Trust and Information Security: Schneiers Video Analysis

Schneier puts forward very crucial issues about information security. I concur with his argument that people always trust others or even some things without thinking much about it. However, I disagree that people are so naïve that they can put 100% trust in any issue. People have learned that there is no physical difference between a good person and a bad person. Therefore, they usually take caution.

However, people trust that technology is the solution and heavily depend on it for their day to day activities (Calabrese, 2004). As a result, cybercriminals have taken advantage of this and increased their evil tricks. I agree with him that security professionals are in work as long as hackers and other cybercriminals are in existence. In a nutshell, there must be a balancing act in any aspect of society.

On the same note, his argument that there comes a time when people get tired of an idea is paramount. It is important to note that trust lasts only if there are no frustrations. Nevertheless, if people realize that their trust is frustrated continuously, they are bound to revolt. It is vital to note that in such cases, change becomes inevitable. Additionally, since firms are out to maximize profits, it will be wrong to say that information security is a priority to them. I concur with Schneier that firms adhere to the law about security not because they like spending extra cash, but because they trust that the move can help in maintaining customers (Calabrese, 2004).

I agree with note two that trust has lost the importance it had. Nowadays, people are skeptical about any issue or person they are involved with. However, I do not agree that people have completely lost their trust and cannot dare trust anything. Yes, society has disintegrated and many people prefer not to completely have faith in various issues. But people use technological devices because they believe their work will be made easier. People use antivirus software because they trust it will protect their computers.

I concur with note three that in the modern-day world, trust is not even a question to discuss as far as information technology is concerned. All internet sites ensure they are completely secured because the users cannot be trusted. Moreover, it is a trust that leads to the spread of cybercrimes. Though there are some issues in society that require trust, information security is not one of them. Even co-workers are not supposed to be trusted and must also be expected to follow the security channel before accessing anything. The blind trust that people were accorded before is the cause of all the security problems currently facing internet users.

Note WK presents a very good argument. People must trust technology to be willing to use it. They must be confident that technology works to their benefit before they decide to purchase any software. It is a trust that people have in certain software that makes them take the risk of using the software. Unfortunately, this is a double-edged sword and has led to an increase in attacks. It is paramount to note that the failure of trusted antivirus software has led to huge losses (Calabrese, 2004).

I also agree that reputation plays a very crucial role in determining the success of a firm. Customers will be more willing to get out of a firm that is usually attacked by hackers. Therefore, firms will do anything to protect their reputation.

Reference

Calabrese, T. (2004). Information Security Intelligence: Cryptographic Principles & Applications. Stanford: Cengage Learning.

Bridges to Biotechnology and Bioentrepreneurship

Biotechnologies and bioengineering have stepped forward over the past few decades due to the development of information and other technologies. It is difficult to imagine who has a greater influence on the global system now than biotechnologists. I am interested in this program because I think it is a unique opportunity for me personally to get acquainted with the biotechnology industry. Summer school is a great start for a career in this field, which will help to increase personal interest in this segment. It means a lot to me that every year new discoveries occur in the field of biotechnology, which greatly improves human life.

I am close to the main activities of companies that are trying to solve such global problems of humanity as climate change, aging, high-quality food production and the availability of medical care. In times of wars, political disputes and epidemics, it is important to continue improving science and technology to enrich every persons life (Angelita et al., 2021). I consider this program useful for myself in the sense that I will get the opportunity to study for an online masters degree in the direction I am interested in. A big plus will be to interact with experts in this field to study all the advantages and disadvantages of biotechnologies.

The opportunity to receive valuable advice will be good support for a future career in the field of biotechnology. The scholarship is not so important as the knowledge and experience gained in what I really like and what I want to develop in the future. The chance to contribute to solving global problems, make new discoveries and make medicine more accessible and of high quality really inspires and motivates hard work in this field.

Reference

Angelita, P. H., Liane, S. S., Kaylin, M. C., & James W. L. (2021). Bridges to biotechnology and bioentrepreneurship: Improving diversity in the biotechnology sector. Nature Biotechnology, 39(11), 1468-1474.

Scheduling of Resource-Constrained Projects

How does the development of project software compare to other methods of scheduling. What are the benefits of using project software? What are the downfalls of using technology in this manner?

According to Brown and Hyer (2010), the different project scheduling methods depend on different variables. The Critical Path Method (CPM) depends on time and the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) depends on the most likely optimistic and pessimistic time estimates, and on both the sequential and parallel execution of tasks. According to Lewis (2006), the difference between the software and other scheduling methods is based on Activity-On-Node (AON) and the Activity-On-Arrow (AOA) scheduling techniques. Some of the scheduling methods have dummy activities and other methods lack those. A dummy activity can create a false dependency. A dummy activity can be used to clarify the logic of a project. In most cases, the software development life cycle depends on a single dominant path of a precedence network (Bolles & Hubbard, 2007). The benefits of using project software include the ability to automate project tasks and identify needs for effective and efficient allocation of resources. According to Lewis (2006), project software enables project team managers to reduce project time scale, cut costs, develop better procedures for troubleshooting, reduce the time for routine decision making, provide simplified visual displays of activities, and easily monitor project tasks. The downfall means inappropriate resource allocation, such as financial resources and personnel, along with an inability to change under the influence of modifications that happen with the project (Brown & Hyer, 2010).

