Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Protection Essay

Cybersecurity entails safeguarding of computer networks and the information that it carries from unauthorized access and malicious disruption or damage. This is because the use of networks has become common in businesses and government activities, and any tampering can cause serious consequences for the affected bodies. A question is what degree do the security bridge has to critical infrastructure. Analyses of unconventional and asymmetric attacks assume that potential opponents would use cyber weapons. Such opponents could employ the use of conventional nation state and â€Å"non-state actors† opponents. Initially, cyber weapons were considered better because of their asymmetric attacks because of the low cost, which results in damaging most vulnerable parts that are found in most of the computer networks – may be disastrous as kinetic or blast weapon. â€Å"Digital Pearl Harbor† a term that appeared in mid-1990s, when internet was commercialized and frequently used came to birth. The scenario in this picture is that the world would plunge into disaster due to the introduction of hackers. Some of the results that were predicted to be associated with the Digital Pearl Harbor include open floodgates, blackness, poison water supply and planes crashing. However, there is no cyber attack that has produced such disastrous results. Such talk arose due to lack of technological understanding, how software’s operate, and the operation of other complex system. To determine the extent of risk that is posed by computer networks and its vulnerabilities, it requires an estimation of probability that will damage critical infrastructure in certain ways that will affect the national interest. Hence, it means that there should be sequential or simultaneous events that must occur for a digital attack in the cyberspace to have physical effect. Computer networks are usually the vulnerable part, and not the critical infrastructure that these networks accommodate or support. Infrastructures are strong and resilient and are capable of absorbing damages that are associated to terrorism, natural disasters and climates. This means that the issue of cybersecurity in the field of terrorism is usually overestimated. By saying so, it does not mean that planning of critical infrastructure protection should not be in place. In planning for the measures that should be include in planning in the CIP, first as the computer networks increase, their vulnerabilities also increases. Secondly, another method that can be employed by the attackers is attacking the storage parts of the networks instead of the networks itself. The networks are penetrated, collect-required information and monitor changes without creating any suspicion and when they are suspected, the databases and networks that support important activities are disrupted. Political Context for Cyber security and CIP In the end of 1990s, cybersecurity policies were dominant and there were frequent discussions on the issue of critical infrastructure protection. Nevertheless, currently there is a minimal understanding by the Federal that the initial issues that were associated with the use of internet and network connectivity were overemphasized. This overemphasis was due to several factors that range from the introduction of Internet to the Y2K (Philemon 2005, pp. 70). Y2K was associated for previous programming errors which IT experts believed that world would plunge into chaos at the mid night of the New Year, thus brought most attention to the world of cyber security. American government as been associated with risk-averse policies since the 1970s. This is because there is a loss in terms of confidence of governing elites, decrease in public trust and a punitive and partisan political environment. Hence introduces plans, policies, and various strategies for critical infrastructure protection. This political change brings in better understanding of cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection. Hence, planning for critical infrastructure protection requires an assessment of risks that are capable of damaging attack. An individual who is risk aversive may estimate the probability of damage attack to be higher when compared to a neutral individual (Davis 2003, pp. 33). Assessing Risks In determination of the significance of cybersecurity for critical infrastructure protection, it must begin with estimating the risk. This method so far has proved difficult to incorporate. The better method is neutrally analyzing previous attacks and gain better ways of knowing it causes and consequences that were associated. This will enable the estimation of likelihood that a potential attacker will concentrate on a particular target. In addition, it is able to predict the type of weapons that will be used. This involves understanding the motive of the attacker, strategic role, capabilities, preferences, goals and experience. This will weigh the capabilities and goals of the attacker against potential infrastructure vulnerabilities (Davis 2003, pp. 33 – 34). The definition of risk is how much of threats that a society or government could withstand and relies on the importance of the security. Homeland Security policy states that it is difficult to eliminate all risks, but requires priorities that will reduce the amount of risks that are associated with cybersecurity. Risks that are associated to cybersecurity can be grouped into three parts: risks that can cause injuries or death, affects the economy or reduce the capability of military. So far, there are no issues or threats that are associated with the different groups (Keith 2005, pp. 66). Critical Infrastructures and Computer Networks United States has a long list that identifies critical sectors and includes agriculture, health systems, banking and fiance, IT and telecommunication, energy, industries, and transportation. To the Federal government the issue of cybersecurity is not serious to them. An infrastructure is said to be critical since it is able to meet some standards of national interest. To meet these different standards, there is usually an implicit assumption that disruption of the infrastructure would reduce flow of services and goods creating hardship resulting to impeding of government economic operations. To understand the relation between cybersecurity contributions to the critical infrastructure protection, two additional concepts of location and time can be introduced (Keith 2005, pp. 66). Location and time helps in understanding that cybersecurity is not a concern to critical infrastructure. Those issues that takes time to show problems, usually gives time for the affected organization to identify solutions and organize and in marshaling resources to respond to the issue, hence, does not present a crisis. The capability of industries to respond to the problems through innovation and creating alternative technologies or solutions means that those infrastructures that had disruption and did not posses immediate danger, results in minimal effect to the economic, national security and life in general. National infrastructures are geographical distributed which means that they are not critical in nature. This means that larger infrastructure provides critical supports to key governmental functions and economic, and not the entire industries or networks. This means that there are few networks that are national in nature and at the same time are usually mutually dependent. Networks that are associated with telecommunications, finance and electrical power are most critical because of its interconnectedness, economic health and national scope. An example is the Fed wire that supports banking, if it is attached it may cripple the banking sector form sometime, but the Federal Reserve have developed means to harden the Fed Wire. Internet as a Critical Infrastructure With the help of cyber weapons, the Internet can to some point be attacked. However, the Internet is a shared network that if attacked will affected both the target and the attacker. An attacker can calculate that the US economy may be most affected and the attacker may use back ups of some sort, giving it a temporary advantage. Internet is robust and is able to operate even if the Soviet Union and United States exchange nuclear weapons. Its architecture and design enables it to survive and withstand all these problems. With packet switching, the Internet can redirect the messages and at the end of the day arrives or are directed to the required port. The capacities of the internet to operate is due to the addressing system which is multilayered, decentralized and has the possibility of operating even if it means it will take days to update the routing table. The core protocols that are employed by the internet are vulnerable to attack. An example is the Border Gateway Protocol –BGP that is responsible for routing traffic, has been tested and it is vulnerable to attacks but the attacker has to face the redundancy, which is associated with thousand of subsidiary networks in the Internet (Davis 2003 pp. 33 – 34). So far, there is only one case that has between witnessed, in 2002 there was an attack to the Distributed Denial of Service of eight out of the 13 important root servers, which govern the addresses of the Internet. The attack did not cause a lot disruption but it is believed that if it could have taken a longer time it would have degenerated the Internet. Since the 2002 incident the DNS system has been strengthened through dispersing the root servers to different places, using new software’s and employing routing techniques. Hence, the new redundancy that has been employed has drastically reduced the issue of shutting down the DNS. In addition, the complexity that is associated with estimating the actual cost makes planning for critical infrastructure protection difficult. Most estimates that are associated with cybersecurity are exaggerated or overestimated. To obtain the amount of damages that are caused by cybersecurity, a sample is estimated and then it is extrapolated to the affected population. Analysis of the impacts and effects of cybersecurity estimates should be analyzed by statistical analyses and economic losses should not be received in face value. Importance of the cybersecurity in protecting critical infrastructures other than electrical power, telecommunications or finance, rests on the believe that the critical infrastructures are dependent on the computer networks for them to be able to operate. In such perspective the computer network specifically are vulnerable but the infrastructure that they support are not vulnerable (Philemon 2005, pp. 70 – 75). An example of a distractive cyber attack was the Slammer worm. It effects affected automated teller machines (ATM) across the northwest making 13000 to be out of service. Many analysts belief that the Slammer was a damaging cyber attack, but in national perspective, it had small impact since other parts of the country operated normally. Furthermore, the Slammer Worm only affected one bank and its ATM services. In this case, the customers of the bank suffered some inconveniences; the bank lost revenue and spoilt their reputation giving an advantage to the cybersecurity conscious competitors. Potential opponents in terms of nation-states may employ the use of cyberspace. When they gathering intelligence information will prompt them to attack and penetrate the U. S. computer networks. When a conflict occurs between different states, information, skills and access to crucial infrastructure will be used to disrupt important information system. Risks that are associated with espionage and cyber crime are real for firms, agencies and individuals. References Davis, J. (2003). Information Technology Security Threats, New York: Barron’s Educational Series, pp. 30 – 34 Keith, J. (2005), Plans and Developments in Computer Networking, New Haven: Yale University Press, pp. 66 Macklin, M. (2007), Computer networking Implementation and Security, Jakarta: Cambridge University Press, pp. 45 – 49 Peter, K. (2001). Cyber Security and CIP, Australia: Fontana Books, pp. 120 – 121 Philemon, M. (2005), Development of Computer Systems and Terrorism Threats, Stanford: Stanford University Press, pp. 70 – 75 Rachael, L. (2003), Critical Infrastructure Protection, New York: New York Publishers, pp. 13 16 Richard, Z. (2005), Management and Information Technology, London: Oxford University Press, pp. 60 – 61

