Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Comparing web applications Essay

It’s the technology used for how web browsers submit forms and interact with programs on the server. It’s used for simple interactive applications and can be used with any programming language. CGI applications are often called â€Å"CGI Scripts†, they run in the server not in the web browser, and they must follow server requirements for running applications. ISAPI: It’s an N-tier API of IIS and consists of two components: extensions and filters. These are the only two types of applications that can be developed using ISAPI, they must be compiled into DLL files which are then registered with IIS to be run on the web server. ISAPI extensions are true applications that run on IIS, ISAPI filters are used to modify or enhance the functionality provided by IIS. SSI: It is a tool that you can use to eliminate repetitive types of information on your web pages. It is a file the server includes in a web page before sending it out to a browser. It uses headers, navigation panels, and footers. It’s useful because you only need to change one file and every web page using that element picks up the update. ASP: This technology allows a web server to change the information that is  presented to the visitor in a website based on different criteria. It is a scripting language that is embedded in a code on the page that the web server can look at to change the information on the webpage. It works similar to HTML. ASP.NET: ASP.NET is a web application framework developed by Microsoft to build dynamic data driven Web applications and Web services. ASP.NET is a subset of .NET framework, a framework is a collection of classes, and ASP.NET is the successor to classic ASP. ASP.NET web pages, known officially as Web Forms, are the main building blocks for application development, and these web forms are contained in files with a â€Å".aspx† extension. References: Zacker, C. (2009). Lesson 7: Deploying Web Applications. Windows server 2008 applications infrastructure configuration (70-643) (). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. http://itt.coursesmart.com/9781118550861/firstsection#X2ludGVybmFsX0J2ZGVwRmxhc2hSZWFkZXI/eG1saWQ9OTc4MTExODU1MDg2MS8xMTc Internet Server Application Programming Interface. (2014, July 5). Wikipedia. Retrieved May 12, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_Server_Application_Programming_Interface

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Dubliners Themes and Motifs Essay

In what concerns Joyce’s style of writing we can observe that he balances the objectivity – the attitude of â€Å"scrupulous meanness â€Å" and sympathetic understanding of characters with the help of the stream of consciousness and epiphanies Scrupulous meanness – ‘Scrupulousness’ is a crucial element both in Joyce’s use of language, and in the structure and form of the stories. ‘Scrupulous meanness’ refers to a most complex and heavily allusive style that determines the reading of Dubliners. From the minimum of words Joyce succeeds to extract the maximum effect. Joyce puts this style forward as a means to express his moral intent The Sisters * â€Å"sensation of freedom as if [he] had been freed from something by the priest’s death â€Å" * â€Å"desired to confess something. I felt my soul receding into something pleasant and vicious region [†¦] I too was smiling feebly as if to absolve the simoniac of his sins† * â€Å"†¦I wouldn’t say he was exactly†¦but there was something uncanny about him. I’ll tell you my opinion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (incomplete sentences of aunt) * â€Å"one of those †¦peculiar cases† * â€Å"scrupulosity in the Catholic Church is a very real, potentially paralyzing, mental disease†(Bremen) Stream of consciousness – Depicts the multitudinous thoughts and feelings which pass through the mind. Eveline * â€Å"She had consented to go away, to leave her home. Was that wise? She tried to weigh each side of the question. In her home anyway she had shelter and food; she had those whom she had known all her life about her. Of course she had to work hard, both in the house and at business. What would they say of her in the Stores when they found out that she had run away with a fellow? Say she was a fool, perhaps; and her place would be filled up by advertisement. Miss Gavan would be glad. She had always had an edge on her,especially whenever there were people listening.† Araby * â€Å"What innumerable follies laid waste my waking and sleeping thoughts after that evening! I wished to annihilate the tedious intervening days. I chafed against the work of school. At night in my bedroom and by day in the classroom her image came between me and the page I strove to read. The syllables of the word Araby were called to me through the silence in which my soul luxuriated and cast an Eastern enchantment over me. I asked for leave to go to the bazaar on Saturday night. My aunt was surprised, and hoped it was not some Freemason affair. I answered few questions in class. I watched my master’s face pass from amiability to sternness; he hoped I was not beginning to idle. I could not call my wandering thoughts together. I had hardly any patience with the serious work of life which, now that it stood between me and my desire, seemed to me child’s play, ugly monotonous child’s play.† Epiphany – an experience of sudden and striking realization. Eveline * â€Å"Derevaun Seraun! Derevaun Seraun!’ â€Å"She stood up in a sudden impulse of terror. Escape! She must escape! Frank would save her. He would give her life, perhaps love, too. But she wanted to live. Why should she be unhappy? She had a right to happiness.Frank would take her in his arms, fold her in his arms. He would save her† A painful case * â€Å"As he sat there, living over his life with her and evoking alternately the two images in which he now conceived her, he realized that she was dead, that she had ceased to exist, that she had become a memory. He began to feel ill at ease. He asked himself what else could he have done. He could not have carried on a comedy of deception with her; he could not have lived with her openly. He had done what seemed to him best. How was he to blame? Now that she was gone he understood how lonely her life must have been, sitting night after night, alone in that room. His life would be lonely too until he, too, died, ceased to exist, became a memory − if anyone remembered him.† The dead * â€Å"His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.† Themes General/ Contextual themes – themes surrounding the entire narrative discourse giving it homogeneity .They deal with Dublin biggest issues that have a great influence in every character behaviour.In relation with each individual story they can be central themes or hidden after a detail ,an action ,an answer or a thought. * Poverty * Paralysis * Irish politics and religion issues Central/Characteristic themes * Mortality * Escape * Isolation * Powerlessness * Alcoholism

Monday, July 29, 2019

If Venerus Implements the Suggested Methodology?

If Venerus implements the suggested methodology, what would be the range of discount rates that AES would use around the world? * 12% discount rate was used for all projects * Venerus felt that this model worked fairly well In 1990s this model of capital budgeting was exported to projects overseas * model became increasingly strained with the expansions in Brazil and Argentina * because hedging key exposures such as regulatory or currency risk was not feasible * the ever-increasing complexity in the financing of international operations is another problem * when subsidiaries’ local currency real exchange rates depreciated, leverage at the subsidiary and holding company level effectively increased, and the subsidiaries struggled to service their foreign currency debt * Venerus’s solution to the problem had to be consistent, transparent, and accessible As a starting point, he considered the 15 representative projects shown in Exhibit 7a and, using the financial data in Ex hibit 7b * he endeavored to derive a weighted average cost of capital (WACC) for each project using a standard methodology: * he endeavored to derive a weighted average cost of capital (WACC) for each project using a standard methodology: WACC=EVre+DVrd1-? In order to calculate each WACC, Venerus knew he would have to measure all of the constituent parts for the 15 projects: * the cost of debt * the target capital structure * the local country tax rates * an appropriate cost of equity Venerus feared the use of a World CAPM might yield artificially low costs of capital.Similarly, Venerus did not advocate the use of a â€Å"Local CAPM† where beta measured the covariance of a project’s returns with a portfolio of local equities. Countries such as Tanzania or Georgia, where AES had projects, did not have any meaningful equity markets or local benchmarks. Still, he knew he had to find a way to capture the country-specific risks in foreign markets. 1. he calculated a cost of debt and cost of equity for each of the 15 projects using U. S. market data 2. he added the difference between the yield on local government bonds and the yield on corresponding U. S. Treasury bonds to both the cost of debt and the cost of equity Summary of WACC Calculations for AES

