The affect of Caffeine on pulse rate Essay Example for Free

The affect of Caffeine on pulse rate Essay Stimulants are a class of drug that boosts, alternates and increases your energy levels and they activity of the nervous system. Caffeine is in drinks, such as; Coca-Cola, tea and coffee, these are called caffeinated drinks. Caffeine is not normally recognised as a drug to most. Caffeine has an effect on your heart rate, (this is how fact your hear beats) Caffeine is able to change the way your body and mind works Chocolate is known to have traces of caffeine in it also The aim What is the point this experiment;- My aim in this experiment is to see what effects caffeine is prone to on the heart rate, Also to compare someone’s heart rate who has consumed caffeine to someone’s who hasn’t. This should give us a developed idea to the effects of caffeine. In this experiment there will be several variables;- The independent variable;-this is the variable I will be changing, this is the number of people of which are drinking the caffeine and the ones who are not. The Dependant variable;-This is the variable we measure, I’m measuring the persons heart rate, then working out the difference to show what effects caffeine is likely to have on the heart rate. Controlled variables;- The following variables I am keeping the same;- Room temperature The volume of the drink No-one will consume caffeinated food or drinks beforehand. From what information I have collected I predict that the pulse rate of the people drinking the caffeinated drinks will have an increased pulse, because as research shows, caffeine is a stimulant. Therefor the prediction of an increased heart rate when caffeine enters the blood stream seems reliable. I also think after a certain period of time, when the caffeine has left the persons system that the heart rate will lower again. Caffeinated Or Not? What will I do? How will I do it? Method;- you will need†¦ Six cups A bottle of a caffeinated drink A bottle of a de-caffeinated drink Heart rate monitor or a simple stop watch A table of results to record your data Steps;- What am I going to do? 1) Prepare 6 people to take part in the experiment. 2) Make each person sit down for 15 minutes in order to calm their heart rate. 3) Pour the caffeinated drink into three cups of a 300 cm cubed volume. 4) Pour the de-caffeinated drink into another 3 cups of the same size. Making sure that the people participating in the experiment do not see which drink they are being given( Blind testing) 5) Take each person’s heart rate and record it in a table. This is the starting point 6) Give each person their drink, still making sure you carry out a blind test. 7) Take each person’s heart rate every 30 seconds; continue to do this for a further 5 minutes. 8) After 5 minutes, take one final heart rate, this will help with your results. 9) Create a table of results to hold your information in, make sure the table is clear to read and easy to understand. 10) Work out the difference between everyone’s heart rate Method 2;- Shortened version;- 1) Prepare six people for the experiment by making each person sit down for 15 minutes to calm their heart rate. 2) Pour a caffeinated drink into 3 polyester cups of a 300cm cubed volume. 3) Do the same with the de-caffeinated drinks. 4) Label the caffeinated drinks ‘a’ and the de-caffeinated drinks ‘b’, so you won’t mix them up, but don’t let the participants know which label represents which drink. 5) Take each person’s heart rate; this is your starting point. 6) Give each person their drink, at random. 7) Take each person’s heart and record it in a table of results, do this every 30 seconds for a further 5 minutes. 8) With your results fill in your table and work out the difference between the heart rates, this should indicate the heart rates affected by caffeine. About my graph;- The graph I used for this experiment is a line graph; it shows various results of different pupil’s heart rate. The lines on the graph are all unique; some have a sudden increase in heart rate whilst others have not. Pupil one;- which is the pink line had a base rate of ‘72’ this remained constant throughout the experiment, only rising and falling by a small few. However pupil two had a base rate of ’78’ but after drinking the drink at around 8-9 minutes the heart rate increased dramatically. Overall 3 results (pupils 1,3 and 5) practically remained the same, whilst the other three (pupils 2,4 and 6) had several increases whilst the drink being in their system. Summing up my results;- We know from research that caffeine is a stimulant and stimulants affect the pace of your heart. So the three results that have a big increase in their heart rate, seem to show that they had caffeine in their system. However we did discover an anomaly, after 8 minutes pupil two’s heart rate had a dramatic increase. This may well have been the caffeine but it’s more likely to have been caused by something called a ‘placebo’ effect. This is when the pupil consuming the drink in the experiment got excited and this is what made the sudden increase in the pupil’s heart rate. After two minutes pupil four’s heart rate increased also, however this time, the increase remained constant for a further two minutes before starting to drop again. This state a more obvious term of the effect of caffeine. The graph clearly shows which results are the ones effected by caffeine, and the ones which are not. Amendments;- what I can I do better next time? In future experiments like this one, I think I would make sure that no-one involved in the experiment eats or drinks any caffeinated products before taking part in the experiment. This ensures us that their heart beat is at its normal pace. Because talking and movement can affect how our hearts beat I would also make sure that everyone in the experiment sits down for a longer period of time that was done before. This helps the heart lower to its base rate. Our results weren’t really valid because we were unable to control our controlled variable, this may be because the person who had consumed caffeine insisted on talking to everyone else, so this would have increased the other people’s heart rates also. In future experiments we can delay this by keeping people apart after taking part in the experiment, this way they cannot influence each other’s behaviour. Research has shown us that caffeine on average takes around 45 minutes to enter the blood stream, so we cannot be certain our results were due to the effects of caffeine. This could be amended by measuring the pulse rate over a longer time span, so the caffeine had longer to affect our pulse. In the experiment I chose to measure my pulse over a period of two minutes, next time to show more valid and reliable results I would measure my heart rate over shorter intervals. Finally one more improvement would be to test more caffeinated drinks with our pulses, so then we can rule out the thought off the results being due to glucose or so on, we then can be sure its definitely caffeine that’s increasing out hear rate. Conclusion;- what do I think? From this experiment I can conclude that caffeine can affect different people in different ways, depending on their diet, sex and size. Whether they are used to drinking caffeine constantly and how much their body can take of it. My prediction on average was correct as I suggested that the people with caffeine in their system were most likely to have a higher heart rate. This was mainly correct, but I was shocked to find out that my results were not valid due to the length of time caffeine takes to enter the blood stream. An example of caffeine being used may be when an athlete drinks a caffeinated drink before they take part in their sporting event, the effect would be the increase in their pulse and more energy would be dispersed in the body. Personally I don’t think this is fair, as I previously said caffeine effects different people in different ways, so caffeine could have a strong effect on certain people, whilst it has a less strong effect on others. This affects the balance of the game and it’s not natural energy being used in the event. This could be classed as cheating.

