Digital Espionage

Attacks on sites had been a common occurence ever since the boom of the Internet market, and it is only usual for people to get into the business themselves either legally or ilegally. Since the occurence of these attacks anti-virus companies had been built, adding yet another business into the market. But the level of attacks had been vastly improving, and one example is what happened on Google, one of the world’s leading search engine. On January 12, 2010, Google announced on its blog that it had been attacked. It was said to have occured from mid last year and finished last December.Google stated that over 20 other companies including Adobe and Microsoft, had also been victims. On that same day, US Secretary Hilary Clinton publicly asked for an explanation from the Chinese government. Google became aware of the attack themselves, through their inside sources. According to Newsweek, at the time, they contacted Rafal Rohozinski, CEO of The SecDev Group (a global security and research firm) because the attack was very similar to GhostNet (a large scale cyber spying event last March 2009) and they wanted to know what they could share that might be helpful to their in-house investigation.The attack seems to be emanating from the jurisdiction of China. Google said that the hackers were interested in accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. According to the Financial Times, a person named Ai Weiwei had his two accounts hacked, their contents read and copied. On the others, however, they were only able to view limited details such as the subject line and the creation date of the account. It was said that the attack started when an employee in China click on an infected linked, which was sent through an instant message.The attacker was able to access the person’s computer, and eventually Google’s headquarters in California. It also accessed Google’s Moma, an intenal directory that stores information on each of the em ployees work task. Carlos Carillo, principal consultant of Mandiant (security incident response and forensics firm) was also called in by Google. He said that it was â€Å"definitely one of the most sophisticated attacks I've seen in the last few years†¦ This wasn't something that a 16-year-old came up in his spare time.† He said that they’ve seen similar attacks like this on the government, but never on the commercial space. The level of the attack had certainly been done by a group of experts. Last January 14, 2010, McAfee reported that the attackers had exploited zero-day vulnerabilities and called the attack â€Å"Operation Aurora†. They exploited a hole in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer even if their DEP (Data Execution Prevention) was turned on. The vulnerability affects Internet Explorer versions 6, 7, and 8 on Windows 7, Vista, Windows XP, Server 2003, Server 2008 R2, as well as IE 6 Service Pack 1 on Windows 2000 Service Pack 4.It would be ve ry hard to exploit the flaw on Windows Vista or Windows 7, however, because of its advanced memory protection technology. Zero-day vulnerabilities are those flaws that are unknown to the developer. When the attacker discovers the vulnerability before the developer does, it can prove to be very dangerous. The attacker can either use the vulnerability to copy the information and make a similar program and then sell it to the market, or he can use the vulnerability to directly destroy the program of the developer.As with Google, analysts said that â€Å"China is likely using its maturing computer network exploitation capability to support intelligence collection against the U. S. government and industry by conducting a long term, sophisticated computer network exploitation campaign. † At least 10 to 20 terabytes of data had been taken from Google and other companies. Days after the attack, the exploit had been opened to the public, which are now dangerous to the internet communi ty. Paul Ducklin, Head of Technology (Asia Pacific) from Sophos Lab(developer and vendor of security software and hardware), explained how the exploit on Google was done.The Aurora explot relies on a used-after free bug. The exploit uses java script to control over the browser as it crashes. The exploit has all the usual javascript tricks: heap spray (technique used to facilitate arbitary code execution) and nop sleds (No Operation Execution, meaning to â€Å"slide† the instruction on its final destination) . At the end of the nop sled is the shellcode, (the actual malicious binary code that the hacker wants to execute) and a coming bid which uses javascript events that tricks the browser into misusing memory in the first place.He went to a test server wherein he edited the shellcode, that contains debug breakpoints and he added some human readable text â€Å"WARHEAD† so that if the computer crashed he can visually confirm that it was into the computer’s shellco de. He tried it in IE 6, wherein he put it in the debug controller and only attaching debug to it (the reason for doing so is of course because of the debug breakpoints, so if the exploit actually works, he can track back into the debugger). Then he clicked on Internet Explorer and visited the malicious site.The exploit actually relies on fetching image files. It worked when he tried to see the address on the debugger, â€Å"WARHEAD† came out. Usually, a good anti-virus program can protect internet users from these kind of exploits. In order to fix the IE flaw, Microsoft stepped out of its normal monthly patch cycle to release a patch. The users of IE are now required to run Windows update and click on MS10-002 update to fix it. Meanwhile, Google announced that it would stop censoring its search results in China.David Drimmond, Senior Vice President, Corporate Development and Chief Legal Officer of Google said â€Å"Users visiting Google. cn are now being redirected to Googl e. com. hk, where we are offering uncensored search in simplified Chinese, specifically designed for users in mainland China and delivered via our servers in Hong Kong. † Censorship in China had been a rule