Criteria for Causality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Criteria for Causality - Essay Example The media often concludes a causal relationship among correlated observances when causality was not even considered by the study itself. Without clear reasons to accept causality, we should only accept correlation.† A spurious relationship is a mathematical tool which is used to establish that whether two events in correlation have some sort of causal connection or not. Spuriousness is a property of highly misleading correlations that may appear to be causation. Hence, when a correlation has no spurious relationship, it is a highly possible causation. Hence, nonspuriousness becomes an essential criterion in examining the correlated events and establishing causality. (Pearl, 2000; Verma and Pearl, 1990) Timing of different events is important since time sequencing of actions and events can determine causation. By measuring time, we can determine when an action took place and when another action or event occurred in correlation or consequence to it. Hence, time order is also an important tool to inspect causality. Johnson and Bhattacharya (2009, p. 505) point out that in business and economics, â€Å"observations are collected in a time sequence with the intention of using regression techniques to predict future trend. In many other experiments, trials are conducted successively in time.† And in any event, a plot of the residuals versus time order can detect a contravention of the postulation of independence among related actions and/or events. Hence, time order emerges as a criterion of causality. In the above statement, the event of active or passive smoking precedes the event of respiratory illness due to nicotine. The event of respiratory illness due to nicotine does not take place without active or passive smoking. Respiratory illness due to nicotine (even of negligible magnitude) takes place whenever active or passive smoking takes place. Causes are time and again differentiated into two major categories: (1) Necessary and

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Final paper Assignment Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Final paper Assignment - Research Proposal Example They are distributed throughout the ice-covered sea of the circumpolar Arctic. The sea ice is their primary habitat. They depend on it for successful hunting of seals, which enable them to accumulate enough energy to sustain them during periods when seals are not available (Stirling & Derocher, 2012). There have been changes in the distribution, structure and pattern of break-up and freeze-up of the sea ice in the circumpolar Arctic. These changes have been as a result of the increasing climatic changes and global warming (Stirling & Derocher, 2012). Ice in the Arctic was recorded lowest in 2002, and it has been determined that ice season is decreasing up to eight days in a year (Welch, 2012). Changes in the pattern of sea ice such as increased break up of ice lead to reduced access to seals by the polar bear and results in longer fasting periods that lowers the body condition. Consequentially fewer and smaller cubs with lower survival rates are produced. The survival rate of bears of other ages also declines. The above conditions lead to declined subpopulation and eventually might result in extinction of the polar bears (Derocher et al., 2013). Due to the threat of extinction caused by global warming, polar bears were listed as endangered species by the FWS in 2008 (Welch, 2012) . The effects of climatic changes are very evident in the southerly subpopulations particularly in Hudson Bay (Derocher et al., 2013). It is expected that with the continued climate change, the polar bears will migrate to the northerly areas, which include Canadian Arctic Island and northern Greenland. These areas, which are currently facing thick multiyear ice and little light penetration to support productivity, might be replaced by annual ice that supports high level of productivity compared to the previous states due to global warming and create a favorable habitat for the polar bears (O’Neill et al, 2008). Climate Changes and global warming

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Short Story Outline Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Short Story Outline - Essay Example Larry embodies a value system that is contrary to John’s. While John has recently moved to the town, Larry is well established. While John is socially naà ¯ve, Larry is experienced and at ease. The final character is Chuck. Like Larry, Chuck is partially an antagonist. While John and Larry function as foils in the story, Chuck represents a sort of furthered extreme in terms of antagonism. Chuck’s only relation to school is that he arrives in the morning. He is established in the town, but people have a general sense of unease about his actions. While Larry is cynical, Chuck has almost entirely given-up. The main characters relate in interesting contexts. While they share different classes, John becomes interested in their perspective and actions. Eventually during lunchtime, the three characters interact. The main conflict becomes John’s challenging of his own life paradigm. Larry and Chuck exemplify a perspective on the world that is contrary to John’s straight-laced approach. Eventually, John becomes discontent with his perspective and resolves this discontent through an encounter with Larry and Chuck. There is a complex theme and meaning to the story. In these regards, the story explores the nature of meaning in the lives of the characters. In addition, the story is a coming-of-age tale where the main protagonist sheds previous conceptions of existence for a more real-world perspective. The story follows John’s life moving to a new town, succeeding in school, and struggling to make new friends. It witnesses as John slowly becomes discontent with this perspective and this discontentment leads him to make friends with two cynical students – Larry and Chuck. After establishing this friendship, John agrees to skip class with them and go into an area behind the school. The three of them are then arrested for trespassing. The setting is fairly small. It occurs in areas throughout the school, including classrooms, the hallway, and the lunchroom. It

Friday, July 26, 2019

Case study #2 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

#2 - Case Study Example While this is so, there are those companies that show very little concern about what customers think about the services that they get and this can turn out to be very damaging to not only the reputation of the firm but also the income the firm generates. This paper will be looking at the two companies with both extremes in customer service- Amazon with the best and AT&T with the worst. The paper will also state a recommendation for each company that can help improve their customer service. Amazon has been voted the company with the best customer service the second time in a row. There are particular reasons why the company stands out in its customer satisfaction record. Those who have had to return items they had bought from Amazon agree that indeed the customer service of the company is commendable. Jeff Bezos, the founder of the company, is among the most passionate people when it comes to the satisfaction of the customer. Bezos’ is known for the use of his infamous "empty chair" in all boardroom meetings. Bezos asks that a chair be left empty as that is the spot for the customer. The use of the empty chair reminds the other panel members that the boss in the company is actually the customer and should be considered whenever developing any policies for the business. It is this culture of being customer minded that makes everyone in the firm be willing to serve the customers with high regard. Other than this, Amazon demands that every manager and other employees learn how to interact with the customer so that the entire firm is as customer-centric as possible. Bezos is quoted saying that every member of staff, including himself, has to be able to work at a call center. To make this possible, the CEO has every employee get in touch with the customers even if it is for a few days only. Amazon knows that understanding how the customers view, use, and talk about the products they sell is significant to a business and thus lets every member of