Packet Sniffing Software Is A Controversial Subject Information Technology Essay

Packet Sniffing Software Is A Controversial Subject Information Technology Essay Packet sniffing software is a controversial subject and a double-edged sword. It can be used to analyze network problems and detect Internet misuse. But at the same time, it allows hackers and people with malicious intention to sniff out your password, get your personal information, and invade your privacy. That is also why securing and encrypting data is so important. In this paper, the definition of packet sniffing will be introduced and several functionality and possible uses of packet sniffers will be explained. Also, information on how to protect against sniffers and man-in-the-middle attacks will be provided. An example of a packet sniffer program, Wireshark, will be given, followed by a case study involving the restaurant chain Dave Busters, which will show the negative consequences that can occur when organizations are not aware of the threat of packet sniffing by hackers. Definitions A packet sniffer is a computer program or a piece of computer hardware that can intercept and log traffic passing over a digital network or part of a network (Connolly, 2003). Packet sniffers are known by alternate names including network analyzer, protocol analyzer or sniffer, or for particular types of networks, an Ethernet sniffer or wireless sniffer (Connolly, 2003). As binary data travels through a network, the packet sniffer captures the data and provides the user an idea of what is happening in the network by allowing a view of the packet-by-packet data (Shimonski, 2002). Additionally, sniffers can also be used to steal information from a network (Whitman and Mattord, 2008). Legitimate and illegitimate usage will be explained in later sections. Packet sniffing programs can be used to perform man-in-the-middle attacks (MITM). This type of attack occurs when an attacker monitors network packets, modifies them, and inserts them back to the network (Whitman, et al., 2008). For example, a MITM attack could occur when two employees are communicating by email. An attacker could intercept and alter the email correspondence between each employee, without either knowing that the emails had been changed. MITM attacks have the potential to be a considerable threat to any individual or organization since such an attack compromises the integrity of data while in transmission. Packet sniffing programs work by capturing binary data that is passing through the network, and then the program decodes the data into a human-readable form.   A following step called protocol analysis makes it even easier for the data to be read.   The degree of these analyses varies by individual packet sniffing program. Simple programs may only break down the information in the packet, while more complicated ones can provide more detailed information and analysis, for example, by highlighting certain types of data such as passwords that pass through the network (Packet Sniffing, Surasoft.com, 2011). As for todays networks, switch technology is commonly used in network design. This technology makes it increasingly easy to set up sniffing programs on servers and routers, through which much traffic flows. In addition, there are already built-in sniffing modules being used in todays networks. For example, most hubs support a standard called Remote Network Monitoring (RMON). This kind of standard allows hackers to sniff remotely with the SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), used in most network devices, and only requires weak authentication. Network associates Distributed Sniffer Servers are used by many corporations. These servers are set up with passwords that are quite easy to guess or crack. In addition, computers with Windows NT system usually come with Network monitoring agent, which also allows remote sniffing (Packet Sniffing, ISS.net, 2011). Essentially, these sniffing programs are set up for the use of network administrators. However, the threat exists that hackers ca n gain access to the network and view the program logs. Packet sniffers capture all of the packets that travel through the point where the sniffer is located.   For example, if the program was installed next to the server of an organization, the user could have access to all the data being transferred across the company through that server.   Typical types of packets intercepted by attackers include the following: SMTP (email): The attacker can intercept unencrypted emails (Packet Sniffing, ISS.net, 2011). HTTP (web): Web traffic information and history can be easily captured (Packet Sniffing, ISS.net, 2011). Telnet Authentication: Login information to a Telnet account can be intercepted (Packet Sniffing, ISS.net, 2011). FTP traffic: Access to an FTP account can be sniffed in cleartext (Packet Sniffing, ISS.net, 2011). SQL database: Information from web databases is also vulnerable (Packet Sniffing, ISS.net, 2011). Functionality and Possible Uses of Packet Sniffers Good and Bad Uses Like any tool, a packet sniffer is a double-edged sword because it can be used for good or bad purposes (Orebaugh, Ramirez, and Beale, 2007). It can be used by security professionals to investigate and diagnose network problems and monitor network activity (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Conversely, it can be used to eavesdrop on network traffic by hackers, criminals, and the like, who can use the data gathered for harmful purposes (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Professionals such as system administrators, network engineers, security engineers, system operators, and programmers use packet sniffers for a variety of uses, including troubleshooting network problems, figuring out system configuration issues, analyzing network performance (including usage and bottlenecks), debugging during the development stages of network programming, analyzing operations and diagnosing problems with applications, and ensuring compliance with company computer usage policies (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Good: Troubleshoot Network Problems When an error occurs on a network or within an application, it can be very difficult for administrators to determine what exactly went wrong and how to correct the error. Many consider the packet sniffer to be the best tool for figuring out what is wrong with programs on a network (Neville-Neil, 2010). Examining packets as a starting point for solving problems is useful because a packet is the most basic piece of data and holds information, including the protocol being used and source and destination address (Banerjee, Vashishtha, and Saxena, 2010). Basically, at the packet level of analysis, nothing is hidden when all layers are visible (Neville-Neil, 2010). Understanding the timing of what happened is another important factor in debugging network problems (Neville-Neil, 2010). This information can be easily attained by using a packet sniffing program. Essentially, packet sniffers allow you to find out the who, what, and when of a situation, all of which are vital to understanding how to fix a problem (Neville-Neil, 2010). Once these things are known, the administrator can determine what is causing the problem and how