Identity Theft in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Identity Theft in America - Essay Example Simply it is all about â€Å"deterring, detecting and defending†. For example deterring efforts that a potential identity theft victim is asked to make include such things as placing a fraud alert in the credit report and going for a credit freeze. A credit alert can be either an initial one for just 60 days only or it can be an extended one. Deterring action might include even avoiding phishing scams. Websites which inveigle potential identity theft victims into phishing scams have to be avoided at all cost. Detecting is another effort that the potential victim would have to do in the process of transacting a deal. Successful detections are very far and few in between, despite ever increasing vigilance by federal and state anti-Identity Theft agencies. Implications of identity theft are diverse and complex. In the US such implications again assume a very risk-prone dimension after the 9/11 attacks. The US internal security environment has become so complex and the current efforts by federal and state law enforcement agencies to identify and prevent potential threats to national security are obviously on the rise. Recent measures at the both the levels include some seminal technologically advanced ones including those targeting identity thieves. Superior technologies are needed by law enforcement officials to deter and detect those identity thieves who increasingly adopt undetectable modus operandi to overwhelm and rob their would-be victims. The US law enforcement authorities have been baffled by the recent spate of crime involving identity theft and phishing scams. With an ever rising global tendency among consumers to shop online, a parallel but highly disturbing development has taken shape too, viz. a breed of thieves known as identity or cyber thieves. Indeed identity thieves is a general term applied to all those potential shady characters lurking in the internet or elsewhere with the

Components Of A Good Password Computer Science Essay

Components Of A Good Password Computer Science Essay Computer manufacturer and OS developers often build and deliver systems in default modes to secure the system from external attacks. From developers view this is the most efficient mode of product delivery. As per the organisation or a user, they require more protected and secured system before it is placed into service. Security baselines are standards which defines a minimum set of security controls for organisations. Security baselines typically address both technical issues such as software configuration and operational issues such as keeping applications up to date with vendor patches. In the security baselines, if hardware, OS, network and application followed the recommended minimum set of security settings then it will significantly decrease its vulnerability to security threats. The process of securing and preparing the system against the internal and external threats and system vulnerabilities is called hardening. Reduce the main reasons of attack that includes the removal of unnecessary services, software and unnecessary usernames or logins. It makes the system more secure, reliable, efficient and gives optimised performance. 12.2 Password Selection Password selection is one of the critical activities that often get neglected as part of a good security baseline. Currently most systems are protected by a user ID and password. If an attacker discovers the correct user ID and password by guessing or by using freely available password cracker tools, then they can gain access to the system. By following basic guidelines and principles in choosing passwords, the passwords used on the system will protect the assets. 12.2.1 Selecting a Password Users should consider a few basic requirements while choosing the password. Set a minimum number of characters and never accept shorter password. Do not use dictionary words and mix of lowercase and uppercase letters with usually one or two numbers. Randomly created passwords are strong passwords and they are difficult to guess and will defeat most password-cracking utilities. However, randomly generated passwords are difficult to remember and users often write down these passwords usually in a location close to the machine. Thus it defeats the purpose of the password. 12.2.2 Components of a Good Password User should create their own easy to remember passwords. Password is meant to protect access and resources from hackers. It should not be easy for them to guess or crack through password cracking tools. Common guidelines to make the password more difficult to guess or obtain are as follows: It should be at least eight characters long. It should include uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, special characters or punctuation marks. It should not contain dictionary words. It should not contain the users personal information such as their name, family members name, birth date, pet name, phone number or any other detail that can easily be identified. It should not be the same as the users login name. It should not be the default passwords as supplied by the system vendor such as password, guest, admin and so on. 12.2.3 Password Aging Password aging is technique used by system administrators and it forces the user to change their passwords after specified period of time. If it is not changed within a specific period of time, it expires and must be reset. Password aging can also force a user to keep a password for a certain number of weeks before changing it. Changing passwords periodically will protect against brute-force attacks because when password is changed the attacker must restart the attack from the beginning. If password is changed periodically, an attacker will never be able to cycle through all the possible combinations before the password is changed again. Most operating systems have options that allow system administrators to apply password aging and prevent password reuse. Common guidelines are as follows: User must change their passwords in every 60 to 90 days. A very secured service requires to change passwords every 30 to 45 days. System must remember each users last five to ten passwords and should not allow the user to reuse those passwords. 