Scientists want top security for GM crop tests

Trials of genetically modified crops should be conducted within a national high-security facility or in fields at secret locations across the country to prevent them from being attacked and destroyed by anti-GM activists, scientists said yesterday.

Researchers spoke out after protesters ripped up crops in one of only two GM trials to be approved in Britain this year, and ahead of a meeting with government ministers, which has been called to discuss ways of providing better protection for crop trials in future.

Scientists claim the repeated attacks on their trials are stifling vital research to evaluate whether GM crops can reduce the cost and environmental impact of farming, and whether GM variants will grow better in harsh environments where droughts have devastated harvests.

Since 2000 almost all of the 54 GM crop trials attempted in Britain have been attacked to some extent.

In a meeting planned for early September environment ministers will be asked to consider establishing a secure GM crop facility at the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (Niab) in Cambridge, where the last remaining GM crop trial - of a blight-resistant potato developed by the German company BASF - is being conducted. Security for that trial, which includes a perimeter fence and 24-hour security guards, has cost more than £100,000. An identical trial at the site last year was damaged by activists in a night raid. In other proposals scientists will be seeking permission to conduct small-scale GM crop trials at undisclosed locations, and possibly a secure register to hold full details of their trials, instead of making them public. Under an existing EU directive GM crop trials in Britain can only go ahead once a full description of the crop, along with a six-figure grid reference that effectively pinpoints the planned location of the trial, have been made public.

SMBs in India to Spend US$289M on Data Security This Year

Small and medium businesses (SMBs, or companies with up to 999 employees) in India are on track to spend US$289 million on security related investments this year, up a robust 32% over last year. Medium businesses (MBs or companies with 100 to 999 employees) are generating the majority of this increased demand accounting for 54% of the country's total SMB security expenditure. Small businesses (SBs or companies with up to 99 employees) are also expected to have an almost equal share in the total India SMB security spending pie. These facts are evidenced in studies by New York based Access Markets International (AMI) Partners, Inc.

"Protection from ever increasing electronic threats is the biggest driver for adoption of security solutions by India SMBs," says Abhilash DB, Analyst at AMI-Partners. "India SMBs are realizing that having an effective security policy will boost their chances securing a link within global supply chains. That's because web-enabled activities in day to day business makes an organization highly prone to security threats."

The evolution of the paperless office has given a new impetus to the need for effective information security, as have regulatory laws that require archiving and protection of confidential consumer data. "MBs are no longer finding solace in stand-alone anti-virus solutions," Mr. Abhilash says. "They want capabilities such as anti-spam, firewall and intrusion detection, both on the client (desktop/notebook) and at the gateway. Vulnerability assessment tools are becoming important as the larger MBs are becoming increasingly more proactive towards information security management."

The AMI studies note that SMBs are the most vulnerable segment of all businesses in terms of data security. "Security software accounts for 74% of the total SMB security expenditure," Mr. Abhilash says. "The majority of this spending is on antivirus software. Security in SBs is limited mainly to the deployment of an antivirus solution and they lack proper security management."

Dependence on the Internet and on corporate networks is rising rapidly among MBs. As the employee size increases, the focus on information security also rises. Even for basic technologies, the largest MBs (500 to 999 employees) lead the way in terms of penetration. The adoption of network firewall and intrusion detection is showing significant leaps among businesses of this size.

On the other hand, traditional security solutions such as anti-virus are experiencing slower growth rates, while emerging solutions such as anti-spyware and anti-spam have exhibited the highest growth compared to previous years. Anti-spyware and anti-spam solutions will record growth rates of nearly 40% among Indian SMBs this year. The market for managed security is also expected to grow at approximately 40% this year.

The top three key trends among India SMBs are UTM (Unified Threat Management), BCS (Business Continuity Solutions) and MSS (Managed Security Services). As SMBs are more focused in simplifying their infrastructure management, they are looking for an all-in-one security appliance, which UTM will provide. As such the India SMB segment offers a huge untapped opportunity for third-party security solution providers that can monitor the network in real-time for virus attacks and unauthorized network intrusions.

