement between disputing parties by exchanging information and ideas. Conflicts and problems are frequently resolved through negotiation. It occurs when people are trying to solve a problem by talking to one another. Negotiations are commonplace in the workplace, from securing a raise to drafting a sales agreement. In the case presented above, the negotiation involved a conflict-resolution approach. In this approach, the National Labor Relations Board was used to negotiate between NBC Universal Media and NewsGuild. A distributive negotiation approach was taken. Jeong et al. (2019) define it as an approach to negotiation where the success of one party depends on the failure of the other party. It is also called a zero sum or a win-lose style of negotiation. In a distributive negotiation, the focus is on a single point of contention. NBC Universal Media was unwilling to let the employees practice their right to collective bargaining. Conflict arose due to this. As a result, the court ordered the organization to compensate employees for the earnings and costs suffered. This was against the organization’s decision to rescind the 2020 merit wage increase. It was ruled that NBC Universal Media’s wage rollback was unlawful. The negotiation process brought an end to the contention on whether NBC employees had a right to bargain the salary reduction policy. It also set precedence for media house executives in future to consider the right to collective bargain for all employees.

References

Jeong, M., Minson, J., Yeomans, M., & Gino, F. (2019). Communicating with warmth in

distributive negotiations is surprisingly counterproductive. Management Science, 65(12), 5813-5837.

Kearney, R. C., & Mareschal, P. M. (2017). Labor relations in the public sector. Routledge.

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Case 02-CA-262640. JD(NY)-02-21.

https://apps.nlrb.gov/link/document.aspx/09031d45833853d0

Van Bunderen, L., Greer, L. L., & Van Knippenberg, D. (2018). When interteam conflict spirals

into intrateam power struggles: The pivotal role of team power structures. Academy of Management Journal, 61(3), 1100-1130.

Cyber Security. Internet privacy, security and surveillance are important to protect our finances and moral values.

Cyber Security

Thesis Statement: Internet privacy, security and surveillance are important to protect our finances and moral values.

The protection of the financial sector from attacks of different kinds that facilitate obtaining information on business transactions is a necessity for the global economy that is increasingly adopting the online platform for business. Risks involved in security breaches that reveal user information leading to potentially serious financial losses have stood in the way for a completely functional online business platform (Robin para.3). The recent successes in online transactions and banking have shown tremendous improvements for the computing world, in dealing with potential threats. This comes as a promising future for the integrity of cyber transactions in overcoming the vice. It should be important for the computing world to facilitate a safer attribute for the simpler version of business presented by cyber transactions before a completely online-based economy gets rolled out. To illustrate the recent successes, the ambitious mobile banking products currently operating in some African countries cannot thrive without the proper mechanisms to protect the economy of the developing world. The importance of security at such an economic level not only touches on the support of micro and medium level businesses in rural areas of the developing world but on the national economy of an entire country. In the near future, it will be comfortably possible to predict that the laxity in rolling out a safe environment for an online-based global economy will have to end in order to open up unexploited potential and opportunity of the global community.

Humans are social beings with complicated social order attributes that need balancing at all times for the benefit of the society remaining as a functional unit. Among the most important social attributes that hold the human society together are social values and morals. This important attribute of the society however remains exposed to blatant abuse by certain immoral elements that misuse the internet. Cyber security breaches have been a target by the sections of social misfits attacking the social fabric of the human race through the internet to cause disability to social values. Posting of immoral content on the internet and distributing it to the global audience is an attack on the social integrity of the human community. It therefore follows that the security mechanisms formulated by the authorities to counter cyber attacks must consider protecting social values in the global village for a better society to thrive (RCG, 6). A cold culture without human values and morals is tantamount to the elimination of the human race if the internet continues to enjoy unchecked access to dump immoral content for an audience that is unwilling to destroy the social fabric. To illustrate the magnitude of potential risks posed by cyber misuse with regard to social values and morals, the society is increasingly under the threat of being unable to control explicit content and highlight of social vices as a way of life. The influence that the dissemination of negative content has to the society not only affects children but also poisons the minds of the general audience. Social leaders and families will continue to struggle to regain control of the social units they are in-charge of until the content of the internet is safe to the society moral values.

Robin, “5 Major Internet Security Threats to Avoid,” Last updated 22 June 2011, Web. HYPERLINK “http://www.ebestinternetsecurity.com/internet-security-threats/” http://www.ebestinternetsecurity.com/internet-security-threats/ (Accessed 21 March 2012)

Thomson, Ian. “Government, Business, Military are Internet Security Threats,” 2012, Web. HYPERLINK “http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/29/schneier_warns_government_business_threat/” http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/02/29/schneier_warns_government_business_threat/ (Accessed 21 March 2012)

RCG, “Immorality Explosion,” 2003, Web. HYPERLINK “http://rcg.org/trends/tie.pdf” http://rcg.org/trends/tie.pdf (Accessed 21 March 2012)

Nature if the US Taxation System

Nature if the US Taxation System

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Introduction

The US is a federal republic with autonomous state and local governments. Taxes in the US are charged at the federal, state and local levels. The US tax system has evolved over the last three centuries, marked by significant changes in response to changes in the structure and role of the government, changes in the economy and society as well as changes in other circumstances. The types of taxes charged, the magnitude of revenues and the relative proportions of the taxes collected are far different from the way they were 100 or 50 years ago (Carbaugh & Ghosh, 2009). This paper presents a brief description of the US taxation system today. As well it examines how the taxation system impacts on the choices made by individuals. Lastly, the paper examines the impact of the taxation system on US business internationally.

Description of the taxation system

Taxes at the three different government levels in the US are charged on income, property, payroll, gifts, estates, sales, imports and various types of fees. Net income for individuals and business organizations is subjected to taxation at federal, state and local levels. As well, taxes are charged on worldwide income of residents and citizens, but they are allowed credit for foreign taxes. Non-resident citizens also pay taxes on worldwide income in the same rate and manner like the residents. The amount of income of an individual or business organization to be subjected to taxation is determined using tax accounting rules (Carbaugh & Ghosh, 2009). Citizens and residents and allowed to reduce taxable income by deducting personal allowances. As well, they are allowed to deduct the amount that is used for certain non-business expenses such as medical, charitable contributions, state and local taxes and home mortgage interest. Rules for determining taxable income differ from one government level to another. For instance, the local and state tax rates vary from 0% to 13.30% from one jurisdiction to another and are graduated. On the other hand, the federal taxation rates vary from 10% to 39.6%. The US has one of the most progressive taxation systems in the world. Tax rates on individual incomes increase as income increases (Eric & Matt, 2009).

