Reading ability of Damascus class Essay Example

Reading ability of Damascus class Essay Introduction: a. Background of the Study Reading is the most important skill a person should develop. The ultimate goal of reading is to help a person be able to understand the written material, to evaluate it and to apply it in a certain subject. In order to accomplish these things and be good in reading comprehension, one should read books more often. A person who reads book may have a wide range of imagination compared to some who dont. According to an essay writer named Arlene Babes-Evoke Filipinos are not book lovers. As what she had written, Filipinos hate solitude and are also impatient. We will write a custom essay sample on Reading ability of Damascus class specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Reading ability of Damascus class specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Reading ability of Damascus class specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer However, there are some opinions that not all Filipinos are these kinds of readers. Nowadays, many of the Filipinos who loved to read books are experiencing difficulties in how to make reading, a habit. So in this study, the researchers will be discussing about how a certain section loved or hate books. The focus of this research study is the Grade VI pupils of Isabella District II. Many would think that all students in this section are interested in reading books, not knowing that almost half of this class are not book lovers; yes, they do read books but only for the sake of grades (e. I. English subject). This research study will help readers understand and work out the problems why there are still students who have difficulties in reading books. This can help some of the students of the Damascus class to learn and find books as the love of their hearts. B. Objectives of the Study The purpose of this study is to find out the reasons why some of the IV Year Damascus class have no reading interest while several of them are critical readers of all kind of books. Specifically, it hopes to answer the if. : 1 . What are the reasons why there are still several Damascus class does not find books interesting? 2. What is the percentage of the Damascus class who loves to read books? Who does not have any interest in reading books? 3. On what level of reading, the students of fourth year Damascus is? 4. What help are being taken to eliminate the reading illness? 5. What help are being taken to improve the level of reading of the book lovers in the Damascus class? C. Scope and Limitation This study is concerned with the reading problems of the Damascus class only. This study covers all, which is all about reading as a skill, reading problems. The researcher only interviews, ask questions to this student of Damascus class. * Definition of Terms Solitude state AT Dealing alone: ten state AT Dealing alone, separated Trot toner people, winter considered as a welcome freedom from disturbance or as an unhappy loneliness * Slothful- lazy Levels of reading * Pre-reader -Pre-reader books are for young children and adults that have not yet learned to read the language the book is written in, or have Just started to learn to pronounce and read simple words. A pre-readers vocabulary is typically small. A pre- reader is likely to have difficulty reading and understanding long words and sentences. These books should use of a lot of pictures and are likely to be read out loud with a parent or educator present. * Beginner -Books at the beginner skill level are intended for young children that can read on their own. Beginners can understand longer sentences and have a higher vocabulary than pre-readers. However, beginners are likely to have some difficulties still with pronunciation and comprehension when new vocabulary is encountered or introduced. These books are likely about basic subjects and use a minimum amount of difficult vocabulary. Difficult words that are used should be properly introduced. These books are likely to still rely heavily on pictures * Intermediate -Books at the intermediate skill level are intended for readers at an average adult reading level. Sentence structures are likely to be more diverse and more difficult vocabulary is often used without an explanation. An intermediate reader is more likely to understand new words and vocabulary Just from the context and usage. These books are likely to provide more in depth information about a subject than a beginner level book would, which may require using and explaining some specialized Jargon. These books should be accessible to readers without any reticular expertise in the subject area and should avoid using Jargon without explanations. * Advanced -Books at the advanced skill level depend on more background knowledge and understanding of more specialized vocabulary than is common for intermediate readers. Some subject-specific Jargon is likely to be used without explanation, but a heavy reliance on subject-specific Jargon should be avoided to increase readability and comprehension. Professional -Books at the professional skill level tend to be highly subject-specific and require extensive background knowledge among readers. Jargon tends to be seed extensively, and readability is often sacrificed for precision. These books may be dry and academic and not welcoming to most readers. E. Importance of the Study This research study gives importance on how the ISABELLA II PUPILS learn and handle their reading capabilities for them to use for daily lives and for facing the futu re that is ahead of them. Reading ability is needed to comprehend materials important to daily living. Reading will also affect the academic performance of the students and thus, this is the importance of the study. T Insoles statement Reading might be a burden for students, but reading also is the most important part in the lives of students especially for the graduating students. II. Review of Related Literature Reading is an important skill for the lives of the students. Reading skill helps students to understand more about their lessons and help them in their vocabularies, expanding their reading comprehension and to have an advantage in speaking English language fluently. It also helps widen the imagination of the readers and ideas Development of Reading Skills Some educators see reading comprehension as a series of sub skills, such as understanding word meaning word meaning in context, finding the main dead, making inferences about information implied but not stated, and distinguishing between fact and opinion. In high school and college, reading materials become more abstract and contain a larger, more technical vocabulary. At this stage, the student not only must acquire new information but also must critically analyze the text and achieve an optimal reading rate based on the difficulty of the material and the purpose of the reading. (Incarnate Premium, 2009) Improving Reading Skills How do you help yourself improve reading competence? Word study is one way for the older student to improve reading ability. This involves using a dictionary and thesaurus, studying word parts, and learning how to find the meaning of a word from the context. Students can also improve their vocabularies by paying conscious attention to any new words they may encounter. Because a mature reader must have several different reading rates available for different materials and purposes, practice in skimming a passage for general meaning and scanning for specific information is useful. The development of efficient study strategies is important in learning various kinds of subject matter. One useful duty technique is outlining, which helps to develop an awareness of the main points and details of a selection. (Incarnate Premium,2009). Improving adolescents literacy skills is more difficult, and its more difficult for a number of reasons. One major reason is this whole thing of attitude. We find that a lot of adolescents understandably, if theyve been struggling with literacy have really developed negative attitudes about reading, writing, the whole subject of dealing with improving their academic skills. (Kevin Feldman, De. D. ) To improve reading skills, a reader should know the tactics on how to be a good reader. To improve reading ability, a person should have a work study, it involves thesaurus and dictionary which can help the readers understand more about the content of the book. Skimming the passage for general theme and scanning for a specific information is useful. L nà ©e Must really unreason Tanat Improving tenet rearing Ana writing skills Is not something that adults do to them. Its really something that is done with them. That meaner forging a partnership so that the kids and young people understand the specifics of whats going on what we can do, how long it will take so that they have ambitious but realistic goals. . (Kevin Feldman, De. D. ) Read ing improvement is not only centered on the students, themselves. It is also depend on to the teacher or the leader of the school, if they have the passion for having students the opportunity to be book lovers. Reading ability is very difficult to assess accurately. In the communicative competence model, a students reading level is the level at which that student is able to use reading to accomplish communication goals. This meaner that assessment of reading ability needs to be correlated with purposes for reading. (http://www. CLC. Org/essentials/reading/serenaded. HTML, 2003,2004) Causes of Reading Problems according to Kevin Feldman, De. D. 1 . Falling Behind Many students lack the reading skills required for their grade level. If students