12.3 Hardening Most computers provide network security features to control outside access to the system. All nonessential softwares such as spyware blockers and antivirus programs prevent malicious software to run on the system. Even with all these security measures, systems are still vulnerable to outside access. System hardening is a step by step process of securely configuring a system to protect it against unauthorised access. It also helps to minimise the security vulnerabilities. The three basic areas of hardening are as follows: Operating system-based hardening It includes information about securing and hardening various operating system. It also includes methods to secure file systems. Network-based hardening It examines the methods and procedures of hardening network devices, services and protocols. Application-based hardening It includes security of client-side user applications and services such as Domain Name Service (DNS), Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and Web servers. 12.3.1 Operating System-Based Hardening Operating system hardening is the first step towards safeguarding systems from intrusion. Systems received from the vendors have preinstalled development tools and utilities which are beneficial to the new user as well as it also provide back-door access to an organisations systems. Operating system hardening includes the removal of all non essential tools, utilities and other systems administration options through which hackers can easily access the system. Hardening process will ensure that all security features are activated and configured correctly. This process makes the system secure, efficient, reliable and gives optimised performance. Some of the security tips to harden the OS include the following: Disable all unnecessary protocols. Disable all unnecessary services. Disable all unnecessary programs and processes. Verify and then install all vendor patches. Install all product updates. Use vulnerability scanner to identify potential security weaknesses. Configure file system security according to the least privilege rule. Note: Least privilege rule states that, allow access to those individuals who require it and allow only as much access required to complete the task. File System Controlling access to the resources is an important factor in maintaining system security. The most secure environment follows the rule of least privilege. The network administrator receives more complaints from users after following this rule as they are unable to access resources. However, receiving complaints from unauthorised users is more beneficial than suffering access violations that damage the organisations capability to conduct business. The least privileged environment can use the user groups to assign the same access to the resources instead of assigning individual access controls. However, in some cases individual users need more or less access than other group members. To maintain security, network administrator provides greater control over what each user can and cannot access. Updates OS updates are provided by the manufacturer of the specific component. Updates contain improvements to the OS and hence, will make the product more secure, efficient and stable to the users. For example, Microsoft updates are labelled with security updates. These updates address security concerns recognised by Microsoft and install them if required. In addition, updates enhance the capability of a specific function that was underdeveloped at the time the system or application was released. Updates should be thoroughly tested in non-production environments before implementation. Since this new and improved function has more security breaches than the original components, it requires complete testing. Hotfixes, security packs and patches are product updates to resolve a known issue. Hotfixes Hotfixes are components that are designed to fix a particular critical system fault. Hotfixes are created by the vendor when a number of client systems indicate that there is compatibility or functional problem with a manufacturers products used on a particular platform. These are fixes for reported or known problems. Hence, hotfixes should only be installed to correct a specific problem. Service Packs Service packs are collection of updates or hotfixes. It correct known issues and provide drivers, updates and system administration tools that extends product functionality that include enhancements developed after the product is released. Service packs are tested on different hardware and applications to ensure compatibility of existing patches and updates. Service packs must be thoroughly tested and verified in non-production environment before it installed on working systems. Patches Patches are used to prevent hackers from invading the system with virus and other malware that exploits the operating systems vulnerabilities. This improves the usability and performance of the system. OS patches are available on the vendor Website that supplies the product. Since patches are issued at unpredictable intervals, it is important to configure the system to automatically connect with the latest security patch updates. When the new update is released, the OS will prompt to install. While preparing clean installation it is advisable to download and install all known patches before introducing the system to the network. 