Pennsylvania near Essay Example for Free

Pennsylvania near Essay Mining has been going on for a quite a long time in the whole world. It is worth noting that quarrying is an activity which is primarily aimed at extracting materials such as granite, limestone, slate and clay for various construction uses. On the same note, quarrying in Bangor has been done for more than a hundreds years due to the existence of karts topology. Bangor is located in eastern part of Pennsylvania near Pocono Mountains and West of Delaware Water Gap. It bears noting that Karts topology which has dominated this area is formed on limestone rocks by dissolution, includes underground streams, caves and beautiful sceneries (Langer, 2001). All these sceneries have been destroyed by quarrying impacts such as air pollution, noise pollution, and damage to biodiversity, land disturbance and heavy metal / toxins release. The neighborhood has for along time experienced a lot of difficulties in dealing with these impacts which are controllable though have far reaching effects.   Quarrying of Carbonate and other Rocks Since smaller and regular shaped stone products are required, large blocks of stone are extracted to provide a room for modifications. According to Langer (2001) a block of stone is cut from the bedrock mass by separating the block on all vertical sides then undercut the block or break the block away from the bedrock mass (p. 6). The major methods of quarrying are channel cutting and drilling and broaching. In channel cutting a multiple chisel-edged channeling machine cuts a rock into bars while in case of drilling and broaching method, a drilling machine drills many deep holes in a coordinated pattern (Langer, 2001). A broaching tool is then used to curve and chops the gaps between the drill holes which free the required block from the underlying bedrock mass (Langer, 2001). It is a requirement that the cutting be frequently sharpened for effectiveness Line drilling and blasting are the most modern methods used in quarrying in areas of Bangor. Line drilling involves the drilling holes in an overlapping manner and then sewing the stone using a wire saw or a chain saw (Langer, 2001). Blasting generally applies the use of explosives which break the stone blocks and produce small stones for crushing. This therefore implies that blasting cannot be applied in quarry when a certain shape of rock is desired (Langer, 2001). Quarrying affects the surrounding area and the immediate wildlife with numerous environmental damages. 3. 0 Air pollution All forms quarrying are capable of releasing dust which pollutes the air. Drilling and blasting are known to produce the most of the dust that affect the surrounding air (Langer, 2001). Clearing the forest or vegetation cover can also produce a considerable amount of dust. Another source of dust production is during the removal of soil cover for development of the quarry. Some of environmental factors that affect the concentration of dust include local microclimate condition, the dust particle size and the chemistry of the dust itself (Langer, 2001). Take for example a quarry like Capozzolo Slate Company which produces highly alkaline and reactive dusts from its mines and factory (Langer, 2001). If a coal mine is taken as a point of consideration, it produces a lot of heavy acidic dust. Air pollution from quarry dust becomes a nuisance over time since it deposits a heavy layer on plants and other surfaces it comes into contact with. It has far reaching effects on health of individuals by causing respiratory complications and eye problems. With respect to plants, dust coat causes the blockage of their internal structures which leads to and damaging of leaves and their cuticles (Langer, 2001). The long term survival of the plant is generally interfered with by the dust. 4. 0 Noise pollution Noise pollution develops from quarrying activities which start from the land clearance to the transportation of the final product of the quarry (Langer, 2001). The initial activities that produce noise pollution include those that are aimed at establishing access roads and rail connection, the quarry compound and also stone processing facility. The following procedure of exposing the stone mass to be extracted by removing all top soil using earth movers produces a lot of noise. In addition, the use of hydraulic excavators produces noise. Likewise, the drilling machines and blasting activities equally produce very loud noise (Langer, 2001). During the transportation of final product using heavy and powerful machines, truck traffic contributes to the production of noise (Langer, 2001). Additionally, the processing facility produces a lot of noise since crushing requires a lot of power. Consequently, the noise affects the surrounding wildlife and humans. 5. 0 Damage to biodiversity The major negative impacts of quarrying on the entire environment have been damage to biodiversity. Biodiversity basically refers to a wide range of living creatures, including mammals, fish, insects, invertebrates, reptiles, birds, plants, and micro-organisms (Langer, 2001). Quarrying destroys the ecosystem and all the species that are support. Moreover, the ecosystems are not only destroyed by the direct removal of the whole ecosystem but also indirectly by affecting and damaging related environment condition of the entire place (Langer, 2001). There are changes to underground water and surface water which cause many ecosystems to dry up while some experience flooding. Besides, the quality of water flowing downstream is compromised by the quarrying activities. On the same note, the water which comes into contact with the quarry by products is hard to purify since it cannot be filtered. Underground water is the most affected if quarrying activities interfere with the sinkholes by causing them to collapse. Ground-water pumping causes change of the flow of surface water. The large amounts of soil carried to the rivers cause result in a lot of silt deposits that pollute water systems thus killing animals. Quarrying in the Bangor zone has resulted increase of water runoff to some parts while other parts have been experiencing reduced water quality. Generally, quarrying causes the lowering of the ground water table by forcing it to go under the rock interface (Langer, 2001). The pumping of water out of the quarry may lead to high fluctuation of water ground water levels which may lead to drying up of the surrounding underground water systems. 6. 0 Land disturbance The land terrain is largely affected by the excavation activities and the damping of the waste soil. In to the bargain is the fact that the activities of making new rail line and roads cause a lot of soil movement which affects the natural terrain of the ground (Langer, 2001). Moreover, the land which is left after quarrying has stopped cannot be used economically through agricultural or commercial activities. 7. 0 Quarry Waste Just like many of the man-made mining activities, quarrying engages the production of considerable large amounts of wastes (Langer, 2001). A few quarries produce small amounts of permanent waste products with examples of sand and gravel quarries while others produce a large amount of waste material which includes clay and silt (Langer, 2001). The quarry wastes does note pose a big dander to the environment though it still have the potential for damage to the environment by contaminating any water that it comes into contact with. The quarry leaves permanent scars and massive footprints in landscapes (Langer, 2001). The abandoning of the quarry site leaves Lange trunks of landmass unsuitable for other uses. 8. 0 Heavy metal and toxins release Quarrying may release a lot of heavy metal and toxins to the environment that affect people’s health negatively and cause far reaching impacts on the surrounding ecosystem if it is conducted in areas that have harmful minerals (Langer, 2001). The release of harmful materials such as silica which is found in rocks enters the lungs , thus causing silicosis which is deadly as it can rip off the lungs. This may happen when little fragments silica rise as part of dust which is later breathed in through the nose. Another common effect of toxins is experienced when toxins are suspected to have been sipped in the water, which may lead an entire neighbourhood to go far away for search of clean and pure water. 9. 0 Recommendations The first measures to curb air pollution from quarrying activities should focus on the developing a forest cover that can contain the dust (Urich, 2002). Forest would help in increasing percolation and preventing soil erosion due to pumping of water out of the quarry site. Watering the roads that are used by the transporting track is also very useful (Urich, 2002). The quarry operations should be controlled in order to minimize the emission of the heavy dust by using modern technologies such as sawing instead of blasting stones. Land geo-morphological condition should be improved by an importation of other materials to fill the huge holes so as to return the natural ecology. Authorities in Bangor have made a mandatory that a reclamation guide line be included with each application for any quarrying permit (Langer, 2001). Contamination that occur through using abandoned quarry as dumping site can be voided by filling the quarry with soil that is free from any contamination. Moreover, water conservation measures can be applied by constructing stop dams and ponds that act as ground-water recharging sites (Langer, 2001). The surface run-off water is held back and all suspended solids are allowed to sink before entering the hydrological system. Controlling the soil erosion entry to streams by stabilization of exposed soil surface can be achieved by initiating vegetation cover growth on steep sides. Noise pollution can be reduced if the trucks traffic uses well designed road rail network. Better methods of stone extraction should be applied to avoid the production of noise pollution which people associate with quarrying activities. The damage to biodiversity can be lessened by a careful use of machines to avoid affecting a large portion of ecosystem. Land rehabilitation should follow immediately after the quarrying activities are completed (Langer, 2001). The quarry waste should be returned to the exposed hole before leaving the mining site. Finally, water that is drawn from the quarry should not be allowed into streams before its toxic levels being determined and ascertained that the levels are not dangerous. When all these are put into practice, then, the levels of pollution will greatly decrease. References Langer, W. H. (2001). potential Environmental Impacts Of Quarrying Stone in Karst- A leterature review. Retrieved August 10, 2010, from US Geological Survey web: http//geology. cr. usgs. go. gov/pub/ofrs/OFR-01-0484 Urich, P. B. (2002). Land Use in Karst Terrain: Review of Primary Activities on Temperate Karst Ecosystems. Science for conservation (198). Map of Bangor mine Source: http://wa. water. usgs. gov/projects/bangor/maps. htm Direct data from the USGS website with statistics and status of Bangor Limestone Bangor Limestone State Alabama Original map label Mb Province Interior Low Plateaus Province Name Bangor Limestone Age Mississippian Description Bangor Limestone Medium-gray bioclastic and oolitic limestone, containing interbeds of dusky-red and olive-green mudstone in the upper part. Map references Szabo, M. W. , Osborne, E. W. , Copeland, C. W. Jr. , Neathery; T. L. , 1988, Geologic Map of Alabama, Geological Survey of Alabama Special Map 220, scale 1:250,000. Primary rock type limestone Secondary rock type mudstone Unit references Szabo, M. W. , Osborne, E. W. , Copeland, C. W. Jr. , Neathery; T. L. , 1988, Geologic Map of Alabama, Geological Survey of Alabama Special Map 220, scale 1:250,000. Source: http://tin. er. usgs. gov/geology/state/sgmc-unit. php? unit=ALMb%3B2