Apart from income taxes, payroll taxes are also charged at the federal and state levels. These include Medicare and Social Security taxes charged on both employees and employers. Employers also pay unemployment tax and other levies. Property taxes are charged by the local governments and other special purpose authorities. The taxes are charged based on the market value of a property. Schools and other authorities are governed separately and are charged separate taxes. Property tax rates and rules vary widely from one jurisdiction to another (Carbaugh & Ghosh, 2009). Sales taxes are charged at the local and state levels. The taxes are charged on the retail prices of goods and services. The sales taxes vary from 0% to 16% from one jurisdiction to another. Customs duties or tariffs are imposed by the federal government on imports of goods into the US. The customs duties or tariffs are paid before the goods are legally imported. The rates vary from 0% to more than 20% based on the country of origin and type of good. Gift and estate taxes are charged by the federal and some state governments. The taxes are charged on the transfer of an inherited property by lifetime donation or by will (Carbaugh & Ghosh, 2009).

Impact on choices of individuals

Just as in any other country, the taxes levied in the US have a significant impact on the choices that are made by individuals. A good example is the impact that the progressive personal income tax has on the decisions that are made by US citizens and residents. Personal income tax is legally assessed on household or individual income but its impact goes beyond there (Barigozzi & Villeneuve 2006). Individuals may respond to high personal income tax rates by migrating to low tax states, reducing their work efforts and other behaviours to reduce the personal income tax liabilities. In the case of personal income tax increase, firms or employers may decide or may have to compensate their workers for the higher personal income tax by offering them higher pre-tax wages. This implies that the higher personal income tax may be shifted, in part or in full, onto the employers. If the personal income tax levied on workers is shifted, in part or in full, onto the employers, it may have an impact on the decisions made by employers. For instance, the employer may decide to transfer the burden to consumers by increasing prices of products or by establishing other ways of saving costs within the firm (Laganà & Sgro, 2011).

As Eric and Matt (2009) explain, personal income tax rates in the US highly affect business location decisions. Apart from affecting the pre-tax wages, the personal income taxes can have a huge impact on after-tax returns on capital investment. As such, the personal income tax rates levied in different states may highly influence decisions on where to locate plants and facilities. The rates may also influence the decisions on whether or not to establish a new business or to add more capital investment in a business. If an increase in personal income tax is shifted, in part or in full, onto the employer, the latter may decide lay off some workers or to put off future recruitment plans. As Eric and Matt (2009) explain, taxes levied on different raw materials may affect costs of the materials. In turn, the cost of the materials may influence the decision by an individual or a firm on whether or not to purchase a particular material. Similarly, tax rate charged on the production of an item may influence the decision on whether or not an individual or a firm will produce it. Generally, the US taxation system has a huge impact on the decisions and choices that are made by individuals.

Impact on US business internationally

The US tax system facilitates US business in the international arena. Precisely, the current tax system encourages US multinational firms to conduct business in foreign countries by allowing them to defer US tax on their foreign sources of income until their profits are repatriated. The US government uses this and other incentives to encourage US multinational firms to locate physical assets, jobs and production in low-tax foreign countries. For instance, US oil multinational firms located in Saudi Arabia have remained firm due to support by the US government through such incentives. Their ability to defer US taxes enables them to have higher operating capital than most competitors. In addition, the multinational firms utilize the advantage by altering their prices to achieve competitive advantages (Angus et al., 2010). Some provisions of the US tax law encourage the US multinational companies to shift profits to low-tax countries. For instance, cross-crediting allows corporations to use the excess tax credits derived from operations in high-tax nations to offset the tax due on repatriated profits from the net returns earned in low-tax nations. The American Jobs Creation Act allows a tax break on income repatriated from low-tax countries.

As Clausing (2006) explains, the US tax system allows domestic multinational firms to shift income among themselves and their affiliates in foreign countries. For instance, a multinational corporation can borrow funds in a high-tax country to finance its operations and then claim larger interest deductions in that country. In doing so, the firm can be able to report more profits in another low-tax country. At the same time, the corporate income tax rates have remained higher in the US than in other advanced industrial countries. This has strengthened incentives for foreign corporations operating in the US to shift their investments and income to other countries. This has led to a reduction in the US tax revenue. In short, the tax system has both positive and negative consequences on US business in the international arena.

Conclusion

In conclusion, taxes in the US are levied by federal, state and local governments. There are different types of taxes which are levied at one, two or all of the three government levels. The federal, state and local governments usually charge different tax rates, which vary from one jurisdiction to another. As explained in the discussion, The US tax system has a high impact on the decisions and choices that are made by individuals. The tax system provides incentives for US multinational companies in the international arena. At the same time, it has led to reduction in US taxation revenue.

References

Angus, B., Neubig, T., Solomon, E. & Weinberger, M. (2010). The U.S. International Tax

system at a Crossroads. Northwestern. Journal of International Law & Business, 30(3), 517

Barigozzi, F. & Villeneuve, B. (2006). The Signaling Effect of Tax Policy. Journal of Public

Economic Theory, 8(4), 611 – 630

Carbaugh, B. & Ghosh, K. (2009). Reforming the U.S. Tax System. Challenge, 54(2), 61 – 79

Clausing, K. A. (2006). International Tax Avoidance and U.S. International Trade. National Tax

Journal, 59(2), 269

Eric, E. & Matt, B. (2009). On the effects of increasing income tax. Central Penn Business

Journal, 25(26), 10

Laganà, G. & Sgro, P. M. (2011). A factor-augmented VAR approach: The effect of a rise in the

US personal income tax rate on the US and Canada. Economic Modeling, Volume 28(3), 1163 – 1169

Cyber Crime. EMERGING TRENDS AND STATISTICS

Cyber Crime

Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc380413168” Introduction PAGEREF _Toc380413168 h 1

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380413169” EMERGING TRENDS AND STATISTICS PAGEREF _Toc380413169 h 2

