Bhel Report free essay sample

COMPANY PROFILE †¢Background Management †¢Values, Mission Objective †¢BHEL’s product profile †¢Financial profile of BHEL †¢Shareholding pattern BHEL AN OVERVIEW BHEL is the largest engineering and manufacturing enterprise in India in the energy related infrastructure sector today. BHEL was established more than 40 years ago ushering in the indigenous Heavy Electrical Equipment industry in India, a dream which has been more than realized with a well- recognized track record of performance. It has been earning profits continuously since 1971-72 and achieved a sales turnover of Rs 14525 Crores with a profit before tax of Rs 2564 Crores 2005-06. In 2007 BHEL has achieved an all time high turnover of Rs 18739 crores, notching a growth of 29% over the previous year. Net profit has soared by 44% to 2415 crores over 1679. 2 crores of last year. BHEL has been paying dividends over a quarter century and in line with the excellent performance during the financial year 2005-06, an all time high dividend of 145% has been paid. We will write a custom essay sample on Bhel Report or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page BHEL caters to core sectors of the Indian Economy viz. Power Generation and Transmission, Industry, Transportation, Renewable Energy, Defense, etc. The wide network of BHEL’s 14 manufacturing divisions, 4 power sector regional centers, 8 service centers, 15 regional, offices and a large number of Projects Sites spread all over India and abroad enables the Company to promptly serve its customers and provide them suitable products, systems and services-efficiently and at competitive prices. BHEL has already attained ISO 9001 certification and all the units/divisions of BHEL have been upgraded to the latest ISO-9001; 2000 version quality standard. All the major units/divisions of BHEL have been awarded ISO 14001 certification for environmental management systems and OHSAS 18001 certification for occupational health and safety management systems Major Miles stones in the history of BHEL †¢FEB. 1947 – The planning board felt the need for electrical machinery in India. †¢MAR. 1948 – Sir J. C. Ghosh set up heavy electrical generating equipment factory in the state sector. †¢JAN. 1955 – S. A. Gadkary committee reiterates the need for heavy electrical factory. †¢AUG. 1956 – Heavy Electrical (Pvt. ) LTD, was incorporated which was later renamed as HE (I) LTD. †¢NOV. 1964 – Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd, was established and plants at Haridwar, Hyderabad Trichy were set up. †¢JULY. 1972 – Action committee of public Enterprises recommends integration. †¢JAN. 1974 – HE (I) LTD and BHEL were formally merged and the corporate plan of the company was prepared. JAN. 1980 – BHEL was set up 3rd generation plants at TRICHY – steel tube plant HARIDWAR – casting and forging plant JHANSI – transformer plant †¢In 1982- BHEL also entered into power equipments, to reduce its dependence on the power sector. So, it developed the capability to produce a variety of electrical, electronic and mechanical equ ipments for all sectors, including transmission, transportation, oil and gas and other allied industries. †¢In 1992, During the year, 10 thermal sets, 2 gas sets and 11 hydro sets were commissioned. Government of India’s liberalization policy and disinvestments policy on its pattern of shareholding in PSUs. †¢In 1994,- During the year the company established Asia’s largest fuel evaluation test facility at Tiruchi The Company commissioned ten industrial power plants resulting in power generating capacity addition of 293 KW’ †¢In 1995, The country’s premier state owned undertaking, BHEL, has commissioned India’s first 250 mw capacity thermal generating unit at Dahanu power station in Maharashtra.

Childhood Obesity the Responsibility of Parents Essay Example Essay Example

Childhood Obesity: the Responsibility of Parents Essay Example Paper Childhood Obesity: the Responsibility of Parents Essay Introduction Childhood Obesity: The Responsibility of Parents Although obesity is a very sensitive topic, it is a pressing issue in modern culture, and it is something we cannot ignore. Who is responsible for the health of America? Is it parents, teachers, or is it the responsibility of fast food marketers to properly inform their audience? Often the blame is shifted to other people and to other influences like billboards and commercials, but rarely is the individual held responsible for their health. Lawsuits and legal action try to shift the blame onto fast food restaurants and school cafeterias. Most people feel better if they can blame their poor health on anything other than themselves. Evidence shows that one’s childhood years have a huge impact on the health of the rest of their life, and usually the parents of overweight children are the most eager to shift blame onto fast food, school lunches, or marketing aimed at their children. The reality is that parents are responsible for ed ucating their children on a healthy lifestyle and for showing them how to make the right choices. In his article Fast Food: Oppression Through Poor Nutrition, Andrea Freeman states that government support for fast food is to blame for America’s obesity problem. He also claims that we must recognize â€Å"food oppression as a form of institutionalized inequality that must be acknowledged, addressed, and eradicated† (Freeman 2224). Another source on this topic, The Role of Schools in Obesity Prevention by Mary Story, Karen M. Childhood Obesity: the Responsibility of Parents Essay Body Paragraphs Kaphingst, and Simone French, states that schools aren’t doing enough to educate their students about healthy eating and activity, and that schools could be making their lunches healthier without effecting their budget. Lastly, the article Children as Consumers: Advertising and Marketing, by Sandra L. Calvert, claims that children, particularly those under 8 years of age, are especially vulnerable to deceptive marketing because they lack the cognitive skills to understand the persuasive intent of advertisements (Calvert 205). It is pretty easy to see that individuals are, for the most part, responsible for their own choices, but in this essay I will look at the controversy over who is responsible for childhood obesity. I will discuss