12.3.2 Network-Based Hardening The tremendous growth of the Internet allows to openly access any system on a network. Hence, proper control over network access must be established on systems by controlling the services that are running and the ports that are opened for network access. In addition to the systems, network devices such as hub, routers, switches and modems must be examined for any security vulnerability. Any flaws in the coding of the OS can be exploited to gain access to the network components. These components should be configured with very strict parameters to maintain network security. The softwares of these components require to be updated regularly. By taking necessary steps, network administrator should limit or reduce attacks, accidental damage through their networks. In addition, network hardening also recommend the correct configuration of network devices and the requirement to enable and disable the services and protocols within a network. Firmware Updates Updating the firmware of the hardware device is provided by the manufacturers. These updates fix incompatibility problems or device operation problems. These updates should be applied if the update includes fixes for an existing condition or if it will make the device more secure and more functional or extends its operational life. It is recommended to install and test the firmware updates in a non-production environment to verify if the update contains the necessary fixes and benefits that are required. Device Configuration Network devices such as routers and switches configured with default installation settings. These default settings leave a system extremely vulnerable as it is set for convenience and not for security. Choosing a good password and limiting access to any open ports is very important in maintaining security of the devices. Good passwords are one of the most effective security tools because a good password can be resistant to several forms of attack. Determining the minimum set of services that the devices are running and good passwords is important for maintaining security of those devices. Apply patches and updates that are released by the product vendor in a regular interval. Enabling and Disabling Services and Protocols It is important to measure the current requirements and conditions of the network and infrastructure and then disable the unnecessary services and protocols. This leads to network infrastructure that is less vulnerable to attack. Access Control Lists Configure access list at the network devices to control access to a network. Access list can prevent certain traffic from entering and exiting a network. Access control lists are controlled by an administrator. 12.3.3 Application-Based Hardening Application hardening is the process to prevent exploitation of various types of vulnerabilities in software application by implementing the latest updates. Applications such as browsers, office suites, e-mail client and services provided through servers such as Web servers, File Transfer Protocol (FTP), DNS servers and DHCP servers on a network require regular updates to provide protection against newly developed threats. Web Servers At present most of the organisations have a Web presence on the Internet for numerous business advantages. Due to Internet popularity, Web servers have become extremely popular targets for attackers. Original content on the Websites are replaced with hackers data. E-commerce sites are attacked and users personal account information is stolen. Microsofts Internet Information Server (IIS) or Apache server are most popular Web servers applications in use today. To secure Web servers from hackers, administrator must apply updates and patches, remove unnecessary protocols and services and properly configured all native controls. It is also recommended to place the Web server behind a firewall or a reverse proxy. Microsoft has developed URLScan and IIS Lockdown tools which are designed to secure IIS servers from attacks and exploits. URLScan is a monitoring utility that examines all incoming URLs and rejects any requests for files, directories or services outside the intended scope of the Website. The IIS Lockdown tool turns off unnecessary functions which reduces the attack surface available to an attacker. E-mail Servers E-mail servers and clients are vulnerable to different attacks such as Denial of Service (DoS) attacks, virus attacks, relay and spoofing attacks. There are numerous deficiencies in the different versions of e-mail server software such as Sendmail for Linux and UNIX and the Exchange or Outlook for Microsoft. E-mail servers are constant potential sources of virus attacks and therefore must have the strongest possible protection for scanning incoming and outgoing messages. E-mail servers should not have non-essential services and applications installed. Administrative and system access should also be securely controlled to block installation or execution of unauthorised programs and trojans. The following attack points should be considered while hardening an e-mail server: Open mail relay allows unauthorised users to send e-mail through an e-mail server. Storage limitation, to limit DoS attacks based on message size. Spamming includes identical messages sent to numerous clients by e-mail. Virus propagation, ensure the anti-virus programs and applications are performing correctly. FTP Servers FTP allows number of users to access and download remotely stored data. It distributes application updates, device drivers and free software to users. Users access this data anonymously. This anonymous access to FTP servers becomes a problem as administrator does not provide anonymous access or does not properly secure the FTP service. This involves setting the appropriate permissions, not allowing the FTP process to be run by an unprivileged user and not allowing users to upload or modify files. Some FTP servers allow upload and download service for authorised users and hence, in that case anonymous access should be completely removed. To overcome buffer overflow problem ensure that FTP server software is up to date and patched. DNS Servers DNS server converts systems host names