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380413170” TYPES OF CYBERCRIME PAGEREF _Toc380413170 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380413171” Financial cyber crimes PAGEREF _Toc380413171 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380413172” Piracy PAGEREF _Toc380413172 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380413173” Child Pornography and Cyber-stalking PAGEREF _Toc380413173 h 4

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380413174” Hacking PAGEREF _Toc380413174 h 4

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380413175” Cyber-terrorism PAGEREF _Toc380413175 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380413176” RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTING CYBERCRIME PAGEREF _Toc380413176 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380413177” Back-up and encrypt crucial information PAGEREF _Toc380413177 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380413178” Keeping firewall on PAGEREF _Toc380413178 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380413179” Update or install antivirus software PAGEREF _Toc380413179 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380413180” Update or install antispyware technology PAGEREF _Toc380413180 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380413181” Update the operating system PAGEREF _Toc380413181 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc380413182” Turn off computer systems PAGEREF _Toc380413182 h 6

Introduction

Technology has been one of the most fundamental pillars of the modern world. It has contributed immensely to the increase of efficiency and effectiveness, as well as quality of service in varied sectors. This should underline the reason as to why governments and other entities have made an enormous or vast amount of investment on technology. Needless to say, the introduction of computers and internet in the world of technology has been one of the most groundbreaking steps in the history of technology. While the upside of computers, internet and technology at large are well recognized, there is no guarantee as to the use of technology for the betterment of the human race. Indeed, there have been concerns as to the use of technology in a manner that endangers the human race. This is especially with regard to cyber crime.

The term cyber crime has been used to underline any criminal act that involves the use of computers and networks including carrying out of traditional crimes such as fraud and gambling through the internet (Brenner, 2010). Cybercrime has been identified as one of the fastest growing facets of crime with an increasing number of criminals exploiting the anonymity, convenience and speed with which modern technologies come in an effort to commit a wide range of criminal activities (Brenner, 2010). Such criminal activities may include but are not limited to attacks against computer systems and date, internet auction fraud, the distribution of images pertaining to child sexual abuse, online financial services penetration, and identity theft, not to mention the employment of spamware, botnets, viruses and email scams such as phishing (Brenner, 2010). Underlining the seriousness of this category of crime is the fact that internet’s global nature has enabled criminals to undertake almost every form of criminal activity at any part of the world. This, in essence, underlines the importance of all countries putting in place domestic offline controls that would eliminate crimes undertaken in cyberspace. On the same note, internet has fallen in the hands of terrorists, who have been using it to recruit and incite radicalization, which poses an incredible risk and threat to international, as well as national security (Brenner, 2010). The threat of terrorism has forced law enforcement authorities to address vulnerabilities pertaining to security, which are associated with information technology infrastructure such as electrical grids, power plants, computer systems and information systems of government and key corporations (Brenner, 2010).

EMERGING TRENDS AND STATISTICS

Looking at the trends pertaining to cybercrime, it is evident that there have been immense changes in the nature and the players or perpetrators of cybercrime. Scholars note that cybercrime, in the past, would be perpetrated by individuals or even small groups of people. This, however, has been changing with a trend emerging where criminally minded technology professionals, as well as traditional organized crime syndicates have started working together and combining their expertise and resources thereby heightening the damage and the cost of cybercrime (Brenner, 2012). Indeed, criminals have found this approach to be extremely effective in perpetrating their criminal activities. Research shows that the cost of cybercrime in the entire world for 2007 and 2008 was more than $8 billion. Even more worrying, especially for corporate entities, is the fact that corporate cyber espionage has allowed cyber criminals to steal intellectual property whose estimated worth is $1 trillion in the entire world (Brenner, 2012).

TYPES OF CYBERCRIMECyber crimes have been categorized in varied groups depending on their nature. Indeed, scholars have used three rationales to categorize cybercrime. The first category involves the use of a computer as a weapon to undertake conventional crime that is seen in the physical world including illegal gambling and fraud (Brenner, 2012). The second category involves the computer of an entity as a target, where computers are attacked through, for example, spreading malware and viruses. The third category involves computers as accessories, where they are used as filing cabinet for the storage of stolen or illegal information.

Financial cyber crimesThese are defined as crimes that disrupt the capacity of a business to carry out e-commerce. Companies have been investing heavily on the enhancement of commercial transactions online. It is worth noting that the development of e-commerce is dependent on public confidence on the security pertaining to information that is stored and processed on computer networks, as well as a predictable environment that acts as a strong deterrent to computer crime (Yar, 2006). The capacity of a business entity to undertake e-commerce is heavily dependent on its capacity to minimize e-risk. Financial cyber crimes include DDOS (distributed denial of service), e-forgery and viruses, e-fraud, e-extortion, as well as stealing of proprietary information.

Piracy

This involves the theft of software and creative works through illegal duplication and faking of genuine works and their distribution while passing them off as genuine. While the software industry has played an immense role in the creation of products that have enhanced the quality of lives in the modern world, piracy or software theft has crippled the global market of software, as well as the capacity to create new products (Yar, 2006). Underlining the seriousness of this crime is the fact that software theft, counterfeiting and illegal distribution resulted in costs of up to US$21 billion for Asia Pacific region in 2011 (Brenner, 2012). This included all packaged software used on computers included system software, business applications, security packages, databases, consumer applications, reference software and PC games. This has crippled creativity and growth in software and creative works development.

Child Pornography and Cyber-stalking

The internet has been used as a powerful tool for exposing children to pornography or even posting naked pictures of underage kids (Brenner, 2010). This has also increased the exposure of children to pedophiles, especially considering the accessibility of porn sites to children from the comfort of their houses.

Cyber-stalking, on the other hand, involves persistent actions of harassment made towards an individual through the use of internet. In some cases, stalking would be followed by violent acts or even verbal attacks on an individual

Hacking

This term underlines the illegal interference, invasion or interruption of a network or computer system done for the thrill of the challenge, to pass a political message, or even out of personal notoriety or for financial reasons (Brenner, 2010). Hackers may siphon money from other accounts through stealing credit card data and transfer the cash to their accounts, or even extort cash from corporations and individuals. The threat from hacking is primarily economic in nature with no real physical danger involved.