Computers Insiders Threat

Computers Insiders Threat While attacks on computers by outside intruders are more publicized, attacks perpetrated by insiders are very common and often more damaging. Insiders represent the greatest threat to computer security because they understand their organizations business and how their computer systems work. They have both the confidentiality and access to perform these attacks. An inside attacker will have a higher probability of successfully breaking into the system and extracting critical information. The insiders also represent the greatest challenge to securing the company network because they are authorized a level of access to the file system and granted a degree of trust. A system administrator angered by his diminished role in a thriving defense manufacturing firm whose computer network he alone had developed and managed, centralized the software that supported the companys manufacturing processes on a single server, and then intimidated a coworker into giving him the only backup tapes for that software. Following the system administrators termination for inappropriate and abusive treatment of his coworkers, a logic bomb previously planted by the insider detonated, deleting the only remaining copy of the critical software from the companys server. The company estimated the cost of damage in excess of $10 million, which led to the layoff of some 80 employees. An application developer, who lost his IT sector job as a result of company downsizing, expressed his displeasure at being laid off just prior to the Christmas holidays by launching a systematic attack on his former employers computer network. Three weeks following his termination, the insider used the username and password of one of his former coworkers to gain remote access to the network and modify several of the companys web pages, changing text and inserting pornographic images. He also sent each of the companys customers an email message advising that the website had been hacked. Each email message also contained that customers usernames and passwords for the website. An investigation was initiated, but it failed to identify the insider as the perpetrator. A month and a half later, he again remotely accessed the network, executed a script to reset all network passwords and changed 4,000 pricing records to reflect bogus information. This former employee ultimately was identified as the perpetrator and prosecuted. He was sentenced to serve five months in prison and two years on supervised probation, and ordered to pay $48,600 restitution to his former employer. A city government employee who was passed over for promotion to finance director retaliated by deleting files from his and a coworkers computers the day before the new finance director took office. An investigation identified the disgruntled employee as the perpetrator of the incident. City government officials disagreed with the primary police detective on the case as to whether all of the deleted files were recovered. No criminal charges were filed, and, under an agreement with city officials, the employee was allowed to resign. These incidents of sabotage were all committed by â€Å"insiders:† individuals who were, or previously had been, authorized to use the information systems they eventually employed to perpetrate harm. Insiders pose a substantial threat by virtue of their knowledge of, and access to, employer systems and/or databases. Keeney, M., et al (2005) The Nature of Security Threats The greatest threat to computer systems and information comes from humans, through actions that are either malicious or ignorant 3 . Attackers, trying to do harm, exploit vulnerabilities in a system or security policy employing various methods and tools to achieve their aims. Attackers usually have a motive to disrupt normal business operations or to steal information. The above diagram is depicts the types of security threats that exist. The diagram depicts the all threats to the computer systems but main emphasis will be on malicious â€Å"insiders†. The greatest threat of attacks against computer systems are from â€Å"insiders† who know the codes and security measures that are in place 45. With very specific objectives, an insider attack can affect all components of security. As employees with legitimate access to systems, they are familiar with an organizations computer systems and applications. They are likely to know what actions cause the most damage and how to get away with it undetected. Considered members of the family, they are often above suspicion and the last to be considered when systems malfunction or fail. Disgruntled employees create mischief and sabotage against systems. Organizational downsizing in both public and private sectors has created a group of individuals with significant knowledge and capabilities for ma licious activities 6 and revenge. Contract professionals and foreign nationals either brought into the U.S. on work visas to meet labor shortages or from offshore outsourcing projects are also included in this category of knowledgeable insiders. Common Insider Threat Common cases of computer-related employee sabotage include: changing data; deleting data; destroying data or programs with logic bombs; crashing systems; holding data hostage; destroying hardware or facilities; entering data incorrectly, exposing sensitive and embarrassing proprietary data to public view such as the salaries of top executives. Insiders can plant viruses, Trojan horses or worms, browse through file systems or program malicious code with little chance of detection and with almost total impunity. A 1998 FBI Survey 7 investigating computer crime found that of the 520 companies consulted, 64% had reported security breaches for a total quantifiable financial loss of $136 millions. (See chart) The survey also found that the largest number of breaches were by unauthorized insider access and concluded that these figures were very conservative as most companies were unaware of malicious activities or reluctant to report breaches for fear of negative press. The survey reported that the average cost of an attack by an outsider (hacker) at $56,000, while the average insider attack cost a company in excess $2.7 million. It found that hidden costs associated with the loss in staff hours, legal liability, loss of proprietary information, decrease in productivity and the potential loss of credibility were impossible to quantify accurately. Employees who have caused damage have used their knowledge and access to information resources for a range of motives, including greed, revenge for perceived grievances, ego gratification, resolution of personal or professional problems, to protect or advance their careers, to challenge their skill, express anger, impress others, or some combination of these concerns. Insider Characteristics The majority of the insiders were former employees. †¢ At the time of the incident, 59% of the insiders were former employees or contractors of the affected organizations and 41% were current employees or contractors. †¢ The former employees or contractors left their positions for a variety of reasons. These included the insiders being fired (48%), resigning (38%), and being laid off (7%). Most insiders were either previously or currently employed full-time in a technical position within the organization. †¢ Most of the insiders (77%) were full-time employees of the affected organizations, either before or during the incidents. Eight percent of the insiders worked part-time, and an additional 8% had been hired as contractors or consultants. Two (4%) of the insiders worked as temporary employees, and one (2%) was hired as a subcontractor. †¢ Eighty-six percent of the insiders were employed in technical positions, which included system administrators (38%), programmers (21%), engineers (14%), and IT specialists (14%). Of the insiders not holding technical positions, 10% were employed in a professional position, which included, among others, insiders employed as editors, managers, and auditors. An additional two insiders (4%) worked in service positions, both of whom worked as customer service representatives. Insiders were demographically varied with regard to age, racial and ethnic background, gender, and marital status. The insiders ranged in age from 17 to 60 years (mean age = 32 years)17 and represented a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds. Ninety-six percent of the insiders were male. Forty-nine percent of the insiders were married at the time of the incident, while 45% were single, having never married, and 4% were divorced. Just under one-third of the insiders had an arrest history. Thirty percent of the insiders had been arrested previously, including arrests for violent offenses (18%), alcohol or drug related offenses (11%), and nonfinancial/ fraud related theft offenses (11%). Organization Characteristics The incidents affected organizations in the following critical infrastructure sectors: †¢ banking and finance (8%) †¢ continuity of government (16%) †¢ defense industrial base (2%) †¢ food (4%) †¢ information and telecommunications (63%) †¢ postal and shipping (2%) †¢ public health (4%) In all, 82% of the affected organizations were in private industry, while 16% were government entities. Sixty-three percent of the organizations engaged in domestic activity only, 2% engaged in international activity only, and 35% engaged in activity both domestically and internationally. What motivate insiders? Internal attackers attempt to break into computer networks for many reasons. The subject has been fruitfully studied and internal attackers are used to be motivated with the following reasons [BSB03]: †¢ Challenge Many internal attackers initially attempt to break into networks for the challenge. A challenge combines strategic and tactical thinking, patience, and mental strength. However, internal attackers motivated by the challenge of breaking into networks often do not often think about their actions as criminal. For example, an internal attack can be the challenge to break into the mail server in order to get access to different emails of any employee. †¢ Revenge Internal attackers motivated by revenge have often ill feelings toward employees of the same company. These attackers can be particularly dangerous, because they generally focus on a single target, and they generally have patience. In the case of revenge, attackers can also be former employees that feel that they have been wrongfully fired. For example, a former employee may be motivated to launch an attack to the company in order to cause financial losses. †¢ Espionage Internal attackers motivated by espionage, steal confidential information for a third party. In general, two types of espionage exists: Industrial espionage Industrial espionage means that a company may pay its own employees in order to break into the networks of its competitors or business partners. The company may also hire someone else to do this. International espionage International espionage means that attackers work for governments and steal confidential information for other governments. Definitions of insider threat 1) The definition of insider threat should encompass two main threat actor categories and five general categories of activities. The first actor category, the â€Å"true insider,† is defined as any entity (person, system, or code) authorized by command and control elements to access network, system, or data. The second actor category, the â€Å"pseudo-insider,† is someone who, by policy, is not authorized the accesses, roles, and/or permissions they currently have but may have gotten them inadvertently or through malicious activities. The activities of both fall into five general categories: exceeds given network, system or data