Thursday, July 25, 2019

English Country House Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

English Country House - Essay Example This essay discusses that people build English Country Houses for spending time in a country side, away from the chaos of city life and its hassles. However, making enormous investments on such mansions, and incurring hefty expenditures on their maintenance, also has a sociological purpose. Owing such houses elevates the social status of the investor and offers that person an aura of belonging to a certain class. The architectural splendour and lush landscapes, coupled with their historical significance make country houses the most popular asset in English society. People cherish such mansions as priced possessions also because of their value in terms of social and environmental aspects. Due to these characteristics, in people consider a country house as an ideal place for spending vacations and getting relaxation from the monotony of their daily routine. However, since the cost towards purchase and maintenance of such houses is exponential, only the highly rich and elite, or people in the higher echelons of power are able to afford such mansions. A large house or mansion having great architectural merit in English country side is commonly known as English Country House, and some people also mention it as stately home. The very purpose of the house is to spend time in a country area without any botheration of city life headaches and to enjoy life. The country houses are known for their architectural, historical, landscapes, social and environmental aspects. In fact a Country House is a spot where you can relax and spend your vacation. ... â€Å"As Mark Girouard points out in his anthology  A Country House Companion, there's a mythology surrounding English country houses that extols them as "magical places" and their owners as wise custodians who tend the land, look after their tenants and servants, devote their lives to public service, fill their galleries with beautiful pictures and their libraries with rare books, and are unfailingly hospitable to friends and guests† (Morrison, 2011). The decline of English Country Houses starts with the rise of taxation, agricultural depression, and financial shortfalls in maintaining such huge houses, and the vast area involved as well. Due to there issues, most of such historical houses have been transferred to private trust, national museums or local museums. Some of the houses are now running the show by giving it on rental for short period activities such as wedding, civil ceremonies, film shooting, and as corporate entertainment venue. The survival of such houses is in jeopardy. Ever since the inception of high rise buildings in cities, and the influx of villagers to cities, and the consequent demand for accommodation in big cities, public interest has been growing in exploring the social values of English country houses. The status they give to the owners, the lifestyle, and also the identity of such houses attracts public attention. With new trends in architectural style and interior designing, the grand old country houses had lagged behind in attracting customers or tourists until a few years ago. Recently there is a reverse trend in the public minds concerning the serenity, charm, prestige and splendor involved in owning a country house or in staying there. Though they are modeled on the 18th and 19th century architectural style, people have an eye on them.

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

The Imminet global crisis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Imminet global crisis - Essay Example The world now is on the verge of unprecedented fresh water crisis. This global issue is very alarming, because it affects every single aspect of our lives on Earth. The prime cases of the water crisis are the climate change, population growth and human waste. Climate change and in particular the global warming is the primary force triggering the water crisis. In his article Madrigal (2008) says that 60% of the changes in the West's water cycle are linked to the atmospheric greenhouse gases. He describes a research conducted which found that the increases in winter air temperature reduce the amount of snow which falls in the mountains. In return, the snow packs that acted as water storage provide less water as they melt in the spring. Furthermore, human activity can lead to the global warming too. Burning of fossil fuels are blamed for the melting of glaciers and leaving less drinkable water and less water for crop irrigation. Population growth requires more fresh water for the basic needs of food production. According to the Population Reports (1998) the increase in population "alone will push an estimated 17 more countries, with a projected population of 2.1 billion, into these water-short categories within the next 30 years (69)." By the year 2025, 35% of the projected global population which will account to 2.8 billion people will be affected by the water scarcity (1998 135).

Falcon Computer Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Falcon Computer Company - Essay Example The higher management was great in formulating the values to be followed by the employees but only formulation was not the very success of it. The prime influencing factor is in appropriately propagating the values and the support of the management to exercise in practice. â€Å"Attention to detail is our trademark; our goal is to do it right the first time†. However it was observed that the design flaws caused the main hurdle and in the first place it needed to be corrected to prevent flaws in the forthcoming steps. Employees were pressurized to rush for getting the product out to the customers without putting a check on the quality. Employees were afraid of their immediate manager which would result in insult and embarrassment. The employees did not feel safe to stand up to the problems they were facing. The culture statement promising to encourage open, direct, person-to-person communication as part of the daily routine was not at all followed in practice. At Flacon it was more of secrecy than openness. Even after the value document was formulated and was expected to be followed, lack of management enforcement was greatly lacking to get the values embedded into the employees. If the formulators are themselves lack the will t support the values and make sure they create examples so that there is an evidence of its usage in the proper context, the employees cannot be expected to envelope anything from it. It will stay in the books only. Lack of interest from the employee side was a turnaround feature in exercising the values. They did not take it seriously and never bothered to come up with valuable suggestions so as to prove that there was an initiative from their side. They have never held the management accountable for the non-compliance of values. They instead have understood what was really emphasized in the organization namely hierarchy, secrecy and expediency. They never moved out of their comfort zone to take a stand. The lack of initiative also made the other employees to follow the similar notion to take a back seat.  Ã‚  

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Buseness plan( Gym with nursery ) in Saudi Arabia to met mother needs Essay

Buseness plan( Gym with nursery ) in Saudi Arabia to met mother needs - Essay Example With nothing to do, most of them are encouraged to live sedentary lives. Most women have weight issues after they have a baby. For Saudi women losing weight has been a problem because there are not many designated gyms for women. The few that are there do not provide child care for their clients. The establishment of gyms has been a long way coming. The strict rules against gender interaction at work places has made it difficult for investors to set up gyms given that women are not allowed to leave the home without permission or un accompanied by a male relative. Gym Halima intends to fill this gap and offer a place where women can work out and at the same time have their children taught and taken care of. This will enable them work out without any worries of going to pick their children from school and concentrate on their workout. Sedentary lifestyles have led to an all-time high number of lifestyle diseases. People are beginning to live a healthy lifestyle and workout and fitness is part of this healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle does not only involve being conscious about what you eat, it also involves a conscious decision to live an active life. Traditional stringent laws of Saudi Arabia have kept women out of the gym. Women are only allowed to exercise in aprivate place which are mostly frequented by men whom they are not supposed to be mingle with in such places. When the idea of female gyms came to Saudi Arabia, it was welcome by most women. However the prices charged by these gyms way too high and most women could not afford them. To date, the prices of these gyms are still too high for most women. Halima’s gym brings quality and affordability to the market of female gyms. With qualified instructors who have worked in the industry for over five years, Halima’s gym is poised to be a leader in female fitness inSaudi Arabia.The nursery that the gym intends to add to its service offeringgives it an added advantage over it competitors. The

