Monitoring Employee use of Internet

Is it ethical if a manager keeps an eye on an employee who whiles away considerable part of his working hours in the cafeteria either chitchatting with his girl friend or reading his favorite novel while munching a large chuck of Pizza? No one with common sense will perhaps object saying it is unethical. If so, monitoring employee's Internet use in the workplace is also quite ethical.

Organizations must discover the power of Internet in business development. Internet use in the corporate world is essential in product research, transactions, communication within the workforce and offices, training purposes, as well as market survey. To hit the nail on the head, Internet use is so critical that any organization that does not make the use of this technological development may miss out the benefits of modern corporate world. The application of Internet technology in an organization needs to be planned for, before the companies indulge in its use. Corporate businesses have restricted the use of Internet to main departments and limited personnel due to the perceived immoral ethical behaviors that arise from its uncontrolled use.

reference: http://www.helium.com/items/1598381-the-ethics-of-monitoring-employee-internet-use-in-the-workplace

Security Attacks

This document will address security issues, measures, and policies which take these types of attacks into consideration.

• DoS- Denial of Service
• Trojan Horse - Comes with other software.
• Virus - Reproduces itself by attaching to other executable files.
• Worm - Self-reproducing program. Creates copies of itself. Worms that spread using e-mail address books are often called viruses.
• Logic Bomb - Dormant until an event triggers it (Date, user action, random trigger, etc.).

Hacker Attacks

I use the term "hacker attacks" to indicate hacker attacks that are not automated by programs such as viruses, worms, or trojan horse programs. There are various forms that exploit weakneses in security. Many of these may cause loss of service or system crashes.

• IP spoofing - An attacker may fake their IP address so the receiver thinks it is sent from a location that it is not actually from. There are various forms and results to this attack.
  • The attack may be directed to a specific computer addressed as though it is from that same computer. This may make the computer think that it is talking to itself. This may cause some operating systems such as Windows to crash or lock up.
• Gaining access through source routing. Hackers may be able to break through other friendly but less secure networks and get access to your network using this method.
• Man in the middle attack -
  • Session hijacking - An attacker may watch a session open on a network. Once authentication is complete, they may attack the client computer to disable it, and use IP spoofing to claim to be the client who was just authenticated and steal the session. This attack can be prevented if the two legitimate systems share a secret which is checked periodically during the session.
• Server spoofing - A C2MYAZZ utility can be run on Windows 95 stations to request LANMAN (in the clear) authentication from the client. The attacker will run this utility while acting like the server while the user attempts to login. If the client is tricked into sending LANMAN authentication, the attacker can read their username and password from the network packets sent.
• DNS poisoning - This is an attack where DNS information is falsified. This attack can succeed under the right conditions, but may not be real practical as an attack form. The attacker will send incorrect DNS information which can cause traffic to be diverted. The DNS information can be falsified since name servers do not verify the source of a DNS reply. When a DNS request is sent, an attacker can send a false DNS reply with additional bogus information which the requesting DNS server may cache. This attack can be used to divert users from a correct webserver such as a bank and capture information from customers when they attempt to logon.
• Password cracking - Used to get the password of a user or administrator on a network and gain unauthorized access.

Some DoS Attacks

• Ping broadcast - A ping request packet is sent to a broadcast network address where there are many hosts. The source address is shown in the packet to be the IP address of the computer to be attacked. If the router to the network passes the ping broadcast, all computers on the network will respond with a ping reply to the sttacked system. The attacked system will be flooded with ping responses which will cause it to be unable to operate on the network for some time, and may even cause it to lock up. The attacked computer may be on someone else's network. One countermeasure to this attack is to block incoming traffic that is sent to a broadcast address.
• Ping of death - An oversized ICMP datagram can crash IP devices that were made before 1996.
• Smurf - An attack where a ping request is sent to a broadcast network address with the sending address spoofed so many ping replies will come back to the victim and overload the ability of the victim to process the replies.
• Teardrop - a normal packet is sent. A second packet is sent which has a fragmentation offset claiming to be inside the first fragment. This second fragment is too small to even extend outside the first fragment. This may cause an unexpected error condition to occur on the victim host which can cause a buffer overflow and possible system crash on many operating systems.

reference: http://www.comptechdoc.org/independent/security/recommendations/secattacks.html

The Revised penal code

"AN ACT REVERSING THE PENAL CODE AND OTHER PENAL LAWS"

Also known as: "The Revised Penal Code"

Signed: December 8, 1930

Article II(2) – Justifying Circumstance: A crime committed in self defense is considered as a justifying circumstance meaning no criminal liability is incurred. Battered women who kill their husbands or partners are said to be suffering from the battered wife syndrome (BWS) and under the jurisprudence abroad, the killing can be argued as justified because the woman at that time was suffering from BWS and that she merely acted as self defense.

