Influence of Cannabis Abuse Variables on Psychotic Symptoms

Influence of Cannabis Abuse Variables on Psychotic Symptoms Influence of variables of cannabis abuse on psychotic symptoms and their severity: an Indian experience Abstract: Context: Cannabis is probably the most commonly used illicit drug. While not all cannabis users present mental health problems, heavy cannabis use may increase the risk of cognitive abnormalities, psychotic illness, and mood disorders. Cannabis-induced psychosis is not easily distinguishable from schizophrenic symptomatology, although it is characterized by more bizarre behaviour, violence, panic, more agitation, and less blunting of affect, and incoherent speech. Aims: To evaluate severity of various psychotic symptoms in relation to variables of cannabis abuse. Settings and Design: A cross sectional study of 30 male patients admitted at tertiary psychiatric centre, with diagnosis of cannabis induced psychosis was carried out. Methods and Material: Cannabis abuse variables along with psychotic symptoms severity on BPRS scale was obtained. Statistical analysis used: SPSS-17 was used for analysis, and significance level was at p-value Results: The symptoms that were associated with increased severity in majority of patients were hostility (83%), excitement (77%), and elevated mood, grandiosity, suspiciousness and motor hyperactivity were preset in more than 60% of individuals in range of severe to very severe form. Conclusions: Patients with long duration and early onset of cannabis abuse were presented with more severe form of psychosis. Frequency of cannabis use was not significantly correlated with total BPRS score, although amount spent over cannabis was significantly associated with total BPRS score. Family history of cannabis abuse predicted early onset of cannabis abuse. Introduction Cannabis is probably most commonly used illicit drug. [1,2] It is widely used in India and is an integral part of Indian culture and religious customs.[3,4] The correlation between cannabis and negative mental health outcomes has been unequivocally established [1,5,6,7,12]. While not all cannabis users present mental health problems, [5] epidemiological studies suggest that heavy cannabis use during adolescence may increase the risk of cognitive abnormalities and psychotic disorders.[1,8-10] Use of cannabis at early age and high frequency are associated with a greater risk of problems [5,7,11]. Arendt et al. consider that this cannabis-induced psychosis is an early expression of schizophrenia in vulnerable individuals rather than part of the differential diagnosis [12]. Moore’s review reported a 40% higher risk of psychosis in subjects who occasionally used cannabis and a probability of 50% to 200% higher in regular cannabis users [13]. Swedish Conscripts Study (Andreasson et al.) of inductees into the military reported a risk for schizophrenia 2.4 times higher among those who had used cannabis by 18 years than among non-users [14,24]. This cannabis-induced psychosis is not easily distinguishable from Schizophrenic symptomatology, [15,19] although it has been characterized by more bizarre behavior, violence, panic, more hypomanic symptoms and agitation, and fewer hallucinations and less blunting of affect and incoherent speech.[20,21] Need of the current study Studies have found cannabis associated psychosis a constellation of affective symptoms (euphoria, increased psychomotor activity), [16,17,18] whereas others have found similarity with schizophrenic symptomology of social withdrawal, thought disorder and disorganized behavior [19,22] so there is immense need to define the presenting features of this disorder in Indian population. Additionally phenomenology of the cannabis use disorder need to be explored to clearly define, identify and manage this population. Despite widespread use of cannabis there is lack of research data from most part of the world including India. Aims and objectives: Based on the existing literature we formulated following hypothesis that â€Å"Patients with cannabis associated psychosis have different symptom profile than other common psychiatric disorders, relating to variables of cannabis abuse e.g. dose, frequency, duration†. To test the hypothesis following objectives were formulated To assess variables of cannabis abuse in patients with cannabis associated psychosis. To explore the relationship between variables of cannabis abuse, and individual symptom profile and total BPRS score. Subjects and Methods: Patients in whom there was temporal association of cannabis use with onset of psychotic illness were included in the study. The study included 30 consequentially admitted, Hindi speaking patients of 18-50 years of age at tertiary psychiatric centre in north India from March 2011 to July 2011. Patients with mental retardation, a significant medical condition compromising ability to participate, history of head injury with any documented cognitive sequele, and inability to provide informed consent were excluded from study. Patients having history of psychiatric illness prior to onset of cannabis abuse, predominant abuse/dependence of other psychoactive substance and having any other significant medical illness were also excluded from study. Study design: A cross sectional study of subjects who satisfied the inclusion criteria was carried out. After recording socio demographic data, each participant in the study was subjected to questionnaire regarding his cannabis abuse and brief psychiatric rating scale (BPRS). To measure the quantity of cannabis intake by individual indirect measure in form of average amount (INR) spent daily was inquired. The age of onset, duration of abuse, and cause of onset- accidental, casual, peer group and offer by elder family members were recorded. The history of cannabis abuse as well as psychiatric illness in other family members was inquired. Results: Majority of the participants were young male adults of the rural background. About 47 % (n-14) of them were unmarried and 60 % (n-18) were belonged to joint family. All the study participants were formally educated and at least one family member of about 43% (n-13) of participants had history of cannabis abuse. As it has been shown in table 2 majority of the study participants were abusing cannabis for more than 10 years with mean duration of cannabis abuse 14.2 years. 50 % of the individuals experienced first cannabis intake before age of 13 years with average onset of cannabis use 14.5 years. Majority of the participants (66%) were daily cannabis abusers. More than 2/3 rd of the subjects was spending Rs. 15 per day on average over the cannabis. Onset of cannabis was occurred mostly due to influence of peer group (n-21). The symptoms that were associated with increased severity in majority of patients were hostility 25 (83%), excitement 23 (77%), and elevated mood, grandiosity, suspiciousness, distractibility and motor hyperactivity in more than 60% of individuals. Other symptoms that were present in severe to very severe form in more than half individuals were hallucinations, unusual thought content, uncooperativeness, and self neglect. Suicidability and tension was absent in 28(93%) of p atients, depression and motor retardation was absent in 25(83%) of participants, guilt was absent in 70% of patients and blunted affect, conceptual disorganization and emotional withdrawal were completely absent in >60% of individual patients. Correlation with duration of cannabis abuse Long duration of abuse was negatively correlated with depression and hostility but other symptoms like suspiciousness, hallucinations, unusual thought content were positively correlated. Duration of cannabis abuse was significantly associated with total BPRS score (p-0.002). Patients with long duration of cannabis were presented with more severe form of psychosis than patients with short duration of cannabis abuse. Correlation with Age of onset of cannabis abuse Older age of onset of cannabis use was significantly associated with depression (p Correlation with frequency of cannabis abuse Frequency of cannabis abuse was significantly associated with self neglect (p-0.007) and tension (p Correlation with amount spent over cannabis The amount spent over cannabis was significantly correlated with anxiety (p-0.030), hallucinations (p-0.001), bizarre behavior (p Discussion: This study was aimed at determining clinical symptoms in relation to variables of cannabis abuse. All subjects were male. This could be attributable to low levels of substance use among females in general and cannabis in particular. Age range was wide and may be due to variation in genetic vulnerability to psychosis, dose of cannabis and duration of illness leading to variable age at presentation. Positive symptoms (motor hyperactivity, excitement, hostility, elevated mood, suspiciousness, grandiosity) were found at higher frequency than negative symptoms (blunted effect, emotional withdrawal and motor retardation). Hallucinations were present in only half of the participants. Other symptoms of the psychosis like conceptual disorganization and catatonic symptoms were absent. Our result was in support of Vani Kulhali and colleagues [23] finding that patients with cannabis associated psychosis had high positive scores (>5) on respective BPRS items were hostility 25 (83%), excitement 23 (77%), and motor hyperactivity, elevated mood, grandiosity, suspiciousness, distractibility in more than 60% of individuals. The least common symptoms were suicidability and tension 2 (6), depression and motor retardation 5 (15%), guilt was present in 30% of patients and blunted affect, conceptual disorganization and emotional withdrawal were completely absent in >60% of individuals. Most studies have reported that cannabis produces psychosis with prominent positive symptoms [16,1718]. Our findings are in keeping with these studies. Scores on BPRS reflected both the total intensity and the profile of psychopathology. Thus our findings largely confirm that reports of other authors that cannabis produces a psychosis with predominantly affective features and more of positive symptoms. Family history of drug disorders is regarded as risk factor for substance use including cannabis, whether it also results in increased vulnerability to cannabis psychosis is not clear. Conclusions The implication of this study is that cannabis contributes in causing and modifying psychosis. Several noteworthy findings emerged from this heterogeneous sample of cannabis associated psychosis. First the severity of psychotic episode was significantly associated with younger age of onset of cannabis abuse and increased spending was associated with more severe psychotic episode. Second family history of psychosis was not associated with increased severity of cannabis abuse, although family history of psychosis predicted more severe excitement, elevated mood and grandiosity and early onset of cannabis abuse. Limitations of the study As this was a cross sectional study and cannabis variables were obtained from interview possibility of â€Å"recall bias† can`t be ruled out. It was not possible to measure the amount of cannabis in unit time. Proxy used to represent this variable may not be representative of active ingredient of delta- 9THC. We have to rely on the subjects `self- report` of not using any other substances and were unable to objectively verify this report. Thus, the possibility that some symptoms were related to abstinence from other drugs cannot be completely excluded. Wide age range could be a drawback of study since homogeneity in duration of illness and amount of cannabis abuse could not be ensured.