Cyber-terrorismThis is defined as the attack meted against a computer network or information that is stored in it thereby leading to violence against property and persons, or at least result in sufficient harm as to generate fear. This does not include attacks that interfere with nonessential services or that are simply a costly nuisance.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREVENTING CYBERCRIMEScholars have identified varied strategies that may be used to lower the possibility of cyber attacks or even the cost of loss of data in case of an attack.

Back-up and encrypt crucial informationIt is imperative that a schedule for undertaking regular system upgrades and critical data backups is established. This would guard against the loss of critical data in case of a cyber-attack. It is imperative that this data is stored in remote locations away from the office (Brenner, 2012). On the same note, this information should have strong password codes or even be encrypted to increase the difficulty of accessing it. Regular modification of passwords would lower their vulnerability to compromise.

Keeping firewall onFirewall comes in handy in protecting computer networks against hackers that may access and steal sensitive information from the system (Brenner, 2012). Firewalls have been widely recommended especially for single computers and may be bought alongside operating systems, hardware routers or even individually.

Update or install antivirus softwareThese are designed to avert malicious software programs from entrenching themselves to the computer systems. Once they detect a virus or malware, they disarm or delete them automatically (Brenner, 2010). It is imperative that antivirus software are updated regularly to ensure that they protect the computer against new malware.

Update or install antispyware technologyThis technology guards against software installed in one’s computer aimed at collecting information about an individual or his activities without his knowledge and consent. While antispyware technology would protect an individual from spyware, it is imperative that one complements the technology by desisting from downloading software from suspicious sites or even emails (Brenner, 2010).

Update the operating systemOperating systems undergo periodic update so as to align them with emerging technology requirements, as well as fix security holes (Yar, 2006). It is imperative that updates are installed so as to ensure that the computer incorporates the latest protection.

Turn off computer systemsWhile keeping computers on would ensure that an individual is always ready for action, it increases the vulnerability of the systems to hackers and other unwanted attacks. Firewall protection should be complemented by turning computers off as this would sever the attackers’ connection (Yar, 2006).

In conclusion, cyber crime has become extremely common in the recent times. This has resulted in immense losses with 2008 data showing that more than $8 billion was lost to cybercrime (Brenner, 2012). This has undoubtedly increased in the recent years. Cyber crimes are criminal activities that are carried out using computers and internet. The varied types of cybercrimes are financial, hacking, child pornography and piracy, cyber-terrorism and cyber-stalking. Indeed, cyber crimes may result in loss of lives (for example in cyber-terrorism and cyber-stalking), or even loss of finances especially in the case of hacking, piracy and financial crimes such as e-fraud. In most cases, they pose a risk to the security of individuals and firms. This underlines the necessity of putting up measures that would prevent cyber crimes. It is recommended that individuals back up critical data regularly and ensure that the data is encrypted so as to increase the difficulty of cyber attacks on the data (Brenner, 2012). In addition, it is imperative that the systems are updated regularly to ensure they have the capacity to fend off attacks. Antispyware, antivirus and firewalls should be installed, turned on and updated regularly so as to fend off attacks. These should be complemented by turning off computers so as to cut off any connections that may have been established with the attackers.

References

Yar, M. (2006). Cybercrime and society. London: SAGE Publ.

Brenner, S. W. (2010). Cybercrime: Criminal threats from cyberspace. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger.

Brenner, S. W. (2012). Cybercrime: Criminal threats from cyberspace. New Delhi: Pentagon Press.

NATURE ENERGY SNACKS

NATURE ENERGY SNACKS

Institution

Student’s name

Nature energy snacks

Describe the current marketing mix and target audience using the 4P’s

To push the sales of any new or existing product requires apt marketing skills. Marketing involves providing the required product to the appropriate consumers at the right time and place and at an affordable price. The key concepts here are place, price, promotion and product or service (Kitchen, 2006).

The product in this case is an energy snack being sold to college students by a partnership of John and Jayne. They sell the snacks in 8oz. packages for about $2.5 in the colleges’ bookstores and around the environs. The product seems to doing well because of its quality, pricing and convenience. Students have taken into it because of its naturalness. The partnership considered the 4P’s of marketing by ensuring that the products met the expectations of the students and are easily available at an affordable price to the students. They have also diversified the product into 35 varieties after beginning with only three. Since the target market was the college students, John and Jayne did not have to employ massive promotion strategy but have solely relied on word of mouth which is in some way very appropriate in a college setting.

Describe a new marketing mix and target audience that would increase the sales of natural nectars

John and Jayne aim at increasing the sales of natural nectars. Since this is an existing product, they will not have to employ massive promotion strategy but will definitely go beyond the word of mouth advertising. Since the current target market which is the college students in southwestern United States already know this product, they can coalesce with the colleges’ sports departments to have the college teams in various teams promote this product in other colleges not in southwestern. The two therefore will have to provide banners and coupons as well as have the selected teams wear jerseys with their product labels. This technique will help spread the information concerning this product far and wide. John and Jayne will then be forced to open up new stores around the country and establish an elaborate distribution channel. By doing this, they will have cut the cost of promotion significantly as compared to if they had sought the services of media and marketing companies.

Reference

Kitchen, J. P.(2006). A reader in marketing communications. London: Taylor $ Francis Publishers.

Cyber Crime Analysis. to analyse the Internet communication as well as dangers associated with it in the current society

Cyber Crime Analysis

Contents

TOC o “1-3” h z u HYPERLINK l “_Toc377139442” Introduction PAGEREF _Toc377139442 h 1

HYPERLINK l “_Toc377139443” Evolution of Communication PAGEREF _Toc377139443 h 1

HYPERLINK l “_Toc377139444” Telecommunication Growth PAGEREF _Toc377139444 h 2

HYPERLINK l “_Toc377139445” Communication Challenges PAGEREF _Toc377139445 h 2

HYPERLINK l “_Toc377139446” Hackers and Cyber Attackers PAGEREF _Toc377139446 h 3

HYPERLINK l “_Toc377139447” Security loopholes PAGEREF _Toc377139447 h 4

HYPERLINK l “_Toc377139448” Cyberbullying PAGEREF _Toc377139448 h 4

HYPERLINK l “_Toc377139449” Software Copyright Infringement PAGEREF _Toc377139449 h 5