Article 13(5) – Mitigating Circumstance: When a crime is committed in the immediate vindication of a grave offense committed against the one committing the penalty, his or her spouse, ascendants or descendants, brothers or sisters or relatives within the same degree criminal liability is mitigated or reduced.

Article 14(3) – Aggravating Circumstance: The effects and penalty for the crime is aggravated by insult or in disregard of the respect due to the offended party on account of his rank, age or sex.

Article 78 – It provides that male and female who are found guilty of crimes are to be in prison in separate institutions.

Article 80 – This article provides for the suspension of sentence of minors below 16 years old who committed offenses and their commission to the custody or care of a benevolent institutions. This was, however, repealed by Presidential Decree No. 603.

Article 83 – The death sentence shall not be impose on a woman while she is pregnant or within one year after delivery nor if the person is above seventy years of age.

Article 89 – Marriage of the offended woman and the offender in crimes against chastity shall extinguish criminal liability.

Article 201 - Penalizes obscene literature, glorification of criminals in plays, films, shows as well as those that serve no other purpose but to satisfy the market for lust, violence or pornography, offends race and religion, encourages use of drugs or those contrary to law, morals, and customs.

Article 262 – Penalizes prostitution but does not define what constitutes prostitution but only states who are prostitutes.

Article 263, 265-266 – Depending on the gravity of the physical injuries inflicted, the crime may either be less serious or slight or serious physical injuries. Because of the absence of a law penalizing domestic violence, these provisions may be used by those who are battered by their spouses or partners. The other provisions of RPC such as on rape, mutilation, etc. may also be used when applicable.

Article 332 – It provides that the spouse, ascendant, descendant or relatives by affinity shall be exempt from criminal liability when they commit theft, swindling, or malicious mischief. They are liable civilly.

Article 333 – Adultery - It provides that a wife shall be guilty of this crime whenever she has sexual intercourse with a man other than her husband. Every act of sexual intercourse is considered a crime.

Article 334 – Concubinage - A husband commits this offense if (a) he keeps a mistress in the conjugal dwelling, (b) shall have intercourse under scandalous circumstances with a woman not his wife, (c) or shall cohabit with her in any other place.

These two crimes are much criticized because it provides for different standards of sexual infidelity. Every act of sexual intercourse is adultery while this is not the case in committing concubinage. Also, the penalty is heavier in adultery. This is a reflection of the double standard applied between men and women in our society.

Article 337 – Qualified Seduction - Under this provision, carnal knowledge of a virgin over 12 years and under 18 years of age committed by a person in public authority, priest, domestic, guardian, teacher. This discriminates against women above 12 and under 18 years of age who may not be virgins because their not being virgins do not mean they suffer less from the offense committed against them. Virginity should not be made a standard.

When a brother, or descendant commits this offense, the penalty next higher in degree is imposed. Considering that the offender in this provision is a person who exercise moral ascendancy over the woman and are trusted by her, a stiffer penalty should be imposed similar to rape.

Article 338 – Seduction of a woman or widow of good reputation committed by means of deceit. Good reputation should not be a consideration because it discriminates against other women; the standard is very subjective and is not an element of the crime of seduction.

Article 339 – Acts of lasciviousness with the consent of the offended party – offenders are those under qualified seduction and simple seduction. The penalty should be graver because of the element of moral ascendancy and the trust reposed upon the offender by the woman.

Article 340 – Corruption of minors – penalizes the act of promoting or facilitating the corruption or prostitution of minors.

Article 341 – White-slave trade – penalizes those who engage in the business or shall profit by prostitution or shall enlist the services of another for prostitution. Enforcement of this law has been effective. People who get arrested instead are the prostituted women not the procurers, pimps or the customers who make possible this trade.

Article 342 – The forcible abduction of a woman against her will and with lewd designs is penalized by this provision.

Article 343 – Consented Abduction – again, the standard of virginity is used when it has no relation to offense of abduction.

Article 344 – In the crimes of adultery and concubinage, the offended party must be the one to file a complaint and must include both guilty parties. Offenses of abduction, seduction, and acts of lasciviousness shall be filed by the offended party or her parents, grandparents, or guardian.

Article 345 – Persons guilty of crimes against chastity shall indemnify the offended woman, acknowledged and support the offspring.

Article 346 – Ascendants, guardians, teachers entrusted with the custody of the woman who cooperate in the commission of the crime shall be considered principals (suffer same penalty as if he/she committed the offense).

Article 347 – Penalizing the act simulating births, substitution of one child and the concealment or abandonment of a legitimate child with intent to cause child to lose civil status. The provision does not apply to abandoned and concealed illegitimate children. It discriminates against illegitimate children who should be entitled to the same protection as any children under the law.

Article 349 – Bigamy or the act of contracting a second or subsequent marriage is penalized by this provision.

Article 350 – Marriages contracted against the provisions of law or when consent was obtained by means of violence, intimidation or fraud is also considered a crime.