fall behind at early ages, by the time they reach high school, it is very difficult for them to catch up. According to the NAPE, 26 percent of 12th-graders cannot read at the basic level. These students may never learn to read. Whos to Blame? Parents are not helping their young children learn to read, either because of laziness or because they work long hours. Technology can also take some of the blame. According to a study published in Reuters, children who have a major video game system in their home spend 30 percent less time reading and working on homework than a child without a system. That meaner they are not getting the skills necessary to keep up with their classmates. The Art of Testing Since instant messaging and cell phone testing has taken over many kids lives, they have become lazy readers. Given the 160 character confines of a standard text message, children are learning to shorten their messages and do away with standard incaution, said Michael Swan on Lovelorn. Com. In the Classroom What this meaner for our high cholers in the classroom is that they no longer have the attention span, nor the patience to do any serious reading. This leads to very lethargic students when it comes time to read in class. Ill- Moments Ana Procedure Questions Yes No Pre-Reader Beginner Advance Professional 1 . Are you interested in reading books 16 Percentage 58% 42% 2. Why? 45% 13% Why not? 15 argental 3 Have you read an 100% 4. What was the reason of reading that book? 8 79% 5. An tents level AT read Ins, winner AAA you thank you Delano? 7 5% The researchers of this study had gathered some data from the Damascus class through interviewing them. Below is the summary of the survey the researchers did. Choices: 2. Why? A. Hobby/entertaining B. Gain more knowledge 4. A. School purposes B. Own interest Why not? A. Boring B. Too lazy The researchers had surveyed the students of Damascus class to know how efficient they are in reading. As a result of the survey, it has been proved that out of 38 correspondents only 22 of them have interests in books having the total percentage AT Wendell 16 AT teem NAS no Interest In reading Dodos navels a total argental of 42%. 45% of these students read books because it has been their habit and they found it very entertaining while 13% read books in order to gain more knowledge and get new ideas. However, those who answered NO were not interested in books having a total percentage of 42%. 0% of this percentage said that they found reading books, boring, while the remaining 2% found it slothful to do. In the question number three, the survey says that all the correspondents from the Damascus class have already read books. 21% of the students read books for school purpose while 79% reasoned that it is their own interest. The level of reading shows how the students rate th emselves according to their levels. It has also been observed that 5% of the students are still in the beginners level; 79% in the intermediate; and 16% claim that they were in the advance level of reading. IV- Results Reading books can help us improve reading skills. This part of the research can give us the overview of the result of the students of IV- Damascus in reading. The researchers have collected data and came up with a result. There are students in the Damascus class who are not interested in reading books because it is boring and lazy thing to do. Based on the survey, 58% of the students are interested in reading books while 42% are not. In the level of reading, 5% are the beginners level while most 79% are the intermediate and 16% are in the Advance level which headed to the professor. However, assistance can be offered to students who are having reading difficulties. As the researchers Procedure, they have found several results for the problem especially in improving the skills of the students. The investigation of this problem had pointed out solutions for those troubled students. Word study is one way of improving reading skills. For those who are booksellers in this section, they can improve their reading ability by continuing their holiday and taking up new challenges and having guidance from an expert. Therefore, It had been cleared that we have solutions to every problem when we think of positive results. V- summary, conclusions, Recommendation Summary: This study was about improving the reading skills of the Fourth Year Damascus class. Based on the data gathered by the researchers, they have found out that almost half of this class have no reading interest but its a good thing that the half of this class loved to read books. Those who show no interest in books have reading problems. The main reason of these students is that for them reading is boring. Environment has something to do with this kind of problem especially cell phones, the text messages that is sent by most of the teenagers were shorten which makes them to be a lazy readers, another is the internet, its true that internet makes the life of the students easy but students are abusing this technology so, whenever they have a project that have something to do with the computer, they Just copy paste them. These students that have no reading interests may think hat there is no chance for them to learn improve this reading skill. But the researchers found out some ways of improving their skills. First, they have to begin with the word study, whenever they read something they should keep on their side a dictionary or a thesaurus that would help them define the meaning of words that are difficult. Another is practice in skimming a passage for general meaning and scanning for specific information is useful, outlining, also helps to develop an awareness of the main points and details of a selection. Readers should have desire and interest in this skill because without those factors, the readers will to be able to improve their reading skills. Conclusion Therefore the researcher concluded that different students have different skills in reading. Others are diligent enough while others are lazy that they dont want reading to be their source of ideas, but in this study it can be improve through proper discipline. Recommendation If theres a will, theres a way. One can surpass the problem in reading if the person is willing to learn. The researchers point is to encourage each reader to have a positive thought about reading and to help each other one be good in this skill.

Sample Cover Letter Essay and Executive Summary Writing - 5 Essentials to Remember

Sample Cover Letter Essay and Executive Summary Writing - 5 Essentials to RememberIf you are writing a sample cover letter, APA essay, or executive summary, then it is critical that you keep in mind that the letter should not be a one-dimensional essay. You may think that it is all about the sentence structure and the grammar. You would be wrong!Sample cover letters are extremely important in your career development. These letters are usually used by recruiters to determine whether or not you are the right fit for the job opening. They are used to tell the hiring manager what qualities you have that will make them believe that you are the best person for the job. These letters, unlike the sample letter you may have been accustomed to, have to deal with the interview process in a more personal fashion.Sample cover letters, APA essays, and executive summaries often don't include much of an introduction. This may be due to a lack of personal space in the introduction itself. The introdu ction must also be able to have several points that motivate the reader to read on to see how the company sees you as a fit for the position. The letter you use for your resume should be used to capture the reader's attention. Your letter must grab the reader and make them want to keep reading to see what else there is to find out about you.Sample cover letters are often more about creating a connection with the reader. They are used to introduce yourself and tell the reader a little bit about who you are. The letter you use for your resume is more about telling the reader something about yourself. It's not necessarily about you. In fact, most resumes are mostly written by a recruiter. The letter you use for your resume is also used to get the readers attention and get them to read further on to find out more about you.Sample cover letters are also more about expressing who you are and what makes you different from the rest of the competition. A sample cover letter might tell the re ader that you are a great listener, and that you care deeply about other people. In an executive summary, the letter you use to describe the strengths and weaknesses of the candidate may be used to tell the reader how well you communicate with others. The executive summary might also be used to explain the reasons why the company believes that this candidate is the best person for the job.Sample cover letters are used by recruiters to determine whether or not the letter will be successful and if the hiring manager will hire the applicant. Because it is used to introduce yourself, these letters should be unique. They should tell the reader something about who you are and why you are the best person for the job. The letter you use for your resume is more about creating a connection with the reader. It is used to tell the reader something about you and why you are the best person for the job.Sample cover letters, APA essays, and executive summaries are used by recruiters and hiring man agers to determine whether or not the applicant is the best candidate for the job. The letter you use for your resume is more about getting the reader's attention and getting them to read further on to find out more about you.