permissions; conducts malicious activity against or across the network, system or data; provided unapproved access to the network, system or data; circumvents security controls or exploits security weaknesses to exceed authorized permitted activity or disguise identify; or non-maliciously or unintentionally damages resources (network, system or data) by destruction, corruption, denial of access, or disclosure. (Presented at the University of Louisville Cyber Securitys Day, October 2006) 2) Insiders — employees, contractors, consultants, and vendors — pose as great a threat to an organizations security posture as outsiders, including hackers. Few organizations have implemented the policies, procedures, tools, or strategies to effectively address their insider threats. An insider threat assessment is a recommended first step for many organizations, followed by policy review, and employee awareness training. (Insider Threat Management Presented by infoLock Technologies) 3)Employees are an organizations most important asset. Unfortunately, they also present the greatest security risks. Working and communicating remotely, storing sensitive data on portable devices such as laptops, PDAs, thumb drives, and even iPods employees have extended the security perimeter beyond safe limits. While convenient access to data is required for operational efficiency, the actions of trusted insiders not just employees, but consultants, contactors, vendors, and partners must be actively managed, audited, and monitored in order to protect sensitive data. (Presented by infoLock Technologies) 4) The diversity of cyber threat has grown over time from network-level attacks and password cracking to include newer classes such as insider attacks, email worms and social engineering, which are currently recognized as serious security problems. However, attack modeling and threat analysis tools have not evolved at the same rate. Known formal models such as attack graphs perform action-centric vulnerability modeling and analysis. All possible atomic user actions are represented as states, and sequences which lead to the violation of a specie safety property are extracted to indicate possible exploits. (Ramkumar Chinchani, Anusha Iyer, Hung Ngo, Shambhu Upadhyaya) 5) The Insider Threat Study, conducted by the U.S. Secret Service and Carnegie Mellon Universitys Software Engineering Institute CERT Program, analyzed insider cyber crimes across U.S. critical infrastructure sectors. The study indicates that management decisions related to organizational and employee performance sometimes yield unintended consequences magnifying risk of insider attack. Lack of tools for understanding insider threat, analyzing risk mitigation alternatives, and communicating results exacerbates the problem. (Dawn M. Cappelli, Akash G. Desai) 6) The insider threat or insider problem is cited as the most serious security problem in many studies. It is also considered the most difficult problem to deal with, because an insider has information and capabilities not known to other, external attackers. But the studies rarely define what the insider threat is, or define it nebulously. The difficulty in handling the insider threat is reasonable under those circumstances; if one cannot define a problem precisely, how can one approach a solution, let alone know when the problem is solved? (Matt Bishop 2005) Five common insider threat Exploiting information via remote access software A considerable amount of insider abuse is performed offsite via remote access software such as Terminal Services, Citrix and GoToMyPC. Simply put, users are less likely to be caught stealing sensitive information when they can it do offsite. Also, inadequately protected remote computers may turn up in the hands of a third-party if the computer is left unattended, lost or stolen. 2.) Sending out information via e-mail and instant messaging Sensitive information can simply be included in or attached to an e-mail or IM. Although this is a serious threat, its also one of the easiest to eliminate. 3.) Sharing sensitive files on P2P networks Whether or not you allow peer-to-peer file sharing software such as Kazaa or IM on your network, odds are its there and waiting to be abused. The inanimate software in and of itself is not the problem its how its used that causes trouble. All it takes is a simple misconfiguration to serve up your networks local and network drives to the world. 4.) Careless use of wireless networks Perhaps the most unintentional insider threat is that of insecure wireless network usage. Whether its at a coffee shop, airport or hotel, unsecured airwaves can easily put sensitive information in jeopardy. All it takes is a peek into e-mail communications or file transfers for valuable data to be stolen. Wi-Fi networks are most susceptible to these attacks, but dont overlook Bluetooth on smartphones and PDAs. Also, if you have WLANs inside your organization, employees could use it to exploit the network after hours. 5.) Posting information to discussion boards and blogs Quite often users post support requests, blogs or other work-related messages on the Internet. Whether intentional or not, this can include sensitive information and file attachments that put your organization at risk. Views of different authors about insider threat 1) Although insiders in this report tended to be former technical employees, there is no demographic â€Å"profile† of a malicious insider. Ages of perpetrators ranged from late teens to retirement. Both men and women were malicious insiders. Their positions included programmers, graphic artists, system and network administrators, managers, and executives. They were currently employed and recently terminated employees, contractors, and temporary employees. As such, security awareness training needs to encourage employees to identify malicious insiders by behavior, not by stereotypical characteristics. For example, behaviors that should be a source of concern include making threats against the organization, bragging about the damage one could do to the organization, or discussing plans to work against the organization. Also of concern are attempts to gain other employees passwords and to fraudulently obtain access through trickery or exploitation of a trusted relationship. Insiders can be stopped, but stopping them is a complex problem. Insider attacks can only be prevented through a layered defense strategy consisting of policies, procedures, and technical controls. Therefore, management must pay close attention to many aspects of its organization, including its business policies and procedures, organizational culture, and technical environment. Organizations must look beyond information technology to the organizations overall business processes and the interplay between those processes and the technologies used. (Michelle Keeney, J.D., Ph.D. atal 2005) 2) While attacks on computers by outside intruders are more publicized, attacks perpetrated by insiders are very common and often more damaging. Insiders represent the greatest threat to computer security because they understand their organizations business and how their computer systems work. They have both the confidentiality and access to perform these attacks. An inside attacker will have a higher probability of successfully breaking into the system and extracting critical information. The insiders also represent the greatest challenge to securing the company network because they are authorized a level of access to the file system and granted a degree of trust. (Nam Nguyen and Peter Reiher, Geoffrey H. Kuenning) 3) Geographically distributed information systems achieve high availability that is crucial to their usefulness by replicating their state. Providing instant access at time of need regardless of current network connectivity requires the state to be replicated in every geographical site so that it is locally available. As network environments become increasingly hostile, we have to assume that part of the distributed information system will be compromised at some point. The problem of maintaining a replicated state in such a system is magnified when insider (or Byzantine) attacks are taken into account. (Yair Amir Cristina Nita-Rotaru) 4) In 2006, over 60% of information security breaches were attributable to insider behavior, yet more than 80% of corporate IT security budgets were spent on securing perimeter defenses against outside attack. Protecting against insider threats means managing policy, process, technology, and most importantly, people. Protecting against insider threats means managing policy, process, technology, and most importantly, people.The Insider Threat Assessment security awareness training, infrastructure reconfiguration, or third party solutions, you can take comfort in knowing that you have made the right choice to improve your security posture, and you will achieve your expected Return on Security Investment. (Presented by infoLock Technologies) 5) The threat of attack from insiders is real and substantial. The 2004 ECrime Watch Survey TM conducted by the United States Secret Service, CERT  ® Coordination Center (CERT/CC), and CSO Magazine, 1 found that in cases where respondents could identify the perpetrator of an electronic crime, 29 percent were committed by insiders. The impact from insider attacks can be devastating. One complex case of financial fraud committed by an insider in a financial institution resulted in losses of over $600 million. 2 Another case involving a logic bomb written by a technical employee working for a defense contractor resulted in $10 million in losses and the layoff of 80 employees. (Dawn Cappelli, Andrew Moore, Timothy Shimeall,2005) 6) Insiders, by virtue of legitimate access to their organizations information, systems, and networks, pose a significant risk to employers. Employees experiencing financial problems have found it easy to use the systems they use at work everyday to commit fraud. Other employees, motivated by financial problems, greed, or the wish to impress a new employer, have stolen confidential data, proprietary information, or intellectual property from their employer. Lastly, technical employees, possibly the most dangerous because of their intimate knowledge of an organizations vulnerabilities, have used their technical ability to sabotage their employers system or network in revenge for some negative work-related event. (Dawn M. Cappelli, Akash G. Desai ,at al 2004) 7) The insider problem is considered the most difficult and critical problem in computer security. But studies that survey the seriousness of the problem, and research that analyzes the problem, rarely define the problem precisely. Implicit definitions vary in meaning. Different definitions imply different countermeasures, as well as different assumptions. (Matt Bishop 2005) Solution: User monitoring Insiders have two things that external attackers dont: privileged access and trust. This allows them to bypass preventative measures, access mission-critical assets, and conduct malicious acts all while flying under the radar unless a strong incident detection solution is in place. A number of variables motivate insiders, but the end result is that they can more easily perpetrate their crimes than an outsider who has limited access. Insiders can directly damage your business resulting in lost revenue, lost customers, reduced shareholder faith, a tarnished reputation, regulatory fines and legal fees. With such an expansive threat, organizations need an automated solution to help detect and analyze malicious insider activity. These are some points which could be helpful in monitoring and minimizing the insider threats: Detecting insider activity starts with an expanded log and event collection. Firewalls, routers and intrusion detection systems are important, but they are not