Impact of Spyware on Computers and Mobile Devices

Impact of Spyware on Computers and Mobile Devices 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 PROJECT OUTLINE The title of the project chosen by the author is â€Å"Study on the impact of spyware on computers and mobile devices† which simply means that the author analyzes the impact of spyware through an empirical study. The study focuses on the factors that influence the spyware growth which in turn increases its level of impact on computers and mobile devices. Computers and mobile devices are widely used; they are used to access the internet, while everyone wants to acquire the internet in todays world. While technology advances, so are the criminal activities on the technology. When talking about computer crime, the first thing that comes to mind is spyware. Spyware is so big of a crime that millions of dollars are lost annually due to it. Hackers use spyware to still private information from the users like credit card information and so on. Although spyware has been here for a long time, it is computer crime with no legal consequence. Users have little or no knowledge about what spyware is and it can do to them and their machines (computers and mobile devises). Even though virus has been around longer than spyware, but spyware is beginning to make its mark with computer security breaches. Spyware can collect personal data from a users computer. If not taken care of spyware can cause delayed processing of many of your applications. Below are the brief descriptions of each chapter: Chapter one: Introduction This chapter provides a brief overview of the project. It provides the reader with the background information about spyware and the problem statement. The research questions, limitations and methodology are also discussed in this chapter. Chapter two: Literature Review This chapter mainly deals with the pertinent literature of the impact of spyware and discussion on the various types of spyware effect and the comparison between the mobile spyware and the computer spyware. Lastly, the chapter will also discuss about the factors enhancing spyware growth. Chapter three: Research Framework and Hypotheses Development This chapter discus the author is going to propose the research framework/model and hypotheses to explore the users perception about privacy, self efficiency, security, legal framework, spyware knowledge and self-efficiency, trust and cost. Chapter four: Research Methodology This chapter will describe the research design that is used during the research. The chapter will discuss the overall research process. The chapter will also include information on data collection, sampling plan and questionnaire development. Chapter five: Data Analysis and Findings This chapter will outline the data collected through questionnaire and interviews by making use of the appropriate software and analysis of the study. The chapter will also provide discussion of the research findings. Chapter six: Conclusion and Recommendation This chapter will discuss about the result of the previous chapter the contribution of the study to the body knowledge. Conclusion along with future enhancement will also be discussed in the chapter. This chapter concludes the research. 1.2 INTRODUCTION This chapter is meant to give the user/reader helpful idea and an insight to the whole research. Most readers will like to get a grasp of the main ideas of a research paper before actually proceeding to read the whole research. This chapter clearly states the primary objective of the research and the main problem which is been researched. The backgrounds and nature of the study are also highlight the purpose of the research. Several books and journals have been read by the author to have foundation knowledge on the concept of spyware. Spyware is a significant problem to most computer users today. The term â€Å"spyware† describes a new class of computer software. This software tracks users activities online or offline, provides targeted advertising, and engage in other types of activities that the user does not desire or the user may describe as invasive to them. Analysis suggests that these types of programs may reside on up to 90 percent (%) of all the computers connected to the internet. (EarthLink 2005) Frequently, programs bundle spyware with freeware or shareware, though it can also arrive via email, instant messages or web downloads. While the magnitude of the spyware problem is well documented, even do recent studies have had only limited success in explaining the broad range of user behaviors that contribute to the proliferation of spyware. Unlike viruses and other malicious code, users themselves often have a choice whether they want to install these programs. Anecdotal evidence suggests, and our study confirms, that some users are willing to install spyware when the desired application is of perceived high utility and a comparable product without spyware is not available or known to the user (Michelle Delio 2004). Our goals in this study are to understand the factors and users decision making process in installing spyware. During installation, users are presented with notices such as software agreements, terms of service (TOS), end user licensing agreements (EULA), and security warnings. Based on information in these notices, users should, in theory, be able to make a decision about whether to install the software and evaluate the potential consequences of that decision. However, there is a general perception that these notices are ineffective and users often dont even read the software agreement, terms of service, end user licensing or security warnings. One software provider included a $1000 cash prize offer in the EULA that was displayed during each software installation, yet the prize was only claimed after 4 months and 3,000 downloads of the software (PC PitStop 2005). 1.3 BACKGROUND STUDY Spyware has existed at least since the late 1980s when some Keyloggers where discovered in some university computers. â€Å"The word spyware was first used in publicly in October 1995. It popped up on Usenet (a distributed Internet discussion system in which users post e-mail like messages) in an article aimed at Microsofts business model.† (Shanmuga 2005) Over the years, there has been a steady growth in the use of spyware by online attackers and criminals to execute crime against individual, companies and organisations. In the span of just few years, spyware has become the internets most popular download. During the years, the anti-spyware was developed to tackle this problem. The anti-spyware was meant to find, detect and remove the spyware. But even with the development of anti-spyware, spyware still continues to grow every day. One of the factors that aid this growth is the lack of standard definition of spyware. Jerry Berman, President of the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), explained in testimony to the Subcommittee on Communications of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in March 2004 that â€Å"The term has been applied to software ranging from keystroke loggers that capture every key typed on a particular computer; to advertising applications that track users web browsing; to programs that hijack users system settings.† (CDT 2004) He noted that what these various types of software programs â€Å"have in common is a lack of transparency and an absence of respect for users ability to control their own computers and Internet connections.† (CDT 2004) Different anti-spyware companies and organizations use different definition which makes even difficult for the users of computers and mobile dont even know what spyware is, as such how can they know the threat of it and the harm it those to their devices 1.4 PROBLEM STATEMENT The problem statement of this research study â€Å"is the hypothesized factors influence and positive affect the users attitude towards spyware?† Even do spyware has been here for over two decades, it still does not have a standard definition. This makes it harder for users to understand what spyware is and how it affects their system, and how deep is the level of impact. (Norbert 2007) Past studies have been done to study the development of spyware and its growth, how it affects the businesses, privacy and other personal informations of the users, and disrupts the performance of the users machine, and the factors that influence the growth. While the magnitude of the spyware problem is well documented, even do these studies have had only limited success in explaining the broad range of user behaviors that contribute to the proliferation of spyware. Unlike virus and other malicious codes, users often have the choice to whether they want to install this spyware or not. While other users install it with other programs without knowing. This situation often arises as a result of users not reading the software agreement, term of service or the end user licensing agreements. Nonetheless, only very few studies focus specifically on the level of spyware impact on computers and mobile devices, and most of them were carried out in the United States of America USA. Addressing this problem is a very big issue, because users dont want to spend two to five minutes of their time to read the terms of service. The software producers often put in a lot of information in the terms of service there by making the user not read because it is too lengthy. 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS With reference to the Problem statement, the author suggested the following questions: What are the factors influencing spyware growth among users? What are the theoretical models used and extended in previous studies of spyware? What are the significant factors influencing the research? What are the users reactions towards spyware? How will the research result affect impact of spyware on computers and mobile devices? 1.6 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES With reference to the research questions, the author developed the following research objectives for the study: To identify the factors influencing spyware growth among users. To study and discuss the theoretical models used and extended in previous studies of spyware. To examine the hypotheses and experimental validating the research model. To better understand the users reaction towards spyware. To discuss the empirical result and the suggestion to promote and reduce the growth of spyware. 1.7 NATURE OF STUDY The author is studying about the impact of spyware in both mobile devices and computers, and the he generates some questionnaires which he will use to gather information from the general public and organisations. This study was design in such a way that the author and other practitioners will answer questions based on their perspective view. The conceptual model was based on extensive literature review of various theoretical models that is aligned with the technological, network, economical, business and some other dimension. The conceptual model is then converted into research model for validation and testing using data collected from the general public and some network specialist. 1.8 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY This study presents two main implications, the theoretical contribution and the practical contribution. The developed model in this study consists of six constructs; they are spyware knowledge, perceived privacy control, security effect, self efficiency, legal framework, and trustworthiness and trust in vendors. This model is tested empirically to explain what will lead the users to take technical defensive measures. In practical contribution, the result of this study will also benefit the software vendors, the users of computers and mobile devices and any other institution will be able to apply the key factors obtained from this research to meet their institutional, organizational or personal needs. This study will benefit in term of providing the users point of view and it will also contribute to administration decisions as the finding of the research help direct them to the area of focus. The findings will make the contribution in term of creating an understanding on the factors that will influence spyware growth and its level of impact. 