Saturday, August 31, 2019

The Art of War

Sun-Tzu Wu is the reputed author of the Chinese classic Ping-fa (The Art of War), written approximately 475-221 B. C. Penned at a time when China was divided into six or seven states that often resorted to war with each other in their struggles for supremacy, it is a systematic guide to strategy and tactics for rulers and commanders. In doing business on the Internet during this time of rampant computer viruses and hacker attacks it may be wise for us to follow some of his tactical principles in order to insure the safety of ourselves and our future clients. Know your enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are sure to be defeated in every battle. In a chilling article entitled Big Brother is Watching Bob Sullivan of MSNBC recounts a tale during a recent visit to London: Only moments after stepping into the Webshack Internet cafe in London†s Soho neighborhood, â€Å"Mark† asked me what I thought of George W. Bush and Al Gore. â€Å"I wouldn†t want Bush running things,† he said. â€Å"Because he can†t run his Web site.† Then he showed me a variety of ways to hack Bush†s Web sites. That was just the beginning of a far-reaching chat during which the group nearly convinced me Big Brother is in fact here in London. â€Å"I don†t know if he can run the free world,† Mark said. â€Å"He can†t keep the Texas banking system computers secure. So-called â€Å"2600† clubs are a kind of hacker â€Å"boy scout† organization – there are local 2600 chapters all around the globe. It is in this environment, and this mindset, that London†s hackers do their work. They do not analyze computer systems and learn how to break them out of spite, or some childish need to destroy: Mark and friends see themselves as merely accumulating knowledge that could be used in self-defense if necessary. They are the citizen†s militia, the Freedom Fighters of the Information Age, trying to stay one step ahead of technology that could one day be turned against them. Jon-K Adams in his treatise entitled Hacker Ideology (aka Hacking Freedom) states that hackers have been called both techno-revolutionaries and heroes of the computer revolution. Hacking â€Å"has become a cultural icon about decentralized power.† But for all that, hackers are reluctant rebels. They prefer to fight with code than with words. And they would rather appear on the net than at a news conference. Status in the hacker world cannot be granted by the general public: it takes a hacker to know and appreciate a hacker. That's part of the hacker's revolutionary reluctance; the other part is the news media's slant toward sensationalism, such as, â€Å"A cyberspace dragnet snared fugitive hacker.† The public tends to think of hacking as synonymous with computer crime, with breaking into computers and stealing and destroying valuable data. As a result of this tabloid mentality, the hacker attempts to fade into the digital world, where he-and it is almost always he-has a place if not a! In his self-conception, the hacker is not a criminal, but rather a â€Å"person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and how to stretch their capabilities.† Which means that he is not necessarily a computer geek. The hacker defines himself in terms that extend beyond the computer, as an â€Å"expert or enthusiast of any kind. One might be an astronomy hacker† (Jargon File). So in the broadest sense of his self-conception, the hacker hacks knowledge; he wants to know how things work, and the computer-the prototypical programmable system-simply offers more complexity and possibility, and thus more fascination, than most other things. >From this perspective, hacking appears to be a harmless if nerdish enthusiasm. But at the same time, this seemingly innocent enthusiasm is animated by an ideology that leads to a conflict with civil authority. The hacker is motivated by the belief that the search for knowledge is an end in itself and should be unrestricted. But invariably, when a hacker explores programmable systems, he encounters barriers that bureaucracies impose in the name of security. For the hacker, these security measures become arbitrary limits placed on his exploration, or in cases that often lead to confrontation, they become the focus of further explorations: for the hacker, security measures simply represent a more challenging programmable system. As a result, when a hacker explores such systems, he hacks knowledge, but ideologically he hacks the freedom to access knowledge. Political hackers are another group considering themselves modern freedom fighters. â€Å"Hacktivists† have officially moved from nerdish extremists to become the political protest visionaries of the digital age, a meeting at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London was told on Thursday. Paul Mobbs, an experienced Internet activist and anti-capitalist protestor, will tell attendees that the techniques used by politically minded computer hackers — from jamming corporate networks and sending email viruses to defacing Web sites — has moved into the realm of political campaigning. Mobbs says that the term â€Å"Hacktivism† has been adopted by so many different groups, from peaceful Net campaigners to Internet hate groups, that it is essentially meaningless, but claims that Internet protest is here to stay. â€Å"It has a place, whether people like it or not,† says Mobbs. Steve Mizrach in his 1997 dissertation entitled Is there a Hacker Ethic for 90s Hackers? delves into this subject in great detail. He describes the divergent groups of hackers and explains their modus operandi: I define the computer underground as members of the following six groups. Sometimes I refer to the CU as â€Å"90s hackers† or â€Å"new hackers,† as opposed to old hackers, who are hackers (old sense of the term) from the 60s who subscribed to the original Hacker Ethic.  § Hackers (Crackers, system intruders) – These are people who attempt to penetrate security systems on remote computers. This is the new sense of the term, whereas the old sense of the term simply referred to a person who was capable of creating hacks, or elegant, unusual, and unexpected uses of technology. Typical magazines (both print and online) read by hackers include 2600 and Iron Feather Journal.  § Phreaks (Phone Phreakers, Blue Boxers) – These are people who attempt to use technology to explore and/or control the telephone system. Originally, this involved the use of â€Å"blue boxes† or tone generators, but as the phone company began using digital instead of electro-mechanical switches, the phreaks became more like hackers. Typical magazines read by Phreaks include Phrack, Line Noize, and New Fone Express.  § Virus writers (also, creators of Trojans, worms, logic bombs) – These are people who write code which attempts to a) reproduce itself on other systems without authorization and b) often has a side effect, whether that be to display a message, play a prank, or trash a hard drive. Agents and spiders are essentially ‘benevolent' virii, raising the question of how underground this activity really is. Typical magazines read by Virus writers include 40HEX.  § Pirates – Piracy is sort of a non-technical matter. Originally, it involved breaking copy protection on software, and this activity was called â€Å"cracking.† Nowadays, few software vendors use copy protection, but there are still various minor measures used to prevent the unauthorized duplication of software. Pirates devote themselves to thwarting these things and sharing commercial software freely with their friends. They usually read Pirate Newsletter and Pirate magazine.  § Cypherpunks (cryptoanarchists) – Cypherpunks freely distribute the tools and methods for making use of strong encryption, which is basically unbreakable except by massive supercomputers. Because the NSA and FBI cannot break strong encryption (which is the basis of the PGP or Pretty Good Privacy), programs that employ it are classified as munitions, and distribution of algorithms that make use of it is a felony. Some cryptoanarchists advocate strong encryption as a tool to completely evade the State, by preventing any access whatsoever to financial or personal information. They typically read the Cypherpunks mailing list.  § Anarchists – are committed to distributing illegal (or at least morally suspect) information, including but not limited to data on bombmaking, lockpicking, pornography, drug manufacturing, pirate radio, and cable and satellite TV piracy. In this parlance of the computer underground, anarchists are less likely to advocate the overthrow of government than the simple refusal to obey restrictions on distributing information. They tend to read Cult of the Dead Cow (CDC) and Activist Times Incorporated (ATI).  § Cyberpunk – usually some combination of the above, plus interest in technological self-modification, science fiction of the Neuromancer genre, and interest in hardware hacking and â€Å"street tech.† A youth subculture in its own right, with some overlaps with the â€Å"modern primitive† and â€Å"raver† subcultures. So should we fear these geeky little mischief-makers? The New York Post revealed recently that a busboy allegedly managed to steal millions of dollars from the world†s richest people by stealing their identities and tricking credit agencies and brokerage firms. In his article describing this event Bob Sullivan says, â€Å"Abraham Abdallah, I think, did us all a favor, for he has exposed as a sham the security at the world†s most important financial institutions.† The same two free e-mail addresses were used to request financial transfers for six different wealthy Merrill Lynch clients, according to the Post story. Merrill Lynch didn†t notice? Why would Merrill accept any transfer requests, indeed take any financial communication seriously at all, from a free, obviously unverified anonymous e-mail account? I†m alarmed by the checks and balances that must be in place at big New York brokerage firms. Rather than being a story about a genius who almost got away, this is simply one more story of easy identity theft amid a tidal wave of similar crimes. The Federal Trade Commission has received 40,000 complaints of identity theft since it started keeping track two years ago, but the agency is certain that represents only a fraction of real victims. This is a serious problem, long ignored by the industry. If fact, just last year the credit industry beat back a congressional bill known as The Identity Theft Protection Act, claiming it would be too expensive for them. â€Å"Clearly there has to be more leveling of the playing field. We have to hold banks and credit unions accountable.† Last month the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was again warning electronic-commerce Web sites to patch their Windows-based systems to protect their data against hackers. The FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) has coordinated investigations over the past several months into organized hacker activities targeting e-commerce sites. More than 40 victims in 20 states have been identified in the ongoing investigations, which have included law enforcement agencies outside the United States and private sector officials. The investigations have uncovered several organized hacker groups from Russia, the Ukraine, and elsewhere in Eastern Europe that have penetrated U.S. e-commerce and online banking computer systems by exploiting vulnerabilities in the Windows NT operating system, the statement said. Microsoft has released patches for these vulnerabilities, which can be downloaded from Microsoft's Web site for free. Once the hackers gain access, they download proprietary information, customer databases, and credit card information, according to the FBI. The hackers subsequently contact the company and attempt to extort money by offering to patch the system and by offering to protect the company's systems from exploitation by other hackers. The hackers tell the victim that without their services they cannot guarantee that other hackers will not access their networks and post stolen credit card information and details about the site's security vulnerability on the Internet. If the company does not pay or hire the group for its security services, the threats escalate, the FBI said. Investigators also believe that in some instances the credit card information is being sold to organized crime groups. Defend yourself when you cannot defeat the enemy, and attack the enemy when you can. Scott Culp in a detailed list of security precautions on Microsoft†s Web page suggests that there are ten immutable laws of security. Law #1: If a bad guy can persuade you to run his program on your computer, it's not your computer anymore. It's an unfortunate fact of computer science: when a computer program runs, it will do what it's programmed to do, even if it's programmed to be harmful. When you choose to run a program, you are making a decision to turn over control of your computer to it. That's why it's important to never run, or even download, a program from an untrusted source – and by â€Å"source†, I mean the person who wrote it, not the person who gave it to you. Law #2: If a bad guy can alter the operating system on your computer, it's not your computer anymore. In the end, an operating system is just a series of ones and zeroes that, when interpreted by the processor, cause the machine to do certain things. Change the ones and zeroes, and it will do something different. To understand why, consider that operating system files are among the most trusted ones on the computer, and they generally run with system-level privileges. That is, they can do absolutely anything. Among other things, they're trusted to manage user accounts, handle password changes, and enforce the rules governing who can do what on the computer. If a bad guy can change them, the now-untrustworthy files will do his bidding, and there's no limit to what he can do. He can steal passwords, make himself an administrator on the machine, or add entirely new functions to the operating system. To prevent this type of attack, make sure that the system files (and the registry! , for that matter) are well protected. Law #3: If a bad guy has unrestricted physical access to your computer, it's not your computer anymore. He could mount the ultimate low-tech denial of service attack, and smash your computer with a sledgehammer.  § He could unplug the computer, haul it out of your building, and hold it for ransom.  § He could boot the computer from a floppy disk, and reformat your hard drive. But wait, you say, I've configured the BIOS on my computer to prompt for a password when I turn the power on. No problem – if he can open the case and get his hands on the system hardware, he could just replace the BIOS chips. (Actually, there are even easier ways).  § He could remove the hard drive from your computer, install it into his computer, and read it.  § He could make a duplicate of your hard drive and take it back his lair. Once there, he'd have all the time in the world to conduct brute-force attacks, such as trying every possible logon password. Programs are available to automate this and, given enough time, it's almost certain that he would succeed. Once that happens, Laws #1 and #2 above apply  § He could replace your keyboard with one that contains a radio transmitter. He could then monitor everything you type, including your password. Always make sure that a computer is physically protected in a way that's consistent with its value – and remember that the value of a machine includes not only the value of the hardware itself, but the value of the data on it, and the value of the access to your network that a bad guy could gain. At a minimum, business-critical machines like domain controllers, database servers, and print/file servers should always be in a locked room that only people charged with administration and maintenance can access. But you may want to consider protecting other machines as well, and potentially using additional protective measures. If you travel with a laptop, it's absolutely critical that you protect it. The same features that make laptops great to travel with – small size, light weight, and so forth – also make them easy to steal. There are a variety of locks and alarms available for laptops, and some models let you remove the hard drive and carry it with you. You also can use features like the Encrypting File System in Windows 2000 to mitigate the damage if someone succeeded in stealing the computer. But the only way you can know with 100% certainty that your data is safe and the hardware hasn't been tampered with is to keep the laptop on your person at all times while traveling. Law #4: If you allow a bad guy to upload programs to your web site, it's not your web site any more. This is basically Law #1 in reverse. In that scenario, the bad guy tricks his victim into downloading a harmful program onto his machine and running it. In this one, the bad guy uploads a harmful program to a machine and runs it himself. Although this scenario is a danger anytime you allow strangers to connect to your machine, web sites are involved in the overwhelming majority of these cases. Many people who operate web sites are too hospitable for their own good, and allow visitors to upload programs to the site and run them. As we've seen above, unpleasant things can happen if a bad guy's program can run on your machine. If you run a web site, you need to limit what visitors can do. You should only allow a program on your site if you wrote it yourself, or if you trust the developer who wrote it. But that may not be enough. If your web site is one of several hosted on a shared server, you need to be extra careful. If a bad guy can compromise one of the other sites on the server, it's possible he could extend his control to the server itself, in which case he could control all of the sites on it – including yours. If you're on a shared server, it's important to find out what the server administrator's policies are. Law #5: Weak passwords trump strong security. The purpose of having a logon process is to establish who you are. Once the operating system knows who you are, it can grant or deny requests for system resources appropriately. If a bad guy learns your password, he can log on as you. In fact, as far as the operating system is concerned, he is you. Whatever you can do on the system, he can do as well, because he's you. Maybe he wants to read sensitive information you've stored on your computer, like your email. Maybe you have more privileges on the network than he does, and being you will let him do things he normally couldn't. Or maybe he just wants to do something malicious and blame it on you. In any case, it's worth protecting your credentials. Always use a password – it's amazing how many accounts have blank passwords. And choose a complex one. Don't use your dog's name, your anniversary date, or the name of the local football team. And don't use the word â€Å"password†! Pick a password that has a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, number, punctuation marks, and so forth. Make it as long as possible. And change it often. Once you've picked a strong password, handle it appropriately. Don't write it down. If you absolutely must write it down, at the very least keep it in a safe or a locked drawer – the first thing a bad guy who's hunting for passwords will do is check for a yellow sticky note on the side of your screen, or in the top desk drawer. Don't tell anyone what your password is. Remember what Ben Franklin said: two people can keep a secret, but only if one of them is dead. Finally, consider using something stronger than passwords to identify yourself to the system. Windows 2000, for instance, supports the use of smart cards, which significantly strengthens the identity checking the system can perform. You may also want to consider biometric products like fingerprint and retina scanners. Law #6: A machine is only as secure as the administrator is trustworthy. Every computer must have an administrator: someone who can install software, configure the operating system, add and manage user accounts, establish security policies, and handle all the other management tasks associated with keeping a computer up and running. By definition, these tasks require that he have control over the machine. This puts the administrator in a position of unequalled power. An untrustworthy administrator can negate every other security measure you've taken. He can change the permissions on the machine, modify the system security policies, install malicious software, add bogus users, or do any of a million other things. He can subvert virtually any protective measure in the operating system, because he controls it. Worst of all, he can cover his tracks. If you have an untrustworthy administrator, you have absolutely no security. When hiring a system administrator, recognize the position of trust that administrators occupy, and only hire people who warrant that trust. Call his references, and ask them about his previous work record, especially with regard to any security incidents at previous employers. If appropriate for your organization, you may also consider taking a step that banks and other security-conscious companies do, and require that your administrators pass a complete background check at hiring time, and at periodic intervals afterward. Whatever criteria you select, apply them across the board. Don't give anyone administrative privileges on your network unless they've been vetted – and this includes temporary employees and contractors, too. Next, take steps to help keep honest people honest. Use sign-in/sign-out sheets to track who's been in the server room. (You do have a server room with a locked door, right? If not, re-read Law #3). Implement a â€Å"two person† rule when installing or upgrading software. Diversify management tasks as much as possible, as a way of minimizing how much power any one administrator has. Also, don't use the Administrator account – instead, give each administrator a separate account with administrative privileges, so you can tell who's doing what. Finally, consider taking steps to make it more difficult for a rogue administrator to cover his tracks. For instance, store audit data on write-only media, or house System A's audit data on System B, and make sure that the two systems have different administrators. The more accountable your administrators are, the less likely you are to have problems. Law #7: Encrypted data is only as secure as the decryption key. Suppose you installed the biggest, strongest, most secure lock in the world on your front door, but you put the key under the front door mat. It wouldn't really matter how strong the lock is, would it? The critical factor would be the poor way the key was protected, because if a burglar could find it, he'd have everything he needed to open the lock. Encrypted data works the same way – no matter how strong the cryptoalgorithm is, the data is only as safe as the key that can decrypt it. Many operating systems and cryptographic software products give you an option to store cryptographic keys on the computer. The advantage is convenience – you don't have to handle the key – but it comes at the cost of security. The keys are usually obfuscated (that is, hidden), and some of the obfuscation methods are quite good. But in the end, no matter how well-hidden the key is, if it's on the machine it can be found. It has to be – after all, the software can find it, so a sufficiently-motivated bad guy could find it, too. Whenever possible, use offline storage for keys. If the key is a word or phrase, memorize it. If not, export it to a floppy disk, make a backup copy, and store the copies in separate, secure locations. Law #8: An out of date virus scanner is only marginally better than no virus scanner at all. Virus scanners work by comparing the data on your computer against a collection of virus â€Å"signatures†. Each signature is characteristic of a particular virus, and when the scanner finds data in a file, email, or elsewhere that matches the signature, it concludes that it's found a virus. However, a virus scanner can only scan for the viruses it knows about. It's vital that you keep your virus scanner's signature file up to date, as new viruses are created every day. The problem actually goes a bit deeper than this, though. Typically, a new virus will do the greatest amount of damage during the early stages of its life, precisely because few people will be able to detect it. Once word gets around that a new virus is on the loose and people update their virus signatures, the spread of the virus falls off drastically. The key is to get ahead of the curve, and have updated signature files on your machine before the virus hits. Virtually every maker of anti-virus software provides a way to get free updated signature files from their web site. In fact, many have â€Å"push† services, in which they'll send notification every time a new signature file is released. Use these services. Also, keep the virus scanner itself – that is, the scanning software – updated as well. Virus writers periodically develop new techniques that require that the scanners change how they do their work. Law #9: Absolute anonymity isn't practical, in real life or on the web. All human interaction involves exchanging data of some kind. If someone weaves enough of that data together, they can identify you. Think about all the information that a person can glean in just a short conversation with you. In one glance, they can gauge your height, weight, and approximate age. Your accent will probably tell them what country you're from, and may even tell them what region of the country. If you talk about anything other than the weather, you'll probably tell them something about your family, your interests, where you live, and what you do for a living. It doesn't take long for someone to collect enough information to figure out who you are. If you crave absolute anonymity, your best bet is to live in a cave and shun all human contact. The same thing is true of the Internet. If you visit a web site, the owner can, if he's sufficiently motivated, find out who you are. After all, the ones and zeroes that make up the web session have be able to find their way to the right place, and that place is your computer. There are a lot of measures you can take to disguise the bits, and the more of them you use, the more thoroughly the bits will be disguised. For instance, you could use network address translation to mask your actual IP address, subscribe to an anonymizing service that launders the bits by relaying them from one end of the ether to the other, use a different ISP account for different purposes, surf certain sites only from public kiosks, and so on. All of these make it more difficult to determine who you are, but none of them make it impossible. Do you know for certain who operates the anonymizing service? Maybe it's the same person who owns the web site you just visited! Or what about that innocuous web ! site you visited yesterday, that offered to mail you a free $10 off coupon? Maybe the owner is willing to share information with other web site owners. If so, the second web site owner may be able to correlate the information from the two sites and determine who you are. Does this mean that privacy on the web is a lost cause? Not at all. What it means is that the best way to protect your privacy on the Internet is the same as the way you protect your privacy in normal life – through your behavior. Read the privacy statements on the web sites you visit, and only do business with ones whose practices you agree with. If you're worried about cookies, disable them. Most importantly, avoid indiscriminate web surfing – recognize that just as most cities have a bad side of town that's best avoided, the Internet does too. But if it's complete and total anonymity you want, better start looking for that cave. The Art of War Sun-Tzu Wu is the reputed author of the Chinese classic Ping-fa (The Art of War), written approximately 475-221 B. C. Penned at a time when China was divided into six or seven states that often resorted to war with each other in their struggles for supremacy, it is a systematic guide to strategy and tactics for rulers and commanders. In doing business on the Internet during this time of rampant computer viruses and hacker attacks it may be wise for us to follow some of his tactical principles in order to insure the safety of ourselves and our future clients. Know your enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated. When you are ignorant of the enemy but know yourself, your chances of winning or losing are equal. If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are sure to be defeated in every battle. In a chilling article entitled Big Brother is Watching Bob Sullivan of MSNBC recounts a tale during a recent visit to London: Only moments after stepping into the Webshack Internet cafe in London†s Soho neighborhood, â€Å"Mark† asked me what I thought of George W. Bush and Al Gore. â€Å"I wouldn†t want Bush running things,† he said. â€Å"Because he can†t run his Web site.