Internet Fraud and the Need For Public Education Essay

Internet Fraud and the Need For Public Education - Essay Example Fraud detection software and security patches can barely outpace the criminals who are constantly in search of a vulnerability to exploit. Firewalls, password technology, and biometric devices all contribute to making the personal data that is available on the Internet more secure, but it is usually the gullibility and ignorance of the computer user that is the weak link in the security chain. Professional and public education is the most effective method for reducing and eliminating the crime of Internet Fraud. Internet fraud is an important issue based on the magnitude of the economic cost and the number of people who are at risk of becoming a victim of fraud. While the overall number of crimes reported has experienced a slight drop in recent years, combined losses for the US and the UK is on the rise and topped $12 billion in 2007 when as many as 1 in 13 people unwittingly gave out personal information to scammers (Johnson 2008; 'Protect yourself online'). In the US, financial losses for Internet fraud have skyrocketed from $183.2 million in 2005 to $8.5 billion in 2007 (Dignan 2008, p.33; 'Protect yourself online'). ... Criminals have turned to Internet fraud in increasing numbers because their identity is easy to conceal, few resources are required to perpetuate the crime, there is easy access to countless potential victims, and they can operate in geographic locations where pursuing prosecution is complicated (Grazioli & Wang 2001, p.194). All these factors influence the type of fraud engaged in, the method of working the scam, and the selection of the victim. Anyone who comes into contact with the Internet can become the victim of Internet fraud, but there are some markers that indicate segments of the population who are typically more at risk. Perpetrators are overwhelmingly male, with only one out of four being female (Dignan 2008, p.33). Professional criminals will often target banks that are known to have lax security systems or a low rate of fraud recovery (Anderson 2007, p.5). The most common Internet fraud is the illegal downloading of software or music, and 25 percent of the 10 to 25-year-old age group admitted to committing this crime in 2004 (Wilson et al. 2006, p.iv). The personal victims are twice as likely to be male rather than female, and males lose a greater amount of money per transaction on average (Dignan 2008, p.33). Internet auction fraud, which accounts for two-thirds of the fraud complaints, had a median loss of $800, while the median loss for all Internet fraud was $424 (Bywell & Oppenheim 2001, p.267; Dignan 2008, p.33). As with crime in general, small losses are generally unreported.

Immigration Reform and Control Act Research Paper

Immigration Reform and Control Act - Research Paper Example Other programs like the Agricultural worker program also provided permanent residency status to more illegal immigrants. Border patrols were enforced while all employers were required to verify the legal status of the job candidates as regards the authority to work in the US within three days after employment offer. The Act led to increase in the number of illegal immigrants and other social problems like low wages. Immigration reform and Control Act Immigration Reform and Control Act-requirements and issues in workplace Introduction Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 was enacted to deal with various immigration problems. Section 1324a of the Act prohibits employees to hire or continue employing illegal immigrants with prior knowledge that the employee is an illegal immigrant. All employers are required to make proper verification that all employees are legalized to work in the U.S including the American citizens, aliens holding express authority from the attorney General to work in the US and resident aliens (Schultz, 2000). According to the opponents, granting amnesty and sanctioning employees did not deter illegal immigrations. Allocation of billions of dollars on border patrols and hiring of additional border enforcement agents could not solve the illegal immigration problem unless the US demand for cheap labor was addressed. This paper shall examine the pros and cons of the Act and effects in the workplace and society. Employers are required to submit form 1-9 detailing the documentation of the employees together with identities and authorization to work in the US. Failure to verify the employee documentation and identity will subject the employer to a fine ranging from $ 110 per worker without the Form 1-9 to a maximum penalty of $ 1,100 per worker without the documentation (Schultz, 2000). The debate of the impact of the Act has attracted intense demand with proponents arguing that it was effective in deterring illegal aliens and reducing social problems in the society. On the other hand, opponents of the Act reduced availability of cheap labor in the economy and slowed down economic growth in the agricultural sector (Smith, 1997). The Act aimed at controlling the high flow of undocumented immigrants in to the US and ensuring on authorized residents were entitled to the available job opportunities. The Act sought for increased border surveillance and enforcement of immigration laws and amnesty program for the undocumented immigrants who met certain minimum standards for authorization as legal aliens (Powell, 2005). About 2.3 undocumented aliens from Mexico were granted permanent resident status in the US. The Act provided for sanctions on employers who knowingly employed illegal immigrants unauthorized to work in the US or continued employment of those illegal aliens (Schultz, 2000). The Act also provided sanctions for employers who hired employees without verifying and properly documenting the identity and legal status of the employee in regards to the ability to work in the US (Smith, 1997. More employers were penalized for undue diligence in verifying the identity of the prospective employees and not filing documentation requirements with the relevant authorities (Laet, 2000). On border enforcement program, the Act provided for 50 percent increase in border patrol manpower to apprehend the illegal immigrants along the border points and especially the US-Mexico border. Additional funds were utilized in deporting illegal immigrants