to maintain the country’s communism. Censhorship prevents unapproved reformist, separatist, â€Å"counter-revolutionary† ideas from organizing themselves and spreading.It also prevents Chinese citizens from discovering or learning more about past and current failures of the Communist Party that could create or inflame anti-government sentiment. They had also intended on blocking foreign government websites to prevent the people from learning alternative systems of governance . What Google did was a risky step because China may stop doing business with Google altogether. And China, is one of the most sought-after market in the world today.Analysts expects China's search market to reach 10 billion yuan ($1.46 billion) this year. However, in 5 to 10 years, what G oogle did may prove to be advantageous for them. Ben Sargent, an analyst with Common Sense Advisory, a market research company said that â€Å"As a culture, China is much more long-term thinking than most other cultures. No other government takes such long-term views as the Chinese government,† Sargent said. â€Å"So Google is trying to out-Chinese the Chinese in terms of making a really long-term play for young people's hearts and minds in China. â€Å"Google had always been concerned on its position in China, but the country is too big of a market to ignore. As what Rohozinski have said, â€Å"Engagement is better than exclusion. † You can do a lot more for the people if you work from the inside than just standing around and watching. Google went in with their eyes wide open. Sergey Brin(founder of Google), who had been from the Soviet Union understood China on its political views. The cyber spying just gave them the opportunity to make their stand and make the wor ld praise them for it.

“Naturalism an occurrence at owl creek bridge”

The 19th Century American Art described Naturalism as: Life imitating nature and the artists of this period began focusing on â€Å"real life† situations.   Naturalism literature began to flourish after the civil war and after the most loved Romanticism and Victorian literature.   Naturalism focuses on the lower to middle class man in which he is a futile figure of a domineering universe of a hostile nature.   Some sort of struggling for the fittest and the strong and predestined are the only sure winner.The Ambrose Bierce story at Owl Creek Bridge is told by a third party narrator. For a simple reason that a man who is dead cannot narrate his own death?   It says nothing more of a man named Peyton Fahrquhar, a planter from a respected Alabama family; the author even distinguishes him as a gentleman which befits his physical appearance.   Despite of the man’s description, the person in the story seemed to die a futile death giving stress on the character of na turalism to which man is unimportant as quoted by the narrator below:†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"he   . . original secessionist   Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ devoted to the Southern cause. Circumstances of an imperious nature, which it is unnecessary to relate here, had . . . .army which had fought the disastrous campaigns †¦ (Bierce, 2004)Cynical, skeptical or mocking characteristics is vividly present along these lines,â€Å"To be hanged and drowned,† he thought, â€Å"that is not so bad; but I do not wish to be shot. No; .. not be shot; that is not fair.†(Bierce, 2004)The story dealt more on the agonizing death of a person but it was more descriptive than sentimental.   It is an unwanted way of dying and yet there is no reason to stop it.The entire theme below is focused on someone who has experienced a few moments of life before death and another few moments after dying.   His soul seemed to search and in a way could not even tell he is really dead. The story of the life of Peyton is a step by step narrative about the ironies of violent death, as if a man could account of his own dying which can be paraphrased:â€Å"To die of hanging at the bottom of a river! — the idea seemed to him ludicrous. He opened his eyes in the darkness †¦above him a gleam of light, but how inaccessible! He was still sinking, for the light became fainter †¦.mere glimmer.†(Bierce, 2004)â€Å"His neck ached horribly; his brain was on fire, his heart, – fluttering faintly, gave a great leap, trying to force itself out at his mouth. His whole body was –   wrenched with an insupportable anguish! â€Å"(Bierce) 2004.The two lines below were skillfully drawn by the author and I must say that he has expertly given the most significant characteristic to the story by defining life and imitating nature.   He uses the forest and trees, even the detail of a leaf and those that inhabits itincluding the morning dewdrops.   He described nature just as he des cribes a new life that is to be unfolding.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ the forest on the bank of the stream – trees, the leave ,, veining of each leaf — he saw the very insects †¦ noted the prismatic colors in all the dewdrops †¦million blades of grass. The –   gnats that danced..the eddies . . . the beating of the dragon flies' wings, the strokes – water spiders' legs, like oars which had lifted their boat — all these made audible music.†(Bierce)2004.â€Å"A fish slid along beneath his eyes and he heard the rush of its body parting the water.†(Bierce) 2004.This brief sentence above almost completed the story the author wanted to conclude, that death has come and the heavens could be so near.   As if describing that the soul came out from the eye and it moves thru the waters.   Bierce in his few words was able to describe a real life situation which is one of the most interesting characteristic of a naturalistic piecework.  Ã‚   Tha t after life naturally comes death.â€Å"Peyton Fahrquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side †¦beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge.†(Bierce) 2004.Though the whole work is a literary genius, it leaves a mark of pessimism on the part of the reader. Pessimism in the sense that the character of the story was never given a chance. He was doomed simply because of a circumstance that is beyond the control of the person being told.   