the following topics: the influence fast food has over poorer inner city people, unhealthy marketing aimed specifically at children, and finally competitive foods fighting for the attention of students in public school lunchrooms. I will show that the parents of these children must step up nd lead their households in a healthy manner lest the health of our culture continue to fall. I will start by addressing the influence fast food has over poorer, inner city people. Freeman explains that often people who live nowhere near a supermarket and cannot afford the more expensive, imported fresh fruits do not have a choice but to eat the cheaper, highly- processed food available at fast food restaurants (Freeman 2222). It is common knowledge that this food is highly unhealthy, but it appears that these people do not have another option. All of Freeman’s claims seem to be valid, but they assume that parents are not going to go out of their way at all for their children. If only the parents would go out of their way and drive the extra ten minutes to buy healthier food at the grocery store, or take the time to pack healthy lunches for their kids, we could begin to rewrite the statistics. If the parents of America would step up and be who they are supposed to be, we would see improvement not only in the health of our youth, but also in the health of the country as a whole. Parents would also set the example for their children of a healthy lifestyle, something which their children would learn and apply at school and throughout the rest of their lives. Instead though, parents go through life giving their children whatever they want while quietly hoping their children will make the right choices. Later, when these kids make unhealthy choices, the parents quickly blame the world. Even in poor families the children have a huge influence over what the parents buy. Because of the marketing directed specifically at the children, Calvert explains, a great number of families may eat fast food more often (Calvert 206). Fast food even seems to be creeping into the public school system. Story et al. states, â€Å"In the 2003 California High School Fast Food Survey, roughly one-fourth of 173 districts reported selling brand-name products from Taco Bell, Subway, Domino’s, and Pizza Hut in high schools† (Story 115-116). These unhealthy alternatives are appealing to students and are often chosen over the school lunch, or even over a homemade lunch. If students make unhealthy choices often during school lunches their health will suffer, and without instruction from the parents, kids won’t know they are doing themselves any harm. All of these authors seem to agree that living near fast food, but away from fresh produce, is a dangerous situation for parents who are not active in their children’s lives. If the parents would go just a little bit out of their way for the sake of their children, they would improve the health of the entire household and we could start to turn the whole country around. Although children have such an impact on their parents’ money I believe there are steps that the parents can, and must, take to improve their children’s health. Additi onally, by cooking at home instead of eating out, over time parents will end up saving money. A child having such power over their parents’ spending leads us into the topic of marketing aimed specifically at the younger generation, and how if parents don’t educate their children, marketers will gladly takes over. Calvert devotes a large portion of his article to this idea of marketing. He insists that, â€Å"Many products marketed to children are not healthful and promote obesity† (Calvert 206). He continues to explain that marketing tactics are more deceptive than ever, and that younger children are especially vulnerable because they often don’t understand the persuasive design of advertisements (206). Freeman sees the same strategies at work and writes, â€Å"The industry directs its greatest efforts towards children. Not only are children more susceptible to manipulation, but they also represent a long-term investment. † (Freeman 2233). Marketin g towards children is highly profitable because it is aimed at the uninformed youth of our nation and will likely influence the spending of generations to come. This circle will continue indefinitely unless someone intervenes. Some people believe it is the school’s job to educate children in a healthy lifestyle. Story et al. shows how health education in schools can help students look past advertisers’ marketing, eat healthier, and stay active. In theory health education in schools would solve our childhood obesity problems overnight, but in practice it doesn’t work so well. By time kids are in first grade, as Calvert explained, they have been exposed to countless marketing tactics aimed directly at them and if the parents aren’t standing up for their children and leading them down the right path, but instead are taking their children to eat McDonalds four times a week, the children could be on the road to obesity before they even step onto a school bus. Parents have the primary, and most influential, effect on their children’s health, and if hey don’t teach them right, then when lunch time at school rolls around instead of buying cafeteria food they will buy into the less healthy but more attractive options that are readily available. That leads us into the topic of competitive food in public school lunchrooms fighting for the attention of students. Competitive food is defined by Calvert as food from vending machines, fast food outlets, and school fundraisers that competes with cafeteria food (Calvert 220). Story et al. writes about how fast food restaurants contract with schools to sell their products in return for free food, cooking utilities, etc. They explain that competitive foods sold in the cafeteria are taking the place of fruits, vegetables and other healthful food options and contributing to excessive intake of fat and saturated fat (Story 116). Calvert discusses the sale of competitive foods in public schoo ls as another means of advertisement which encourages the consumption of these unhealthy options even outside of the lunchroom (Calvert 220). Because parents aren’t teaching their kids what they need to eat, marketers’ advertisements are taking over the responsibility