† Then he showed me a variety of ways to hack Bush†s Web sites. That was just the beginning of a far-reaching chat during which the group nearly convinced me Big Brother is in fact here in London. â€Å"I don†t know if he can run the free world,† Mark said. â€Å"He can†t keep the Texas banking system computers secure. So-called â€Å"2600† clubs are a kind of hacker â€Å"boy scout† organization – there are local 2600 chapters all around the globe. It is in this environment, and this mindset, that London†s hackers do their work. They do not analyze computer systems and learn how to break them out of spite, or some childish need to destroy: Mark and friends see themselves as merely accumulating knowledge that could be used in self-defense if necessary. They are the citizen†s militia, the Freedom Fighters of the Information Age, trying to stay one step ahead of technology that could one day be turned against them. Jon-K Adams in his treatise entitled Hacker Ideology (aka Hacking Freedom) states that hackers have been called both techno-revolutionaries and heroes of the computer revolution. Hacking â€Å"has become a cultural icon about decentralized power.† But for all that, hackers are reluctant rebels. They prefer to fight with code than with words. And they would rather appear on the net than at a news conference. Status in the hacker world cannot be granted by the general public: it takes a hacker to know and appreciate a hacker. That's part of the hacker's revolutionary reluctance; the other part is the news media's slant toward sensationalism, such as, â€Å"A cyberspace dragnet snared fugitive hacker.† The public tends to think of hacking as synonymous with computer crime, with breaking into computers and stealing and destroying valuable data. As a result of this tabloid mentality, the hacker attempts to fade into the digital world, where he-and it is almost always he-has a place if not a! In his self-conception, the hacker is not a criminal, but rather a â€Å"person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and how to stretch their capabilities.† Which means that he is not necessarily a computer geek. The hacker defines himself in terms that extend beyond the computer, as an â€Å"expert or enthusiast of any kind. One might be an astronomy hacker† (Jargon File). So in the broadest sense of his self-conception, the hacker hacks knowledge; he wants to know how things work, and the computer-the prototypical programmable system-simply offers more complexity and possibility, and thus more fascination, than most other things. >From this perspective, hacking appears to be a harmless if nerdish enthusiasm. But at the same time, this seemingly innocent enthusiasm is animated by an ideology that leads to a conflict with civil authority. The hacker is motivated by the belief that the search for knowledge is an end in itself and should be unrestricted. But invariably, when a hacker explores programmable systems, he encounters barriers that bureaucracies impose in the name of security. For the hacker, these security measures become arbitrary limits placed on his exploration, or in cases that often lead to confrontation, they become the focus of further explorations: for the hacker, security measures simply represent a more challenging programmable system. As a result, when a hacker explores such systems, he hacks knowledge, but ideologically he hacks the freedom to access knowledge. Political hackers are another group considering themselves modern freedom fighters. â€Å"Hacktivists† have officially moved from nerdish extremists to become the political protest visionaries of the digital age, a meeting at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London was told on Thursday. Paul Mobbs, an experienced Internet activist and anti-capitalist protestor, will tell attendees that the techniques used by politically minded computer hackers — from jamming corporate networks and sending email viruses to defacing Web sites — has moved into the realm of political campaigning. Mobbs says that the term â€Å"Hacktivism† has been adopted by so many different groups, from peaceful Net campaigners to Internet hate groups, that it is essentially meaningless, but claims that Internet protest is here to stay. â€Å"It has a place, whether people like it or not,† says Mobbs. Steve Mizrach in his 1997 dissertation entitled Is there a Hacker Ethic for 90s Hackers? delves into this subject in great detail. He describes the divergent groups of hackers and explains their modus operandi: I define the computer underground as members of the following six groups. Sometimes I refer to the CU as â€Å"90s hackers† or â€Å"new hackers,† as opposed to old hackers, who are hackers (old sense of the term) from the 60s who subscribed to the original Hacker Ethic.  § Hackers (Crackers, system intruders) – These are people who attempt to penetrate security systems on remote computers. This is the new sense of the term, whereas the old sense of the term simply referred to a person who was capable of creating hacks, or elegant, unusual, and unexpected uses of technology. Typical magazines (both print and online) read by hackers include 2600 and Iron Feather Journal.  § Phreaks (Phone Phreakers, Blue Boxers) – These are people who attempt to use technology to explore and/or control the telephone system. Originally, this involved the use of â€Å"blue boxes† or tone generators, but as the phone company began using digital instead of electro-mechanical switches, the phreaks became more like hackers. Typical magazines read by Phreaks include Phrack, Line Noize, and New Fone Express.  § Virus writers (also, creators of Trojans, worms, logic bombs) – These are people who write code which attempts to a) reproduce itself on other systems without authorization and b) often has a side effect, whether that be to display a message, play a prank, or trash a hard drive. Agents and spiders are essentially ‘benevolent' virii, raising the question of how underground this activity really is. Typical magazines read by Virus writers include 40HEX.  § Pirates – Piracy is sort of a non-technical matter. Originally, it involved breaking copy protection on software, and this activity was called â€Å"cracking.† Nowadays, few software vendors use copy protection, but there are still various minor measures used to prevent the unauthorized duplication of software. Pirates devote themselves to thwarting these things and sharing commercial software freely with their friends. They usually read Pirate Newsletter and Pirate magazine.  § Cypherpunks (cryptoanarchists) – Cypherpunks freely distribute the tools and methods for making use of strong encryption, which is basically unbreakable except by massive supercomputers. Because the NSA and FBI cannot break strong encryption (which is the basis of the PGP or Pretty Good Privacy), programs that employ it are classified as munitions, and distribution of algorithms that make use of it is a felony. Some cryptoanarchists advocate strong encryption as a tool to completely evade the State, by preventing any access whatsoever to financial or personal information. They typically read the Cypherpunks mailing list.  § Anarchists – are committed to distributing illegal (or at least morally suspect) information, including but not limited to data on bombmaking, lockpicking, pornography, drug manufacturing, pirate radio, and cable and satellite TV piracy. In this parlance of the computer underground, anarchists are less likely to advocate the overthrow of government than the simple refusal to obey restrictions on distributing information. They tend to read Cult of the Dead Cow (CDC) and Activist Times Incorporated (ATI).  § Cyberpunk – usually some combination of the above, plus interest in technological self-modification, science fiction of the Neuromancer genre, and interest in hardware hacking and â€Å"street tech.† A youth subculture in its own right, with some overlaps with the â€Å"modern primitive† and â€Å"raver† subcultures. So should we fear these geeky little mischief-makers? The New York Post revealed recently that a busboy allegedly managed to steal millions of dollars from the world†s richest people by stealing their identities and tricking credit agencies and brokerage firms. In his article describing this event Bob Sullivan says, â€Å"Abraham Abdallah, I think, did us all a favor, for he has exposed as a sham the security at the world†s most important financial institutions.† The same two free e-mail addresses were used to request financial transfers for six different wealthy Merrill Lynch clients, according to the Post story. Merrill Lynch didn†t notice? Why would Merrill accept any transfer requests, indeed take any financial communication seriously at all, from a free, obviously unverified anonymous e-mail account? I†m alarmed by the checks and balances that must be in place at big New York brokerage firms. Rather than being a story about a genius who almost got away, this is simply one more story of easy identity theft amid a tidal wave of similar crimes. The Federal Trade Commission has received 40,000 complaints of identity theft since it started keeping track two years ago, but the agency is certain that represents only a fraction of real victims. This is a serious problem, long ignored by the industry. If fact, just last year the credit industry beat back a congressional bill known as The Identity Theft Protection Act, claiming it would be too expensive for them. â€Å"Clearly there has to be more leveling of the playing field. We have to hold banks and credit unions accountable.† Last month the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was again warning electronic-commerce Web sites to patch their Windows-based systems to protect their data against hackers. The FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) has coordinated investigations over the past several months into organized hacker activities targeting e-commerce sites. More than 40 victims in 20 states have been identified in the ongoing investigations, which have included law enforcement agencies outside the United States and private sector officials. The investigations have uncovered several organized hacker groups from Russia, the Ukraine, and elsewhere in Eastern Europe that have penetrated U.S. e-commerce and online banking computer systems by exploiting vulnerabilities in the Windows NT operating system, the statement said. Microsoft has released patches for these vulnerabilities, which can be downloaded from Microsoft's Web site for free. Once the hackers gain access, they download proprietary information, customer databases, and credit card information, according to the FBI. The hackers subsequently contact the company and attempt to extort money by offering to patch the system and by offering to protect the company's systems from exploitation by other hackers. The hackers tell the victim that without their services they cannot guarantee that other hackers will not access their networks and post stolen credit card information and details about the site's security vulnerability on the Internet. If the company does not pay or hire the group for its security services, the threats escalate, the FBI said. Investigators also believe that in some instances the credit card information is being sold to organized crime groups. Defend yourself when you cannot defeat the enemy, and attack the enemy when you can. Scott Culp in a detailed list of security precautions on Microsoft†s Web page suggests that there are ten immutable laws of security. Law #1: If a bad guy can persuade you to run his program on your computer, it's not your computer anymore. It's an unfortunate fact of computer science: when a computer program runs, it will do what it's programmed to do, even if it's programmed to be harmful. When you choose to run a program, you are making a decision to turn over control of your computer to it. That's why it's important to never run, or even download, a program from an untrusted source – and by â€Å"source†, I mean the person who wrote it, not the person who gave it to you. Law #2: If a bad guy can alter the operating system on your computer, it's not your computer anymore. In the end, an operating system is just a series of ones and zeroes that, when interpreted by the processor, cause the machine to do certain things. Change the ones and zeroes, and it will do something different. To understand why, consider that operating system files are among the most trusted ones on the computer, and they generally run with system-level privileges. That is, they can do absolutely anything. Among other things, they're trusted to manage user accounts, handle password changes, and enforce the rules governing who can do what on the computer. If a bad guy can change them, the now-untrustworthy files will do his bidding, and there's no limit to what he can do. He can steal passwords, make himself an administrator on the machine, or add entirely new functions to the operating system. To prevent this type of attack, make sure that the system files (and the registry! , for that matter) are well protected. Law #3: If a bad guy has unrestricted physical access to your computer, it's not your computer anymore. He could mount the ultimate low-tech denial of service attack, and smash your computer with a sledgehammer.  § He could unplug the computer, haul it out of your building, and hold it for ransom.  § He could boot the computer from a floppy disk, and reformat your hard drive. But wait, you say, I've configured the BIOS on my computer to prompt for a password when I turn the power on. No problem – if he can open the case and get his hands on the system hardware, he could just replace the BIOS chips. (Actually, there are even easier ways).  § He could remove the hard drive from your computer, install it into his computer, and read it.  § He could make a duplicate of your hard drive and take it back his lair. Once there, he'd have all the time in the world to conduct brute-force attacks, such as trying every possible logon password. Programs are available to automate this and, given enough time, it's almost certain that he would succeed. Once that happens, Laws #1 and #2 above apply  § He could replace your keyboard with one that contains a radio transmitter. He could then monitor everything you type, including your password. Always make sure that a computer is physically protected in a way that's consistent with its value – and remember that the value of a machine includes not only the value of the hardware itself, but the value of the data on it, and the value of the access to your network that a bad guy could gain. At a minimum, business-critical machines like domain controllers, database servers, and print/file servers should always be in a locked room that only people charged with administration and maintenance can access. But you may want to consider protecting other machines as well, and potentially using additional protective measures. If you travel with a laptop, it's absolutely critical that you protect it. The same features that make laptops great to travel with – small size, light weight, and so forth – also make them easy to steal. There are a variety of locks and alarms available for laptops, and some models let you remove the hard drive and carry it with you. You also can use features like the Encrypting File System in Windows 2000 to mitigate the damage if someone succeeded in stealing the computer. But the only way you can know with 100% certainty that your data is safe and the hardware hasn't been tampered with is to keep the laptop on your person at all times while traveling. Law #4: If you allow a bad guy to upload programs to your web site, it's not your web site any more. This is basically Law #1 in reverse. In that scenario, the bad guy tricks his victim into downloading a harmful program onto his machine and running it. In this one, the bad guy uploads a harmful program to a machine and runs it himself. Although this scenario is a danger anytime you allow strangers to connect to your machine, web sites are involved in the overwhelming majority of these cases. Many people who operate web sites are too hospitable for their own good, and allow visitors to upload programs to the site and run them. As we've seen above, unpleasant things can happen if a bad guy's program can run on your machine. If you run a web site, you need to limit what visitors can do. You should only allow a program on your site if you wrote it yourself, or if you trust the developer who wrote it. But that may not be enough. If your web site is one of several hosted on a shared server, you need to be extra careful. If a bad guy can compromise one of the other sites on the server, it's possible he could extend his control to the server itself, in which case he could control all of the sites on it – including yours. If you're on a shared server, it's important to find out what the server administrator's policies are. Law #5: Weak passwords trump strong security. The purpose of having a logon process is to establish who you are. Once the operating system knows who you are, it can grant or deny requests for system resources appropriately. If a bad guy learns your password, he can log on as you. In fact, as far as the operating system is concerned, he is you. Whatever you can do on the system, he can do as well, because he's you. Maybe he wants to read sensitive information you've stored on your computer, like your email. Maybe you have more privileges on the network than he does, and being you will let him do things he normally couldn't. Or maybe he just wants to do something malicious and blame it on you. In any case, it's worth protecting your credentials. Always use a password – it's amazing how many accounts have blank passwords. And choose a complex one. Don't use your dog's name, your anniversary date, or the name of the local football team. And don't use the word â€Å"password†! Pick a password that has a mix of upper- and lower-case letters, number, punctuation marks, and so forth. Make it as long as possible. And change it often. Once you've picked a strong password, handle it appropriately. Don't write it down. If you absolutely must write it down, at the very least keep it in a safe or a locked drawer – the first thing a bad guy who's hunting for passwords will do is check for a yellow sticky note on the side of your screen, or in the top desk drawer. Don't tell anyone what your password is. Remember what Ben Franklin said: two people can keep a secret, but only if one of them is dead. Finally, consider using something stronger than passwords to identify yourself to the system. Windows 2000, for instance, supports the use of smart cards, which significantly strengthens the identity checking the system can perform. You may also want to consider biometric products like fingerprint and retina scanners. Law #6: A machine is only as secure as the administrator is trustworthy. Every computer must have an administrator: someone who can install software, configure the operating system, add and manage user accounts, establish security policies, and handle all the other management tasks associated with keeping a computer up and running. By definition, these tasks require that he have control over the machine. This puts the administrator in a position of unequalled power. An untrustworthy administrator can negate every other security measure you've taken. He can change the permissions on the machine, modify the system security policies, install malicious software, add bogus users, or do any of a million other things. He can subvert virtually any protective measure in the operating system, because he controls it. Worst of all, he can cover his tracks. If you have an untrustworthy administrator, you have absolutely no security. When hiring a system administrator, recognize the position of trust that administrators occupy, and only hire people who warrant that trust. Call his references, and ask them about his previous work record, especially with regard to any security incidents at previous employers. If appropriate for your organization, you may also consider taking a step that banks and other security-conscious companies do, and require that your administrators pass a complete background check at hiring time, and at periodic intervals afterward. Whatever criteria you select, apply them across the board. Don't give anyone administrative privileges on your network unless they've been vetted – and this includes temporary employees and contractors, too. Next, take steps to help keep honest people honest. Use sign-in/sign-out sheets to track who's been in the server room. (You do have a server room with a locked door, right? If not, re-read Law #3). Implement a â€Å"two person† rule when installing or upgrading software. Diversify management tasks as much as possible, as a way of minimizing how much power any one administrator has. Also, don't use the Administrator account – instead, give each administrator a separate account with administrative privileges, so you can tell who's doing what. Finally, consider taking steps to make it more difficult for a rogue administrator to cover his tracks. For instance, store audit data on write-only media, or house System A's audit data on System B, and make sure that the two systems have different administrators. The more accountable your administrators are, the less likely you are to have problems. Law #7: Encrypted data is only as secure as the decryption key. Suppose you installed the biggest, strongest, most secure lock in the world on your front door, but you put the key under the front door mat. It wouldn't really matter how strong the lock is, would it? The critical factor would be the poor way the key was protected, because if a burglar could find it, he'd have everything he needed to open the lock. Encrypted data works the same way – no matter how strong the cryptoalgorithm is, the data is only as safe as the key that can decrypt it. Many operating systems and cryptographic software products give you an option to store cryptographic keys on the computer. The advantage is convenience – you don't have to handle the key – but it comes at the cost of security. The keys are usually obfuscated (that is, hidden), and some of the obfuscation methods are quite good. But in the end, no matter how well-hidden the key is, if it's on the machine it can be found. It has to be – after all, the software can find it, so a sufficiently-motivated bad guy could find it, too. Whenever possible, use offline storage for keys. If the key is a word or phrase, memorize it. If not, export it to a floppy disk, make a backup copy, and store the copies in separate, secure locations. Law #8: An out of date virus scanner is only marginally better than no virus scanner at all. Virus scanners work by comparing the data on your computer against a collection of virus â€Å"signatures†. Each signature is characteristic of a particular virus, and when the scanner finds data in a file, email, or elsewhere that matches the signature, it concludes that it's found a virus. However, a virus scanner can only scan for the viruses it knows about. It's vital that you keep your virus scanner's signature file up to date, as new viruses are created every day. The problem actually goes a bit deeper than this, though. Typically, a new virus will do the greatest amount of damage during the early stages of its life, precisely because few people will be able to detect it. Once word gets around that a new virus is on the loose and people update their virus signatures, the spread of the virus falls off drastically. The key is to get ahead of the curve, and have updated signature files on your machine before the virus hits. Virtually every maker of anti-virus software provides a way to get free updated signature files from their web site. In fact, many have â€Å"push† services, in which they'll send notification every time a new signature file is released. Use these services. Also, keep the virus scanner itself – that is, the scanning software – updated as well. Virus writers periodically develop new techniques that require that the scanners change how they do their work. Law #9: Absolute anonymity isn't practical, in real life or on the web. All human interaction involves exchanging data of some kind. If someone weaves enough of that data together, they can identify you. Think about all the information that a person can glean in just a short conversation with you. In one glance, they can gauge your height, weight, and approximate age. Your accent will probably tell them what country you're from, and may even tell them what region of the country. If you talk about anything other than the weather, you'll probably tell them something about your family, your interests, where you live, and what you do for a living. It doesn't take long for someone to collect enough information to figure out who you are. If you crave absolute anonymity, your best bet is to live in a cave and shun all human contact. The same thing is true of the Internet. If you visit a web site, the owner can, if he's sufficiently motivated, find out who you are. After all, the ones and zeroes that make up the web session have be able to find their way to the right place, and that place is your computer. There are a lot of measures you can take to disguise the bits, and the more of them you use, the more thoroughly the bits will be disguised. For instance, you could use network address translation to mask your actual IP address, subscribe to an anonymizing service that launders the bits by relaying them from one end of the ether to the other, use a different ISP account for different purposes, surf certain sites only from public kiosks, and so on. All of these make it more difficult to determine who you are, but none of them make it impossible. Do you know for certain who operates the anonymizing service? Maybe it's the same person who owns the web site you just visited! Or what about that innocuous web ! site you visited yesterday, that offered to mail you a free $10 off coupon? Maybe the owner is willing to share information with other web site owners. If so, the second web site owner may be able to correlate the information from the two sites and determine who you are. Does this mean that privacy on the web is a lost cause? Not at all. What it means is that the best way to protect your privacy on the Internet is the same as the way you protect your privacy in normal life – through your behavior. Read the privacy statements on the web sites you visit, and only do business with ones whose practices you agree with. If you're worried about cookies, disable them. Most importantly, avoid indiscriminate web surfing – recognize that just as most cities have a bad side of town that's best avoided, the Internet does too. But if it's complete and total anonymity you want, better start looking for that cave.