Over Abundance and Waste

Over Abundance Imagine saving everything; from pieces of string, tin foil, and old clothing. Fifty years ago not much was being thrown away. In addition, almost everything had a considerably longer life span. According to Joshua Becker he states from his blog â€Å"from the moment we are born, we are told to pursue more†. Today, our lives are inundated with advertisements on television, radio, newspaper, magazine, billboard, and websites  that encourage us that more is better. As a result, we toil for long hours so that we can buy the biggest homes and fanciest cars, wear the trendiest fashions, and use the coolest technologies.What led us to this place of having and wanting so much stuff; stuff that we literally do not know what to do with or where to put when we are done with it? What we buy, what we use, what we keep and throw away make up the fabric of our daily lives. A sea of stuff flows in and out with such speed we hardly realize the global impact attached to each an d every item we buy. â€Å"The process of becoming obsolete; falling into disuse or becoming out of date is also called obsolescence. (Rogers) Compared to fifty years ago our society is better known as a throwaway society; in essence we are never satisfied with what we have and always want more. Craving the latest trends and newest gadgets coming out every season, many people tend to just toss out the old items and purchase new. Common examples of this reckless and selfish behavior include: electronic devices (cell phones, I Pods and computers), clothing (newest fashion trends) and small appliances. In our collective society many people want more of what is new rather than repairing the item.The current generation of people (Generation Y) is described by the www. freedictionary. com as â€Å"members of the generation of people born since the early 1980s that are seen as being discerning consumers with a high disposable income has more time and money than any other. † A combi nation of new technology and the internet is partially responsible for this transformation. With the explosion of electronic access (free WiFi and smart phone technology) consumers today are exposed to persistent and persuasive advertisements.Instead of making an expensive product that will last a long time, businesses produce more affordable, disposable items. In addition, technological advances cause many people to discard products well before there useful lifespan has been achieved. For example; some electronic items such as portable DVD player ($50) have become so inexpensive that it is cheaper to replace them. Our society has been conditioned that time is money which busy people translate into paying for convenience over saving money.Conversely, complicated computerized equipment may be difficult or time consuming to repair and consumers may be less inclined to wait for a repair. Multimedia has programmed our generation to become a materialistic type society that focuses on the buildup of many new things over things that still work. â€Å"With only 5% of the global population the U. S. consumes 30% of the planets’ resources and creates approximately 30% of its waste. †(Rogers) Growth in America is being driven by a new sense of convenience and disposability.Paper plates, frozen foods, TV dinners, and aerosol cans are the way of the future, bringing a new convenience and ease to everyone's life style. This drive thru mentality has filtered through our society and fueled our desire for more while reducing our level of patience and tolerance. â€Å"For example; we can live our lives without leaving our homes or automobiles using drive thru access for fast food, online education, pharmacies, dry cleaners and even banks. † (Rogers, 2) Today â€Å"to go† food comes in cheap, disposable single use packaging.Pre-packaged frozen and canned foods are increasingly popular, generating additional waste. Milk used to come in glass bottles th at were recycled each morning when fresh milk was delivered. â€Å"Now, most beverages come in plastic bottles, of which less than a third is recycled. † (Rogers, 5)  These quick and easy products have been developed to suit our desire or instant gratification and convenience. Here are some simple and cost effective solutions that our society can implement to reduce our carbon footprint. Bring your own reusable bags when you go shopping.Buy things that can be reused over and over, like rechargeable batteries. Clean counters with a cloth towel instead of disposable paper towels. Create your own cleaning solutions using baking soda and bleach which are less harmful to our environment and cost effective. Ask whether your delivery person will recycle the plastic bags and rubber bands that newspapers come in. These are just a few simple ways to help make the earth a better place for our future. â€Å"More advanced technology being put on the market every six months our society has become a throwaway society.With technological advances and the desire to have the latest and greatest products who would want to pay almost the same price for something to be repaired when you can get it brand new? † (Rogers 2) Americans as a whole have become wasteful with material and place more importance on time and convenience. For our world to continue with plentiful resources we need to start making changes and change the way we live and use our precious natural resources more efficiently to have a better future.

Helping Relationships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Helping Relationships - Essay Example Ethics are also different from values as values refer to what is good and desirable, while ethics are more concerned with how to act. In the Helping Relationship, Brammer (2003, p. 153) identifies a number of values that contribute to ethical conduct, (1) Respect for authority, (2) an obligation not to harm others intentionally, (3) the attempt to prevent harm from coming to others, (4) justice, defined as equal distribution of burdens and benefits (but not defined as revenge), (5) fidelity or trustworthy relationships, and (6) truthfulness. While these values are important foundational elements in develop professional ethics, for the helping professional ethical standards should be even more well-defined, so as to be adhered. This essay explores a number of essential ethical standards and demonstrates why they must be adhered by to by helping professionals. While when most people consider ethics they immediately think about reprehensible behavior, it’s important to realize that ethical considerations extend to the way that the helper approaches their job. One is familiar with the phrase ‘worth ethic’ and this most definitely applies to the professional helper. When contemplating the issue of helper self-care and researching Brammer’s comments on the subject, I have identified a number of important considerations that should be adhered to as a helping professional. In situations such as nursing or teaching, perhaps the issue of physical exhaustion is more relevant than the typical counseling professional. Particularly among the more ambitious helping professionals is the issue of physical exhaustion a highly pertinent ethical standard. In many helping situations the chance that through an over-burdening workload the helper is not functioning at complete capacity is possible. In instances where the position req uires high levels of alertness it’s necessary for the helper to alert superiors of their mental state, and to consciously

Cyber Threat in a Finance Organisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Cyber Threat in a Finance Organisation - Essay Example Identifying the loopholes in the existing regulatory framework for cyber crime will be the essence of the second part of this report. In the final part, the paper will try to recommend a viable solution which can at least decrease the magnitude of cyber threat in terms of identity fraud for financial organizations. Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Introduction 4 1.1Aim and methodology 5 1.2 The report 6 Chapter 2: Identity Fraud in Cyber Space 6 Chapter 3: Are there enough safeguards? 8 Chapter 4: Strategic Interventions 10 Chapter 5: Conclusion 13 Reference 15 Figure Number Name Page Number Figure 1 Decision Check Box 10 Introduction Since the birth of World Wide Web (WWW) in the hand of Sir Timothy John "Tim" Berners-Lee, internet usage has traveled a long distance in the horizon of time. According to the report published by CNN News Story (2005), global cyberspace users have increased by more than 1 billion in last one decade. Although the internet has started its journey as the magic technology which provides information later on it has established its ubiquitous presence in all our daily life needs, for example, one can even conduct financial or banking transactions by taking help of internet without going to the bank. It will be erratic to believe that such development of internet age has only offered benefits for mankind and not given the means to wrongdoers to commit crime through an online platform. Rather the opposite scenario is true, crime through internet or cybercrime has increased manifold in last few years due to human civilizations overexposure to the internet. Fletcher (2007) has reported that in many countries such as Brazil, Russia, and UK etc internet financial fraud has outpaced the money lost through bank robbery. The surprising fact is that public awareness about the threat of cybercrime, internet hacking is pretty low despite being the fact that activities of hackers are creating a negative impact on the financial system of a count ry in a regular interval (Fletcher, 2007). Fletcher (2007) has also reported that cyber criminals or malicious hackers not only hack personal information of users but also rob the money from the account of users by using the hacked information. Hence, the situation cannot be taken in light-hearted manner rather stringent regulatory reform is required in order to restore the safety of internet usage. Now, readers of this essay might question that why government and cybercrime agency is not taking steps to regulate the cyberspace? Well, it is not so easy. For example, Sofaer and Goodman (2001) have reported that internet is a large hemisphere of information which has multiple information channels and transaction points hence creating standard investigative instruments for all these issues is almost impossible. The important fact is that the internet is a free source hence no can control it in 100% accurate manner; a company can create a firewall to prevent hackers to access user infor mation but there is no guaranty that the firewall will give 100% safety. Grabosky et al (2001) have argued that magnitude of cybercrime which threatens the internet security is far greater than the traditional criminal activities such as robbery, misrepresentation or theft berceuse cybercrime can be carried out in geographically boundaryless manner.  

Ensure a safe workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

Ensure a safe workplace - Essay Example It also gives procedures for risk management at workplace and other important considerations regarding workplace health and safety. Table of Contents Content Page Title Page 1 Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 List of Tables 4 Introduction 5 Assignment 1 5 Report on Proposed WHS Management System 5 Employer’s Responsibilities 6 Portfolio of Evidence 9 Amended WHS Policy to Apply Nationally 9 Political Policy Considerations 10 Policy Considerations on Implementation 11 Assignment 2 13 WHS Risk Management Policy 14 Risk Management Procedure 15 WHS Action Plans 18 Role Play Dialogue 23 Assignment 3 24 Recommendations for Safest Workplace Conditions and Compliance 25 References 31 List of Tables Table Page Table of Resources 11 Risk Management Procedure Table 15 Role Play 21 Description of Implementation plan for WHS Recommendations 27 Typical training/safety induction Schedule 29 Safe Workplace Introduction Workplace health and safety has in the present times become one of the great concerns at workplaces. This has seen legislations and policies being formulated to help ensure safety and sound health are maintained in every workplace or work environment. This paper gives details on issues relating to Workplace Health and Safety (WHS) with regards to a case of the Australian Hardware. The paper gives reviews on different scenarios relating to the hardware while also identifying areas which need implementations in ensuring there are enhanced standards of health and safety at workplaces. Assignment 1 Report on Proposed WHS Management System The proposed Workplace Health and Safety Management System (WHSMS) will look into many issues which are of concern as far as safety and sound health are in the working environment. This is processed so as to ensure that there are minimized rates of risk due to injuries or even cases of illness. These are supposed to be put in place by the employers at any given workplace environment and with particular reference to organizatio nal settings. The WHSMS was therefore accomplished by way of identifying, evaluating, assessing, monitoring and putting control measures of risks and hazards to workers with respect to all operations at workplaces. The complexity and scope of this WHSMS will have variations depending on the kind of workplace as well as the nature of operations and activities being carried out. This is because different work practices command different health and safety needs relative to what they are involved in in terms of operations, equipment, nature of work and the environment within which it is carried out in. A number of concerns as presented below have to be considered in WHSMS through employers. Employer’s Responsibilities One of the key consideration which the WHSMS focused on was responsibilities of the employer ate the workplace, for this case a hardware scenario in Australia. As an employer one is required and obliged by law to ensure that he protects his workers’ health, s afety and welfare (INCOSE, 2010, p. 216). The same should be ensured to other people who gain access to the workplace who can be adversely affected following work operations and activities carried out at the workplace therein. These considerations have to be under and guided by Work Health and Safety Act as stipulated by legislation in place. According to PMI (2008), as an employer, one is responsible for providing adequate