and bringing down the health of the whole country as a result. As for the fast food in schools, Freeman points out how these highly processed foods contain a lot of chemical additives and when combined with starchy vegetables and sugary drinks, these foods have a high glycemic load, a factor which contributes to obesity and diabetes (Freeman 2234). This competitive food is very tempting for students, and the only way they are going to know to choose the healthier option is if they were taught properly from the start by their parents. In the end we see that there is a lot of pressure put on children today in their schools and in their every day lives, and if the children aren’t properly educated in a healthy lifestyle they will follow the crowd and buy into the unhealthy lifestyle that has become the cultural norm. Although marketing schemes are more deceptive than ever and very often aimed directly at children, it is the role of the parent in a child’s life to protect them from the deceptive schemes of marketers. Additionally the pressure on children in schools is at an all-time high with plenty of unhealthy food choices, with no one around to tell them what to eat and what to stay away from. Parents must educated their kids from the start, before they ever step foot into a classroom. Parents must be willing to go out of the way for their children and be willing to spend a little more time in the grocery stores and in the kitchen to prepare healthy meals and teach the kids how to do the same. Even though fast food is often cheap, time will prove that home cooked meals can be cheaper and are much healthier. If parents don’t step up and teach and lead their childr en by example, our youth and future generations will pay the price.? Works Cited Calvert, Sandra L. â€Å"Children as Consumers: Advertising and Marketing† The Future of Children18. 1 (2008): 205-234. Web. Freeman, Andrea. â€Å"Fast Food: Oppression Through Poor Nutrition. † California Law Review 95. 6 (2007): 2221-2259. Print. Story, Mary, Karen M. Kaphingst, and Simone French. â€Å"The Role of Schools in Obesity Prevention. † The Future of Children 16. 1 (2006): 109-142. Print. We will write a custom essay sample on Childhood Obesity: the Responsibility of Parents Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Childhood Obesity: the Responsibility of Parents Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Childhood Obesity: the Responsibility of Parents Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Philosophical Quotes on Food

Philosophical Quotes on Food Philosophy of food is an emerging branch in philosophy. Here is a list of quotes that are pertinent to it; if you happen to have additional suggestions, please do send them along! Quotes on Food Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin: Tell me what you eat, and I shall tell you what you are.Ludwig Feuerbach: Man is what he eats.Immanuel Kant: As regards the agreeable, every one concedes that his judgment, which he bases on a private feeling, and in which he declares that an object pleases him, is restricted merely to himself personally. Thus he does not take it amiss if, when he says that Canary-wine is agreeable, another corrects the expression and reminds him that he ought to say: ‘It is agreeable to me’ [ †¦ ] With the agreeable, therefore, the axiom holds true: Everyone has his own taste (that of sense). The beautiful stands on a quite different footing.Plato: Socrates: Do you think that the philosopher ought to care about the pleasures – if they are to be called pleasures – of eating and drinking? – Certainly not, answered Simmias. – And what do you say of the pleasures of love – should he care about them? – By no means. – And will he think much of the other ways of indulging the body – for example, the acquisition of costly raiment, or sandals, or other adornments of the body? [†¦] What do you say? – I should say the true philosopher would despise them. Ludwig Feuerbach: This work, though it deals only with eating and drinking, which are regarded in the eyes of our supernaturalistic mock-culture as the lowest acts, is of the greatest philosophic significance and importance†¦ How former philosophers have broken their heads over the question of the bond between body and soul! Now we know, on scientific grounds, what the masses know from long experience, that eating and drinking hold together body and soul, that the searched-for bond is nutrition.Emmanuel Levinas: Of course we do not live in order to eat, but it is not really true to say that we eat in order to live; we eat because we are hungry. Desire has no further intentions behind it†¦ it is a good will.Hegel: Consequently, the sensuous aspect of art is related only to the two theoretical senses of sight and hearing, while smell, taste, and touch remain excluded.Virginia Woolf: One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.Mahatma Gandhi: There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread. George Bernard Shaw: There is no love sincerer than the love of food.Wendell Berry: Eating with the fullest pleasure – pleasure, that is, that does not depend on ignorance – is perhaps the profoundest enactment of our connection with the world. In this pleasure we experience our dependence and our gratitude, for we are living in a mystery, from creatures we did not make and powers we cannot comprehend.Alain de Botton: Forcing people to eat together is an effective way to promote tolerance. Further Online Sources The Philosophy of Food Project website, collecting a list of useful online sources on the topic.The entry on Philosophy of Art at the Britannica Online Encyclopedia.The entry on the definition of art at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.The American Society for Aesthetics website, containing news and information on the topic.The British Society of Aesthetics website, which aims to promote study, research and discussion of the fine arts and related types of experience from a philosophical, psychological, sociological, historical, critical and educational standpoint.The British Journal of Aesthetics, one of the leading journals in the field.The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, one of the leading journals in the field.A collection of philosophers’ perspectives on the philosophy of art.

