Performance Management. Performance Management Is An Ongoing

Performance management Performance management is an ongoing process of diagnose, calculating and improving the performance of persons and groups and arrange next to performance with the strategic goals of the firm. Compromise, calculating, response, positive support and dialogue are five elements of performance management. According to (al, 2009) firm’s performance surround the three specific of organizational performance no. 1 is financial performance. No 2 is product market performance. No 3 is share holders return. According to (Aguinis, 2009.) Mostly performance management is treated as a component of performance valuation but it’s just a part of departed. When workers become unsuccessful to perform their duties the part of the†¦show more content†¦Top management may know the long term goals of the organization, a deeper understanding of the vision however may be solely understood and translatable by experts in the field. In changing business environments, the organizational lea rning process is a necessary skill in order to realize strategic change. The aim of performance management is to remove or somewhat reduce this hope. Performance management is the key process by wich the works is performed. It’s how firms contact intentions and try to drive styles to accomplish important targets; it’s also about how organizations identify ineffective performers for development programmes or other personnel actions. The aim of performance management is to improve performance; but whose performance? The scope of performance management is sometimes perceived as only extending to individuals and their managers. Usually it is described that there is not a single acceptable model of the performance management system. Many of the professional have elaborated the main theme in their personal style. Mabey recommended that the miniature of performance management arrangement in the form of ‘performance management round’. This round consists of five p arts which explain how a good performance management arrangement should be applied in a firm. A performance management system is consists of these parts. 1. Target setting 2. Performance measurement. 3. Feedback on the results of performance. 4. compensation process is based onShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Existing Sherwin-Williams Performance Program.1624 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of Existing Sherwin-Williams Performance Program In order for an organization to achieve long term success, it must consistently evaluate those plans and consider all of the organization’s entities and how they link together. By appraising the existing performance management process, it forces deeper analysis of the process, as well as its intended and unintended influences towards employees and the organization. Program Advantages This process is designed with the intent to identifyRead MorePerformance Appraisals and Employee Performance1035 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Performance Appraisals and Employee Performance: Performance appraisals are constantly viewed as burdensome tasks that employers would like to avoid despite understanding the significance of evaluating the performance of employees. This consideration is further fueled in organizations and companies with minimal pay raises and bonuses as well as those with downsized compensations. Organizations that take similar initiatives to deal with current economic challenges also experience difficultiesRead MoreThree Kinds of General Purposes for Performance Management1540 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The topic demonstrates dialectically whether performance management is omnipotent or not and provides the next step of performance management—performance improvement. Chapter 8 introduced the 6-step process and three kinds of general purposes of performance management. Performance management is central to gaining competitive advantage (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart and Wright, 2012, p.341). In this report, the topic states that performance management is a process, not a consequence. And it also saysRead MoreThe Performance Management System at Luminex Organization697 Words   |  3 PagesExecutive Summary The Performance Management (PM) system refers to the organization activity to ensure that employees work is aligned with the company strategic objectives, vision and the goals are met consistently and efficiently. Performance appraisals and awards systems are tools of PM that can improve the work performance of employees by helping them realize their full potentials in carrying out their organization mission; ensure that employees understand what is expected from them, andRead MoreOver The Years, The Manner Organizations Have Run Has Transitioned1274 Words   |  6 Pagesapparent that management is more crucial than ever, therefore making it still relevant in the 21st century. The multitude level of changes has resulted in businesses having to restructure, plan and undertake relevant measures to ensure they continue to perform at a high level. Businesses need to be able to meet the perpetual and continuous changes of the 21st century. New insights and strategies are required to support the changes in the various organization levels. Ultimately, it is management which leadRead MoreBusiness Needs Improve Performance Management Activities980 Words   |  4 Pages2.3 A case for change Therefore, this business needs to improve their performance management activities because, in dealing with the consequences of resistance to change, the business lost its competitive advantage. There was high employee turnover in the production team, resulting in reduced time to train staff, so product measurements for the factory to manufacture goods often went out incorrect. This contributed to higher levels of stress for the workers, in turn creating more errors. There wereRead MoreMerck Co. Performance Appraisal System1692 Words   |  7 PagesBrief Background on Merck amp; Co. Performance Appraisal System The past and existing performance appraisal of Merck amp; Co. was ineffective to identify and reward performance to a certain extent. Although the company was paying their employees around seven to eight percent more than the average compensation in other large companies, the performance appraisal system did not clearly identified outstanding performance, which caused inequity in rewarding performance and led to unhappiness among theRead MoreLittle Falls Hospital Risk Management Plan1461 Words   |  6 PagesLITTLE FALLS HOSPITAL RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN Purpose The purpose of the risk management program is to protect patients, staff members and visitors from inadvertent injury. The focus of Little Falls Hospital risk management plan is to provide an ongoing, comprehensive, and systematic approach to reducing risk exposures. Risk management activities include identifying, investigating, analyzing, and evaluating risks, followed by selecting and implementing the most appropriate methods for correcting, reducingRead MorePerformance Management Issues1433 Words   |  6 PagesPerformance Management Issues BUS681: Compensation and Benefits October 24, 2011 Abstract This research paper is based on the development and implementation of completely integrated performance management system. The organizations are enjoying many benefits by implementing the performance management system. It has helped in improving the productivity of employees in most of the organizations. It is to be understood that apart from advantages, the system also carries some disadvantages. ItRead MoreRob Parson at Morgan Stanley (a)1236 Words   |  5 PagesAnalysis: Rob Parson at Morgan Stanley (A) 1. Evaluate the effectiveness of the Morgan Stanley performance assessment and management system. The primary source of performance assessment at the firm is a multi-source 360 degree feedback tool. The secondary source is an employee’s self assessment. There are a number of issues as to why the primary tool is not effective in truly assessing the performance of an employee at Morgan Stanley. The first issue surrounds the reliability of the raters in

The Impact of Nikes Production Upon Developing Countries

Nike: Impact Upon Developing Countries Curtis Ardolino Nike is the world’s single largest producer of sporting wear, clothing, shoes and accessories. An Oregon based company founded in 1972 by Phillip H. Knight and William J. Bowerman. Nike’s broad range of products is the key to it’s success, it’s range includes Nike Skateboarding, Nike Golf, Nike Pro, Nike +, Nike Air Jordan and owns other big names such as surf brand Hurley; shoe manufacturer Cole Haan; and two large sports companies – Converse and Umbro. Having such huge sponsorship contracts with many of the world’s biggest athletes and sports teams, these huge profiles are simply another outlet for Nike to promote their products. Nike currently employs over 31,000 people†¦show more content†¦Nike disagrees with these claims suggesting that their code of conduct is enforced and worker safety is assured. Investigations have shown us that some of these policies have been broken and abuses have occurred as a result of this. There are always two sides two a story, Nike’s is really just one large argument. The argument against is that Nike exploits it’s workers and can set the price of their products as high as they want and the argument for Nike is that it brings billions of dollars into these struggling countries, employs thousands of people, gives these people security, accommodation and food. In our countries Nike’s actions would be illegal but this is the exact reasons that they have shifted manufacturing overseas because of the fact that it is so much cheaper and efficient to produce their goods. This whole story is a double edged sword, Nike is the world’s largest manufacturer of sporting goods, they produce tens of thousands of items each day through cheap labour and sell their goods for huge profits. Some may argue that they employ slave style workers, paying very little wage and allocating very little freedom to their workers. The countries that Nike produces in are often underdeveloped and underprivileged, Nike pays higher than average wage to it’s workers, it begs the question that if these conditions are so bad why do thousands of people continue to manufacture goods in Nike’s factories, these workers are given accommodationShow MoreRelatedHow Globalization And Technology Changes Have Impacted The Corporation You Researched1233 Words   |  5 Pagescompany’s headquarters is near Beaverton, Oregon founded by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight, who set out to reinvent athletic footwear. They wanted to improve upon one pair of running shoes called Onitsuka Tiger. Nike were more than distributors; they joined forces to design ideas and create better footwear (Vogel Garcia, 2012). The beginning of Nike’s innovation stirred up a creative vision for a company with more than globalization and technology. The company decided to embed sustainability with financeRead MoreCsr and Nike3829 Words   |  16 Pagesdifferent definitions of CSR- although there is considerable common ground between them. Regardless of the definition one chooses, there is a broad agreement that CSR is about how companies manage their business processes to produce an overall positive impact on society. 1.2 Importance of CSR: Presently a growing number of companies participate, make progress, show good financial results and become ever more convinced of the benefits of CSR for all stakeholders, including shareholders. HoweverRead MoreExploring How Nike Influences the Environments in Which It Operates1916 Words   |  8 Pagesthe components of this question, which are Nike and Environments. There is a tiny difference between a global and multinational company, but in general they are companies which operate in a number of countries and have production or service outside the country of origin. About Nike: The global corporation we know today as Nike originated from a small company founded in 1962 by two sports runners. The main activity of this small company was importing cheapRead MorePromise and Perils of Globalization - Nike7879 Words   |  32 PagesAlthough multinationals are eager to pursue the opportunities of increased global integration, they are increasingly aware of the reactions which their strategies induce – both at home and abroad. Thus, they tread warily, lacking clear and agreed-upon definitions of good corporate citizenship. Through a case study of Nike, Inc. – a company that has come to symbolize both the benefits and the risks inherent in globalization – this paper examines the various difficulties and complexities companiesRead MoreNike- Managerial Case Study4914 Words   |  20 Pagesexclusive and expensive marketing deals with some of the worlds top athletes to promote its products. Nike’s marketing campaigns featured winning athletes as spokespeople, and winning teams as an indication of Nike success. Nike enjoys a strong competitive position. It is always innovative and produces high quality products with superior technology. Nike products are sold in about 110 countries worldwide. The manufacturing process of Nike is done by independent contractors, primarily located overseasRead MoreNike- Managerial Case Study4930 Words   |  20 Pagesexclusive and expensive marketing deals with some of the worlds top athletes to promote its products. Nike’s marketing campaigns featured winning athletes as spokespeople, and winning teams as an indication of Nike success. Nike enjoys a strong competitive position. It is always innovative and produces high quality products with superior technology. Nike products are sold in about 110 countries worldwide. The manufacturing process of Nike is done by independent contractors, primarily located overseasRead MoreCorporate Governance of Nike1748 Words   |  7 Pagespublic service purposes. One of the corporations are the â€Å"Nike, Inc† which in other words can be said a company. And what here will be discussed the process how a corporate body that is Nike governs, ethic of it and the corporate responsibility of it upon the business world and balance of interest of the stakeholders such as Government, Employees, Customers, Suppliers, Creditors, Community. Corporate Governance: From the report of Cadbury Committee Chaired by Sir Adrian Cadbury 1992 it can be quotedRead MoreStrategic Marketing Case Study2564 Words   |  11 Pagesfiscal year 2009, it employed 34,300 people, working on 6 different continents. All these figures show that Nike is among the one of the world’s leading sports equipment manufacturers (Peters, 2009). Like any other business organization surviving and developing in the more and more intensified competitive marketplace, Nike has to contend against its business rivals so as to gain the full support of its devoted customers. In order to achieve this purpose, the company has to beware the importance of knowingRead MoreAnalysis of Nike Inc.9194 Words   |  37 Pagesendorsers, such as Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan. Alternatively, it may be Nike’s cutting-edge sporting vision and technology that entrances multitudes of consumers. Quite conceivably, it is a combination of these factors that has propelled Nike to the top of its industry. However, not the entire of Nike’s story is ideal. In recent years, the company has faced criticism in connection with its use of contract labor in developing nations. The purpose of this case is to provide an understanding ofRead MoreA001426205 Bellamy Charles STMK Essay2945 Words   |  12 Pagesaim of this discussion is to use the case study Nike – The art of selling air, to analyse challenges encountered by the company and how marketing principles developed in this subject could be, or were, applied to address them. The paper will explore Nike’s historical foundation and the marketing concepts and strategies which helped establish Nike as the world’s leading sports apparel manufacturer. Table of contents 1. Introduction 4 2. Inception 5 2.2 Inception – challenges 6 3. The importance of

