Role of Federal Agencies Essay Example for Free

Role of Federal Agencies Essay The threat has reached the point that given enough time, motivation, and funding, a determined adversary will likely be able to penetrate any system that is accessible directly from the Internet. It is difficult to state with confidence that our critical infrastructure—the backbone of our country’s economic prosperity, national security, and public health—will remain unscathed and always be available when needed. The recent security breach by unauthorized intruders into the parent company of NASDAQ is an example of the kind of breaches directed against important financial infrastructure and illustrates the difficulty of determining clear attribution. As we would in response to any such breach, the FBI is working to identify the scope of the intrusion and assist the victim in the remediation process. The FBI has identified the most significant cyber threats to our nation as those with high intent and high capability to inflict damage or death in the U.S., to illicitly acquire assets, or to illegally obtain sensitive or classified U.S. military, intelligence, or economic information. As both an intelligence and law enforcement agency, the FBI can address every facet of a cyber-case—from collecting intelligence on the subjects in order to learn more about their networks to dismantling those networks and prosecuting the individual perpetrators. The ability to take action on the information we collect is critical because what may begin as a criminal investigation may become a national security threat. In addition, the FBI’s presence in legal attachà ©s in 61 cities around the world assists in the critical exchange of case-related information and the situational awareness of current threats, helping to combat the global scale and scope of cyber breaches. The FBI is also changing to adapt to the ever-evolving technology and schemes used by cyber criminals. Intelligence now drives operations in the FBI. The Bureau is working in new ways with long-standing and new partners to address the cyber security threat. U.S. critical infrastructure faces a growing cyber threat due to advancements in the availability and sophistication of malicious software tools and the fact that new technologies raise new security issues that cannot always be addressed prior to adoption. The increasing automation of our critical infrastructures provides more cyber access points for adversaries to exploit. New â€Å"smart grid† and â€Å"smart home† products, designed to provide remote communication and control of devices in our homes, businesses, and critical infrastructures, must be developed and implemented in ways that will also provide protection from unauthorized use. Otherwise, each new device could become a doorway into our systems for adversaries to use for their own purposes. Industrial control systems, which operate the physical processes of the nation’s pipelines, railroads, and other critical infrastructures, are at elevated risk of cyber exploitation. The FBI is concerned about the proliferation of malicious techniques that could degrade, disrupt, or destroy critical infrastructure. Although likely only advanced threat actors are currently capable of employing these techniques, as we have seen with other malicious software tools, these capabilities will eventually be within reach of all threat actors. Intellectual property rights violations, including theft of trade secrets, digital piracy, and trafficking counterfeit goods, also represent high cybercriminal threats, resulting in losses of billions of dollars in profits annually. These threats also pose significant risk to U.S. public health and safety via counterfeit pharmaceuticals, electrical components, aircraft parts, and automobile parts. Cybercrime that manipulates the supply chain could pose a threat to national security interests and U.S. consumers. Poorly manufactured computer chips or chips that have been salvaged and repackaged infringe on intellectual property rights and could fail at critical times, posing a serious health and safety threat to U.S. citizens. Malware could be embedded on the chips to infiltrate information from computers and result in the theft of personally identifiable information (PII) that could then be used in future cybercrimes. As the quality of counterfeit goods increases, U.S. consumers may be challenged to tell the difference between authentic and fraudulent goods. Operation Cisco Raider is a joint initiative between the U.S. and Canada that targets the illegal distribution of counterfeit network hardware manufactured by private entities in China. The use of counterfeit network components can lead to exploitation of cyber infrastructure vulnerabilities and even network failure. Since 2006, Operation Cisco Raider has seized over 3,500 network components amounting to $3.5 million of Cisco retail products. Ten individuals have been convicted as a result of the joint initiative. (Snow, 2012) References Snow G M 20120412 TestimonySnow, G. M. (2012, April 12). Testimony. Retrieved August 21, 2012, from http://www.fbi.gov Sternstein A 2012 Plan to Fighting Organized Crime Recognizes Growing Cyber ThreatsSternstein, A. (2012). Plan to Fighting Organized Crime Recognizes Growing Cyber Threats. Retrieved August 22, 2012, from http://www.nextgov.com