Developing Americas Second Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Developing Americas Second Language - Essay Example This language is also easy for most American citizens because it entails values that are enforced by societal myths, which are constantly repeated in the popular culture (Wallack & Lawrence 567). Wallack and Lawrence assert that, although this language may be popular among Americans, it is not sufficient enough for advancing public health. Therefore, a second language that properly addresses the unique public health approach needs to be developed. Lack of a well-developed language, for addressing public health concerns, has an adverse effect on the health sector more than the issues of how the doctors spend their working hours. In the United States, the formulation of public policies, which reflect the disciplinary theory of public health to adopt, has been a considerable challenge to the legislatures (Wallack & Lawrence 567). Wallack and Lawrence, in their article "Talking About Public Health: Developing America’s â€Å"Second Language† present a second language, in the U.S. culture, which can significantly help in addressing public health concerns. This is the language of interconnectedness (Wallack & Lawrence 567). The language of interconnectedness is a language of humanitarian and egalitarian values of community and interdependence. Public health, in this context, is defined on the basis of how the society balances considerations of social accountability and personal responsibility, in public policies, whic h affect health. Social responsibility, humanitarianism, and egalitarianism, which are the values that dictate a social justice orientation to public health (Wallack & Lawrence 567), usually seem inadequate in addressing the moral resonance of individualism effectively. The content and ideas presented, in this article, are of significant benefits to the public health sector. The article suggests that, in a culture dominated with suspicious of government power and personal responsibility, it is difficult for public health professionals to adopt

Technology and its effect on human freedom and happiness in society Essay

Technology and its effect on human freedom and happiness in society - Essay Example In most criterions, one would think that the Americans are happier now than they were in Middle of the 19th era. Oddly, however, if you asked Americans how exultant they are currently, you will discover that they are no better off than they were during 1946. This paper will discuss Technology its effect on human freedom and happiness in society. In attempting to decode how technology influences the well-being of a person, it is crucial to look at two things. Do better and more technology make individuals happy? Secondly, there exists something inherently uneven about people explanations of their individual states of mentality (Dick 32). Forget folks’ uncertainty concerning what will render them happy in the coming; can we trust that persons know what render them happy currently? Most sincerely, reflecting on technology is tough because persons adapt so rapidly to available technologies. Someone in 1870 would have been happier if she or he could had possessed a car that gave hi m or her freedom to voyage a great distance in a day at a relative cost. Today, however, people are not so thrilled about planes, cars and telephones. People recognize their use; however, they are likewise sources of stress and frustrations. For instance, a lottery winner is very, very happy when he or she wins, but after a while, that feeling of euphoria disappears. This is the same with technology that no matter how dramatic a fresh innovation is, people will eventually take it for granted. In the technological world, when the things become mundane or stop operating efficiently, people get frustrated (Postman 54). Does our swift incorporation of technological development denote that technology makes no change? No. It merely makes the issue of technological effect, for ill and good, more complex (Putnam 46). Beginning with the disadvantage: There are particular ways where technology renders life evidently worse. Traffic jams, telemarketing, and identity embezzlement all suggest the mselves (Kraut et al. 13). These phenomena make persons consciously unhappy. Nevertheless, for the great part, modern criticizers of technology have not focused very much in particular - the effect of technology on humanity. However, those criticizers have put out two seemingly opposed po ­sitions that nonetheless disclose a common cynicism about individuals’ ability to utilize technology towards their personal ends. The first opinion, seen in the books of Dick Philip K., is that technology development is steering to a constantly more controlled, rigid, soulless community, where it is simpler for persons to be monitored and manipu ­lated. The second view that has been thoroughly articu ­lated in hard covers of Putnam Robert Bowling Alone (pg. 44) and Postman Neil Amusing Ourselves to Death (pg. 55), is that technology remains crucial to the swelling privatization of experience that is in turn designing a fragmented, disordered society. A society where traditional relati ons are tougher to sustain, the community is gradually becoming an illusion, and folks’ relationships to one another, arbitrated as they regularly are by technologies, grow progressively tenuous. There is evidently an explanation to both opinions. Privacy has increasingly grown fragile in a globe of connected databases. In most workplaces, technologies such as keystroke observation

Industrial Espionage Intelligence

Industrial Espionage Intelligence The information revolution and the advances in technology during the past decades has brought to fore many challenges and issues to both governments and businesses, the age-old crime of espionage or the practice of spying to gather secret information is one the most potential issues facing information-based societies such as the United States, today. Although, much has been documented as fact and fiction concerning the traditional foreign agents and spies, in todays world of multi-national, multi-billion dollar corporations, and industrial espionage is a growing danger. Furthermore, this is aggravated by the fact that many large businesses are physically disseminated which has distributed management and administration, and more job specialization. High technology offers the ability to collect and use information for competitive edge over others in meeting business and government objectives, it also makes modern information and technology-based nations and businesses vulnerable as information can be stolen from electronic storage media and transmitted in seconds without even physically removing the data. The paper attempts to examine and understand the challenge of espionage to industries and businesses in America. However, in doing so, it shall also look at the historical development of espionage and examines how the advances in technology in the recent years have facilitated the act of espionage, and also the measures that may prove useful in controlling Industrial Espionage. As a prelude to the research, it may be worthwhile to understand how industrial espionage is defined, its nature and implications. Industrial Espionage Definition and Nature The Federal Bureau of Investigation defines industrial espionage as â€Å"an individual or private business entity sponsorship or coordination of intelligence activity conducted for the purpose of enhancing their advantage in the marketplace.