There was no hope but a dream or it could be real that the character’s soul transcended only to be able to look for his love ones. Even in this scene we can see that there is a big division.   There is desire to be with someone and yet the story emphasizes more on losing. The sad part of it is for an observer to have an impression that not all prayers are answered and an urgent question that need to be asked – where is God why did he allowed such fate?REFEENCES:Bierce,   2004 A. An Occurrence A t Owl Creek Bridge [Electronic Version]. Retrieved 24 September 2007 from http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Ambrose_Bierce/An_Occurrence_At_Owl_Creek_Bridge/index.ht. Naturalism an occurrence at owl creek bridge The 19th Century American Art described Naturalism as: Life imitating nature and the artists of this period began focusing on â€Å"real life† situations.   Naturalism literature began to flourish after the civil war and after the most loved Romanticism and Victorian literature.   Naturalism focuses on the lower to middle class man in which he is a futile figure of a domineering universe of a hostile nature.   Some sort of struggling for the fittest and the strong and predestined are the only sure winner.The Ambrose Bierce story at Owl Creek Bridge is told by a third party narrator. For a simple reason that a man who is dead cannot narrate his own death?   It says nothing more of a man named Peyton Fahrquhar, a planter from a respected Alabama family; the author even distinguishes him as a gentleman which befits his physical appearance.   Despite of the man’s description, the person in the story seemed to die a futile death giving stress on the character of na turalism to which man is unimportant as quoted by the narrator below:†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"he   . . original secessionist   Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ devoted to the Southern cause. Circumstances of an imperious nature, which it is unnecessary to relate here, had . . . .army which had fought the disastrous campaigns †¦ (Bierce, 2004)Cynical, skeptical or mocking characteristics is vividly present along these lines,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"To be hanged and drowned,† he thought, â€Å"that is not so bad; but I do not wish to be shot. No; .. not be shot; that is not fair.†(Bierce, 2004)  The story dealt more on the agonizing death of a person but it was more descriptive than sentimental.   It is an unwanted way of dying and yet there is no reason to stop it.The entire theme below is focused on someone who has experienced a few moments of life before death and another few moments after dying.   His soul seemed to search and in a way could not even tell he is really dead. The story of the life of Pey ton is a step by step narrative about the ironies of violent death, as if a man could account of his own dying which can be paraphrased:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"To die of hanging at the bottom of a river! — the idea seemed to him ludicrous. He opened his eyes in the darkness †¦above him a gleam of light, but how inaccessible! He was still sinking, for the light became fainter †¦.mere glimmer.†(Bierce, 2004)â€Å"His neck ached horribly; his brain was on fire, his heart, – fluttering faintly, gave a great leap, trying to force itself out at his mouth. His whole body was –   wrenched with an insupportable anguish! â€Å"(Bierce) 2004.  The two lines below were skillfully drawn by the author and I must say that he has expertly given the most significant characteristic to the story by defining life and imitating nature.   He uses the forest and trees, even the detail of a leaf and those that inhabits it  including the morning dewdrops.   He described n ature just as he describes a new life that is to be unfolding.  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ the forest on the bank of the stream – trees, the leave ,, veining of each leaf — he saw the very insects †¦ noted the prismatic colors in all the dewdrops †¦million blades of grass. The –   gnats that danced..the eddies . . . the beating of the dragon flies' wings, the strokes – water spiders' legs, like oars which had lifted their boat — all these made audible music.†(Bierce)2004.â€Å"A fish slid along beneath his eyes and he heard the rush of its body parting the water.†(Bierce) 2004.  This brief sentence above almost completed the story the author wanted to conclude, that death has come and the heavens could be so near.   As if describing that the soul came out from the eye and it moves thru the waters.   Bierce in his few words was able to describe a real life situation which is one of the most interesting characteristic of a natural istic piecework.  Ã‚   That after life naturally comes death.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Peyton Fahrquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side †¦beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge.†(Bierce) 2004.Though the whole work is a literary genius, it leaves a mark of pessimism on the part of the reader. Pessimism in the sense that the character of the story was never given a chance. He was doomed simply because of a circumstance that is beyond the control of the person being told.   There was no hope but a dream or it could be real that the character’s soul transcended only to be able to look for his love ones. Even in this scene we can see that there is a big division.   There is desire to be with someone and yet the story emphasizes more on losing. The sad part of it is for an observer to have an impression that not all prayers are answered and an urgent question that need to be asked – where is God why did he allowed such fate?REFEENCES:Bie rce,   2004 A. An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge [Electronic Version]. Retrieved 24 September 2007 from http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Ambrose_Bierce/An_Occurrence_At_Owl_Creek_Bridge/index.ht.