Two State Comparison Finance of Higher Education Research Paper

Two State Comparison Finance of Higher Education - Research Paper Example About two-thirds of states allocate funds for education usually comprising from 10 to 12 percent of the state budget (NCSL 2010). In this work, I compared the Arkansas and Tennessee in their financing of higher education for possible lessons. Formula for state support to higher education. According to ADHE (2010, p. 3), A.C.A â€Å"establishes the process and key components for formula development for funding public institutions of higher education† that the State of Arkansas adopted. Based on ADHE (2010, p. 3), the content of the formula is the principle of providing â€Å"fair and equitable state support to all postsecondary students across the state, regardless of the state institution attended† while recognizing level requirements, equipment needs, unique missions, growth, economies of scale, and other factors. In contrast, compared to Arkansas’ equity-based formula, the formula adopted by the State of Tennessee for funding higher education is outcome and per formance-based. The TSBE (2011, p. 4) pointed this out very clearly when it emphasized a â€Å"productivity and efficiency through an outcomes-based funding formula† for higher education. The TSBE (2011 p. 5) reported that the outcomes based funding was approved for implementation since AY 2011-12 while the performance funding standard was approved for implementation since AY 2010-11. Institutional winners. ... Evaluating Tennessee’s progress on performance or outcome-based for higher education, however, may be too early because Tennessee has just begun their new policy. If outcomes and performance correlate with the income class of the student population, the likely winners in Tennessee will be the institutions catering to students from the rich. Conditions associated with state support for higher education. It follows from our discussion that the condition that should be associated for the state’s continuing support for higher education in Arkansas is that education should be extended especially to those disadvantaged by family income. However, there is no data available in the documents reviewed by this work suggesting that such a condition was imposed on the schools receiving state support in Arkansas. It also follows that the condition that should be associated for the state’s continuing support for higher education in Tennessee is improvement in educational perfor mance. However, similar to Arkansas, there is no data available in the documents reviewed by this work that such a condition was imposed in the schools for higher education in Tennessee. Trend on state support for higher education in the last five years. According to the CSEP (2009c), the ten-year budget change in the appropriation of state tax funds for the operating budget of higher education in Arkansas has been a positive 54.3%; the two-year change was 9.3%; the five-year change was 28.6% although the one year change was a negative 0.4%. Given the two-year change in state spending for higher education at 9.3%, the percentage change for Arkansas State spending for community college spending rose by only 9.0% between 2007 and 2009 (CESP 2009c). Nevertheless, based on