Successful Scheduling

The textbook gives examples of successful scheduling. What are the benefits of having a schedule for a project?

According to Brown and Hyer (2010), the benefits of having a schedule include the ability to allow for detailed planning and critical thinking. A project schedule enables project team managers to identify tasks and subtasks and fit them appropriately within the project schedule. It enables the effective management of resources within projects and allows the scheduling of tasks and identification of eligible activities. It enables the evaluation of projects to determine viable and non-viable projects (Brown & Hyer, 2010). According to Heerkens (2002), the schedule allows the customers to provide incentives for the earlier completion of the project. It makes the project manager avoid incurring costs, which are caused by contractual penalties and the loss of profits that might be incurred because of the late market entry of a product. It enables the project manager to reschedule some activities and resources because of changes in user requirements and too fast to track some project activities to allow some activities to run concurrently (Lewis, 2007). The schedule encourages the manager to modify the timetable of project activities to meet the demands and constraints that are either internal or external, such as cost overruns, emergency crisis, new technology, and customer requirements that have not been known previously (Heerkens, 2002).

Variables for developing the project

What are the variables that must be considered when developing a project schedule? Give a short explanation of how they impact the schedule development.

According to Kerzner (2009), the variables to consider when the development of a project schedule should take place include resources and time requirements to complete the project. They contain the effort required to complete each task, the resources needed for each task, and the time taken to complete each task. The time to complete the whole project and time for each task can be measured in months, weeks, or even days, and the effort is measured in terms of man/months (Brown & Hyer, 2010). Kerzner (2009) asserts that the schedule enables the project manager to identify the workforce required to complete each task and interdependent tasks successfully. It allows the project manager to consider the best time to start and complete the project, the least risk, and the least cost incurred in the project. Other considerations include how to use resources, communicate effectively, and evaluate schedule alternatives (Klein, 2000). One of the variables factored into the construction of a schedule includes the effort applied to each task. When the applied effort is increased, the delivery time reduces significantly decreasing the amount of time required for each project task (Kerzner, 2009). According to Kerzner (2009), other variables are tasks to perform, the time for each task, and resource requirements.

Precedence Relationships

What are the different types of precedence relationships? Which types are most practical to use when scheduling.

The different types of precedence relationships in a schedule are based on the relationships between tasks (Lewis, 2004). According to Brown and Hyer (2010), the forward pass task based on schedule consists of interconnected tasks having the start and finish time. Each task has an Early Start (ES) for every starting activity and Early Finish (EF) for any terminating activity. Another relationship is based on the backward pass. In the backward pass, the relationship between tasks is grounded on the Late Finish (LF) for the last milestone or the last activity. The relationship can be described in the form Finish-Start (FS) in which the last activity can only start after the first activity has been completed. The Start-Start (SS) schedule means that the first activity can only start after the completion of the last activity has been done. Another relationship is the Finish-Finish (FF) schedule where the second activity is started when the first activity is completed (Brown & Hyer, 2010). The last relationship is based on the Start-Finish (SF) schedule where the second activity is finished after the first activity has been completed. The most viable option for practical scheduling includes the Start-Finish (SF) and the Start-Start (SS) scheduling options (Lewis, 2004).

References

Bolles, D. & Hubbard, D. G. (2007). The Power of Enterprise-wide Project Management. New York: Willey & Sons.

Brown, K. A., & Hyer, N. L. (2010). Managing projects: A team-based approach. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Heerkens, G. (2002). Project Management. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Kerzner, H. (2009). Project Management: Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. New York: Wiley & Sons.

Klein, R. (2000). Scheduling of Resource-Constrained Projects. New York: McGraw-Hill

Lewis, J. P. (2004). Project Leadership. New York: Wiley & Sons. New York: Willey & Sons.

Lewis, J. P. (2007). Fundamentals of Project Management. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Lewis, J. (2006). The Project Managers Desk Reference. New York: Willey & Sons.

Safeguarding Medical Transcription Records

Medical records secured on the database are at risk of falling into unauthorized hands due to malicious attacks by cybercriminals. These records can be tampered with by hackers, who can alter the images and create false identification of different ailments, which can be dangerous to the patient. These assaults differ from changing clinical pictures utilizing ill-disposed AI for misleading recognizable proof of malignant growth to the age of ill-disposed traffic lights for affecting the wellbeing of independent vehicles (Yamin et al., 2021). Also, from a vulnerability perspective, the star topology network frame is the most susceptible to attacks from hackers. Hackers who gain access to the system can create a denial of service (DOS) attack. They can then demand ransomware from the said medical organization, without which they can threaten to leak the information, which might prove to be costly.