Management and Business Context Key Partners

Question: Discuss about the Management and Business Contextfor Key Partners. Answer: Introduction Business management is a long lasting process that requires utmost cares of the management all the stakeholders of the organization. It may put forward some complication while during the business operation, which indeed requires firm support of the management to take some nullifying initiatives in response to the problem (Alvarez, 2016). The Chosen Company that is 7- Eleven is an Australian based Company, which operates in the format of convenience stores across the globe in 18 countries. The main purpose of this assessment is to assess the business management of the 7-Eleven Company. The assignment would discuss in brief the key sectors of a business operation, which indeed speak about the potentiality of a Company. Key partners in business mean very much to a Company. This is because of the fact that companies can never afford to run a business single handed without being relying on any other Company. This is for the reasons that different companies need different materials for their manufacturing works, which indeed is not possible to grow anything on the areas of Company. Key partners for the 7-Eleven Company are several such as Zynga, Coca-Cola, T-Mobile, PayNearMe, American Express, Marvel Group, MOL Group, NEC, Asus and Cott Corporation. It developed its relations with the Zynga aiming the distribution of its products in over 6,500 stores. T-Mobile supplies the Company with the facility to provide new prepaid phones. Coca-Cola helped the Company in promoting during the world cup. It collaborated with Marvel Group for the Hulk movie. It made its partnership relationship with the Asus to avail the market of cloud printing. It joined its hands with NEC to construct an entire network system (B oshyk, 2016). Key Activities are one of the most important parts of a business operation that tells the potentiality of a Company in relation to the existing market. The 7-Elevevn Company does not only believe in doing business; it rather believes in doing something better for the consumer and the common people. The Company at present has not less than 57,000 stores in approximately around 18 countries. The Company has a belief that the business should never mean that task has been allotted and now start doing the work. It rather believes that business should also be for the reason of humanity betterment. This is for such reasons that the organization is putting extensive cares on its social well-beings such as facilitating educational services, safety of the humanity and revitalization of the people. They also takes care of the youths and they manages different kinds of youths oriented programs to facilitate more youth participation in the future (Chang, 2016). Value Proposition is one of the most important aspects of a business operation that also decides the future prospect of a chosen product. This is one such process that adds value to the manufacturing, which is required for receiving a healthy response from the customers. Their beliefs are to purchase the food and the CPG in a more convenient way. They have also cared for hose customers who have hardly any time to go the stores, they can also avail its products through the Omni-Channel. It delivers the products at the door. The service would enable the customers for having home delivery services in chosen area such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago (Harper, 2015). Customer Relationship Management is perhaps the most challenging task, which the companies can ever have. This is because of the fact that it is very tough to judge the perception of customers at the fullest of the levels. This is one thing, which makes things difficult for the organization in satisfying their customer base (van Aken, Berends Van der Bij, 2012). The Company have a large presence in the world; however, it lacks seriously in terms of understanding the perception of customers. To nullify the problem, they have started a program in the year 2012. The program was first of its kinds for the Company. To meet with the changing requirement, the Company launched several offerings to the customers in the year 2014 such as 7-Eleven mobile, 7Rewards and expanded platform of customer loyalty, which allowed the availing of free beverage against every six cups ordered by them. They also made their app available on both the popular platforms such as Google Play and iTunes (Hiebeler, Kelly Ketteman, 2012). Customer Segments are decided quite before the inception of the product in the market. They do an extensive research it eh market before the inception of the product. Their main targeted customers are those who are 30 or more than that as family person are more inclined towards the convenience products. However, they have different kinds of strategies for different countries. They first evaluate the lifestyle of the targeted country then they only incept the most feasible product in the market (Kanji, 2012). Key Resources are also very important part of a business as the requited materials and all the functionalities need certain resources from where the required material can be made avail. Key resources are one of the very important assets of an organization, there are several key resources that helps Company develop the good image in the market (Porter Tanner, 2012). The Company first need to realize the importance of allotted tasks. This means that the allotted tasks should be checked for the priority level that which task should get the first priority. After deciding the urgent task, it is very important to have such workforce behind,, which could efficiently respond to the emergency created. This is something, which brings effectiveness in a Company. This also provides competitiveness to the Company in the market. Employee management at the workplace or the organization is a tough task; which needs to be taken care with utmost supports of the management. Human Resource Management i s another very important and an integral part of an organization that contributes in the manufacturing of talented graduates. They are the one, which supplies the Company the very important asset for the fulfilment of any task. The Human resource management of an organization needs to be supported by the management with sufficient funding (McCormack Johnson, 2016). Channels are also very important for the fulfilment of operational needs. The officials of the 7-Eleven Company are responsible for the management of orders. Every single store does report to the head centre only (Scott Davis, 2015). The technology is at the highest position in the 7-Eleven Company as they scan the barcode of the product, which is instantly transmitted to the data warehouse. In addition to this, the centre of operation does check for the reception of scanned barcode of the product, they make it assure that each barcode is sent to the central computer system. These computers have also the responsibility to collect all the orders of the stores, which it then transfers to the respective suppliers. The Company is committed to sell both its products and the licensed brands. It is involved in buying products from both the regional and the domestic suppliers. They also have a system for an automated shipment of the product, which also conducts the recycling of the products . It also offers safe shipping experience to the several customers. Moreover, it also offers high-end safe workplace to its employees (Quattrone et al., 2013). Cost Structure is also an important asset, which decides the margin of profit for an organization. The variation in it also brings variation in the profitability of the product. The initial observance on the cost structure of the 7-Eleven Company indicates that the initial franchise fee was $1,000,000. The expenses for the training were being accounted for around $9,000. The down payment, which the organization invested for opening its inventory, cost around $20,000. The additional amount, which the opening of the inventory cost, was around $13,200. This could be maximised for up to $48,100. $3000 to $5,000would is applied for the registration of cash funds. The supplies of the store would be around $250 to $2,000. License and permits would cost around $6,000 to $8,000. During the first three months, the additional cost would be needed around $30,000. Hence, the total cost estimation would be around $1,122,100 (7eleven.com.au, 2017). Revenue Streams gives the earning figure of a Company, which is a very important statement for analysing the potentiality of the operation. In the year 2006, the net earning is around $278, which took a huge jump to reach to $2,470 in the year 2007. It does carry on several activities to reunite the total earnings to the total cash. It allocates a substantial amount of the cash for depreciation and equipment amortization. Some portion of the cash is dedicated to the net loss on the equipment disposal. The cash flow also happens because of reduction in the account variables. The payment for the equipment purchasing would need extra amount of investments. Nevertheless, the process would provide a greater and enhanced revenue stream (Reilly, Sirgy Gorman, 2012). Managing a business is a complex process that needs several expertises in most of the departments of the organization. 7-Eleven is an Australian based Company that has several convenience stores across the globe into its credit. The cost structure of the Company is profitable for the Company but it would not entail a greater return on the investment. Moreover, the given parameters to enhance the revenues would help the Company in availing a high profit in returns. References 7eleven.com.au. 2017. About Our Convenience Stores | 7-Eleven. [online] Available at: https://www.7eleven.com.au/about-us [Accessed 15 Apr. 2017]. Alvarez, J. L. (Ed.). (2016).The diffusion and consumption of business knowledge. Springer. Boshyk, Y. (Ed.). (2016).Business driven action learning: Global best practices. Springer. Chang, J. F. (2016).Business process management systems: strategy and implementation. CRC Press. Harper, C. (2015).Organizations: Structures, processes and outcomes. Routledge. Hiebeler, R., Kelly, T., Ketteman, C. (2012).Best practices: Building your business with customer-focused solutions. Simon and Schuster. Kanji, G. K. (2012).Measuring business excellence(Vol. 10). Routledge. McCormack, K. P., Johnson, W. C. (2016).Supply chain networks and business process orientation: advanced strategies and best practices. CRC Press. Porter, L., Tanner, S. (Eds.). (2012).Assessing business excellence. Routledge. Quattrone, P., Thrift, N., Puyou, F. R., Mclean, C. (Eds.). (2013).Imagining organizations: Performative imagery in business and beyond(Vol. 14). Routledge. Reilly, N. P., Sirgy, J., Gorman, C. A. (Eds.). (2012).Work and quality of life: Ethical practices in organizations. Springer Science Business Media. Scott, W. R., Davis, G. F. (2015).Organizations and organizing: Rational, natural and open systems perspectives. Routledge. van Aken, J., Berends, H., Van der Bij, H. (2012).Problem solving in organizations: A methodological handbook for business and management students. Cambridge University Press.