into IP addresses so that the communication can be correctly routed through the network. Client systems use DNS to locate Web servers, e-mail servers, FTP servers and number of other servers and network services. DNS can be major target for an attacker. The DNS server can be exploited by the following ways: Stealing zone transfers DNS servers are configured to provide information such as list of hosts and routers with IP addresses to other secondary DNS servers. This secondary DNS server is used to maintain a backup copy of the DNS database and to provide name resolution services for client systems. An attacker can receive a zone transfer and use it to track victims network and search for potential targets. Zone update spoofing An attacker can spoof the address of the primary DNS server and send a bogus update to a secondary DNS server. Client systems receive incorrect information and network communication from this bogus server and redirects users to a location controlled by the attacker. DNS cache poisoning Some DNS servers allow attackers to insert bogus information into a DNS cache. To secure and harden the DNS server from various types of exploits, actions to be taken are as follows: Do not place any information on publicly accessible DNS server to avoid snooping around the DNS server. Do not provide additional host information in Host Information (HINFO) records of DNS. HINFO record contains descriptive information about the OS and features of particular system and attacker could use this information to gain access. Configure the DNS servers to only allow zone transfers to specific secondary servers. Berkeley Internet Name Domain (BIND) allows zone transfer to be signed. Zone transfer signing allows secondary servers to verify the credentials of the primary server before accepting data. Ensure that DNS software is patched and up to date to avoid DNS cache poisoning. NNTP Servers Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) servers allow news clients to connect to news servers to share information privately or to post articles to a public NNTP server. NNTP servers are vulnerable to DoS attacks, buffer overflows. To exploit server, attackers connect to a private NNTP server to gain any information to compromise network. Sometimes users post accurate diagrams of their network to ask a technical question and attacker can use this information to find ways to exploit a network. They can even offer bogus advice to create a hole in the networks defences. To protect the organisation from NNTP server exploits, block the NNTP port at the firewall to make NNTP server inaccessible to external users. To protect posted private information, authenticate user to prevent anonymous logins to the NNTP server. Also encrypt communications using SSL/TLS to prevent packet sniffing of confidential data. Do not allow users to post confidential information to the public which will compromise their network. File and Print Servers Files and print servers in a network are used to share resources but it is a common way in which hackers can gain information and unauthorised access. When sharing is enabled to share the resources with a trusted internal network over a NIC, the system is also sharing those resources with the entire untrusted external network over the external interface connection. Attackers attempt to make unauthenticated connections to shared resources on the network. If sharing permissions are configured incorrectly for an easily exploited user account, attackers can gain access to resources and alter them. To secure the file and printer shares block access to shares and related information at the firewall. Use the rule of least privilege to secure shares from external attacker. Virtual Private Network (VPN) is also used to encrypt communications between clients and servers to secure data transmission. Data Repositories Data repositories are locations that hold information about networks, applications and users. Attackers can use the information stored in data repositories to formulate attacks against organisation. Hence, ensure that this information is limited and restricted for external users. As well as authentication and encryption of the data is necessary to protect them from external attacks. Directory Services A directory service is used to store, organise and provide access to information in a directory. The information in a directory services can include system accounts, user accounts, mail accounts, service locations and shared resource information. The Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is a common directory service that organises data in a hierarchical manner. The top entry in a LDAP directory information tree is called root and this LDAP root server creates the hierarchy. The directory service hierarchy and the information it stores provide a good map of network infrastructure. This is convenient for authorised users in a network as well as for attacker. Attacker can use numerous ways to compromise LDAP servers such as attacker can use network resources information stored at directory service to examine network structure, resources and potential targets. Attacker can gain victims network information that is transferred over LDAP through eavesdropping. Some of the ways to protect LDAP hierarchy are as follows: Protect LDAP hierarchy by configuring the strongest authentication to the different versions of LDAP. Both LADP v2 and LDAP v3 support anonymous and simple authentication which are not very secure. Anonymous authentication does not require password and simple authentication uses a password in unencrypted format which attacker can easily hack. Strong authentication over LDAP v2 and LDAP v3 is provided through Kerberos version 4 authentication and Simple Authentication and Security Layer (SASL) communications respectively. Use Secure LDAP (LDAPS) that allows encrypting communications using SSL/TLS. Block access to LDAP ports from the Internet so