enough. Organizations need to look deeper to include mission critical applications such as email applications, databases, operating systems, mainframes, access control solutions, physical security systems as well as identity and content management products. Correlation: identifying known types of suspicious and malicious behavior Anomaly detection: recognizing deviations from norms and baselines. Pattern discovery: uncovering seemingly unrelated events that show a pattern of suspicious activity From case management, event annotation and escalation to reporting, auditing and access to insider-relevant information, the technical solution must be in line with the organizations procedures. This will ensure that insiders are addressed consistently, efficiently and effectively regardless of who they are. Identify suspicious user activity patterns and identify anomalies. Visually track and create business-level reports on users activity. Automatically escalate the threat levels of suspicious and malicious individuals. Respond according to your specific and unique corporate governing guidelines. Early detection of insider activity based on early warning indicators of suspicious behavior, such as: Stale or terminated accounts Excessive file printing, unusual printing times and keywords printed Traffic to suspicious destinations Unauthorized peripheral device access Bypassing security controls Attempts to alter or delete system logs Installation of malicious software The Insider Threat Study? The global acceptance, business adoption and growth of the Internet, and of Internetworking technologies in general, in response to customer requests for online access to business information systems, has ushered in an extraordinary expansion of electronic business transactions. In moving from internal (closed) business systems to open systems, the risk of malicious attacks and fraudulent activity has increased enormously, thereby requiring high levels of information security. Prior to the requirement for online, open access, the information security budget of a typical company was less then their tea and coffee expenses. Securing cyberspace has become a national priority. In The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace, the Presidents Critical Infrastructure Protection Board identified several critical infrastructure sectors10: banking and finance information and telecommunications transportation postal and shipping emergency services continuity of government public health Universities chemical industry, textile industry and hazardous materials agriculture defense industrial base The cases examined in the Insider Threat Study are incidents perpetrated by insiders (current or former employees or contractors) who intentionally exceeded or misused an authorized level of network, system, or data access in a manner that affected the security of the organizations data, systems, or daily business operations. Incidents included any compromise, manipulation of, unauthorized access to, exceeding authorized access to, tampering with, or disabling of any information system, network, or data. The cases examined also included any in which there was an unauthorized or illegal attempt to view, disclose, retrieve, delete, change, or add information. A completely secure, zero risk system is one which has zero functionality. Latest technology high-performance automated systems bring with them new risks in the shape of new attacks, new viruses and new software bugs, etc. IT Security, therefore, is an ongoing process. Proper risk management keeps the IT Security plans, policies and procedures up to date as per new requirements and changes in the computing environment. To implement controls to counter risks requires policies, and policy can only be implemented successfully if the top management is committed. And policys effective implementation is not possible without the training and awareness of staff. The State Bank of Pakistan recognizes that financial industry is built around the sanctity of the financial transactions. Owing to the critical role of financial institutions for a country and the extreme sensitivity of their information assets, the seriousness of IT Security and the ever-increasing threats it faces in todays open world cannot be overstated. As more and more of our Banking Operations and products services become technology driven and dependent, consequently our reliance on these technology assets increases, and so does the need to protect and safeguard these resources to ensure smooth functioning of the financial industry. Here are different area in which we can work and check insider threat, but I chose textile industry as in textile industry there is less awareness of the insider threat. If an insider attack in an industry then industrialist try to cover up this news as these types of news about an industry can damage the reputation of the industry. CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITRATURE S, Axelsson. ,(2000) Anonymous 2001 Continuity of operations and correct functioning of information systems is important to most businesses. Threats to computerised information and process are threats to business quality and effectiveness. The objective of IT security is to put measures in place which eliminate or reduce significant threats to an acceptable level. Security and risk management are tightly coupled with quality management. Security measures should be implemented based on risk analysis and in harmony with Quality structures, processes and checklists. What needs to be protected, against whom and how? Security is the protection of information, systems and services against disasters, mistakes and manipulation so that the likelihood and impact of security incidents is minimised. IT security is comprised of: Confidentiality: Sensitive business objects (information processes) are disclosed only to authorised persons. ==> Controls are required to restrict access to objects. Integrity: The business need to control modification to objects (information and processes). ==> Controls are required to ensure objects are accurate and complete.

Young People and Sexual Agency in Rural Uganda | Review

Young People and Sexual Agency in Rural Uganda | Review Critical Summary:  Bell, S. A. (2012). Young people and sexual agency in rural Uganda.  Culture, health sexuality,14(3), 283-296. Charles Ncube Summary of paper HIV and AIDS continues to be an ongoing concern in many countries globally and even more so for African countries. Research published in 2012 by Stephen A. Bell, â€Å"Young people and sexual agency in rural Uganda† examines the decision making process leading young Ugandans involvement in sexual relationships, the transactional negotiations and factors that may influence sexual health decision making choices.1 Bells’ research builds on existing literature as it examines how young people’s sexual agency has an impact on their sexual health choices and lifestyles; with the intention of providing health promotion practitioners a more sensible and practical starting point from which to design HIV and sexual health programmes. Bell contextualises his research with a broader framework of â€Å"empowerment†. The research seeks to explain how young people (11 – 24 years old) make choices regarding their sexual behaviour unpacking the type of information available to them, contraceptive knowledge and the stigma attached to sexual activity at an early age.1 Bell’s research inquiry is informed by the theoretical framework of â€Å"individual agency, defined by Petesch, Smulovitz and Walton as the capacity of individuals to make purposeful choices and transform these into desired actions and outcomes†.2 In doing so, Bell discusses the notion of â€Å"sexual agency† to refer to a process where young people become sexually active and the strategies, actions and negotiations involved in navigating broader social expectations. The study design incorporates multiple qualitative methods. The research is conducted in three rural locations in Uganda over 2 years. The methods applied are focus groups and structured interviews. The focus groups sample is drawn from local schools and non-school attendees. From the focus groups purposive sampling is used to then invite participants to participate in the structured interviews. A broad range of topics are discussed including what they liked or disliked about their communities, their social and cultural expectations, home situations, their social networks, economic and social wellbeing, relationships and sex and their aspirations for the future. The 3 key findings reported were: Factors influencing decision making leading to involvement in sexual and intimate relationships; Actions and negotiations within these relationships; and Outcomes arising from sexual agency. 1 Critique The research provides a detailed and rich insight to the decision making process of young people regarding sexual health. In light of this, a more detailed examination that focuses on the generalizability of the findings to a different and diverse population is required. Focus groups (between 8 and 12 participants) are social contexts characterised by the forms of communicative interaction and meaning making found in everyday conversations. 3 The purpose of the focus group is to draw upon the participants’ attitudes, beliefs, feelings experiences and reactions in way not possible using other methods. These attitudes, feelings and beliefs are more likely to be revealed via a social gathering and the interaction which being in a focus group entails.4 Focus groups are flexible in nature, have high face validity and can generate lots of data however there are also limitations to this approach namely, in recording, transcribing and analysing this data which needs to be taken into account. In the case of Bells research the chance of introducing error or bias are particularly high if the discussion has to be translated from the native language to the language of the investigator and this a problem which is significant in multilingual environments. Bells linguistic attributes in the local language is not disclosed nor the language used in the focus group session. Considering the age of some of the participants and the potential cultural influences, free expression is not always possible in a group setting and the group can in fact inhibit discussion. For example, Vlassoff (1987) described a focus-group discussion amongst adolescent girls in India, during which the girls were painfully shy, not wishing to discuss their opinions in front of other people, despite extensive efforts to create a relaxed setting conducive to discussion.5 Other limitations of focus groups are their small samples size as well as being purposively selected. The results from this sample may not allow generalization to larger populations where the research outcomes may be applicable. In addition, as with other qualitative methods, the chances of introducing bias and subjectivity into the interpretation of the data are high.6 While the focus-group discussion can provide plausible insights and explanations, one should not extrapolate from focus group discussions to a broader and heterogeneous population. This tenet may not always be followed. In fact Merton, a key author of focus-group discussions, suggests that â€Å"focus group research is being mercilessly misused as quick-and-easy claims for the validity of the research are not subjected to further, quantitative test†.7 Implications of Position Due to the abovementioned limitations the data gathered may not provide a conclusive guide across other young people populations in similar settings, i.e. Ugandan communities or other countries in the region. This in turn makes it difficult for health promotions agencies to develop and deliver programmes focus on â€Å"safe sexual health† practices targeting the young people