to go about fixing it. As soon as a problem occurs, the first recommended step is for the network administrator to use a packet sniffing program to record all network traffic and wait for the bug to occur again (Neville-Neil, 2010). If the administrator already had a packet sniffing program with logging in place, then he or she could go back and examine the log records. Assuming the administrator did not have a log previously set up, the next step would be to only record as much information as necessary to repair the problem (Neville-Neil, 2010). It would not be a good idea to record every single packet of data because if too much data is collected, finding the error will be like finding a needle in a haystack although the administrator has likely never seen a haystack that big (Neville-Neil, 2010). For example, recording only one hour of Ethernet traffic on a LAN will capture a few hundred million packets, which will be too large to sort through (Neville-Neil, 2010). It goes without saying that the admini strator should not record the data on a network file system because the packet sniffer will capture itself (Neville-Neil, 2010). Once the data is recorded, the administrator can examine the packets to analyze and understand what occurred to solve the problem. Good: Network Optimization In addition to solving network communication problems, packet sniffers can help administrators plan network capacity and perform network optimization (Shimonski, 2002). A packet sniffer allows users to view data that travels over a network packet by packet (Shimonski, 2002). However, rather than having to examine each packet, the appropriate sniffer program will perform the analysis for the administrator. The tools are especially useful because depending on the packet sniffing program used, the packet data will appear in an easy-to-understand format. Packet sniffers can often generate and display statistics and analyze patterns of network activity (Shimonski, 2002). Data can appear in graphs and charts that make analysis and comprehension easy. Additionally, the network administrator can filter by selected criteria to capture only the relevant traffic rather than having to sort through irrelevant data (Shimonski, 2002). Knowing what programs and which users use the most bandwidth can help administrators manage resources efficiently and avoid bandwidth bottlenecks. Good: Detect Network Misuse Packet sniffers can be used to monitor application traffic and user behavior (Dubie, 2008). This can be used to detect misuse by company employees or by intruders. To use a packet sniffer to monitor employees legally, a network administrator must do three things. First, he must be on a network owned by the organization, second, he must be directly authorized by the networks owners, and finally, he must receive permission of those who created the content (Whitman, et al., 2008). Permission by content creators is needed because packet sniffing is a method of employee monitoring (Whitman, et al., 2008). Typically, an employee will sign a release form when first employed that allows the employer to monitor the employees computer usage. By using a packet sniffer, employers can find out exactly how each employee has been spending his or her time. Packet sniffers can be used to see all activity and administrators can monitor for behaviors such as viewing inappropriate websites, spending time on the job on personal matters, or abusing company resources. For example, a packet sniffer program could show that a particular employee was downloading music at work, both violating organizational policies and using a large amount of network bandwidth (Dubie, 2008). Packet sniffers are also used to detect network intrusion, log traffic for forensics and evidence, discover the source of attacks such as viruses or denial of service attacks, detect spyware, and detect compromised computers (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). A packet sniffer and logger that can detect malicious entries in a network is a form of an intrusion detection system (IDS) (Banerjee, et al., 2010). The packet sniffer IDS consists of a database of known attack signatures. It will then compare the signatures in the database to the logged information to see if a close match between the signature and recent behavior has occurred. If it has, then the IDS can send out an alert to the network administrator (Banerjee, et al., 2010). Despite this use of packet sniffers to detect intrusion, hackers have methods of making themselves very hard to detect and can use packet sniffers for their own advantages. Bad: Gain Information for Intrusion Intruders maliciously and illegally use sniffers on networks for an innumerable number of things. Some of the most common are to capture cleartext usernames and passwords, discover usage patterns of users, compromise confidential or proprietary information, capture voice over IP (VoIP) telephone conversations, map out a networks layout, and fingerprint an operating system (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). The previously listed uses are illegal unless the user is a penetration tester hired to detect such types of weaknesses (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). An intruder must first gain entry to the communication cable in order to begin sniffing (Orebaugh, et al., 2006). This means that he must be on the same shared network segment or tap into a cable along the path of communication (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). This can be done in many ways. Firstly, the intruder can be physically on-site at the target system or communications access point (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). If this is not the case, the intruder can access the system in a variety of ways. These include breaking into a certain computer and installing sniffing software that will be controlled remotely, breaking into an access point such as an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and installing sniffing software there, using sniffing software that is already installed on a system at the ISP, using social engineering to gain physical access to install the software, working with an inside accomplice to gain access, and redirecting or copying communications to take a path that the intruders comp uter is on (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Intruders can use sniffing programs designed to detect certain things such as passwords and then use other programs to have this data automatically sent to themselves (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Protocols that are especially vulnerable to such intrusion include Telnet, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Post Office Protocol version 3 (POP3), Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), Simple Mail Transfer Program (SMTP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Remote Login (rlogin), and Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Once the intruder has access to the network, he can collect data and use it as he likes. Common examples of stolen data include credit card numbers and proprietary organizational secrets, but include anything the hacker desires. Although organizations may use a primarily switched network, they are not