The Coca Cola Company Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Coca Cola Company - Research Paper Example We will be looking at several types of financial ratios available in assessing the financial position of The Coca-Cola Company: Liquidity Ratios, Asset Management Ratios, Profitability Ratios and Gearing Ratios. The quantitative findings in this segment can be found in the Appendix section of this report. The results show that The Coca-Cola Company has a good Liquidity Ratio. The company's Current Ratio is 1.12 (0.95 in Q1 2008) and its Quick Ratio is 0.94 (0.80 in Q1 2008). This means that The Coca-Cola Company is still able to generate enough cash to settle its short-term liabilities. There has been a slight improvement in its Liquidity Ratio compared with the previous quarter. As a guide, a current ratio of 2 is ideal. However, in the company's case, 46% of its Current Assets (42% in Q1 2008) are made up of cash and cash equivalents. At a glance, the company's assets are being managed efficiently. Its Inventory Turnover is 1.13 (1.07 in Q1 2008), which shows that company is trading better. Its inventories declined by 6% in the first quarter of 2009 whereas its sales increased by 3% in the same quarter of 2008. Nevertheless, the company should take note that over increasing its inventories may adversely affect its business performance. This is because costs associated with holding inventories for too long can be very expensive. As such, managing its inventories well is recommended. There is a slight improvement in the Average Collection Days of 39 (43 Days in Q1 2008). Although the company is able to meet its short-term liabilities; it should still make an effort to improve the collection of its debts. The credit term given to its customers is not stated; however, as a guideline, 30 days is recommended. In this case, the company's customers are enjoying slightly more than the normal credit terms and this should be monitored. The profitability of The Coca-Cola Company is sound. Its Gross Profit Margin of 69% (64% in Q1 2008) is quite high. This is a 4% drop compared to the first quarter of 2008, due to the lower sales in the first quarter of 2009. Although, its sales performance shows a slight improvement from the previous quarter, the comparative results from the first quarter of last year did not fair as well. The company should analyze further the cause of this decline - whether the efficiency of its production dropped resulting in lower finished goods or simply experiencing slower sales due to consumer choice. The Return on Assets and Return on Equity ratios show similar results. At 3.2% and 6.4% respectively (3.2% and 6.5% respectively in Q1 2008), these can still be improved on. The Gearing Ratio is quite low at 24% (14% in Q1 2008). Although it has nearly doubled, the results should not cause an alarm. The estimated cost of capital of the company is 12.75%. This measures the opportunity cost of the investors that their investment is creating value. It measures what it costs to raise capital. It is advisable to have a balance between debt and equity sources. This balance should be the mix that gives the lowest possible cost of capital consistent to the attributes of the company. 3 COMMENTARIES Considering the sluggish economic situation across the world, The Coca-Cola Com

Reshaping Toledo The physical and symbolic transformation of the Essay

Reshaping Toledo The physical and symbolic transformation of the medieval city after the Christian conquest of 1085 - Essay Example This paper not only concentrates on the physical patterns that underwent changes during the transitional period, but also focuses on the several changes which cast their strong influences in human psyche of this place. It talks about the history of the city itself, the quintessential aspects of its transformation through the centuries, the effect of repopulation of the al-Andalusia region during the long years of the Reconquista and the people representing a large melting pot of various cultures and creeds, namely Christians, the Muslims and the Jewish minorities, who inhabited the city. The city being one of the most happening centers of physical, religious and cultural transformation has been the interest of a large number of archaeologists and historians, who tried to bring out the subtle tones of color representing the gradual change in the nature of the city, the outlook of the people and their social standing with respect to each other. This is a fact that these changes effected over a long period of time throughout the reign of Alfonso VI and continuing aftermath slowly imparted the final tones of color to the city whose traces can be linked even today. If we retrospect the entire history of medieval Spain and not just the city of Toledo, which was an integral part of the al-Andalus governed by the Islamic supremacy and the Berber regimes of Almohads and Almoravids, we would procure a tale of both oppression and tolerance throughout the entire period of change from the Islamic supremacy to Christian power. The chronicles that record this transformation also s peaks of the slow change in the lives of the people, the Christians and the Muslims along with the minorities, mostly the Jews, because reshaping of the city was also brought about by the changes in the religious and social scenario. It led to the mingling of different ritualistic practices among the Spanish population. This paper will focus on the Spanish mediaeval history when all these transformations took place giving birth to a multicultural milieu of Toledo. Reshaping Toledo is the main subject of this paper. Throughout the discussion, we shall try to examine in what sense the city was reshaped. There are different schools of thought who have said different things on whether the Muslim era in Toledo had its serious effect. This paper will also throw some light on whether the Christian era after Reconquest in the city was able to bring valuable changes to the city scenario. Regaining the power over Spanish states was a great achievement for the Christians, but our discussion wi ll try to evaluate this reign's actual influences on the physical, religious and symbolic aspects of Toledo. It might be noted that Medieval Spain went through several torments as the Christians showed up a constant fight to clinch power from the hand of Muslims. The Spanish battlefield remained a happening place throughout the medieval era and the crusade started at the point when the Muslims had their control almost all through the Western Europe. European continent was ruled by the Muslims from the beginning of the 8th century and they continued spreading until hindered by the exploits of Charles the Hammer. Defeat of the Muslim power in the Pyrenees resulted in their settlement in the

History of Protests in Government Contracting Research Paper

History of Protests in Government Contracting - Research Paper Example It is also applied as a method of acquiring services as well as supplies from non-federal sources. There are essentially six different phases which for implementing the government contracting processes such as procurement planning, solicitation planning, solicitation, source selection, contract administration and contract closure (Rendon 9-14). It is worth mentioning in this regard that the ultimate mission of government contracting is to develop an environment for small as well as disadvantaged businesses to participate in contract awards of the federal government as well as in major subcontract awards. Furthermore, government contacting assists small businesses in the procurement processes to obtain greater competencies in the federal world (SBA. GOV, â€Å"Office of Government Contracting†). Government contracting is also considered to be an important method of assessing opportunities for businesses. It is in this context that government contracting is often utilized for ac quiring important information with the objective of less riskier performance of businesses along with competitiveness in the global market (American Express Company, â€Å"An Introduction to Government Contracting†). ... the discussion will also emphasize on the evaluation of contract protests which include the Administrative Procedure Act, 1946 and the Completion in Contracting Act (CICA), 1984. 1.0. Discuss the three ways an offeror can protest (Agency, GAO, COFC) An offeror who is not satisfied with the government contracting method can adapt three ways or procedures for protesting against the method. One of the options to protest against the government contracting method is by filing a bid protest. The bid protest can be lodged with the agency, where an agency-level bid protest is required to be resolved by a Contracting Officer (CO). The bid protest can also be filed with the Government Accountability Officer (GAO), or with the US Court of Federal Claims (COFC). However, according to the enacted rules and policies, an offeror filing a protest at the agency level is required to lodge a bid protest before the GAO or COFC. Moreover, if the offeror is required to file a protest bid with the GAO, he/ she needs to file another bid protest to the COFC as well (Schaengold, Guiffre, and Gill, â€Å"Choice of Forum for Federal Government Contract Bid Protests†). Agency Level An offeror who is disappointed with government contracting can file a bid protest with the agency. In this procedure, protests which are made at the agency level are sorted out by the CO or by any higher authority at the primary level. Many a times, protests at the agency level can also be decided by high ranking officials of an agency or by any other official who is not involved with the procurement process (Schaengold, Guiffre, and Gill, â€Å"Choice of Forum for Federal Government Contract Bid Protests†). It is worth mentioning in this context that protests which are filed with the agency are required to be precise and