Article 351 – Premature marriages – A widow who shall marry within 301 days from date of death of the husband or before having delivered if pregnant at time of death of husband or a woman whose marriage was annulled but remarries before delivery or before 301 days after the legal separation is criminally liable. This is a violation of the right of the woman to remarry.

reference: http://www.ncrfw.gov.ph/index.php/laws-legislation-filipino-women/23-laws-criminal-laws/223-act-3815

Reason why IT have no standard examination

As we all know that our technology now a days had been upgrading into a simplest or smallest. And the old technology were obsolete, so there is no basis for the standard examination. IT is a very dynamic in nature, it changes every now and then.

Internet censorship laws in the Republic of China

Google China had been the focus of controversy over what critics view as capitulation to the "Golden Shield Project". Due to its self-imposed censorship, whenever people searched for prohibited Chinese keywords on a blocked list maintained by the PRC government, google.cn displayed the following at the bottom of the page (translated): In accordance with local laws, regulations and policies, part of the search result is not shown. Some searches, such as (as of June 2009) "Tank Man" were blocked entirely, with only the message "Search results may not comply with the relevant laws, regulations and policy, and can not be displayed" appearing.

Google argued that it could play a role more useful to the cause of free speech by participating in China's IT industry than by refusing to comply and being denied admission to the mainland Chinese market. "While removing search results is inconsistent with Google's mission, providing no information (or a heavily degraded user experience that amounts to no information) is more inconsistent with our mission," a statement said.

The Professionals

What is profession?

ans: profession is a specialized work function within society, generally performed by a professional. An occupation or career. It is what you aim after your college year. the body of people in a learned occupation; "the news spread rapidly through the medical profession"; "they formed a community of scientists"

Reference: wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

What is professional?

ans: Traditionally means a person who has obtained a degree in a professional field. The term professional is used more generally to denote a white collar working person, or a person who performs commercially in a field typically reserved for hobbyists or amateurs. Engaged in a profession or engaging in as a profession or means of livelihood.

Reference: http://www.ask.com/wiki/Professional

Now, can I consider myself as an IT professional after I graduate?

ans: Yes, i am. Because that is my profession to be an IT Professional..I strive hard to reach my goal..As of now i'm almost at the finishing line in my studies. It is not easy to get on the top without hindrances..I accept that the course i have taken now is not an ordinary course..Because now a days our technology has been upgrading every now and then. So when I graduate of this course i am proud to be an IT professional.

Activity 1 – Professional Organizations

1. What are some benefits of joining (IT) professional organizations?

ans: As an IT Professional there are some benefits you can gain. But such thinking can cause you to miss out on the numerous benefits that membership in a professional association offers. Whether you join an industry-specific group, a special-focus organization, a neighborhood based merchants’ association or the local chapter of a national trade organization, you’ll make valuable professional contacts and gain access a wealth of useful information.

What might be some disadvantages?

ans: The disadvantage would be your going to meet the high expectations of others since you're a member of a competent IT organization. Some disadvantages of it were the financial cost that flows In and out. Because joining this kind of organization need an amount to pursue with their plan and ambitions. There organization that failed to get their aim because lack of money and other officials may use the money for their own good.


Professional Organization

Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals (ICCP) - Founded in 1973, the Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals is acknowledged throughout the information and technology sectors as an authoritative source of professional certification. The CCP examinations demand a high degree of professional competence. The tests are organized into 17 specialty exams ranging from Business Information Systems to RPG/400 Language.

The System Administrators Guild (SAGE) and the USENIX Association - The organization’s mission is to advance the status of computer system administration as a profession, establish standards of professional excellence and recognize those who attain them, develop guidelines for improving the technical and managerial capabilities of members of the profession, and promote activities that advance the state of the art or the community.

Information Technology Association of the Philippines (ITAP) - is a private, independent and non-profit association whose members are composed of leading product and service providers of Information and Communications Technology. The group is aimed at promoting ICT development and its usage as it contributes to the economic growth and global competitiveness of the Philippines.

Information Technology Foundation of the Philippines - was established in 1994 and acts as an umbrella for around eleven ICT associations in the country. The mission of ITFP is to represent and act as the single voice of the Philippine IT sector. The objectives are to accelerate the development of the Philippine Information Technology industry and help the segment by conducting and supporting projects and activities that will lead to the attainment of its purposes.


2. Should an IT Professional either be licensed or certified? Why or why not?

ans: It should be a license as a IT Professional. In order to know how deep your knowledge in IT world and also to classify the different skills in IT. It will help everyone to support in a global competitiveness and promote social responsibility. It could support your personal interest and well being.


3. As an IT graduating students of the College, what Certification or Licensing you are aiming for? Why?

ans: As an IT graduating students of the College, i should say i want to aim all of the certificate and license for IT to known as a Professional. For it is professionally run and managed by those reliable characters in the field of IT. It is one way of measuring the intelligence, commitment, and a willingness to seek and share knowledge among different IT Practitioner.