HYPERLINK l “_Toc377139450” Malicious Attacks PAGEREF _Toc377139450 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc377139451” Cybercrime complexity PAGEREF _Toc377139451 h 6

HYPERLINK l “_Toc377139452” Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc377139452 h 7

HYPERLINK l “_Toc377139453” Bibliography PAGEREF _Toc377139453 h 8

IntroductionMany individuals currently regard the Internet as the greatest breakthrough in telecommunication field. The Internet is viewed as an important invention that has shaped communication as well as interconnected the whole world. It has changed the way things are handled and improved efficiency at the same time saving the ever-increasing costs. The benefits reaped from the Internet usage are innumerable given that it has revolutionized service delivery, production process, and opened up many opportunities globally. However, the Internet usage has its negatives too that greatly affect the lives of many individuals and organisations. The cost of dealing with negative impacts of technology is increasing as the level of technology rises. Moreover, cyberethics has been compromised extensively because of the increased cyber attackers resulting in increased cybercrimes globally. Statistics shows that issues related to software piracy, Artificial Intelligence (AI), database privacy, intellectual property copyrights, virtual communities, robotics, and cyber stalking are some of the trending topics in the technology world. This paper seeks to analyse the Internet communication as well as dangers associated with it in the current society.

Evolution of CommunicationCommunication is a key element of the current life trends that involve many individuals, governments, and organisations worldwide either on handling official matters or on dealing with informal issues. The online platform has been identified as the most effective, efficient, and fast to conduct communications. This has resulted in inventing communication tools such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Google and others. These platforms assemble the online community to a particular meeting point like Facebook to ease the communication process. Likewise, applications that help in fast communication that is affordable have emerged such as Skype, Google video calls, and Whatsapp. The combination of these inventions has boosted the need to communicate and connect to the outside world at the comfort of our daily living.

Telecommunication GrowthTelecommunication industry has significantly grown to height never thought of and raised the standards of living. Furthermore, communication and interaction sowed to new height with the advent of emails, online phone calls in additional to the World Wide Web used for hosting online shopping sites, blogs, websites, discussion forums, music and video sites. On the other hand, this extended communication and interaction of the large online community introduced loopholes for hackers, attackers, and increased cybercrimes significantly. The criminals can mine other individual’s data and use it for personal gains such as fraud, selling it for marketing purposes, cyber stalking, cyberbullying, and hacking purposes. Therefore, there is dire need for the Internet users to be careful in online platforms when dealing with sensitive information. It calls for stricter measures to be devised by developers and increased caution while communication on the Internet.

Communication Challenges

Privacy

Privacy is of utmost need when handling life issues in all areas of operations. In technology world, data privacy is the key factor when dealing with security and user safety issues. Most individuals are concerned with privacy issues and enforce standard measures and policies that guarantee communication is done in safe and secure environment. Hackers and cyber attackers deny users the freedom of communication and engage in cunning strategies to obtain the data conveyed illegally or mine information without users consent. Some organisations with huge online transactions are approached by these evil-minded individuals for the sale of their users’ data without the knowledge of the users. Some compromise individual privacy and earn huge amount of money on data transactions leaving the users to bear the burden of attacks.

Hackers and Cyber AttackersThe hackers and cyber attackers have designed data mining tools that monitor users’ browsing trend as well as provide enticing links that lead to users inputting their data without realizing they are attack strategies. This has led many individuals to problems and some lost huge amount of money in the process. Likewise, hackers have data packets that they use to track online users movements to gain access to their data. They also have tools that are used to access individual, organisation, and governmental databases to retrieve sensitive data. Therefore, security professionals need to be involved in dealing with these crimes because their effects range from individuals losses to governmental institutions collapsing. Neglecting the enforcement of the current security measures and policies poses great challenges to the dealing with cyber warfare.

Security loopholes

Most online transaction websites and financial institutions have tightened their security measures as well as invested in acquiring the best available solutions in the market to ensure safe and secure communication with their clients. Developers have researched on many loopholes that the attackers use to engage in privacy infringement. They have worked to eliminate the loopholes as well as share some of the best approaches through online forums to acquire streamlined communication platforms that guarantee security and uphold privacy standards. The owners of online platforms like Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and MySpace have engaged themselves in campaigns against cybercrimes by raising awareness to their users on how to embrace secure policies and practice safe browsing. This reduces the cyber-attacks and nurtures communication for improved satisfaction.

Cyberbullying

Miller claims that it is worth noting that retrieval of available individual information online helps attackers to engage in cyberbullying, a trend that is on the rise currently. Cyberbullying is the deliberate usage of information to intimidate, manipulate, discriminate, control, humiliate or falsely discredit the owner in a disguised manner by another individual. It is mostly done to a known individual by either a known or an unknown person. When done to adults it is referred as cyber stalking for the purposes of threatening victim’s reputation, earnings, employment, in additional to their safety. The effects associated with cyberbullying cyber stalking are more adverse than many people may assume because it tortures physically, psychologically, and at times economically. It is among the cybercrimes that need to be addressed and eliminated. However, most victims suffer lonely and hardly disclose it to anybody because of fear and lack of information.

Software Copyright InfringementOn another note, the increased need to communicate has led to increased computer usage all over the world. This has led to increased demand for software in the technology market. Contrastingly, this has attracted illegal software vendors in the market who offer them at cheaper prices compared with the legal dealers. This has increased the software piracy as well as infringement of copyrights to many developers. Furthermore, it has resulted in sale of counterfeit products that are below recommended standards, introducing an avenue for attackers. This cybercrime has resulted in developers running at losses because they have little market control. Due to insufficiency of information to users, they have been conned and exploited by the conmen and exposed their systems to attacks and threats. The substandard soft wares in the market pose great challenges to the fight against cybercrimes in additional to collapsing the software development industry. Moreover, some system owners do not install antivirus, Internet security, and other security measures to safeguard their devices and this is a major contributor to increased cybercrimes. Security apparatus helps filter spams, unwanted access, unauthorized loggings, and emergence of new spyware or virus to the system. For effective and productive handling of cybercrimes, computer users have to embrace some of the fundamental security policies and practices.