SeniorServ Practice

Mohammad ChowhanAmerican Public UniversitySeniorServ, Adult Day Health CareSecuring Home, Health & HeartAnaheim, CaliforniaInstructor: Dr. Carter-Mccummings, JewelMarch 22, 2018Abstract. I chose my practicum site because of several reasons. Selecting SeniorServ practicum has numerous benefits to facilitate selecting public health career. As an intern, I have the opportunity to experience the type of work that could be performed in the position, to determine if my skills match the work that is essential and to evaluate whether that work is what I could see myself accomplishment day in and day out in a enjoyable career. One of the fastest growing areas of health care is elder care. As people age and find themselves with increased health issues, the need for dependent care often tops their list as they plan for the years ahead. More and more seniors are choosing to stay in their homes as long as possible and that can put a burden on the primary caregivers who may not have the time or the ability to provide the necessary care. Providing a healthy, interactive environment for the dependent adult can give the caregivers relief from constant care for their loved one. There are many opportunities in the adult day care area. Maybe one of these is a perfect match for me. SeniorServ Adult Health Day Care is a non-profit, client centered, day program for older adults living in the Orange County Area. Most of our participants vary in levels of dependency from mild to severe and often have a chronic illness. SeniorServ's main goal is to keep families and their loved ones united within their respective communities and homes for as long as possible through an integrated care program which includes daily activities, Physical ; occupational therapies, nursing and personal care services. SeniorServ Adult Health Day Care operate smoothly is challenging and rewarding. There are opportunities in planning events, transportation, scheduling, finance, public relations/ presentations, fundraising, supervision, crisis management and recruitment as well as meaningful daily interaction with the program participants we serve. Each brings its own reward.IntroductionFor 50 years SeniorServ has been the largest nonprofit senior nutrition and supportive service provider in Orange County, serving nearly  one million meals  to over  10,000 at-risk older adults annually. We deliver programs and services that reduce hunger and improve wellness for seniors so that they may live independently in the homes and communities they love. The organization was originally incorporated in 1967 as Feedback Foundation. In 2006 Feedback Foundation and Senior Meals and Services merged creating SeniorServ,  providing the capacity for meeting the growing and diverse needs of older adults in our community. SeniorServ leverages its 22,000 square foot commercial kitchen and warehouse to process all our foods while providing social enterprise opportunities to the community at large.SeniorServ is proud to celebrate 50 years of programs and services that diminish hunger and loneliness for penurious seniors. Although a lot has changed since our humble beginnings in 1967, one thing that has remained is our commitment to helping older adults stay in their homes, preserve their dignity, and maintain their independence. With your support, we can give support – bringing them healthy meals, providing friendship, and, often, offering the only human contact they have all week long. Home-delivered meals, Case Management, Adult Day Services, health related rehabilitation. Friendly Visitors, Care Circles, and Care Coordination work at keeping seniors in Orange County living in the homes and communities they love. Good nutrition is the basis of good health. Meals on Wheels and Senior Center lunches throughout the county deliver healthy nutrition. Adult Day Health Care safeguards health through supervision, and therapies. Care Coordination reduces health risks after hospitalization. Compassionate care in our Adult Day Health Centers, friends and activities at Adult Day Services, companionship from a Friendly Visitor and support from a Care Circle are just a few ways SeniorServ makes sure older adults are happy, connected and feeling loved. MissionTo nourish the wellness, purpose, and dignity of seniors and their families in our community.Values of SeniorServCompassion: We are caring ; compassionate in all we do. Integrity: We are always honest and ethical. Respect: We treat every person with dignity and respect. Excellence: We deliver on our mission with excellence and professionalism. Communication: We listen and speak openly with each other. Innovation: We create an environment where innovation and possibilities thrive. Indispensable GoalsCollaborate with other elder advocates and seniors focused organizations to develop a strategy for the enactment of federal and state legislation that is of benefit to California older adults. Ensure that basic, essential in-home and in facility support services, both medical and non-medical are available to older senior adults.Develop a patient-centered community case management model for chronic care and successful transitions along the care continuum including transitions from and to hospitals, other care facilities, and homes. Explore and implement best practices for integrated assessment and treatment mental health, substance abuse, and cognitive decline, including access to a geriatric treatment progress.Enhance awareness of the importance of nutrition, exercise, brain fitness, socialization, and spirituality in the aging well process.Service Delivered in SeniorServAdult Day Health Care (ADHC) is designed for individuals with physical and mental impairments under SeniorServ. This center provides supportive therapies to enable individuals and their loved ones to maintain as much as daily independence as possible. Nursing and MedicalPersonal Care Physical TherapyOccupational TherapySpeech and Cognitive TherapySocial ServicesDietary ; Nutritional ServicesStimulating Exercise HallTransportationRespite for CaregiversWeekly Public Health Awareness Discussion SessionsCollaborations with Other Organizations ; AgenciesSeniorServ has deep collaboration with other organizations and agencies for effective implications. Agencies and organizations are as follows:Alignment HealthcareKaiser PermanenteSCANSt, Joseph HealthActive Care LivingSilveradoLocations of SeniorServAnaheim Health Day Care CenterSanta Ana/ Tustin Health Day Care CenterBuena Part Senior CenterPreceptor's CredentialsMr. Giovanni Corzo, vice president home & Care Services, Overseas SeniorServ's direct care services. Chair of the OneCare Connect Member Advisory Committee (OCCMAC). He represents California MediConnect Plan member (Medicare-Medicaid).Important Public Health Issues Being Addressed in Practicum SiteChronic Health Conditions: More than 80% of elderlies have at least heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. Cognitive Health: The most mutual cognitive health issue facing the elderly is dementia, the loss of those cognitive functions. The most generic form of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, though there is no cure for dementia, a treatment plan & medications to manage this disease is helpful, like different activities, puzzle-based exercises. SeniorServ has fully fledged sections under physical therapy, occupational therapy and aids for above purpose. Mental Health: A common mental disorder among seniors is depression. Unfortunately, this mental disorder, often undiagnosed & undertreat. But social and other activities-based exercises are very helpful to ease. Promoting lifestyle of healthy living such as betterment of living condition and social support from family, friends or supporting groups can help treat depression. SeniorServ has daily activities including † Lets color it† , Mà ºsica and health awareness sessions. Physical Injuries: The leading cause of injury among elderlies is increasing, due to age, bones cause to shrink and muscle to lose strength & flexibility, senior are most vulnerable. These problems are handled at SeniorServ through education, increased physical activities and practical modification. Malnutrition: Malnutrition in older adults leads to health complications, such as a weakened immune system and muscle weakness. Registered Dietitian and nutrition staff SeniorServ are doing their job to work on healthy breakfast & lunch at regular basis.Sensory Impairments: Sensory impairments, such as vision and hearing, are extremly common for elders. Regading eyes and ears, nursing center take care on daily basis.Bladder Control & Constipation: Incontinence and constpation are common cmplications in senior adults. Center manages elders' food according to their digestive condition. Nursing staff and caregivers are always ready to manage elders' needs. My Contributions at SeniorServHelped Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy staff during therapy sessions.Helped caregivers and nutritional staff during their serving and preparation time.Assisted Activity director during daily tasks and lead small groups.Be part of team who prepared health literature for awareness. I lead small group sessions on public health awareness topics as: Fast Food: Good or Bad Nutrition and Diet Engineered Food for Health Role of Genes in spreading diseases Alcoho, Tobacco and other legal & Illegal Drugs Benefits of Spices, Herbs & Minerals Relationship of Practicum Activities to Student's Academic WorkMy specialty in public health is a reason that I chose SeniorServ for my practicum.Active Living Every Day (ALED) at SeniorServ uses facilitated group-based problem-solving methods to integrate physical activity into everyday living.Enhance Fitness Program is highly adaptable exercise program offering levels that are challenging enough for active older adults and levels that are safe enough for the unfit or near frail.Healthy Moves for Aging Well is a simple and safe in-door physical activity intervention developed and tested by Partners in Care to enhance the activity level of frail, high-risk sedentary seniors living at home. Usefullness, Impact ; Relevance of Selected Practicum on My Planned CareerDuring my stay at SeniorServ, I learned so many new things plus polished my existing skills.I am planning to work for wellness center or advising center that gives awareness in public health, regarding nutrition, healthy activities and social interactions.My Recommendations for the Future Direction of Practicum SiteI recommended them for health awareness discussion among seniors. I started that since in the beginning on weekly basis.I touched topics on nutrition, healthy living, daily fitness exercises.I talked to different senior groups on general health.I recommended to director that talk to individuals and find out their interest and link that help to improve their health.Recommended and be part of leading short talks about health and social issues.Practicum Students should have access to seniors' personal/medical records. Due to my recommendations, I assist SeniorServ's nutritional staff. All centers like SeniorServ don't allow volunteer to physical help in PT & OT areas without initial training. Center is ready to do arrangements for practicum/Inter/volunteers to have initial PT & OT initial training.Evaluations of Overall Practicum Experience & SuggestionsInvolve older adult and youth groups in planning appropriate intergenerational volunteer opportunities for seniors to remain engaged in the community.Integrate a wide range of updated older adult health, recreational, and fitness related activities, such as Pilates and spinning, into existing programsTo enhance the quality of academic learning about elder care issues and policy in various disciplines by integrating meaningful community service into courseworkPracticum DeliverablesFit or Fat (Exercise Program) CopyWeekly Discussion Session Progress Reports (Copy)Mentor/Practicum Agreement (Copy)Leisure ActivitiesDaily Visiting Schedule of Seniors to Nursing Room Brain GamesMonthy Log of Practicum Student at SeniorServ.(Copy)ReferencesHarrigan, B. (2018). Senior Internship. Retrieved March 23,2018 from http://www.natickps.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=121475&pageId=575756Weaver, R. (2017). Health Promotion and Wellness Management. Retrieved March 23, 2018 Fromhttps://academics.rowan.edu/shp/departments/hes/programs/undergraduate/healthPromotion/internshiphpwm.pdfRekdal, A. (2016). How interns shape the culture and tech of 20 Chicago companies. Retrieved March 23, 2018 fromhttps://www.builtinchicago.org/2016/07/20/internship-programs-chicago-tech-companiesNiering, G. (2016). Internship Reflection Papers. Retrieved March 23, 2018 fromhttps://www.conncoll.edu/media/website-media/centers/goodwin-niering/greenlivingdocs/Class-of-2016-Internship-Reflection-Papers-Booklet.pdfKumar, S., Preetha, GS. (2012). Health Promotion: An Effective Tool for Global Health. Retrieved February 21, 2018 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3326808/ American Heart Association (AHA. (2015). Eating Fast Food. Retrieved February 21, 2018 from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/DiningOut/Eating-Fast-Food_UCM_301473_Article.jsp#.Wo4G9q6nHIU Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2017). A Public Health Action Plan to Prevent Heart Disease and Stroke. Retrieved February 21, 2018 from https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/action_plan/pdfs/action_plan_full.pdf National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI). (2017). Three Public Health Training Needs Rise to the Top. Retrieved February 21, 2018 fromhttps://nnphi.org/three-core-competencies-rise-to-the-top-of-the-list-of-public-health-training-needs/ omplete and submit 15 – 25 page reflective paper (12-pt Times New Roman font; double spaced; title page; page numbers-bottom center; APA style, citations & at least  7 references)**The format of the final paper may vary based upon the student's location and activities; however, the following items must be discussed:a. Provide an overview of the practicum agency (organization's mission, organization's goals, location, collaboration with other local, national or international public health agencies, preceptor's credentials)b. Describe current public health issue(s) being addressed during the course of student's practicum experiencec. Describe contributions the student has made during their involvement in practicum experienced. Summarize the relation of the practicum activities to student's academic work and/or concentration areae. Summarize the usefulness, impact and relevance the selected practicum on the student's planned careerf. Provide recommendations for the future direction of practicum agency addressing public health issues on a local, national, and international levelg. Evaluation of overall practicum experience (assessment of overall experience, positive and negative aspects of experience, new skills/knowledge gained, suggestions to faculty for improving future practicum experiences)h. Submit a copy of your deliverables online (Your paper WILL NOT be graded and will receive a zero grade if deliverables are not attached with your  reflection paper).