protected from sniffer attacks because many programs exist that allow packet sniffing in a switched network (Whitman, et al., 2008). Because intruders who use packet sniffers do not directly interface or connect to other systems on the network, they are considered to be a passive-type of attack (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). It is this passive nature that makes sniffers so difficult to detect (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). In addition to this, hackers use normally use rootkits to cover their tracks so that their intrusion will not be detected (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). A rootkit is a collection of Trojan programs hackers use to replace the legitimate programs on a system so that their intrusion will not be detected (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Rootkits replace commands and utilities that the hacker inputs and clears log entries so that there will be no record of his entry (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Though it is difficult, there are some ways to detect rootkits. Methods of detection include using an alternate, trusted operating system, analyzing normal behaviors, scanning signatures, and analyzing memory dumps (Rootkit, Wikipedia , 2011). Removing rootkits can be very complicated and difficult and if the rootkit is in the central operating system, reinstalling the operating system may be the only option (Rootkit, Wikipedia, 2011). The threat of eavesdropping by intruders is large and challenging. However, there are some defenses that can be taken to prevent hackers from using packet sniffers against an organization. Protecting Against Packet-Sniffers and Man-in-the-Middle Attacks Packet sniffing and man-in-the-middle attacks compromise the integrity and confidentiality of data while in transmission.   Fortunately, there are several techniques that can be used by organizations and individuals to protect against these threats and reduce risk.   Specifically, technology, policy, and education are typically used to cover all aspects of security.    Technology Encryption is the best form of protection against any kind of packet interception (Orebaugh, et al., 2007).   The reason behind this is that even if the data is captured by the packet sniffer, the information is completely unreadable by the attacker (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). By using this technique, messages are encrypted once the data leaves the senders computer.   Both sender and receiver hold a key that decrypts the message being transferred.   Most popular websites apply a level encryption by using the HTTP Secure (HTTPS) protocol.   With this technology, the connection between the web server and the users computer is encrypted; making the information intercepted by a third party useless.   Currently, most popular websites such as Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and Twitter use the https technology.   However, some sites (such as Amazon.com) use https only at the login page and fail to provide a secure connection afterwards.   In order to assure complete security, it is im portant to apply the https protocol throughout the users browsing experience.   The main disadvantage of this feature is that it slightly slows down the users connection.    Email can also be protected from packet sniffers by using encryption.   Email extensions such as Pretty Good Protection (PGP) can be easily implemented using standard email platforms like Microsoft Outlook (Orebaugh, et al., 2007).   Once sender and receiver start using the encryption techniques, intercepted email messages cannot be interpreted by an attacker (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Another way to protect against sniffers is by using One Time Passwords (OTP). With this method, a different password is sent every time the authentication is requested to the user (Orebaugh, et al., 2007).   Similarly to the case of encryption, if a third party intercepts someones password, this information will be useless since these can only be used once (Orebaugh, et al., 2007).   This technology can be extremely useful to ensure security; however, remembering new passwords for each login can be very challenging and frustrating for most users. A new security technique called quantum encryption is also provides good protection against sniffing attacks.   This technique consists of making each bit of data as small as a photon (McDougall, 2006).   The data is then transferred across fiber-optic lines.   Ã‚  If the information is picked up and intercepted by any kind of packet sniffer, the entire photon message is disrupted, ending up the entire transmission (McDougall, 2006).   A technology like this would make it impossible to intercept information since the communication will be cut in the case of interception.   However, it requires fiber-optic Internet connections, which many service providers do not own and its installation can be expensive. Policy Information security professionals can help secure employees connections by requiring the use of any of the technologies explained before.   For example, if certain employees need to access websites that are outside of the organizations network, they should be allowed to use only websites that use the https protocol such as Google and Yahoo.   Policies requiring Access Control Lists (ACL) can also help prevent sniffer attacks.   All secured networks and assets should be supported by an ACL to prevent unauthorized access.   Additionally, physical security policies should be implemented to efficiently protect the computer and server rooms in the organization.   Unauthorized access to these locations could cause the installation of sniffer programs and equipment. Education Every security initiative should have a training program supporting it.   Basic but regular training sessions given to employees about the dangers of packet sniffing can prove to be very valuable when protecting a network.   Security facts such as not allowing strangers to computer rooms should be explained to all employees. Example and Demonstration of a Packer-Sniffer Program: Wireshark Originally named Ethereal, Wireshark is a free and open-source packet analyzer (sniffer) typically used by network and security professionals for troubleshooting and analysis (Orebaugh, et al., 2007).   However, many potential attackers also use it to perform man-in-the middle attacks and gain information for password cracking.   Wireshark is available for most operating systems (including OS X, Windows, and Linux) and allows users to see all the traffic that goes through a specific network (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Wireshark differs from other packet-sniffer programs mainly because of its easy-to-understand format and simple Graphical User Interface (GUI) (Orebaugh, et al., 2007).   Wireshark can be easily set up to capture packets from a specific channel.   Once the program is running, all the network packets are shown in the screen.   The top panel (summary panel) shows a summary of the entire packet, including source, destination, and protocol information (Orebaugh, et al., 2007).   