1.9 METHODOLOGY OVERVIEW This research is design in such a way that it was divided in two adopted steps. The steps are the pre-test study and the main study. The pre-test study was the study that was done in the early stages of the research. This involves the literature reviewing of type of spyware, impact of spyware, how spyware affects the machine and so on. The pre-test was conducted to gain a greater understanding about spyware. The pre-test study helps in understanding the topic there by producing the main research questions. The main study will be conducted based on a survey, a questionnaires and interview conducted among users, corporations and some top school in Malaysia. The questionnaire will be use to collect data on some of the identified problems. The collected data will then be analyzed using the appropriate statistic tools. 1.10 CONCLUSION In conclusion, this chapter introduces the research to the reader by bringing out the background of spyware, the primary objective of the research, also stating the main questions of the research. It also discusses the methodology in summary. In short, this chapter will provides the reader will hopeful idea about the research. The following chapters will further provide the literature review on the impact of spyware in our machines and devices. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter will provide an in-depth detail on spyware as well as the types of spyware. The chapter will also bring out all the possible definitions of spyware, the overview of spyware. The chapter will bring out the possible ways in which spyware operates and it will talk a little about the target victims of the spyware. The chapter will also analyze the infection methods of spyware and so on. 2.2 DEFINITION It is not easy to bring out a standard definition on spyware, which makes it much harder to understand. But the author will bring out all the definitions he can find and also propose/bring his own definition based on his understanding of the spyware. In the definition of spyware, two particular issues must be included for the definition to be complete. But research shows that users only stick to either one of the two when defining spyware. This two issues are always been contested by the users. The two particular issues contested are the range of software behaviour and the degree of user consent that is desirable. Firstly, some users prefer the narrow definition which focuses on the monitoring (Surveillance) aspects of spyware and its ability to steal, communicate and store information about users and their behavior. Others prefer the broad definition that includes adware, toolbars, search tools, hijackers and dialers. Definitions for spyware also include hacker tools for remote access and administration, key logging and cracking passwords. Second, there is limited agreement on the lawfulnessof spyware that engages in behavior such as targeting advertisements, installing programs on user machines and collecting click stream data. Users consider a wide range of programs that present spyware-like functionality unacceptable. To complicate the definition, certain software behaviors are acceptable in some contexts but not others. Furthermore, there is concern over user notice and consentrequired during an installation process. The practice of bundlingsoftware, which merges spyware with unrelated programs, also heightens this concern. Jerry Berman, President of the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), explained in testimony to the Subcommittee on Communications of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in March 2004 that â€Å"The term has been applied to software ranging from keystroke loggers that capture every key typed on a particular computer; to advertising applications that track users web browsing; to programs that hijack users system settings.† (CDT 2004) He noted that what these various types of software programs â€Å"have in common is a lack of transparency and an absence of respect for users ability to control their own computers and Internet connections.† (CDT 2004) The author will also like to propose his definition of spyware based on his understanding of the matter. Spyware is a program that is installed in the machine with or without the permission of the user, and it can monitor the activities of the user, steal valuable information from the user and send to a third party and disturb/regulate the functionality of the machine like speed, stability and internet access efficiency. 2.3 OVERVIEW 2.3.1 Types of spyware Basically any software that can be installed in the users machine which is used to obtains information from their computer or mobile device without their knowledge can be termed as a spyware. There are many types of spyware that are doing the rounds on the Internet, but in technical terms, you can classify them into two broad categories namely, Domestic Spyware and Commercial Spyware. (UpickReviews 2007) 2.3.1.1 Domestic spyware Domestic spyware is software that is usually purchased and installed by computer owners to monitor the Internet behaviour on their computer networks. Employers usually use this software to monitor employee online activities. Some family members use domestic spyware to monitor other family members, while parents and guardians often use this kind of software to monitor the activities of their children online. Some people use this kind of softwares to spy on their friends and girl friend. In America, many couples often install this kind of software on their partners mobile phone in other to monitor their call. This usually happens when one party thinks the other is cheating on them. A third party can also install domestic spyware without the knowledge of the computer owner on their machine or mobile device. Law enforcement officials have often used domestic spyware to monitor suspected criminal activity and criminals have used domestic spyware to siphon personal information from private computers in order to steal assets. (TopTenReviews 2003) Domestic spyware is one of the most common spyware used using mobile devices. This is done to monitor the activity of the target victim i.e calls and SMS. 2.3.1.2 Commercial spyware. These types of software systems are often used by third parties to monitor and record the browsing behaviour of the user. The main purpose of it is to monitor the online habits of the user and sell the gathered information to anyone who might be interested. It is often online businesses that buy the information and use it to hit the user with targeted advertising, i.e. advertisements that relate to your usual Internet browsing habits. Advertisers often use commercial spyware simply because it is far simpler, economical and faster than collecting information through legal means such as contests, questionnaires, registration surveys and the likes. It is also because information gathered by spyware is far more reliable because users often dont cooperate when it comes to filling questionnaire sincerely, while some may accept to do it but they will not give true information when it comes to their private things. Since it represents the users true browsing behaviour, the advertisers go for it. You may take your pick while filling out an online registration form, but you just cannot cheat a spyware because it simply monitors and records all your activities. In the past marketers had to bribe their way to learn the users preferences through contests, registration surveys and the like. Those methods of gaining the users personal information still exist, but in those cases you have the power to read the fine print to learn the fate of your data and so could choose to consent or refuse There are many types of spyware that are classified under commercial spyware. They are: Browser hijackers, adware, Malware, dialers, Trojans and viruses, Worms, etc. 2.3.1.2.1 Adware Adware is the most common type of spyware available. They are cookies which hide on your computer waiting for you to go online. The cookies often get into your computer through popup that you open. Once the adware detects that youre connected to the Internet it starts sending you popup, pop-over, pop-under ads, and some sort of advertisement for anything from airline tickets to porn site membership. Not only that but even information on your viewing habits is tracked and stored. This data is then sold on to marketing companies who will be sending you more junk email and popup ads. (Spam-site 2006) 2.3.1.2.2 Dealers Software that gets installed on your computer that has the ability to make phone calls from your computer, though a phone-connected modem, without your knowledge. These programs will connect to other computers, through your phone line, which are usually porn sites. These numbers are pay per minute call though, so you get charged for the amount of time your computer is connected to it. While dialers do not spy on users they are malevolent in nature because they can cause huge financial harm to their victims. It is mostly used by porn sites. They can also be classified as hijackers. ( Abrams 2009) 2.3.1.2.3 Malware Malware is malicious software designed specifically to damage users machine. But Malware is typically not self-replicating or designed for PC-to-PC distribution. (Pareto 2009) 2.3.1.2.3 Trojan Trojan is a program that contains hidden functionality, often posing as useful applications yet performing Spyware or Adware functions and facilitates unauthorized access to the users computer system. The term ‘Trojan horse was found from the mythical wooden horse that carried hidden Greek soldiers into Troy. (Pareto 2009) 2.3.1.2.4 Worm Worms are self-replicating, fast-spreading Internet threats that are more like viruses than Spyware. They differ from viruses in that they can replace entire files on the host computer. Both viruses and worms attempt to spread to as many computers as possible, using e-mail, the Internet, and file-sharing networks as methods of distribution. (Pareto 2009) 2.4 OPERATIONS OF SPYWARE The usual method for a spyware to operate is to run secretly in the background of the users computers (McCardle 2003). The reason behind this concealing of processes is commonly argued as that it would hardly be acceptable if, e.g., if free file-sharing software kept stopping to ask the user if they are ready to fetch a new banner or a pop-up window (Townsend 2003). Therefore, the client/server routine of spyware is normally executed in the background. In practice, there would be nothing wrong with spyware running in the background provided that the users know that it is happening, what data is being transmitted, and that they have agreed to the process as part of the conditions for obtaining the freeware. However, most users are unaware that they have software on their computers that tracks and reports information on their Internet usage to a third party. Typically, a spyware program secretly gathers user information and spreads it without the users knowledge of it. Once installed, the spyware monitors, e.g., user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to third parties, such as advertising companies. In reality, spyware run constantly, even when their carrier program, e.g., a file-sharing tool, has been terminated. A more or less legal grey area is utilized by the spyware actors, since in most program licenses they specify that information may be gathered for corporate purposes. However, the usual model is to collect more information than they have asked for (Townsend 2003). Besides this, most license agreements are been formulated in such a way that the reader finds it extensively hard for users to understand. 