Friday, August 30, 2019

First Day on Earth Pro and Antagonist Essay

In the novel â€Å"First Day on Earth†, the protagonist is a boy named Mal whom believes he is an alien and is being tracked. He thinks he doesn’t belong on Earth and is needed in outerspace. Mal’s Father left his mother when he was a kid and now lives with his mother whom is often drunk. He often goes to an abductee support group where he meets people with other worldly secrets of their own which they share at this group. Also,Mal meets a guy named Hooper who seems to be somewhat like Mal. Hooper says he is an alien and Mal thinks that some day these aliens will find him and he is going to be free. Mal is very different from everyone else. He is bullied by all the popular kids and is often ignored. He never likes to share his thoughts in class about anything because he thinks they are stupid and everyone will laugh at him. Mal is the kid with greasy hair, slumped in the last row of seats in class. The kid whom everyone is afraid to talk to. He is full of secreats. Years ago, he disappeared in for three days. weather it was a breakdown or an alien abduction, even Mal isn’t sure. In my opinion, the song â€Å"Fireworks† by Katy Perry describes the character of Mal very well. This is because the quote â€Å"baby your a firework, come and let your colours burst† means that don’t be afraid of what others think of you, just do what you think is right. In this novel, Mal’s character is exactly like this verse from the song because he believes he is an alien and doesn’t care what others think of him. he keeps stuff to himself and doesn’t mind anyone else’s business or what they think about him. Mal is a very loving and caring kind of person. He has only two friends, Mark and Sameer whom don’t sit with him at lunch because Mal likes the outdoors and they dont. All the popular kids ignore him except for a girl named Posey. She doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her,she’s just always nice to Mal and is always willing to help out. Mal likes animals and can’t see them in trouble, so whenever he finds lost or hurt animals, he brings them to a shelter where Posey’s mother works. That way, the animals are taken care of very well, and Mal gets a chance to get closer to people. When Mal goes with Hooper to send him back home, Mal tells him he wants to go with him and how he doesn’t like it being on Earth. Hooper tells him that he is his only friend and doesn’t want any harm for him, so he refuses. When Hooper leaves into the distance, Mal, Posey and Darwyn go back into the car and go on their way back home, when Mal decides to make a U-Turn and goes back into the place where he left Hooper. Mal decides to go and follow where hooper had left and ended up in space. He then made a really tough decision of staying in Earth because of the people whom need him such as his drunk mother, friends and most importantly, Earth. Antagonist In this novel, the antagonist is a boy named Hooper. Mal meets him at an abductee support group where people share their stories of what they think happened to them. As Hooper shares his story, Mal gets really interested and gets confidence to share his own. As everyone heard Mal’s story, they reacted like nothing happened so Hooper gave him a thumbs-up to show him it went fine.Almost everyone in the group was older than Mal except for Hooper. He was the only person at the abductee support group who was almost the same age as Mal/looked like it. As Mal and Hooper get to know each other a bit more, Hooper tells Mal that he is an alien and doesn’t belong at Earth,which is exactly what Mal thinks about himself. As Mal was driving, he saw a dog and decided to follow it so he can give it to the shelter. The dog ran and went to Hooper whom was living in a box. Mal was shocked and wanted to talk to him about it so he took him to a Burrito place and said it was his treat because he wasn’t sure if he had any money. He told him to take his belongings with him so he can take him to a shelter home. In my opinion, the song â€Å"E.T† by Katy Perry describes the character of Hooper very well. This is because it describes how Hooper is an alien and is different/ has different ways to do things. The verse â€Å"They say, be afraid,your not like the others†¦Ã¢â‚¬  means that people say to be afraid but your not like others so there is no need to be afraid. I believe this is Hooper’s character because he isn’t afraid of humans even though he is an alien and doesn’t know much about humans. Hooper is a very straingt forward kind of person. He says everything direct of whatever he thinks. Outside of the support group, he regularly meets Mal except after he went to the shelter home. After the day Mal took him for the treat to Burrito’s, Hooper’s favourite food became Burrito’s. He would go there almost everyda. One day when Mal and Hooper met, Hooper treated Mal to eat Burrito’s. Mal talked to hooper of how he believes he is an alien and wanted him to take him to outerspace. Hooper starts to laugh and says he is his only friend, and doesn’t want anything to happen to him, and refuses. When Hooper and Mal get very close to eachother, Hooper shows Mal the star chart and tells him how he is an extraterrestril. He also lets Mal keep the chart, but Mal refuses because he thinks he will loose it , so Hooper decides to give him a copy of the chart instead. Near the ending of the novel, Hooper tells Mal that he needs to go to his actual home because it is now or never.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

An Overview Of Criminal Justice Systems Assignment

An Overview Of Criminal Justice Systems - Assignment Example Prosecution and investigative powers accorded to law enforcers should not violate or abuse the rights of those who have been accused of crime (Friedman, 2003). In fact, those accused of committing crimes are protected by the law against any form of abuse from prosecution and investigatory powers (Hanes & Hanes, 2005). Therefore, criminal justice systems need to be clear and easy to understand so that they can ensure fairness and justice to all. Introduction Criminal justice has been described as the application and study of laws concerned with criminal behavior. Lawyers, the police and those working in the judiciary study criminal justice to understand the systems of criminal justice that are used in their jurisdictions. A criminal justice system is simply a set of social and legal institutions that enforce the criminal law in accordance with a predefined set of procedures, rules and limitations. ... As seen earlier, a criminal justice system consists of practices and government institutions responsible for promoting social control, mitigating and deterring crime and giving sanctions to all those who violate the law with rehabilitation efforts and criminal penalties (Guinchard & Buisson, 2011). Different jurisdictions may have different criminal justice systems but they should all be driven by the need to ensure justice and fairness prevails for all. The main objectives of any criminal justice system should be to control and mitigate crime and adequately deal with those that have been accused of committing crimes so as to protect their rights and those of other citizens (Walker, 1980). An Overview of the Criminal Justice System The criminal justice system is made up of three main parts. The first part includes the legislative which is responsible for the creation of laws to be applied within a certain jurisdiction. The second part is referred to as the adjudication and it is made up of the courts that are responsible for applying the law to decide whether a person who has been accused of committing a crime is innocent or guilty (Friedman, 2003). The third part of a criminal justice system is the corrections which comprises of correctional and custodial facilities, including probation, parole, jails and prisons. These distinct entities and agencies work together under the rule of law so as to maintain this rule of law within any given society (Walker, 1980). It is in these parts of the criminal justice system that the police, district attorney, defense council and the judges or magistrates are found. Each of these parties has their own distinct roles and responsibilities within any criminal justice system (Sunga, 2000). Investigative and