Since one quick web browse can provide a large amount of packets, Wireshark solves packet browsing issues by categorizing each packet according to its type and showing each category with a specific color in the GUI.   Additionally, the user has the option of applying filters to see only one type of packets.   For example, only packets dealing with http functions may be shown.   The middle panel in the GUI is called the protocol-tree window. It provides decoded information of the packet (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Finally, the bottom panel (data view window) shows the raw data of the packet selected in the Summary panel (Orebaugh, et al., 2007).   Figure 1 shows a screenshot of Wireshark while running and graphically shows the three main panels of the GUI. Figure 1 Screenshot of Wireshark while running and the three main panels. To troubleshoot network problems, Information Systems professionals use Wireshark by installing the sniffer program in various locations in the network and seeing which protocols are being run in each location (Orebaugh, et al., 2007).   Additionally, if the sniffer is placed in a location where it can capture all data flowing to the main server, Wireshark can detect network misuse by providing the source and destination of all packets.   For example, if an employee in a company uses his computer to access inappropriate websites, Wireshark will show the employees and the websites IP addresses in the source and destination columns with detailed information about the website in the info column and the protocol tree panel. It is easy to see how useful Wireshark is for network troubleshooting and identifying misuse; however, the program can also be used with malicious intent.   For example, the program can be used to find out passwords on unencrypted websites.   To demonstrate this case, the username john_doe_user and password 123mypasswrd were used to log in to the unencrypted and unsecured www.bit.ly website.   At the same time, Wireshark was set up to capture all packets in the computer.   After the packets were captured by the sniffer, the data can easily be filtered by the http category.   In the info column, a packet labeled POST means that someone has entered text to a website.   After clicking on this specific packet, all the username and password information can be seen in the center section of Wireshark (as shown in figure 2).   Unencrypted and unsecured websites are very vulnerable to these types of attacks.   On the other hand, websites using the https security feature prove to be safer for users.   For example, the same situation as before was applied to the encrypted website www.facebook.com by trying to log in, but Wireshark was unable to capture any packets with login information. Figure 2 Wireshark screenshot showing username and password. Other types of malicious attacks can also be performed with Wireshark.   For example, some toolkit add-ins to Wireshark such as Dsniff and Ettercap can be used to perform man-in-the-middle attacks and password cracking (Orebaugh, et al., 2007).   Even if the incoming data is encrypted, these tools can crack some passwords by using dictionary brute force attacks (Orebaugh, et al., 2007). Case Study: A costly attack at Dave Busters In 2007, the popular restaurant chain Dave Busters experienced the power of malicious packet-sniffing software attacks.   A multinational group of hackers was able to penetrate the companys corporate network and install basic packet-sniffing software at 11 of the chains restaurant locations (Thibodeau, 2008).   During a four-month period, the attackers were able to intercept customer credit card data going from Dave Busters restaurant locations to the corporate headquarters network in Dallas (McMillan. 2008).   Extremely sensitive information such as credit card numbers and security codes were sold to criminals, who used this data to perform fraudulent transactions to online merchants (McMillan, 2008).   The attack proved to be very profitable for the hackers.   For example, from information coming from only one restaurant location, the criminals were able to gain over $600,000 in profits (McMillan, 2008).   It was estimated that approximately 130,000 credit or debit ca rds were compromised by this attack (Westermeier, 2010). To access Dave Busters network, the attackers simply drove around a restaurant location with a laptop computer and took advantage of vulnerable wireless signals to access the computer networks (Westermeier, 2010).   Malicious sniffing software was then installed in the network to intercept credit and debit card information (Westermeier, 2010).   The packet-sniffing software was written by one of the groups hackers and consisted of SQL injection attacks (Thibodeau, 2008).   However, many organizations have stated that the code was not very impressive.   For example, the CERT Coordination Center described the programs source code as a college-level piece of technology (Thibodeau, 2008).   Additionally, the malicious code had one weakness: it would shut down every time the computer that was monitoring rebooted (McMillan, 2008).   Therefore, the criminals had to go back to the restaurant location, gain access, and re-start the packet-sniffer every time this happened. The fac t that this costly program was developed by someone with just basic programming skills and how they consistently gained access to the network highlights the lack of protection of Dave Busters security systems.    According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Dave Busters information security systems and policies did not provide the necessary security features to protect customers information (Westermeier, 2010).   The attackers were able to access the network not just once, but repeatedly over a time frame of four months (Westermeier, 2010).   The fact that the company was oblivious to these multiple intrusions during a long time period proves that they were vulnerable to attacks and that Dave Busters did not apply any Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) to their networks, nor did they monitor outbound traffic (Westermeier, 2010).   Additionally, sensitive customer information was not given special protection.   Credit card data was transferred across simple unprotected and unencrypted networks (Westermeier, 2010).    What could Dave Busters have done? First of all, private networks should have been protected in a better way.   It was just too easy for hackers to gain access and install malware.   By allowing only a specific group of IP addresses, or granting only temporary access, the firm could have been safe from unauthorized access by strangers.   But even in the case of hacker access, tools such as IDS can help monitor the network during an attack.   If the company had implemented an IDS in their network, the unauthorized intruders would have been detected in time to prevent losses. Additionally, by treating sensitive data differently than regular communications, the company could have considerably reduced the threat.   Dave Busters could have simply used readily available firewall systems to the networks that held customer data (Westermeier, 2010). Encryption devices could have also proven to be useful.   If link encryptors had been used, the intercepted data would have been completely useless for the hackers.   