Malicious AttacksFurthermore, technology growth has remarkably helped malicious developers to inventing viruses, malware, spyware, and denial of service attacks. Viruses are manipulative codes that when introduced into computer systems interfere with files consistence by corrupting, deleting, and manipulating file formats. They lead to loss of important data to individuals and organisations. Moreover, viruses are destructive and bypass privacy settings and policies to access restricted information. Some attackers introduce viruses to systems of online users that help them gain control of the information stored in the systems. Some viruses record user’s keystrokes when entering passwords and critical data and send it to the attackers. Likewise, some complex and robust spyware take screen shots and send them to the attackers so that the attackers can monitor the user’s activities that help them to intensify attack strategies. Some spyware with spear phishing attacks can steal sensitive information documents and decrypt the available data for the benefits of the attackers.

Cybercrime complexityThe complexity of the cybercrimes results in many cases happening without being reported to authorities. Statistics shows that approximately 85% of cybercrimes are not reported and it poses a great challenge to the fight against cybercrimes as well as intensifying future attacks. Moreover, given that most attackers disguise themselves anonymously when undertaking attacks; it is hard to identify the real attacker. In the past, this has helped many attackers escape unpunished and aided serious attacks especially to government databases. There also lacks sufficient technical knowledge and skills in handling cybercrimes in the security and legal departments making cyber warfare complicated undertaking However, currently technology is helping identify locations as well as system addresses that have been involved in committing the cybercrimes. This helps in arresting and identifying the attackers and contributes significantly to reducing the crimes trends.

ConclusionIt can be concluded that communication is vital in the current world and dealing with its threats is the only solution to secure safe environment. Business transactions have embraced the digital strategies to evolve their communication processes. Likewise, individuals are switching to online platforms for enhanced communication that is efficient and cost effective. On the other hand, some strategies need to be enforced to curb cybercrimes and reduce attack rates. Strict measures and standards need to be devised for online social platform owners and email service providers to ensure that data security is guaranteed. Likewise, those caught having compromised user privacy right are to be prosecuted and their operations halted because of engaging in unethical business practices.

Reduction of the number of those accessing and handling the data in the institutions holding sensitive data like hospitals, social amenity services, and financial institutions is another viable solution. This raises responsibility for individual data in addition to reducing loopholes exposing the data to attackers. Furthermore, attackers and hackers arrested committing cybercrimes are to be prosecuted and jailed to discourage upcoming hackers and attackers. Software developers need to have strategies that ensure that software are registered online for authentication process to avoid counterfeits. Moreover, individuals need to be informed about the importance of installing computer security measures like antivirus because it helps curb cybercrimes to a remarkable extent. Finally, the legal and security departments need to have special sub department that is well trained and informed about dealing with cybercrimes. If all these steps are practised, the fight against cybercrimes will be intensified leading to reduced cases of attacks and losses.

BibliographyAndress, Jason and Steve Winterfeld. 2011. Cyber Warfare: Techniques, Tactics and Tools for Security Practitioners, Maryland Heights: Syngress Publishing.

Freeman, L. and Peace, G. 2004. Information Ethics: Privacy and Intellectual Property. Hersey, Pennsylvania: Information Science Publishing. ISBN 1-59140-491-6.

Kamp, Poul-Henning. 2011. “The Software Industry Is The Problem.” Communications Of The ACM, Business Source Complete, 54 (11): 44-47..

Miller, S. 2010. The moral foundations of social institutions: A Philosophical Study. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Park, Yong J. 2013. “Digital Literacy and Privacy Behavior Online.” Communication Research, Academic Search Premier, 40(2): 215-236.

Smyth, S. M. 2010. Cybercrime in Canadian criminal law. Toronto, ON: Carswell.

Youn, S. 2009. “Determinants of Online Privacy Concern and Its Influence on Privacy Protection Behaviors Among Young Adolescents”. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 43(3): 389–418.

Natural Resources of Economics

Natural Resources of Economics

Presented by

Institution

Abstract

The journal, written by Corden and Peter in 1982, aimed at determining the aspects of structural change in open economies. The authors concentrated on the influence of natural resources to both developed and developing countries. Natural resources form the booming sector that contributes to the economic growth of the country. The article concentrated on the impact of de-industrialization by looking at the role of current technology in advancing older industries in Ireland, Switzerland, and Japan. The following paper provides a review of this article through analyzing the problems identified by authors, explaining the methods used to gather information and the authors’ main concluding remarks.

Introduction

Many empirical and theoretical studies have tried to investigate the phenomenon behind natural resources and their impact towards a country’s economy. Some scholars argue that natural resources are a curse because most resource-rich countries experience lower economic growth rates (Philippot, 2010). Max W. Corden and Peter J. Neary wrote about the booming sector and de-industrialization in a small open economy with the aim of exploring the nature of the general impacts towards de-industrialization. The authors based their analysis on areas where natural resources never exploited the cash from the nation but played a part in economic development. In addition, the article mentions about the effect of the current technology use in industries whereby technology has replaced human labor. The article concentrated on the short-term effects demonstrated through asymmetric growth because of resource allocation rather than long-term effects that cause depletion of natural resources.

The main problem(s)

The article addresses the impact of increased natural resources exploitation in the energy sector in terms of income distribution and growth of the manufacturing industry in terms of revenues generated from resource mining. According to the article, a boom occurs because of many reasons although it bases the argument on the improvement in technology. The article adopts a framework of an open economy producing goods purchased at exogenous global prices, and a non-traded good. The main traded goods identified in the article are energy and manufacturers while services forms the non-traded commodities (Corden & Neary, 1982). The article makes use of this framework because it played a major role in evaluating the outcome of the analysis through offering reliable and effective results. The authors made two key assumptions. Firstly, the models were assumed to be real, and any form of monetary consideration was ignored. The process dealt with real prices of goods identified. Secondly, only relative prices were determined, and the model gave no room for guess work. The analysis was conducted putting into consideration pre-boom equilibrium, influences of the boom on outputs, and effects of boom on the factor incomes (Corden & Neary, 1982).

Methods used to gather information

The article offers authors’ expertise in using frameworks and models in investigating a given phenomenon. The impact of natural resources towards the economy has been investigated by a number of researchers. Different methods are used by different people while trying to get to the root of the problem. Neary used the pure theory of international trade in establishing the effect of capital and labor towards development of the manufacturing sectors. The author borrowed a leaf from Corden and Peter in order to determine the relationship between natural resources and the micro-economy. Corden and Peter conducted their study in both developed and developing countries to determine sources of boom. Throughout the article, technology is used as the main source of boom and authors use it to gather information on industrial advancements in Japan, Switzerland, and Ireland (Corden & Neary, 1982).