It can be challenging to safeguard the information contained in the medical transcription records. Taking measures to ensure that the data is well secured should be the top priority of the parties involved. When transcribing, one should bear in mind that the content of the information they are typing is sensitive and, in any case, shouldnt just fall into any hands. The data ought to be grounded on a protected data security framework (HISST) which covers and elucidates every one of the dangers that might occur around the whole clinical brotherhood and ways of shielding them (Dawson et al., 2009). Also, formulating an incident response plan would be an efficient way to respond to a threat in case of an attack. The information transcribed should be limited to the access of unauthorized personnel who could tend to compromise the data. The software used to safeguard the report should have frequent updates and a thorough inspection to seal any ground that could lead to information leakage. Updating or doing away with outdated software could also be an efficient security protocol to safeguard the information. Using personal devices to hold vital information is not recommended as loss of these devices could lead to loss of critical data or, worse still, unauthorized access of information by the wrong parties.

An incident report team should be the first line of defence if there is a breach. Assembling this team would be vital in assessing the damage and controlling anything vital during that moment. An information technology team should incorporate experts like chief, lead examiner, interchanges pioneer, C-suite delegate, office director, HR, IT, lawyer, advertising, break reaction specialists, and a business partner agent (Romanosky et al., 2011). This team can enable an organization to restore data as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Incorporating lessons learned during the breach would help stop it from occurring again. Relevant information should be backed-up to preserve them while configuring data that can help get hold of those responsible. Among the staff involves a team of well-trained IT specialists who can backtrack the loop source. Monitoring would require a well-versed team that can mitigate an efficient way to help restore the software operations while preserving some of the transcribed data. Additionally, it is important to notify the policy immediately a case of data breaching has occurred. They have the ability to track data crimes using data crunching software known as SPSS (Fernando & Dawson, 2009). Through analyzed trends of real time data mining, the police can restore data normalcy.

References

Fernando, J. I., & Dawson, L. L. (2009). The health information Security System: An informatics theory. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 78(12), 815-826. Web.

Romanosky, S., Telang, R., &Acquisti, A. (2011). Do data breach disclosure laws reduce identity theft? Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 30(2), 256-286. Web.

Yamin, M. M., Ullah, M., Ullah, H., &Katt, B. (2021). Weaponized AI for cyber attacks. Journal of Information Security and Applications, 57, 102722. Web.

Are Cellphones a Learning Tool or a Distraction?

Mobile learning represents a significant advantage for both learners and educators across the globe that can be considered a distraction only to a minimal extent that does not impact the overall quality of education.

The increasing amount of online content makes it easier for students to find sufficient evidence in real time. With various sources available, students have the opportunity to use their mobile devices to access certain data without any particular obstacles (Nikolopoulou et al. 62). There are only a few restrictions forcing students to go offline.

Students have the opportunity to utilize their mobile devices to learn certain subjects at their own pace without interfering with other learners. This is an important step forward compared to conventional classrooms, where there are too many restrictions affecting students in a negative manner (Christensen and Knezek 115). More and more e-learning platforms are kickstarted, allowing students to learn whatever and whenever they want.

Device compatibility often poses a significant issue for learners because of unsupported operating systems, software versions, and screen sizes. With all these variations at hand, students could reap the benefits of mobile learning only to a certain extent, missing out on essential information (Wang et al. 922). This also means that a certain percentage of learners would not have access to learning materials at all.

Regardless of the issues related to standardization and compatibility, mobile learning is much more dynamic. Students are properly engaged in the process and less likely to be distracted by technology due to the gamified elements of education (Kumar and Mohite 11). Therefore, student imagination and creativity can be increased with mobile learning despite weak standardization.

The need to be flexible and gain access to a vast amount of data at the same time makes it impossible to ignore the role of mobile learning in the lives of modern students.

Works Cited

Christensen, Rhonda, and Gerald Knezek. Readiness for Integrating Mobile Learning in the Classroom: Challenges, Preferences and Possibilities. Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 76, 2017, pp. 112-121.

Kumar, Bimal Aklesh, and Priya Mohite. Usability of Mobile Learning Applications: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Computers in Education, vol. 5, no. 1, 2018, pp. 1-17.

Nikolopoulou, Kleopatra, et al. Teachers Readiness to Adopt Mobile Learning in Classrooms: A Study in Greece. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, vol. 26, no. 1, 2021, pp. 53-77.

Wang, Cixiao, et al. Learning Performance and Cognitive Load in Mobile Learning: Impact of Interaction Complexity. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, vol. 34, no. 6, 2018, pp. 917-927.