Immigration Reform and Control Act Research Paper

Immigration Reform and Control Act - Research Paper Example Other programs like the Agricultural worker program also provided permanent residency status to more illegal immigrants. Border patrols were enforced while all employers were required to verify the legal status of the job candidates as regards the authority to work in the US within three days after employment offer. The Act led to increase in the number of illegal immigrants and other social problems like low wages. Immigration reform and Control Act Immigration Reform and Control Act-requirements and issues in workplace Introduction Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 was enacted to deal with various immigration problems. Section 1324a of the Act prohibits employees to hire or continue employing illegal immigrants with prior knowledge that the employee is an illegal immigrant. All employers are required to make proper verification that all employees are legalized to work in the U.S including the American citizens, aliens holding express authority from the attorney General to work in the US and resident aliens (Schultz, 2000). According to the opponents, granting amnesty and sanctioning employees did not deter illegal immigrations. Allocation of billions of dollars on border patrols and hiring of additional border enforcement agents could not solve the illegal immigration problem unless the US demand for cheap labor was addressed. This paper shall examine the pros and cons of the Act and effects in the workplace and society. Employers are required to submit form 1-9 detailing the documentation of the employees together with identities and authorization to work in the US. Failure to verify the employee documentation and identity will subject the employer to a fine ranging from $ 110 per worker without the Form 1-9 to a maximum penalty of $ 1,100 per worker without the documentation (Schultz, 2000). The debate of the impact of the Act has attracted intense demand with proponents arguing that it was effective in deterring illegal aliens and reducing social problems in the society. On the other hand, opponents of the Act reduced availability of cheap labor in the economy and slowed down economic growth in the agricultural sector (Smith, 1997). The Act aimed at controlling the high flow of undocumented immigrants in to the US and ensuring on authorized residents were entitled to the available job opportunities. The Act sought for increased border surveillance and enforcement of immigration laws and amnesty program for the undocumented immigrants who met certain minimum standards for authorization as legal aliens (Powell, 2005). About 2.3 undocumented aliens from Mexico were granted permanent resident status in the US. The Act provided for sanctions on employers who knowingly employed illegal immigrants unauthorized to work in the US or continued employment of those illegal aliens (Schultz, 2000). The Act also provided sanctions for employers who hired employees without verifying and properly documenting the identity and legal status of the employee in regards to the ability to work in the US (Smith, 1997. More employers were penalized for undue diligence in verifying the identity of the prospective employees and not filing documentation requirements with the relevant authorities (Laet, 2000). On border enforcement program, the Act provided for 50 percent increase in border patrol manpower to apprehend the illegal immigrants along the border points and especially the US-Mexico border. Additional funds were utilized in deporting illegal immigrants