Monday, July 22, 2019

On Going a Journey Essay Example for Free

On Going a Journey Essay One of the pleasantest things in the world is going a journey; but I like to go by myself. I can enjoy society in a room; but out of doors, nature is company enough for me. I am then never less alone than when alone. The fields his study, nature was his book. I cannot see the wit of walking and talking at the same time. When I am in the country, I wish to vegetate like the country. I am not for criticising hedge-rows and black cattle. I go out of town in order to forget the town and all that is in it. There are those who for this purpose go to watering-places, and carry the metropolis with them. I like more elbow-room, and fewer incumbrances. I like solitude, when I give myself up to it, for the sake of solitude; nor do I ask for ——a friend in my retreat, Whom I may whisper solitude is sweet. The soul of a journey is liberty, perfect liberty, to think, feel, do just as one pleases. We go a journey chiefly to be free of all impediments and of all inconveniences; to leave ourselves behind, much more to get rid of others. It is because I want a little breathing-space to muse on indifferent matters, where Contemplation May plume her feathers and let grow her wings, That in the various bustle of resort Were all too ruffled, and sometimes impaird,  that I absent myself from the town for awhile, without feeling at a loss the moment I am left by myself. Instead of a friend in a post-chaise or in a Tilbury, to exchange good things with, and vary the same stale topics over again, for once let me have a truce with impertinence. Give me the clear blue sky over my head, and the green turf beneath my feet, a winding road before me, and a three hours march to dinner—and then to thinking! It is hard if I cannot start some game on these lone heaths. I laugh, I run, I leap, I sing for joy. From the point of yonder rolling cloud, I plunge into my past being, and revel there, as the sun-burnt Indian plunges headlong into the wave that wafts him to his native shore. Then long-forgotten things, like sunken wrack and sumless treasuries, burst upon my eager  sight, and I begin to feel, think, and be myself again. Instead of an awkward silence, broken by attempts at wit or dull common-place s, mine is that undisturbed silence of the heart which alone is perfect eloquence. No one likes puns, alliterations, antitheses, argument, and analysis better than I do; but I sometimes had rather be without them. Leave, oh, leave me to my repose! I have just now other business in hand, which would seem idle to you, but is with me very stuff of the conscience. Is not this wild rose sweet without a comment? Does not this daisy leap to my heart set in its coat of emerald? Yet if I were to explain to you the circumstance that has so endeared it to me, you would only smile. Had I not better then keep it to myself, and let it serve me to brood over, from here to yonder craggy point, and from thence onward to the far-distant horizon? I should be but bad company all that way, and therefore prefer being alone. I have heard it said that you may, when the moody fit comes on, walk or ride on by yourself, and indulge your reveries. But this looks like a breach of manners, a neglect of others, and you are thinking all the time that you ought to rejoin your party. Out upon such half-faced fellowship, say I. I like to be either entirely to myself, or entirely at the disposal of others; to talk or be silent, to walk or sit still, to be sociab le or solitary. I was pleased with an observation of Mr. Cobbetts, that he thought it a bad French custom to drink our wine with our meals, and that an Englishman ought to do only one thing at a time. So I cannot talk and think, or indulge in melancholy musing and lively conversation by fits and starts, Let me have a companion of my way, says Sterne, were it but to remark how the shadows lengthen as the sun declines. It is beautifully said: but in my opinion, this continual comparing of notes interferes with the involuntary impression of things upon the mind, and hurts the sentiment. If you only hint what you feel in a kind of dumb show, it is insipid: if you have to explain it, it is making a toil of a pleasure. You cannot read the book of nature, without being perpetually put to the trouble of translating it for the benefit of others. I am for the synthetical method on a journey, in preference to the analytical. I am content to lay in a stock of ideas then, and to examine and anatomise them afterw ards. I want to see my vague notions float like the down of the thistle before the breeze, and not to have them entangled in the briars and thorns of controversy. For once, I like to have it all my own way; and this  is impossible unless you are alone, or in such company as I do not covet. I have no objection to argue a point with any one for twenty miles of measured road, but not for pleasure. If you remark the scent of a beanfield crossing the road, perhaps your fellow-traveller has no smell. If you point to a distant object, perhaps he is short-sighted, and has to take out his glass to look at it. There is a feeling in the air, a tone in the colour of a cloud which hits your fancy, but the effect of which you are unable to account for. There is then no sympathy, but an uneasy craving after it, and a dissatisfaction which pursues you on the way, and in the end probably produces ill humour. Now I never quarrel with myself, and take all my own conclusions for granted till I find it neces sary to defend them against objections. It is not merely that you may not be of accord on the objects and circumstances that present themselves before you—these may recal a number of objects, and lead to associations too delicate and refined to be possibly communicated to others. Yet these I love to cherish, and sometimes still fondly clutch them, when I can escape from the throng to do so. To give way to our feelings before company, seems extravagance or affectation; and on the other hand, to have to unravel this mystery of our being at every turn, and to make others take an equal interest in it (otherwise the end is not answered) is a task to which few are competent. We must give it an understanding, but no tongue. My old friend C——, however, could do both. He could go on in the most delightful explanatory way over hill and dale, a summers day, and convert a landscape into a didactic poem or a Pindaric ode. He talked far above singing. If I could so clothe my ideas in sounding and flowing words, I might perhaps wish to have some one with me to admire the swelling theme; or I could be more content, were it possible for me still to hear his echoing voice in the woods of All-Foxden. They had that fine madness in them which our first poets had; and if they could have been caught by some rare instrument, would have breathed such strains as the following. ——Here be woods as green As any, air likewise as fresh and sweet As when smooth Zephyrus plays on the fleet Face of the curled stream, with flowrs as many As the young spring gives, and as choice as any; Here be all new delights, cool streams and wells, Arbours oergrown with woodbine, caves and dells; Choose where thou wilt, while I sit by and sing, Or gather rushes to make many a ring For thy long fingers; tell thee tales of love, How the pale Phoebe, hunting in a grove, First saw the boy Endymion, from whose eyes She took eternal fire that never dies; How she conveyd him softly in a sleep, His temples bound with poppy, to the steep Head of old Latmos, where she stoops each night, Gilding the mountain with her brothers light, To kiss her sweetest.—— Faithful Shepherdess. Had I words and images at command like these, I would attempt to wake the thoughts that lie slumbering on golden ridges in the evening clouds: but at the sight of nature my fancy, poor as it is, droops and closes up its leaves, like flowers at sunset. I can make nothing out on the spot:—I must have time to collect myself.— In general, a good thing spoils out-of-door prospects: it should be reserved for Table-talk. L—— is for this reason, I take it, the worst company in the world out of doors; because he is the best within. I grant, there is one subject on which it is pleasant to talk on a journey; and that is, what one shall have for supper when we get to our inn at night. The open air improves this sort of conversation or friendly altercation, by setting a keener edge on appetite. Every mile of the road heightens the flavour of the viands we expect at the end of it. How fine it is to enter some old town, walled and turreted just at the approach of night-fall, or to come to some straggling village, with the lights streaming through the surrounding gloom; and then after inquiring for the best entertainment that the place affords, to take ones ease at ones inn! These eventful moments in our lives history are too precious, too full of solid, heart-felt happiness to be frittered and dribbled away in imperfect sympathy. I would have them all to myself, and drain them to the last drop: they will do to talk of or to write about afterwards. What a delicate speculation it is, after drinking whole goblets of tea, The cups that  cheer, but not inebriate, and letting the fumes ascend into the brain, to sit considering what we shall have for supper—eggs and a rasher, a rabbit smothered in onions, or an excellent veal-cutlet! Sancho in such a situation once fixed upon cow-heel; and his choice, though he could not help it, is not to be disparaged. Then in the intervals of pictured scenery and Shandean contemplation, to catch the preparation and the stir in the kitchen—Procul, O procul este profani! These hours are sacred to silence and to musing, to be treasured up in the memory, and to feed the source of smiling thoughts hereafter. I would not waste them in idle talk; or if I must have the integrity of fancy broken in upon, I would rather it were by a stranger than a friend. A stranger takes his hue and character from the time and place; he is a part of the furniture and costume of an inn. If he is a Quaker, or from the West Riding of Yorkshire, so much the better. I do not even try to sympathise with him, and he breaks no squares. I associate nothing with my travelling companion but present objects and passing events. In his ignorance of me and my affairs, I in a manner forget myself. But a friend reminds one of other things, rips up old grievances, and destroys the abstraction of the scene. He comes in ungraciously between us and our imaginary character. Something is dropped in the course of conversation that gives a hint of your profession and pursuits; or from having some one with you that knows the less sublime portions of your history, it seems that other people do. You are no longer a citizen of the world: but your unhoused free condition is put into circumscription and confine. The incognito of an inn is one of its striking privileges—lord of ones-self, uncumberd with a name. Oh! it is great to shake off the trammels of the world and of public opinion—to lose our importunate, tormenting, everlasting personal identity in the elements of nature, and become the creature of the moment, clear o f all ties—to hold to the universe only by a dish of sweet-breads, and to owe nothing but the score of the evening—and no longer seeking for applause and meeting with contempt, to