Toyota. Organizations Mission

Toyota. Organizations Mission Leaders have the role of developing their organization’s operating strategies, mission, vision, and corporate objectives. Management and human resources are guided by their organizations Mission, vision and objectives; their attainment leads to satisfied stakeholders. An effective mission, vision and objectives should be attainable and reflect the needs operation of a company. This paper analyzes Toyota Motor Corporations, United States branch, vision, mission and objectives.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Toyota. Organizations Mission specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Mission statement The company has a mission statement in the United States of America as follows, â€Å"To attract and attain customers with high-valued products and services and the most satisfying ownership experience in America†( Toyota Motor Corporation Corporate Website, 2011). The management either in Japan where the head quarters are, or in the United States branch are guided by the mission they want to attain. When one analyzes the mission statement, the company simply illustrates how it wants to add value in Americans life, through its innovative products. The mission has been attained through massive inventive and innovative of models, and involvement in corporate social responsibilities. When the company’s products are not offering quality as expected, the company recalls the products; this is in the efforts of adding more value to the Americans. Vision statement The vision of the company is â€Å"To be the most successful and respected car company in America (Toyota Motor Corporation Corporate Website, 2011). The attainment of the vision will only be realized after the company has set appropriate internal processes that target the American market; the internal processes that the company has implemented are aggressive marketing, innovation, research and development among others. The lea dership role in the country and the world in general was attained in 2008, when the company surpassed General Motors’ to be the world largest motor vehicle company by volume production and sales. The largest market for the company’s products is in North America.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Objectives The company’s objectives are in five-principle documentation, they are: Kaizen (continuo’s improvement): the company aims at improving its products and internal processes to ensure that they fully satisfy their customers, the recent development is the introduction of electric automobiles. Teamwork: the company has a motivated team, which aims at increasing the efficiency and operations in the company for the benefit of the company. Challenges: the company aims at facing challenges as they come, it is willing to face the situat ion in the world and probably offer solution. The objective is derived through massive research and development programs implemented. Respect: the company aims at preserving high respect for its internal and external customer, it also aims at being in harmony with the environment; to attain this objective, the company has a code of ethics that every employee need to employ the ethical code. The codes define ethics as a set of moral principles or values used by organizations to monitor the conduct of both the employees and the organization it in how they carry out their activities both internally and externally. Genchi Genbutsu (go and see); the company aims at developing internal processes and products through research and development programs. It has an active research team at aims at coming up with better products and processes (Hino, 2006). Conclusion Leaders have the role of developing attainable vision, mission and objectives; after developing the objectives, the next task is t o come-up with policies and strategies to see their attainment. The success of Toyota in the United States has been attributed to effective leadership that respects the company’s mission, Vision and corporate objectives.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Toyota. Organizations Mission specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More References Hino, S. (2006). Inside the mind of Toyota: management principles for enduring growth. Tokyo: Productivity Press. Toyota Motor Corporation Corporate Website. (2011). Toyota Motor Corporation. Retrieved from https://www.toyota.com/

Primary Health Care in Developing Countries Essay

Primary Health Care in Developing Countries - Essay Example Primary health care is essential health care made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community by means acceptable to them, through their full participation and at a cost that the community and country can afford. It forms an integral part both of the country's health system of which it is the nucleus and of the overall social and economic development of the community (WHO). It values to achieve health for all and requires health systems that "Put people at the centre of health care"1. To achieve this, there is a need to understand citizen's expectation of health and health care and to see to it that their voice and choice decisively influences the way in which health services are designed and operated. The Alma Ata Declaration in 1978 gave an insight into the understanding of primary health care. It mobilized a "Primary Health Care movement" of professionals and institutions, governments and civil society organizations, researchers and grassroots organizations that undertook to tackle the "politically, socially and economically unacceptable"2 health inequalities in all countries. It viewed health as an integral part of the socio-economic development of a country. It provided the most holistic understanding to health and the framework that States needed to pursue to achieve the goals of development. The Declaration recommended that primary health care should include at least: education concerning prevailing health problems and methods of identifying, preventing and controlling them; promotion of food supply and proper nutrition, and adequate supply of safe water and basic sanitation; maternal and child health care, including family planning; immunization against major infectious di seases; prevention and control of locally endemic diseases; appropriate treatment of common diseases and injuries; promotion of mental health and provision of essential drugs. It emphasized the need for strong first-level care with strong secondary- and tertiary-level care linked to it. It called for an integration of preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative health services that had to be made accessible and available to the people, and this was to be guided by the principles of universality, comprehensiveness and equity. In one sense, primary health care reasserted the role and responsibilities of the State, and recognized that health is influenced by a multitude of factors and not just the health services. It also recognized the need for a multi-sectoral approach to health and clearly stated that primary health care had to be linked to other sectors. At the same time, the Declaration emphasized on complete and organized community participation, and ultimate self-reliance with individuals, families and communities assuming more responsibility for their own health, facilitated by support from groups such as the local government, agencies, local leaders, voluntary groups, youth and women's groups, consumer groups, other non-governmental organizations, etc. The Declaration affirmed the need for a balanced distribution of available resources (WHO 1978). THE INDIAN SCENARIO Demographic, Social and

Turbidity and solids determination Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Turbidity and solids determination - Lab Report Example The standard technique for the turbidity determination is focused around the Jackson candle turbid meter. Estimations made utilizing the candle turbid meter are focused around the way light goes through a suspension that worthy motivations the picture of the fire to vanish. The more drawn out the light way; it brings down the turbidity (Letterman 26). Estimations utilizing this technique are accounted for as a part of Jackson Turbidity Units or JTU. The nephelometer, or business turbid meter, is an alternate basic strategy, which analyzes the power of light scattered by the example under characterized conditions with the force of light scattered by a standard result under the same conditions. The higher the force of scattered light, the higher the turbidity. Estimations made utilizing this strategy are recorded within Nephelometric Turbidity Units or NTU. Complete solids allude to the matter or buildup that remaining parts after vanishing and drying of water test. Lt incorporates suspended solids that could be separated out, and the disintegrated solids that pass through the channel. Settleable solids are those suspended solids that will settle out by gravity under tranquil conditions. Volumetric and gravimetric tests could be utilized to focus the bit of the solids that are settleable-Gravimetric investigation is frequently utilized for the determination of solids. This includes cautious weighing of channels and dishes previously, then after the fact example sifting and drying (Letterman 50). Tests must be precisely measured, weighed and recorded with a particular end goal to acquire compelling results. The turbid meter was turns on and let to warm for 15 minutes. Checking was done on the turbid meter using the standards in the black cases near the instrument. The appropriate range was selected beginning with a higher range. Filled the sample vial with a well-mixed