Related Studies

AMI's 2007 India Small Business Overview and Comprehensive Market Opportunity Assessment and 2007 India Medium Business Overview and Comprehensive Market Opportunity Assessment studies highlight these and other major trends in the context of current/planned IT, Internet and communications usage and spending. Products and services covered include established and emerging hardware, software, applications and business process solutions. Based on AMI's annual surveys of SMBs in India, the studies track a broad spectrum of issues pertaining to budgets, purchase behaviors, decision influencers, channel preferences, outsourcing, service and support. Also covered are detailed firmographics and critically important technology attitudes and strategic planning priorities. This data points to key opportunities and messaging hot buttons for vendors and service providers seeking to match their offerings to SMB market requirements.

Platform Will Reflect Shifts

Convention delegates are set to ratify a party platform that refers sparingly to the "war on terror," among other marked shifts in tone on national-security issues from four years ago.

In 2004, national security and terrorism had top billing and took up the first half of the Democratic Party platform, which was the first since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The platform promised retaliation for a terrorist attack with "overwhelming and devastating force," making reference to the "war on terror" seven times. It identified winning "the global war against terror" as the primary national-security challenge.

A draft of this year's platform refers to a general "war on terror" just once and argues for policies that "expand our understanding of the circumstances and beliefs that underpin extremism." The primary national-security goal is "ending the war in Iraq responsibly." While the document also makes specific appeals to defeat al Qaeda, it does so by outlining U.S. policy in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Unlike the convention, which is designed to appeal to a broad audience, the party platform is written primarily for the party base and receives far less attention than prime-time convention speeches. But it offers clues to shifting priorities or a rethinking of stances.

With the economy and energy costs topping voters' concerns, the Democratic platform emphasizes the economy and "renewal." On national security, the platform both "is getting more specific, and spreading the net wider," says Rand Beers, a national-security adviser to John Kerry's 2004 campaign. "The circumstances that we're talking about in the world today, versus 2004, have changed."

The 2004 document, titled "Strong at Home, Respected in the World," aimed to project strength during the first wartime election in more than 30 years. Emphasizing that, Sen. Kerry famously began his acceptance speech with the line: "I'm John Kerry, and I'm reporting for duty."

While Sen. Barack Obama's selection of Delaware Sen. Joe Biden as his running mate adds foreign-policy heft to the Democratic ticket, Sen. Obama faces a difficult balancing act on national security. Polls show Republican candidate John McCain has a significant advantage. Voters favor Sen. McCain on fighting terrorism by 51% to 23%, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.

"It's important to convey to the American people that the party and the candidate do not shy away from the tough national-security issues," says Mr. Beers. The question facing the Democrats, he says: "How do you do that when you don't have the governing reins?"

A committee of party stalwarts drafted the platform, but the framework arose from a series of 1,600 meetings with rank-and-file Democrats. "We really didn't look too much at 2004," says Michael Yaki, the national platform director. "When we were out there talking and listening to people, we concluded that, to paraphrase Bill Clinton in 1992, 'It's the economy, energy, and health care, stupid.'"

On social issues, the Democratic platform tries to strike a balance between the party's base and swing voters. "It's about threading the needle as much as you can," says Norman Ornstein of the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute.

The platform includes new language aimed at emphasizing a desire to reduce the number of abortions, while on immigration the party promises immigration reform that is "tough" and "humane." The platform also offers a section on faith and a section on fatherhood, a favorite theme for Sen. Obama.

On gun rights, the platform has evolved considerably since 2000, when in the wake of the Columbine, Colo., shootings, the party highlighted its efforts to pass a series of tough gun measures. In 2004, the party scaled down its plank on that to one line, recognizing "Americans' Second Amendment right to own firearms." This year's platform adds that "what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne" and respects "different views on this issue." The centrist tilt comes even after the recent slaying of the Arkansas Democratic Party chairman.

The platform calls for an end to the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy on gays serving in the armed forces and opposes the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as the legal union between one man and one woman, but it doesn't specifically make reference to "gay or lesbian" individuals in a section on civil rights.

The platform places considerable attention on women's rights, after a primary battle with Sen. Hillary Clinton left supporters upset over gender bias. Notably, the draft platform affirms support for the Equal Rights Amendment, which had been dropped from the 2004 platform for the first time since the proposed constitutional amendment guaranteeing gender equality was introduced in 1972.

Protect Your Identity

You already know the importance of not giving out your personal information to someone you don't know, or in chat rooms. You are well aware of not intentionally making yourself vulnerable to physical harm when first meeting someone you have talked to over the internet. However, there is a recent epidemic of people trying to sneak into people's personal and financial information that you should be aware of.