be known by no other title than the Gentleman in the parlour! One may take ones choice of all characters in this romantic state of uncertainty as to ones real pretensions, and become indefinitely respectable and negatively right-worshipful. We baffle prejudice and  disappoint conjecture; and from being so to others, begin to be objects of curiosity and wonder even to ourselves. We are no more those hackneyed commonplaces that we appear in the world: an inn restores us to the level of nature, and quits scores with society! I have certainly spent some enviable hours at inns—sometimes when I have been left entirely to myself, and have tried to solve some metaphysical problem, as once at Witham-common, where I found out the proof that likeness is not a case of the association of ideas—at other times, when there have been pictures in the room, as at St. Neots, (I think it was) where I first met with Gribelins engravings of the Cartoons, into which I entered at once, and at a little inn on the borders of Wales, where there happened to be hanging some of Westalls drawings, which I compared triumphantly (for a theory that I had, not for the admired artist) with the figure of a girl who had ferried me over the Severn, standing up in the boat between me and the twilight—at other times I might mention luxuriating in books, with a peculiar interest in this way, as I remember sitting up half the night to read Paul and Virginia, which I picked up at an inn at Bridgewater, after being drenched in the rain all day; and at the same place I got through two volumes of Madame DArblays Camilla. It was on the tenth of April, 1798, that I sat down to a volume of the New Eloise, at the inn at Llangollen, over a bottle of sherry and a cold chicken. The letter I chose was that in which St. Preux describes his feelings as he first caught a glimpse from the heights of the Jura of the Pays de Vaud, which I had brought with me as a bon bouche to crown the evening with. It was my birth-day, and I had for the first time come from a place in the neighbourhood to visit this delightful spot. The road to Llangollen turns off between Chirk and Wrexham; and on passing a certain point, you come all at once upon the valley, which opens like an amphitheatre, broad, barren hills rising in majestic state on either side, with green upland swells that echo to the bleat of flocks below, and the river Dee babbling over its stony bed in the midst of them. The valley at this time glittered green with sunny showers, and a budding ash-tree dipped its tender branches in the chiding stream. How proud, how glad I was to walk along the high road that overlooks the delicious prospect, repeating the lines which I have just quoted from Mr. Coleridges poems. But besides the prospect which opened beneath my feet, another also opened to my inward  sight, a heavenly vision, on which were written, in letters large as Hope could make them, these four words, LIBERTY, GENIUS, LOVE, VIRTUE; which have since faded into the light of common day, or mock my idle gaze. The beautiful is vanished, and returns not. Still I would return some time or other to this enchanted spot; but I would return to it alone. What other self could I find to share that influx of thoughts, of regret, and delight, the fragments of which I could hardly conjure up to myself, so much have they been broken and defaced! I could stand on some tall rock, and overlook the precipice of years that separates me from what I then was. I was at that time going shortly to visit the poet whom I have above named. Where is he now? Not only I myself have changed; the world, which was then new to me, has become old and incorrigible. Yet will I turn to thee in thought, O sylvan Dee, in joy, in youth and gladness as thou then wert; and thou shalt always be to me the river of Paradise, where I will drink of the waters of life freely! There is hardly any thing that shows the short-sightedness or capriciousness of the imagination more than travelling does. With change of place we change our ideas; nay, our opinions and feelings. We can by an effort indeed transport ourselves to old and long-forgotten scenes, and then the picture of the mind revives again; but we forget those that we have just left. It seems that we can think but of one place at a time. The canvas of the fancy is but of a certain extent, and if we paint one set of objects upon it, they immediately efface every other. We cannot enlarge our conceptions, we only shift our point of view. The landscape bares its bosom to the enraptured eye, we take our fill of it, and seem as if we could form no other image of beauty or grandeur. We pass on, and think no more of it: the horizon that shuts it from our sight, also blots it from our memory like a dream. In travelling through a wild barren country, I can form no idea of a woody and cultivated one. It appears to me that all the world must be barren, like what I see of it. In the country we forget the town, and in town we despise the country. Beyond Hyde Park, says Sir Fopling Flutter, all is a desert. All that part of the map that we do not see before us is a blank. The world in our conceit of it is not much bigger than a nutshell. It is not one prospect expanded into another, county joined to county, kingdom to kingdom, lands to seas, making an image  voluminous and vast;—the mind can form no larger idea of space than the eye can take in at a single glance. The rest is a name written in a map, a calculation of arithmetic. For instance, what is the true signification of that immense mass of territory and population, known by the name of China to us? An inch of paste-board on a wooden globe, of no more account than a China orange! Things near us are seen of the size of life: things at a distance are diminished to the size of the understanding. We measure the universe by ourselves, and even comprehend the texture of our own being only piece-meal. In this way, however, we remember an infinity of things and places. The mind is like a mechanical instrument that plays a great variety of tunes, but it must play them in succession. One idea recalls another, but it at the same time excludes all others. In trying to renew old recollections, we cannot as it were unfold the whole web of our existence; we must pick out the single threads. So in coming to a place where we have formerly lived and with which we have intimate associations, every one must have found that the feeling grows more vivid the nearer we approach the spot, from the mere anticipation of the actual impression: we remember circumstances, feelings, persons, faces, names, that we had not thought of for years; but for the time all the rest of the world is forgotten!—To return to the question I have quitted above. I have no objection to go to see ruins, aqueducts, pictures, in company with a friend or a party, but rather the contrary, for the former reason reversed. They are intelligible matters, and will bear talking about. The sentiment here is not tacit, but communicable and overt. Salisbury Plain is barren of criticism, but Stonehenge will bear a discussion antiquarian, picturesque, and philosophical. In setting out on a party of pleasure, the first consideration always is where we shall go to: in taking a solitary ramble, the question is what we shall meet with by the way. The mind is its own place; nor are we anxious to arrive at the end of our journey. I can myself do the honours indifferently well to works of art and curiosity. I once took a party to Oxford with no mean eclat—shewed them that seat of the Muses at a distance, With glistering spires and pinnacles adornd—  descanted on the learned air that breathes from the grassy quadrangles and stone walls of halls and colleges—was at home in the Bodleian; and at  Blenheim quite superseded the powdered Ciceroni that attended us, and that pointed in vain with his wand to common-place beauties in matchless pictures.—A s another exception to the above reasoning, I should not feel confident in venturing on a journey in a foreign country without a companion. I should want at intervals to hear the sound of my own language. There is an involuntary antipathy in the mind of an Englishman to foreign manners and notions that requires the assistance of social sympathy to carry it off. As the distance from home increases, this relief, which was at first a luxury, becomes a passion and an appetite. A person would almost feel stifled to find himself in the deserts of Arabia without friends and countrymen: there must be allowed to be something in the view of Athens or old Rome that claims the utterance of speech; and I own that the Pyramids are too mighty for any simple contemplation. In such situations, so opposite to all ones ordinary train of ideas, one seems a species by ones-self, a limb torn off from society, unless one can meet with instant fellowship and support.—Yet I did not feel this want or craving very pressing once, when I first set my foot on the laughing shores of France. Calais was peopled with novelty and delight. The confused, busy murmur of the place was like oil and wine poured into m y ears; nor did the mariners hymn, which was sung from the top of an old crazy vessel in the harbour, as the sun went down, send an alien sound into my soul. I only breathed the air of general humanity. I walked over the vine-covered hills and gay regions of France, erect and satisfied; for the image of man was not cast down and chained to the foot of arbitrary thrones: I was at no loss for language, for that of all the great schools of painting was open to me. The whole is vanished like a shade. Pictures, heroes, glory, freedom, all are fled: nothing remains but the Bourbons and the French people!—There is undoubtedly a sensation in travelling into foreign parts that is to be had nowhere else: but it is more pleasing at the time than lasting. It is too remote from our habitual associations to be a common topic of discourse or reference, and, like a dream or another state of existence, does not piece into our daily modes of life. It is an animated but a momentary hallucination. It demands an effort to exchange our actual for our ideal identity; and to feel the pulse of our old transports revive very keenly, we must jump all our present comforts and connexions. Our romantic and itinerant character is not to be  domesticated. Dr. Johnson remarked how little foreign travel added to the facilities of conversation in those who had been abroad. In fact, the time we have spent there is both delightful and in one sense instructive; but it appears to be cut out of our substantial, downright existence, and never to join kindly on to it. We are not the same, but another, and perhaps more enviable individual, all the time we are out of our own country. We are lost to ourselves, as well as our friends. So the poet somewhat quaintly sings, Out of my country and myself I go. Those who wish to forget painful thoughts, do well to absent themselves for a while from the ties and objects that recal them: but we can be said only to fulfil our destiny in the place that gave us birth. I should on this account like well enough to spend the whole of my life in travelling abroad, if I could any where borrow another life to spend afterwards at home! Hazlitt.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Password Management System Advantages and Disadvantages