On the other hand, natural resources management technologies have assisted in the improvement of the mining industries considering that industries can increase the productivity using the current technologies. Three main effects determine the level of resource use in the country. These are the amount of resources generated, the economic growth of the nation, and changes in income. Managi claimed that economic growth forms the central issues in the modern world and natural resources act as the main drivers to economic growth. Researchers focus more on people preferences and technology while analyzing long-run economic growth. In this article, the authors concentrated on the short-term economic growth through looking at the income and outputs. The article made use of these three factors in establishing the role of technology in natural resource exploitation during in the ancient periods. In addition, the article collected data from on energy prices to investigate the influence of the boom on people’s income and the resulting effect to the nation grid.

Conclusion

The following article is of great significance to the present economies because it provides countries with ideas on how to manage their natural resources. The article analyzed the problem of resource allocation, income distribution, and real exchange rates in traded goods. In conclusion, the article articulated that the boom promotes real appreciation because a rise in prices of non-traded goods leads to a real rise on the traded good (Corden & Neary, 1982). The results from this article demonstrate causes of de-industrialization. According to Rowthorn and Ramaswamy (1997), employment in most advanced technologies declined drastically from 1970 to 1994 because of the introduction of technologies that replaced human labor.

References

Corden, W. M., & Neary, J. P. (1982). Booming Sector and De-Industrialisation in a Small Open

Economy. The Economic Journal, 92(368), 825-848.

Managi, S. (2011). Technology, Natural Resources and Economic Growth: Improving the

Environment for a Greener Future. Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd, Cheltenham, UK.Neary, J. P., & Wijnbergen, S. v. (1986). Natural resources and the macroeconomy. Cambridge,

Mass.: MIT Press.

Philippot, L. (2010). Natural resources and economic development in transition economies.

Retrieved from

http://cerdi.org/uploads/sfCmsContent/html/323/Philippot.pdf

Rowthorn, B., & Ramaswamy, R. (1997). Deindustrialization its causes and implications.

Washington, D.C.: International Monetary Fund.

Cyber Bulling, Internet Predators And Personal Security Risks Of Social Networking Site

Cyber Bulling, Internet Predators And Personal Security Risks Of Social Networking Site

Introduction

Social networking sites are websites that provide a virtual community for people of the same tastes, and interests. Interested persons create their profiles in these websites and begin to connect to friends, family or interact with new friends via online activities such as, email, chat photos, events and status updates. Example of social networking cites include; facebook, myspace, myyearbook, twitter, youtube webkinz and club penguin just to mention but a few.

Social networking sites form real grounds for making friend and sharing important information with family and friends. However, they have become channels through which social crimes are perpetrated like cyberbullying, online predation and privacy invasion or personal security risks. Both kids and adults are at risk of embarrassment by providing much information on their profiles pages on social sites for the whole world to see. Increase of social networking sites is not the root cause of social crimes like cyberbulling, internet predation and privacy invasion; they have only increased the volume of content or increased susceptibility to the problems.

For better understanding of social networking problems, I shall tackle each problem separately. Namely;

cyberbullying

Online predators

Private life invasion/ personal security risks

Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying can be defined as the use of internet to send or post text, video, or image to hurt or embarrass another person intentionally. With the advent of the internet and subsequent advancement of technological tools like notebooks, tablets and mobile phones, cyberbullying has evolved to a very challenging issue in our lives now more than ever before (Smith, 2009). This includes such sites like face book, tweeter, LinkedIn, myspace just to mention but a few. Cyber bullying mostly occurs in chat rooms, blogs, emails, texting and more commonly social networking sites. There are several types of cyberbullying that are practiced nowadays. They include;

Harassment: it involves repeated behavior of sending nasty, mean and insulting messages.

Flaming: this is a kind of online fight that is characterized by instant messages or email with vulgar or angry language.

Denigration: this bullying involves “dissing” someone online by posting gossips or rumors about the person with the intention of damaging the reputation of the person.

Impersonation: this kind of bullying involves someone pretending to be someone else and sending or posting materials online with the intention of damaging ones reputation or friendship.

Pranking; this involves tricking an individual to provide embarrassing information or secretes and then sharing it online.

43% of teens (4of 10) provide information that they have experienced some form of cyberbullying last year.

the report released on Feb., 11, 2010, by David Abel, Globe staff entitled “Newburyport teens charged in cyberbullying case” reveals that three 14 years old boys from Newburyport were charged with the identity after they allegedly harassed a boy at high school by creating a false facebook page having the boys name and picture and then posted disparaging remarks on the page about the student. The police report indicated that the boys accused of bullying were judged at Newburyport district court. Lieutenant Mark Murray of the Newburyport police department retaliated that bullying has been rampart in the state and they will take the case seriously so as to send a message to the whole state. Murray said that the harassment will not be tolerated since the prince of phoebe, 15, had committed suicide by hanging herself after being bullied by a group of girls who taunted her with a series of hurting messages on facebook. The boy who did not have a facebook page was questioned by many students about the posts on the facebook page and other attacked him physically by tripping him.

Visual script for Cyber bullying statistics

The following statistics were adapted from youth research compiled at cyberbullying.us

The approximate number of youths who have been victimized by cyber bullying is about 33%

56% of the primary cyber bullying location was in they chat room

49% of the victims in the chat room were victimized via instant messages while 28% via e-mail

The statistics reveal that about 34 % of the bullied youth feel frustrated, 22% feel sad and 30% feel angry. Of the total percentages bullied women feel angrier than men.

About 41 % of the victims remain quit of the abuse while about 38% tell at least an online friend of the abuse.

Of the interview guys 17 % admitted to have bullied an individual online. The interviewees revealed that they considered it fun or instructive to bully their victims so as to strengthen them.

More than 50% of the participants interviewed felt that cyber bullying is bad and is just like or more badly than bullying that occurs in real life situations (youth research compiled at cyberbullying.us).

42% of the kids interviewed revealed that they have been bullied online and ¼ of them indicated that the bullying occurred more than once

Cyberbullying is on the rise in the recent years as the national survey of 10-17 years old c indicated that more than half of the online children have been victims or perpetrators of bullying.