aged between 11 and 24 years. The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (WHO, 1986) emphases the need to create supportive environments and strengthen community actions.8 What is evident is the need to educate the whole community to facilitate social change. There are multiple theories underpinning community wide approaches to health promotion for example, the three-stage Freirian Praxis Model of change suggests that people engaged in Freirian programs can evolve beyond powerlessness to create a sense of empowerment—that they can make a difference in their worlds.9 Bell reports that young people do know what they are doing in relation to their sexual choices; they are able to articulate their needs and feelings and then act on these. The research provides valuable insight and health promotion programme designers may want to consider how these can be tailored and incorporated to a local context. Further research is required to understand the community at large and the cultural influences that may be barrier to young people accessing timely, accurate and appropriate sexual health information. References: Bell, S. A. (2012). Young people and sexual agency in rural Uganda.Culture, health sexuality,14(3), 283-296. Petesch, P., Smulovitz, C., Walton, M. (2005). Evaluating empowerment: A framework with cases from Latin America.Measuring empowerment: Cross-disciplinary perspectives, 39-67 Barbour, R., Kitzinger, J. (Eds.). (1998).Developing focus group research: politics, theory and practice. Sage. Department of Sociology, University of Surrey, accessed on 25 August 2014, http://sru.soc.surrey.ac.uk/SRU19.html> Vlassoff, C. (1987). Contributions of the micro-approach to social sciences research. Report prepared for IDRC. Khan, M. E., Anker, M., Patel, B. C., Barge, S., Sadhwani, H., Kohle, R. (1991). The use of focus groups in social and behavioural research: some methodological issues.World Health Stat Q,44(3), 145-149 Merton, R. K. (1987). The focussed interview and focus groups: Continuities and discontinuities.Public Opinion Quarterly, 550-566. WHO, (1986), The Ottawa charter for health promotion, accessed on 25 August 2014, http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/previous/ottawa/en/index1.html> Wallerstein, N., Sanchez-Merki, V. (1994). Freirian praxis in health education: research results from an adolescent prevention program.Health Education Research,9(1), 105-118. Case Study: Sales Planning Operation Case Study: Sales Planning Operation Sales, is the name of the game in many businesses and organizations. To have a successful business you must have profitable sales. In the first phase of this assignment Personal selling is evaluated in depth. Communication mix is described in every aspect of sales by giving examples, selecting two organizations from the market. Identified environmental and managerial forces affecting selling and well described personal selling. In the second phase of the assignment selling process is well described pointing out its principals. Each stage well evaluated and suggestions given in order to make new improvements. In the third phase sales strategies and corporate objectives of selected 2 organizations well explained. Appropriate recruitment and selection procedures devised accordingly. Motivation, remuneration and training is well discussed in this phase. In the fourth phase of this assignment assessed the implications of operating in different sales environment and contexts. Its well evaluated by pointing realistic examples from the current business environment, and assessing theories and techniques. Contents Task 1 Introduction on Sales and Operations Planning Sales and operations planning, sometimes known as aggregate planning, is a process where executive level management regularly meets and reviews projections for demand, supply and the resulting financial impact. SOP is a decision making process that makes certain that tactical plans in every business area are in line with the overall view of the companys business plan. The overall result of the SOP process is that a single operating plan is created that identifies the allocation of company resources, including time, money and employees. Sales and operations planning is an integrated business management process through which the executive/leadership team continually achieves focus, alignment and synchronization among all functions of the organization. The SOP plan includes an updated sales plan, production plan, inventory plan, customer lead time (backlog) plan, new product development plan, strategic initiative plan and resulting financial plan. Plan frequency and planning horizon depend on the specifics of the industry. Short product life cycles and high demand volatility require a tighter SOP planning as steadily consumed products. Done well, the SOP process also enables effective supply chain management. A properly implemented Sales and operations planning process routinely reviews customer demand and supply resources and re-plan quantitatively across an agreed rolling horizon. The re-planning process focuses on changes from the previously agreed sales and operations plan. While it helps the management team to understand how the company achieved its current level of performance, its primary focus is on future actions and anticipated results. Companies that have an integrated business management process use the SOP process to monitor the execution of the companys strategies. Main Elements of Communication Mix. Marketing Communication Mix is the Promotion of the Marketing Ps and covers every method and medium of communicating with your target audience. In many ways, the marketing communication mix is the heart of the marketing strategy around which everything else in sales and marketing is predicated. If business consists of creating value and creating customers, Marketing Communication covers exactly how you are going to create customer by taking your value message to the market. Advertising Any paid form of nonperson presentation and promotion of ideas, goods, or services by an identified sponsor. Personal selling Personal presentation by the firms sales force for the purpose of making sales and building customer relationships. Sales promotion Short-term incentives to encourage the purchase or sale of a product or service. Public relations Building good relationships with the companys various publics by obtaining favorable publicity, building up a good corporate image, and handling or heading off unfavorable rumors, stories, and events. Direct marketing Direct communications with carefully targeted individual consumers to obtain an immediate response and cultivate lasting customer relationships. (http://marketingteacher.com/lesson-store/lesson-personal-selling.html) Advertising This is the mass media method of marketing communication and provides exposure to the largest, most geographically dispersed audience at the lowest cost per head. That being said, advertising costs can add up quickly with mediums like television, radio and even online advertising which can be prohibitively expensive for many businesses. Other traditional forms of paid advertising include newspapers and magazines, the Yellow Pages, billboards, signs and posters. As well, advertising on buses, benches, gas pumps and even public restrooms is in vogue today. Basically, any medium which provides an opportunity to target eyes and/or ears can be a venue for advertising and you can see examples of successful promotion in the most unlikely places. Direct Marketing This marketing communication competency enables companies to reach out directly to consumers without intermediary channels such as those required for advertising. This component of the marketing communication process includes direct mail, catalogs, coupons and inserts, telemarketing, online marketing and television infomercials. Done correctly, Direct Marketing is extremely effective in the long run and allows for a targeted marketing approach to specific consumers to create valuable lasting relationships. Direct Marketing is the marketing communication method that enables companies to interact with a relatively large number of customers and encourage a call to action or most wanted response which is usually a purchase. The downside of Direct Marketing is that it is usually unsolicited and seen as a nuisance by the general public. Telemarketing, e-mail spamming and junk mail are universally despised and so Direct Marketing tools should be used with thought and caution. Personal Selling This is the most dreaded as well as the most expensive of all methods in the marketing communication process. However, if you are a small business owner or otherwise have the ability to personally sell and build relationships with customers, it can be one of the most rewarding aspects of the marketing process, both personally and professionally. Just as with traditional marketing, successful selling begins and ends with the customer. The whole objective is to ascertain needs and create the best solution for customers. Along the way you build relationships and continue to gather information about how you can better serve customers which is your reason for being in business in the first place. Sales and marketing are fundamental to the survival of any business and both involve creating customers for the business value you have created. The former targets one person (or entity) whereas the latter targets many. Both engage, inform and persuade through a variety of communicational tools. Aligning both will increase your success regardless of conditions. Successful sales and successful marketing both begin with an attitude and that attitude is customers first Public Relations This refers to how you handle your relationships and the flow of information with your various publics or the people who have a stake in or are affected by your business. This includes the general public, consumers, shareholders, employees, partners, competitors and the government. PR becomes a more and more crucial element of the marketing communication mix as a business or organization grows larger. That being said, it is still a vital component of the marketing communication process to think about for smaller businesses as well. PR tools include press and media releases, lobbying, charitable and public events, advertorials, financial reports, promotional collateral, facility tours, sponsorships, interviews and any other method for the promotion of a positive image to people. Being people conscious starts with the individual and carries through to the organization. Once again, people buy from people at the end of the day and the most successful people and organizations are those that benefit other people the most. As with many facets of sales and marketing, PR also has a good and bad side. The good side of PR is fostering socially conscious business practices whereas the bad side is epitomized in shady political lobbying, spin doctors and so forth that divert from the truth as opposed to promote it. Suffice it to say that in todays connected world, more than ever, any sized organization needs to be cognizant that it operates within the larger framework of society and has corresponding responsibilities. Sales Promotion This is the last traditional component of the marketing communication mix that is discussed here as part of the marketing communication process. Sales promotion simply refers to purchase incentives that you provide your customer with. These can assume a number of forms including offering free goods or services, coupons and vouchers, gifts and prizes, discounts, samples, financial incentives, charitable promotions and any other value-add over and above your standard product or services. Sales Promotions are generally short-lived, one off incentives intended to provide consumers with that last push to buy. The main