2.5 SPYWARE INFECTION METHOD Spyware infects its victims through many different ways. The most common of these ways include drive-by download, P2P wrecks havoc, free software download, social engineering and vulnerability route. 2.5.1 Drive-by downloads This is a program that is automatically downloaded to users computer, often without the users knowledge. The download may be initiated when the user visits a website or by another application. Drive by downloads can also be initiated by Mouse Over downloads, requiring a user to run the mouse over a malicious Pop-up ad or malicious pop-up window. Another scenario is when the user visits a website that pops up a window with a message like in order to properly view this website you must install this program. The FTP / HTTP Get request will initiate the download of the software onto the client machine. Installation will be performed by the user and during this installation they will be asked permission to install the malware as well as the software. Internet Explorer uses ActiveX controls for installing legitimate plug-ins like Flash, to enhance the browsers functionality and provide interactive programs for Internet Explorer. When misused, it provides a means for installing spyware such as dialers, browser hijackers, and other types of malware. ActiveX programs can automatically download to a users computer, often without users knowledge. It can be invoked from web pages through the use of a scripting language or directly with an HTML OBJECT tag. On execution by a web browser, it has full access to the Windows operating system and does not run in a â€Å"sandbox. Depending on browser security settings, the browser application may display a security warning to either stop or continue the installation. The warning may not offer a proper description of the program, and usually is misleading or could be masked by other deceptive dialog boxes. Sometimes â€Å"No† is not taken for an answer, and repeated attempts are made to get the user to approve and download the application. ActiveX controls can be signed or unsigned. Signed ActiveX controls are automatically installed while browsing the web, and are used by spyware applications. A signed ActiveX control only verifies that the code or control was from the signer and that it has not been altered; however, it may still be malicious. (Shanmuga 2005) 2.5.2 P2P Wrecks Havoc Most of the spyware comes bundled with other popular programs that are that are free, also through most of the peer-to-peer networks like Kazaa, Bearshare, Limewire among others. They install malware in the machine as part of the P2P installation process. The P2P application may not function if these components are not installed. These â€Å"free† versions generate ad revenue for their publishers, causing pop-ups and sending information to affiliate networks for data aggregation or data mining. Applications such as Cydoor, New.net, TopText, SaveNow, Webhancer, VX2, CommonName, GetNet/ClearSearch, IncrediFind and OnFlow are of the few applications that are installed this way and may serve up ad banners and ad messages, or track your Internet surfing habits. Unfortunately, the makers of the host programs try not to advertise their programs hidden payloads. Reading the licensing agreement (carefully) during installation will often reveal embedded licenses for the piggybacking adware. (Shanmuga 2005) 2.5.3 Software free web download Some of the softwares that they claim is free in the internet, when you download and install them, at the same time you will be installing a secondary program. This secondary program is a spyware. It will monitor your activity and report to a third party or a central database. If the user notices the spyware and deletes it, but didnt delete the software, whenever the system online, the software will download the spyware application and install it again. This kind of infection often occurs when the use fails to read the license agreement. In other cases, the license agreement is twisted in such a way that the user will not understand it. (Shanmuga 2005) 2.5.4 Social engineering Sometimes when users browse the web, they may receive offers for corrective programs or special plug-ins that may be described as necessary for viewing the site. These voluntary but covert and unintentional installations are one source of spyware. Some of these offers are made to appear like a Windows alert from Microsoft or an anti-spyware application to tricks users into downloading and installing them. (Shanmuga 2005) 2.5.5 Security holes in internet explorer Another method of infection is by exploring the security holes in internet explorer. Internet Explorer has had multiple security vulnerabilities, some of which are disclosed by Microsoft with downloadable updates and patches. Some spyware applications take advantage of these holes and install Trojan droppers, which redirect the browser to portal sites. CoolWebSearch (one of the most notorious pests in recent times) and many other spyware are known to take advantage of Internet Explorer security holes. KeenValue, and InternetOptimizer are examples that use Trojan downloader. (Shanmuga 2005) 2.6 TARGET VICTIMS OF SPYWARE Spyware generally has no specific target victims, but in some cases it has specific victims. It attacks any and every one that falls into its trap. It usually hides in other programs or in some websites like porn website. Spyware is divided into two, domestic and commercial spyware. The victims of domestic spyware are specific, because domestic spyware is software that is usually purchased and installed by computer owners to monitor the Internet behaviour on their computer networks. Employers usually use this software to monitor employee online activities. Some family members use domestic spyware to monitor other family members, while parents and guardians often use this kind of software to monitor the activities of their children online. Some people use this kind of softwares to spy on their friends and girl friend. Others purchase this spyware to install in their partners mobile phone so as to monitor the call and SMS that they are making. Large companies and businesses are also among the most popular spyware targets. This often happen due to competition in the business or personal enmity, while sometimes is just for fun. In this kind of situation, malwares are often used. This is because malware is specifically design to damage the machine. The most popular victims of spyware are the general public. This is because spyware infects and still information about the general public and sends them to a third party who sells the information to advertising companies. More than 80% of general public that are using the internet have/had been affected by spyware one way or another. This shows that both mobile device users and computer users can be affected by spyware. 2.6.1 Mobile devices Not all mobile device users can be affected by spyware. There are categories of mobile devices that can be affected. This includes a blackberry, palmtop, iphone, and any other mobile device that has Bluetooth or can connect to the internet. This is because spyware has to be downloaded, transferred or installed from a source. 2.6.2 Computers All type of computers can be affected with spyware if they are online. Sometimes, the computer is not infected through the internet, but spyware needs the internet so as to establish connection with the third party. 2.7 IMPLICATIONS OF SPYWARE Spyware may Impact of Spyware on Computers and Mobile Devices Impact of Spyware on Computers and Mobile Devices 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 PROJECT OUTLINE The title of the project chosen by the author is â€Å"Study on the impact of spyware on computers and mobile devices† which simply means that the author analyzes the impact of spyware through an empirical study. The study focuses on the factors that influence the spyware growth which in turn increases its level of impact on computers and mobile devices. Computers and mobile devices are widely used; they are used to access the internet, while everyone wants to acquire the internet in todays world. While technology advances, so are the criminal activities on the technology. When talking about computer crime, the first thing that comes to mind is spyware. Spyware is so big of a crime that millions of dollars are lost annually due to it. Hackers use spyware to still private information from the users like credit card information and so on. Although spyware has been here for a long time, it is computer crime with no legal consequence. Users have little or no knowledge about what spyware is and it can do to them and their machines (computers and mobile devises). Even though virus has been around longer than spyware, but spyware is beginning to make its mark with computer security breaches. Spyware can collect personal data from a users computer. If not taken care of spyware can cause delayed processing of many of your applications. Below are the brief descriptions of each chapter: Chapter one: Introduction This chapter provides a brief overview of the project. It provides the reader with the background information about spyware and the problem statement. The research questions, limitations and methodology are also discussed in this chapter. Chapter two: Literature Review This chapter mainly deals with the pertinent literature of the impact of spyware and discussion on the various types of spyware effect and the comparison between the mobile spyware and the computer spyware. Lastly, the chapter will also discuss about the factors enhancing spyware growth. Chapter three: Research Framework and Hypotheses Development This chapter discus the author is going to propose the research framework/model and hypotheses to explore the users perception about privacy, self efficiency, security, legal framework, spyware knowledge and self-efficiency, trust and cost. Chapter four: Research Methodology This chapter will describe the research design that is used during the research. The chapter will discuss the overall research process. The chapter will also include information on data collection, sampling plan and questionnaire development. Chapter five: Data Analysis and Findings This chapter will outline the data collected through questionnaire and interviews by making use of the appropriate software and analysis of the study. The chapter will also provide discussion of the research findings. Chapter six: Conclusion and Recommendation This chapter will discuss about the result of the previous chapter the contribution of the study to the body knowledge. Conclusion along with future enhancement will also be discussed in the chapter. This chapter concludes the research. 