Problems and Challenges Faced by AirAsia Essay Example

Problems and Challenges Faced by AirAsia Essay AirAsia is a low-cost airline based in Malaysia. It has been declared World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline 2014 two years in a row. It has also attained the tittle of Asia’s Best and World’s Best Low Cost Airline by Skytrax for six consecutive years from 2009 until 2014. The approach used by AirAsia from prior year until now is to be easy to book, pay and fly and most of the seats are sold through online. This is in line with its motto ‘Now Everyone Can Fly’. AirAsia had expanding the business to neighboring countries such as Indonesia and Thailand years later. Despite all those success, AirAsia faced some challenges and problems where it place AirAsia in declining state. Incident of Airbus 320-200 crashed Irish Times reported that AirAsia encountered biggest challenges as jet goes missing in 2014 when an Airbus 320-200 with 162 people on board went missing during a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore. Then it was disclosed that the airbus crashed into the Java Sea on December, 28. It killed all 162 passengers and crew. It was reported as the first major accident involving AirAsia plane. As a consequence of that incident, AirAsia dropped fares by 9% in the first quarter to bring back passengers. The Malaysian parent airline carried 3% more passengers in the first quarter than last year, while its capacity grew 10%, leading to a drop in its seat load factor, or the portion of aircrafts filled, to 75% in the first quarter of this year versus 81% in the same period of last year. The declining value of domestic currency Besides, the declining of the value in the currency has put AirAsia at loss. We will write a custom essay sample on Problems and Challenges Faced by AirAsia specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Problems and Challenges Faced by AirAsia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Problems and Challenges Faced by AirAsia specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The company reported a gain of 321 million ringgit after it slod a 25% stake in AirAsia ExpediaTravel to its joint venture to its joint venture partner Expedia Inc. in February for $86. 3 million. However, it also reported a 350 million ringgit foreign-exchange loss on its borrowing mainly because of the decline in value of the local currency. The company made a payment for its fuel and aircraft in U. S dollar which they claimed it was their biggest expenses. The rivalry in the industry Therewithal, the competition among airplane companies is very though. In 2013, AirAsia’s profitable market has been shaken up as rival low-cost carrier group Lion has launched Malindo Air. AirAsia’s Malaysian short-haul operation continues to report industry-leading operating profit margins of about 20% its yields have dropped in recent months and the carrier’s profitability could eventually be impacted. Now, each of Airplanes Company in the world is trying to conduct some strategies to compete with another competitor in their industry. They all have come out with different strategies to make their company better than their competitors. To sum up, every company has their own kind of problems and challenges they faced whether it is hidden or visible and whether it is known or not. Without exception, AirAsia faced a disaster in 2014 with a jet crashed and the company has to deal with current and after-effect because of the accident. It also has to cope with declining value of local currency and it is hard for AirAsia to face this as their most related expenses to the airlines have to be paid in U. S. dollar. AirAsia also has to compete with other airplane companies which always come up with new strategies as to compete.

Falsified Resumes

Falsified Resumes ISSUEEmployee was hired under the perception that he had experience and credentials, which, after a short time, were found to be false.DISCUSSIONIn this situation an applicant submitted a resume full of false informationfrom the graduating degree to work experience. Without checking references and accepting 'copies' of his backup documentations, the company hired the applicant. After a short period of employment an investigation was done and found that the applicant was involved in an alleged plagiarism scandal regarding his Masters degree thesis on fiber reinforced composite materials. (The applicants' thesis was a large factor as to the decision to hire him.) The investigation further showed that he was asked to withdraw from the University. The applicants' on the job performance (which warranted the investigation) was less than stellar in comparison to what his resume offered the company. The applicant later admitted that he lied in order to get the job.English: Mug shot of Kennet h Lay.RECOMMENDATIONFirst and foremost, morals and ethics play a large role in this situation. Should the employee get fired? Yessimply for his lack of ethics. In the above scenario we do not know what type of company this is, but my research shows that 'fiber-reinforced composite materials' are included in such things as concrete. It is also a material used to make recreational boats. (These are a few of many examples.)Hypothetically, we can say that this company in question constructs boats. The applicants 'research'or lack of itendangers the safety of the consumer who may purchase a boat he helped create. His lack of knowledge can easily cause a boat to be manufactured with a faulty design, a safety flaw. Not only is there a potential of lives lost to a foreseeable accident, the company will also suffer lawsuits after an investigation finds them at fault.Time, money...

And Also

And Also And Also And Also By Maeve Maddox Brian Shone writes: I work for the NHS and I attend many meetings during the week, a common term used throughout each meeting is â€Å"and also† this I believe is incorrect.  This term is also used in my Catholic Church liturgy; The Lord be with you, and also with you.  Should we be using two words together that mean the same? Although the addition of â€Å"also† after â€Å"and† is often verbose, the two words do not mean quite the same thing. And is a conjunction. It joins words, phrases and clauses. Also is an adverb meaning â€Å"in the same manner, in addition, as well.† It’s useful when some sort of contrast is wanted. Compare the following pairs: This new policy is intended to stop pilfering and save money. This new policy is intended to stop pilfering and also save money. Remodeling will improve safety and attract new customers. Remodeling will improve safety and also attract new customers. In the first pair, the two ideasstopping pilfering and saving moneyare so closely related that the and is sufficient. In the second pair, the connection between the two ideasimproving safety and attracting new customersis not perhaps as obvious, so the also has a purpose. The line from the Catholic liturgy quoted above is the ICEL (International Commission on English in the Liturgy) rendering of Latin Dominus vobiscum, et cum spiritu tuo, literally, â€Å"The Lord be with you, and with your spirit.† This particular translation happens to be one of many that have come under fire by critics of an English rendering of the Catholic Missal made in the Sixties. When the dust settles, the line will probably be amended to â€Å"and with your spirit.† The speakers in the business meetings who throw in also after and may feel that the extra word adds weight to whatever it is they are saying. Generally speaking, â€Å"also† is redundant following â€Å"and.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Exquisite Adjectives225 Foreign Phrases to Inspire YouUsing "zeitgeist" Coherently

Humanitarian Intervention and the Right to Protect Essay

Humanitarian Intervention and the Right to Protect - Essay Example The inviolability of the principle of sovereignty stood as a formidable obstacle to the entrance of other nations into sovereign territories for the purposes of humanitarian intervention. Even though sovereignty was an obstacle to humanitarian intervention, world leaders began to argue that intervention was a moral duty and responsibility. For the purposes of enforcing a right to intervention for humanitarian purposes, Canada founded the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty. In 2001, the Commission published a report which openly supported, not just the right of the international community to intervene in instance of humanitarian crisis but which explicitly stated that the international community had a responsibility to protect population from the consequences of such crisis. In the 2005 World Summit in New York, the responsibility to protect was put to the vote and 192 UN member states voted in its favour. The responsibility to protect, also known as R2P, passed into international law. The responsibility to protect is, ostensibly, limited in scope to humanitarian intervention. Within the context of the stated, nations, under the UN umbrella, have the right to enter into a sovereign territory for the purposes of saving lives. ... Objections China, as have several other non-Western nations including Russia, has objected to R2P. China's objection, similar to that of other nations, is partially predicated on the assumption that the R2P doctrine is a strategy for the advancement of the West's politico-cultural and economic agenda upon non-Western nations. This means that R2P is interpreted as an excuse for the intervention in the affairs of sovereign nations. The very notion of humanitarian causes and intervention on the basis of humanitarian principles leaves the door wide upon to foreign intervention in any number of situations, according to China's argument and, ultimately, will constrain the powers of sovereign states. Another of China's arguments against R2P is that it is directly at odds with the doctrine of sovereignty and, indeed, legitimizes the violation of state sovereignty. Within the context of the stated causes, China has expressed fundamental and unwavering objection to R2P. Burma Burma suffered a cyclone of massive proportions which left tens of thousands dead and entire parts of the country devastated. While the death tool has been estimated at over 80,000, fears have been expressed that it is much greater than that. Furthermore, the country's military junta, which has displayed a completed incapability of dealing with the problem and, indeed, does not have the resources to, has been actively rejecting foreign help and aid. As long as it maintains its stance on the disallowance of foreign humanitarian workers into the country, the death tool will continue to rise. France has recently proposed entrance into Burma under R2P. The doctrine maintains that nations have the responsibility to protect populations in instances of humanitarian crisis,

Nutritional Epidemiology (external validity) Essay

Nutritional Epidemiology (external validity) - Essay Example Some of the research design factors that affect the validity of research results and recommendations include; Hawthorne Effect, situation specifics such as treatment conditions, pre-test effects and post-test effects to the observation. This paper will discuss the external validity of three studies investigating the effect of micronutrients and vitamins on colorectal cancer development. To study the effect of combined folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 on colorectal adenoma, Song et al (2012) used a subset of the Women’s Antioxidants and Folic acid Cardiovascular Study (WAFACS) (Song, et al, 2012). The design was a double blind randomized placebo controlled trial involving women professional at risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The inclusion criteria were age of above 40 years, postmenopausal, and a self reported cardiovascular disease of predisposing factors (Song et al, 2012). This study did not find statistically significant effect (protective or predisposing) of combined B vitamins in colorectal cancer contrary to some of the previous studies (Song et al, 2012). While the blinded approach of the study eliminates potential bias thus enhance its external validity, randomization introduces artificial effect that is not, in real life setting. The single sex specification of the study also limits its generalization across people when compared to the wider community, which is comprised of the two sexes. In real life predisposing risk factors affect both sexes in interactions that may be difficult to simulate in an experimental setup. The timing of the study though is one of the longest treatments and post-treatment follow up assessment (approximately nine years) is far from ecological reality. However, cardiovascular disease predisposing factor improves the generalization of the study to situations. Therefore, the findings of