takeaway is that regardless of the size and type of your business, you should continually look at ways in which to create additional value for customers. Your customers will appreciate it and, in facts, customers have been shown to pay premium prices for real value and real service. Role of Personal Selling on my Selected Organization Personal selling is all about Delivery of a specially designed message to a prospect by a seller, usually in the form of face-to-face communication, personal correspondence, or a personal telephone conversation. Unlike advertising, a personal sales message can be more specifically targeted to individual prospects and easily altered if the desired behavior does not occur. Personal selling, however, is far more costly than advertising and is generally used only when its high expenditure can be justified. For example, the marketing of a sophisticated computer system may require the use of personal selling, while the introduction of a new product to millions of consumers would not. Two other forms of personal selling that are not used with high-end products are door-to-door selling and home demonstration parties. These two personal selling methods are primarily used for personal care products, cosmetics, cookware, encyclopedias, books, toys, food, and other items of special interest to h omemakers. Ideally, personal selling should be supported by advertising to strengthen its impact. (http://www.davedolak.com/promix.htm) Buyer behavior in relation with personal selling If a marketer can identify consumer buyer behavior, he or she will be in a better position to target products and services at them. Buyer behavior is focused upon the needs of individuals, groups and organizations. It is important to understand the relevance of human needs to buyer behavior (remember, marketing is about satisfying needs) Lets look at human motivations as introduced by Abraham Maslow by his hierarchy of needs: The hierarchy is triangular. This is because as you move up it, fewer and fewer people satisfy higher level needs. We begin at the bottom level. Physiological needs such as food, air, water, heat, and the basic necessities of survival need to be satisfied. At the level of safety, man has a place to live that protects him from the elements and predators. At the third level we meet our social and belongingness needs i.e. we marry, or join groups of friends, etc. The final two levels are esteem and self-actualisation. Fewer people satisfy the higher level needs. Esteem means that you achieve something that makes you recognised and gives personal satisfaction, for example writing a book. Self-actualisation is achieved by few. Here a person is one of a small number to actually do something. For example, Neil Armstrong self-actualised as the first person to reach the Moon. The model is a little simplistic but introduces the concept a differing consumer needs quite well. (http://tutor2u.net/business/marketing/buying_stimulus_model.asp) In the above model, marketing and other stimuli enter the customers black box and produce certain responses. Marketing management must try to work out what goes on the in the mind of the customer the black box. The Buyers characteristics influence how he or she perceives the stimuli; the decision-making process determines what buying behavior is undertaken. Union International Accessories (Pvt) Ltd Union International Accessories (Pvt) Ltd has been in the garment accessories business since 1993 in collaboration with M. Y. Company in Hong Kong. Together they have earned a reputation of being a reliable supplier of the highest quality of all kinds of garment accessories. Union International supply all kinds of regular items such as zippers, buttons, threads, elastics, webbings, draw-codes, stoppers, buckles, eyelets, fashion belts etc, to more sophisticated trims such as rhinestones, rhinestuds, motifs, sequin patches, glitter belts, rubber badges, heat transfer glass beads and so on. Union International work directly with as many as five zipper plants in the World. This gives us the edge over many of our competitors placing us in a very strong position to offer better and faster deliveries for any type of original zippers that is required by our customer. Union International have an extensive customer base in Sri Lanka and other countries such as India, Bangladesh, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, USA, UK, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam and Malaysia. We have developed and built a strong lasting business relationship with all our customers through our dedicated, conscientious, reliable and personalized service rendered throughout the years. Some prestigious names our customers process orders for include Wal-Mart, Gap, Tesco, London Fog, Primark, Debenhams, Marks and Spencers, Abercombie and Fitch, Liz Clairborne, Dillards, Ralph Lauren, May Department, Columbia, Target Stores and so on (http://www.union-myco.com/contact_us.html) B2B Selling B2B is contemporary shorthand for a longtime sales practice called business-to-business. B2B transactions primarily target companies and other wholesale buyers, while transactions targeting individuals are called B2C, or business-to-customer. Many organizations have both B2B and B2C components, but its not unusual for a company to specialize in B2B services or sales. In fact, the vast majority of products and services sold are considered to be B2B in nature. Union International is in garment Accessories based business and most of the time the organization deal with the Garment Factories by supplying them the accessories which needed to complete the final garment product. 99% of Union internationals business is to the manufactures, not to the final Customers. One major reason for the popularity of B2B sales and services is sheer volume. An individual customer may visit a clothing manufacturers website catalog and order two pairs of shoes or a sweater. The buyer for a national chain of clothing stores, however, may order 5,000 pairs of shoes and 2,000 sweaters. Without a B2B component, the manufacturer would have lost out on a very lucrative sale. This is why many companies provide B2B options alongside the B2C offerings at their websites and other outlets. B2B sales are also generated by providing a specialized product line or service not available to the general public. This form of B2B transaction is very common in the manufacturing world. A company which produces shaving cream in cans, for example, may need a specific plastic nozzle. Several plastic injection molding companies would send sales representatives to pitch their particular designs. These nozzles would be useless for individual customers, but a manufacturer may order thousands of them. Union International is in garment Accessories based business and most of the time the organization deal with the Garment Factories by supplying them the accessories which needed to complete the final garment product. 99% of Union internationals business is to the manufactures, not to the final Customers B2B Focus on Relationship driven Maximize the value of the relationship Small, focused target market Multi-step buying process, longer sales cycle Brand identity created on personal relationship Educational and awareness building activities Rational buying decision based on business value B2C Selling B2C. A transaction that occurs between a company and a consumer, as opposed to a transaction between companies (called B2B). The term may also describe a company that provides goods or services for consumers. Union International does is business only to Manufactures but not to customers directly. Product driven Maximize the value of the transaction Large target market Single step buying process, shorter sales cycle Brand identity created through repetition and imagery Merchandising and point of purchase activities Emotional buying decision based on status, desire, or price The personal selling process consists of the following steps: 1) Prospecting Prospecting refers to identifying and developing a list of potential clients. Sales people can seek the names of prospects from a variety of sources including trade shows, commercially-available databases or mail lists, company sales records and in-house databases, website registrations, public records, referrals, directories and a wide variety of other sources. Prospecting activities should be structured so that they identify only potential clients who fit the profile and are able, willing and authorized to buy the product or service. This activity is greatly enhanced today using websites with specially-coded pages optimized with key words so that prospects may easily find you when they search the web for certain key words related to your offering. Once prospecting is underway, it then is up to the sales professional to qualify those prospects to further identify likely customers and screen out poor leads. Modern websites can go along way in not only identifying potential prospects but also starting this qualification process. 2) Pre-approach Before engaging in the actual personal selling process, sales professionals first analyze all the information they have available to them about a prospect to understand as much about the prospect as possible. During the Pre-approach phase of the personal selling process, sales professionals try to understand the prospects current needs, current use of brands and feelings about all available brands, as well as identify key decision makers, review account histories (if any), assess product needs, plan/create a sales presentation to address the identified and likely concerns of the prospect, and set call objectives. The sales professional also develops a preliminary overall strategy for the sales process during this phase, keeping in mind that the strategy may have to be refined as he or she learns more about the prospect. 3) Approach The approach is the actual contact the sales professional has with the prospect. This is the point of the selling process where the sales professional meets and greets the prospect, provides an introduction, establishes rapport that sets the foundation of the relationship, and asks open-ended questions to learn more about the prospect and his or her needs. 4) Making the Presentation During the presentation portion of the selling process, the sales professional tells that product story in a way that speaks directly to the identified needs and wants of the prospect. A highly customized presentation is the key component of this step. At this point in the process, prospects are often allowed to hold and/or inspect the product and the sales professional may also actually demonstrate the product. Audio visual presentations and/or slide presentations may be incorporated at this stage and this is usually when sales brochures or booklets are presented to the prospect. Sales professionals should strive to let the prospect do most of the talking during the presentation and address the needs of the prospect as fully as possible by showing that he or she truly understands and cares about the needs of the prospect. 5) Overcoming Objections Professional sales people seek out prospects objections in order to try to address and overcome them. When prospects offer objections, it often signals that they need and want to hear more in order to make a fully-informed decision. If objections are not uncovered and identified, then sales professionals cannot effectively manage them. Uncovering objections, asking clarifying questions, and overcoming objections is a critical part of training for professional sellers and is a skill area that must be continually developed because there will always be objections. Trust me when I tell you that as soon as a sales professional finds a way to successfully handle all his or her prospects objections, some prospect will find a new, unanticipated objection if for no other reason than to test the mettle of the sales person. 