1.2 INTRODUCTION This chapter is meant to give the user/reader helpful idea and an insight to the whole research. Most readers will like to get a grasp of the main ideas of a research paper before actually proceeding to read the whole research. This chapter clearly states the primary objective of the research and the main problem which is been researched. The backgrounds and nature of the study are also highlight the purpose of the research. Several books and journals have been read by the author to have foundation knowledge on the concept of spyware. Spyware is a significant problem to most computer users today. The term â€Å"spyware† describes a new class of computer software. This software tracks users activities online or offline, provides targeted advertising, and engage in other types of activities that the user does not desire or the user may describe as invasive to them. Analysis suggests that these types of programs may reside on up to 90 percent (%) of all the computers connected to the internet. (EarthLink 2005) Frequently, programs bundle spyware with freeware or shareware, though it can also arrive via email, instant messages or web downloads. While the magnitude of the spyware problem is well documented, even do recent studies have had only limited success in explaining the broad range of user behaviors that contribute to the proliferation of spyware. Unlike viruses and other malicious code, users themselves often have a choice whether they want to install these programs. Anecdotal evidence suggests, and our study confirms, that some users are willing to install spyware when the desired application is of perceived high utility and a comparable product without spyware is not available or known to the user (Michelle Delio 2004). Our goals in this study are to understand the factors and users decision making process in installing spyware. During installation, users are presented with notices such as software agreements, terms of service (TOS), end user licensing agreements (EULA), and security warnings. Based on information in these notices, users should, in theory, be able to make a decision about whether to install the software and evaluate the potential consequences of that decision. However, there is a general perception that these notices are ineffective and users often dont even read the software agreement, terms of service, end user licensing or security warnings. One software provider included a $1000 cash prize offer in the EULA that was displayed during each software installation, yet the prize was only claimed after 4 months and 3,000 downloads of the software (PC PitStop 2005). 1.3 BACKGROUND STUDY Spyware has existed at least since the late 1980s when some Keyloggers where discovered in some university computers. â€Å"The word spyware was first used in publicly in October 1995. It popped up on Usenet (a distributed Internet discussion system in which users post e-mail like messages) in an article aimed at Microsofts business model.† (Shanmuga 2005) Over the years, there has been a steady growth in the use of spyware by online attackers and criminals to execute crime against individual, companies and organisations. In the span of just few years, spyware has become the internets most popular download. During the years, the anti-spyware was developed to tackle this problem. The anti-spyware was meant to find, detect and remove the spyware. But even with the development of anti-spyware, spyware still continues to grow every day. One of the factors that aid this growth is the lack of standard definition of spyware. Jerry Berman, President of the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), explained in testimony to the Subcommittee on Communications of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in March 2004 that â€Å"The term has been applied to software ranging from keystroke loggers that capture every key typed on a particular computer; to advertising applications that track users web browsing; to programs that hijack users system settings.† (CDT 2004) He noted that what these various types of software programs â€Å"have in common is a lack of transparency and an absence of respect for users ability to control their own computers and Internet connections.† (CDT 2004) Different anti-spyware companies and organizations use different definition which makes even difficult for the users of computers and mobile dont even know what spyware is, as such how can they know the threat of it and the harm it those to their devices 1.4 PROBLEM STATEMENT The problem statement of this research study â€Å"is the hypothesized factors influence and positive affect the users attitude towards spyware?† Even do spyware has been here for over two decades, it still does not have a standard definition. This makes it harder for users to understand what spyware is and how it affects their system, and how deep is the level of impact. (Norbert 2007) Past studies have been done to study the development of spyware and its growth, how it affects the businesses, privacy and other personal informations of the users, and disrupts the performance of the users machine, and the factors that influence the growth. While the magnitude of the spyware problem is well documented, even do these studies have had only limited success in explaining the broad range of user behaviors that contribute to the proliferation of spyware. Unlike virus and other malicious codes, users often have the choice to whether they want to install this spyware or not. While other users install it with other programs without knowing. This situation often arises as a result of users not reading the software agreement, term of service or the end user licensing agreements. Nonetheless, only very few studies focus specifically on the level of spyware impact on computers and mobile devices, and most of them were carried out in the United States of America USA. Addressing this problem is a very big issue, because users dont want to spend two to five minutes of their time to read the terms of service. The software producers often put in a lot of information in the terms of service there by making the user not read because it is too lengthy. 1.5 RESEARCH QUESTIONS With reference to the Problem statement, the author suggested the following questions: What are the factors influencing spyware growth among users? What are the theoretical models used and extended in previous studies of spyware? What are the significant factors influencing the research? What are the users reactions towards spyware? How will the research result affect impact of spyware on computers and mobile devices? 1.6 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES With reference to the research questions, the author developed the following research objectives for the study: To identify the factors influencing spyware growth among users. To study and discuss the theoretical models used and extended in previous studies of spyware. To examine the hypotheses and experimental validating the research model. To better understand the users reaction towards spyware. To discuss the empirical result and the suggestion to promote and reduce the growth of spyware. 1.7 NATURE OF STUDY The author is studying about the impact of spyware in both mobile devices and computers, and the he generates some questionnaires which he will use to gather information from the general public and organisations. This study was design in such a way that the author and other practitioners will answer questions based on their perspective view. The conceptual model was based on extensive literature review of various theoretical models that is aligned with the technological, network, economical, business and some other dimension. The conceptual model is then converted into research model for validation and testing using data collected from the general public and some network specialist. 1.8 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY This study presents two main implications, the theoretical contribution and the practical contribution. The developed model in this study consists of six constructs; they are spyware knowledge, perceived privacy control, security effect, self efficiency, legal framework, and trustworthiness and trust in vendors. This model is tested empirically to explain what will lead the users to take technical defensive measures. In practical contribution, the result of this study will also benefit the software vendors, the users of computers and mobile devices and any other institution will be able to apply the key factors obtained from this research to meet their institutional, organizational or personal needs. This study will benefit in term of providing the users point of view and it will also contribute to administration decisions as the finding of the research help direct them to the area of focus. The findings will make the contribution in term of creating an understanding on the factors that will influence spyware growth and its level of impact. 1.9 METHODOLOGY OVERVIEW This research is design in such a way that it was divided in two adopted steps. The steps are the pre-test study and the main study. The pre-test study was the study that was done in the early stages of the research. This involves the literature reviewing of type of spyware, impact of spyware, how spyware affects the machine and so on. The pre-test was conducted to gain a greater understanding about spyware. The pre-test study helps in understanding the topic there by producing the main research questions. The main study will be conducted based on a survey, a questionnaires and interview conducted among users, corporations and some top school in Malaysia. The questionnaire will be use to collect data on some of the identified problems. The collected data will then be analyzed using the appropriate statistic tools. 1.10 CONCLUSION In conclusion, this chapter introduces the research to the reader by bringing out the background of spyware, the primary objective of the research, also stating the main questions of the research. It also discusses the methodology in summary. In short, this chapter will provides the reader will hopeful idea about the research. The following chapters will further provide the literature review on the impact of spyware in our machines and devices. 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter will provide an in-depth detail on spyware as well as the types of spyware. The chapter will also bring out all the possible definitions of spyware, the overview of spyware. The chapter will bring out the possible ways in which spyware operates and it will talk a little about the target victims of the spyware. The chapter will also analyze the infection methods of spyware and so on. 2.2 DEFINITION It is not easy to bring out a standard definition on spyware, which makes it much harder to understand. But the author will bring out all the definitions he can find and also propose/bring his own definition based on his understanding of the spyware. In the definition of spyware, two particular issues must be included for the definition to be complete. But research shows that users only stick to either one of the two when defining spyware. This two issues are always been contested by the users. The two particular issues contested are the range of software behaviour and the degree of user consent that is desirable. Firstly, some users prefer the narrow definition which focuses on the monitoring (Surveillance) aspects of spyware and its ability to steal, communicate and store information about users and their behavior. Others prefer the broad definition that includes adware, toolbars, search tools, hijackers and dialers. Definitions for spyware also include hacker tools for remote access and administration, key logging and cracking passwords. Second, there is limited agreement on the lawfulnessof spyware that engages in behavior such as targeting advertisements, installing programs on user machines and collecting click stream data. Users consider a wide range of programs that present spyware-like functionality unacceptable. To complicate the definition, certain software behaviors are acceptable in some contexts but not others. Furthermore, there is concern over user notice and consentrequired during an installation process. The practice of bundlingsoftware, which merges spyware with unrelated programs, also heightens this concern. Jerry Berman, President of the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), explained in testimony to the Subcommittee on Communications of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in March 2004 that â€Å"The term has been applied to software ranging from keystroke loggers that capture every key typed on a particular computer; to advertising applications that track users web browsing; to programs that hijack users system settings.