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Plato, Descartes, and Freud's Take on Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Plato, Descartes, and Freud's Take on - Essay Example In an attempt to do just this, a well known philosopher by the name of, Plato, asked the question, â€Å"What is a good life for a human being?† This question carries with it the supposition that all humans have at least two of the same built in devices, reason and human nature. It also implies that these two devices steer people toward the same goal or purpose. It is philosophy that undertakes the study of discovering what this purpose is, by turning people away from mere appearance and toward reality. The ultimate goal of any philosopher is to uncover how the world looks objectively instead of subjectively, and from what truly is good instead of what just appears to be good. By the use of reason three theories have been developed by the world’s most prominent philosophers during their attempt to divide what is reality, and what is merely and illusion of reality. The first theory, The Divided Line Theory, was developed by Plato. The second theory, Method of Doubt, was created by Descartes. The final theory, Psychoanalysis, was developed by Freud. By taking an in-depth look into how each philosopher reasoned his conclusion and the similarities and differences each theory contains, one might develop a broad answer to one of philosophy’s most probing questions. Divided Line Theory To develop his, Divided Line Theory, Plato used the reasoning that human beings live in a world of visible and intelligible things. The visible world is made up of those things that surround humans. What they can feel, tough, taste and see. However, Plato states that the visible world is made up of uncertainty. The intelligible world on the other hand is made up of unchanging products of human reason; this would consist of anything arising from reason alone, such as mathematics, or abstract definitions. The intelligible world therefore is made up of eternal â€Å"forms† or in Greek â€Å"ideas† of things; the visible world, then, is the imperfect and c hanging manifestation in this world of these unchanging forms. An example would be the Form or Idea of a horse is intelligible, and applies to all horses. This form or idea never changes, even though each horse may vary wildly individually, the form of a horse would never change even if all horses across the world were to disappear. An individual horse, on the other hand, is a physical changing object that can easily case to be a horse. Plato therefore describes these two worlds as existing with a line between them; the intelligible world and the visible world. He says that in the intelligible world one can have knowledge and in the visible world one can have opinion. He then further divides each of the worlds in two. The visible world he divides into illusion which is made up of â€Å"shadows† paintings, poetry, etc. and beliefs which is made up of things that can change, such as an individual horse. The intelligible world is then divided into the sub-categories of reason, w hich is things such as mathematics, and intelligence, which is the understanding of the ultimate good. Plato’s theory differs from Descartes and Freud’s in that he doesn’t attempt to apply it in any way, it is a simple method of grouping aspects of the world to further uncover the ultimate truth. Method of Doubt Descartes Method of

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Is a universal concept of Human Rights possible Essay - 1

Is a universal concept of Human Rights possible - Essay Example The Commission, under the chairmanship of Eleanor Roosevelt, drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was officially adopted by the UN representatives from all over the world on 10 December, 1948. The Declaration emphasized that human rights are universal regardless of person’s nationality, religion, race, cultural, economic, and social background. However, since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the world has significantly changed. The Cold War era, rise of Taliban, radical Islamism, Gaza conflict, the Middle-east War, North Korean dictatorship, recent Ukraine and Syria crisis, Charlie Hebdo attacks, constant tensions in African and south Asian regions, growing global poverty, homelessness, unemployment, violence, crimes, pollution, and the increasing North/South gap in the access to resources and wealth have regularly highlighted the failure of the UN Council and its Commissions in protecting human rights of common people around the world. The end of the Cold war led to the number of desperate attempts to establish â€Å"a new world orders.† But, such attempts have caused more social conflicts than solutions. The introduction of advanced technologies, fast transport means, and globalization began to bring people from various ethnic, social, cultural, and religious backgrounds together involunt arily and voluntarily. In the process of adjusting to pluralism, the tensions, conflicts, and confusion between people from different culture have significantly intensified. As Samuel Huntington have states, the clash of civilizations is the most visible and bitter truth of today’s world. The universality of human rights declaration has caused a stir in a political and social field since its proposal in 1947. The ideas of right and wrong, good and evil that exist in one society may not match with the

Monday, August 26, 2019

The History of New Jerseys Musicians, Songwriters and Singers Research Paper

The History of New Jerseys Musicians, Songwriters and Singers - Research Paper Example New Jersey was the third state to join the union. Many of the leaders in that period were well educated and cultured men who embodied the values of the European countries from where their ancestors came. Dutch, Swedish and British settlers imprinted aspects of their culture on the early New Jersey landscape, and this accounts for its relatively fast move from a traditional farming economy to extensive industrialization and a focus on trade and shipping, and eventually railways as well. Church music was of course a staple of cultural life in the early days, but the situation as far as music is concerned in the new colonies was very different from that in Europe: â€Å"the great European musical tradition grew over the years in the sheltered environment of courts and cathedrals. American music, on the other hand, made its own way in the rougher area of musical entrepreneurship and amateur music making.†1 The so-called â€Å"middle colonies† of New York, Pennsylvania and N ew Jersey contained a mix of peoples, and so from the beginning there was British chamber music, Irish dance music, and Scandinavian square dancing based on Scandinavian traditional music with violins, all co-existing at the same time. New Jersey author and politician Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791) who took part in the creation of the American constitution was a very keen musician: â€Å"In the years before his premature death, by now a highly honoured national figure and Federal District Court Judge, he seemed most proud to proclaim himself ‘the first Native of the United States who has produced a Musical Composition.’ † 2 His compositions were a mix of concert pieces and sacred music, with... This paper stresses that New Jersey artists have been both successful and also very productive over a long period. We have seen how the the rich mix of different cultures arriving with successive waves of immigrants into in New Jersey has brought constant renewal. There is also evidence of the need for good business sense in an region prone to boom and bust economies. New Jersey artists like Frank Sinatra, Bruce Springsteen and Queen Latifah have brought their huge personalities into their work, and they combine an affection and respect for their humble origins with a worldly wisdom gained from decades of hard work and success in the business. It is hard to explain exactly why so many talented musicians have come from New Jersey. This report makes a conclusion that things are not always easy for working class families, and the struggle for success often involves avenues that are outside, or even in opposition to mainstream society. The combination of blue collar backgrounds and world-beating careers has we see in the artists mentioned above displays one feature that is often lacking in modern American music and that is authenticity. The talents of New Jersey shines through diversity, proving that flaws and setbacks in all our lives can be a force drives us on to achieve excellence. Each generation has taken the musical history of New Jersey and made it relevant to its own time, and in so doing they have topped the charts time after time with no sign that this fount of talent will ever stop.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Henrik Ibsens A Dolls House - Assignment Example However, there is no direct reference to A Doll's House in the obituary material. In the Wikipedia entry, only one statement directly refers to the play. However, these two last sources could still be useful as relevant, though indirect materials to aid a student doing a research paper on A Doll's House to shed light on how influences and Ibsen's life background contributed to his writing of the particular play in study. According to the Britannica article on Henrik Ibsen, the "proper voice" of the Norwegian playwright came with the writing of A Doll's House in 1879 (par. 10). In the succeeding three paragraphs of the article, the characters, the plot, the technique used by Ibsen as well as the reaction of audiences towards the play are discussed (par. 11-13). Paragraph 11 tells about the characters and the plot of the play - Torvald Helmer and his wife Nora, with their three children and how a secret of Nora would unravel that would pave the way for revealing the true character of the people in the play.

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Juvenile Drug Abuse Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Juvenile Drug Abuse - Research Paper Example However, the various researches reveal that teenagers have access and abuse different studies from as early s middle school. The habit is notably higher in high school. Different factors contribute to the increasing rates of the habit. According to a fact sheet from the United States Department of Health and Human Services that analyzed facts surrounding Boys and Substance abuse, young boys are prone to developing the habit of drug abuse more than girls develop. The fact sheet indicates that adolescents venture into substance abuse in middle school. Drinking alcohol starts bat this age, but increases greatly in high school. In addition, in 2006, boys reportedly took more alcohol than girls did. In specific statistics, 16% of eight grade boys took alcohol. 47% of boys from twelfth grade and about 34% of tenth grade boys also took alcohol. In 2005, another research showed that three out of five boys used tobacco while two out of five tries out inhalants. In 2006, 22% of boys in grade twelve grade, 13% of tenth graders and 8% of those in eighth grade reportedly smoked at least a cigarette in a month. However, comparison with other years indicates that the rates of tobacco and inhalant use have been falling (United St ates Department of Health and Human Services, 2008). Concerning the use of marijuana the fact sheet indicates that more boys used marijuana in all grades than girls did. In addition, 38% eighth graders, 29% tenth graders and 15% eighth graders who were boys had used marijuana in a year’s time. However, research proved that girls used prescription drugs more than boys did. The fact sheet suggested that the trends in substance use were generally falling on comparison wit previous years. The sheet also made highlights on the factors affecting substance abuse. Teenagers turn to substance abuse to show rebellion, to evade the reality of poor performance in school and