6) Closing the Sale Although technically closing a sale happens when products or services are delivered to the customers satisfaction and payment is received, for the purposes of our discussion I will define closing as asking for the order and adequately addressing any final objections or obstacles. There are many closing techniques as well as many ways to ask trial closing questions. A trail question might take the form of, Now that Ive addressed your concerns, what other questions do you have that might impact your decision to purchase? Closing does not always mean that the sales professional literally asks for the order, it could be asking the prospect how many they would like, what color they would prefer, when they would like to take delivery, etc. Too many sales professions are either weak or too aggressive when it comes to closing. If you are closing a sale, be sure to ask for the order. If the prospect gives an answer other than yes, it may be a good opportunity to identify new objections and co ntinue selling. 7) Follow-up Follow-up is an often overlooked but important part of the selling process. After an order is received, it is in the best interest of everyone involved for the sales person to follow-up with the prospect to make sure the product was received in the proper condition, at the right time, installed properly, proper training delivered, and that the entire process was acceptable to the customer. This is a critical step in creating customer satisfaction and building long-term relationships with customers. If the customer experienced any problems whatsoever, the sales professional can intervene and become a customer advocate to ensure 100% satisfaction. Diligent follow-up can also lead to uncovering new needs, additional purchases, and also referrals and testimonials which can be used as sales tools. Impact on Personal Selling TASK 2 Task 3 Sales manager Job description and activities Sales managers organize, motivate and lead sales teams in a wide range of sectors, including pharmaceuticals, fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) and finance. They are responsible for the combined performance of the team and for ensuring that everyone within their team reaches their targets. They may set the targets themselves or receive them from the sales director. They may also operate incentive schemes that motivate members of their team to reach or exceed sales targets. Typically, sales managers direct a companys sales program. They assign sales territories, set goals, and establish training programs for their sales representatives. Sales managers may also advise their sales representatives on ways to improve their sales performance achieve goals and obtain expected quotas. Whilst management structures vary significantly between companies and sectors, most sales managers will be responsible either for specific geographical areas (area sales managers) and/or particular products, or for specific types of customer. Sales managers will usually be responsible for: recruiting and training sales staff; supervising, motivating and monitoring team performance; allocating areas to sales executives; setting budgets/targets; liaising with other line managers; reporting back to senior managers; liaising with customers (which may include actual selling); maintaining detailed knowledge of the companys products or services; Keeping abreast of what competitors are doing. Depending on the culture of the company and level of seniority within it, sales managers may also be involved with product development, identification of new business opportunities and the development of marketing strategies. (http://ww2.prospects.ac.uk/p/types_of_job/sales_manager_job_description.jsp) Expected Tasks form a Sales manager in a Organizations Point of view Single point of contact: In fact, the sales manager is the single point of contact for all the salesmen when it comes to any questions and queries about the product or the company. Team leader: The sales manager can generally be termed as the team leader for the sales team and should have all the qualities that a team leader would have. Team person: The sales manager should be a team person, who understands any differences that crop in his or her team and work towards solving them in an amicable and quick manner. Strong sales background: Other than these internal qualities, the sales manager should have a strong sales background and should be able to lead his or team from the front with their sales expertise and talents. Hiring the new sales executives: The sales manager is also expected to hire the new sales executives. Therefore, the sales manager should be experienced and equipped enough to judge a person whether they can be good in sales or not. The one issue with sales is that sales is an inborn quality. Of course, having a business administration does help, but still, some people just have it in them to sell a product. As a sales manager, you should know how to recognize that. Sales Manager Qualities Sales management is one of the most challenging balancing acts in all the business world. Good sales management is worth its weight in gold. To fully view the valuable products of good sales management, one must go beyond the high gross figures and stout net profits being rung up at the register. Good sales management is also marked by a sales force which is flourishing and prospering, and a customer base which is satisfied beyond expectation. When a sales force has a good sales manager, they not only produce well and stably, but they tend to stay loyal and stay long. What are the distinguishing qualities of good sales management? A good sales manager motivates and leads the sales force, while at the same time seeing to it that the goals and purposes of the sales organization and its ownership are being met. Sales management at its best executes command intention, when he sees that the marching orders will indeed produce the effects that ownership and management intend it to, and queries the orders when he considers that those orders would actually get in the way of their own goals. A good sales manager commands with authority, but in a way that draws respect rather than contempt. A good sales manager corrects poor attitude with skill and understanding, at the level of firmness required by the circumstances at hand. A good sales manager continues to become more and more expert on the theory and application of all five steps of a sale, as detailed in the book, HOW TO SELL Clear and Simple, and guides his sales force in the successful use of these steps. A good sales manager effectively uses his knowledge of the five-step procedure as his primary tool for improve poor performance. And a good sales manager sets real, though challenging goals and then does everything necessary to assist all concerned to reach and exceed those goals. If a salesman were ambitious and was looking for one of the most demanding, and most rewarding challenges in the world of business, he would do well to aspire to become a part of sales management. (http://www.evancarmichael.com/Sales/452/What-Makes-a-Great-Sales-Manager.html) Reduce turnover by hiring smart instead of often. Establish compensation plans that drive sales and profits. Develop sales systems that facilitate consistent sales results. Coach and train your sales team toward service-minded selling. Provide motivation, recognition and accountability. Increase sales and profits to the type of customer you prefer. Relieve you from sales management responsibility. Human resource functions Handled by Sales Manager The sales manager is also responsible for some of the functions handled by the Human resource as the sales manager is the person who will be working with the selected employee so he will make sure that he also takes part in each function and make sure no mistake is made and below are some functions which the sales manager will involve in the HR handlesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Recruitment and selection Employing the right person has the potential to, in the long run, save you thousands of dollars. Clearly the right initial choice will save money by reducing turnover but there are many other costs involved, some less quantifiable than others. Most sales managers agree that they cannot afford even one non-productive team member, yet most managers have their own horror stories regarding troublesome or struggling employees. This highlights the importance of recruitment and selection of sales people. Various practices can and should be employed to best avoid the unenviable situation of having hired the wrong person for the job. Eg: Company Union International Accessories used to involve the sales manger when recruiting and selecting the person inorder to make surer that he has the right person in his team Motivation In motivating people only the HR cannot take its own decision as the sales managers involvement will be very important in this function as he knows very well how each employee had been working and who the appropriate person to be promoted is. In case this decision is taken only by the HR it might not be accurate so to avoid such problems the sales manager will be involved in this function. Eg: the sales manager of Union International Accessories is involved when any motivation program organized by HR to make sure there is no mistake in the decisio

lord of the flies :: essays research papers

The novel Lord of the Flies was full of challenges that the boys overcame in order to survive. Conflicts within themselves, with nature and with each other constantly test the children’s ability to endure. Struggles against the natural elements of the island, rival groups or fear of the unknown continually appear throughout the story. Some of the boys on the island did not survive the quarrels that they faced. They perished because they were lacking something that the surviving boys did not. The survivors had a natural primal instinct or a physical or mental advantage over the boys who did not make it. ‘Only the strong survive’ is an important element that runs through the novel Lord of the Flies because in order to survive the boys must turn to their primitive instincts of physical strength and savagery.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the three children who did not survive the island was the mulberry colored birthmark boy. He represents the weaknesses and insignificance of all the littluns that are on the island. The littluns are younger, less developed and less experienced compared to the older children. As a result the littluns are at a disadvantage to the other boys. The mental weakness of the littluns is evident when they talk about their fear of a monster on the island: â€Å"He still says he saw the beastie. It came and went away again an’ came back and wanted to eat him.†(35). As most young children do, the littleuns confused fantasy with reality and as a result a monster was believed to live on the island. The littluns lack of maturity and concentration is shown when Ralph and Simon are building the shelters and Ralph says, â€Å"I bet if I blew the conch this minute, they’d come running. Then we’d be, you know, very solemn, and someone would say we o ut to build a jet, or a submarine, or a TV set. When the meeting was over they’d work for five minutes then wonder off.†(51). The death of the mulberry colored birthmark boy clearly shows that the littluns are insignificant to the other children on the island. When the children built the fire on the mountain and the flames caught on the canopy below Piggy realizes that the mulberry colored birthmark boy was not with them. Piggy shows the littluns’ insignificance when he says, â€Å"That little ‘un-‘ gasped Piggy-‘him with the mark on his face, I don’t see him.