Seasonal Affective Disorder :: essays research papers

Seasonal Affective Disorder: Lighting the Way Pamela Johnson "Whoever wishes to pursue the science of medicine in a direct manner must first investigate the seasons of the year and what occurs in them." Hippocrates (6) Introduction As the shortest day of the year approaches, more and more multi-colored lights and bright, festive decorations are splashed across houses and yards everywhere. Long ago, in more earthy times, people celebrated the solstice because it was the rebirth of the sun, when days began to lengthen and light began to return. As our ancient ancestors probably realized, their celebrations helped to keep spirits up when times were dark and cold, just as our modern holiday light displays function as a way to ward off the winter blues. (1) However, not everybody can shake the sadness that comes at this time of year, usually because they are suffering from a type of clinical depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). When a person has SAD, he or she regularly experiences depression in the winter months that then subsides in the spring and summer months. Although first identified around 1845, this mood disorder was not officially classified until 1984 when psychiatrist Norman E. Rosenthal, M.D., began to study cases of depression that seemed to occur during the winter only. (2) After an article was published in The Washington Post about his research, Rosenthal received a nationwide response from thousands of people who experienced the same symptoms he had observed in his patients. (3). After further research he compiled his studies in Winter Blues: Seasonal Affective Disorder: What It Is and How to Overcome It, which he recently revised, updated, and rereleased in October 1998. Causes Although the cause of this disorder is attributed to the lack of exposure to sunlight, it has not yet been determined whether a person's susceptibility to it is genetic or stress-related or both. Dr. Rosenthal finds the causes of SAD to be "a combination of factors including shortened daylight, stress and genetic vulnerability." (4). By means of his research, he calculated that some kind of depression is experienced by at least 14 percent of the population due to the decrease of exposure to sunlight in the winter. Many scientists feel SAD is "a product of modern society that confines us indoors," with stress levels easily increased by a work environment in which one hardly ever sees the sun. (4). Also,