ONLINE PREDETORS

Internet provides a very good platform for online predators since they can easily hide their identity and get access to the target victims. An online predator can be defined as a criminal who targets teens with the aim of manipulating them to meeting for sex. Online predators masquerade to be building genuine friendship with victims through lying, blackmailing, and guilt. Additionally, they attempt to engage in intimate communication and eventual in-person meeting. Online predators also use information on the profile page of the social site to try and locate the victim in person and engage them in a relationship. This is the reason why it is critical for one to evaluate the information to be included in the profile page to avoid predation. Predators “groom” to attract the victims into their trap. The national centre for missing and exploited children conducted research study on crime against children in 2006 and found the following about youth internet users for a period of five years.

Visual script for online predation

The rate of youth encountering unwanted sexual exposure to sexual materials increased from25% to 34%.

There was an increasing rate of 6% to 9% of cases of online harassment

There was a decrease from 19%- 13% in the number of those youths receiving unwanted solicitation for sex. This is attributed to proper measures taken against online predation.

Forty percent (40%) of youth who use internet revealed that online sex solicitors asked for nude or sexually explicit photographs from them.

Thirty one percent (31%) of the solicitors were very aggressive and they attempted offline contact with the youth.

The above bargraph shows lifetime cyberburrying victimization rates from 2010-2004.

2004 registered the highest rate od cyberbullying while 2007 recorded the smallest rate of about 18%.

The information above shows that of the 4441 sample students who were interviewed they revealed in a period of 30 days that they at least suffered one aspect of bullying with 20% admitting that they have been cyber bulled in their lifetime and cyber bulled others in their lifetime. During the 30 day research, posting hurtful messages and spreading of rumors were the most commonly reported type of cyberbullying.

From the above bar graph More ladies experienced more cyberburrying in their lifetime than male counterparts; 28% females against 16% of males. Ladies are also easy to report cyberbullying incidences than men. Lastly ladies are likely to spread rumors online while men post hurtful posts while they bully their victims.

Personal security risks caused by use of social networking site

Invasion on private life or personal security risks is one problem that social sites pose to internet users. If personal information, password to social sites pages and photos posted online are not carefully they can be used by other malicious intruders to jeopardize the reputation of individuals or invade personal securities of individuals. Care must be taken so that information given online is limited to an extent of avoiding private life invasion by intruders or unnecessary persons. Malicious impersonation occurs when some people pretend to be the ones you really know but they are not the ones. Such people pretend to be your friend and befriend your children online leading to unfortunate consequences.

Conclusion

Cyber bulling, internet predators and personal security risks caused by use of social networking site is real and is on the increase as seen from above. The advent of social networking sites only accelerated the problems associated with internet crimes. The best way to curb or stop cyberbullying, online predation and personal security risk is by educating internet users to be careful about the information they reveal about them online. Kids must be informed and guided by their parents not to give private information online because once they do so they risk themselves against burring and predation or invasion of their personal lives by intruders. Asking people to stop using social sites as a way to avoid cyberbullying, online predation and private live invasion is not the best way of dealing with the crimes or prosecuting the perpetrators of the crime still, is not the best way to deal with it rather everybody should be informed that the any personal/ private information provided online is never safe at all and is prone to online intrusion. However, perpetrators of cyberburrying or those people responsible for spreading rumors about other people or impersonating other people who do not have pages on social sites should be prosecuted and punished for causing harm to innocent victims.

More research should be done on cyberbullying so that strong measures can be developed to curb these crimes which are on the increase in the recent years. Most importantly the parents should be alert and informed about the social sites their children are operating so that they can easily monitor any kind of bullying or abuse resulting from the sites. They should encourage their kid stop report to them or seek for advise incase they encounter problems online. This will serve as the sets strategy to avoid may negative consequences of cyberbullying and other online crimes committed to kids.

Scripted audience questions

Why is cyberburrying on the increase in the recent times?

Answer: It is emergent this days because of the increase of many social sites and technological advancement. People can use laptops, mobile phones notebooks, desktops and may other technological gadgets which support internet to perpetrate cyberbullying (Smith, 2009).

What are the effects of cyberbullying, online predation and private live invasion online?

Answer: The effects that cyberbullying can have on an individuals greatly differs from one person to another. This is dependent on a number of factors like age, experience, knowledge, emotional maturity among many other variables. The most common emotional effects that have been reported to have occurred to individuals include depression, anger, sadness and frustration. It is important to note here that the effect that cyberbullying can have on one individual, is not the same effect it can have on another. This is because we all perceive what happens around us very differently .Further, cyberbullying and online predation can cause physical effects such as self harm or suicide committal (Smith, 2009).

(iii) What best measures should be taken to stop or reduce the effects of cyberbyllying, online predation and personal live intrusion online or personal life security risks?

Answer: Parents should ensure that their children are informed of the cyber safety tips to be able to notice predators and bullying messages or e-mails. Cyberbullying prevention techniques/ campaigns must be emphasized to sensitize all the people about the vice and provide them with necessary tips of avoiding the vice from spreading even more (www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying.).

(iv) Are social networking sites key contributors to cyberbullying, online predation and personal security risks?

Answer: It is evident that the advent of social networking sites provides a much more environment for cyberbullying, and online predation. However, cyberbullying has been existent since the emergence of internet. Social networking sites contribute about 58% of the overall cyberbullying and online predation ( HYPERLINK “http://www.cyberbully411.com/” www.cyberbully411.com/).

Reference

HYPERLINK “http://safety.lovetoknow.com/Cyber_Bullying_Statistics” http://safety.lovetoknow.com/Cyber_Bullying_Statistics

HYPERLINK “http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying” http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying

United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2008.  National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention.  Prevalence of Individual Adverse Childhood Experiences, 1995-1997.

United States Department of justice.  National Institute of Justice.  Youth Victimization: Prevalence and Implications, 2003.

Wolak, Michell and Finkelhor.  Online Victimization of Youth: Five Years Later.  Alexandria, VA, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  2006.

HYPERLINK “http://www.cyberbully411.com/” www.cyberbully411.com/

HYPERLINK “http://www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying” www.ncpc.org/cyberbullying.