Friday, August 23, 2019

Research propsal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Research propsal - Essay Example Diabetes Mellitus is an incurable chronic disease and is a debilitating health problem which is increasing worldwide. Extreme outcomes can leave the person disabled causing further strain on healthcare costs due to a high incidence of amputations requiring rehabilitation programs (Dunning, 2005) The purpose of this research proposal is to investigate the attitudes and experiences of the diabetic client and to establish which factors prevent effective foot care and compliance. Thus, enhancing the nurses’ understanding of the patients perceptions of the disease and what influences their lifestyles in order to meet compliance or non-compliance toward a holistically devised treatment plan as well as establishing client autonomy to implement effective foot care are the goals of this project(Greenwood, 2000). ‘Patients with diabetes are vulnerable to damage to their feet, and minor problems can deteriorate rapidly’ (Clapham, 1997, p. 851). The successful management of diabetes requires the adherence of a patient to a prescribed self-care plan. This often presents a challenge to health care professionals in order to ensure that the plan of care is implemented. The framework for this literature review is multilevel, moving from the global aspect of diabetic complications, to the more specific aspects of patient’s attitudes and experiences in relation to education and compliance, focusing on the foot care problems experienced by the diabetic client. As the topic of diabetes and lifestyle is reviewed, it is impossible to discuss the complications and implementation of foot care without including the major intervention of patient education. Gallichan (1997, p. 100) states, ‘Diabetic foot problems are usually preventable, through education, early intervention and treatment’. On review of the articles it

Business Excellence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Business Excellence - Essay Example It is in this context that since its inception, the company had been strategically designing its products focussing on the customers’ needs. By adopting the customer centric strategies, Dell was determined to become the low cost leader while providing high value products and services (Dell, 2012). After successfully doing business in the global markets for almost a decade, Dell began facing challenges in terms of competition, rapidly losing its market share and witnessing reduction in its customer bases (Paul & et. al., 2007). Furthermore, the company was losing its market share in all the segments, namely, desktops, servers and notebooks during the same year to its major competitors. Notably, the major factors that led to the declining market share of Dell from all segments can be identified as the company’s emphasis on its traditional business model lacking in terms of innovation and transformation. Due to the company’s resistance to change in the global compet itive market, other players in this industry such as HP and Lenovo emerged as the new leaders. They focussed on the emerging markets and segments such as Laptops, whereas Dell with a market share of 4.2% ranked eighth among other manufacturers (Paul & et. al., 2007). Drivers for Strategic Change In today’s modern era, the process or rather the conception of change is attributed as the only continuous and inevitable phenomenon of the business world. Due to the incessant changes occurring in the external business environment, businesses are becoming increasingly swayed to implement strategic changes in their business processes. It is in this context that due to the ongoing changes in the global business environment, business entities are forced to alter their operational vision, goals and methodologies too often causing the risk of unplanned and chaotic changes in the working process which in turn are quite likely to give rise to perplexity within the human resources and thus l ead towards a greater disruption in the overall operational functions of the organisation. Taking these aspects into concern, the major drivers of change in today’s business context can be stated as the alterations in the external business environment in terms of innovation, competition, legal as well as economic variations, and social changes which accumulatively lead to the alterations of consumer needs, demands along with their perceptions (Yokota & et. al., 2005). Focus Areas for Enhanced Business Performance In today’s global scenario, competition and financial liberalization are considered to be the most influential factors that effectually enable a company to sustain in the prevailing fierce competition. Consequently, with an effect of such fierce competition and growing need for product differentiation, quality has emerged to be one of the prime concerns of global companies in order to enhance its competitive advantages over its rivals. It is owing to the belie f that best quality with

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Natural food and drink industry Essay Example for Free

Natural food and drink industry Essay Executive Summary The all natural food and drink industry is relatively new, it has emerged as part of the clean label trend and is seen as an alternative to the organic products or products labeled as â€Å"free-from†. The global all natural food and drink market has shown a steady growth during the last few years and is expected to grow due to rising demands for healthy, nutritional, natural foods and drinks without chemicals and artificial ingredients. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 35% annually, Indian non-carbonated drink market is likely to touch Rs. 54,000 crore by 2015 from the current level of Rs. 22,000 crore including fruit drinks, nectars and juices etc. Our company J-GAPS started in 2014 thereby tapping this potential in the Indian market had come up with a natural flavored drink segment in terms of coconut water with Kewra and Mint with the product named SIPCO in order to revive freshness. This could be seen as great opportunity in Maharashtra near the Konkan region where the natural source of tender coconut could be fully utilized to provide healthy natural beverage to people. The financial assistance is catered by coconut development board in terms of 50% cost of production. The vision of our company is to provide a natural drink to the consumer so as to improve their health in a fast paced lifestyle. Identifying the gap in this market through market analysis especially in terms of coconut water wherein there are hardly tetra packs available in order to make it convenient for people to have the nutritional drink without carrying the hard husk. The main drivers of introducing such a natural beverage includes rising consumer concerns regarding artificial ingredients, artificially introduced hormones and genetically modified products, and their awareness of the long term health benefits of natural food and good nutrition thereby having a lifestyle of health and sustainability (LOHAS). We therefore see ahead a great potential in this market as GEN – Y would be the most prominent segment to be tapped in order to sustain in the market and thereby expand our presence in India. 1. Current Marketing Situation 1.1 Industry overview The Indian packaged tender coconut water is still an industry in its development phase. There exist a very few players in this market. J-GAPS  aims to position its product in the general market where exist players like Pepsi, Coca cola, Parle agro foods etc. who are major players in the soft drink segment. The emerging trend among consumers to go for healthy and natural food products will drive this industry. Coconut water is a fruit juice with many unique features and a major one is a low calorie content .This makes it a very attractive prospect for weight management positioned juices. 1.2 Company description J-GAPS will primarily engage in extracting, processing and adding flavors to tender coconut water which is then ready to be delivered to stores. It is a privately held firm will be located in Ratnagiri in the state of Maharashtra .We have identified a location which is closer to the coconut farms. J-GAPS sources the tender coconut for its requirements from its own farms and also additionally from other farmers directly. Our processing unit has a capacity of processing liters water annually. 1.3 Market analysis- Tender flavored coconut water is recommended for people of all ages. With the consumers turning health conscious and preferring natural products, we believe that our product has a strong market both in domestic circles and in countries abroad. Our main target customer is the young generations who have a fancy for energy drinks. We also target sport persons with our special energy pack. We want to make our drink available for homes, offices, hospitals, sports persons, marriages, other occasions, hotels and restaurants. The recent studies showing the impact of aerated drinks on health has turned customer to ignore such artificially produced drinks and go for natural food drinks. The rising population will require larger amount of food drinks. Our product will be a natural thirst quencher with added flavor of Kewra essence in it which will be beneficial during the long summer months. 1.4 Major Segmentation Approach 1.5 PESTLE Analysis The Pestle Analysis identifies the political, economic, social, technological, legal and ecological influences on an organization. Political factors Various political factors affect the fruit juice industry. With the change of government the policies regulating the industry might change. As the taxation policy keeps changing, it has a significant effect on fruit juice industry. The government plans of encouraging foreign direct investments would affect our industry highly as organized fruit juice industry has only 3 % share as of now in the market but with FDIs it could increase significantly by coming of bigger players. Economic factors Our company would rely on trucks to move our raw materials to the processing plant and distribute our finished product so, fuel is also an important subject, so the company is subject to the fuel price fluctuation, and to possible fuel crisis. Since, ours is an agro based industry so we would be exposed to the risks of high prices due to crop failure, non-availability of raw material because of pest attack etc. Other economic factors affecting fruit juice industry are often linked to variability in real growth, inflation, interest rates, governmental actions and other factors. Factors like money supply, energy availability and cost, business cycles, etc. would also affect our company. Socio-cultural factors We are more than a billion strong nations and the youngest country as well. We are also home to the great Indian middle class. The major growth drivers in fruit juice market are increase in health consciousness among consumers, increase in disposable incomes and more sophisticated cocktail culture. There is more money circulating in the economy. With life becoming more hectic and tiring, consumer preferences are witnessing a visible shift towards healthy foods. Even the younger generation has started shifting from fizz to fresh and healthy. As people are becoming more and more educated, they are taking the healthy route. Technological factors Fruit juices have become big business throughout much of the developed and developing world with the increasing health conscious proportion of population. In this ever growing industry technology plays a major role in maintaining the quality and cost efficiency to generate higher profits.  Better technology can increase the shelf life of our product. Technology refers to both production process as well as machinery. Legal factors Processed fruit juices are regulated under the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations as a food product and the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act. The Food and Drugs Act creates identity standards, provides a basis for labelling requirements and establishes the safety parameters for soft drinks. As food safety requirements become more advanced across the beverage industry, tracking and traceability capabilities are a prerequisite. Ecological factors One environmental issue that food processing companies face is waste remaining from packaging. However, the problem often lies in feasibility of collection, separation and purification of the consumers’ disposed bottles or drinks packets. Environmental issues have gained importance because of regulatory requirements. It is not possible to sell a new packaging material without covering all the environmental issues. The reduction of materials in packing cartons can potentially provide both financial and environmental benefits. . We propose to provide our product in tetra packs so that lesser damage is done to the environment in comparison to PET bottles. 2. Product review 2.1 Product features In India coconut water has always been considered as a health drink to refresh the body due to its nutritional value. Tender Coconut Water is considered the healthiest best sports drink in the world, because it contains vitamins. It is very refreshing and rich in sugar, electrolytes and minerals – available in the natural form in most sterile conditions. It is a natural isotonic drink where the electrolyte levels are similar to those found in the human body. The water of fresh green coconuts is actually fat free. Our company keeping this factor in mind has come up with two natural flavored drink containing 1. Kewra essence which has a floral fragrance thereby providing a cooling effect in the drink. 2. Mint flavor to provide freshness and energizing flavor to the drink Chota Anna would have two variants in terms of Kewra drink and Mint drink. Kewra drink Mint drink Coconut water Coconut water Kewra essence Mint sugar honey Farm Fresh Tender Coconut are selected (50% capacity extracted) and the rest purchased from the Ratnagiri Association Coconut supplier and Natural Tender Coconut Water is squeezed out, untouched by hand and put through a special process in order to add the natural flavors of Kewra essence and Mint. The product is packed in food-grade Bottles/ Cans, which keeps it fresh for 9/18 months. The taste is natural and hence good.