Data isolation could have also been useful.   The firm could have separated the payment card systems from the rest of the corporate network (Westermeier, 2010). Sensitive information did not necessarily require connection to the Internet; so the company should have separated these transmissions from the network. Finally, a general company-wide policy requiring access restriction, IDS installation, firewall usage, and sensitive data isolation throughout all restaurant locations could have been extremely useful.   A uniform and thorough information security policy along with a comprehensive training program given to specific employees would help enforce the security features.   Considering that Dave Busters had not implemented any of the security features explained in this section, it is obvious that their story would have been different if these techniques had been used. Conclusion Packet sniffing is a sophisticated subject that wears two hats. It can be used for either good or evil depending on the intentions of the person using the program. It can help with analyzing network problems and detect misuses in the network for good purposes. Meanwhile, it can also help hackers and other cyber-criminals steal data from insecure networks and commit crimes, as in the case of Dave Busters. The best way to protect data from being sniffed is to encrypt it. Necessary policies and training also help with the protection. As technology evolves, there will be more and more ways to commit cyber crime. Extremely sensitive data like credit card information and health care data should be well protected, from the perspectives of both the business and personal. In order to protect this information, organizations and individuals must be aware of the threat of packet sniffers.

East of Eden Essay: Criticism of East of Eden -- East Eden Essays

Criticism of East of Eden      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Possibly the best piece of criticism I discovered was an essay by Joseph Wood Krutch. Krutch begins by making a statement praising the enormous amount of energy that is required for a book with the scope of East of Eden. Very briefly, Krutch summarizes the novel and draws an analogy between it and The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann. Krutch points out that in this novel, Steinbeck has avoided falling into the trap of writing a melodramatic as he has in some other pieces. Krutch says of Steinbeck: "Never, I think, not even in The Grapes of Wrath, has he exhibited such a grip upon himself and his material." (Krutch 370) Krutch points out that, especially in the first third of the book, the character parallels to symbolic figures are rather distracting, but become less so as the book progresses. Steinbeck is often associated with writers who hold deterministic philosophies and are moral relativists, but Krutch asserts "it is difficult to imagine how any novel could more e xplicitly reject [these values]." (Krutch 370) Krutch assigns East of Eden the position of determining Steinbeck's position as a moralist and ends his review by stating "there is no question whether Mr. Steinbeck has written an intensely interesting and impressive book." (Krutch 371) Harvey Curtis Webster was the author of another review I found helpful. He begins with the very blunt statement that "it will take almost equal quantities of pride and stupidity to deny that it is one of the best novels of the past ten years and the best book John Steinbeck has written since the Grapes of Wrath." (Webster 369) To conclude his strong opening paragraph Webster states "It is to be doubted it any American novel has better chronicled ou... ...ress. 1957. pp. 302-305. Rpt. In Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. David Marowski. Vol 45 Detroit: Gale, 1987. pp. 370- 371 Neary, Walter. "About John Steinbeck". 27 Nov. 2001 <http://www.steinbeck.org/About.html>. Steinbeck, John. Grapes of Wrath. 1939. New York: Penguin, 1973. Steinbeck, John IV Nancy Steinbeck, and Andrew Harvey. Other Side of Eden. Prometheus Books. Feb. 2001. Various contributors. "Amazon.com Buying Information." Amazon.com <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/books/0140186395/ customer-reviews/qid=1007248185/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_75_1/102-8744870-2692125>. 28 Nov. 2001 Webster, Harvey Curtis. Out of the New Born Sun. Saturday Review, New York. Vol. XXXV. No. 38. 20 Sept 1952. pp. 11-12. Rpt. In Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. David Marowski. Vol 45 Detroit: Gale, 1987. pp. 369-370

Pride and the Prejudice Essay example -- Literary Analysis, Jane Aust

â€Å"The power of doing anything with quickness is always prized much by the possessor, and often without any attention to the imperfection of the performance.† (1) Said Mr Darcy. This is one of the world's most popular novels, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice has charmed readers since its publication of the story of the amusing Elizabeth Bennet and her relationship with the aristocrat Fitzwilliam Darcy. During this essay it will explore the construction of characters, in particular it will be Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy also exploring the social situation in which the characters operate and exploring the cultural context (Victorian England). The position of the writer Jane Austen, I find she is trying to say that power is an effect of social structure and not an absolute force imposed on it, nobody is completely powerful or powerless also that power is an effect of unequal relations between people that society recognises as people belonging to certain groups e.g. gender, sexuality, age or profession. Power is related to class and class is related to reputation. The lines of class are strictly drawn. While the Bennett’s, who are upper middle class, they may socialize with the upper-class people like Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. The main discourse of power represented in this book is Wealth, Class, Family, Marriage and Gender. These are all significant in this book because Pride and the prejudice was written in the 18 - 19th century, (the classic English society), â€Å"where in the rural England it was dominated economically and socially by the landowners whose vast estates were the core of rural life†(2), oth er being men. When females where only meant to maintain there own social and finical reputation by getting married ... ...but the most major would have to be power. This essay explored the construction of characters in the novel most in particular Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy it demonstrated who is powered and disempowered on many different levels of this novel. Although this book is inviting to all readers even if the writing techniques are much different then the language these days it is the reader. In the end the novel it is completely evident that there is power and disempowerment through out the whole book, even if you do not notice it. Althrough the Darcy-Elizabeth and Bingley-Jane marriages, Austen shows the power of love and happiness to overcome class boundaries and prejudices (power). â€Å"In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.† (1) Said Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth.