† [Cited Boni and Kovacich, 2000; p. 48] While this definition may imply Industrial Espionage to be more or less the same as business or competitive intelligence, John F Quinn explains the essential difference between the two while business intelligence is generally under private sponsorship using an â€Å"open† methodology, espionage may be either government or privately sponsored and clandestine. [Cited Boni and Kovacich, 2000; p. 47] My definition of Industrial Espionage is it is the process of collecting information and data for the purpose of generating revenue. Generating revenue is very important aspect for these people. They are not thrill seeker, if the compensation does not justify the reward they will not bother attempting to collect the required information. Individuals who commit Industrial Espionage are not looking for information for information sake, but for information that will produce a big payday when acquired by a second party or when the information is viewed by unauthorized personnel the value of the information is no longer valuable. Money and power are motivators and the stakes in todays billion dollar business environment the rewards far exceeds risks. In the highly competitive and globalized business environment, proprietary intellectual property and economic information is considered the most valuable commodity by all nations, particularly the advanced ones. Businesses and/or governments involve in espionage activities for the purpose of unlawfully or clandestinely obtaining sensitive financial, trade or economic policy information, proprietary/sensitive economic information; or critical technologies including but not limited to data, plans, tools, mechanisms, compounds, designs, formulae, processes, procedures, programs, codes or commercial strategies, whether tangible or intangible, for competitive business advantage. The proprietary information so stolen may have been stored, compiled or memorialised physically, electronically, graphically, photographically or in writing and may be reasonably protected by the owner and not available to the general public. [Boni and Kovacich, 2000; p. 48] Proprietary information may be stolen by employees accessing the business and company databases, hackers breaking into the company server, or sponsored teams of burglars. While companies may lose vital business information through employees leaving the job, espionage occurs when the employee willfully looks for the data, steals it, copies it and sells it for money, or for his own unit, when he intends to produce a similar item. Espionage by competitors involve spying the activities of other businesses and unlawfully gathering of secret information, so that they can steer their businesses by adopting appropriate strategies and stay at par with, if not ahead of, competition in the marketplace. Interested outsiders and competitors adopt many methods including bribery, detective spying through shady agencies, searching through garbage, also referred to as ‘dumpster diving, scams to trick workers through ‘social engineering, or even expose loopholes and weak points in the live s of workers and blackmail them for gathering information. The theft or unlawful receipt of intellectual property and economic information, particularly by competitors and foreign governments threatens the development and production of goods derived from such information and also results in loss of profits, market share and perhaps the business itself and may thereby result in the weakening of the economic power of ones country. [Boni and Kovacich, 2000] In the present information-driven business environment, businesses tend to address the threat seriously, and in their quest to gain power, maintain control, increase market share and beat competition, nations and businesses espouse espionage, treating it casually and engaging themselves in espionage, using information and technology as armaments of business and economic warfare. [Jones, Kovacich and Luzwick, 2002] The Process The process of Industrial Espionage can be divided into four categories: requirements, collection, analysis, and evaluation. First, the requirements have to be established. This is when the individual is targeted and approached to provide specific information concerning a specific job or task within a company or organization. Most often a third party will inquire to protect the inquiring person, organization, or corporation from liability. Most companies focus their espionage efforts only on certain task or functions. The second phase allows the collector to focus their efforts. Collection is the key component of Industrial Espionage. This is the key element for payment and has the most risk involved. These individuals must evaluate the risk of obtaining the needed information or data with the value of the fee that they will be paid and the risks of being caught. The individual collecting/obtaining the information may use any of the following to obtain the required information/data: physical attacks, electronic attacks, or even attacks against the employees to gain the necessary information. If the rewards are so great (finically), they will go to whatever lengths necessary to obtain the information, even murder if necessary. If the request is for a working copy of a companys product the Collector might simply have to go out and by one, then send away for the technical information any customer is entitled to. While this might see strange use of a Collector, remember some of the companies collecting information exist in embargoed nations such as Cuba or Iraq where state of the art US product are not readily available. If the request is for the complete production data for a complex computer chip the job might entail illegal, and therefore more risky, methods such as bribery or burglary. Analysis follows. Now that a Collector has accumulated a mass of data and information they must take time to see what they have. This entails everything from reading the contents of documents, both physical and electronic, processing raw data, and in some cases looking at the flow of employees and information to see what might be happening and where it is occurring. Once the data has been analyzed the Collector refers to the original Requirement to see if he has meet his goals. This is the Evaluation phase. If the clients Requirements have been met the information is package, transmitted, and the Collector paid. Extra information collected is evaluated for value to the current of future clients and recorded for future transactions. In those cases where the Requirements have not been met, the Collector uses the information to return to the Collection Phase, thus beginning the process anew. Espionage A Brief History The technological advances and the global Internet have drastically reformed the art of espionage. The practice of espionage has transformed revolutionarily over the years, as any aspect of life and civilization, from the old manual and human intensive profession to the sophisticated, hi-tech pursuit of stealing electronic information in networked societies. Toffler and Heidi provide a Three Wave Evolution model to explain the technological evolution, as well as the evolution of espionage. [Toffler, 1980; Toffler Heidi, 1994] Accordingly, during the First Wave period, extending from the beginning of human race to about mid 1700s and characterized by the agricultural revolution, information was passed by word of mouth or in written correspondence. The theft of information was minimal as most of the people could not read or write and espionage was manual, relying mostly on personal observation and one-to-one contact. The Second Wave or the ‘rise of the industrialized civilization, which followed and last until a few years after World War II, experienced exponential growth in communications and the sharing of information, made possible by such inventions as telegraph, telephone and computers. The later years of this period saw the development and use of cryptography as communication protection and anti-espionage tool, though essentially by governments. While businesses had also begun to use computers, most of the systems were stand-alone and hence the threat of espionage was