Current and Future Security Issues and How to Combat Them

Security Issues

There are overarching security threats that might occur in the future due to major changes resulting from advancements in technology, the boost of globalization, and changing consumerism. Several threats include cyberattacks, artificial intelligence and satellites being attacked by adversaries either physically or electronically. What might occur is the improvement of metrics that are undertaken while the three issues are navigated in daily life. For that reason, individuals will have a high capability to transform protocols and configurations that may lead to malice and distortion of properties (Gorman, 2022). It would be an issue because the world will rely on technologically-powered processes almost in all sectors, posing a risk in many interrelated functions.

Major Security Concerns that Affect the World Currently and in Future

Cyberattacks

The term cyberattack means an assault launched by malicious people by utilizing one or more computers against a given network or digital system. This issue is a threat to security matters since people who undertake the cyberattacks steal data and disable configurations in a computer which is a key breach in security (Shree et al., 2021). Currently, cyberattacks are rampant, and many firms have found it a bug in their operations. As of 2018, there were 30 million attacks annually and about 80,000 daily (Lu & Yang, 2022, p.16). 21% of the files that probe people to hack are not protected.

When it comes to sensitive data for companies, many firms have neglected securing their sensitive files. That may include credit card numbers and health records used in critical issues (Lu & Yang, 2022, p. 36). Despite most organizations alleging to have increased their security risks since 2017, 30%, comprising mostly digital firms, have successfully combatted the potential of cyberattack. 61% of breached people were businesses that had less than 1000 employees (Ördén, 2019, p. 431). Therefore, from the above statistics, it is evident that online security is at threat. There is a need to prevent the issue before it escalates further beyond the current extent.

A raft of elements might occur when it comes to cybersecurity. It is true to say that in the future, cyber threats will continue to plague entrepreneurs mostly who rely on the technological metrics to offer services to clients. Many companies in the US have embraced the policy of working from home to combat the coronavirus and offer flexibility for older employees who might find commuting daily a problem (Gorman, 2022). As a result of this new trend, many companies will be forced to open access to infrastructure areas that will negatively affect the business. Adopting cloud systems is a key boost for the corporate sector since it unites a workforce dealing with a long-term project or launching a sensitive matter.

There will be more data vulnerability for many companies due to the current adoption of the internet of things (IoT) in all sections of working lines. Due to the misconfiguration of networking systems combined with a plethora of digital elements, companies will suffer from the consequences of embracing technology in all lines of work (Bitdefender Enterprise, 2022). The reason why adverse computer attacks will characterize the future is due to new avenues of attacks that ensue by the day. For example, access control and cloud software that requires new microservices architecture probe an attack to learn about the computer pathways used to deploy functions during operations. The future victims include hospitals, financial institutions, insurance companies, transportation and the education sector. Botezatu, a computer scientist, says that Cyber-attacks have evolved into the realm of warfare as more and more nation states are arming themselves with digital weapons in the form of zero-day exploits and technology designed for espionage or data exfiltration (Bitdefender Enterprise, 2022). Therefore, this analysis means companies must prepare for future cyberattacks.

When it comes to the security of the nations, malicious cyber activities are a threat to public safety and the USs economic security. Criminals may be able to steal financial data for the countrys main network and lead to the loss of intellectual property, which puts the country at risk of a monetary crisis (Lu & Yang, 2022). When the country is adversely affected by cyber-attacks, its resources may be used to reduce the political and economic power hence, a major blow to the entire country.

Artificial Intelligence

Among security issues that might ensue significantly in the future is the power of artificial intelligence (AI) that facilitates crime, forensics and other issues. AI means the ability of a computer to undertake tasks associated with human beings by configuring robotic protocols through machine-learning technology that substitutes most of the human workforce. Jeong (2020) says that Although AI has solved various challenges, potential security threats of AI algorithms and training data have been stressed by AI researchers. From his remarks, it is true to say that AI has shown the potential for inherent security risks in the current computer settings, which has led to the growth of cybercrime in the US and other parts of the world. For example, due to the power of AI, autonomous vehicles and intelligence virtual assistants have been associated with crimes that lead to physical harm to people.

AI can be categorized as a tool for crime and as a targeted crime, as shown in Figure 1 below. AI can be said to be a tool for crime due to its ability to enable digital processes that trigger hackers to manipulate data to fit their demands. This intelligence has influenced all the fields such as computer science, robot technology, criminology and social engineering. In the future, AI will adopt online personas, also known as socialbots, who will act like people in approaches related to the barring of cybercrime (Jeong, 2020). However, the capability of these online personas shall facilitate crime by processing personal data and exposing privacy factions of a given system, enabling malicious criminals to steal information. The adoption of chatbots has led to online engagement, which is mostly done with customers. The ability of AI to initiate random messages for conversation means people can alter the protocol to trick online users into giving information hence facilitating cybercrime. The automated detection metrics will make cybercriminals target AI protocols, leading to data vulnerability. Thus, from the concepts raised in this paragraph, the extent to which AI is growing poses a security concern in the future.