Eating Disorders Essay

Specific Purpose: To inform my audience about the three main types of eating disorders. Central Idea: To inform my audience about anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. Introduction: Two years ago, I was hit with the news that my mentor was leaving to go to Remuda Ranch, which I learned was a rehabilitation center for women struggling with eating or anxiety disorders. This was extremely hard for me to hear because she is like my big sister and I care a lot about her and hated that she had to go through something like this. After she left, I did a lot of research on eating disorders. I did this just so I would have a better understanding on what she was going through, and also to find out how I could help her, things I could say or do. So today I am going to share with you about three different types of eating disorders. Body: (Transition: First, I am going to talk about Anorexia Nervosa.) I. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, they define anorexia by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. A. Anorexia is a mental health condition and is rated one of the highest death rates. 1. Anorexia is one of the more frequent psychiatric diagnoses in young women. 2. Around 90-95% of individuals who suffer from anorexia are female. 3. Anywhere from 5-20% of people who suffer from anorexia will die. B. Although those who fight anorexia have a list of different symptoms, there are four key ones to look for. 1. They refuse to maintain body weight at a minimal normal weight that is healthy for their body shape, age, and height. 2. The second one is that they have a deep fear of weight gain. 3. Also, they have a severe concern with their body weight and shape. 4. Finally, in women, a loss of menstrual periods will occur. (Transition:  Next, I am going to talk about Bulimia.) II. Based off of the website, nationaleatingdisorder.com, Bulimia is a disorder where a person indulges in habitual binges and then tries to avert any sort of weight gain by vomiting, taking pills, fasting, laxatives, or excessive exercising. A. Bulimia is extremely dangerous because it is one of the harder eating disorders to detect in individuals. 1. More commonly, it is preceded by dieting behavior. 2. Those who are bulimic are usually at an average or normal weight. B. Sufferers of bulimia compare their self-worth too heavily on their size and weight. 1. This mindset usually leads to constant feelings of isolation, harmful thoughts, and extreme low self-esteem. 2. Another thing is that more often than not, they recognize that their behaviors and actions are not normal, which sets in an extra feeling of guilt and loneliness. C. Again, there are a ton of symptoms that follow up with having bulimia, but there are four main ones that usually reside in most bulimics. 1. Bulimics repeatedly go through the cycle of bingeing and purging. 2. When they binge, they eat way beyond the feeling of being comfortably full. 3. Most times, bingeing will cause them to feel guilty which points them in the direction of dieting. 4. Last thing is again, they have extreme concern with their body and weight, in other words really low self-esteem and insecurity issues. (Transition: Finally, I am going to end with Binge eating.) III. Binge eating, also known as compulsive eating, a lot of the time gets confused with Bulimia. Although they are a lot alike, they have one major difference that sets them apart. People who endure binge eating do not purge. A. Binge eating is defined by uncontrollable, excessive eating. 1. Binge eaters often use food to replace a void, in other words, they use it as a way to block out feelings, emotions, and daily stresses. 2. After a binge, the person feels a enormous amount of guilt and shame. 3. Following the feelings of guilt and shame often leads to fasts and dieting. B. A binge eating disorder isn’t caused by just one factor, but many. A couple examples of these factors could be a person’s genetics, life experiences, and emotions. 1. Recent research has shown that binge eating, along with other eating disorders, is dealing with  biological abnormalities. The website www.mirror-mirro.com, says that one cause of binge eating is related to the hypothalamus, which is a part of the brain that controls the appetite. It is said that the hypothalamus sends false signals to the brain in regards to hunger. 2. A lot of the time, emotional feelings of depression, is connected to binge eating. Statistics show that half of those struggling with binge eating are depressed or have been, usually dealing with a monumental moment which changed their life. 3. Life changing experiences, like being sexually or emotionally abused, are a huge factor in anyone’s life who suffers from any kind of an eating disorder. Family plays a huge role, whether being extremely critical, especially regarding the body, can lead to being a victim of an eating disorder later in life. IV. Conclusion Whether it be anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating, eight million people in the United States alone, battle with an eating disorder. This number is disturbingly high and continues to increase each year. Although all different: anorexics fight starvation, bulimics wrestle with bingeing and purging, and binge eaters battle with bingeing and fasting. It is important to realize that eating disorders aren’t all about poor self-images and low self esteem, but dealing with many other factors like genetic make-up and the need for control. Works Cited Eating Disorder Information; Bulimia, Anorexia, Binge/Purge & Compulsive Overeating. Web. 01 Oct. 2010. . National Eating Disorders Association. Web. 01 Oct. 2010. . National Eating Disorders Association. Web. 01 Oct. 2010. .

Essay on Sustainability - 1473 Words

Sustainability Max Weber believed in the power of an idea. This political theorist discussed how Calvinism was one idea that perpetuated the rise of capitalism. Few people ever examine the power of an idea, but if one examines and contemplates this theory, a realization comes across: that ideas drive society. The key premise is that some values of our society must be altered in order to avert catastrophic consequences. The way of life in developed countries is the origin of many of our most serious problems(Trainer, 1985). Because developed countries have high material living standards and consume massive quantities of all resources, hundreds of millions of people in desperate need must go without the materials and energy that could†¦show more content†¦The environment is in danger from our pursuit of affluence. Serious worries come from predictions about the atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuels will raise temperatures and result in climatic effects. Rising temperatures could have horri fic effects. First of all, food production could seriously be imperiled even by increases of only one degree celcius. If the temperature should increase by five degrees scientists predict the coastal island nations would be submerged and possibly trigger the next ice age. Another environmental concern deals with the soil. Our agricultural practices disregard the value of recycling food waste. Also, the use of pesticides and chemicals in agriculture lead to the poisoning of the soil and topsoil loss through erosion. Yields per acre for grain are falling and we do not produce food in ways that can be continued for centuries(Trainer, 1985). Even more disturbing is the deforestation of rainforests. This results in the extinction of many species, concentration of carbon dioxide, the loss of many potential medical breakthroughs, and possibly the disruption of rainfall. 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