that attackers cannot make connections using these ports. Databases Database servers are used to store data. Both the data and the database server can be target for an attacker. An attacker can steal the data or take over the database server to exploit it. Some of the ways that the database servers can be exploited are as follows: Unexpected data queries or commands Numerous database servers use Structured Query Language (SQL) which allows for the querying and posting of data. An attacker can use SQL commands to do unexpected things is called SQL injection. Unauthenticated access If unauthenticated access to database server is allowed then the attackers can easily connect and exploit the database server. To secure database servers consider the following points: Test the database by running irrelevant queries and attempt to access unauthorised information. Do not allow unauthenticated connections to the database server. While transferring confidential data to and from database server, use SSL/TLS or VPN connection to protect data. To avoid database server to be queried by external users, block access to it at the firewall. 12.4 Chapter Review Questions 1. How an individual should secure a password? (A) Selecting a password with at least eight characters, at least one change in case and at least one number or special character (C) Storing the password in wallet or purse (B) Using the same password on every system (D) Changing passwords at least once a year Ans: A 2. Which of the following steps is part of the hardening process for OS? (A) Remove unnecessary programs and processes (C) Setting appropriate permissions on files (B) Disable unnecessary services (D) All of these Ans: D 3. Which amongst the following is the correct step to overcome buffer overflow problems? (A) Select strong passwords (C) Install the latest patches (B) Remove sample files (D) Set appropriate permissions on files Ans: C 4. Which of the following requires software up to date and patched? (A) Operating systems (C) Applications (B) Network devices (D) All of these Ans: D 5. Rule of least privilege states that ____. (A) allow access to users who requires it (C) allow limited access (B) allow access to everyone (D) allow full access Ans: A and C 6. Which of the following is designed to fix a particular critical system fault? (A) Hotfixes (C) Patches (B) Service packs (D) None of these Ans: A 7. Which of the following extends product functionality after the release of product? (A) Hotfixes (C) Patches (B) Service packs (D) None of these Ans: B 8. Which of the following fixes incompatibility problems or device operation problems? (A) Hotfixes (C) Firmware update (B) Service packs (D) None of these Ans: C 9. Which of the following steps are used to secure Web servers? (A) Apply patches and updates (C) Place the web server behind a firewall (B) Remove unnecessary protocols and services (D) All of these Ans: D 10. BIND stands for _______. (A) Berkeley Internet Network Domain (C) Berkeley Intranet Name Domain (B) Berkeley Internet Name Domain (D) Business Internet Network Domain Ans: B 12.4.1 Answers 1. A 2. D 3. C 4. D 5. A and C 6. A 7. B 8. C 9. D 10. B Summary In the chapter, Security Baselines, you learnt about: Components of a good password and password aging. Different ways to harden the OS. Different ways to harden the network and its devices. Different ways to harden applications such as browsers, office suites, e-mail client and services provided through servers such as Web servers, E-mail servers, FTP servers, DNS servers, NNTP servers, file and print servers, directory services and databases.

Immigrant Workers in Phoenix :: Immigration Labor Immigrants Essays Papers

Immigrant Workers in Phoenix Before the sun even rises in Phoenix, out of the closing shadows of night, dark and quiet silhouettes begin to appear. They are the silhouettes of working men who rise before the sun rises, each with the hope of obtaining work and earning money to help support their families. These men are usually assumed to be immigrants without the proper paperwork to work in the United States. They are also better known as day laborers. These so-called â€Å"day laborers† congregate on street corners or in the parking lots of builders’ stores awaiting the arrival of employers who will hire them for a day’s work. Some cities have tried to ban this type of â€Å"recruiting† while others have accepted it as inevitable. In Phoenix alone there are an estimated 2,500 day laborers ready, willing and able to work each and every day that stand on street corners hoping and praying they will be picked up by someone to work. Some days their prayers are answered and on others they are not. Before September 11, 2001, you saw them everywhere – in hard hats on construction sites, working as landscapers, painters and just about anything else one can imagine. Today, these migrant workers are struggling under a sputtering economy and the harsh glare of the escalating U.S. homeland security system. To add even more problems to their already full plate, the immigration service in Phoenix is warning contractors against hiring undocumented day laborers. The warnings are taking a toll on many laborers in north Phoenix who had been getting constant work. â€Å"I’ve worked only two days since last week† said Ruben Fuentes, a native of Tijuana. At the break of dawn on a Tuesday morning, the 20-year-old Fuentes joined dozens of others at the corner of Greenway Road and 29th Street to wait for someone to pick them up. â€Å"It’s getting harder,† he added and from my viewpoint, it looked like more men were left standing than were picked up for work on the day I chose to visit. Unfortunately for everyone, contractors could face fines of up to $1,000 for each occurrence if they fail to fill out the proper immigration forms by the end of the workday said Victor Brower, deputy assistant district director for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Phoenix.