Taxonomy of AI crime 
Figure 1: Taxonomy of AI crime

When it comes to the security of the US, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has shown concerns about the adoption of AI when it comes to the security of the country. According to Allen and Chan (2017), AI will affect the countrys military, social, and economic perspectives. It is important to note that AI has been useful in integrating security matters of the US by critically sending details of any potential terror attacks. However, due to the power of AI and nuclear weapons, automated aircraft can be used by the enemy to threaten the countrys security. It is possible to send a drone aircraft to determine the areas with a conflict of interest and hence, give a protocol configuration of firing using missiles that can lead to global geopolitical tensions (Allen & Chan, 2017). The transformation of AI has impacted the power of the military in that criminals can use the technology in place to drive attacks, resulting in insecurity in the country.

Attack of Satellites by Adversaries

There is a growing threat to US satellites due to the attacks from adversaries. According to Walker (2021), there is a need to safeguard the US satellite system from adversaries. The reason is that these attacks have a vast effect on the countrys future in terms of security. If the space is distorted, which is a key point that the US relies on to undertake almost everything, it means the country is not secure, and that can lead to taking advantage by groups such as terrorists who use AI to succeed in cybercrime. For example, if the satellites are attacked, there could be no flow of information through digital means such as television, radio, internet and automated teller machines (ATMs) (Lu & Yang, 2022). One of the security agents in the US says that Increasingly, rival nations are looking at ways of taking out our satellites. Hitherto, the space assets we have been unprotected and we didnt fear for them at all (Walker, 2021). The security of the US is at risk since other nations have spent billions of dollars in an attempt to destroy its satellites.

The attack on satellites has been a key threat to Homeland Security. With Russia, China, and North Korea has tested systems that would attack and destroy the USs satellites, the future of the country in terms of security is threatened. The global success of managing space capabilities means that there will be a possibility that the US and China may fall prey to Thucydides trap one day (Lu & Yang, 2022). If two countries engage in warfare, it draws allies associated with each country in a fist to assist their counterpart, leading to a global war. Therefore, the current attack by adversaries is a foreshadowing that the future of the US in terms of security is uncertain due to the existing security threats.

What Can Be Done to Combat the Security Threats

The US is a capable country that can develop a remedy to most of the problems faced by the nationals. To control cyberattacks that may be a threat to the countrys security, there is a need to control access to major systems used in executing data at various points (Jeong, 2020). There should be a comprehensive process that detects anyone who unlawfully accesses computer systems by allowing telefeatures that AI and microservices architecture power.

A crime can be prevented by having software that limits machine-learning concepts from accepting commands not in the default configuration. The country needs to offer exclusive training through appropriate agencies concerning the criminal tools powered through cloud technology (Allen & Chan, 2017). To control attacks on satellites, the US must strengthen its space assets that can respond to attacks by any perpetrator. That can be done by deploying security agents who monitor any attempt to attack by use of computer technology, when all that is done, the countrys future security-wise shall be improved.

References

Allen, G., & Chan, T. (2017). Artificial intelligence and national security. Belfer Center. Web.

Bitdefender Enterprise. (2022). What are the biggest cyber threats of the future? Businessinsights.bitdefender.com. Web.

Gorman, C. (2022). Recent developments in AI and national security: What you need to know. Lawfare. Web.

Jeong, D. (2020). Artificial intelligence security threat, crime, and forensics: Taxonomy and open issues. IEEE Access, 8, 184560-184574. Web.

Lu, A., & Yang, G. (2022). Malicious adversaries against secure state estimation: Sparse sensor attack design. Automatica, 136(8), 110037. Web.

Shree, R., Shukla, A., Pandey, R., & Shukla, V. (2021). A contiguous cybercrime investigation framework to deal with the cyber dependent-cum-cyber enabled crimes. Materials Today: Proceedings, 7(4), 22-28. Web.

Walker, J. (2021). Lawmakers warn of growing threats to US satellites from adversaries. Thehill.com. Web.

Ördén, H. (2019). Deferring substance: EU policy and the information threat. Intelligence and National Security, 34(3), 421-437. Web.

IT Technologies and Data Impact on Daily Life

Reflect On The US Election In 2008. How Did Web 2.0 Technologies And Related Digital Culture Contribute To The Presidential Campaigns? Do You Feel That Such Strategies Were Effective? Why Or Why Not? Do You Think The Internet Can Be Used Successfully As A Medium For Democratic Participation In Canada? How About For Various Forms Of Activism? Is Facebook A Powerful Agent For Social Change? Provide A Clear Argument Illustrating Whether Or Not You View The Internet To Be An Essentially Democratic Medium, Providing Examples From Popular Culture, Recent Political Events, The Readings, And Your Own Experience.