Recently, particularly on social networking sites such as Facebook and myYearbook, hackers have been using seemingly innocent or flirty email messages and comments to hack into people's computers. They start by possibly sending you a friend request, or an email asking you to click on a link to view nude pictures or videos. Once you do, they are, at a minimum, able to hack into your user account for that site. This can cause all types of problems for you.

First, let's say you are a member of a adult-oriented site. You may have pictures and/or videos posted there that you don't want broadcast to the world. Bear in mind that if they are posted on the internet, however, that there's always a risk of that. But, hackers and others with ill intentions can make that happen much more quickly and easily. This is only one of the minor risks you may face. They could use your profile to send unreasonable obscene, or perhaps even illegal, messages, pictures, and comments to other members of the site. At best, you could get banned from the site. At worst, you could face prosecution.

If they manage to take it one step further, and hack into your computer, they could have access to any files you have on that computer, including financial records, personal memos, family photos, etc. Many hackers also use something known as keystroke capture to log every keystroke you make, including usernames and passwords that you may use to log on to online banking websites, and other sensitive passwords that you wish to be kept secret. They also may be able to implant a virus (or worm) onto your computer, that may cause your computer to not work properly, or in some cases, not work at all.

Bear in mind that if you have a computer connected to the internet, there is always a risk that your computer could become infected with a virus, or that a hacker could break into your computer. There are many ways to prevent such things from happening, but basically, it's like the old saying goes..."locks are only good at keeping honest people honest". If someone wants into your computer badly enough, they will get in. So, all you can do is take all the precautions you can, and try to keep sensitive information to a minimum on any computer you have connected to the internet.

As far as keeping these hackers from using social networking sites to get to your computer, use a little common sense. If you receive a message from someone you don't know, chances are, they have ill intentions. The most common method they are currently using is to ask you to click on link to view nude pictures of videos. Do not click on the link, because that's when the trouble begins. Report any such messages to the administrators of the site, and delete them immediately. If each one of us does our part to stop these malicious people, eventually we may be able to stop them from trying to do harm to people who are just trying to have a good time and connect with like-minded people.

Cyber War and SEO Defense

The web Georgian Internet nation was target of a coordinated cyber attack by Russian server, which compromised several government sites with defacement and denial of service attacks, and stop the nation's ability to disseminate information. Good lesson for the future cyber attack.The Ministry of Defense website was unavailable for viewing from the U.K. The Web sites for both the Georgian presidential office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia were available, but was due to Georgian redirection work. Denial of service attacks are conducted when a coordinated network of computers sends multiple requests to a given server or computer at exactly the same time, which subsequently shuts down the targeted computer under the barrage of incoming requests.

The cyber attacks ultimately prompted the Georgian governmental sites to switch to U.S. based hosts, while Georgia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs moved to a blogspot account. Cyber war has extended to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti was offline by DDos attack (DDoS attacks consist of overloading websites with so many online requests that systems crash) for 10 hours over Sunday night and Monday morning. Russian based servers AS12389 ROSTELECOM, AS8342 RTCOMM, AS8359 COMSTAR and with the more recent addition of AS8631 Routing Arbiter for Moscow Internet Exchange, are still in a commanding position. AS9121 TTNet of Turkey still remains routed through the Russian servers, not directly to Georgia. But alternative links have been made to AS35805 UTG AS United Telecom of Georgia and other servers based in Georgia.

We don't know the real sources of the attacks but the first coordinated cyber attacks against Georgia was detected in July, around one weeks before Russia launched its military intervention. Experts say that attacks launched in tandem with military conflict will likely increase as more global infrastructure is controlled by the Internet.

In 2007, disruptions of Internet service in Estonia like Georgia, formerly a political division of the Russia dominated Soviet Union prompted talk of those events as possibly the first ever cyberwar, but n this case Georgian cybersiege wasmore coordinated, professional and sophisticated. Anyway in this website we combat against to the cyberwar and cybercriminal, we assisting all the organizations or private company to the SEO defence and internet promotion.

How to Erase Your Search History Completely

It may sound a bit scary but every stroke of my keyboard is recorded by the computer memory. Mostly when I use my internet, I know that the information regarding the web sites and links that I have been browsing is stored in the memory of my computer.