Drama - Blood Brothers Response Essay Example for Free

Drama Blood Brothers Response Essay Blood brothers is a story which was written in 1981 as a school play and included a range of themes which help the audience understand and feel for the story rather than just watching it. The themes in this play include poverty, innocence, love, games, belief and superstition. I feel that the key themes that control the play are chance and society of the time and I feel that most of the story circles around these themes and most events are caused by these themes. To emphasize the themes in the play, we created a three minute version of the play which consisted of still images, narration and stylised movement. We decided to split the play into four sections which were: baby years, childhood, 14 17 years and 20+ years. We decided that we would show the giving away of the baby as this allows the rest of the story to flow. If it wasnt for this specific scene, the story wouldnt have happened as the giving away of one twin is a significant event in the play. This also allowed us to add emotion to our piece as this is one of the several events which separate people into two opinions. For the second section (which was childhood) we included images of them first meeting, playing games, both of the mothers separating Mickey and Eddie and Mrs Johnstone giving the locket to Eddie. My group and I felt that these were also important events in the play; in fact one of the main themes in the play is games which relates to the robbery and overall shooting of both twins later on. For 14 -17 years, we decided to show both children being suspended from school, the meet up between friends with the devil narration on top which we thought allowed our piece to flow making it easier to understand. At the last stage, 20+, we performed four still images which included an unemployment scene, Lindas pregnancy, Eddie and Linda being together and finally the shooting with the second half of the images having the mad man narration over the top: Theres a mad man running round and round You know the devils got your number You know hes right beside you Hes screamin deep inside you And someone said hes callin your number up today Today Today TODAY! This piece of narration was used in our three minute version of the play as we thought that it summed up a lot of the happenings in this age group and is a constant theme throughout the play. I found that the best way to tell this story within the three minutes was to use different techniques which allowed expressing and stressing of several moments in a play making it more effective. In our three minute version, this included levels, space and marking the moment. One example of these entire three put together was when both boys got expelled. We had the class sitting down at the back while the teacher was standing up straight looking down on one pupil who was higher than the class but lower than the teacher. This made use of levels, space and also marked the moment by focusing on the locket. We decided to make the giving away of the baby the most significant point in the play. This is because the whole of the story centres on this point, and if it wasnt for this event, none of the other events would have happened. To mark this moment, we used narration which was originally placed over the point where Mrs Johnstone was only considering giving the baby to Mrs Lyons. How quickly and idea, planted, can Take root and grow into a plan. The thought conceived in this very room Grew as surely as a seed, in a mothers womb This piece of narration allowed us to realise how the event they are seeing came into being. We found that forum theatre was a very useful technique to bring Mickeys monologue to life. Forum theatre was used to change the way we said lines and how to put expression, feeling and life to the lines which in turn make the monologue a lot more vibrant and interesting. The way we performed forum theatre was to have someone acting out a verse of the poem. We then got the audience to comment and suggest improvements. We then acted the verse out again and repeated the process until we were happy with it. Below is the verse we performed. Y know our Sammy, He draws nudey women, Without arms, or legs or even heads In the baths, when he goes swimmin. But Im not allowed to go to the baths, Me Mam says I have to wait, Cos I might get drowned, cos Im only seven, But Im not, Im nearly eight. We started off with the beginning of the verse being said in a very secretive way although it was put in the category of secret in a child which meant that it had to be told; something I had felt many a time when I was a young child which also meant my body was slightly crouched and slightly tense. I used the same experience to goggle at what Sammy was able to do when he went swimming. Then disappointment kicks in when I hit But Im not allowed as my voice goes slower and my body slumps and when the mother comes on I re-enact a rather rude hand motion usually used when someone is too talkative while the mother reads her quote. The last line is said in a way of self-pity making the character feel sorry for himself which I have felt many times when I was a young child and feeling as if my parents were deriving me of all of the worlds pleasures. In this monologue I learnt that Mickey was a character who always wanted more and wanted something someone else had that he hadnt which is an apparent characteristic of Mickey throughout the play. It also helped me realise that it was more than just a greedy feeling as the feeling was a lot deeper and it was if the world had forgotten about him but not the others who lived in the world around him. As I said before, forum theatre had helped me find these characteristics as it helped shape what had been written. It was as if there were a lot of muddled thoughts and both me and the audience were helping to piece it together properly so we could both get an idea on how the character was really like and how the character really felt. For individual spontaneous improvisation, I acted as Mrs Johnstone where I was looking at both babies and playing with them as if it were my last time with both of them. Of course, at the time my character would have not known which baby would have been taken and because of this, I acted in a way as if it were the last time for Mrs Johnstone to see both of them. My thought track for this piece was: I cant believe this is happening and it would have been hard to come to terms with something which could potentially change somebodys life, especially when it is your own son. This decision was both challenged and supported by a technique called a conscience corridor which we used to find the pros and cons of giving the baby away which was then fired to somebody stepping into the shoes of Mrs Johnstone. Feeling the confused and mixed feelings, it gave us a chance to make our own decision as if we were that character. Some pros included having money, less stress, a better life for your son, less work. Some cons included the guilt of your child being bought, splitting up a natural bond given to both children, more stress as you worry and having to cover it up from the outside world. The conscience corridor was put into action by splitting the class in half and putting them up as two sides to create a human corridor. We then got a member of our class to walk up while each person in the wall said the pros and cons. When the person in the middle finishes walking up through the corridor, he/she tells us his/her decision. In this situation, I wrote a diary entry as Mrs Johnstone. I typed my diary entry up below I cant believe it is happening. So close to the time where one of my beloved babies would be given away to my employer. I am sure that I am doing the right thing I cant afford to give them both a good life and Mrs Lyons does want a baby so badly. Even so, I feel I am breaking a natural bond given to them both which makes me unsure on whether I should do it. I am in a situation which I would never wish on any mother. Overall, I found that explorative strategies helped us understand Blood Brothers as it allowed us to see what usually are hidden thoughts and feelings of characters. It also allows us to get into character and realise how events and other actions are performed by the character.

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County :: Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County is a delightfully entertaining piece of work. The characters are developed beautifully through fantastic descriptions, amusing actions, and mostly through smooth, flowing, and terrific dialogue. The dialogue is, indeed, the main attraction of this event. Simon Wheeler's speech is optimistic, and above all, very friendly. Wheeler tells of Smiley's antics as any great story teller would. Wheeler offers his own observations generously. They are casual and hospitable. Wheeler, speaking of Smiley's betting habit, interjects that, "Why, it never made no difference to him- he'd bet on anything- the dangdest feller" (113). This observation is helpful and funny. Wheeler also offers a fabulous story to illustrate his point. He tells of Smiley making a bet that a man's wife will not improve in health contradictory to what the doctors say. The absurdity of such a bet leaves the reader laughing out loud, in spite of such a morbid joke. Even the frog is personified and molded carefully into the most individual and unique frog ever to hop along. The frog is described by Wheeler as modest, straightforward, and gifted. "Dan'l Webster was the name of the frog..." (114). Daniel's aptitude for intelligent thought is evidenced by his ability to catch flies on command. Again, a most absurd assertion but, nonetheless, very comedic. Oddly, Daniel is compared to a cat. Wheeler observes that, "He'd [Smiley] give him a little pinch behind, and the next minute you'd see that frog whirling in the air like a doughnut- see him turn one summerset, or maybe a couple, if he got a good start, and come down flat- footed and all right, like a cat" (114). One could argue that Daniel is the main character of the story. The actual narrator of the story is an old friend of Smiley. The friend's brief relationship with Wheeler is also rather interesting. Twain does not say directly that the man is not particularly fond of Wheeler, but alludes to that throu gh the narrator's dialogue. Smiley's old friend sits down with Wheeler and describes the act as such: "Simon Wheeler backed me into a corner and blockaded me there with his chair, and then sat down and reeled off the monotonous narrative which follows this paragraph" (113). Through the man's choice of words the reader quickly realizes that this is not a pleasurable experience to him.

Letting Nature Speak

Letting Nature Speak If you were walking in the woods and suddenly a tree started speaking to you, most likely you would either faint or start running the opposite direction. It would be pretty scary, to say the least. But nature does speak to everyone in a sense; we are just so busy with life that we do not take the time to listen. There is so much in nature that we can learn from and apply to our lives, but so often we only look at it for its face value and do not see the deeper benefits.Speaking of nature, as I stand outside on the back porch, the sun is shining and the birds are singing, the smell of freshly cut grass fills the air and the mild breeze feels so refreshing on my skin. In the background I can hear the faint sound of traffic on the highway, cars busily heading to their destinations. It has been breezy for a couple of days now, but the sun is shining and the clouds are moving. As the day progresses, the wind speed increases and the temperature steadily decreases makin g a visit to the porch a little less comfortable than it was this morning.The humidity level has steadily increased as well, making my clothing sticky and somewhat annoying, also causing my paper to become limp and not as easily manageable. The clouds seemed to be huddling together as if forming a mob, moving in slowing overhead creating a blanket between the sun and me. My pleasant sunshine has been taken away from me now and I am left with a gray blanket of cloud cover to observe, I am picking out different shapes and possible figures within them. As the clouds continue moving by, more ominous clouds replace their predecessors, making the world around me darker and darker.The temperature is cool and the breeze is stronger than it was earlier. I hear thunder rumbling in the distance, a normal precursor to a storm. The thunder seems like a would be stalker approaching from the darkness, only his footsteps are so loud it shakes the earth and rattles the windows, demanding its presenc e be known. Lightning flickers like a streetlamp attempting to turn on, but continually failing. One drop of rain lands on my cheek, another on my arm. As the rain increases in quantity, I head inside and continue watching from my window.Slowly the rain changes from a lawn sprinkler type shower to more like someone turning on a high-pressure water hose as if they were trying to douse a fire. I am now confined to my home, as if there is an army outside keeping me contained unless I want to endure their unrelenting siege. The troubles in life are much like a storm; there are always signs of it brewing but so often we are caught up in the beauty of the moment that we do not see the thunderheads rolling in behind us until it is too late.We are then caught off guard without an umbrella in the pouring rain. The rain soaking our clothes and in turn our body, is like the stress that comes with trouble forcing us to try and find shelter or something to protect us. When caught in a storm, we rarely see the beauty of it because we are focused on the damage it is causing. After a storm the grass is greener, the air smells so fresh, the sidewalks are washed clean, and there is a sense of calm and reassurance that we have made it through. The sun raises its head and always gives us a rainbow after the storm.There is a lot more to the sun then rainbows and illuminating the world as Ralph Emerson states in â€Å"Nature,† â€Å"Most persons do not see the sun. At least they have a very superficial seeing. The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and the heart of the child† (563). This is so true; often nature is only seen for its face value. Sunrise is a particularly beautiful, natural event to experience, and all to often we do not take the time to enjoy the wonderful events that unfold during a sunrise.As the sun is approaching the horizon, I hear birds singing and nocturnal animals scurrying back to their dens to sleep the day away. The birds seem to be calling to one another as if they are old men sitting at the local cafe, drinking coffee and discussing the day’s to-do list. The sky is no longer black but a deep ocean blue, like someone has turned on a light in another room, and the light is reflecting throughout the house. I hear the leaves rustle in the wind, and the trees sway as if they are stretching after a deep sleep.Slowly, things in the distance become recognizable and I can distinguish more shapes and figures. The sky becomes brighter and brighter, changing from a deep blue to a brighter shade as the sun moves closer to the horizon. Faster and faster light is filling the sky and illuminating the world around me. It is almost like opening my eyes when I awaken and taking in all the colors and objects around me. Suddenly the sun shows its bright and shining face, peeking over the horizon as if to say good morning to me.It rises slowly, becoming more and more visible, until its entirety is now shining down on me, demanding to be seen, demanding my attention. I feel the warmth on my skin, like a blanket pulled up over me. The sunrise is so beautiful but when the sun comes up all the way it doesn’t always seem as wonderful, especially if there is a lot of it. This last summer we experienced an enormous amount of the sun and the heat that comes with it and the effects seemed all negative. It caused droughts, crops to wilt, electric bills were high in the effort for the air conditioning to keep up with the heat and the list could go on.But there were some benefits to the high heat and drought. I was able to spend plenty of time inside my home this summer and I was able to downsize a lot of my belongings. My home stayed very clean all summer long because I did not want to be out in the heat and I took advantage of the time inside. I was able to catch up on my movie watching and shows that I was missing out on. I have to admit, I did miss taking my children to the park, but I was able to spend quality time with them when we were cooped up inside.Another advantage to the drought and high heat is the crime rate was lower this summer; criminals do not like the heat just like everyone else. But what is a thunderstorm or a drought in comparison to something as devastating and tragic as a natural disaster that kills thousands and leaves even more without a home. Hurricane Katrina ripped through New Orleans leaving in its wake, destruction and death. Causing many to wonder how could anything good come out of such devastation. At first there did not seem to be anything positive.Then as the clouds lifted and the water receded, people started to pull together and found in the midst of tragedy, a sense of community. Barely two months after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans’ art community pulled together and reopened the doors of the Ogden Museum with an incredible turn out on opening night (Krantz). Before Katrina, the turnout staye d about 100, but over 600 citizens crammed the affair, an enormous result (Krantz). Nature has its own lessons, whether teaching us to be prepared or to look deeper and find the treasure beneath the rubble.Wearing its many different faces, nature will always put us to the test. Whether enjoying the beauty of a sunrise or the thrill of a thunderstorm rolling in, there is always something to walk away with; the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Works Cited Emerson, Ralph Waldo. â€Å"Nature. † Sound Ideas. Ed. Michael Krasney and M. E. Sokolik. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2010. 562-564. Print. Krantz, Susan E. â€Å"When Tragedy Inspires Recovery: Visual Arts In Post-Katrina New Orleans. † Phi Kappa Phi Forum 90. 2 (2010): 8-11. Academic Search Premier. Web. Oct. 25, 2012.