Marie Curie †Change Agent Essay

Marie Curie has been chosen as a change agent due to the fact that she was the first woman to win a Nobel prize. She studied radioactivity, â€Å"a term which she invented,† (1) and invented portable x-ray machines which were carried by vans to the wounded in the field during World War I. (2) Element 96 was named curium (Cm) in the honor of Pierre and Marie Curie. (3) She made important advancements in the area of science, as remembered by the Curie institute, which for a time she was director of. The institute was named for her because of all the advancements she had made during her studies, and the work she did at the institute itself. The change that she made was for education for women to be accepted, and for women working in science to be more acceptable in her time. Works Cited (1) http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95nov/curie.html (2) http://www.diplomatie.gov.fr/label_france/ENGLISH/SCIENCES/CURIE/marie.htm (3) http://www.student-consolidation.net/nobel-prize-winners/curie-sklodowska/curie-sklodowska.htm

The definition of Al Qaeda group Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The definition of Al Qaeda group - Research Paper Example I. Introduction †¢ The definition of Al Qaeda group ïÆ' ¼ The meaning of the Al Qaeda group ïÆ' ¼ How many groups join to make the Al Qaeda group (Alexander 50) †¢ A brief history of the Al Qaeda group ïÆ' ¼ The year of formation ïÆ' ¼ The location of the group ïÆ' ¼ The leader of the group ïÆ' ¼ The approximated number of members ïÆ' ¼ Organization of the group ïÆ' ¼ Religion of the group ïÆ' ¼ How many attacks the group has claimed since formation ïÆ' ¼ Current leader II. Al Qaeda and the truth about Osama bin laden A. Section one †¢ Early Life of Osama Bin Laden ïÆ' ¼ Where he was born (Gauvain 713) ïÆ' ¼ The year he was born ïÆ' ¼ His childhood, family, and upbringing ïÆ' ¼ His level of education ïÆ' ¼ Occupation before joining Al Qaeda †¢ Osama Bin Laden and the Pan-Islamlist Idea ïÆ' ¼ His religion ïÆ' ¼ The political beliefs of Osama Bin Laden ïÆ' ¼ He became a follower of Abdullah Azzam in the 1970s (Di Giovanni 12) ïÆ' ¼ In 1979 the Sov iet troops carried out an invasion in Afghanistan ïÆ' ¼ Bin Laden and Azzam moved t Peshawar, Pakistan ïÆ' ¼ Azzam, Bin Laden, and the Afghan rebels ïÆ' ¼ The organization served by Azzam and Bin Laden †¢ Osama and the building of Al Qaeda ïÆ' ¼ Al Qaeda created in 1988 by Bin Laden ïÆ' ¼ The group focused on symbolic acts that regard terrorism as opposed to military campaigns ïÆ' ¼ Bin Laden’s return to Saudi Arabia in 1989 ïÆ' ¼ The first bombing †¢ Osama the worldwide Jihad ïÆ' ¼ Bin Laden and associates ïÆ' ¼ Bin Laden and American servicemen in 1993 in Mogadishu ïÆ' ¼ The New York WTC bombing in 1993 ïÆ' ¼ Attempted assassination President Hosni in 1995 ïÆ' ¼ The US NGTC bombing in 1995