† (CDT 2004) He noted that what these various types of software programs â€Å"have in common is a lack of transparency and an absence of respect for users ability to control their own computers and Internet connections.† (CDT 2004) The author will also like to propose his definition of spyware based on his understanding of the matter. Spyware is a program that is installed in the machine with or without the permission of the user, and it can monitor the activities of the user, steal valuable information from the user and send to a third party and disturb/regulate the functionality of the machine like speed, stability and internet access efficiency. 2.3 OVERVIEW 2.3.1 Types of spyware Basically any software that can be installed in the users machine which is used to obtains information from their computer or mobile device without their knowledge can be termed as a spyware. There are many types of spyware that are doing the rounds on the Internet, but in technical terms, you can classify them into two broad categories namely, Domestic Spyware and Commercial Spyware. (UpickReviews 2007) 2.3.1.1 Domestic spyware Domestic spyware is software that is usually purchased and installed by computer owners to monitor the Internet behaviour on their computer networks. Employers usually use this software to monitor employee online activities. Some family members use domestic spyware to monitor other family members, while parents and guardians often use this kind of software to monitor the activities of their children online. Some people use this kind of softwares to spy on their friends and girl friend. In America, many couples often install this kind of software on their partners mobile phone in other to monitor their call. This usually happens when one party thinks the other is cheating on them. A third party can also install domestic spyware without the knowledge of the computer owner on their machine or mobile device. Law enforcement officials have often used domestic spyware to monitor suspected criminal activity and criminals have used domestic spyware to siphon personal information from private computers in order to steal assets. (TopTenReviews 2003) Domestic spyware is one of the most common spyware used using mobile devices. This is done to monitor the activity of the target victim i.e calls and SMS. 2.3.1.2 Commercial spyware. These types of software systems are often used by third parties to monitor and record the browsing behaviour of the user. The main purpose of it is to monitor the online habits of the user and sell the gathered information to anyone who might be interested. It is often online businesses that buy the information and use it to hit the user with targeted advertising, i.e. advertisements that relate to your usual Internet browsing habits. Advertisers often use commercial spyware simply because it is far simpler, economical and faster than collecting information through legal means such as contests, questionnaires, registration surveys and the likes. It is also because information gathered by spyware is far more reliable because users often dont cooperate when it comes to filling questionnaire sincerely, while some may accept to do it but they will not give true information when it comes to their private things. Since it represents the users true browsing behaviour, the advertisers go for it. You may take your pick while filling out an online registration form, but you just cannot cheat a spyware because it simply monitors and records all your activities. In the past marketers had to bribe their way to learn the users preferences through contests, registration surveys and the like. Those methods of gaining the users personal information still exist, but in those cases you have the power to read the fine print to learn the fate of your data and so could choose to consent or refuse There are many types of spyware that are classified under commercial spyware. They are: Browser hijackers, adware, Malware, dialers, Trojans and viruses, Worms, etc. 2.3.1.2.1 Adware Adware is the most common type of spyware available. They are cookies which hide on your computer waiting for you to go online. The cookies often get into your computer through popup that you open. Once the adware detects that youre connected to the Internet it starts sending you popup, pop-over, pop-under ads, and some sort of advertisement for anything from airline tickets to porn site membership. Not only that but even information on your viewing habits is tracked and stored. This data is then sold on to marketing companies who will be sending you more junk email and popup ads. (Spam-site 2006) 2.3.1.2.2 Dealers Software that gets installed on your computer that has the ability to make phone calls from your computer, though a phone-connected modem, without your knowledge. These programs will connect to other computers, through your phone line, which are usually porn sites. These numbers are pay per minute call though, so you get charged for the amount of time your computer is connected to it. While dialers do not spy on users they are malevolent in nature because they can cause huge financial harm to their victims. It is mostly used by porn sites. They can also be classified as hijackers. ( Abrams 2009) 2.3.1.2.3 Malware Malware is malicious software designed specifically to damage users machine. But Malware is typically not self-replicating or designed for PC-to-PC distribution. (Pareto 2009) 2.3.1.2.3 Trojan Trojan is a program that contains hidden functionality, often posing as useful applications yet performing Spyware or Adware functions and facilitates unauthorized access to the users computer system. The term ‘Trojan horse was found from the mythical wooden horse that carried hidden Greek soldiers into Troy. (Pareto 2009) 2.3.1.2.4 Worm Worms are self-replicating, fast-spreading Internet threats that are more like viruses than Spyware. They differ from viruses in that they can replace entire files on the host computer. Both viruses and worms attempt to spread to as many computers as possible, using e-mail, the Internet, and file-sharing networks as methods of distribution. (Pareto 2009) 2.4 OPERATIONS OF SPYWARE The usual method for a spyware to operate is to run secretly in the background of the users computers (McCardle 2003). The reason behind this concealing of processes is commonly argued as that it would hardly be acceptable if, e.g., if free file-sharing software kept stopping to ask the user if they are ready to fetch a new banner or a pop-up window (Townsend 2003). Therefore, the client/server routine of spyware is normally executed in the background. In practice, there would be nothing wrong with spyware running in the background provided that the users know that it is happening, what data is being transmitted, and that they have agreed to the process as part of the conditions for obtaining the freeware. However, most users are unaware that they have software on their computers that tracks and reports information on their Internet usage to a third party. Typically, a spyware program secretly gathers user information and spreads it without the users knowledge of it. Once installed, the spyware monitors, e.g., user activity on the Internet and transmits that information in the background to third parties, such as advertising companies. In reality, spyware run constantly, even when their carrier program, e.g., a file-sharing tool, has been terminated. A more or less legal grey area is utilized by the spyware actors, since in most program licenses they specify that information may be gathered for corporate purposes. However, the usual model is to collect more information than they have asked for (Townsend 2003). Besides this, most license agreements are been formulated in such a way that the reader finds it extensively hard for users to understand. 2.5 SPYWARE INFECTION METHOD Spyware infects its victims through many different ways. The most common of these ways include drive-by download, P2P wrecks havoc, free software download, social engineering and vulnerability route. 2.5.1 Drive-by downloads This is a program that is automatically downloaded to users computer, often without the users knowledge. The download may be initiated when the user visits a website or by another application. Drive by downloads can also be initiated by Mouse Over downloads, requiring a user to run the mouse over a malicious Pop-up ad or malicious pop-up window. Another scenario is when the user visits a website that pops up a window with a message like in order to properly view this website you must install this program. The FTP / HTTP Get request will initiate the download of the software onto the client machine. Installation will be performed by the user and during this installation they will be asked permission to install the malware as well as the software. Internet Explorer uses ActiveX controls for installing legitimate plug-ins like Flash, to enhance the browsers functionality and provide interactive programs for Internet Explorer. When misused, it provides a means for installing spyware such as dialers, browser hijackers, and other types of malware. ActiveX programs can automatically download to a users computer, often without users knowledge. It can be invoked from web pages through the use of a scripting language or directly with an HTML OBJECT tag. On execution by a web browser, it has full access to the Windows operating system and does not run in a â€Å"sandbox. Depending on browser security settings, the browser application may display a security warning to either stop or continue the installation. The warning may not offer a proper description of the program, and usually is misleading or could be masked by other deceptive dialog boxes. Sometimes â€Å"No† is not taken for an answer, and repeated attempts are made to get the user to approve and download the application. ActiveX controls can be signed or unsigned. Signed ActiveX controls are automatically installed while browsing the web, and are used by spyware applications. A signed ActiveX control only verifies that the code or control was from the signer and that it has not been altered; however, it may still be malicious. (Shanmuga 2005) 2.5.2 P2P Wrecks Havoc Most of the spyware comes bundled with other popular programs that are that are free, also through most of the peer-to-peer networks like Kazaa, Bearshare, Limewire among others. They install malware in the machine as part of the P2P installation process. The P2P application may not function if these components are not installed. These â€Å"free† versions generate ad revenue for their publishers, causing pop-ups and sending information to affiliate networks for data aggregation or data mining. Applications such as Cydoor, New.net, TopText, SaveNow, Webhancer, VX2, CommonName, GetNet/ClearSearch, IncrediFind and OnFlow are of the few applications that are installed this way and may serve up ad banners and ad messages, or track your Internet surfing habits. Unfortunately, the makers of the host programs try not to advertise their programs hidden payloads. Reading the licensing agreement (carefully) during installation will often reveal embedded licenses for the piggybacking adware. (Shanmuga 2005) 2.5.3 Software free web download Some of the softwares that they claim is free in the internet, when you download and install them, at the same time you will be installing a secondary program. This secondary program is a spyware. It will monitor your activity and report to a third party or a central database. If the user notices the spyware and deletes it, but didnt delete the software, whenever the system online, the software will download the spyware application and install