The water cycle Essay Example for Free

The water cycle Essay The water cycle is a perpetual process in which water evaporates from the various water bodies, forms clouds, descends to the earth as rain or snow and finally reaches the oceans by means of the runoff mechanism (hydrologic cycle, 2002). Storage Water cycle involves vast amounts of water. The earth contains nearly 340 million cu miles of water. Only three percent of this amount of water can be used for drinking. In other words nearly ninety seven percent of the total volume of water available on the earth is in the oceans and therefore salty. However, the water that evaporates does not contain salt and because of this rain water and snow are free of salt. Salt free fresh water is located in glaciers, lakes and rivers. Moreover, ground water is also fresh and free from salt. The earth contains nearly 8. 6 million cubic miles of fresh water. The atmosphere always contains at least 2,900 cubic miles of water in vapor. Storage of water in the rivers and lakes in the world is estimated at 29,000 cubic miles. The principle sources of fresh water are the great polar ice caps. Nearly 6. 7 million cubic miles of water is stored in the polar ice caps. Water stored in the ground is about 2 million cubic miles (Gedzelman, 2005). Evaporation When a phase change occurs by which water gets transformed from a liquid to gas, it is known as evaporation. The quantity of water that evaporates everyday from the surface of the earth is about two hundred and ninety cubic miles. In the absence of evaporation, precipitation would have rendered the atmosphere dry within ten days. The quantity of water that undergoes evaporation is dependent upon various factors like the intensity of the sunlight, plant cover and ground moisture. Evaporation is indirectly proportional to the humidity of the atmosphere. Due to the different climatic zones on the surface of the earth, the rate of evaporation varies from near zero at the poles to about thirteen feet a year over the Gulf Stream. Evaporation of water is offset by precipitation and runoff (Perlman, 2006). Precipitation A phase change that takes place in the atmosphere, whereby water vapor condenses to form clouds and falls on to the earth as rain is known as precipitation. This falling water can be either a liquid as in rain or it can be a solid like snow, ice etc. the daily average of precipitation that falls on to the earth is of the order of seventy cubic miles. About a third of this precipitated water flows into the rivers and streams, while the rest evaporates (Gedzelman, 2005). Runoff Surface runoff occurs when water flows into rivers and streams. On an average about twenty four cubic miles of water is runoff every day. If snow and ice melt rapidly or if any rainfall occurs the result is an overland flow of water. It causes a rapid increase in the water level of a river and this could result in floods. On the other hand, the ground water flow takes place through rocks and the soil. Water from rains and melting snow sweeps through the ground and reaches the water table. Subsequently, this water flows to a water table which is at a lower level. Its speed of flow though only three feet a day is almost constant (Gedzelman, 2005). Effects of Human Activity Human beings use a lot of water; it plays a vital role in their very existence. With the growing population the demand for fresh water is also increasing. A number of methods are used to obtain fresh water, such as irrigation channels, wells etc. Due to the large amount of water being extracted from ground there has been a significant lowering of water table. In some coastal areas the result has been the forcible entry of sea water. Due to global warming there is a vast change in the earth’s climate. In several regions of the world the water available is unfit for consumption. All these factors have adversely affect water cycle. In the absence of optimal usage of water there is a serious danger that severe water scarcity could transpire (Robert Carpenter, 2001). References Gedzelman, S. D. (2005). Water Cycle. Microsoft  ® Encarta  ® 2006 (DVD) . Redmond, WA: Microsoft Corporation. hydrologic cycle. (2002). Retrieved April 20, 2007, from In The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Houghton Mifflin: http://www. xreferplus. com/entry/2446693 Perlman, H. (2006, Aug 28). The water cycle: Evaporation. Retrieved April 20, 2007, from http://ga. water. usgs. gov/edu/watercycleevaporation. html Robert, J. , Carpenter, S. R. (2001). Water in a changing world . Issues in ecology , 1027-1045.