Minimum Legal Drinking Age Essay

Do you believe the drinking age should be lowered to allow eighteen year olds to consume alcohol, or should the legal age to drink alcoholic beverages stay at the age of twenty-one? Prior to 1984 you were, once you turned eighteen, in most states permitted to purchase alcohol. It was completely up to the state government. At age 18 they are legally an adult, and can therefore abide by their own rules and if they make a bad decision they have to pay the price. Why is it that as an adult you are permitted to purchase rifles, tobacco products, you can vote, enlist in the military, go to a casino, get a tattoo, body piercings, get married and even work in a bar but you can’t buy or consume alcohol? When you think of alcohol and eighteen year-olds what generally pops into mind is underage drinking, binge drinking, wild parties and date rape. But that is only the view of the irresponsible side of drinking, just as there is an irresponsible side of drinking at age twenty-one. At age eighteen you should be allowed to purchase or consume alcohol as you please, because you are legally an adult and responsible for your own actions. The Minimum Legal Drinking Age should be lowered to age eighteen. When you turn eighteen in the United States of America you are legally considered an adult. Until the 1984 Minimum Legal Drinking Age act you were allowed (at least in some states) to buy alcohol when you wanted. Subsequently to the passing of that law every state was forced to raise their minimum age to twenty-one. One of the men who voted for the 1984 Minimum Legal Drinking Age act, Morris E. Chafetz, stated that he â€Å"voted for it; it doesn’t work† and goes on to say that â€Å"it is the single most regrettable decision of my entire professional career†: â€Å"The reality is that at age 18 in this country, one is a legal adult. Young people view 21 as utterly arbitrary- which it is. And because the explanation given is so condescending- because they lack maturity and judgment, these same people who can serve on juries and sign contracts and who turned out in overwhelming numbers to elect our first black president- well they dont buy it. And neither do I.† (Chafetz 554-555) The Unites States military is one of the largest in the world, and has many bases and various stations throughout the entire world. At the age of 18 you must (if you are male) sign up for selective service (the draft) and you are eligible to enlist in the military regardless of your gender. Why is it that you can deploy to another country, fight for your country, get shot, lose limbs and have the memories of that with you for the rest of your life, but you can’t purchase alcohol? If you are old enough to risk your life to fight for your country and fight for the freedoms of this country then you should be able to go buy a beer at the bar with your buddies. Jeff Rainforth, a man who ran for congress, said that â€Å"Since the age was raised, many young adults have drunk more abusively than in the past. Like national Prohibition, it was been counter-productive. Raising the drinking age brought about more problems than it solved.† and went on to say that he recommends that is the legal drinking age was not lowered he recommends that military members can not go to combat until age 21. John McCardell, who founded and is now the director of an organization that exists to lower the drinking age back to eighteen, and also started the â€Å"Amethyst Initiative† talks about his solution to the problem. McCardell has credibility on this topic due to the fact that he is a former college professor and president, and is now a vice-chancellor at the University of the South, who has personally seen the way teenagers on a college campus drink and has an idea what will help with this issue. He says â€Å"Alcohol education is what we need.† This would make teenagers aware of the harms of drinking alcohol and reduce the amount of binge drinking that goes on. Lowering the drinking age would teach teenagers moderation. If they are drinking in a controlled setting where they are allowed to drink and don’t have to hide it, they will be more likely to casually drink. McCardell says that the 1984 Minimum Legal Drinking Age law was â€Å"an abysmal failure; it hasn’t reduced or eliminated drinking, it simply driven it underground, behind closed doors, into the most risky and least manageable of settings.† In the â€Å"60 minutes† interview with CBS, the Boulder, Colorado Chief of Police, Mark Beckner is also an advocate for lowering the drinking age to eighteen. He says that â€Å"we can’t stop it. The best we can do is try to contain it.† According to the 2010 National Survey on Drug use and Health, driving under the influence of alcohol was associated with age. The age group with the highest number of infractions(including wrecks) was the twenty-one to twenty-five year-old group at 23.4% of infractions being drunk/having been drinking as opposed to only 15.1% in the eighteen-twenty year-old group and a mere 5.8% in sixteen and seventeen year-olds. As far as fatal crashes go, the highest percent of drunk drivers that were involved in a fatal car crash was the group of 21-24 year olds. 25-34 year olds came in at 30%, 35-44 at 24% and all fatal car crashes of individuals that were above age 44 and below age 21 was only 14%. Driving under the influence of alcohol was associated with age in 2010. The rate was highest among persons aged 21 to 25 (23.4 percent). An estimated 5.8 percent of 16 or 17 year olds and 15.1 percent of 18 to 20 year olds reported driving under the influence of alcohol in the past year. Beyond age 25, these rates showed a general decline with increasing age. Many other western have long had a much more lenient attitude toward alcohol and alcoholic beverages. Many have set their Minimum Legal Drinking Age at 18, some at 16 and some do not even have a Minimum Legal Drinking Age. In many countries, such as Germany, there are very few drunk driving incidents whatsoever. In these countries parents often consume alcoholic beverages with their children, including beer or wine(in countries like France). By the time Europeans are allowed to drive they have been educated on the effects of alcohol and have been consuming alcohol for several years. Safe alcohol consumption should the same way as safe sex practices and drivers education classes. No one us naà ¯ve enough to think that teenagers will practice abstinence to avoid sexual encounters only in order to avoid a sexually transmitted disease, so why are people foolish enough to believe that teens will avoid alcohol just due to it’s dangers? Lowering the Minimum Legal Drinking Age will cause the teens who drink to rebel against their authorities to not drink as much due to it not being rebellious. Until a solution is agreed upon about whether the drinking age should be lowered, or stay at the age of 21, this will remain a controversial topic. Using these strategies in this essay works well to effectively persuade every single viewer that underage drinking is in fact a problem, and is attributed to the current law not allowing people to buy or consume alcohol under the age of 21. Because of the problems that are created because of this current law, it would be in this country’s best interest to lower the drinking age. This would prevent an increased number of alcohol related deaths due to underage binge drinking in the future. These are just a few of the reasons that the Minimum Legal Drinking Age act of 1984 should be repealed and the Minimum Legal Drinking Age should be at age 18. Works Cited Chafetz, Morris E. â€Å"The 21-Year-Old Drinking Age: I Voted For It; It Doesn’t Work.† Good Reasons With Contemporary Arguments. Eds. Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer. Boston: Longman, 2012. 554-555. Print McCardell, John. â€Å"A Drinking Age of 21 Doesn’t Work.† Good Reasons With Contemporary Arguments. Eds. Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer. Boston: Longman, 2012. 550-553. Print. â€Å"Issue in Focus: Drinking on College Campuses.† Good Reasons With Contemporary Arguments. Eds. Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer. Boston: Longman, 2012. 548-550. Print. CBSNews. (2010, March 01). The debate on lowering the drinking age. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-18560_162-4813571.html-