Infancy and Early Childhood Paper Essay Example for Free

Infancy and Early Childhood Paper Essay I believe Piagets theory of cognitive development best explains the cognitive development both in infancy and early childhood. His theory is explained by a theory of cognitive organization called schemes. Schemes are the actions or mental representations that organize knowledge (Santrock, 2008, p. 94). According to his theory, schemes change with age; in other words, they are action-based (motor patterns) at first and then gradually change to a mental (thinking) level. There are several key terms that explain Piagets process of developmental change; those include adaptation, assimilation, accommodation, organization, and equilibration. Sensorimotor stage is the first of the Piagets theory of cognitive development. It lasts from birth to the about 2 years of age, where awareness of the world is limited to what can be known through sensory awareness and motor acts. Furthermore, Piaget divided the sensorimotor stage into six sub-stages: 1) simple reflexes; (2) first habits and primary circular reactions; (3) secondary circular reactions; (4) coordination of secondary circular reactions; (5) tertiary circular reactions, novelty, and curiosity; and (6) internalization of schemes (Santrock, 2008, p. 96). †¢Reflexive Schemes: this is present in newborns. Initially, the infants actions are coordinated through reflexive behaviors, such as rooting and sucking. But gradually the infant produces behaviors that resemble reflexes in the absence of the usual stimulus for the reflex (Santrock, 2008). †¢Primary circular reactions: it develops between 1 and 4 months of age. In this stage, infants begin to adapt their reflexes to their environment; simple motor habits are centered around own body (Caulfield, 2001)†¢Secondary circular reactions: it develops between 4 and 8 months of age. The focus of infants exploration shits to external events. Infants develop awareness that objects continue to exist even when not in sight at about 8 months of age (Caulfield, 2001)†¢Coordination of secondary circular reactions: develops between 8 and 12 months of age. Infants begin to demonstrate intentional behavior and anticipate events; they coordinate separate actions to achieve desired goals (Caulfield, 2001). †¢Tertiary circular reactions: develops between 12 and 18 months of age. Infants reach an advanced level of proficiency; they begin to explore properties of objects through novel actions (Caulfield, 2001). †¢Internalization of schemes: develops between 18 and 24 months of age. Their ability to represent the external world internally begins to develop, also called as symbolic representation. Also, deferred imitation, the ability to retain and copy a representation of an observed behavior, begins to develop (Caulfield, 2001). I also believe Piagets theory best explains the cognitive development in early childhood as well. His Preoperational period, the second stage of Piagets theory of cognitive development lasts from approximately 2 to 7 years of age. In this age, children begin to represent the world with words, images, and drawings. Not only that, they begin to form stable concepts and embark on reasoning (Santrock, 2008, p. 145). Also, egocentricism (inability to distinguish between ones own perspective and someone elses perspective) and magical beliefs also begin to play a role in childs cognitive development. There are different sub-stages of the preoperational stage. Symbolic function sub-stage is the first sub-stage of the pre-operational thought. In this stage, the child has the capability to mentally represent an object that is not physically present. This stage occurs between the ages of 2 and 4 years of age. The Intuitive Thought Sub-stage, the second sub-stage of preoperational thought that generally occurs between 4 and 7 years of age. In this stage, children are tempted to ask many questions. In other words, one of the most prominent words for the children around this age is why. There are many similarities and differences between the Piagets theory of cognitive development that explains infancy and early childhood. Similarities †¢Both the selected theories that I believe best describes cognitive development in infancy and early childhood come from Piaget. †¢Both theories have stages (Sensorimotor and preoperational) and are further divided into sub-stages. †¢Both theories rely on the assumption that infants and children actively construct an understanding of the world. †¢Both theories give a time frame of when the stages and the sub- stages occur†¢Both theories have limitations. Differences †¢Sensorimotor stage deals with infants from birth to 2 years of age and Preoperational stage deals with early childhood that generally occurs between the ages of 2 and 7. †¢Sensorimotor is the stage one of the Piagets theory of cognitive development; whereas preoperational period is stage two of his theory. †¢The limitation of the sensorimotor stages rests on the accuracy of the timing of the events that Piaget mentioned; whereas the limitation of the Pre-operational thought rests on the concepts such as centration and conservation. Therefore, in this paper, I have considered Piagets theory to explain cognitive development in both infancy and early childhood. I have also considered the similarities and differences between the two theories. References Caulfield, R. A. (2001). Infants and toddlers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice HallSantrock, J. W. (2008). Essentials of life-span development. NY: McGraw-Hill.

Effects of Greenhouse Gases on the Environment

Effects of Greenhouse Gases on the Environment What are the three human affected sources of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. 75words 704-705 Krogh (2011), states that the three human affected sources of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are from the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and the amount of cattle we raise. These three affects either put in too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere or doesn’t produce enough. The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, gives off a great deal of carbon dioxide gases into our atmosphere. Deforestation is the cutting sown of trees, which eliminates the carbon dioxide needed for photosynthesis among other plant life. It also has the effect of putting too much CO2 into the atmosphere because trees are known to take up CO2 and make oxygen for the atmosphere instead. Another greenhouse effect produced by humans is in the amount of cattle and rice we need to grow. Since we have to mass produce crops and cattle for the alarming number of human growth, this ultimately allows high amounts of gases into our atmosphere. You are hiking with a friend and reach the peak of a mountain after a long climb. On your climb upward, you had a clear trail with a little grass and small shrubs along the way. But looking down the other side, you see lush vegetation and many broadleaf trees farther down the slope. Your friend wonders why there is such a big difference. What explanation can you offer your friend? 75 words I would let my friend know that he/she is seeing the effects of the rain shadow. Krogh (2011), says that mountain ranges force air to rise, and drops its moisture on the windward side (pg.711). As a result, when the air travels over to the other side of the mountain it no longer as any moisture to drop. This obviously leaves no more rain to fall to nourish plant life and animal life, leaving it dry and inhabitable to much animal life. Compare and contrast ecological dominants with keystone species and give examples. 200 words 671-672,G5,G8 Krogh (2011), defines ecological dominants as a species that is abundant and obvious in a given community (pg.G5). He goes on to define keystone species as a species whose absence of a community would bring significant change in that community (Krogh, pg.G8). In an ecological dominant community it is usually always seen as a community of plants and shrubs. In the keystone species, its community is usually always seen in animal life such as the sea star. Although they are known to be of small numbers they produce a huge impact on our ecosystem when disturbed. For example, in the keystone species once a predatory animal is removed from its habitat the others in the â€Å"community† face the dangers of other predators. This can result in the elimination of a species. While in the ecological dominants community, they are always so largely populated that they take over others for survival. Krogh (2011), gives an example of the Kansas prairie fields that are dominated by tallgrass f or the ecological dominants, and the predatory sea star Pisaster ochraceus for the keystone species (pg.672). As stated above, they are different in the way they affect the ecosystem, but they are similar in the way that they are both a type of species. Give an example of why keystone species play a large role in community despite the fact that they may be present in relatively small numbers. 200 words 671-673 Keystone species are relatively smaller in numbers but have a huge impact on the ecosystem when disturbed. Keystone species are known as predators that can control a single community and without them the other species within the community may not be able to survive. This can be seen through the example that Krogh (2011) gives with the predatory sea star Pisaster ochraceus (pg.672). This is a good example because even though they live in moderately small quantities, once you remove it from its community the results can be catastrophic for the rest of the community. Removing the predatory sea star would leave the rest of them vulnerable to other predators, and may end in the extinction of them if the predatory sea star does not return. In other words, once the sea star has been removed it starts a trickling down effect on other sea animals among its biomass. More and more species that live in or near the sea star ecosystem will start to disappear due to lack of food or the overpowering of other predators in the sea. Another result of the of removal of a keystone species is now newer species are able to come in and take over the habitat they once lived in so they can flourish and live in that ecosystem. Explain the four types of biological community interaction and give examples. 500 words The four types of biological community interactions are: competition, predation and parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism. The competition interaction is a competition between two or more species (Krogh, pg. 674). This is a competition among species for resources in order to survive. These species do not compete by fighting, but rather by gathering enough resources to outlive the next species. This competition can be between species of the same or a different community. This competition can result in the extinction of a species because of lack of resources to survive. Krogh (2011), give the example of competition between the P. aurelia and the P. caudatum (Krogh, pg.674). In this experiment, both organisms were grown in the same test tube. It was documented that instead of either one trying to attack the other, the P. aurelia just outgrew the P. caudatum. This ultimately resulted in the P. caudatum to die out due to lack of room and resources (Krogh, pg.674). This type of biologica l interaction can be seen in many different types of species. It can also be seen in resource partitioning. This is where two species don’t attack one another for resources, but they take up two different sides of the resource in order to survive, thus leaving one another alone for the time being. The second biological community interaction can be viewed between predation and parasitism. This is where one species benefits while a different species is affected. Predators will obtain their resources through eating their prey, while parasites will live on other species and obtain its food through them. A big difference between the two is that they predator doesn’t live on its prey like the parasite. Also, the predator kills for its food, and the parasite won’t always kill its host for resources. Krogh (2011), give an example of the predator interaction with the common house cat and the rat (Krogh, pg.676-677). The cat preys on the rat as a vital food resource. He a lso gives the example of the strangler fig tree for the parasitism interaction. This tree will wrap its roots around a host tree to obtain nutrients and eventually killing it (pg.676). The third biological interaction is mutualism. Mutualism is an interaction between different species that does not end up in the harming of either one of them. Instead is a helpful interaction among the two different species. Krogh (2011), shows the interactions between the rhinoceros and the oxpecker birds as a good example of this mutualism interaction (pg.680). In this example, the oxpecker bird will sit on the back of the rhino eating any foreign objects off of it, and the rhino in return will provide a safe place for the bird to reside. The fourth type of interaction within communities can be seen through commensalism. This interaction is also among different species, but it results in one of the species flourishing while the other is left unaffected. An example of this type of interaction is exp lained with a bird and a tree (Krogh, 2011). Birds tend to make nest within the branches of a tree to have a place to live and flourish while leaving the tree unaffected of its existence.