Once upon a time, the development of printing resulted in the epoch of Enlightenment. The modern world of information is now witnessing new changes. The Internet and social networks become a powerful means of sharing information and changing the world to great extent. Some people argue that cyber-utopians over-estimate the impact of the World Wide Web on the development of societies (Ceren). Nevertheless, there are far too many examples of the influence of social networks and the Internet on peoples lives, to ignore the growing power of that democratic medium.

In the first place, it is necessary to point out that the Internet and social networks like Facebook or Twitter should be regarded as a source of a vast amount of information from all over the world. News is generated every minute. Clay Shirkey notes that nowadays people suddenly have a world where anybody can publish and he underlines that spread of people who can commit acts of journalism isnt just a new capability in society; it breaks some old bargains (Does Obama Girl help Obama?).

In other words, there is no privileged class of journalists. At present some people cannot simply make a deal with a journalist to promote something or vice versa withhold. Now everyone having access to the Internet can publish any information, so it has become quite difficult to withdraw anything. It is, indeed, a sign of an essential democratic medium of ides expression.

Nevertheless, it is important to remember that powerful people have much more opportunities than the average citizen does, so potentially it is possible to detect and prevent any information leak since those in power exploit their total access to infrastructure and technology to overcome their populations limited options (Ceren). However, despite these arguments, it is obvious that people can and do influence the development greatly with the help of social networks.

One of the simplest examples of the power of the Internet is an episode from real life. The story happened in New York where Ivanna left her cell phone in a cab, and with the help of the social networks, she managed to return her $300 cell phone, though police did not want to interfere and classified Ivannas phone as missing not stolen (Does Obama Girl help Obama?). However, Ivanna revealed her story on the Web, and the media pushed police to act, and eventually, the cell phone was returned to its owner. This can be regarded as a domestic episode, but it is still important to point out that the Internet managed to help justice triumph. People from all over the world can help each other in numerous difficult situations.

The power of the Web and social networks has been acknowledged by activists as well. Reportedly, many activist groups have been trying to achieve their aims by persuading people to join the movement. For instance, Hassan claims that the magazine and website Adbusters organized various campaigns to achieve their major aims to subvert the corporate symbols of neoliberal capitalism and expose corporate malfeasance and hypocrisy (120).

These campaigns were quite local since they were aimed at Americans only. At present activists unite people worldwide with the help of technology. For instance, Alex Bookbinder, a student from a Canadian University, managed to create a group of activists and even raise funds against violence in Burma (Scola). Many other activist groups preoccupied with the situation in Burma could use the experience of Bookbinder and join to help the people of Burma.

More so, social networks start playing even a political role in the development of societies. For instance, such famous networks as Facebook and Twitter joined one of the sides during conflicts in Egypt and Tunis (Weisberg). Social networks are more powerful in developed countries since only young people (not quite many) of developing countries are aware of this medium. The Web unites people of developed countries, to great extent.

For instance, it is said that the Web played an important role in Obamas campaign of 2008. It did, indeed. Various videos (even of low quality) about Obama and his activities were posted on Youtube which was very favorable for his image and his popularity among voters (Does Obama Girl help Obama?). The Internet contributed greatly to the creation of Obamas positive feature.

On balance, the Internet and social networks should be regarded as a potent tool that influences greatly the development of societies. In developed countries like the USA and Canada, the networks can play not only an essential social and cultural role but an important political role as well.

Data Mining And Databases Affect Many Aspects Of Our Everyday Lives. Marketing Executives Argue That Customization Will Satisfy The Difference And Diversity Of A Society. Media Scholar Joe Turow States That By Emphasizing The Individual To An Extreme, The New Niche Marketing Forces Are Encouraging Values That Diminish The Sense Of Belonging That Is Necessary To A Healthy Civic Life And Such Customizing Is Producing Angst Over Social Difference. How Is The Practice Of Customer Profiling In Marketing Producing Niche Envy And Changing The Way We Think About Privacy? Do You Feel Naked In The Nonopticon? Provide Examples From Course Readings That Help Explain This Statement (For Example Niche Envy And Data-Driven Relationships) And Think Of How The Future Of Consumption Will Be Affected By Narrow Marketing Strategies.

Nowadays the issues of privacy have become of primary concern for many people. In the middle of the twentieth century, Orwell could only imagine that people can be watched day and night. At present, it is a reality where people have to live in. People reveal a lot of information which is being used without any control. Admittedly, it is difficult to have a skeleton in a cupboard since the Internet and social networks can easily reveal any secret.

This technological wonder was immediately used by marketing. Companies of the future will be able to produce and sell out products because they will have all the necessary information about peoples likings and preferences. Companies will be able to work out marketing strategies for every person who will become a buyer.