it again. This kind of infection often occurs when the use fails to read the license agreement. In other cases, the license agreement is twisted in such a way that the user will not understand it. (Shanmuga 2005) 2.5.4 Social engineering Sometimes when users browse the web, they may receive offers for corrective programs or special plug-ins that may be described as necessary for viewing the site. These voluntary but covert and unintentional installations are one source of spyware. Some of these offers are made to appear like a Windows alert from Microsoft or an anti-spyware application to tricks users into downloading and installing them. (Shanmuga 2005) 2.5.5 Security holes in internet explorer Another method of infection is by exploring the security holes in internet explorer. Internet Explorer has had multiple security vulnerabilities, some of which are disclosed by Microsoft with downloadable updates and patches. Some spyware applications take advantage of these holes and install Trojan droppers, which redirect the browser to portal sites. CoolWebSearch (one of the most notorious pests in recent times) and many other spyware are known to take advantage of Internet Explorer security holes. KeenValue, and InternetOptimizer are examples that use Trojan downloader. (Shanmuga 2005) 2.6 TARGET VICTIMS OF SPYWARE Spyware generally has no specific target victims, but in some cases it has specific victims. It attacks any and every one that falls into its trap. It usually hides in other programs or in some websites like porn website. Spyware is divided into two, domestic and commercial spyware. The victims of domestic spyware are specific, because domestic spyware is software that is usually purchased and installed by computer owners to monitor the Internet behaviour on their computer networks. Employers usually use this software to monitor employee online activities. Some family members use domestic spyware to monitor other family members, while parents and guardians often use this kind of software to monitor the activities of their children online. Some people use this kind of softwares to spy on their friends and girl friend. Others purchase this spyware to install in their partners mobile phone so as to monitor the call and SMS that they are making. Large companies and businesses are also among the most popular spyware targets. This often happen due to competition in the business or personal enmity, while sometimes is just for fun. In this kind of situation, malwares are often used. This is because malware is specifically design to damage the machine. The most popular victims of spyware are the general public. This is because spyware infects and still information about the general public and sends them to a third party who sells the information to advertising companies. More than 80% of general public that are using the internet have/had been affected by spyware one way or another. This shows that both mobile device users and computer users can be affected by spyware. 2.6.1 Mobile devices Not all mobile device users can be affected by spyware. There are categories of mobile devices that can be affected. This includes a blackberry, palmtop, iphone, and any other mobile device that has Bluetooth or can connect to the internet. This is because spyware has to be downloaded, transferred or installed from a source. 2.6.2 Computers All type of computers can be affected with spyware if they are online. Sometimes, the computer is not infected through the internet, but spyware needs the internet so as to establish connection with the third party. 2.7 IMPLICATIONS OF SPYWARE Spyware may

Essay --

Fear and respect, Firstly, is there a fixed difference between fear and respect? Well before we can answer this question we need to have a clear definition and understanding of what fear and respect are. Fear is an unpleasant and distressing emotion induced by a threat to one’s physical health or mental health, imposing danger or a sense of uncertainty. Respect on the hand defined as a courteous consideration of another person. If someone respects someone else they are giving value and worth to them. However genuine respect is not to be confused with fealty. Fealty is where one acts in a respectful manner towards someone else because they owe them duty and has nothing to do with ones feelings for another. So from these definitions it is evident that there is in-fact a difference between fear and respect. â€Å"Fear is toxic whereas respect is nurturing. Fear destroys self-confidence while respect builds it. Fear is life-threatening yet respect is life-enhancing. Fear is forced whereas respect is gained and fear is learned whilst respect is earned.† A New York City gang member was asked ...

Comparing Rappaccinis Daughter and the Movie, (Film) The Truman Show :: comparison compare contrast essays

Rappaccini's Daughter and the Movie, (Film) The Truman Show There are stunning parallels between Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Rappaccini's Daughter" and the film The Truman Show in terms of character, action, and structure. The basic premise of the two plots is the same. Both stories deal with the capture of a young person who is to be groomed to live in a private, controlled environment to make them happy, but where they are never able to leave. In "Rappaccini's Daughter," this role is fulfilled by Beatrice, whose father creates her own personal Edenic garden, from which she can never escape. In The Truman Show, this is Truman's role. A corporation adopts him before he is born, televises his birth, and televises his entire life. He literally lives in a bubble, designed especially for the show featuring him. Both stories feature a father figure who creates the action and attempts to play God. Both The Truman Show and "Rappaccini's Daughter" have the same general plot structure. At the start of the action, the little world created for the main character is portrayed as a perfect place without drawbacks. In Truman's town, everything works well, like clockwork, and everyone is happy. Everything is ideal. Rappaccini's garden is a beautiful place, where all of the flowers are harmonious and the Beatrice is very happy. Giovanni is enchanted by the garden; he feels that Beatrice and her garden are perfect. This initial stage is followed by a realization of loneliness. Truman reaches out to the girl at college whom he sees at events, but with whom he is never able to speak because, subconsciously, he realizes that she is more substantive, and as we — the omniscient viewer — learn, she is a window to the reality. Truman longs for reality, although he does not know it. He only knows that he is not totally happy in "paradise." She is a contrast to the girl he is supposed to, and does marry, because the girl is as real as his wife is fabricated. Truman subconsciously recognises this. Beatrice recognizes on a conscious level that she really does like human company, after many years of depravation of it.

cloning :: essays papers

cloning Abstract As bioethics Leon R. Kass points out in his essay The Wisdom of Repugnance, those who defend human cloning regard themselves mainly as friends of freedom: the freedom of individuals to reproduce, the freedom of scientists and inventors to discover and devise and to foster ‘progress’ in genetic knowledge and technique." Kass goes on to stress that in fact, a "right to reproduce" has always been a peculiar and problematic notion. Rights generally belong to individuals, but this is a right which (before cloning) no one can exercise alone. Does the right then inhere only in couples? Only in married couples? Is it a (woman’s) right to carry or deliver or a right (of one or more parents) to nurture and rear? Is it a right to have your own biological child? Is it a right only to attempt reproduction, or a right also to succeed? Is it a right to acquire the baby of one’s choice? Critical analysis Kass debate on human cloning has brought to the surface a glaring deficiency of bioethics. It has few if any good methods for dealing with new and novel technologies. By that I mean those technologies where there seem to be no relevant historical precedents and where the potential benefits and harms are speculative only, not yet available for empirical testing. How might we best try to assess such technologies, and what counts as a good or bad argument for ethics and for public policy? Nor is it reasonable to insist on "empirical evidence" of benefit or harm when the scientific outcomes are still in the future and wholly speculative in nature. Such evidence could become available only when human cloning was a reality; and then it could take years or decades after that to determine whether it had been a wise move to allow the research to go forward in the first place. The key issue here is not genetic determinism or genetic identity but the preservation of individuality — by no means the same as genetic identity. Even so-called "identical" twins are not wholly identical genetically; that is well known. More to the point here is the issue of parents trying to use children for parental ends, procreating them with traits chosen by the parents for the purr-poses of the parents, not the welfare of the children. We happily accept twins when they are born, but no parents I have heard of go out of their way to procreate twins, or turn to assisted reproduction specialists to procreate twins. cloning :: essays papers cloning Abstract As bioethics Leon R. Kass points out in his essay The Wisdom of Repugnance, those who defend human cloning regard themselves mainly as friends of freedom: the freedom of individuals to reproduce, the freedom of scientists and inventors to discover and devise and to foster ‘progress’ in genetic knowledge and technique." Kass goes on to stress that in fact, a "right to reproduce" has always been a peculiar and problematic notion. Rights generally belong to individuals, but this is a right which (before cloning) no one can exercise alone. Does the right then inhere only in couples? Only in married couples? Is it a (woman’s) right to carry or deliver or a right (of one or more parents) to nurture and rear? Is it a right to have your own biological child? Is it a right only to attempt reproduction, or a right also to succeed? Is it a right to acquire the baby of one’s choice? Critical analysis Kass debate on human cloning has brought to the surface a glaring deficiency of bioethics. It has few if any good methods for dealing with new and novel technologies. By that I mean those technologies where there seem to be no relevant historical precedents and where the potential benefits and harms are speculative only, not yet available for empirical testing. How might we best try to assess such technologies, and what counts as a good or bad argument for ethics and for public policy? Nor is it reasonable to insist on "empirical evidence" of benefit or harm when the scientific outcomes are still in the future and wholly speculative in nature. Such evidence could become available only when human cloning was a reality; and then it could take years or decades after that to determine whether it had been a wise move to allow the research to go forward in the first place. The key issue here is not genetic determinism or genetic identity but the preservation of individuality — by no means the same as genetic identity. Even so-called "identical" twins are not wholly identical genetically; that is well known. More to the point here is the issue of parents trying to use children for parental ends, procreating them with traits chosen by the parents for the purr-poses of the parents, not the welfare of the children. We happily accept twins when they are born, but no parents I have heard of go out of their way to procreate twins, or turn to assisted reproduction specialists to procreate twins.