Film Review: Boys Don’t Cry

Boys Don’t Cry is a movie examining the life of the late Teena Brandon. It is an intense movie that follows her journey to self-discovery and essentially her passing. Boys Don’t Cry not only explores how difficult it is to be queer but also what it means to have a sexual identity crisis (as Brandon puts it). Brandon goes through so much to cover his true identity and in the end nothing is enough. This adaptation of a true story engages and walks the watcher through the difficulties transgender people have in life.The opening scene of Boys Don’t Cry lets the audience know that Teena Brandon has now become Brandon Teena. Following the lines of New Queer Cinema this film gives the outside world a new way to look at transgender individuals. This film breaks new ground by showing â€Å"true crime material through the prism of New Queer Cinema† (Brooks, 2000) The fact that what happened to Brandon was true makes this movie all the more important. Both straights and queers can watch this movie in disgust and learn something from it also.Discrimination (any type and in this case especially sexual) should be stopped. Examining this movie more in depth the audience gets a look not only in the life of Brandon but of the people he surrounds himself with. In the Film Journal article Driving into the ‘Dustless Highway' of Queer Cinema By Daniel Mudie Cunningham he gives background information about Falls City, Nebraska. Being a native San Franciscan myself it helped to know what Falls City was all about because of the obvious contrast between California and Nebraska. Cunningham describes the â€Å"wall people† in his article.The â€Å"wall people† in Falls City are â€Å"bored kids who congregate against the wall at the Qwik Stop convenience store all night long. † This is actually a subculture in Falls City. The activities that Brandon and his friends do in the film are what actually happen there. Karaoke and whip-its a re the thing to do for fun in a place life Falls City. An interesting point that Cunningham brings up is that the lives the â€Å"wall people† live and essential the life Brandon wants to be in entraps them more to the rural un-open minded kind of life style.Brandon doesn’t see that moving from Lincoln to a more rural town like Falls City is a bad idea. I find it interesting that for the people in Falls City they probably would have done anything to get out of there but Brandon found refuge and called it his home. Even his love, Lana, wanted to get out of Falls City and go as far as Memphis. In actuality no one got to leave and if time could be turned back Brandon and Lana should have made their escape from the beginning. The reasons Brandon didn’t want to leave Falls City was because he thought that he had finally been accepted and he had found what he was looking for his whole life.Through out the movie we see Brandon searching for the perfect girl. His cousin , Lonnie, even says on the phone call back home from Falls City â€Å"no more girls† The romantic aspect of this film re-examines what romantic movies are really about. In this film Brandon is the apidemy of hot for a girl living in Nebraska. And even though Brandon has a secret no one cares because the way he talks and treats girls in interpreted as cute and loving so the lie doesn’t matter. When transforming from Teena to Brandon she/he chooses the sweetheart cowboy to be her male persona.With a cowboy hat and a little bit of a twang Brandon is able to sweep girls of their feet. Even with the first girl in the opening scene, Nicole, she points out that Brandon isn’t from around here and when asked where he is from she replies â€Å"somewhere beautiful. † Brandon’s boyish/girlish good looks and cowboy â€Å"I’m here to save you† charm wins everyone over. Enough so that his small physique and high voice gets left unnoticed. However no matter where Brandon would have went his identity could not be left behind.Brandon through out the whole movie was trying to be someone he wasn’t. Hiding his identity got him in all kinds of trouble. The reason he was found out was because of the petty crimes he committed trying to prove himself as a man. The beginning of Brandon’s undoing was when the gang and him were driving down the highway evading the police. Cunningham once again noted that this scene was an escape for Brandon but can also be seen as his downfall. Brandon’s life begins to swirl down the drain when little bits of is identity came out, from the ticket to the check written by Teena Brandon. As the events go by it is interesting that when Brandon finally gets some action form Lana she doesn’t freak out when she discovers he is a she. Brandon doesn’t exactly tell her but in the scene where they are first making love Lana sees Brandon’s cleavage. In the article written by X an Brooks for Sight and Sound Lana’s trust in Brandon is seen as commendable and endearing. To the very end Lana believed whatever Brandon believed and that was that he is a man.To bad for Brandon not all of his compadres were that trusting. The end of Boys Don’t Cry can definitely make one cry. The gut-wrenching finale is hard to take. When all is found out Brandon’s friends, especially John and Tom, turn against him and break him down in the worst way possible. The rape scene is crude and shows the destruction of Brandon’s life. Instantly he is turned back into Teena and is striped of all dignity and courage. All the characters worst personality traits prevail here except for Lana’s.Every one turns on Brandon including Lana’s mother who at one point was completely in love with him calling him a â€Å"movie star†. After the rape when