Soccer :: essays research papers fc

Procedures 1. The team that wins the coin toss may choose to kick off or defend the goal of its choice. 2. All players must be on their own half of the field before the kickoff takes place. 3. Defensive players must be outside the center circle, at least ten yards away from the ball, for the kickoff. Players 1. Each team has up to eleven players; one is the goalkeeper. The other players are known as defenders, midfielders, and forwards, or strikers. 2. In major competitions, a team may not use more than three substitutions in a game. In other competitions up to five may be used. 3. A substitute must be summoned onto the field by the referee and must enter the field at the centerline after the player she/he is replacing has left the field. Equipment 1. The ball is round, covered in leather or in leather like material, and is between 27 and 28 inches in circumference. It must weigh 14 to 16 ounces and have 14 pounds of air pressure. 2. Players dress in team shirts, shorts, shin guards, and socks. Shoes may have studs if they are rounded, no longer than .75 inch, and no less than .5 inch in diameter. Goalkeepers often wear elbow and kneepads and gloves. The goalkeeper wears different colored uniform than his teammates. 3. Any equipment deemed dangerous to players may not be worn. This includes, earrings, glasses, necklaces, bracelets, watches, and casts and braces that the referee considers dangerous. Modifications 1. Soccer is played on various sized fields w with competitions ranging anywhere from 3 on 3 players through 11 on 11. Offside, and Goalkeeping Offside A player is offside if he/she is closer to the opponentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s goal line than the ball is, unless the player is still in his/her own half of the field or at least two opponents are closer to the opponentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s goal line. Offside is determined by the playerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s position at the moment of the pass, not at the moment he/she receives the pass. A player is not offside when he/she receives a ball that, bounces off a defender who had possession of the ball, comes at him directly from a goal kick, corner kick, or throw in; was deflected by the goalkeeper, or was shot at the goal and bounces off a defender. Nor is player offside when he/she is in line with a defender a⁴桴⁥潭

Design Education in the Middle East Essay

The Middle East is a part of the world that has been left behind in terms of design discourse and education. This is the result of years of struggle from political, economical, and cultural setbacks. The first part of the thesis offers a general description of the region through a brief history of events that have contributed to its current state, concentrating on Qatar, Lebanon, Egypt, and Iran. Furthermore, the existing design schools in Doha, Beirut, Cairo and Tehran are examined by their curricula and teaching methodologies with interviews from professors and students as well as project samples from various design courses offered in the schools. Consequently, a general analysis among them is deduced, examining some challenges and opportunities found in the culture and design education system. Then a selection of three of the most famous and progressive design schools in the world (Koeln International School of Design, Parsons New School for Design, and Design Academy Eindhoven) are taken into account, providing a basis for comparison as well as some direction regarding design education on global standards. As an initial venture to attempt to understand the standards of design education in Middle Eastern design students; Beirut is taken as a case study where the project ‘Public Design Intervention: Beirut’ is initiated in May 2010. Students as well as some young professionals were asked to design public interventions that are concerned with cultural, social, political and environmental issues in their country. As design is still in its primitive stages that deal mostly with commercial purpose, the participants were given the opportunity to use design as a tool for awareness and change. The results of this project provided collective motivation for the much needed improvement of the design education system. The final part of the thesis deals with design education and culture, explaining the need for a sustainable and self-generative relationship between the two. The crucial importance in understanding cultural behavior provides keys to the establishment of a design education curriculum. Moreover, the lack of cultural sensitivity is one of the main problems in Middle Eastern design education; this is largely due to the implementation of Western curricula which serve different cultural needs. Hence, a set of Middle Eastern cultural aspects are discussed, and opportunities in their implementation in design discourse are inspected. Finally, the outcome of the thesis, which initially aimed at redefining the existing design education curricula in the Middle East, is the proposal of a design research center. This center would act as a hub for the entire Middle East, creating links between Middle Eastern design schools and the industry. A crucial area of research would be to further investigate the cultural, social, and economical aspects of the region and provide more detailed and scientific knowledge that would eventually lead to the improvement of design education in the Middle East. The Middle Eastern Design Research Center is to be established in Beirut with an interdisciplinary team of designers, social scientists, and educators dedicated to understanding vital aspects of Middle Eastern culture and adopting them as core influences on a new design education program for the region. The center should also act as a link between academic projects and the manufacturing industry.