The Issues Concerning Identity Theft Essay Example for Free

The Issues Concerning Identity Theft Essay Abstract â€Å"Identity theft has been around since the Internet became more than just the stuff of science fiction. The benefits of being in the Network has been undisputed but it has its drawbacks especially recently†. The increasing sophistication of hacking technology and the ever-widening use of web-based communication have made the danger of identity theft loom even larger in the horizon. Recent statistics illustrate just how serious the situation is with cyber criminals increasingly focusing on small companies and individuals, who are considered soft targets. Countermeasures are fighting a losing battle and experts state that individual vigilance is the only really effective way of stemming the flood. Introduction There was a movie in 1992 starring Robert Redford and Ben Kingsley, called â€Å"Sneakers.† They played the parts of college computer geeks who managed to hack into a government computer system as a sort of teenage prank and got caught. Later in the movie, the character of Ben Kingsley becomes a high-powered high-tech executive determined to rule the world with the use of information technology that could hack into any system in the world. At the time of the movie, such scenarios were the stuff of science fiction, but that is precisely the situation today. The dependence on cyber infrastructure has become so ingrained into everyday life that vulnerability to attacks takes on new dimensions. The consequences of this vulnerability are far-reaching, as indeed information has become the new currency in this fast-paced, Web-based world. But ensuring the security of digital information is fraught with difficulty, as hackers and programmers are coming up with smarter and more destructive ways to wreak havoc with both public and private networks. One type of malware that illustrates the increasing sophistication of malicious code uses a JavaScript tool called NeoSploit. It can attack a system using seven distinct exploits that could be customized depending on the specific weakness of the system it is currently attacking. It is double obfuscated so that it easily evades most automated detection. It is a â€Å"smart† bug and adaptable as well. [33] The concept of identity theft is not new. Anybody with a computer and access to the Internet have been warned never to reveal personal information to unverified sources and to keep avoid financial transactions online unless the site is vouched for a by a reliable verification site. But identity theft is so much more, and recently, there has been a disturbing rise in incidents of identity theft beginning in 2004. The threat to networks has become more complex, as illustrated by the distributed denial-of-service attacks in 2000 and the 2001 CodeRed worm. [30] The cost to consumers and businesses of identity theft is significant. According to the Federal Trade Commission, it has been maintained at more than $50 billion in the US alone. [18] Such occurrences are not only occurring in the US, however. In South Africa, Standard Bank local and foreign clients were choused out of thousands of rands by a Trojan installed in public internet cafà ©s which captured bank information. In France, a 2005 report described how terrorists routinely used stolen identities forged onto false identity documents. [26] The effect of such security breakdowns on e-commerce is particularly horrendous. Such enterprises rely on the trust and confidence of their clients that their confidence will be secure during online transactions. It only takes one instance of invasion for clients to shy away from doing further business. This paper investigates the issues pertaining to the technology behind identity theft, the countermeasures being enacted to prevent it and the current unresolved problems. Requirement Analysis To more fully appreciate the problem, a definition of identity theft may be in order. Identity theft was first coined as part of the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act of 1998, better known as ID Theft Act. It is defined as a criminal act to: â€Å" †¦knowingly transfer or use, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, or to aid or abet, any unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of Federal law, or that constitutes a felony under any applicable State or local law.†[1] Because of the increasing sophistication of ID theft techniques, the US Federal Trade Commission felt it incumbent to provide more specific definitions of what constitutes an â€Å"identity† or â€Å"identifying information†, to wit: â€Å"(a) The term ‘identity theft’ means a fraud committed or attempted using the identifying information of another person without lawful authority. (b) The term ‘identifying information’ means any name or number that may be used, alone or in conjunction with any other information, to identify a specific individual, including any (1) Name, Social Security number, date of birth, official state- or government-issued driver’s license or identification number, alien registration number, government passport number, employer or taxpayer identification number. (2) Unique biometric data, such as fingerprint, voice print, retina or iris image, or other unique physical representation. (3) Unique electronic identification number, address, or routing code. (4) Telecommunication identifying information or access device.†[1] Looking at what comprises identity, it seems highly possible that at one point any one using the Internet or a private network will disclose one or more of the data above on a daily basis because it is almost impossible to go through a typical day without at least once using a network application such as an ATM machine or logging on to an e-mail service. Going to a hospital or school and it is highly likely an RFID is required in some form, whether as a school ID or a medical card. Schools are especially vulnerable to attack because security is not particularly high on the list of priorities for school districts working with a budget. The benefits that accrue from digital technology in the school setting is massive, but there has been no corresponding enthusiasm for establishing even the most basic of security measures. The fact is, cases such as the schools in California and Florida in which students themselves hack into the unsecured database for a prank or for profit, or the Ohio student who accidentally deleted student records which had not been backed up, are not unusual. Some of the most iconic movies are about tech savvy students who pull a fast one on uptight school administrators or against terrorists. However, in real life, security breaches for academic and medical records of students are carry consequences just as serious as those for government and corporate information. [43] It is not surprising that with the rapid digitization of information databases in all sectors, there are more and more incidents reported of some type of invasion. In 200 Techniques used in Identity Theft Physical methods computer and backup theft direct access to information dumpster diving, or searching trash theft of a purse or wallet mail theft and interception shoulder surfing skimming dishonest or mistreated employees telemarketing and fake telephone calls Internet-based methods hacking and unauthorized access phishing, or the use of spam and mirror sites pharming, or interception between an IP address and the target server. redirectors advance-fee fraud or 419 fraud fake IRS form keylogging and password stealing There has been such emphasis on Internet-related security breaches that the fact escapes most people that identity theft can happen physically as well as over the Ethernet. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, there were more than 300 breaches in security in companies involving the loss of data storage tapes that contained the information of more than 20 million people in 2006. However, cyber-crimes is much harder to prevent because it can be done off-site and insiduously. It is also harder to detect because often the theft is done in small batches. Source: http://www.eset.eu/press_release_threats_march McAfee Avert Labs recently released a report called â€Å"Identity Theft† that identified keylogging, malware that keeps track of keystrokes to capture passwords and other sensitive information, as the tool being increasingly used to perpetrate identity theft. The report also tracked the occurrence of phishing attacks which increased 250% from January 2004 to May 2006. [26] In March 2007, ESET reported that the top malware threat was the Trojan keylogging malware called   Win32/PSW.Agent.NCC, followed by Win32/Netsky.Q or simply Netsky P, which has the power to replicate and to spread itself as an attachment through e-mail. In third place is Trojan Win32/TrojanDowloader.Agent.AWF which is used to download malware that creates botnets that in turn creates spam and disruption-of-service attacks. [4] The use of Internet Relay Chat (IRC) bots, a string of codes or independent program that attaches to the IRC channel of a system and appears to be just another user, by hackers has been developed to be transmitted through IM, mass mailing and peer-to-peer communication. While useful for managing channels, maintaining access lists, and providing access to databases, it has become dangerous in the hands of malicious users, who activate the bots to infect and reside in systems with a view of passing on confidential and sensitive information. It is difficult to detect and to clean because the bot is configured to disable anti-virus software and firewalls. Moreover, bots can edit registry entries to hide its presence. [44] Avenues used for Identity Theft Credit Card Fraud Individuals find themselves victims of credit card fraud when they transact with smaller merchants online merchants that utilize generic shopping cart software and failing to keep up with the latest software security patches. Web-based vulnerabilities, which provide cyber-criminals the soft patches in which to invade and infiltrate, is found in many different Web-based applications because of the failure to be vigilant. One example is that of Cellhut.com which uses third party Website security provider Hackersafe which is supposed to have passedthe FBI/SANS Internet Security Test. But experts are circumspect regarding the effectiveness of these tests as evidenced by the number of reports of fraud, which is actually only a part of the actual number of cases that actually occur. Small online companies are not required to report all incidents, making statistical data difficult to gather. [17] E-mail as a gateway In 2003, the number of spam or jank mail outstripped the number of legitimate e-mail in corporate America, indicating an unrelenting onslaught on computer defenses. Malicious code such as SoBig, Mimail, and Yaha, which wreaked havoc on personal computers and servers alike,   was disseminated through e-mail. As a reaction, companies allocated 8.2% of corporate budgets were earmarked for cyber-security but the economic lure for hackers have made them more inventive and devious as well. Phishing, the art of deceiving unwary users with cleverly disguised e-mail, has become the fastest-growing non-violent crimes against banks. One sneaky example was that of Swen, an e-mail virus that masquerades as a Microsoft security fix, complete to the last detail so that it looks authentic. The unwary unleashes the virus in the system when the message is opened or previewed. It then breaks down firewalls and antivirus, leaving the system open to infiltration. Instant Messaging, Instant Invasion Instant Messaging or IM has also become popular of late because it is, well, instant. Many companies believe they have increased productivity significantly with the use of Yahoo Messenger, Skype, MSN Messenger and AOL Messenger. However, these may bring more than messages into the picture. IM allows users not only to exchange messages but to transfer files as well, which may have malware or a virus riding on it. It also provides backdoor access to hackers because IM bypasses firewalls and gateway perimeter scans. The peer-to-peer network is especially open to exploitation because of this bypass, and the worms spread rapidly, testing at 10 to 20 seconds in some tests. Some antivirus software that work on the desktop level have some success in catching these worms, but only in restricted cases. Another way for hackers to open a portal is to hijack the connection using a man-in-the-middle attack and impersonate the hijacked user. The hacker is then in a position of trust and may solicit information from the unsuspecting person on the other end. The use of a network sniffer could also steal information from an open portal during an instant messaging session, and a trojan is not even needed. This is especially dangerous in a corporate network. [37] Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) The use of VoIP has the potential security risk as that of most data streams. While it may seem to be much like a telephone service, the architecture for VoIP is not the same as the conventional telephone line, where security is more established and any interception will require a physical presence on the specific telephone wire or PBX. VoIP transmits the voice as a data stream, similar to that of any other web-based application, and is vulnerable to the same kind of invasion or interception. The defense against such invasion is through the same combination of firewalls, antivirus and   encryption. [23] Because VoIP is comparatively new, it is still in its early stages of development, and has not excited the same attention for identity thieves as other forms of data exchange, although there are some spyware the specifically targets VoIP. Cookies Cookies are normally written by a website into the computer’s harddisk to store personal data about the user relevant to the application which stores the text-only code. Flaws in the generation of the cookie identity has been identified by Security researcher Michal Zalewski as potentially vulnerable to hacker attack because the overwrite protection feature can easily be bypassed and allow malware to remotely plant user information on another persons computer that can be accessed remotely when the user visits specific websites. [35] Malware is more than just malicious in that it is motivated by economic gain rather than any kind of grudge or misdirected sense of humor. A more appropriate term for these economic-driven malicous software is spyware. Spyware is much more focused and quite destructive because it can reside in a system for weeks or even months before it is discovered. Aside from the fact that transmits confidential information to its creator, it also slows down computers if enough of them reside in the system, even disbling some applications from working at all. There is loss of productivity as well as information. Sometimes it is simply annoying, popping up as adware or altering the home page to redirect the browser to specific websites. It sometimes masquerades as an end-user license agreement and most users just click on it as a matter of course, inadvertently allowing the spyware to be embedded in   the system. Whichever form it takes, it cuts down on productivity, uses up RAM and CPU resources. [27] Many IT professionals consider spyware the top security threat as revealed by a WatchGuard Technologies survey in 2005. Consequently, anti-spyware software is also on the rise, making it the top security technology for 2005. Since people make money from it, it is most likely that hackers would bring it up to the level of a serious enterprise. Particularly vulnerable are banks and financial institutions, such as PayPal, which was targeted by a variation of the Mimail worm. The pathogen redirected the user to a false PayPal verification window which then asked for sensitive financial information. PayPal had hitherto enjoyed a reputation for reliability, so the potential to victimize a large number of people makes the strategy particularly effective. The tendency to use a few core applications is another reason hackers are so effective: they only need to focus on circumventing the security of a few systems to ensure a good haul. [25]One of these core applications is Microsoft’s Windows. The vulnerabilities of these products are more numerous than ever, mostly because its widespread use has made it the target of concentration for   many hackers. And though improvements in the security features in the products have managed to deflect more than 100,000 variants of the malware circulating, it requires more vigilance on the part of the caretaker to maintain the system to the leading edge of the available updates and security patches.   [36] There has even been evidence that cyber-criminals have become loosely organized, expert hackers working together with spammers and fraudsters to extend the sophistication and reach of the attacks on peer-to-peer networks. The focus is now on compromising integrity rather than the random destruction of files and networks. The treasure in this hunt is for information, and since there is no immediate, discernible damage, it is only when the credit card bills come in or the security system springs an alarm that the invasion becomes apparent. In the instances that a pathogen succeeds in infiltrating a good system, more damage is done than its predecessor, and true to the nature of its name, the virus appears never to completely die, but rather to go into stasis, just waiting for the next improved bug to re-activate it in an evolved state, such as the Phatbot in 2004 which exploit known and newly-discovered vulnerabilities in multi-frontal attacks. [36] Profile of a Cyber Criminal [26] Organized crime groups The involvement of organized crime groups has served to coalesce otherwise individual hackers. The motive for the involvement is not only profit but to establish a supply of readily available identities to be used in the course of their criminal activities. Terrorists It has been established that terrorists use various identities to avoid detection by government agencies that are on the alert for their appearance in under their true identities. They acquire employment and obtain financing for their activities. One instance was reported in Spain where a terrorist cell made purchases with the use of stolen credit cards and used fake passports and travel documents to open legitimate bank accounts to finance their operations. Petty criminals These are the freelancers, out to make easy money and with no other motive but money. [26] Literature Survey of Solutions Research grants In 2002, $877 million in government grants were earmarked to fund the Cyber Security Research and Development Act and H.R. 3400, the Networking and Information Technology Advancement Act that would beef up the network security of vital infrastructure. The ATT Foundation has also made contribution by providing grants in 2004 to the University of Texas at Dallas and Syracuse University to support cybersecurity research. Similarly, National Institute of Standards and Technology gave a grant to George Mason University School of Laws National Center for Technology Law and James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. to collaborate on what is know as the Critical Infrastructure Protection Project. â€Å"The project is aimed at providing outreach and education, serve as a pool of knowledge, and development of special programs for small businesses and information sharing†.   [41] However, the grants are part of a reaction to 9/11, which seeks to promote research in counterterrorirsm and national security. The problem of identity theft is much closer to home, or at least need not be on the scale of national security. Generally, identity theft can occur to as small as the scale of a home computer. A report by Internet security solutions provider Preventon has shown that in the UK, approximately 67% of   the surveyed consumers manage their own security software, mostly anti-virus, firewalls or anti-spyware software. However, only 22% considered â€Å"phishing† a serious threat to their security. New Products For financial call centers, a product has been developed by EMC’s Security Division called the RSA[R] Adaptive Authentication for Phone, which seeks to provide a reliable authentication protocol for telephone banking as required by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Councils Authentication in the Internet Banking Environment guidance. It is an offshoot of the RSA Adaptive Authentication for Web in use by 35 of the largest financial institutions and banks in the world. The system makes use of the voice biometric solution based on Vocent technology and Nuance’s voiceprint engine. It is designed to conduct a risk-based assessment by analyzing voiceprint and user behavior based on predetermined parameters during retail and commercial banking transactions. Aside from the technology, users of the product will also have access to the database of the RSA eFraudNetwork community which has fraudster profiles. [10] There has been some opinion that an overlap approach may be more effective, where a combination of firewalls, intruder protection and detection and vulnerability testing be used in concert instead of isolation. [25] A software that goes one step further is PCImmunity, which is designed to combine the security features of Norton, McAfee, SpyBot, SpySweeper, Ad-Aware, ZoneAlarm, Avast, and AVG while supplementing them with a restart feature in cases where one or more of the active applications is deactivated by a hacker or virus. One of its maintenance features is the automatic update of these software and the daily scans of anti-spyware software. [14] Two projects that are geared towards anticipating industrial-grade security measures for VoIP has been initiated by the VoIP Security Alliance, or VOIPSA, which aims to establish a â€Å"threat taxonomy† and and a list of VoIP security requirements These protocols will be of particular use for session border controllers, or SBCs, which serves as an intermediary between the unique architecture of VoIP and web-based protocol that would otherwise be incompatible with VoIP. VoIP with SBC    Source: http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/cc/general/bulletin/software/general/3001_pp/3001_p24.jpg Other functions of the SBC is to enable network address translation, VoIP peering and compliance with   the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act.   Security-wise, SBCs as the â€Å"man-in-the-middle,† is theoretically in a good position as the front-liner for any unauthorized access or interception. SBCs also serve to mask the presence of VoIP systems and softswitches and other devices. However, the integrity of its security features has yet to be rigorously tested. [40] The JavaScript malware that confounds most automated detection needs special treatment, using decoding tools such as NJS, SpiderMonkey or Rhino which separates the malware from the browser tool at the command-line level after cleaning up the HTML. It decodes in layers until the malware is completely stripped of its code. The tools are based on JavaScript and designed to be a re-entrant. It is not guaranteed, however, because such tools have limitations and it is only a matter of time before hackers find a way around it as well. [33] Another breakthrough that is a double-edged sword is a framework being developed by security expert Roelof Temmingh called Evolution. Though still in its infancy, the framework can be used as both a hacker’s tool as well as a security application. What it does is to use any identity information and extract other hidden data. For example, it can transform a domain into e-mail addresses and telephone numbers with the use of the Whois domain name lookup service, so hackers need only one type of information to get a whole slew of information. It can also identify targets for client-side attacks and war-dialing ranges. In the interest of security, however, Evolution can be invaluable in various ways. It can be used as a footprinting to identify phishing sites and identify alliances with weak security postures. In the long run, however, Evolution can be used to illustrate the future capabilities of hackers and research to pro-actively counteract such developments would be of immense benefit. [33] The important development from a security standpoint is that many companies are finally coming to terms with the magnitude of the battle before them. In a conference in Phoenix, the focus was on new products that were designed to renew the onslaught on incidents of phishing, adware and spyware spurred on by Web 2.0. Products such as NewsGator Hosted Solution allows companies to put an RSS aggregator in their websites, eliminating the need to get feed directly from the original content originator. For security compliance, LogLogic produced the appliance-based solution LogLogic 3 r2 that allows tracking of Microsoft Exchange log activity to identify security risks. [16] One product with added features was announced recently by Barracuda Networks which helps identify spam messages even if it is being sent by an apparently innocuous e-mail address. The Spam Firewall e-mail security appliance is now able to analyze sender behavior, facilitating reputation analysis. When a previously normal nehaving e-mail address suddenly stars unloading massive amounts of email, it is presumed that it has been infected by a botnet and turned into a spam server. [20] DIY Security Protocols With the rise of DIY security came the development of self-help websites that provide security tips and information as well as recommended freeware for downloads. One such website is the Gibson Research Corp. website (www.grc.com) headed by Steve Gibson. He provides three suggestions: Stealth or hide seldom-used ports, of which a typical system has 65,000 for an internet scanner to exploit. Disconnect services not in use, which Windows provides and connects by default but which only represents a vulnerability. Bind only the modem to the TCP/IP. Windows binds all network resources to the Internet by default as well, such as a shared printer, which is unnecessary and potentially dangerous. Among Gibson’s offerings that have provided some security is Shields Up! and LeakTest scans, and Gibsons DCOMbobulator, Shoot the Messenger, Socket-Lock, UnPlug n Pray and Xpdite make security a little tighter.   