Brandon was reporting it to the police the way the police treated him was horrible. The questions abo ut his sexuality were not pertinent to the rape and were said almost to humiliate him and insinuate that it was brought on because of his lie. A rape victim in Brandon’s case or in any other case has historically been led to believe that she brought it on herself for being sexy or for the clothes she wears.Movies like this can be used to open the doors to show the public how disgusting and unforgivable rape can be, especially when done out of the need for control by men. In the case of Brandon John and Tom had be threatened by Brandon’s cordial manner from the beginning. Brandon â€Å"who knew exactly how to please women, both carnally and emotionally† (Brooks, 2000) was more masculine in the way he treated women that when it was found out he was a she John and Tom finally found their chance to be superior and raped her. After rape death can be the worst thing to happen to a woman.After Brandon’s dignity was taken from him his life was also taken. After a beautiful scene when Lana and Brandon fully make love John and Tom find Brandon hiding out at Candice’s house and come for him. John purposefully takes Lana with them so she can witness the death of her lover. This ending scene is not typical however for a suspense movie. Brandon is killed instantly after some screaming and comes as a blunt shock to the audience. The death of Candice happens the same, very blunt and unexpected, with her child right beside her.Boys Don’t Cry was almost too much to absorb. Brandon’s intense death goes to show how closed-minded people can be. Brandon did nothing in his life but be the person he wanted to be and yet because that didn’t fit into the norm other people held he was murdered. The life and death of Brandon can be seen as a learning tool and a way to see how discrimination can only lead to bad things happening. Everyone should be left to their own devices and should be able to be whoever they want to be.

Pros and Cons of Globalization

Susan McCormick PLSC323 The Pros and Cons of Globalization Starting out, I would first like to define globalization. It is† The worldwide movement toward economic, financial ,trade, and communications integration. Globalization implies the opening of local and nationalistic perspectives to a broader outlook of an interconnected and interdependent world with free transfer of capital, goods, and services across national frontiers. However, it does not include unhindered movement of labor and, as suggested by some economists, may hurt smaller or fragile economies if applied indiscriminately. †(Parikh,Jan. 010) Globalization has become one of the most debated subjects of the 2000's. It has been said that it is one of the best things to happen to the world by its proponents, and its opponents are labelled at is neo-imperialism. According to CNN†Globalization and localization are two sides of the same coin. More than ever, local communities are the secret of economic succ ess. In the coming decades, the number and strength of America's brain hubs will determine whether, as a country we will prosper or decline. Physical factories will keep losing importance, but cities with a large percentage of nterconnected, highly educated workers will become the new factories where ideas and knowledge are forged. Supporting growth in America's innovation hubs while arresting the decline elsewhere is the real challenge that we face as a nation. †(CNN today, October 9,2012) There are numerous pros and cons of globalization of which I will attempt to talk about both in the upcoming pages. I am beginning with the pros: Productivity grows quicker when countries produce goods and services in which they have a comparitive advantage. Some argue that globalization gives a rise to new industries and more jobs in developing countries.It also gives organizations access to cheap resources and labour in developing areas in the world. It leads to greater employment opportu nities for the people and also consumers get quality goods at competitive rates. Transport and distribution systems are also more efficient than ever before, making it much easier faster, and cheaper for businesses to deliver their products to consumers. Electronic transfers also make making and receiving international payments more secure and faster. Companies also have more flexibility to operate across borders therefore they can profit through domestic as well as international nd also they can have access to much cheaper capitial from other countries if the rate of interest is low. Globalization gives you a larger market therefore you can sell more goods and make more money. Global competition and cheap imports keep prices low and steady, so inflation is less likely to interrupt economic growth. The products are improved due to global competition. Cooking styles, languages, customs have all spread due to globalization. The spread of education worlwide is also affected meaning you can go anywhere in the world and get the education you seek. Foreign trade is impacted on an conomy, the WTO controls the way things are handled throughout the world. Comparitive advantage is a factor. Politics are merging and decisions that are being made are actually beneficial for people throughout the world. We have become more social and open and tolerant towards other countries, and we don't treat people from other countries as aliens. There are numerous other pros to globalization, but I will end there. The cons are just as much as the pros. Some of the cons are that smaller domestic firms lack the resources to compete with the big