Overcoming Multimedia Addiction Essay

Some of the students nowadays are struggling to stay awake while the rest of the world is asleep just to read their friends’ posts and comments and status on Facebook. They even spend most of their time staring at the big screens of their personal computers just to play online games like DOTA and Counterstrike. Some also spend their money just to buy the latest mobile phones, mp3 players, and other techno gadgets out there. However, they must keep in mind that everything has its own limits. Otherwise, it can become a cause of concern and in extreme cases, addiction. Multimedia addiction can cause destruction and violence to students. Multimedia is simply defined as multi tasking of applications in a single device or gadget. This includes graphics, animation, pictures, videos, and other applications which can be opened simultaneously or consecutively. Smart phone, laptop, iPod, television, and mp4 player are some of many multimedia gadgets that are ‘in’ especially to students because of its amazing features. Consider the television. Whether it is a box, slim, or flat screen, it has become almost like another member of the household. It sits in the living room, in the kitchen, or even in the terrace of your house. It bombards us with all kinds of information about almost anything under the sun. It informs us on what laundry soap to use; what toothpaste to brush our teeth with, or which candidate to vote in the 2013 election. It brings us local news and news from around the world. And of course, it entertains us with sports, music, movies, telenovelas, lifestyle segments and variety programs. Cellular phones, on the other hand, are used for communication purposes. But because of technological advancements, new applications like built- in cameras are added to them. That’s why many people patronize it so much. Laptops are made for easy handling. Unlike personal computers, you can now bring it anywhere because of its small size. Almost every student today has his or her own laptops. The dependence on multimedia gadgets extend to students who became the primary beneficiaries of these gadgets. Tech- net survey said that 42 % of students are using mobile phones, 36 % are using laptop, 15 % are using play station, and 7 % are using mp3 players (â€Å"2012 Most Addicting Gadgets†, www. Technet.com). The use of multimedia gadgets can be constructive and destructive to students (Despabiladeras 15). Many of them consider the use of these gadgets constructive when they help them in their studies. Today, the internet is the major source of knowledge and information. In just one click, they can now find the answers to their assignments. They also use software like Microsoft office and the like for their project presentation. Many schools now use computer oriented techniques for teaching. The traditional way of teaching like writing too many lessons in a manila paper is already replaced by powerpoint presentations which are indeed favorable for the students. They no longer copy too many notes because there are handouts already prepared for them. Multimedia also gives information about the latest happenings and discoveries around the world. The use of social media sites like Facebook allows them to socialize with other people. Some also say that playing online games like DOTA and Counte rstrike have positive effects on them because they relieve stress from the hectic schedule of their schooling. In contrary, students say that multimedia gadgets can be destructive too. Problems begin when students became addicted to these gadgets to the point of discarding other activities which can truly affect their balance and studies (www. Gadgetforums.com). Because of these gadgets, they now prefer playing games that reading books. In most schools, use of cellular phones is banned but many of the students still carry them. They push their parents to buy them the latest mobile phone or other gizmos because their peers use it. The effect of this addiction is that they can no longer resist themselves from taking calls and accessing Facebook and other social networking sites during school hours. â€Å"The use of gadgets can be destructive when it makes your personality bad like when you become wild because of video games†, Bryan Capus said ( Despabiladeras 15). They forgot to budget their time because most of their time are consumed by these gadgets. The overuse of these also affects their health. Too much exposure to these gadgets can cause diseases like brain tumor and cancer caused by radiation (â€Å" Radiation From Gadgets†, www. Healthcare.com). They are prone to sickness because they no longer engaged in outdoor activities. It is alarming to know that 47 % of students nowadays are addicted to computers and other multimedia gadgets ( Despabiladeras 16.). Their parents have a big role in overcoming their children’s addiction. For example, most of the students are advised or told by their parents to limit their internet surfing time until 8:30 p.m. or 9:00 p.m. or but not to reach 10:00 p.m. as they have classes the next day ( Clifford 72). Some also advice their children to engage in other recreational activities like playing basketball or playing the guitar instead of watching T.V. or sitting all day in front of their PCs. One parent posted the following on gadgetforums.com: In today’s high- tech and modern world, we are all connected with each other through the miracle of working inventions and innovations like PC, tablets, smart phones, gaming, internet and so much more. And I think we feel that we won’t have a normal day without getting hooked to any one of these devices. The problem begins to rise when our children became addicted to these gadgets to the point of discarding other activities which can truly affect their balance and health. To avoid this, I try to ensure my son has balance in this area. Playing team sports has helped, that’s one thing in his like that doesn’t require gadget. Sports is one of the best ways to add moving activities to a child’s routine with the aim of creating a certain balance between studying and playing. We could not really avoid our children to get into gadgets as this is the wave of the future with the introduction of tablets which can he fully integrate with schools in the near fu ture ( www.gadgetforums.com). According to gadgetforums.com, there are eight ways to overcome gadget addiction. First, limit the amount of time you spent on any type of gadget. Second, learn to balance and manage your time. Make a time table on when to use your gadget. Third, spend most of your time in your studies. This will give you higher grades in return. Fourth, read books rather than playing games. Surfing the internet for recent news and discoveries will help too. Fifth, spend your free time with your family and friends. Go to an outing of family reunion that doesn’t require gadgets. Sixth, socialize with your true friends, not your ‘virtual’ friends. Your Facebook friends will never help you if you have a problem. Seventh, avoid buying newly released gadgets if you still have one that is still working. And the last is self discipline. It is interesting to know the opinions of students on multimedia gadget addiction; whether it is constructive or destructive for them and what their parents do in influencing their media habits. To prevent this addiction, students should analyze their gadget preferences and see what’s good of bad in it for them. They must set in mind that multimedia gadgets is there to help them, not to enslave them.