Another website that may bear investigation is The Human Firewall (www.humanfirewall.org) which focuses more on companies. [36] In IM, the best way to prevent identity and other information theft is to use an IM service that allow encryption. Unnecessary file tranfers via IM should also be restricted. Another suggestion is the use of Really Simple Syndication (RSS) as an alternative to joining an e-mailing list. The RSS feed is secure because here is no need for an e-mail address, it merely gets the desired material from the feed’s server. It makes the inbox and spam mail easier to manage as well as reducing the risk of spyware infiltration. [31] To confound IRC bots, McAfee experts suggests the use of IRC servers in constructing and IRC honeypot and a network sniffer. The sniffer identifies the IRC channel used by the malicious bot and the IRC honeypot routes all IRC channels to pass through it and an outbound query is allowed. A rogue bot will try to home into the attacker’s IRC server and the honeypot then issues commands to unistall the bot. [44] Enterpise Security Governance On the executive level, the Carnegie Mellon Software Engineering Institute (SEI) reports in â€Å"Governing for Enterprise Security† that the need to address information security as an enterprise-level governance concern is paramount. It identified several characteristics that define a company that employes governance in enterprice security: Security is given the same importance as other aspects of business; Security is part of the organization’s strategic planning cycle; Security is considered an integral part of all enterprise functions; Key executives and network staff alike have an appreciation of the responsibilities and issues involved in network security. Because of the prevalence of confidentiality breaches in the corporate world and the high costs involved in such breaches, an enterprise with a strong, healthy respect and care for the security of the information in their care but still with the ability to communicate efficiently and effectively with their clients will come across as a company that can be relied on and trusted. [29] ATT’s Research Labs president Hossein Eslambolchi agrees that security cannot be an afterthought, and states that the state of network security is so pathetic that hackers can bring down a whole network with very little effort. [13] Government Initiatives The US government has come to realize the real threat of security and information breach, especially when it involves government agencies. Several intitiatives deal with ensuring vigilance in both public and private enterprises that deal with network security. E-Government Act 2002, a privacy assessment mandate that is designed to protect the personal information of citizens who volunteer their data on government sites, is touted as one of the most significant privacy guidelines. The aim of the mandate is to ease the government into e-government, overcome resistance to change and to emphasize the need for cyber-security and privacy as well as coordination concerns. [21] Another government mandate is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) which came into effect in April 2005 which regulates the use of e-mail and other Internet-based communications by health professionals in efforts to secure sensitive medical information. The guidelines are particularly focused on some key points that may arise in a clinician-patient communication. The rule of thumb is that the e-mail is mos probably not secure, and ealth professionals should not solicit confidential patient information via email, nor should patients supply such information. If it is absolutely imperative, the guidelines require tat such e-mail be encoded and encrypted. In cases of sharing benchmarking information and statistical data, it would be advisable to take out pertinent patient information as much as possible. There are 18 HIPAA Patient Identifiers that should be taken out, a list available on the HIPAA website (www.hipaa.org). [3] With regard to schools, some efforts at the district levels are being made to establish some security guidelines to protect the integrity of school records. The Consortium for School Networking, together with the Mass Networks Education Partnership in Allston, Mass., has produced the Cyber Security for a Digital District program (www. securedistrict.cosn.org) which provides administrators with an outline of what constitutes a secure database. [43] However, cost is still a major consideration for many school districts, one that has no immediate solution unless administrators and school boards alike are convinced of the importance of cyber-security in the schools. There have been some suggestions that law enforcement agencies take a more offensive take on cyber criminals and ISPs that host such activities, but this move is fraught with legal and ethical issues. Cyber crime is difficult to pin down because it is nealy amorphous in character. Unless it is proven without doubt that such a person or ISP is knowingly involved in the commission of cyber crimes such as identity theft, any law enforcement actions against what may prove to be an innocent party who may in turn be victims themselves would be ineffective. A recent development has been an unprecedented move by the US District Court in Alexandria, Va. On behalf of Project Honey Pot of anti-spam company Unspam Technologies, a $1 billion lawsuit was filed against spammers as well as those who harvest e-mail addresses for spammers. The lawsuit is the first and largest of its kind made possible by the efforts of members of Project Honey Pot who have been able to gather enough data to prosecute the alleged perpetrators with the use of the honey pot software, which identifies spam mail and IP addresses of the e-mail harvesters. The gathered data will enable prosecutors to subpoena ISP records for the involved IP addresses and its owners. The results of this litigation could well provide cyber criminals at least a pause in their activities. [28] Outstanding Issues One of main problems with countering unauthorized invasions is the lack of government spending on network security. Moreover, universities are churning out an inadequate supply of graduates with enough knowledge in network security to come up with practical and effective counters to what hackers can come up with. According to National Academy of Engineering (NAE) president William Wulf, there are perhaps about 200 serious computer security researchers in the US. Academic research is also notoriously slow in coming out with publications, much too slow to be of practical use in the rapid development of cyber-crime. Much of the brain drain is due to the demand of private enterprises, which pays a lot better than academic research, for talent to staff short-term projects that has nothing to do with security research. Purdue University Professor Eugene Spafford characterizes the attitude to security issues as most people view insurance. Software Engineering Institute’s Timothy J. Shimeall agrees as senior technical staff member of its Networked Systems Survivability Program. Not enough attention and resources is being devoted to security issues until it becomes a problem. For those who are involved in academic research in security, most are theoretical, with little or no practical basis, according to Columbia University computer science professor Salvatore J. Stolfo. [30] Another issue that has yet to be addressed is the management of the distributed-computing environment, in which the traditional, centralized concept of a security perimeter, known as the Orange Book architecture of the US Department of Defense’s Trusted Computer System Evaluation Criteria, is of little use. What is needed is long-term, systemic, non-theoretical view of the problem, rather than disaster management and short-term product cycle thinking. A survey, called the Risk of Sharing, of 300 companies in the US, UK and Australia revealed gaps in the business communications process due mainly to lack of process auditability, inadvertent exposure of confidential data, review cycle inaccuracies and resource loss through dealing with spam, amendments and approvals. [5] It has also been observed that many companies fail to make full use of the security softwar they already possess, and the reason for this appears to be data overload. When security software provides audit information for instances of attempts at invasion, it spews out a lot of information, much of it extraneous. Systems analysts must figure out which are the significant entries out of thousands of entries, and some companies resourt to outsourcing the work. [25] Conclusion The story of infected networks and compromised information has become all too familiar, a state of affairs that has begun to make itself felt with a vengeance. Of