Philosophy In Aristophanes Play The Clouds Philosophy Essay

Philosophy In Aristophanes Play The Clouds Philosophy Essay Aristophanes play The Clouds is a play that is very intricate and in many ways speaks to the nature of mankind. It is a play that makes comments on the thoughts of the time period, predominantly comments towards philosophy. The plot of this story involves a father and his son. The father, Strepsiades, is a wealthy man, but is soon to no longer be a wealthy man if he does not do something about his situation. His situation is primarily that which involves his son. The father is in great debt at the beginning of the story because of the reckless and frivolous nature of the son Phidippides. The father is at a loss at the beginning of the play, not knowing what to do about all his debts. The father then hears about the Thinking shop where people get together and learn the art of argument in relationship to the field of philosophy. The father sees this as a form of hope for his problems. He think that if he can learn the art of persuasive argument he can pull one over on his creditors and come out ahead in the long run. Unfortunately, the father soon finds that he has no gift for learning the art of argument. He is a lost cause at the school and he is deemed too stupid to really be taught this fine art. He then sends his son to the school hoping his son could learn and then argue against the creditors. However, this plan backfires on the father. The son learns to argue incredibly well, he is a natural at it, and he turns his argument towards his father, beating him up and then offering such a logical argument that his father could not complain. However, in the end, when the son claims that he could well argue a reason to beat up his mother, the father becomes enraged and burns down the Thinkery. Aspect I find interesting in Aristophanes The Clouds, is the fact that even though its obvious Aristophanes is preaching to readers a more non-religious message of the importance of truthfulness, civic responsibility, and virtue, the play takes on a religious tone. In doing some background research into why this would be, I discovered that Aristophanes religious undertones could stem from the fact that Athenians were trying to harmonize science and religion. When new scientific theories were starting to surface and be questioned, many people couldnt even consider them without sounding as if they were committing treason against the state. Aristophanes turns to religion in order to remind his audience that both religion and science have to be equally open to questions, critique, and even in Aristophanes case, satire. This suggestion, that certain things need to be equally suceptable to critique and questions can also be seen through the way that Aristophanes suggests there is both a pr oblem with the accepted model of a well-rounded education, and the newer model brought about by such philopophers as the Sophists. Aristophanes saw the danger in not questioning an accepted theory or belief. Despite the fact I agree with Johnson in that Aristophanes may be a staunch defender of old values, Aristophanes saw that if something widely accepted was left unquestioned for too long, it would become idle. Basically, an idea that I believe should be applied more in the world we live in today. A traditionally accepted theory or belief could lose the exact fundamentals and values it was based on. This play has a very obvious shift in tone as Johnston mention in his essay. in the end of his essay, he mentions the ending Aristophanes chooses for The Clouds. I fall into the group that Johnson says, see that this powerful ominous ending as a persuasive possibility. As Johnson says, Aristophanes traps his audience; theyre engaged because of the humor and satircal nature of the beginning of the play. We can laugh at someone, like Socrates, that we have nothing in common with. But as the satire gets closer and closer to us with Strepsiades burning down the Thinkery, it becomes obvious that the audience is no longer laughing at Socrates, with whom we have nothing in common, but rather at the vision of the people we could become if we engage behavior motivated by self-interest. Ironically, as Johnson points out, Aristophanes was correct in his warnings. Athens did fall due to its own self-destruction. I find it interesting and a little bit scary because I believe we could apply this ominous warning to our own nation. We are guilty, just as the Athenians were, of sometimes being too proud of our political independence. I believe wars, like that in Iraq, could lead to our demise. Even more obvious to me is the fact that I definitely believe we are losing sight of our traditional moral virtues. Americans find it so easy to point the finger, and refuse to examine our own beliefs, trying to impose them on others that may not be able to survive our view of what democracy or freedom should be. I find it morally questionable that we centralize our efforts thousands of miles away when we have so many problems that have the potential to be our end looming within the borders of our own country. Strepsiades is pointing forward to much of the self-destructiveness which brought the Athenians, and countless other cultures proud of their values, to grief, Johnson says. I believe many of our leaders and citizens could never forsee a fate like this in America but it is that belief that has the potential to bring us off our self inflicted pedestal. Another interesting point Johnson brings to our attention is his warning in the problem of how do we keep the good will of our children on whom we are going to depend? What is it that keeps children from exerting their superior power to abuse their parents when they dont get their way? I believe that this breakdown of the immediate family is prevalent in our modern-day society. While its a bit different than what Johnson is suggesting, never before in history, has our lack of respect and concern for those who came before us been so obvious. Unfortunately, I cant think of a family who has a sick grandparent or other elder member of their family living in their home. Nursing homes and hospitals have become a place where we can tuck them away so as not to have to forfeit any aspect of our lives in order to help preseve theirs. If we forget and turn a blind eye to traditions formerly viewed as important in our society, we run the risk of as Johnson puts it, being left with a situation in which the only basis for human relationship is power. Power is the basis for all of our accepted laws and behaviors, if that for some reason shifts, so would the laws. Then, as Johnson suggets, a son would be free to harm his parents. Aristophanes does have somewhat of a different view of justice than Socrates. Whereas I believe Aristophanes is concerned more with governmental consequences of actions and adoption of certain beliefs that could be considered treason, Socrates believes that consequences will come not in his lifetime, but rather after his death. In The Apology, Socrates speaks of death as more of an unknown something he cant be afraid of, because he doesnt understand what it means. In Socrates eyes, death has the potential to be something great, as long as a person lives a good and virtuous life. Aristophanes, on the other hand, seems to be more concerned with what his peers and leaders will think of him and do to him and others, if they commit some sort of a crime. Aristophanes paints a potrait of death as more of an end, rather than having the potential to be a beginning. Comedic satire and philosophical dialectic are similar in that they are both practices of arriving at the truth by the exchange of logical (and in the case of satire, funny) arguments. In the dialectic, its by presenting a thesis, developing a contradictory antithesis, and combining and resolving them into a coeherent synthesis, and in satire its by attacking human vice through irony and wit. In the case of Aristophanes, he urges the people of Athens to make changes through his satirical play. This play is essentially can be piece of work which we can applicable to our own world. When we do not take time to check practices and beliefs, we have the potential to lose our value and what we thought important at the beginning. Even though people at that time would have just watched the play and laughed about it, Aristophanes actually aimed for very serious warning. A nation too proud and too sure in its own beliefs and politics has proven through history, never to work. We sometimes dont try or refuse our time to examine our belief and value. If we do not set our moral goals and hopes, one day we can have the same problem as Athenian has suffered. .