Free Essays on KANT VS MILLS

Immanuel Kant simply stated the creed of the enlightenment: â€Å"Dare to know,† (Kant 1). To thinkers like Kant, to achieve enlightenment was to â€Å"gain release from†¦self-incurred tutelage†¦[the] inability to make use of [one’s] understanding without direction from another,† (Kant 1). Enlightenment thinkers addressed this issue. They present to us the question; why is it so hard to think for oneself? They propose answers to this puzzle, as well as provide solutions that will teach us how to think for ourselves. Through Immanuel Kant’s â€Å"What is Enlightenment† and J.S. Mill’s On Liberty, we can gain a deeper understanding of this question, and its answers. According to Kant, â€Å"laziness and cowardice† (1) are why we don’t think for ourselves. But this also contributes to the difficulty of thinking for ourselves. We get into the habit of letting others think for us thus it gets increasingly difficult to break this pattern. It is simply easier to let others do the thinking for us. Those who do the thinking also contribute to the pattern. They would, of course, like to maintain their control over the masses that do not think for themselves, so, the â€Å"guardians† â€Å"show†¦the danger which threatens if they try to go alone,† (Kant 2). One example of â€Å"failure makes them timid and †¦frightens them away from all further trials,† (Kant 2). This is one way that people were taught not to think for themselves, and were prompted to keep letting others think for them. What is so interesting is that Mills tells us â€Å"the mass do not now take their opinions from books. Their thinking is do ne for them by men much like themselves, addressing them or speaking in their name, on the spur of the moment, through the newspapers,† (63). The media bombards us with ideas and we are, in a sense, forced to take these opinions and make them our own. We only see what the media wants us to see and understand the world through this perc... Free Essays on KANT VS MILLS Free Essays on KANT VS MILLS Immanuel Kant simply stated the creed of the enlightenment: â€Å"Dare to know,† (Kant 1). To thinkers like Kant, to achieve enlightenment was to â€Å"gain release from†¦self-incurred tutelage†¦[the] inability to make use of [one’s] understanding without direction from another,† (Kant 1). Enlightenment thinkers addressed this issue. They present to us the question; why is it so hard to think for oneself? They propose answers to this puzzle, as well as provide solutions that will teach us how to think for ourselves. Through Immanuel Kant’s â€Å"What is Enlightenment† and J.S. Mill’s On Liberty, we can gain a deeper understanding of this question, and its answers. According to Kant, â€Å"laziness and cowardice† (1) are why we don’t think for ourselves. But this also contributes to the difficulty of thinking for ourselves. We get into the habit of letting others think for us thus it gets increasingly difficult to break this pattern. It is simply easier to let others do the thinking for us. Those who do the thinking also contribute to the pattern. They would, of course, like to maintain their control over the masses that do not think for themselves, so, the â€Å"guardians† â€Å"show†¦the danger which threatens if they try to go alone,† (Kant 2). One example of â€Å"failure makes them timid and †¦frightens them away from all further trials,† (Kant 2). This is one way that people were taught not to think for themselves, and were prompted to keep letting others think for them. What is so interesting is that Mills tells us â€Å"the mass do not now take their opinions from books. Their thinking is do ne for them by men much like themselves, addressing them or speaking in their name, on the spur of the moment, through the newspapers,† (63). The media bombards us with ideas and we are, in a sense, forced to take these opinions and make them our own. We only see what the media wants us to see and understand the world through this perc...

Cat Connotations

Cat Connotations Cat Connotations Cat Connotations By Mark Nichol I recently discussed senses of words for various species from the dog family as they apply to human behavior and characteristics. Every dog has its day, but now it’s time for the cats to come out. 1. Cat This word for any feline or, specifically, the small domesticated species became a term of contempt for a woman and slang for a prostitute (brothels have been called cathouses), and vicious or sniping comments or behavior, probably from an association with the behavior of agitated cats, are still referred to as catty. Similarly, noisy protests from spectators at a performance or competition are referred to as catcalls, presumably from the unpleasant sound of cats howling out during fighting or courtship. However, cat also came, first in Black English and then in more widespread usage, to be synonymous with fellow or guy and became a label for a jazz aficionado. A fat cat is, by analogy with the physical aspect of an obese feline, a wealthy, self-satisfied person. Many idioms and expressions employ the word cat, including proverbial references to cats having nine lives and letting the cat out of the bag. 2. Cougar This relatively recent slang term, from an analogy with feline predation, refers to older women who seek younger males as sex partners. 3. Kitten The word for a young cat applies to a seductive or alluring woman; it’s sometimes expanded to â€Å"sex kitten.† 4. Lion Because of this animal’s regal nature, its name is used to celebrate noble bearing; the word also alludes to bravery (as in the epithet Lionhearted) but also to greed or tyranny. The verb lionize refers to adulation; leonine is an adjective that often describes a person’s feline appearance or comportment. 5. Tiger The ferocious nature of the tiger has inspired the use of its name to express admiration for a person’s tenacity or competitive spirit. By contrast, a paper tiger is just what the idiom suggests: an apparently powerful entity that is not a force or a threat. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 Idioms with Heart36 Poetry TermsWriting Styles (with Examples)

Performance Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Performance Plan - Essay Example So as to get the performance plan running, the faculty should work closely with the members ensuring their active involvement in various performance-related objectives. The planning involves both an initial performance plan and a performance improvement plan. The faculty not only sets objectives but also fixes target dates for achieving them by defining time limit of the entire work plan. Throughout the planning process, the entire crew must be covered and all must be encouraged to see themselves through thriving conclusions. If the plan is solely for the faculty’s own improvement purpose, it should consider all aspects of the person’s poor performance and weakness. The performance plan, both for the individual and the team must align with the overall objectives of the organization as well. The absence of a performance plan can surely affect the competency levels of the faculty and the team they lead. To be specific, performance plan is vital to enhance personal product ivity, team efficiency, cohesiveness, and work satisfaction. In this context, it is vital for a faculty (who has not been meeting expectations) to develop a well defined performance plan. Why Performance Plan? Absenteeism in higher education is a bone of contention among university lecturers. To illustrate, some scholars argue that attendance should be mandated whereas some others condemn enforced attendance in higher education. According to Lipscomb and Snelling (2010), enforcing attendance runs counter to important pedagogic (humanistic and androgogic) principles† and hence, â€Å"lecturers should refrain from associating non-attendance with unprofessional behavior and poor professionalization†. Although researchers are deeply at odds regarding enforced attendance in higher education, they all converge at the point that absenteeism can cause adverse effects on student performance. If this is the case, the effects of faculty absenteeism can be much more intense. The fa culty who has been missing classes tends not to focus properly on materials and thereby fails to incorporate necessary curriculum changes and technology in the teaching materials. This will not only affect the integrity of the person as a teaching professional but also adversely affect the learners’ academic future. In other words, only a faculty having well prepared performance plan can succeed in his/her profession in the long run. A nursing faculty will; create a feasible learning environment in which a variety of appropriate teaching strategies are incorporated to achieve desired learner outcomes ensure continued learning and self assessment to improve the quality of the teaching process utilize IT related facilities to enhance both learning and teaching identify the desired level of performance in teaching define how the desired level of performance could be achieved always maintain a focused level of scholarly activity that mainly involves research and development of be tter guidelines â€Å"participate in professional development activities† (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 2008)

Flexible deterrent option Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Flexible deterrent option - Essay Example FDO is therefore a more collective and integrated approach than other military actions. In this essay therefore, an existing flexible deterrent option is scrutinized by use of initial force analysis to understudy how the FDO increases defense support to the key determinants of FDO mentioned above. The emphasis of deterrence is a Task Force to deter Ahurastani aggression from aggravating. Initial Force Analysis for a Flexible Deterrent Option Capabilities needed to accomplish the specified key tasks For the flexible deterrent option to be successfully executed, there are key capabilities that must be accomplished for each key specific task. An important aspect of the flexible deterrent option is that even though the flexible deterrent option (FDO) has an aim of securing Nakhchivan airfield to facilitate force and sustainment flow into the entire Nakhchivan region, this aim would be seen as a collective goal that cannot be achieved by performing only one task. Once this happens, the FD O becomes an event rather than a process. The aim can therefore be broken down into specific objectives, which are each backed by a specific key task. The collective achievement of the tasks then represents the achievement of the aim3. ... These are sustainable competence, guidance, energy and materials (engagement), combat readiness, information acquisition and processing, environment (knowledge), systems and modeling (maneuver), and force structure. Because of the interrelated nature of the mission of the FDO, these capabilities will be treated as related components of the mission rather than individual capabilities that apportioned forces must exhibit. Resources in apportioned forces There are three major apportioned forces, which are army, air force and navy. Among each of these forces, it is expected that all six capabilities identified above will be exhibited. But in order to make this possible, it is expected that certain resources that enhance the development of the capabilities will be in place. This is particularly necessary as the capabilities cannot be acquired or learned on an independent basis in the absent of resources. Currently, within the army, it is noted that there is an existence of huge problems w ith training, equipping and motivation for soldiers. Meanwhile for capability such as sustainable competence to take place, it is important that soldiers receive training on a constant basis so that their competences can be guaranteed and sustained. The same argument about training is true if capabilities like engagement, combat readiness, knowledge and maneuver can all be acquired4. For the capability of knowledge, which deals with information acquisition and processing to take place, it is expected that the army will be well equipped in the delivery of its duties. A similar case can be made for force structure, sustainable competence and combat readiness, which are all capabilities that cannot be guaranteed in the absence of motivation for soldiers.

Law and Practice Disciplinary Violation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Law and Practice Disciplinary Violation - Essay Example The Law of Confidence pertains to the issue of information that is deemed to be confidential and will include trade secrets, copyrighted and other sensitive information, including the right to its protection and remedy for the infringement through breach of confidence and trust by employees. (a) A new three-step dispute resolution process for employers and employees under the Employment Act has been introduced as of October 1, 2004. 1 According to these provisions, reasons for dismissal or disciplinary action must be put into writing, a face to face meeting must be arranged for discussing the dismissal and the employee must be given a chance to appeal. In the event an employer fails to follow the proper procedure and adhere to all three steps, then penalties will accrue to the employer while the employee may be automatically entitled to claims of unfair dismissal if he/she has been employed for more than a year at the firm in question. Moreover, instant dismissal of an employee, even in cases of gross misconduct, is automatically unfair unless, at the very least, a two-stage procedure is followed, wherein the employee is provided written notice of dismissal and provided the right to appeal. In cases of serious misconduct, it may be legal to dismiss an employee without no tice, however, it is better to suspend the employee first while investigations are carried out to ensure that allegations against the employee are substantiated. What must be considered in Sandra’s case is Alan’s summary dismissal, which has not allowed her the opportunity to appeal the decision to fire her. Continuous service with a Company entitles the employee to a policy of fairness in providing written the notice of the reasons for dismissal and the opportunity to offer any defence. Most companies follow such policies, especially when the employee has  been with the Company for a long time.  