particular concern is the increasing number of incidents of identity theft. It is of concern to the individuals and corporations that are directly affected by it, but it is also a matter of national security, especially since the onslaught of terrorist attacks on the US. One side of the hackers economics is selling of legitimate identities to identified individuals who are persona non grata in the US. Identity theft is should thus be a priority for individuals, business entities and government agencies alike. Efforts by researchers to come up with defensive foils to stem the malware tide have met with mixed success as each step to successfully battling existing threats is countered by newer, more sophisticated and more dangerous threats. The economics behind the hacking industry has become huge as the world becomes more and more enmeshed in the cyber world, and the opportunities for profit is increasing as more and more industries are hooking up. However, the benefits of being connected still outweighs the drawbacks and the key to maintaining equilibrium is vigilance. On the far end of the security spectrum is government agencies that exact compliance for security regulations to deter cyber crime. Businesses follow suit as required because it is also to their benefit to do so, although many small companies have resistance because they have yet to feel the squeeze of an all-out hack attack. Big enterprises are more in the picture because they are bigger targets, although hackers are migrating more and more to softer targets whose resistance to regulations make them more vulnerable to attack. On the other end of the spectrum is the individual user, whether in the office or home setting. It is the responsibility of each user to be aware of the dangers, whether they are hooked up to local area network with the potential to infect from two to 50 other terminals because of a security suite that lacks maintenance, or the home user with an address book full of friends and family which has the potential of spreading malware with the ease of a click of a mouse. The tools to combat malicious cyber crime is available but users need to be educated about their responsibilities. Users need to be vigilant about their computer use, with their e-mails, with their IM sessions, even with their browsing behavior. As Uncle Ben said to Peter Parker, â€Å"with great power comes great responsibility.† Being interconnected has unleashed great power, and the responsibility to harness this power for the common good is very much in the hands of each user. Acknowledgment References â€Å"Bill authorizes $877 million for cyber security research.† Communications Today. December 7, 2001. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BMD/is_228_7/ai_80639935 â€Å"CinTel develops a network security solution that enables content filtering proxy.† EDP Weekly IT Monitor. August 8, 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0GZQ/is_30_46/ai_n14939952 â€Å"Do your e-mails comply with new security regs? HIPAA regs cover security and confidentiality.† HealthCare Benchmarks and Quality Improvement. May 2005. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NUZ/is_5_12/ai_n13759944 â€Å"Global threat trends in March 2007.† com. April 3, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eset.eu/press_release_threats_march â€Å"New research uncovers security and audit risks.† International Journal of Micrographics Optical Technology. 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Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PIL/is_2005_Sept_28/ai_n15636236 A paper that is focused on a current security research issue of your own choosing. â€Å"RSS network optimization, fraud prevention tools take demo stage.† eWEEK.com. February 6, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1759,1920117,00.asp?kc=EWNKT0209KTX1K0100440 â€Å"ID thieves turn sights on smaller e-businesses: for online shoppers, security seals no guarantee that hackerts aren’t watching.† Washingtonpost.com. September 28, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NTQ/is_2006_Sept_28/ai_n16753298 â€Å"Can ID theft be solved with more regulation?† eWEEK.com. February 8, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2092459,00.asp Prince. â€Å"Report shows spike in online identity theft.† eWEEK.com. January 16, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2084453,00.asp [20]  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   C. Garretson. â€Å"Barracuda Networks enhances reputation analysis technology with behavior data.† Network World. April 17, 2007. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/041707-barracuda-e-mail-security-appliance-profiling.html Webb. â€Å"Government IT Review.† Washingtonpost.com. October 2, 2003. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NTQ/is_2003_Oct_2/ai_108454056 Chandler. â€Å"Storage services for data security: big business byte for enlightened operators.† Telecommunications Americas. August 2005. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NUH/is_9_39/ai_n15631277 Khun, T. Walsh and S. Fries. â€Å"Security considerations for Voice over IP systems.† January 2005. National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8930. Sweeney. â€Å"Focus turns to network security: while many consider the telecoms infrastructure a vulnerable target for terrorists, the more immediate threats are attacks by individual hackers and authors of malicious code, which are presenting new security challenges for service providers.† Telecom Asia. January 2005. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FGI/is_1_16/ai_n9772934 Shein. â€Å"Spy vs. spy: companies are spending billions on network security, but staying ahead of hackers may be a pipe dream.† CFO: Magazine for Senior Financial Executives. February 2004. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3870/is_2_20/ai_113051525 Paget. â€Å"Identity theft.† McAfee Avert Labs. December 15, 2006. Retrieved April 27, 2007 from www.mcafee.com McPartlin. â€Å"Somebodys watching you: spyware has come in from the cold to become corporate Americas top security threat.† CFO: Magazine for Senior Financial Executives. Summer 2005. 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Overestimation of the Placebo Effect :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Overestimation of the Placebo Effect The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the Placebo Effect is overestimated through misinterpretation of the data. Specifically, the objective is to explore whether the passage of time during clinical trials accounts for many results widely attributed to the placebo effect. That is, the passage of time in itself-through a combination of spontaneous changes in symptoms, regression effects, and homeostatic changes-produces most of the favorable results credited to the placebo. Despite its widespread acceptance for approximately fifty years, the Placebo Effect has recently become controversial, with several researchers claiming that the presumed benefits of placebos are overestimated. Dr. Asbjorn Hrobjartsson and Dr. Peter C. Gotzsche of the University of Denmark and the Nordic Cochran Center reviewed journal articles looking for the original research stating that 35% of patients improve if given a placebo. Interestingly, none of the papers they examined included original research on the placebo effect, but all cited the same reference. The original source was a 1955 article, "The Powerful Placebo," published in the Journal of the American Medical Association and written by Henry Beecher, chief of anesthesiology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Dr. Beecher had analyzed about a dozen studies and had come up with the 35% figure (1). Challenging the validity of this finding, Drs. Hrobjartsson and Gotzsche hypothesized that two important factors were ignored. First, that the natural course of many diseases is to wax and wane. Second, that a patient who feels terrible one day will almost certainly feel better the next day. Hrobjartsson and Gotzsche analyzed 114 studies conducted between 1946 and 1998 that used not the usual two, but three groups of patients. One group received appropriate medical treatment, one group received placebo treatment, and the third group received nothing. (The studies involved 7,500 patients with 40 different medical conditions, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, asthma, behavior disorders, such addictions as alcohol abuse and smoking, and such neurological diseases as Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, epilepsy, as well as bacterial infections and the common cold (5). As Hrobjartsson and Gotzsche predicted, the patients in this third group improved as often as the patients in the placebo group (1). Carol Hart (2) cites Shapiro and Shapiro, who offer possible confounds that lead to overestimation of the placebo effect. Observations of the third control group-the group with neither treatment, nor placebo-may have improved because of three mechanisms.