Windows as well as other operating systems stores the history of our browsing on the hard disk. The "Clear history" option does not do any good and it never erases the search history fully. I know that my search history is very easy to retrieve. Now this is a severe threat to my as well as any one's privacy. Moreover, I use my computer to pay my bills through my credit cards as well as make transactions through my bank account, thus I find a dire need of something that can erase search history completely.

There is a number of Internet history erasing software available in the market. With the increasing number of cyber crimes, I prefer using this software to erase search history so that my private data is not available for anyone's use. With the use of this history erasing software I need not remember to erase search history every time I have finished accessing my browser.

The history eraser removing software will automatically erase sensitive data once I set it to do so, every time I finish using my web browser. I also have an option to manually erase internet history if for some reason I do not want the history erasing software to work on its own. I am really satisfied as I can now permanently erase search history; erase the cache as well as every track of the web pages I have visited through my browser.

It is important to make a judicious choice for the software for erasing my internet history. The software should be user friendly as well as have all the options that make our Internet usage safe. My choice of software to erase search history is Winclear. Using this software actually makes my browsing safe and secure. It is very easy to use as all that I need is use a short cut key and erase any sensitive data in the back ground while I can continue working. I can also schedule to erase any sensitive data on my computer from time to time. The most important aspect of Winclear is that it is compatible with all Internet browsers.

So, I have the freedom to use any web browser I like. One of the most popular functions that come with Winclear is the shredder function. This function gets all my unwanted files deleted forever, files that I can not afford to be seen by my employer, spouse or my children instantly. With shredder function, I can erase the search history as well as other unwanted files which are almost impossible for any one to retrieve by any means. Erasing my internet history and using the shredder function improves the speed of my PC too.

Hence, if you do not want your sensitive data to be known to others and you want to ensure complete privacy, go for the standard software to erase your search history like me. And believe me, Winclear is one of the best choice you can make.

Phishermen Use IRS As Bait to Catch Victims

It is that time of year that people's thoughts begin to turn toward Year-End and taxes. (Well, some people's thoughts anyway.) It is also that time of year that fraudsters begin to ramp up efforts to snare victims using 'phishing' techniques, i.e. using spam emails to lure victims into giving up sensitive information in the hopes for an extra portion of their refund or in exchange for answering a survey getting $80 credited to their credit card or bank account. In this article, we are going to discuss this pervasive problem and how to avoid getting suckered in by these schemes.

Below is the text of an actual spam email that has been sent to millions of US Taxpayers, we are going to take it step by step to explain how to tell if you are receiving a genuine message from the IRS or if it's a Phisherman.

"From: Internal Revenue Service [mail to:security@irs.gov]
Sent: Friday August 8, 2008 10:00AM
Subject: IRS Survey: $80 to your account - Just for your time!
Importance: High

Congratulations!

Dear Customer,

You've been selected to take part in our quick and easy 8 questions survey. In return, we will credit $80.00 to your account - Just for your time!

Please spare two minutes of your time and take part in our online survey so we can improve our services. Don't miss this chance to change something.

To continue click on the link below:

http://www.irs.gov/login.asp=survey

Copyright 2007 Internal Revenue Service U.S.A."

While the reason for asking for information from you may differ, whether it is a survey or a mistake that entitles you to more of a refund than you claimed, the result is the same. Your information and shortly later your bank account are gone. A lot of these phishermen are offshore companies that use a method known as 'hopping points' to hide the origin of their operations. A phisherman in Germany will use a 'hopping point' in South Korea; these crooks have gotten very creative and will often use several 'hopping points' to cover their tracks. But let's look at this email step by step to see what we are dealing with here.

One, any email sent to security@irs.gov is going to get rejected as this is not a valid email address, try verifying this yourself as the email address, while likely is a false one can sometimes actually lead to the IRS which will fill their inboxes with tons of requests for information on this 'survey'.
Two, when has the government EVER sent you a letter that has said, 'Congratulations', either paper or email? Chances are, the answer is never. Let's face it, the government isn't in the business of 'congratulating' anyone. One person mentioned that he got a draft notice that said, "Congratulations!" but the rest of the letter was all bad news.

Three, the IRS will never refer to you as a 'customer'. Taxpayer, yes; Citizen, sometimes, but never ever as a customer. And, even though this is a little facetious when has the IRS ever created anything that is quick and easy? This is the same government institution that sent three extra sheets of paper with each return in 2000 to explain the Paperwork Reduction Act!