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

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Totalitarian Leaders: Italy and Spain

Totalitarian Leaders: Italy and Spain Katie Jones The leader of parliamentary Benito Mussolini and Spains leader is Francisco  Franco. Italy has a rich history and Spain has an extraordinary artistic classic architecture. In World War 1 Italy has been allied with Germany and Spain enjoyed neutrality, when the depression started Italy was at crisis majority and Spain is starting to slide into a full-blown economic depression. The lifestyle Italy has is a consumer segmentation and Spains official language is Spanish,also called Castilian,and it is the first language of over 72% of the population. (eyeonSpain). Paolo Gentiloni is Italys prime minister and Spains prime minister is Mariano Rajoy. Italy in WW2 remained neutral (with the constant of Hitler), but it also declared war on France and Britain on June 10, 1940. Spain in WW2 was governed by a military dictatorship,but despite Francos own pro-Axis leanings and debt of gratitude to Mussolini and Hitler,the government was divided between Germanophiles and Anglophiles. When the war started,Juan Beigbeder Atienza,an Anglophile was the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Ital y and Spain share similar lifestyles, religious values and cultural heritages. In the 1920s and 1930s, a worldwide economic depression caused many people to lose faith in democracy and capitalism. Extreme ideals arose. Communists celebrated what they saw as the failure of capitalism. Benito was an italian WW1 veteran, he also led the fascists on a march on Rome,and King Emmanuel III, who had little faith in Italys parliamentary government. General Francisco is named head of the rebel Nationalist government in Spain. He also was a career soldier who rose through the ranks until the mid-1930s. When Italy gain popular support it seemed to be slipping into chaos. Spain had their food and cultural are also large factors affecting its popularity level. Rebuilding the economy in Italy. Mussolini jingoistic fascist party allied itself with the equally fascist regime of Adolf Hitler in Germany. Spain produces large crops of wheat, barley, vegetables, tomatoes, olives, sugar beets ,citrus fruit,grapes, and cork. It is Italys Benito Mussolini who founded the fascist ideology. Mussolini sought to recreate the Great Roman Empire by use of a totalitarian rule and feeding of the fear of communism. In 1939, Hitler and Mussolini signed the Pact of Steel forming an alliance which is known as the Axis powers during WWII. Benito Mussolinis self-confessed thirst for military glory battled his acute intelligence, psychological acumen, and political shrewdness for control over his military policies. (History. com). On July 18, 1936, the Spanish Civil War begins as a revolt by right-wing Spanish military officers in Spanish Morocco and spreads to mainland Spain. (History. com). In July,1936,Franco joined the military uprising that precipitated the Spanish Civil War. Francisco took command of the most powerful segment and led it back to Spain. Italys political geography has been conditioned by this rugged landscape. With few direct roads between them, and with passage from one point to another traditionall y difficult, Italys towns and cities have a history of self-sufficiency, independence, and mutual mistrust. Visitors today remark on how unlike the town is from the one next to it,one marked differences is the cuisine and dialect that is the difference between Italy and the town next to it. Franco, however, firmly maintained his position of power, even after the assassination of Carrero Blanco in 1973. Although close to the Axis powers and despite their pressure, Franco kept Spain a nonbelligerent in World War II. He dismissed (1942) his vigorously pro-Axis minister and principal collaborator, Ramà ³n Serrano Sà ºÃƒ ±er. After the war Franco maneuvered to establish favorable relations with the United States and its allies. He further reduced the power of the Falange and erected the facade of a liberalized regime. During the next 10 years Franco enhanced his military reputation in a variety of commands and became identified politically with the conservative nationalist position. In 1934 he was appointed chief of the general staff by the rightist government, and he suppressed the uprising of the miners in Asturias. When the Popular Front came to power (Feb. , 1936), he was made military governor of the Canary Islands, a significant demotion. The similarities lifestyles of Italy are a consumer segmentation section in the report breaks down the Italys consumers by specific age groups. Spains similarities-religion plays a very important role in their lives. Italy is a nation embracing all creeds and religious where the relationships between state and church is regulated. Spains religious values are Catholic Christianity is by far the largest religion in Spain. Depression in Italy is the crisis majority influenced political and economical aspects in Italy. Spain is sliding into a full-blown economic depression with unemployment approaching levels. Works Cited Francisco Franco. . Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition. US: Columbia UP, 2016. 1. History Reference Center. Web. 22 Mar. 2017. Hettinger, Laura. France, Italy, and Spain: Culturally Similar Nations, Yet Drastically by Laura Hettinger. DigitalCommonsUConn. University of Connecticut Library, 1 May 2008. Web. 22 Mar. 2017. Italy. Britannica School, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, 6 Dec. 2016. school. eb. com/levels/high/article/Italy/106448#27009. toc. Accessed 22 Mar. 2017. Living in Spain. Living in Spain Resources. Eye on Spain, 2017. Web. 22 Mar. 2017. Shen, Catherine. Guided History. Guided History The Aftermath of WWI The Rise of Fascism in Germany and Italy Comments. Boston University, 29 Apr. 2013. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.