limited. Espionage was thou ght of primarily as a government and/or military problem and anti-espionage measures during the period essentially consisted of some form of physical security of physical documents and equipment, such as combination of locks, guards, alarms and fences. Emphasis was also placed on personnel security hiring honest and ethical employees in computer field was deemed to limit espionage threats. As only few people operated computers, the threat to electronically stored information was limited. [Toffler, 1980; Toffler and Heidi, 1994] The Third Wave or the age of technology and information, sweeping the world today has seen more advances in communication and information sharing, and paradoxically more threats, than the First and Second Wave periods combined. While the Internet and the globally linked communication systems serve as a mainstream business medium, objectionable reports on how high-tech criminals in businesses and government intelligence agencies of all advanced nations are exploiting the possibilities of the cyber world to meet their various ends, continue to be appal the world conscience. Today, a large number of organizational actors and individual information-brokers sponsored by government and otherwise, are using the Internet to commit the old crime of espionage in a revolutionary new way what Boni and Kovacich terms the ‘netspionage or network enabled espionage. According to them, in the present information-driven globalized society, the distinction between espionage motivated wholly by m ilitary advantage and the quest for market domination is blurred of not completely eliminated. The researchers claim that the 21st century, envisaged as ‘the â€Å"Information Age† or the â€Å"Age of Technology† to be may instead come to be known as the â€Å"Age of Netspionage Agent and Techno-Spy.† [Boni and Kovacich, 2000; p. 5] Before attempting to understand the occurrence of industrial espionage in America, it may be vital to understand the techniques used by the modern espionage Netspionage agents and techno-spies so that adequate and effective measures could be adopted to prevent the threat of espionage. Some of the common methods used by Netspionage agents include: Data Diddling changing data before or during entry into the computer Scavenging Obtaining information left around a computer system and in trash cans Data Leakage Removing information by smuggling it out as part of the printed document Piggybacking/ Impersonation Physical access to electronic data using anothers User ID and password to gain computer access and protected information. Simulation and Modelling Using the computer as a tool to plan and/or control a criminal act Wire Tapping Tapping into a computers communication links to be able to read the information being transmitted between systems and networks [Boni and Kovacich, 2000; p. 58] Apart from the above, the use of software application programs, which are standardized over the years enable the use of a variety of hacker tools including Trojan Horse enabling covert placement of instructions in the program for unauthorized functions; Trap Doors for inserting debugging aids that provide breaks in the instructions for insertion of additional code and intermediate output capabilities; Logic Bombsor programs executed at a specific time period; and the common Computer Virus which are malicious codes that cause damage to the system information. [Boni and Kovacich, 2000; p. 59] The Cyber Threat With the advent of the cyber age where information roams free along the electronic corridors of the Internet at the speed of light, another arena has been opened up to the Collector. The tools used are those developed by Hackers and Crackers over the years coupled with the good old social engineering of days past. The potential for gathering information is unlimited. The arena, of course, is the World Wide Web and the target sits on your disk as you view this HTML document. In 1997 it was estimated there were fewer than 1000 people that qualified as Professional Hackers. That is, people who are capable of creating tools or developing original methods for Hacking. [11] Therefore it is safe to assume there are very few Collectors who are true computer geniuses. Collectors are just individuals adept at turning existing tools toward collecting information. An excellent Hackers Toolkit (a software package which contains scripts, programs, or autonomous agents that exploit vulnerabilities [6]) can be downloaded from the internet with just a few hours of searching. Converting computer tools to information collection is relatively easy, because with computers everything is information and everything created for a computer collects and/or transmits information to one degree or another. Corporate web sites hold increasingly detailed information regarding a companys structure, products, employees, and the physical layout of its facilities. Some sites boast fly thr ough tours of their facilities, pictures and bios of their executive officers, telephone numbers, and of course email addresses of key employees. The sole purpose of these web sites is to transmit the information to anyone who asks. Web browsers collect this information and provide it to the requestor who can view and store the information, as they desire. This type of information is invaluable to individuals who choose to exploit it as a means to collect further information. With the wealth of information freely available in todays on-line environment Collectors can do much of their preliminary research without leaving the comfort of their own home or breaking a single law. Armed with the freely available information Collectors are now prepared use the net to gather even more information. With the bios and names of executives and key employees they can search the net for their favorite electronic haunts. Spoofing can then be used. Spoofing is defined as masquerade by assuming the appearance of a different entity in network communications. [6] Emails or ICQ addresses can be spoofed, sent with the Collector poising as an investor, potential customer, a reporter, or even a student researching the rising stars of the corporate world. After receiving replies, Email spoofing can be further used to appear as someone in authority within the corporation who can direct mailing of information, the establishment of computer access accounts, and even grant greater access for established accounts. All of these gives the collector access to just a little bit more of the corporation and its secrets, all with minimal exposure of the collector and sets the stage for furt her attacks. These can range from accessing an unsecured port for downloading files, to exploiting any one of a number of known security holes to gain root access to a system. A good example of the potential for Cyber Industrial Espionage comes from a New York Times report that claimed Reuters Analytics, Inc. hired a Collector to steal the underlying software and codes for their rivals, Bloomberg, L.P, data terminals. Though Reuters had a head start in the industry, Bloombergs product was considered superior. Yearly sales of these data terminals exceeds $6.5 Billion. [11] By mixing Mundane and Cyber techniques collectors can multiply the effects of their collection efforts. The routine of the office, gathered by watching, can enable the collector to plan physical break-ins of the building. While roaming the halls of the corporation they can steal trade secrets, clone drives of key employees, and even set in place login captures, all acts that could go totally undetected because it does no involve the removal of a single piece of property. Well planned daytime entries over lunch the lunch hour can allow the informed collector time clone disks, copy key files, or even send emails from key employees desks to set into motion chains of events to leak information or disrupt company