Password Management System Advantages and Disadvantages

Password Management System Advantages and Disadvantages Project Aim: Passwords management is an important aspect of computer security, it’s the front line of protection for user terminals and it is by far the most common user authentication method within the largest multinational organizations. A poorly chosen password will increase the probability for an information system to be compromised. As such, all organization employees are responsible for taking the appropriate steps, to select good password security policies. Does that happen in reality? No, that’s why software password generators are activated to handle password management problems and enforce password management policies requested from the organization in order to comply with national standards, and undertake problems of selecting strong passwords. So the aim of this project is to analyze and test a standard password generator system and propose a technique for helping people to remember strong passwords easily. Project Objectives: According to the above facts the objectives that must be undertaken and strongly research in this Bachelor project report are the following: Identify the importance of passwords as it concerns the advantages and disadvantages in their daily use in home and corporate environments. Identify the weaknesses raised from these poorly chosen passwords and describe the modern attacking techniques against these passwords. Besides propose possible countermeasures to address and eliminate these attacks. Examine the characteristics of an effective password policy which can be applied in a corporate environment in order to establish and manage the appropriate defenses to eliminate the dangerous posed by insecure passwords systems. Conduct a critical analysis of different techniques used to facilitate users to remember strong passwords easily. Propose a mnemonic system which is based on users’ favorite passphrases. Analyze the operating principles of the Password Mnemonic System (PA.ME.SYS) and the processes that it enforces in order to produce â€Å"safe passwords†. Test this password generator system (PA.ME.SYS) for the strength of all passwords it generates. In order to achieve the above purposes of this project a series of logical steps were taken: In order to achieve the first and second objective of this project, a survey was conducted in the Internet, in books and in the Web application design 1 and Web application design 2 lecture notes. This survey was concerned with the importance of passwords in an organization’s security framework, the reasons they are widely used in today’s businesses and the catastrophic consequences posed by the exposure of insecure passwords to unauthorized people. Another survey in books and in the Internet was necessary to identify the weaknesses raised from these poorly chosen passwords, the attacks which are forced by modern attackers to gain unauthorized access to users passwords and the possible defense mechanisms used to address and eliminate such attacks. For the third objective of this report, a survey was conducted in the Internet and in books. The aim of this survey was to find and understand different password policies which can be applied in an organization’s global security policy to establish and manage the defenses used to eliminate the dangerous posed by insecure passwords. A university password policy analyzed for the rules they apply in order to define the secure creation and storage of strong passwords. In addition the relationship between the users and the password policies was examined together with the risks that businesses face due to the implementation of inadequate password policies. For the fourth objective, which defines the added value of this project report, it was important to conduct a search on the Internet for different techniques used to help users to remember strong passwords easily. These techniques were analyzed for their operation and the disadvantages they have. For fifth objective, it was important to propose a mnemonic system which is based on users’ favorite passphrases. The proposal of this mnemonic system was based on the research we made of different mnemonic techniques described on the previous chapter. For the sixth and seventh objective which also defines the added value of this project report it was to analyze and test the proposed Password Mnemonic System (PA.ME.SYS). After the end of the survey a mnemonic system based on users’ favorite passphrases was developed and implemented. For the development analysis and design data flow diagrams were used to clearly show the processes and data that make up the system. For the implementation and testing visual basic language was used which shows in a graphical environment how this mnemonic system works 1. Introduction to Authentication and â€Å"Something you know† 1.1 Identification and Authentication Techniques Controlling access to system resources is an important aspect of computer security. Access control is about managing which users can access which files or services in an organization’s computer system. All entities involved with receiving, accessing, altering or storing information in a computer system, are separated to active and passive ones. The term â€Å"active entities† is used to describe all subjects (users, processes, threads) that are accessing, receiving or altering information in a system. The term â€Å"passive entities† is used to describe all objects (files, database) that actually hold or store information accessed by subjects. Without having access control mechanisms it is not possible to protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA triad) of system resources.   Access control is used to force users to provide a valid username and password to gain access to a system resource. The two vital components of access control are the identification and authentication processes. In the identification process the user is obligated to present an identity to a computer system. The information provided by the user trying to log on could be a username or by simply placing his/her hand/face to a scanning device. This action triggers the start of the authentication, authorization and accountability processes.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Today, authentication processes are usually classified according to the distinguishing characteristic they use. These characteristics are classified in terms of the three factors described in the following section. Each factor relies on a different kind of distinguishing characteristic used each time to authenticate people in a system. 1.2 Authentication Factors In a typical system, there are basically three ways for human users to authenticate themselves to a client such as a computer, a mobile phone, a network, or an ATM machine. These three authentication factors are the following. ÃÆ'ËÅ" Anything you know: a password The distinguishing characteristic is private information that only authorized people know. In modern computer systems, this characteristic might be a password, a Personal Identification Number (PIN), lock combination or a pass phrase. It is the least cost effective factor and most popular method that can be employed easily in any modern system to authenticate authorized users within the organization. They are simpler and cheaper than other, secure forms of authentication but also because they do not require to spend large amounts of money for the implementation of them in comparison with other more modern security mechanisms. Additionally, Users don’t have to spend time and effort learning how to use them. The passwords are the only user-friendly way to identify a user in a network or computer system and it is believed that they can provide the same level of strong security as a more modern security mechanism. However the usage of passwords as an authentication technique presents some disadvantages that are directly connected to the way that users are managing these passwords. In more specific the users On the other hand, there are also some disadvantages that need to be taken into consideration such as the need to create complex and strong passwords,, the obligation to change their passwords frequently and the instructions and guidelines on how to keep their passwords secret. ÃÆ'ËÅ" Anything you have: a token The distinguishing characteristic is that authorized people own and present a specific item to be authenticated. This characteristic is enclosed in a token device such as a magnetic card, smart card, a memory card or a password calculator. ÃÆ'ËÅ" Anything you are: a biometric The distinguishing characteristic is some physiological feature (static) that is always present in a person, or a certain behavior pattern (dynamic) that is unique to the person being authenticated, and is measured and recorded once in the enrollment process. When the same person requires access entry the biometric identifier compares the current characteristic provided by the user with the previously collected pattern from the original authentic person. This characteristic could be a voice print, fingerprints, face shape, written signature, iris/retina pattern or hand geometry.   2. Attacks on Passwords 2.1 Introduction Passwords are a very important aspect of computer security. They are the front line of protection for user terminals and it is by far the most common user authentication method within the largest multinational organizations However the usage of passwords as an authentication technique increases the probability for an information system to be compromised. That happens because these passwords are directly connected to the way that users are creating, remembering, storing and distributing them. In fact passwords are the weakest element inside the security chain of an organization’s network system and are susceptible to different types of attacks. The next section presents the weaknesses on users’ passwords and modern attack techniques performed by malicious attackers to gain unauthorized access. 2.2 Attacks on Passwords Easily Guessed Passwords: The first weakness lies in the composition of the password itself. Most attackers rely on the fact that most people do a bad job in creating passwords and keeping them secret. Most passwords that people select depend on the following: Favorite football player and actor names, Simple strings, such as passwords consisting of the same character (e.g. 11111). Job titles and nicknames. Important numbers, such as insurance numbers, home addresses, telephones, credit card numbers, driver license, birthdays, or vehicle tags. Favorite words found in dictionaries. Children, family or relative names. The most common attack on passwords is that where malicious hackers exploit human nature and try to guesswhat passwords people select. In this case, hackers build a list with all information related to the victim and make attempts to log on hoping to find out the victim’s password quickly.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Brute-force Attacks: In cryptography, a brute force attack or exhaustive key search is the strategy that can in theory be used against any encrypted data by an attacker who is unable to take advantage of any weakness in an encryption system that would otherwise make his task easier. It involves systematically checking all possible keys until the correct key is found. in the worst case, this would involve traversing the entire search space. The key length used in the encryption determines the practical feasibility performing a brute force attack, with longer keys exponentially more difficult to crack than shorter ones. Brute force attack can be made less effective by obfuscating the data to be encoded, something that makets it more difficult for an attacker to recognize when he has cracked the code.one of the measures of the strenth of an encryption system is how long it would theoretically taken an attacker to mount a successful brute force attack against it. Consequence of this attack is that all users cannot use the network recourses and must wait until system administrator reserts or unlock that account. It is obvious that this kind of attack causes confusion and big delays to user’s critical job tasks. Dictionary Attacks: In cryptanalysis and computer security, a dictionary attack is a technique for defeating a cipher or authentication mechanism by trying to determine its decryption key or passphrase by searching likely possibilities. (Shape1.1). Shape1.1 Dictionary attack A dictionary attack uses a targeted technique of successively trying all the words in an exhaustive list called a dictionary. In contrast with a brute force attack, where a large proportion key space is searched systematically, a dictionary attack tries only those possibilities which are most likely to succeed, typically derived from a list of words for example a dictionary (hence the phrase dictionary attack) or a bible etc. Generally, dictionary attacks succeed because many people have a tendency to choose passwords which are short (7 characters or fewer), single words found in dictionaries or simple, easily-predicted variations on words, such as appending a digit. Social Engineering Attacks: Another weakness lies on the fact that people are not capable to remember and keep their passwords secret. In computer security social engineering is described as a non technical intrusion that is based on the psychological characteristics of the human nature. It is the art of persuading people to reveal vital secrets or to perform actions that comply with the hacker’s wishes {Shape 1.2}. Social engineering can be conducted into several forms. Reverse Engineering: In this method, a legitimate user is induced into asking an attacker questions to obtain information. The attacker poses as a person of higher authority and tries to deduce the needed information from the questions, which are asked by the user. [emailprotected]: This mode of social engineering involves sending an e-mail to a user asking confidential information. The e-mail is meant to trigger an emotional response from the user. It makes the user unwittingly participate in the hacking by disclosing the confidential information. Webpage’s: False Webpage’s, that require users to enter e-mail addresses and passwords, are created by attackers. Hackers hope that users will enter the same passwords at the false websites, as they use at their organization’s computer systems. Shoulder surfing: In this type of attack a malicious attacker could look over a user’s shoulder and watch him while he is typing his/her password to grant access to a system. However shoulder surfing attacks are not always successful but can give important information and strength to a malicious attacker to achieve his goal. Dumpster diving: One of the most intelligent techniques to retrieve users’ passwords within large commercial organizations is the dumpster diving attack. In this type of attack malicious attackers search through discarded material to find passwords, credit card numbers, confidential records or other useful information related to security policies and passwords. Sniffing Attacks: Except brute-force guessing, dictionary and social engineering attacks today’s hackers are using more clever programs and methods to retrieve users’ passwords. These methods include software sniffer programs which are used to capture and sniff passwords either a) when they are typed during the authentication phase of a network login session (Trojan Login, Van Eck Sniffing, Keystroke sniffing, hardware key loggers) or b) when they are transmitted across complex networks via email and other document delivery systems (network sniffers). {Shape 1.1}. Shape 1.1 Sniffing Attacks The next paragraphs describe in more detail each of these techniques used to sniff user’s passwords: ÃÆ'ËÅ" 1.Network Sniffing: Net sniffer is a program, who capable of capturing all traffic made available to one or more network adapters. ÃÆ'ËÅ" 2. Trojan Login: A Trojan Login sniffer program is a software tool used to capture users’ passwords during the authentication phase of a network login session. A malicious user who has access to a personal computer connected to a network can easily install a Trojan Login program. The strength of this malicious program is that it has the ability to display perfectly imitations of the operating system’s standard login program. As a consequence the user enters his/her username and password without any knowledge of the situation, while the Trojan login program saves this authentication information in a secret file. ÃÆ'ËÅ" 3. Van Eck Sniffing: These signals, which are called Van Eck radiation, are visible from as far away as 1 kilometer. It is obvious that a malicious hacker using the appropriate    equipment and without specialized skills could easily sit outside a building and eavesdrop passwords and other secrets displayed on any nearby user’s video screens and monitors.   