The Coyote: Taking Illegal Immigrants Across the Border Essay -- Illeg

The Coyote: Taking Illegal Immigrants Across the Border I would like the critics of immigration to think of the coyotes while you read this paper. The coyote has the easiest job pertaining to illegal immigration. They are paid well and once they have done there job, they can go on there way with a fat wallet and no worries. The immigrants who pay these people their loot of cash that they most likely saved for who knows how long, are now the new victims of these coyotes. These illegal immigrants now must find shelter and jobs to start their new lives in the United States. I would like to show both stories of these two types of people on different paths. The coyote that transports the immigrants across the border and the immigrant who now has to start a new life from scratch. I chose this topic because I found it most interesting to me and the fact that I have known both illegal immigrants and coyotes. This topic relates to migration and culture because it is one of the biggest businesses along the bordering states of the United States. This is one of the biggest population increases into our country. Along with these new immigrants will be their culture, just because their new home is in United States does not mean they will live like Americans. Their culture will flourish through their homes, clothes and food. Immigrants will flow to the neighborhoods and areas of the city that host most of their people. Hispanics will likely find pro-Latino neighborhoods just like Asians will migrate to china towns or similar Asian neighborhoods. This is where their culture will be ultimately displayed. For Latino’s west and south Phoenix in Arizona have become havens for these new immigrants. The majority of the areas h... ... on these people and most of them would not arrive here safely without them. Who should the people of America have sour feelings towards, fellow humans trying to find a better life for their children or coyotes who are taking advantage of laws and innocent people? Maybe heavier laws and fines for coyotes would slow the immigration flow into the United States. The immigrants have nothing to lose if they get caught. They will not stop coming into the country as long as there is a job that no one else wants to occupy. Maybe we should look at these businesses that welcome the illegal work force. Immigrants will not stop flowing into the United States, the business is too big, and the money is too large. There is too much help available for the immigrants to get from there to here. Coyotes are available for the right price on both sides of the borders.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Mark Twain Essay -- essays research papers fc

Mark Twain was a pilot, a comic lecturer, a humorist, a short story writer, and a novelist, to name a few of his many accomplishments. On November 30, 1835, Samuel Langhorne Clemens, otherwise known as Mark Twain, became the first man of any importance ever to be born west of the Mississippi River. He has become an icon as the American writer. This is because his way of writing cannot be simulated by Europeans or anyone else, due to the fact that the western setting of America creates a whole new atmosphere and style of writing. Mark Twain is a classic American writer that acquired fame by using satire, writing with single-minded use of words, and by writing the way that most people think and speak. Twain writes with single-minded use of words, which is understood to be plain and simple, yet still intelligent, which enhances American literature. He writes what comes into his mind without fear. This is an example from Huckleberry Finn: ... "then comes a h-wack! bum! bum! bumble-umble-um-bum-bum-bum-bum - and the thunder would go rumbling and grumbling away" ... (Twain 45). This enriches American literature, because it is a clever way, and the only way to make the reader actually seem to hear and feel the sounds the writer is trying to convey. This is an example from Tom Sawyer : "Set her back on the stabboard! Ting-a-ling-ling! chow! ch-chow-wow! chow!". (Twain 15). This dialect can be explained as a familiar speech spoken around us all the time. It is the speech of the illiterate, the preliterate, the children, and the poor people (Bloom 46). This is actually a very intelligent style of writing, for it is difficult for an author to write in a different level of dialect than they actually speak. The reader can tell that this dialect isn’t Twain’s own, since he doesn’t write with it in every part of the book. Huckleberry Finn is supposed to be written from Huck’s point of view. The story is written as he would speak it, so mistakes inevitably appear. However, this single- minded dialect was worked, composed, and written by Twain. It was not done haphazardly (Bloom 46). American literature would not be the same if not for Twain’s ideas for ways of writing in a way that spectacularly conveys the feelings of touch, sound, and sight by the use of single-minded words. Another way that Mark Twain enriche... ...inded words captures the reader’s attention, making them feel almost as if they are in the book themselves. His masterful use of the vernacular portrays the speech of early rural America. Twain’s use of the vernacular lets the reader read more smoothly since they do not have to pay attention to the structural significance of the word. Since Mark Twain was the first truly great western author to define American writing, he has opened the way for many future authors to come. Works Cited Bloom, Harold. Interpretations of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. NewYork: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Clemens, Samuel L. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. NewYork: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1953. Clemens, Samuel L. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. NewYork: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1958. Http://galenet.gale.com/a/acp/netacgi/nph...thor-search.html/&r=1&f=l3;1; + "1647-1".ID. Kesterson, David B. ed. Critics on Mark Twain. Florida: University of Miami Press, 1973. Rasmussen, Kent R. Mark Twain A to Z. NewYork: Facts on File, Inc., 1995. Stapleton, Michael, comp. The Cambridge Guide to English Literature. NewYork: Cambridge University Press, 1983.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Knowledge Management Mastercard Essay