Moral Panics And Create Folk Devils

Moral Panics And Create Folk Devils There are many ways in which the media can incite moral panics and produce folk devils and one way in which this is possible is through labelling. Moral entrepreneurs, who dislike some particular behaviour such as drug takings, may use the media to put pressure on the authorities to do something. This is an important element in the process in creating moral panic. This refers to an exaggerated over-reaction by society to a perceived problem- usually fuelled or inspired by the media. The media also help to make the problem bigger and blow it out of proportion. There are many ways in which the media can stimulate this. In a moral panic, the media identify a group as a folk devil. Folk devil can be identified as a threat to societys values. The media also present the group in a negative stereotypical fashion and again exaggerate the scale of the problem. Also the respectable people of the society such as, bishops, politicians and police chiefs condemn the group and its behaviour. Usually this would lead to a crackdown on the threatening groups. In spite of this, it may result in creating a self-fulfilling prophecy that amplifies the very problem that caused the panic in the first place. This could be seen in the instance with cases of drugs. As a result police set up drugs squads and in turn find out more drugs and the crackdown identifies more deviants, which then calls for even tougher action creating a deviance amplification spiral. The most influential study was by Stanley Cohen, which was featured in his book Folk Devils and Moral Panics. He examined the role of the media and the medias response to disturbances between 2 groups of teenagers. The Mods and the Rockers were two groups of largely working class teenagers, at English seaside resorts from 1964-1966, and Cohen examined the way in which this created a moral panic. The mods were distinguished as wearing smart clothes and rode scooters and listened to pop and soul, whilst rockers wore leather jackets and rode motorbikes and listened to rock and roll. Although in the early stages, distinctions were not very clear. On the Easter weekend 1964 there were a few scuffles and broken windows and some beach huts were destroyed. Although the disorder was minimal, the media over reacted. In Cohens analysis, he uses the analogy of a disaster, where the media produce an inventory or stocktaking of what happened. This inventory contained three things. Exaggeration and distortion are one of them. This is where the media exaggerate the numbers involved and the extent of the violence and damage, and distort the picture through the dramatic reporting and sensational headlines. Second, is prediction and this were the media regularly predict and assume further conflict and violence will take place. Lastly, symbolisation, and this is where the mods and rockers symbols such as- their clothes, bikes, scooters and hairstyles- are negatively labelled and associated with deviance. Cohen goes further and argues that the medias portrayal of events produces a deviance amplification spiral by making it seem as if the problem was spreading and getting out of hand. This then led to an increased control response from the police and also courts. This then in turn produced further marginalisation and stigmatisation of the Mods and Rockers as deviants and less tolerance. The media further amplified the deviance by defining the two groups and their sub cultural styles. By emphasising their supposed differences, the media made clear the two distinct identities and transformed loose-knit grouping into two tight knit gangs. This encouraged polarisation and helped create a self- fulfilling prophecy of escalating conflict as youths acted out roles the media had assigned them. Cohen also observed that the medias definition of the situation are crucial in creating a moral panic, because in large-scale modern societies, most people have no direct experience of the events themselves and therefore have to rely on the media for information about them. In the case of the Mods and Rockers, this allowed the media to portray them as folk devil. However it could be said that the notion described by Cohen are outdated. Fashion and music have become more diverse, and young people rarely identify themselves with one particular style. Subsequently, society has become more complex, fragmented and liberal and its less clear what constitutes deviant behaviour. Thirdly, politicians are cautious when trying to create a moral panic over, for example, teenage mums, in case they are seen as old-fashioned bullies. McRobbie and Thornton argue that society and the media have moved on and new concepts and ideas. They also point out that early versions of the moral panic model saw society as one influenced by postmodernism, would take a more differentiated approach. It has been widely accepted that this is the age of moral panics. From the Bulger case to mad cow disease, newspaper headlines continually warn of some new danger and television programmes  echo the theme with sensational documentaries. Although todays media audiences are accustomed to shock stories. So it could be said that they do not react to manic to media exaggerations. Finally it has been said that the media create moral panic to preserve ruling class hegemony. This was seen in the 1970s mugging, which were sensationalised by the elite to divert the attention from the crisis of the Britain capitalism. In conclusion many of the dramatized stories illustrate many aspects of moral panic and highlight the way such issues are portrayed and orchestrated by the media. As it is the case with many moral panics become deviants such as the Mods and Rockers, and are deemed threatening to our society as a result of the medias reporting of their views and actions.

The Dual Nature of Characters in Shakespeares Othello :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Dual Nature of Characters in Othello  Ã‚   Many of the characters in Shakespeare's tragedy, Othello are duplicitous to the extent that how they are perceived in public is not how they behave in private. The perception of the public plays   a very important role in the play Othello. The character of Iago uses his public perception as an honest man to deceive Othello and other characters in the play. The perception of the public   of Othello and Cassio played an important role in the play. Iago’s public perception played a very key role in the play. Everyone thought of Iago as an honest man. â€Å" O, that’s an honest fellow â€Å" , â€Å"You advise me well ........ goodnight honest Iago â€Å" - â€Å"........that’s an honest fellow â€Å" â€Å" I know thou’rt full of love and honesty †. Iago has everyone fooled into believing that he is a noble honest man. Without this public perception of being honest he could never get Othello to believe that Desdemona was cheating on him. Othello would have probably killed him if he didn’t have the public perception of being an honest man. Iago knew that an important man like Othello couldn’t ignore the possibility that his wife was cheating on him. Nobody suspects that Iago is a deceitful man and would plot and plan to destroy Othello, Cassio and Desdemona in such a cunning way. Iago used his public perception, and the insecurities of Othello being a Moor, to allow him to manipulate Othello. Othello had a public perception of being a military man, and a courageous leader. â€Å"Valiant Othello, We must straight employ you...† â€Å"Here comes Brabantio and the valiant Moor.† Othello has been a soldier since he was seven years of age, and has experience on the battle field. Othello was chosen when they went to fight the Turkish fleet. Because of his public perception, it wasn’t hard for other people to accept the relationship between him and Desdemona. As Iago started putting ideas in Othello’s head about Cassio and Desdemona being together, another side of Othello’s personality started to surface. Because Iago had the public perception of being an honest man, Othello couldn’t ignore his insinuations about Desdemona. Othello wondered if Desdemona really loved him, or if she was just using him to rebel against her father. With Iago constantly putting these ideas in his head, Othello was convinced to kill his wife. Cassio was known to be a good soldier, and is proud of that public perception.

Macrobiotics: A way of Life Essay -- Food Eating Vegan Essays

Macrobiotics: A way of Life WHAT IS MACROBIOTICS? Macrobiotics is not just a diet, but a holistic approach to living that takes into account all aspects of human life, including the inter-relationship between body, mind and spirit. Macrobiotics stresses the importance of a balanced diet because one's diet creates the foundation for a happy, healthy and harmonious life. Macrobiotic philosophy teaches practitioners to lead a balanced lifestyle based on the Chinese yin-yang principles. The actual macrobiotic diet closely resembles a vegan-like food pattern with virtually no animal food consumed. Practitioners also avoid "nonorganic" or "processed" foods. The macrobiotic movement has become increasingly popular during the past decade due to various survival stories from chronically ill persons who used the macrobiotic way as an alternative approach to medicine. WHAT IS THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND MACROBIOTICS ? The "Process of Disease" explained through the seven stages of symptomology is the basis of macrobiotic theory with regard to people's eating habits and its effect on the human body. Macrobiotics applies yin-yang principles to explain the relationship between food and the human organism and a balanced diet. Macrobiotic philosophy defines a healthy person using three natural life processes as criteria: urination, bowel movements and breathing. When the body ingests toxins, as a result of an unbalanced diet, its natural healing process produces abnormalities in one or all of these three life processes. Most people naturally react to the situation by taking medicine to relieve the symptoms. According to practitioners of macrobiotics, the ingestion of pharmaceuticals only inhibits the body's ability to heal i... ...d be sufficient. Works Cited: Cambell, T.C., Parpia, B. & Chen,J. (1982). Diet, lifestyle and the etiology of coronary Artery disease: The Cornell China study. American Journal Cardiolog~v. 10B, 18T-21T. Dwyer, J.T., Dietz, W.H., Andrews, E.M. & Suskind, R.M. (1982) Nutritional status of Vegetarian children: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 35(2), 204-216. Furnham, A. & Forey, J. (1994).The attitudes behaviors and beliefs of patients of conventional vs. complementary (alternative) medicine: Journal of Clinical Psvchologv. 50(3), 458-469. van Stavern, W.A. & Dagnelie, P.C. (1988). Food consumption, growth, and development of Dutch children fed on alternative diets: American Journal of ClinicalNutrition. 48 (3 Suppl), 819-821. Weitzman, S. (1998). Alternative nutritional cancer therapies: International Journal of Cancer. 11(Suppl), 69-72.