international companies and may be forced out of business.All the traveling of the people and the goods from country to country could spread infectious diseases that are extremely deadly. One of the biggest complaints about globalization is that it makes the rich richer and the non- rich more poor. Opponents say that globalization makes it easier for those rich companies to act with less accountability. Claims have also been made that countries' individual cultures are being taken over by Americanization. Exploitation of labor is another problem. Prisoners and child workers are used to work in inhumane conditions, and their safety is being put in jeopardy in order to produce cheap goods.There is also an increase in human trafficking. The social welfare schemes are under enormous pressure in developed countries because of deficits and other economic ramifications of globalization. Multinational companies and corporations which were held back from commercial activities are increasingly influenced the political decisions. Most people think that there is a threat of corporations to rule the world because they are gaining power due to globalization. As far as jobs go, millions of Americans have lost their jobs because of production or imports shifts abroad. Most find new jobs with less pay.Other millions of people are afraid to l ose their jobs at the companies operating under competitive pressure. They also face pay cuts from employers which most of the time threaten to export jobs. The white collar jobs are increasingly vulnerable to operations that are moving offshore. Some of the poorest countries in the world,such as Africa may get even poorer. They do not have the education or the new technology that we do. It can cause unemployment in industrialized countries because companies move their factories to places where they can get cheaper workers. Globalization also can lead to environmental problems.Say a company wants to build a factory over in a poor country in the Third World. That country because of the new factory may have to cut down more trees to sell wood, and also take up the land which they use for resources such as food and supplies. Being of disadvantage,the under developed countries most of the time have to do what the developed companies tell them what to do. As far as poorer countries go th eir chance at fair trade is hindered, forcing the developed countries to produce export foods wanted by wealthier companies instead of producing food for locals to feed their own population. The bigger companies develop rchards and plantations and once again reduce the land for the production of local food supplies. When it comes to whether or not I am pro or con globalization I would say I am on the fence. I do not agree with the work conditions that the people in the factories are subject to. Inhumane treatment is unfair and jusat plain cruel. I was watching the news a couple of weeks ago and watched people jumping out of the Apple building windows commiting suicide due to the horrible work conditions. There are also what they call â€Å"suicide nets† placed outside of factories due to the window jumpers from poor condtions. The spread of life threatening iseases also concerns me from the back and forth of import and exports. The fact that countries that are bigger and more powerful can overrule the less fortunate and smaller developing countries seems a bit unfair. The taking of Third World companies land to benefit or make profits and deprive them of their resources by also building factories on their land also does not sit well with me. The unemployment rates in industrialized countries is caused by globalization because firms move their factories over to places where they can get the cheapest laborers. With globalization we must also keep in mind that we want to make ure that both sides are profiting from the exchange of goods. I also think that we should as a more technoligical and educated country give back to the third world better education and and resources to more technology so that they can gain more profit from globalization. I am also not happy with the way the economy is playing out. On the plus side, I am pro as well. I love the fact that I can open up my computer,click start and get to just about any product in the world and sometimes even cheaper than I can get from the United States. For instance,I do not have health insurance.I have certain conditions that I have to be on medication for otherwise my health will will fail. In the US at any pharmacy my medication costs me over 400 dollars! I then was turned on to a Canadian pharmacy that I could get three months worth of my medication for a little under three hundred dollars! Without globalization this would never happen. I also love exotic food and fruits that are imported into the US from other countries. I like the fact that we are friendly with other countries and are able to trade without any political problems. I can go to another country and get just as good of an education or even better over there.Export jobs produce more income than other jobs. Globalization gives us a wider market which means you can sell more goods and make more money. The more globalization the cheaper the products become, and the faster they get to us. Bibliography: Business Week, â€Å"The pros and cons of globalization†, April 2000 University of Western Sydney â€Å"The Impact of globalization† Manufacturing. net, â€Å"Saving American Manufacturing†, by Mike Collins,6/28/2010 Letslearnfinance. com,†Ad vantages and Disadvantages of globalization† Taking Sides,†Clashing views on Global Issues†,fourth edition,Hart and Lombardi,2007