Dreaming In The 1960s Essay examples -- essays research papers

In 1962, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said his most famous words: "I have a dream." He was not the only one who felt this way. For many, the 1960s was a decade in which their dreams about America might be fulfilled. For Martin Luther King Jr., this was a dream of a truly equal America; for John F. Kennedy, it was a dream of a young vigorous nation that would put a man on the moon; and for the hippy movement, it was one of love, peace, and freedom. The 1960s was a tumultuous decade of social and political upheaval. We are still confronting many social issues that were addressed in the 1960s today. In spite of the turmoil, there were some positive results, such as the civil rights revolution. However, many outcomes were negative: student antiwar protest movements, political assassinations, and ghetto riots excited American people and resulted in a lack of respect for authority and the law. The first president during the 1960s was John F. Kennedy. He was young, appealing, and had a carefully crafted public image that barely won him the election. Because former President Eisenhower supported the Republican nominee, Richard Nixon, and because many had doubts about Kennedy's youth and Catholic religion, Kennedy only received three-tenths of one percent more of the popular vote than Nixon. The first thing Kennedy did during his brief presidency was to try to restore the nation's economy. Economic growth was slow in 1961 when Kennedy entered the White house. The President initiated a series of tariff negotiations to stimulate exports and proposed a federal tax cut to help the economy internally. John F. Kennedy was known as one of the few presidents in history who made his own personality a significant part of his presidency and a focus of national attention. Nothing illustrated this more clearly than the reaction to the tragedy of November 22, 1963. Kennedy was driving through the streets of Dallas. The streets were full of cheering people watching him drive by. The President was surrounded by loud motorcycles driven by the Secret Service. One onlooker, looking into a sixth floor window, noticed another man with a rifle. "Boy! ," he said. "You sure can't say the Secret Service isn't on the ball. Look at that guy up there in the window with a rifle" (Pett 12). That man with the rifle was not a member of the Secret Service. A fraction of... ...on. Another type of chemical, chemical pestisides, were also important in the 1960s. A book written by Rachel Carson described for the first time the dangers of using pesticides. Carson believed that the poisonous chemicals were taking a dreadful toll, and that the only way to fix the situation was to "let the balance of nature take care of the number of insects" (Carson 17). Another poisonous chemical was being used on humans. Mistakes made in the past caused a great deal of health problems to children around the world when it was discovered that using a tranquilizer called thalidomide caused severe birth defects. Babies were born with hands and feet like flippers, attached to the body with little or no arm or leg. Every compound drug containing the sedative was taken off the market. The 1960s began under the shadow of the Cold War and ended under the shado wo fthe Vietnam War. What happened inbetween was a series of dreams, failures, and realities that have made the sixties one of the most tumultuous decades in the history of the United States. From assassinations to Woodstock, the 1960s was an era of confusion in which every American tried to make his dream a reality.