ÃÆ'ËÅ" 4. Keystroke Sniffing: Shape 1.2 shows clearly a classic keystroke sniffing attack associated with most modern operating systems. In this type of attack usernames and passwords are captured directly from the keyboard input buffer. When the user enters the required authentication information in order to gain access to a computer system, this information is stored in a special area of memory RAM.   While the user enters information, another malicious attacker could run a sniffer program and retrieve the contents of the keyboard input buffer. As a result the user’s username and password is obtained by the hacker and can be used for later attacks {Shape 1.2}. Shape 1.2: Keystroke Sniffing ÃÆ'ËÅ" 5.Hardware Key Loggers: A key logger is a hardware device that intercepts and stores strokes of a keyboard. This type of attack can be conducted very easily by a social engineer. The social engineer simply walks into the location of interest and plugs very professionally this small piece of hardware between the keyboard port and the keyboard.Assuming that most users place PC towers under their desks and most of them are unaware of hardware technology, key loggers can record all typed keystrokes and store them to their internal memory without user knowledge.   Attacks on Password Storage: Passwords have often been vulnerable to different kind of attacks when they are stored in huge databases and password files.Most modern operating systems ask from the user trying to grant access to systems resources, to enter his/her valid username and password. Then the operating system searches on the system’s password file for an entry matching the username. If the password in that entry matches the password typed by the user, then the login procedure succeeds and the user is authorized by the system. Shape 1.3 shows clearly how the password checking procedure works [1.3]. Shape1.3 Password Checking The storage of any password immediately breaks one important rule concerned with password security: â€Å"Do not write passwords down†. If the password file containing all users’ passwords is stolen then automatically the intruder has direct access to all system’s passwords. The primary arguments against password storage can be stated as: Single Point of Failure:If the password file is compromised then all passwords are compromised. Compromise of password file can happen due to: Poor encryption mechanisms or use of a weak master password, so its contents are easily accessed by a malicious hacker. Poor protection of the file itself. Poor Audit Trails:Most operating systems keep logs used to review login failed password attempts. Usually these logs contain a large number of wrong usernames and passwords typed by users while they are trying to login on a computer or network system. If these logs are not well protected ,then attacks become easier. For example, a malicious attacker who sees an audit record with a nonexistent username of 7rs or eri67 can be sure that this string is a password or a part of the password for one of the valid users. Software Bugs: One important reason for the success of password attacks is sometimes based on badly designed operating systems and application programs running on them. These badly designed features because software bugs which do all the hard work for malicious hackers and continue to be a major source of many security problems.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   One recent software bug was found in the Solaris operating system. Users with low level privileges could force a network application program to end abnormally. As a result this program dumped its memory contents to the hard drive in a file available to all users. This file contained copies of the hashed password values that were normally stored and protected in a shadowed file. As a consequence this file could be used as input to Crack software for an off-line brute-force attack. 2.3 Countermeasures against these Attacks Assuming all the above, it is obvious that attackers use several techniques to capture users’ passwords. In this section countermeasures against all attacks on passwords (describesin section2.2 Attacks on Passwords) are analyzed and listed in order: Countermeasures against brute-force attacks: A possible solution against login guessing attacks (or on-line brute-force attacks) is to have a password policy which specifies the maximum number of login failed attempts. System administrators by configuring the operating system could limit the number of failed login attempts allowed for each user. If the threshold is reached then the account should be locked and users will not be able to log until the system administrator arrives to reactivate the login process for the specific account. It must be mentioned that using such defenses against login guessing attacks will only delay a hacker from accessing a system and gaining access to confidential information. Failed login thresholds will not prevent a brute force attack from occurring but will identify the attacking attempt to the security administrator. This defense method will deter a malicious attacker from initiating a brute force attack and increase the level of difficulty for executing this attack. There is no actual defense mechanism against an off-line brute-force attack. This type of attack can be applied to any given password database. There are many cracking software’s available on the Internet which are capable of generating character sequences and working through all possible character combinations until the user’s password is found. The only defense mechanism against this type of attack is to have users that select and use â€Å"strong† password. Countermeasures against dictionary attacks: This type of attack could be eliminated by having a policy which simply prohibits the use of common words found in dictionaries or attacker’s word lists. If all generated passwords do not appear in such lists, then dictionary attacks will not succeed. Besides system administrators should perform themselves dictionary attacks to test users’ passwords within an organisation. If any passwords are compromised, then they must inform the users directly of the results and obligate them to change their passwords to more secure ones. Countermeasures against Social Engineering attacks: Education and user awareness must be supported by the organization’s global security policy. The users should understand the importance of keeping their passwords secret and be familiar with the different ways that a social engineering attack can be conducted against them. In this case, people are able to take the necessary steps to react accordingly when such a situation occurs. Besides this, companies shouldshred all printouts having usernames, passwords and other similar confidential information in order to prevent dumpster diving attacks. Countermeasures against Network sniffing attacks: Today’s hackers are using many network sniffing programs to retrieve users’ passwords, while they are transmitted over distant networks or inside organization’s corporate network. Most businesses facing this threat and considering the consequences due to this type attack implement and use different network protocols for the secure transmission of confidential information. More often organizations indicate detailed security policies that specify ways, encryption methods and protocols to be used for the secure transmission of any important information. The most important defense mechanism against network sniffing attacks is the use of well-known secure network protocols such as SSL/TLS and IPSec protocols. These protocols have the ability to build secure channels based on cryptographic keys, shared between trusted parties, for the safe transfer of passwords and other confidential information in any system’s network Countermeasures against Trojan Login: A defense mechanism against Trojan Logins is to have a trust path for all functions that require users to enter or present authentication information for purpose of authentication. This trusted path must be established between the user trying to login and the operating system. Secure Attention Sequence (or SAS) is a trusted path mechanism used in many modern operating systems such as Windows 2000. When user requires to log on, by executing the sequence Ctrl+Alt+Del is guaranteed that he is communicating with the operating system and not malicious software such as Trojan Login. Another important countermeasure against this type of attack is the installation of commercial available anti-virus software programs (such as Norton Antivirus and MacAfee Antivirus). These anti-virus softwares have the ability to detect and prevent sniffing attack programs such Trojan Logins to be installed, downloaded and operate in operating systems. 9 Countermeasures against Van Eck sniffing attacks: The types of countermeasures used to protect against Van Eck Sniffing attacks are known as Transient Electromagnetic Pulse Equipment Shielding Techniques (TEMPEST). The U.S TEMPEST standard is one guideline that manufacturers have to follow in order to reduce electromagnetic signals and prevent these types of attacks against passwords and other secrets displayed on video screens and monitors. TEMPEST mechanisms include Faraday cages, white noise and control zones. A Faraday cage is a box, a room or an entire building that is designed with an external metal skin that fully surrounds an area on all six sides. As a result all electromagnetic signals transmitted from PC’s monitors are blocked inside the building, preventing eavesdroppers from revealing users passwords.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Countermeasures against Keystroke sniffing attacks:.   A good defense mechanism against keystroke sniffing attacks is to protect CPU’s memory. In particular the keyboard input buffer is the exact location where keystrokes typed by users are stored. It is clear that this area should be protected using various encryption techniques in order to become impossible for an intruder to retrieve its contents in plaintext form when they are intercepted.   Countermeasures against Hardware Key Loggers: There are not well-known defense mechanisms against Hardware Key Loggers. The only countermeasure against them is to state clearly in the organisation’s password policy that all sides of electronic equipment, and especially computers, should be visible to users and security officers. Moreover system administrators may be obligated to check all hardware and electronic devices plugged on users’ computers, or forced to check all hardware connections in computers rooms periodically.  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Countermeasures against Password Storage attacks: The types of defense mechanisms against password storage attacks include the use of various encryption and hashing techniques. These techniques are used to encrypt password files and never leave passwords exposed in plaintext form. Usually modern operating systems (Windows, UNIX) use one-way encryption systems to encrypt users’ passwords. In one-way encryption systems the password is transformed in such a way that the original password can not be recovered. When a user is logging onto such a system, the password that is entered by the user is one-way encrypted and compared with the stored encrypted password. The same encryption method and key must be used to encrypt the valid password before storage and to encrypt the entered password before comparison. Besides the use of one-way encryption, strong access control mechanisms (such as Role-Based and Clark-Wilson access control models) should be enforced and applied to the files that keep system’s hashed passwords. Without implementing tough access control mechanisms, the operating system is unable to check who is accessing these files. As a consequence an adversary could easily copy them and mount different kinds of attacks on them. Countermeasures against Software Bugs: As was mentioned in the previous section (section 2.2 software bugs), sometimes badly designed features in operating systems and applications can lead to software bugs which do all the hard work for malicious hackers. A defense mechanism to prevent such software bugs is to have a good software design. Software should be designed in an organized way keeping procedures simple, reviewed periodically for vulnerabilities and threats, and hardened with the latest patches.   Where a software bug is found in any operating system or application, people discovering it should report this problem directly to the security officer and the correspondent company selling and providing licenses for this specific product should be informed to solve this problem. 3. Password Policies 3.1 Introduction Password policies are necessary to protect the confidentiality of information and the integrity of systems by keeping unauthorized users out of computer systems. Usernames and passwords are the fundamental protection of computers and networks against intruders. Password policies specify rules about the secure administration of usernames, rules used to define valid passwords and the type of protection needed for secure password storage. Α password policy is a good place to start to build the security of a company’s network and protect its assets. The next sections discuss issues related to the secure usage and management of both usernames and passwords. 3.2 Administration of Usernames The front gate within an organization’s network is where the user or the service identifies themselves and presents some type of authentication information only known to them in order to grant access. The failure to have a reliable Login Security Policies activated is like having a big building with the best guards and security mechanisms around it with the main front gate open to anyone. 3.2.1 Login Security Policies and Usernames Within a secure system, the first thing that should be expected for any login attempt is to identify who is the person requesting entry. Regardless of the protocols used, you need to know who is trying to access the network services and who they want the network services to think they are. In high-security military environments the user identifications are assigned based on a random sequence of characters. Other organizations, such as commercial, use something that can uniquely identify the user without worrying about how to create usernames. If the usernames can give away information about the organization, then the implementation of random names could be a good solution. Although by using these random