In the twenty-first century the idea of a prison where inmates are watched, and thus are pushed to behave themselves, has turned into a bit distorted reality. The idea of Panopticon presupposed that prisoners were forced to behave properly since all their activities were seen (Vaidhyanathan). It was a very interesting idea which could lead to improvements in prisons, though it seemed rather impossible. However, the development of technology made the impossible possible.

Nowadays social networks shape public opinion and can reveal peoples secrets. For example, a Canadian teenager recorded himself acting as a character from Star Wars, and unluckily the record was posted on several websites (including Youtube) and soon people worldwide knew not only about the teenagers performance skills but his name and the name of his school (Vaidhyanathan). The family of the teenager had to move to another city because public opinion was unfavorable for the quiet life of members of the family (everyone mocked at them). Such publicity is has played a negative role. Nevertheless, if a person does not have odd records or behaves properly, he/she is still cannot hope to have some privacy.

Modern people live in a brand-new world which was called the Nonopticon. Nonopticon is defined as a state of being watched without knowing it, or at least the extent of it (Vaidhyanathan). It is necessary to point out that nowadays people are not only watched by cameras number of which in the streets and various buildings are enormous. The opportunities provided by the Internet know no bounds. People share information about themselves without even paying much attention to it.

For instance, people often provide a lot of information on social networks. Thus, PlanetOut.com and similar sites advise that with such a wide spectrum of services, registration is required for the utility of these portals to be fully realized (Campbell 671). People who want to join some virtual community have to fill in various forms and reveal the whole truth about themselves. It is necessary to note that users are not told what is going to happen with their data and in what way the data will be used.

For example, Facebook shared the data about its users to a research group, claiming that the data were anonymized (Zimmer). However, when the data of the research were published it turned out that anonymized users can be easily identified. Admittedly, Facebook decided to share the private information of its users without making them aware of the fact. Thus, the social network decided what to do with the private data of users, not users themselves. It is quite difficult to anonymize any data since the Internet contains a vast amount of information about every Internet user, so even if someone anonymizes data, others can easily identify each user with the help of an additional set of data (Anderson).

The entire new industry has developed, i.e. data mining. Of course, this industry is a major tool for marketing. Even though many data mining companies provide distorted data about users, many of them generate a good portfolio that can be used by sellers (Stein). Thus, companies work out their marketing strategies based on such data obtained from data mining companies (Danna Gandy 373). This will enable companies to know their potential buyers better. Sellers will know about their customers before they even address these sellers. It is highly likely that companies of the future will address individuals which will become their customers. Companies will be able to produce products that will meet consumers expectations.

On balance, nowadays people have almost no place for privacy since the Internet and social networks provide various opportunities to reveal all secrets about individuals. These opportunities can transform the basics of marketing since companies can know everything to turn people into their consumers.

Domain Name System Tunnelling and Security

Abstract

The exponential rise in the usage of the internet and challenges necessitates the importance and use of the Domain Naming System (DNS). Despite the benefits, DNS is susceptible to abuse which calls for appropriate security solutions against such abuse.

Introduction

A report by the Internet World Stats (1) on the internet usage statistics based on ITU data shows that by March 2013, over 2,749 million users had visited the internet, and were actively involved in browsing the internet. The report details the usage characteristics of the internet based on the gender divide of men and women in the developed and developing world. Research shows that the visitors on the internet do not know that access is enabled through a domain name system, making access to any information among millions of records possible. Without the domain naming system, it could be impossible for the users to trace millions of hosts using IP addresses (Internet World Stats 1). In this case, the number of DNS records consisting of updated records shown by the number of chunks provides the basis for showing the downloaded malicious code by the regular index chunk is indicated by the number of chunks.

According to Aitchinson (36), DNS is an abbreviation for Domain Name System, which provides a hierarchical framework for translating internet domain names and hostnames to Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. The system allows applications to function using names such as Google.com by replacing difficult to remember IP addresses (Aitchinson 36).

The importance of DNS was to address the need for load balancing by spreading the operational loads across servers, controls the order of RRs, balancing mails and FTP services, and enables the delegation of the administration of name servers (Aitchinson 201). With the resolution and mapping of IP addresses and domain names, it has become easy to access the internet without the need to remember IP addresses (Aitchinson 207). The DNS system responds to recursive, iterative, or inverse queries from local or remote servers (Aitchinson 73).

Research by Anderson (1) of a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the number of DNS queries between 2004 July, 11 and 2013, July, 13 to be 8,614,652 daily respectively shows a significant number of queries as shown from the statistics are processed daily (Anderson 1).

According to Aitchinson (40), DNS abuses include the use of restricted services by an unauthenticated host, evading captive portals, co-operate espionage, malware, evading network policies and rules, and abusing slack space. DNS tunneling abuse includes DDoS attacks, evading captive portals, Advanced Persistent Threat (APT), command and control, and data exfiltration. However, good uses include the provision of capabilities to add security layers to the DKIM and SPF protocols. Avoidance of the abuse is done through the verification of the digital signatures by the client computer, countering the possibility of compromise by a man-in-the-middle attack. Also, a DES encryption and decryption ensures further security in a DNS query response cycle (Aitchinson 209).