The company MasterCard is a technology company and payments industry leader. For over four decades, the company has been a driving force at the heart of commerce, making the global economy safer, more efficient, more inclusive and more transparent for all. Consumers, merchants, business partners and governments in markets around the world have reaped the benefits of our innovative products and solutions which, simply put, are designed to make life easier. The mission of MasterCard consists in imagining a world beyond cash and their mission is very simple: Every day, everywhere, Master Card uses their technology and expertise to make payments safe, simple and smart. In the last four decades, people and companies worldwide have changed their way of payment for goods and services. The rise of the electronic payments has fueled economic growth while delivering value to consumers, merchants and governments. From the earliest days of credit cards to the contactless and wireless payment options of today, MasterCard Worldwide has led the industry, driving this evolution. MasterCard works in a three channel method. Those 3 channels are: Franchisor, Processor and Consultant. In the Franchisor channel, products such as Maestro ®, Cirrus ® and MasterCard ® PayPassâ„ ¢ appear. With those products, the company affects more than 32 million establishments. The processor area makes operation with other companies and partners around the world in a simple and smart way. The big key point for these attribute is based on the fast network, one of the biggest VPNs of the world, offering not just agility, but also integration and trust. Least, the Consultant channel provides insights and solutions that promote a better and more competitive market. The research Inside the organization, the Product department and the Commercial department are directly linked. The first one is related to the care of the different products in many different categories that are offered by the organization, while the commercial area is primarily responsible for the customer relationship and supply of structured products to the product area. The commercial departments, responsible for all customer relationships, are divided to provide a better service by segmenting customers according to their importance to the business. For example, for Citibank, one of the most important banks for MasterCard, there are more than two, three people responsible for one client, while for minor banks, there is sometimes only one person responsible. This allows the commercial area to meet its customers by giving attention proportional to the size of each account, seeking solutions that fit in each case, so that one can be created, the best care possible. The product department is targeted through the products it offers, that way, the areas are divided by types of cards (traditional types such as debit and credit, corporate, pre-paid and others). Each group works to meet the needs of the commercial area, seeking the best solutions according to the demands. So we have two areas that work together, but have different focuses, which can cause disagreements about the best way to deliver a product to a given customer. That way, we can find a good topic to do our research based on this issue. Question Due to the analyses made on the previous topic, we can come up with the question for the paper. Why knowledge is not used by all parts? What can we do to improve this topic? Products and Commercial Departments Processes As said before, the process that the products department works is different from the commercial’s one. The products process is characterized by the division of groups and teams specialized in a specific product. That way, we can confirm that a wide knowledge is limited inside this department, but on the other hand, those groups have a high knowledge about a specific product. Differently, the commercial process is divided not by products, but by clients, issuers. So, those groups have a good flexibility when it comes to relation with the customers and so can have a wider knowledge. But, once this group works only with one client, it is possible that this client works with a small number of products, that way, the commercial group would not acquire knowledge in those other products. Tasks Within the tasks that the commercial department is responsible for we can highlight the following main topics: * Direct relationship with the issuers (Banks) * Project with issuers to enhance the number of MasterCard cards inside * Promotions * Campaigns * Raffles * Work together with different departments For the products area, we can highlight the following tasks: * Come up with new products ideas * Develop the product for the clients * Track the performance of the products KM Theory To illustrate the knowledge flow within the two departments, we are going to use a KM model that sustains and explains the formulation of a new departmentalization to enhance the performance of the company Figure 1: Observing, the General Knowledge Model (figure 1), we can make a comparison of that theory with the case that we are discussing. The Knowledge Creation associates entry of new knowledge into the system, and includes knowledge development, discovery and capture. For the MasterCard case, the Creation would be for both departments the new ideas of new products and also new ideas for product that already exist. That way, it would have do disparity of how those two departments work. Knowledge Retention includes all activities that preserve knowledge and allow it to remain in the system once introduced. Once the new idea is into the system, both parts have to work together to retain this concept into the system, and the only way for this to happen is if that both of the parts have the same knowledge of the concept (product) Knowledge Transfer refers to activities associated with the flow of knowledge from one party to another. This includes communication, translation, conversion, filtering and rendering. That part would be the most important of the process for the two departments. Here, the knowledge of one part would be transfered to the other, that way, the knowledge of the product would be the same for both parts. Last, but not least, Knowledge Utilization includes the activities and events connected with the application of knowledge to business processes. Data Using the Knowledge Acquisition tool, we can come up with important information and data. To start the KA analysis, is important to find out about the human reasoning process and the human cognitive system with its system constraints. After that step, is important to make a division in task characteristics and cognitive characteristics. That way, we can say that Knowledge Acquisition is about different methods to acquire and elicit knowledge; to make knowledge explicit; to stimulate knowledge transfer; to order, systematize and structure knowledge. That way, we can observe the different types of sources for knowledge acquisition. For the case in study, we can say that the way that knowledge is transmitted and acquire trough communication face-to-face between the product and the commercial department. Moreover, the knowledge about the products is also gain trough handbooks and organizational training. With those information, we can collect a data really important, the fact that knowledge is elicit trough structured (organizational training and presentations) and non-structured (communication face-to-face between commercial department and product department) ways. It is very interesting, that with this tool, we can observe that the knowledge both parts have about the same products is really different sometimes. As already expected, the commercial department has knowledge about sales attributes. On the other hand, the product department has more knowledge about the specific points and technological aspects of the product. To end this disparity of knowledge, a good choice would be to change the working ways in those areas, in other words, it would need a reformulation on the organization structure of MasterCard. Results * With the reformulation that was discussed before, the products would be created jointly, aiming each client and their own segmentation, making products no longer offered by the area of general commercial, but a specific form that would be created, allowing you to create a higher perceived value for the customers, since assembling products would create a synergy that would combine expertise in creating products possessed by product area with full knowledge of the client as the commercial area has. For this, the specialists of the products would have a greater knowledge of each type of product offered, reducing the segmentation of the area in premium products, and upscale retail and other products. So each specialist would be responsible for a niche within each client, allowing maintaining focus on the products he considers the most, rather than generalizing all segments within a specialist. This approach As described above, this approach is a way to get the specialists creating products together with managers of commercial accounts, specific products for customers, improving relationships and creating value for these. Moreover, we can say that with this reformulation, knowledge would be more used in the company and that way, the company would be more successful.