performance. Collectors can make use of internal networks to transmit the documents outside the building to avoid security. Industrial Espionage in America The United States being the most dominant economic power in the world today is also a major target of espionage. In 1988, the FBI accused a former Amgen Inc. researcher of peddling secret documents concerning the wonder drug Epogen. In 1989, U.S. agents tracked down three moles working at an IBM affiliate in France after they supposedly botched a sale of confidential documents. [Cited Crock, 1997] The massive information technology infrastructure enables businesses and industries to tap proprietary and secret information of competitors to gain control of the global market place. Research suggests that the threat of espionage and the loss of proprietary/sensitive information have hit the manufacturing industries particularly hard. As the R D expenses for manufacturing companies are costly, some companies, foreign or domestic, are tempted to catch up even if through unlawful means. [Naef, 2003] Industrial espionage is rampant in the United States according to the FBI, of the 173 world nations, 57 were actively running operations targeting the U.S. companies; about 100 countries spent some portion of their funds targeting U.S. technologies. [Boni and Kovacich, 2000; p. 50] A survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the American Society for Industrial Security revealed that Fortune 1000 companies lost more than $45 billion in 1999 due to theft of their proprietary information alone. The study finds that â€Å"although manufacturing reported only 96 incidents, the acknowledged losses of manufacturing companies accounted for the majority of losses reported in the survey, and averaged almost $50 million per incident.† [Cited Naef, 2003] While current and former employees, suppliers and customers are considered to be responsible for 70 to 80% of proprietary/sensitive information losses, an unidentified survey suggests that 21 percent of attempted or actual thefts of proprietary/sensitive information occurred in overseas locations. [Boni and Kovacich, 2000; p. 50] It is significant to note that the U.S is not only a target of espionage, but also actively indulge in espionage activities themselves. The US government has admitted using commercial espionage phone calls were illegally tapped to determine that a French competitor of a US firm was bribing Brazilian officials to obtain an air traffic control radar contract; it was later revealed that the US firm was also bribing officials. It is generally believed that large intelligence agencies of developed nations are involved in the practice of espionage. A commission of the European Parliament suspects that ECHELON, a communications espionage system operated by the U.S. National Security Agency and agencies of the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, is used for political espionage and occasionally to help American companies against European competitors. [Vest, 1998] Economic Espionage Act of 1996 Economic and industrial espionage present many challenges to many American companies as rampant information breaches are costing companies substantial sums of money. While corporations and businesses often do not report espionage incidents to law enforcement, the Federal government today recognizes industrial and economic espionage as a crime; the Congress has legislated the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 in an attempt to aid companies to protect themselves from espionage. Section 19831 punishes the theft, misappropriation, wrongful alteration and delivery of trade secrets when accused parties intended to, or knew that their misconduct would benefit a foreign government, instrumentality or agent. The Act allows for legal action regarding â€Å"financial, business, scientific, engineering, technical and economic information,† if a company can demonstrate it has attempted to keep this information classified and protected. The prescribed maximum punishment for an individual offen der is 15 years imprisonment, $ 500,000 fine or both; for an organization the fine is $10 million. [Kelley, 1997] It is understood that many companies dont take advantage of the Act; companies safely exploit the law in full knowledge when news of the breach is known publicly. However, as Naef observes, if the trade secret theft is not publicly known, a company may have to meticulously assess the advantages and disadvantages of suing another company and thereby going public as news of the theft may damage the companys reputation. [Naef, 2003] Yet, cases of industrial and economic espionage have been reported since the enactment of the Act, though scantily. In September 2003 one man was pled guilty of copying trade secrets as defined under the Economic Espionage Act of 1996; the case was the first of its kind in Northern California. The US Attorneys office later publicized that Say Lye Ow, a 31 year old originally from Malaysia, copied sensitive information on Intels first 64-bit processor when he left the company in 1998. [Naef, 2003] Industrial Espionage and Corporate Vulnerability It is often the failure of corporations to adequately protect their information resources that makes them vulnerable to espionage. The vulnerability and the nonchalant attitude of companies are by no means excusable, given the economic implications of the threat of espionage as well as the weakening of the economic power of the subject nation. It may be worthwhile, perhaps vital, to understand the reasons for the vulnerability of corporations in order to prevent espionage and the resulting economic losses to businesses. Businesses make themselves vulnerable to espionage for a variety of reasons, including: Proprietary/sensitive business information not identified Proprietary information not adequately protected Computer and telecommunication systems not adequately protected Lack of or inadequate policies and procedures Employees not aware of their responsibilities Management attitude of â€Å" We dont have proprietary or sensitive information† and/or â€Å"It cant happen to us† [Boni and Kovacich, 2000; p. 50] These factors along with such other threats as increasing miscreants trying to steal information for money and the vulnerabilities of systems on the Internet facilitating information theft on a global scale present pervasive threat to information worth protecting as well as challenge managers, security personnel and law enforcement officials responsible for safety and security of information. Employees, a Threat or Defence Whether called Social Engineering, as in most Hacker manuals, or HUMINT (Human Intelligence), as the Department of Defense refers to it, your employees are targets of Collectors. People are a two-edged weapon in securing your corporate secrets being both the best protection, and the biggest risk. Proper training, education, and motivation can give people the tools and desire to keep your corporate secrets safe. Conversely, appealing to the vanity, greed, or vengeful nature of disenchanted or bored people has always been a tool of the traditional spy. Now these appeals can be made with protection of the electronic web. After gathering sufficient information on employees the Collector can choose his target. If the individual bites, a face to face meeting can be scheduled, if not the only thing that can be turned over the security is an email address or ICQ number, all easily disposed of with no trace to the Collector. Another method used to attack through your employees is to take the information gathered by Mundane and Cyber means and impersonate another individual or spoof them electronically. Calls are placed over the phone, or messages sent via email pretending to be someone with the authority to make decisions. A good choice would be one of those executive officers with the picture and bio on