Henry David Thoreau †“Why I Went to the Woods” Essay

This excerpt is from his famous essay, â€Å"On the Duty of Civil Disobedience†. First, some background; in 1842, his brother John died of lockjaw. Three years later, Henry decided to write a book commemorating a canoe trip he had taken with John in 1839. Seeking a quiet place to write, he followed a friend’s suggestion and built a small cabin on the north shore of Walden Pond on a piece of land owned by his friend and mentor, Ralph Waldo Emerson. He started work on his cabin in March of 1845. On the 4th of July, he moved in. Thus began one of the great and lasting experiments in life and thought of the whole of human experience. â€Å"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.† Thoreau otherwise filled his time by working in his garden, talking with visitors, reading, and writing in his diary. B ut most of all, he walked and thought, and it’s difficult to tell now which was the more important activity. It seems that, in his two years living in his little cabin in the woods he brought himself to a state of conscious living, where thought and action were harmoniously combined. This story is about his rejection of the world’s definition of ‘success’ and so he demanded a life of personal freedom. He went to the woods, built a humble cabin on the edge of Walden Pond, Concord, Massachusetts†¦and learned about nature and life. He rejected the Establishment and all its trappings. He saw such possessions as fancy clothes and elaborate furniture as so much extra baggage. He demanded a fresh, uncluttered existence with time for self-exploration. He would, he told the world, â€Å"breathe after his own fashion.† All aspects of life for Thoreau focused on simplicity. When Thoreau’s two years at Walden had ended, he left with no regrets: â€Å"I left the woods for as good a reason as why I went there. Perhaps it seemed to me that I had several more lives t o live, and could not spare any more time for that one . . . â€Å" His experiment had been a success. Thoreau had learned many lessons, had taken time to examine his inner self and his world, and proved he could live under the simplest conditions and still be fulfilled: â€Å"I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that as one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.† To him, most men live lives of â€Å"quiet desperation,† and have needed to simplify, to cast off material  encumbrances and achieve true freedom. The stages of spiritual evolution that a man passes through all prepare him for the more difficult inner development; and every man, he believed, possesses an inner spiritual instinct which, if nurtured and cared for, will divulge his divine nature.

Keystone XL Pipeline: A Risky Venture Essay

Throughout history, The United States has been much reliant upon oil rich countries for liquid fuel necessities. Current economic conditions warrant a domestic alternative, since oil is currently referred to as ‘black gold’. In recent years, pipelines have become a substantial transportation factor for liquid fuels throughout Alaska and the lower 48 continental states. Promises by President Barack Obama have given Americans the hope that one day the United States can be energy independent. Currently this is not plausible, but many believe the Keystone XL pipeline could lessen the dependency of foreign oil and produce many needed jobs within the United States. Controversial matters have led a Presidential Permit for the project to be declined due to the project currently not being in the nation’s best interest. Many debates have taken place over this decision and politics have become a key focal point. Some claim it is due to special interest groups, others claim i t’s due to environmental matters. Regardless of the politics involved, the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline would be too  environmentally detrimental and costly to pursue. In 2005, the Keystone Pipeline System, labeled ‘Keystone XL’, was introduced by TransCanada following an expected production increase of crude oil from the Oil Sands region of Alberta, Canada (Parfomak, Pirog & Luther, 2013, p. 3). The expected cost of the Keystone XL pipeline would be set at seven billion dollars, with total distance of underground piping at 1,702 miles (Casey-Lefkowitz & Shope, 2011, p. 2). The pipeline would connect Alberta, Canada to advanced refineries in the Gulf Coast of the United States (Parfomak et al. 2013, p.1). Since the proposed pipeline system would connect the United States with a foreign country, a Presidential Permit would be required to determine if the pipeline was in the nation’s best interest (Montopoli, 2012). In 2008, TransCanada applied for a permit to cross the international border with the proposed pipeline system and was subsequently denied due to the State Departments insufficient time for review and environmental issues with the proposal (2012). In 2012, TransCanada submitted a reconfigured proposal that would connect the pipeline from Alberta, Canada to an existing pipeline in Steel City, Nebraska. Again, this proposal was denied by the President with a response from the State Department that the pipeline was currently not in the nation’s best interest (Parfomak et al. 2013, p. 2). Many legislative methods to support the pipeline were addressed by Congress that in turn would transfer approval authority, although none thus far have been successful (2013, p.3). President Barack Obama has been under public scrutiny for his decision in denying the permit by many respected members of government in favor of the pipeline. According to the Washington Post, Obama donor and billionaire Tom Snyder wrote an open letter stating that â€Å"Obama to reject pipeline or face backlash† (Bradley, 2013). Snyder, a self-proclaimed environmentalist has been linked to big oil by amassing a large portion of his fortune through investments in TransCanada’s competitor, Kinder Morgan (2013). Republicans, such as frontrunner Mitt Romney, went on record by saying â€Å"it shows a President who once again has put politics ahead of sound policy†, and â€Å"if Americans want to understand why unemployment in the United States has been  stuck above 8 percent for the longest stretch since the Great Depression, decisions like this one are the place to begin† (Montopoli, 2012). Struggles for and against the pipeline by members of government and special interest groups have led this decision to be viewed as politically motivated. With that being said, evaluating individual pros and cons concerning the project are necessary in order to justify whether or not the project should move forward. Achieving energy independence is what President Obama stated that the United States is seeking to accomplish. To achieve this goal, the United States will be required to fulfill these necessities through domestic sources and renewable fuels. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimated that by 2040, only 16 percent of U.S. energy will be generated by renewable fuels (Bradley, 2013). Although independence from renewable fuels may be too far off to determine, the Keystone XL Pipeline would create a substantial growth in domestic oil production (2013). Along with increased production comes construction and manufacturing jobs for an estimated 20,000 American workers (2013). Safety advantages from pipelines are also substantial compared to other modes of transporting oil. Low rates are achieved by a low loss and damage record, since weather conditions do not effect pipelines and mechanical failures are rare (Coyle, Novack, Gibson, & Bardi, 2011, p. 273). With piping being completely encased underground, the risk of terrorism and theft is also greatly reduced (2011, p. 273). Care is taken with the use of leak detection systems and aircraft monitoring, since environmental damage, lawsuits and product losses have been issues of the past (2011, p. 276). In 2011, The State Department conducted an environmental impact study noting that annual carbon emissions would increase by only one third of one percent (Bradley, 2013). The American Petroleum Institute also estimated that American and Canadian reserves could provide all of America’s liquid fuel needs within 12 years (2013). Of course this would depend on if current infrastructure could support the increase (2013). Those for the pipeline have argued their case by stating that the pipeline will also assist through stronger relations with neighboring Canada and provide direct access to Canadian crude oil (Parfomak et al. 2013, p. 7). TransCanada themselves  noted that it would be in the nation’s best interest to reduce current dependency on foreign crude oil from Mexico and Venezuela in the Gulf by maintaining adequate crude oil supplies by pipeline for domestic refineries (2013, p. 20). Key issues from major crude oil exporters such as Mexico’s falling production since 2004 and Venezuela national oil company strike has also promoted TransCanada’s proposal (2013, p. 21). With Canada already being the number one import of crude oil in America, one would believe that furthering this relationship, along with lessoning the dependency on unreliable foreign oil would be a logical choice. While those who support the pipeline base their arguments on increasing the U.S. petroleum supply, creating additional jobs and other economic benefits, those who oppose the pipeline are mainly environmental organizations and community groups (2013, p. 18). Their concerns stem from environmental issues, such as toxins, spills, adverse greenhouse emissions and the unconventional and costly method of mining and refining tar sands oil (Casey-Lefkowitz & Shope, 2011, p. 2). Tar sands extraction in Canada is already known for destroying Boreal forests and wetlands, creating high levels of greenhouse gas pollution and producing toxic waste dumps called ‘tailing ponds’ that currently cover around 65 miles (2011, p. 2). The destruction of the Boreal forest is killing many types of species and utilization of the Athabasca River for mining is harming humans as well (2011, p. 2). Tar sands extraction uses large amounts of water from the Athabasca River, and studies have shown that thirteen primary pollutants under the U.S. Clean Water Act, such as led, mercury and arsenic are being released into the river (2011, p. 2). Concerns with the Fort Chipewyan community downstream from the river include increased cancer rates, heart and lung disease, as well as asthma (2011, p. 2-3). Not only is the process more costly than extracting and refining crude oil, but tar sands oil also contains toxins such as bitumen (Swift, Casey-Lefkowitz, Shope, 2011, p. 3). Bitumen, or â€Å"DilBit† is a highly corrosive and acidic blend that contains volatile natural gas liquid condensate (2011, p. 3). Increased risk from the corrosive and volatile substance could pose significant risks of increased spills and ruptures that  could damage communities and fresh water supplies in America (2011, p. 3). Highlighted in the Keystone XL final Environmental Impact Study shows a primary environmental concern by TransCanada stating, â€Å"the greatest concern would be a spill in environmentally sensitive areas, such as wetlands, flowing streams and rivers, shallow groundwater areas, areas near water intakes for drinking water or for commercial/industrial uses, and areas with populations of sensitive wildlife or plant species† (Parfomak et al. 2013, p. 30). Higher operating temperatures and pressure is required to move the thick material through the piping, which could cause leak detection problems and safety issues due to the unstable blend (Swift et al. 2011, p. 3). In correlation, the Alberta pipeline has had approximately sixteen times as many spills than U.S. pipelines due to the corrosive issues of tar sands oil (2011, p. 3). In the first year of the TransCanada Keystone pipeline, there were fourteen spills (Parfomak et al. 2013, p. 31). Although technological leak detection is considered to be efficient, many spills were reported by witnesses and went undetected by release detection equipment (2013, p. 31). Incidence like this have caused much concern over spills since DilBit is a heavy crude mixture that is much more difficult to clean up than regular crude oil (2013, p. 31). Heavy damage to waterways and air pollutant such as benzene caused by spills from the Keystone Pipeline and other pipelines have already incurred (Swift et al. 2011, p. 7). With the proposed pipeline plotted in environmentally sensitive areas such as the Ogallala Aquifer, a pipeline leak would have devastating effects, not to mention immense cleanup cost, time involved and irreparable harm to the environment and communities (Casey-Lefkowitz & Shope, 2011, p. 3). In addition to these possible affects, the creation of this pipeline would not lower the price of fuel to the consumer at the gas station, as fuel prices are based off the national and international market (Parfomak et al. 2013, p. 23). Only big oil would benefit from the pipeline, along with additional jobs to Americans, but would ultimately secure the continued destruction of the Earth. In a public forum in 2010, Secretary of State Clinton stated, â€Å"we’re either going to be dependent on dirty oil from the [Persian] Gulf or dirty oil from  Canada †¦ until we can get our act together as a country and figure out that clean, renewable energy is in both our economic interests and the interests of our planet† (2013, p. 29). The real question is if this pipeline is in our nation’s best interest and the best interest of Mother Nature. Those who stand to make a profit off destroying the planet have voiced their opinions, but the President made the right decision politically and, in the long term, for America. To form a relationship with a company that will incur this type of damage would only encourage more detrimental acts in the future. Although Canadian companies will continue to mine this toxic DilBit and sell it to other markets, the nation should not lock itself into a long term relationship with toxic oil, or oil in general. As Secretar y of State mentioned, the United States is in need of focusing on clean renewable energy and green initiatives that will save the planet and generations of Americans to come. References Bradley, Jr., Robert. (2013). Keystone xl amounts to america’s pipeline vs. president obama’s cronies. Forbes Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertbradley/2013/08/20/keystone-xl-amounts-to-americas-pipeline-vs-president-obamas-cronies/ Casey-Lefkowitz, S., Shope, E. (2011). Say no to tar sands pipeline: Proposed keystone xl project would deliver dirty fuel at a high cost. Natural Resources Defense Council. Retrieved from http://www.nrdc.org/land/files/TarSandsPipeline4pgr.pdf Coyle, J.J., Novack, R. A., Gibson, B.J., & Bardi, E. J. (2011). Transportation: A Supply Chain Perspective. 7th edition. South Western College Publishing. Montopoli, Brian. (2012). Obama denies keystone xl pipeline permit. CBSNews. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57361324-503544/obama-denies-keystone-xl-pipeline-permit/ Parfomak, P. W., Pirog, R., Luther, L., Vann, A. (2013). Keystone XL pipeline project: Key Issues. Washington, DC: Congressional Researc h Service. Retrieved from http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41668.pdf Swift, A., Casey-Lefkowitz, S., Shope, E. (2011). Tar sands pipeline safety risk. National Resources Defense Council. Retrieved from http://www.dirtyoilsands.org/files/tarsandssafetyrisks.pdf