Conclusion

The Domain Name System (DNS) is a naming system for translating IP addresses into domain names and vice versa in a hierarchical system. Domain tunneling involves encapsulating IP and upstream traffic and the use of records. The limitations include the requirement for encoding the upstream traffic with base32 encoded. DNS tunneling provides an effective mechanism for bypassing firewalls.

Works Cited

Aitchinson, Ronald, G.f. Pro DNS and BIND, New York: Press, 2011.

Anderson, Joshua, DNS Query Stats 2013. Web.

Internet World Stats 2013. Web.

The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Industrys Growth

With the development of technical capacities of various aviation equipment, new areas for the aircraft industrys growth have been introduced. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have become of particular interest in recent decades due to their versatility and usefulness (Liu al., 2021). Nevertheless, despite the accumulated knowledge, several topics must be addressed by the current and future research in this sector. Specifically, the improvement of UAS devices classification, dynamic traffic management, and communication capabilities are the prominent areas to be considered in UAS industry growth.

The classification of UAS equipment is a vital issue for airspace organization and management. While some regulations have been previously devised, they do not fully cover the specifics of UAS and its characteristics (Liu al., 2021). In addition, UAS have not been included in the controlled airspace, as none of the available airspace categories fit such devices (Liu al., 2021). Therefore, to ensure appropriate aircraft management, necessary regulations and classifications should be created.

Another complication to be considered is the dynamic traffic management system, which could allow easier maintenance of the airspace traffic. Considering the high numbers of UAS involved in air traffic and the lack of proper control frameworks, it becomes essential to integrate a comprehensive system to mitigate potential aircraft collisions (Liu al., 2021). As current UAS collect and store a variety of digital information, devising a data-driven management approach could be exceptionally beneficial for traffic flow control.

Finally, the communication capabilities of UAS devices could be a pertinent development area for the future decades. Although several modes of communication for UAS, such as ground and air and from air to air, have already been introduced and are being consistently utilized, their capacities could be further enhanced (Liu al., 2021). For example, Space-Air-Ground Integrated Network has been suggested as a means of improving the technological characteristics of UAS, thus establishing more efficient communication pathways.

Reference

Liu, Z., Cai, K., & Zhu, Y. (2021). Civil unmanned aircraft system operation in national airspace: A survey from Air Navigation Service Provider perspective. Chinese Journal of Aeronautics, 34(3), 200224. Web.

Information Security Functions and Programs

The main goal of information security (IS) programs is to protect information assets, ensuring their safety and proper functioning. For an organization, ISs purpose implies the performance of four essential functions: protecting functionality, data protection, enabling applications safe operation, and safeguarding technology assets (Whitman & Mattord, 2018). All four functions are vital since IS promotes secure and efficient organizations work, yet, in my opinion, data protection holds greater importance.

Functionality protection means that IS ensures the organizations ability to operate. Thus, IS performs not only technological tasks but managerial: managing information security has more to do with risk management, policy, and its enforcement than the technology of its implementation (Whitman & Mattord, 2018, p. 52). Enabling applications safe operation implies that IS programs implement appropriate and secured functioning of various applications used throughout organizations infrastructures. Considering rapid technological progress, organizations acquire and operate integrated, efficient, and capable applications, including operational ones, messaging tools, and operating system platforms (Whitman & Mattord, 2018, p. 53). Constantly and widely used applications proper functioning is ensured by IS programs. Safeguarding technology assets function presupposes that IS is expected to keep hardware and technological solutions appropriate to the scope and needs of the organization (Whitman & Mattord, 2018). Protection of physical or electronic collected data involves ensuring the safety and confidentiality of organizations information in transmission, in processing, and at rest (storage) (Whitman & Mattord, 2018, p. 52). Every organization operates with a large amount of information, and data protection is the crucial function of IS.

IS programs aim to address potential and existent issues to protect organizations information assets. Information and data protection appears the most significant among IS functions since every organization relies on information systems (Whitman & Mattord, 2018, p. 52). Organizations operate with valuable data, and its value makes information vulnerable. Collected and used information can contain private data, including personal, health, financial and other records. Theft and misuse of such information lead to concerning outcomes for employees, customers, and organizations in general. For example, a Russian hacker thieved data from the e-commerce site CD Universe. The data stolen contained several hundred thousand customers credit card numbers. The hacker blackmailed CD Universe to extort money, and after the company refused to pay, he posted stolen card numbers on his website (Whitman & Mattord, 2018). This example shows that data is the most vulnerable part of the organization and, therefore, the information protection function holds greater importance.

Reference

Whitman, M. E., & Mattord, H. J. (2018). Principles of information security (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.