the corporate web page. Regardless of the role many bored or uncaring individuals will give out information to include IP addresses, system setup, and even passwords and userids over to phone when intimidated. Recruiting Insiders is another common practice among Collectors. Many publications on computer security identify the most common source of intentional disruption as authorized individuals performing unauthorized activity. [13] Again, much of the information on the individuals that you would like to recruit can be found in publicly accessible databases and web sites. From this, some casual research can yield those candidates who are most susceptible to bribes or extortion. Often after proper research the Collector can make his presence know to the Insider and have them make the first overtures. This allows the Collector to have some modicum of confidence the individual will no go running straight to corporate security. Insiders are the most valuable assets a Collector can have. They have the time and freedom to search peoples desks, read private memos, copy documents, and abuse coworker friendships. [3] The threat does not end when the Insider leaves the corporation either. In 1992 se veral General Motors employees were accused of taking over 10,000 documents and disks containing GM trade secrets when they defected to Volkswagen. GM sued and in 1997 received a payment of $100 million from Volkswagen. [11] Inserting Agents is one of the least risky forms of Industrial Espionage. The Collector handpicks the individual who they intend to insert. They provide the training, background story, and decide at which level to attempt to insert the individual. Once hired, even in a position of limited access, the individual becomes a trusted Insider for the Collector, able to provide increasing levels of access and perform some of the Mundane and Cyber attacks from within the corporation with minimum threat of being caught. Preventing Industrial Espionage While legal measures and legislations that send strong messages against espionage can be effective in preventing its occurrence, the role and responsibility of corporations is crucial. Even as companies take a non-serious approach to espionage, there is little debate that companies should guard themselves effectively against the ‘info-thieves, both insiders and those unleashed by outsiders, who try to get secrets by all possible means. Measures that may help companies to prevent espionage include: Conducting a survey of risk assessment, and identifying potential risk areas, Developing a security policy without much of safety risks. Frequently evaluating the security policy and procedures and modify if necessary Classifying and marking sensitive and valuable information Isolating information that should never fall into the hands of a competitor Detecting the vulnerable areas that could be exploited by a competitor Controlled storage of sensitive information Controlled destruction of materials Executing Nondisclosure Agreements for employees, vendors and contractors Securing computer systems and networks by installing appropriate information system security products Monitoring email and Internet use [Winkler, 1997; Boni and Kovacich, 2000] While the above methods may be useful in protecting against espionage, central to controlling the industrial espionage is security awareness and training of employees as one of the major points of vulnerability is spying activities by people belonging to the same organization. â€Å"Security awareness and training programs can serve to inform employees about their organizations information security policy, to sensitize them to risks and potential losses, and to train them in the use of security practices and technologies† [Denning, 1998, p.382]. By investing in security procedures and training, corporations may train employees in the areas of personnel, cyberspace and physical security; they can also be made aware of their responsibilities regarding information security of the organization. Conclusion The increasing value of trade secret information in the global and domestic marketplace and the possibilities of the information technology revolution have resulted in a significant rise in espionage activities in the recent years, particularly against the U.S. being the most dominant economic power in the world. While legislations may be useful in preventing the crime of industrial and economic espionage, the onus is largely on corporations to implement adequate security policies and measures to protect themselves from business losses as well as prevent the weakening of the economic power of their country. References 1. Boni W. Kovacich G.L. (2000) Netspionage: The Global Threat to Information MA: Butterworth- Heinemann 2. Crock, S. (1997) â€Å"Business Spies: The New Enemy Within?† Book Review: War By Other Means† Economic Espionage in America By John J. Fialka Business Week Available at: http://www.businessweek.com/1997/06/b351325.htm Accessed 02/26/06 3. Denning, D. E. (1998) Information Warfare and Security MA: Addison-Wesley 4. Jones A. Kovacich G.L. Luzvick P.G. (2002) Global Information Warfare: How Businesses, Governments and Others Achieve Objectives and At

Essay on Setting in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour -- Story Hour E

Elements of Setting in Kate Chopin's Short Story, "The Story of an Hour" Setting exists in every form of fiction, representing elements of time, place, and social context throughout the work. These elements can create particular moods, character qualities, or features of theme. Throughout Kate Chopin's short story "The Story of an Hour," differing amounts and types of the setting are revealed as the plot develops. This story deals with a young woman's emotional state as she discovers her own independence in her husband's death, then her "tragic" discovery that he is actually alive. The constituents of setting reveal certain characteristics about the main character, Louise Mallard, and are functionally important to the story structure. The entire action takes place in the springtime of a year in the 1890s, in the timeframe of about an hour, in a house belonging to the Mallards. All of these aspects of setting become extremely relevant and significant as the meaning of the story unfolds. When Louise Mallard first hears that her husband was killed in a railroad accident, "she wept at once," and "went away to her room alone" (12). As she mourns, looking out of her window on the second floor of her home, a sudden change of heart begins to come over her. She notices "the delicious breath of rain," " a peddler . . . crying his wares," "notes of a distant song," "countless sparrows . . . twittering," and "patches of blue sky," "all aquiver with the new spring life" (13). As she stares at the sky, she begins to think about her newfound independence from her husband, uttering the words "free, free, free!" (13). What makes her develop such a sudden change in attitude? Could it be that she sees rebirth in the world through her wind... ...giving it boundaries and distinctive characteristics about the situation. Setting preys upon reader stereotypes and preconceptions about the certain time frame or location in which the story takes place in order to bring out more meaning. In this work, Chopin develops the story based on the reader's knowledge and understanding of a woman's place in late nineteenth-century America. But the specific setting--the time of year and the structure of the Mallard house--also gives clues to help readers understand Louise and attempt to determine the cause of her death. Louise may die of heart disease, as the doctors say at the end of the story, but setting indicates that the disease was not "joy that kills" (14). Work Cited Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. 4th ed. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: St. Martins, 1997. 12-15.