Hillary Clinton Essay

HILLARY CLINTON All can agree that this year is a very special year for presidential candidates. One candidate could be the first Morman president. One who could be the oldest president. Another who could be the first black president. And last, but not least, one who could very well become the first women president! This one woman, as we all know, is no stranger to the White House. Yes, she has called it her home before. She lived there for nearly eight years. Her name is †¦ Hillary Clinton, Presidential Candidate for the 2008 Democratic Party. The following will demonstrate the stances, vision, political accomplishes and pieces of her own life, on which she is planning to lead our country in the right direction. Hillary Diane Rodham, the first child born to Dorthy and Hugh Rodham, was born on October 26, 1947 at a Chicago hospital, and was raised in Park Ridge, Illinois. Hillary’s childhood was happy but disciplined. She loved participating in sports and was greatly involved with her church. During high school, she was enrolled in the National Honor Society. Her parents always encouraged her to study hard and to follow whatever career interested her(Jones 1). Hillary graduated Wellesley College, and spoke at her graduation saying, â€Å"The challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible, possible. † Later, in 1969, she entered Yale law School where she serced on the Board of Editors of Yale Law Review and Social Action. This point in Hillar’s life holds a special place in her heart, for this is the place in which she met her future husband, Bill Clinton. She often recalls how they met in the library when she walked up to him and said, â€Å"If you are going to keep staring I might as well introduce myself. † Hillary and Bill married in 1975. In those next few years to come, Hillary joined the faculty of the university of Arkansas Law School and later the Rose Law Firm. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter appointed her to the board of Legal Services corporation. Bill, on the other hand, became the Governor of Arkansas. Then in 1980, the first child, Chelsea Clinton, was born (Walker 1). After Bill had been elected President of the United States of America, Hillary did her best to balance public service and her family (Jones3). Now a days, Hillary’s name is among many influencial people such as Barack Obama and John McCain, as she fights to win the election. If she should win, as we all know she will become the very first woman president in the United States history (Simpson 1). Hillary Clinton is one of the very diverse candidates for the 2008 presidential election. She has been in the White House before but not as President. She has been working hard for our country ever since Bill Clinton, her husband, became president in 1992. Hillary Clinton’s political achievements range from helping after 9/11 as a New York Senator, to running campaigns against the degradation and abuse of women. Hillary Clinton is a strong force to be reckoned with. As first lady she accomplished traveling the globe speaking for women’s rights. From the White House she led efforts to make adoption easier, expand early learning and child care, increase funding for breast cancer research, and to help veterans suffering from Gulf War syndrome who had often been ignored in the past. Hillary helped to launch a national campaign to prevent teen pregnancy and helped create an Adoption Safe Families Act in 1997, this moved children from foster care to adoption more quickly. Thanks to her efforts the number of children who have moved out of foster care and into adoption has increased. Hillary Clinton’s campaign for a universal health care coverage did not succeed, but she continues to push. She has helped plan the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provided millions of Children with health insurance. In 2000 Hillary Clinton was elected as Senator for New York, as senator Clinton has continued to advocate for women and children , has been a national leader for homeland security , and she worked in 2001 to recover and rebuild after 9/11. She has also worked to make sure our troops in Iraq are properly equipt, expand quality affordable health care, she has pushed to help care for children, and has worked to make sure everyone has the fair right to vote. Hillary Clinton has made many strides in political achievement and has earned her spot to have a fair run in the 2008 Presidential election (Clinton 1). As president Hillary Clinton will lower taxes for middle class families: extending the middle class tax cuts including child tax and marriage penalty relief, offering new tax cuts for health care, college, and retirement, and expanding the EITC and the child care tax credit. Also she plans on harnessing the power of innovation to create high wage jobs on the 21st century. In vestments in alternative energy can create new jobs; expanded access to broadband will bring opportunities to underserved and disadvantaged communities. The manufacturing base re-energized through creative partnerships; and increased government suppor for research will stimulate the development of new technologies and life saving medicines. Hillary will restore integrity to science policy, recoiling Bush administration policies that are holding our nation back. Hillary Clinton said, â€Å"After six and a half years of President Bush’s fiscal irresponsibility, she wants America to regain control of its destiny†. She will move toward a balanced budget. Hillary believes that we would develop a set of budget rules similar to those we had in the 90s (Clinton 1). Hillary is very educated, and since she is very educated, she has many views and opinions on different issues. One view she has that many people feel very strongly about is abortion. Some people are totally against it, calling it in humane, while many people are completely for it. Hillary Clinton, is pro-choice, meaning she is for it. No she has never had an abortion, but she thinks this will keep people from getting illegal or unsafe abortions. I agree with this in the fact that if people want to do something, or want something done, they are going to do it. So why not do it as safe as possible (http://www. ontheissues. org/2008/Hillary_Clinton_Abortion. htm). Along with being pro- choice, Hillary has many other views, she believes some people caught with crack cocaine should get shorter sentences, ending the war as soon as possible is whats best, health care should be easily afforded and accesed, improving our schools is very important, and last but definitely not least women’s rights. One of the most important issues, Hillary believes, is ending the war in Iraq. She wants Iraq and its neighboring countries to govern itself. This would allow us to focus on our own government. Don’t get me wrong, she does want to help Iraq get back on its feet, but not by keeping troops over there, by spreading peace not war. She wants the countries to refrain from getting involved in their civil war. She also wants our troops to come home almost instantly. This is also a big issue many people look at when they are deciding on who their vote should go to. The issues may be very important and critical, but Hillary doesn’t hide what she believes because she wants people to know what they are getting when they vote Clinton. (Clinton 3 and 1) In conclusion, Hillary Clinton has, and sill is, proving herself to be a worthy opponent in this presidential Election. Her stances, visions, leadership skills, and her own background have been explained and demonstrated In hopes to open your eyes to not only Hillary as a candidate, but all candidates.

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)

Since it's first introduction in the year 1983, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) has very rapidly become a fundamental tool for improving the health and human life. PCR was developed by Dr. Kary Mullis, who was at the time working for Cetus Corporation as a chemist. PCR is the quick and efficient method for making unlimited copies of each and every inch of DNA. It can also be adapted to allow amplification of RNA samples as well as DNA samples from any type of organism. PCR is simplified into a 3-step process, which is repeated for 30-40 cycles. The procedure begins with the first step called denaturation. In the phase of denaturation, the structure of the DNA is altered. The double-stranded DNA melts and exposes into two pieces of single-stranded DNA at approximately 94 degrees Celsius. Transitioning into the second step called annealing or in other words, pairing up together. At a temperature of 54 degrees Celsius, the primers cool down and join to the single-stranded DNA or â€Å"template†. The double-stranded DNA then attaches to the polymerase and starts to shoot out copies. Finally during the last stage of the PCR process known as elongation or extension, the polymerase works it's magic. At 72 degrees Celsius the DNA building blocks are paired up with the DNA primers, to create a double-stranded DNA molecule. After all the processes are completed in one cycle round, a single portion of double-stranded DNA is finally enlarged into two separate pieces of double-stranded DNA. However, as the cycles repeat themselves, more and more clones are generated and the number of DNA copies are intensified exponentially. The procedure of doing a PCR is more vital than we may fathom. It has been found to cure and diagnose genetic diseases, locate bacteria and viruses, DNA fingerprinting, study paternity, biological relationships, and human evolution. All in all, PCR has become widely known to biologists, DNA labs, and many other forensics laboratories. PCR is also one of the quickest testing methods to many diseases, for example The Human Immunodeficiency Virus, commonly known as HIV. HIV is a very difficult disease to find and eradicate. The earlier tests depended on the presence of antibodies in the human bloodstream. When performing the antibody test, there may be no results until weeks after exposure to the virus. Nevertheless, when performing a PCR test results appear much faster, and as little as one genome among 50,000 host cells can be easily detected. PCR can efficiently detect the forensics of HIV, rather than the antibodies contained in the blood. The same goes for Tuberculosis, which are also complicated in sampling from patients, PCR tests speed up the results so that precautions may be taken as soon as possible. PCR testing is one of the many ways that can assist in detecting several diseases, and yet PCR is very vital to the human life.