Library research guide to education: illustrated search strategy and sources Essay

Sodium supports the proper functioning of the nerves by playing its role in action potentials action potentials are electrical impulses sent when the nerve cells received signals down the length of the cells hence triggering communication with the neighboring cells. During the action potentials, sodium ions rushes out of the nerve cells to initiate electrochemical impulse (Budvytyte et al, 2014). Why is this approach relevant or useful to understanding the loss of function in neurons? This approach is useful to understand neurons loss of functions because lack of sodium in the blood hinders the communication of the nerves, hence deficiency of sodium can result to muscle cramps because of abnormal communication between the muscle fibers and the nerves (Budvytyte et al, 2014). Question 2 What is the normal concentration gradient of sodium in the nervous system (should the sodium concentration be higher or lower within the cell compared to the extracellular fluid)? For a resting neuron, there is high concentration of chlorine and sodium ions in the extracellular fluid than the intracellular fluid. However, in the intracellular fluids, there is high concentration of potassium compared to the extracellular fluid (Madelin et al, 2010). How does the change in the sodium concentration detected from MRI of the hippocampus suggest that the neurons in the hippocampus became diseased and were not functioning properly? To detect a neuron death, Sodium MRI imaging is used. The higher sodium (Na+) concentration indicate that there were dead or damaged cells. When making comparisons of the two images of the control patients and the Alzheimer brain, brighter areas are seen in the Alzheimer patent brain than the control patient. This is an indication of higher concentration levels of sodium and indicates dysfunction of neurons. Before the death of cells, the increased levels of sodium in the tissue could be as a result of sodium direct leak because if the Na/K ATPase retro-gradation or amyloid beta channels (Mellon et al, 2009). What sort of a change in the Na+ concentration gradient would you expect when neurons are damaged or malfunctioning? Only a small intracellular sodium increase would be expected to produce signal intensity change. After the death of the neurons, the space I the intracellular shrinks and the extra cellular space expands. Moreover, the extra cellular space will have a large concentration of sodium which produce a large signal intensity of sodium (Mellon et al, 2009). Question 4 The peer reviewed article on â€Å"Sodium MR imaging detection of mild Alzheimer disease† discusses how the changes in the concentration of sodium detected from the hippocampus MRI suggest that the hippocampus neuron became diseased and does not functioning properly. The article about â€Å"Action Potential Collision in Nerves† discusses the action Potential Collision in Nerves. I used the article in this assignment to understand what role sodium play in neuronal action. This article â€Å"Sodium MRI with Triple Quantum Filter and Inversion Recovery at 7T† is about the current awareness in NNR in in medicine. I used the article in understanding the differences in the relative concentrations of sodium (Na+) in the hippocampus using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 5. In what ways are the studies similar in their method and conclusions? All the three studies used experimental methodology in their research design. Moreover, in their conclusions, there were similarity since all of them proved their hypothesis in relation to sodium innerves. In what ways are the studies different in their method and conclusions? The three studies used different equipment in their data collection. For instance, in the study of â€Å"Sodium MR imaging detection of mild Alzheimer disease,† used 3T clinical scanner, in the study â€Å"Sodium MRI with Triple Quantum Filter and Inversion Recovery at 7T,† used 7T Whole Body Scanner and a single tuned Na head coil. Question 7 What other observations might we expect to find in cases with similar issues? The other observations expected to be found include using sodium imaging as a clinical tool in detecting neuropathologic changes that are related with Alzheimer disease What would we want to look for in the future, now that we know what this case has taught us? In future, we would want to look for the implementation of IR23NaMRI and TQR fir the human brain at 7T in vivo in order to assess the intracellular concentration of sodium. Question 8 Give your resolution of the case: What does it tell us about autopoiesis in human anatomy and physiology? My resolution is that the case is that there is a dysfunction in the neurons or cell death because of the brighter areas on the patient’s brain. Brighter areas are an indication of higher concentration levels of sodium on the neurons that have dysfunctional On a scale of 1–5, rate how confident you are in your conclusions in questions 1 and 2. I would rate my conclusions at 5 Question 9 Describe how you located the information you used in this case. To begin the search, I started with the most comprehensive data base that is Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health (NINAH) (Kennedy 2009). The search then continued to search engines such as British Nursing Index, MEDLINE. Moreover PubMed and NCBI were other major search engines which assisted some of the relevant articles. These search engines were used because they contained most of the peer review articles and books. To limit and narrow down the search for articles, internal searches of the databases was used by inserting full length of texts and searching the relevant articles from the list of journals displayed. Moreover, I limited myself to the current articles of up to 5 years If you had it to do over again, what you might do differently? I would use different resources to get different information so as to make comparisons of different studies References Budvytyte, R., Gonzalez-Perez, A., Mosgaard, L., & Heimburg, T. (January 01, 2014). Action Potential Collision in Nerves. Biophysical Journal, 106, 2.)G. Madelin, N. Oesingmann, G. Johnson, A. Jerschow, and M. Inglese (2010). Sodium MRI with Triple Quantum Filter and Inversion Recovery at 7T. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCcQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.med.nyu.edu%2Fradiology_research%2Fassets%2F03251.pdf&ei=tTyNVJmdH9GcugS5lYCIAw&usg=AFQjCNEbJrsrWJx0NrRJ0UjQSQ7y7IPJtA&sig2=4GdWwL6yW-a0Obj6LLMEmA&bvm=bv.81828268,d.c2E. [Last Accessed 14th November 2014]. Kennedy, J. R. (2009). Library research guide to education: illustrated search strategy and sources. Ann Arbor, Mich, Pierian Press.Mellon, E. A., Pilkinton, D. T., Clark, C. M., Elliott, M. A., Witschey, W. R. ., Borthakur, A., & Reddy, R. (January 01, 2009). Sodium MR imaging detection of mild Alzheimer disease: preliminary study. Ajnr. American Journal of Neuroradiology, 30, 5, 978-84. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2866317/ Source document

How to Adjust a Trail Balance Essay

A trial balance is created by companies at the end of an accounting period. It contains a list of all accounts within an accounting system that have balances. Companies separate the accounts into different categories, which include assets, liabilities, equities, revenues and expenses. The accounts are listed in order, beginning with assets, and each includes a balance that is either a debit or credit. Asset and expense accounts have debit balances, while the other types have credit balances. Adjusting entries are made to certain accounts to bring their balances up to date. After adjusting entries are made, the trial balance is updated to an adjusted trial balance. Instructions 1 Create a trial balance. Using the company’s general ledger, transfer all accounts and balances onto a 10-column worksheet. Each account name is listed first, followed by the balance in each. The first two columns of the worksheet are designated for the trial balance. The amounts are separated by debits and credits. Total each column verifying that the amounts are equal. 2 Determine what adjusting entries are needed. Adjusting entries typically are used for two different types of activities: accrual and deferrals. Accruals are entries used to record a revenue or expense that has occurred but has not been posted yet. Deferrals refer to entries that have been made previously, but the amount of the entry must be divided between two or more periods. 3 Adjust for accrual of expenses. Several common adjusting entries occur due to the accrual of expenses. According to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), all expenses and revenues are to be recorded in the period in which they occur. For example, you must record interest expense for interest accrued on a business loan during the current period. To do this, a debit is posted to Interest Expense and a credit to Interest Payable. Interest Payable is a liability account that represents interest that is accrued but is not paid yet. 4 Adjust for accrual of revenues. Entries must also be made to update the amount of revenue earned for a period. For example, you must record interest earned on a note during the period it was earned, even though it was not received. To do this, a credit is made to Interest Receivable and a debit to Interest Revenue. 5 Record adjustments for deferred expenses. A deferred expense entry is used when a company records a transaction in the past that must be updated now. For example, if an annual insurance policy was purchased and paid for, every month a portion of that prepaid insurance entry must be expensed out. The amount initially would be placed in an asset account called Prepaid Insurance. Every month after a month of insurance is used, an adjusting entry is made by debiting Insurance Expense and crediting Prepaid Insurance. 6 Record any deferred revenues. This entry occurs when money was received and posted to an Unearned Revenue account prior to it being earned. For example, if your company provides a service to another company and the company prepays for the service for a year, an entry is made. The amount was initially posted in a liability account called unearned revenue. At the end of each month, after a portion of the revenue is earned, an adjusting entry is made by debiting the Unearned Revenue account and crediting the Revenue account.