Essay examples --

Mustafe Ali Karen Herreid English 1101-83 October 20, 2013 Hunger Games Film Review. The Hunger games movie is a 2012 American science fiction adventure film directed by Gary Ross and based on the naval of the same name by Suzanne Collins. The picture is the first installment in the hunger games film series and was produced by Nina Jackabson and john kilik, with a screen play by Ross. Collis and Billy Ray. The film stars are Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland. The story of hunger games movie takes place in the nation of panem; which used to be in the north of America. The nation of panem consists of a wealthy capitol and twelve poorer districts. The thirteen district was supposedly destroyed, so In order to remind the people of the history each year, the Capitol created an annual event the hunger a reality T.V show in which twenty four children from the remaining district must fight in to death,. The main purpose of the hunger games movie was to show the rebels (other districts) that not even children are beyond the reach of their power. The rules of hunger games movie was one boy and one girl between the ages eighteen and twelve from each district are gathered and fight in to death in an arena (large forest area) until there Is a winner. These boys and girls (tributes) are selected by lottery. Primrose Everdeen is chosen in her first reaping but later her older sister katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her place. The other district twelve male tribute is Peeta mallark. During the hunger games movie there was a switch up and two people from the same district could win. Peeta mallark and katniss Everdeen from district twelve w... ...ot gory I really enjoyed watching this movie. The Hunger Games has all the necessary prerequisites of solid movie. It is aesthetically pleasing, visually impressive and well-written (especially for an adaptation of a first-person narrative). The emotional weight of the movie is shouldered by Jenifer Lawrence, who plays the film’s hardened heroine Katniss Everdeen, and the supporting cast’s performances are all well above average. Most of the actors and actress are very young and do not that much experience. Finally the movie is a good movie. Actually this movie doesn’t need any improvement. The writer, actresses, and actors did their best. They tried to make a point and be a creative about it and that is exactly what they did. It is an amazing movie. I The Hunger Games. Dir. Gary Ross. Perf. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. Lionsgate, 2012. DVD.

How Social and Professional Relationships Affect the Learning Process Essay

Explain how social organisations and relationships affect the learning process. When children start school they are will go through short simple assessments to enable them to be put in a group of which an activity or task they are asked to complete is appropriate for their stage and level of learning. The learning process can be affected by many different things in a positive or less positive way. For example When a child has built a relationship with another child whom is more confident at answering questions whether they are correct or not it can work either way in which it can give the child less confidence to answer at all as the more confident child may make fun of them if they knew the right answer or this can be a positive affect where the less confident child will learn from the confident child and give answering questions a go. If we as adults build positive relationships with each other and show our willingness to learn and enthusiasm to learn the positive relationships built with children will then show that the learning process is fun this is giving relationships a positive affect on the learning process. If a child has fallen out with a friend or been hurt by someone in the class this may cause them to become withdrawn and distracted from activities they are wanted to participate in. When teaching children you need to be aware of all the available support so that the child can reach their full potential, if any other organizations are involved you will need to have regular updates on how the child is doing so that if more support is needed this can be given or if they seem to be progressing further then other steps can be taken. It is very important to evaluating learning activities as this will enable the child to reach their full potential, it can be most important when planning activities as it can then give the child and the adult a chance to think about the learning that has taken place. When evaluating the learning activities it can be important as you can then see what works and what doesn’t, you may also find that some things need adapting for the different level of children. When evaluating the learning activities you can also see where you can improve on the way you delivered the activity and what worked best. Some children are easily distracted by others or certain environments that you wish to carry the task or activity out in it is in the child’s best interest to think of where to situate the activity or task in order for the  child to reach their full potential because then they can often be brought back round to focus and have the motivation to carry out what is asked of them i f the child has many distraction this can lead to the child not paying any interest in the adult and wandering off due to distractions. For example there is a particular child in the class i am in who always wants to go outside and play and often finds anything he can to fiddle with one day i carried out a short activity with this child and a couple of children which was just by the door to outside and there was a few odd bits on the floor for him to fiddle with as soon as we got to this area and through out the activity he ran to the door several times and would pick the various things up from the floor and throw them towards other children and i realised that being in this area doesn’t work with this child not only did it affect their learning but it also affect the other children in the groups learning process as bringing this child back to focus it stopped me from carrying out the task properly so next time i was working with this child i chose a different area away from the door and free from any objects that could distract the child when the activity was finished i saw a difference the child stayed focus ed and motivated on the task and the other children also could complete the task without any interruptions. When evaluating the learning activities it can help with planning future learning activities by looking at the learning objective to measure what the child has learnt, if the learning objective is not thought about carefully at the planning stage it can be almost to tell or evaluate whether the child has achieved the objective. When looking at the knowledge, understanding and skills i have in Literacy, Numeracy and ICT and how they can impact on practise I have a little knowledge, understanding and skills in all these areas that i can use and support the children. Whilst attending sure start i achieved a level 2 in English and have always been good at spelling completing crosswords and writing stories when i was younger. After having my children i went to college in the evening to complete a level 1 in maths although maths isn’t my strong point i feel confident in supporting the children. When my youngest child was at nursery i completed an open technology course which was from January 2009 till December 2009 i achieved entry level 1 and 2 in ict open systems and office applications. When supporting children through these areas you need to work confidently and understand the subject with  more experience the more impact it will have on the children’s learning. The knowledge and understanding in these areas have also been helped by having children of my own who have gone through the whole learning process from the beginning and helping them to complete work sent home gives me that little bit more confidence. There are many ways these areas have an impact on practice and the more input and experience i do and get can mean the more confidence i can gain in these subject areas. There are still many ways that i can improve my knowledge, understanding and skills in these areas and i recently had a discussion with the class teacher on what i felt i did well and what i felt and would like to have more support or knowledge below is a plan that me and the teacher have come up with. Literacy improvement plans | With literacy i am new to sounds and pronouncing them the correct way i have already photocopied all of the formations and the actions used in order to sound these right but to reinforce this and gain knowledge of the terminology used the teacher has said about a letters and sounds book which is the principles and practise of high quality phonics. | Numeracy improvement plans| The other day i worked with a group of children who find it hard to concentrate and i know that with children in year r the best way to teach them is through games and play but i’m not confident with creativity of games or leading the games the correct way so the teacher is going to give me some website addresses and a book which has ideas. The teacher has also said she may give a few choices of games to play that are appropriate to what the current learning objective is and allow me to take the lead in what works best for me and the small group of children.| ICT improvement plans | I have lots of ICT knowledge with programs and adult use but to support children to use the computers i am a little nervous about. The teacher and i discussed working on the computers with a few children playing through the games on computers and picking up skills through experiencing them first hand or some extra time to run through them by myself. The school also uses a smart board which is linked to a laptop i haven’t had much chance to work on this so the teacher has set up a few group activities for me to carry out using the smart board these have been numeracy games so far so interlinking the numeracy and ICT development plans that i wish to achieve.

Race and Native American Essay

Identify and briefly explain the dimensions by referencing both textbooks. Some of the different primary dimensions of diversity include age, gender, mental and physical abilities, race, ethnic heritage, and sexual orientation. These are primary due to the fact that they are more fixed, visible, and relevant to an identity. For example, a male in his mid-thirties are all primary dimensions. There are also secondary dimensions such as geographic location, military/work experience, family status, income, religion, language, education, communication, and work style. For example, a male in his thirties who plays piano while drinking apple cider for a hobby would be secondary. As we learned in class the difference between these are easily remembered by thinking visible and invisible. At first glance one would be able to guess age and gender, however the secondary dimensions are wide and welcome judgments to a closed mind. ?With what ethnic, cultural, or other groups do you identify? Describe what members of your social circle have in common. My ethnic background is Native American and Portuguese. On my mother’s side of the family I get the Native American. Our tribe is the Karok tribe. Its origins are Northern California. I am not registered; however I get bit and pieces from my mom sometimes. She tells me that I am an 8th Native American. This if I am not mistaken is enough to qualify for the federal benefits for health care and school funds. I have just not done the footwork to find out. This leads me into the second piece of the question. I am not a part of this social circle and I cannot answer what we all have in common other than the physical appearance. Generally, we all have dark hair and olive skin tone, and also having brown or hazel eyes. I notice from the members of my family that the woman age very well. Not so much the men. Inclusion is described as an addition. For example relative to thus class, an African American child being adopted by a Hispanic family and ten years later the African American child adapting to the rituals and cultural expectations if the Hispanic culture. This word can pertain to a wide variety of situations. Another example would be a defect in a precious stone such as a ruby or diamond. ?What is the difference between diversity and inclusion? Idictonary defines diversity as a noun meaning the condition of having or being composed of differing elements; variety. ?What is the importance of workplace diversity training? ?What is your experience with workplace culture? Could there be, or could there have been, more inclusion?