Free Movement of Goods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Free Movement of Goods - Essay Example (a) Under Portuguese law the Company has to pay a small fee to the Portuguese government agency when it exports goods to Portugal. In order to answer this is question it needs to discuss Article 23-25. For trade between Member States of the EU, the basic rule is laid down in Article 25(12) EC. 'Customs duties on imports and exports and charges having equivalent effect shall be prohibited between Member States. This prohibition shall also apply to customs duties of a fiscal nature.' It was held that Article 25 (then Article 12) could be relied on by individuals in the national courts in Case 26/62 Van Gend en Loos2. This was the first case in which the ECJ held that a Treaty article could have 'direct effect' Customs duties as such were successfully abolished early in the history of the Community (July 1968). However, it was not originally clear what was covered by the concept of 'a charge having equivalent effect' (CEE). The Commission brought a number of cases against Member States in the 1960s and the ECJ took the opportunity to give a very wide meaning to this phrase. One such Case 24/68 Commission v Italy ('Statistical Levy')3, involved an Italian levy on imports and exports across its borders. ... The ECJ emphasised that it is the effect, not the purpose, of the levy that matters: extra fees and charges are likely to put imported goods at a disadvantage compared with domestically produced goods. It also dismissed the Italian Government's argument that the statistical data was a 'service' to traders, which they should pay for. The ECJ ruled: 'Any pecuniary charge, however small and whatever its designation and mode of application, which is imposed unilaterally on domestic or foreign goods by reason of the fact that they cross a frontier constitutes a charge having equivalent effect'. The key part of this definition or test is whether the sum of money has become payable because goods have crossed a frontier within the EU. If it can be shown that the sum is payable for some other reason - for example as payment for a specific service carried out for the trader, such as provision of storage facilities, then it follows that it is not payable because goods have crossed a frontier, and so does not fulfil the Court's definition of an illegal charge. The ECJ has held that the prohibition on 'charges of equivalent effect' also applies to goods imported directly from third countries: see Case 37, 38/73 Diamantarbeiders v Indiamex,4. This means that the CCT duty can be levied on such goods, but no other charges can be added by the Member States. The EC Treaty does not contain any exceptions or defences to Article 25 (the prohibition is strict and absolute) but there are some situations that fall outside the prohibition because they do not fulfil the above test. The money raised by those fees is to pay for a data information service in respect of goods imported into and exported from Portugal. In Case 63/74 W. Cadsky SpA v Instituto nazionale

The Role of HR generalist Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Role of HR generalist - Coursework Example He is expected to diagnose data besides facilitating it. They are expected by the management to be its true business partner. Their role even spreads further to talent management, turnover, declining productivity and recruiting. According to Kandula, (2004), human resource generalist is expected to be at the forefront in matters to do with diagnosing human capital concerns as opposed to employee issues. Human resource managers are involved in developing employees, managing workforce, developing personnel policies and procedures and ensuring that internal policies conform to all laws that affect the workplace. According to Jackson, & Mathis (2010), he is expected to develop ways of meeting human resource need with regard to future. Entry-level position of generalist is mostly renamed as personnel assistant, and they provide reinforcement to the entire department. Examples of generalist titles include human resource business partner, human resource branch manager and people services ma nager. Planning and employment of workforce: he does the role of a recruiter. This includes conducting interviews, implementing recruitment strategy of the organization and conducting reshuffles within the workforce. A clear example is the staffing specialist or manager. Developing human resource: this work involves conducting training, evaluating training programs and development programs. This training may consist of specific fields like sales techniques. A superb example includes leadership development manager. Total rewards: At entry-level they are referred to as salary administrators. They are expected to perform analyzing job duties, performing job evaluations and conducting compensation surveys. They monitor benefit programs and cost. Example job titles are benefits analyst and specialist manager. Employee labor relations: while at entry-level they are known as labor relations specialist. They interpret union

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Report - Essay Example The relevant costs of computing for Machine A in this scenario are therefore, purchasing price, less the discount allowed, then adding the delivery charge, installation charge and testing charge. Minor spare parts and service contract quotations are irrelevant in computation of the cost of the machinery. ii. IAS 16 provides for methods of depreciation on fixed assets. Under the straight line method, Machine B has an annual depreciation of 60,000 per year since it had an expected or useful life of 10 years. Since its acquisition date on June 2009 through to its revaluation in 2012, it had a carrying amount of 420,000 which is gained after deducting the accumulated depreciation through the first 3 years of its expected life. On a straight line basis and a remaining expected life of 4 years, the depreciation for Machine B is expected to be at 105,000 per year. The scope provides for a revision of the asset’s depreciation method, if the expected economic benefit to be consumed off it by the entity changes appropriately. iii. IAS 40 sets out the guidelines under which assets should be treated and the criterion for the treatment of investment property and also disclosures requirement in their reporting. Investment property is that which is held not for resale but for an economic benefit of the organization. It is that where future economic benefit is expected from. Under IAS 40, the company or organization is allowed to either use the fair or the cost model policy of accounting for these items. In fair value representation, the property (investment) is revalued where it is recognized as â€Å"an asset that could be exchanged between knowledgeable and willing parties in an arm’s length transaction† (Willey, 2011).   Since Building Y is an investment property, the revalued amount of 2million as at 31st December is the actual cost of the building at the end of this year. The increment in its value of 1 million should be treated as an income in the income statement for year 2011. Additionally, the buildings were revalued again and the investment property increased to 2.5 million. This should be treated by taking it as an income in the income statement at the value of 500,000, while reflecting the value of Building Y as 2.5 million at the end of year 2012. In the case of building Y, the scope provides the value of a fixed asset (such as Building X) to be treated on the fair value. In this case, the value should therefore be expressed on the current value less the depreciation. Revaluation amount should be computed and the current value is the amount shown on the balance sheet as the current value, while the gain in revaluation is shown on the credit of the balance sheet as a revaluation reserve. The revalued amount was done on the last day of the financial year and therefore be reflected on the following year 2012 as 2.5million. (b) Certain criteria should be followed when reporting these compilations of the costs of the asset s, their depreciation amounts and their revaluation treatments. The scope provides for a detailed schedule that should be followed in the presentation of these analyses and as well, their reporting should be detailed and reported accordingly. The relevance in comparing the costing of Machine A and Machine B, as well as the treatment of Building X an Building Y best explains the financial reporting of these different circumstances of each of the two different genres of fixed assets of an entity. i. Machine A is purchased at a discounted

Cybersecurity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cybersecurity - Essay Example According to the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies, NICCS (2013), this initiative also covers the private sector, students from primary to university level and the workforce in general. NICE framework gives a standardized working taxonomy that fits into the occupational structure of an organization. The framework gives seven categories of jobs sharing common functions (Jackson, 2011). ‘Securely’ provides for conceptualization, designing and building secure IT systems. The administration, maintenance and support for performance and security would be covered under ‘operate and maintain.’ ‘Protect and defend’ ensures that threats get identified, analyzed and mitigated. The framework also provides for the ‘investigation’ of breaches, crimes and incidents. Under ‘operate and collect,’ intelligence would be developed from cybersecurity information. The ‘analyze’ arm of the framework encompasses reviewing and evaluating incoming information so as to evaluate how useful it would be for intelligence. Finally, the framework offers ‘support’ to other parties undertaking cybersecurity tas ks. Therefore, this framework provides a standard approach that baselines capabilities, identifies the gaps in skills, develops cybersecurity talent in organizations and prepares for future talent. The NICE initiative is an important component of organizations based on the key findings on cybercrime survey in the US by Price Waterhouse Coopers, PWC (2013). The survey indicates that organizational leaders do not know those responsible for the cybersecurity of their organizations. In case of an attack, such organizations would find it difficult to identify those responsible. The NICE initiative serves the important role of ensuring organizations have cybersecurity workers and defining cybersecurity professional requirements. Secondly, many leaders still underestimate the capabilities of their cyber-adversaries and the associated possible reputational, financial and regulatory risks. NICE raises awareness on the risks involved in online activities, hence informing such leaders appropri ately. Finally, through expanding social collaborations, use of mobile devices and adoption of cloud computing, leaders unknowingly increase their vulnerabilities to digital attacks. Through broadening of the pool of support workers in cybersecurity and developing and maintaining an internationally competitive cybersecurity workforce, the NICE initiative ensures that organizations adopt emerging technologies without compromising the security of their information. Led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST, the NICE initiative anticipates raising a cybersecure public and an internationally acclaimed cybersecurity workforce (Bullock, Haddow, & Coppola, 2013). Thus, it aims at making resources for educating and training on the improvement of cyber skills, knowledge and behavior available to all the population segments so as to make the American public aware of the risks associated with online activities. It seeks to bring forth a secure digital nation that would ad vance the economic prosperity of America and its national security