Four, inevitably on these emails there will be a grammar or spelling error. Since these emails are often generated by people whose first language is not English, 99% of the time there will be an error. The English that the IRS uses might not be very clear, but its spelling and grammar are impeccable. '8 questions survey' should be '8 question survey'.

Five, about clicking on these links, remember that these links can be disguised, so while the link may say it's sending you to the IRS site, in reality, it's sending you to a cloned site, which in many instances actually looks better than the real thing. NEVER click on these links, NEVER cut and paste these links, if you want to verify the site, manually type in the site into your browser. Cutting and pasting will paste the hidden site, not the intended site into your browser!

Six, the IRS does not have to copyright itself every year, so there would be no copyright in the corner, it DOES make it look official and that is of course why the phishermen will use this tactic. And finally, number seven, and remember this one, THE IRS WILL NOT INITIATE CONTACT WITH A TAXPAYER VIA EMAIL OR FAX. So why are people caught by this scam? Simply because people are always looking for free money and those that are looking for free money are the ones who keep getting caught up in these types of scams.

Let's assume that you have already seen the email and clicked on the link (NEVER DO THIS) in addition to taking you to the wrong site, some links can put a Trojan horse or create a backdoor to your operating system that cannot be detected by Norton, AVG etc, because these backdoors are created by the people who are real familiar with how these programs work. If you have clicked on this link, you are taken either to the survey, (and in many cases, the survey is entirely skipped but regardless of whether it is there or not, this page will ask for your name, Social Security number, the card number you want 'credited', the expiration date and the CSV number on the reverse of the card.

While the IRS will request your SS #, and the amount of your refund, the IRS will NEVER ASK FOR YOUR CARD NUMBER, BANK ACCOUNT NUMBER, ETC, EVER! Why? Because they already KNOW it! When you opened your account, you had to use your SS number as an identifying number to do so.
In addition to using SPAM emails, these fraudsters will also use automated faxes. These faxes will often claim that you have won a vacation, or that you need to fill out IRS form W-8 for Foreign People Earning US Income. This is a completely fictitious form, do NOT return this form to the sender!

Okay let's say that you have become a victim of this fraud and you have compromised your personal information. What do you do? First, send the email to phishing@irs.gov and contact all the major credit bureaus. If this email claims to be from the IRS you may also call the TIGTA hotline at 1-800-366-4484. Fraud affects everyone, don't be a victim, learn what you can do to prevent it! And if it has affected you, fight back! There are many services you can use to repair your credit rating after your identity has been stolen.

David Roberts, CFE, CQBPA, MBA, lives in Kissimmee, Florida with four girls, three dogs, two snakes and one wife. He has been a member of the ACFE for four years and has been studying fraud for longer than that. He is the owner of Homesoon Accounting Services which specializes in Quickbooks Consultations and Fraud Prevention and Detection.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_S_Roberts

Cyber Crimes - The Call For Fast Lucre

I gasp at the mere thought of imagining to be a multimillion dollar magnate, if my e-mail inbox is any indication. My inbox is inundated with messages assuring me of millions of pounds as prize money. I am told to just divulge a few personal information for easy access to the huge fortune that waits to be tapped at the click of a mouse. How nice it would be if it really happened! But we have to hold our breath for a minute. Many such spam mails from addresses 'Irish Lottery Board', 'From the desk of XXX', 'Congratulations. You have won 15,000,00000£' etc. somehow manage to creep into my inbox with audacity.

Such enticing e-mails check our resistance to avarice and if only we have a frail mind to reveal our personal information to these guys, we are sure to have long lasting problem leaving our bank balance high and dry. It all started with a mail from Nigeria, which stated that I have been chosen for several millions of pounds of prize money that actually belonged to some political bigwig who died leaving behind a deed.

There were cases, where gullible public had reacted immediately to the mail and given their details. A few cases as explained by victims in India suggest that they were asked to deposit several lakhs of rupees as administration charges and bank charges to transfer the amount. Even without a basic thought that why a stranger should offer several millions of pounds, people have deposited the amount to the fraudster's bank account. And rest need not be deliberated. Had I opted to fall in the vicious trap, I would have faced similar tribulations of terrible financial loss.

Worst things happen in the internet, where cyber crimes like 'phishing',' identity thefts' and 'hacking' our e-mail accounts, virus downloads to cripple PCs happen with gay abandon. Clarion calls for online MLM (Multi Level Marketing) notwithstanding; it only helps a top few in the top of the pyramid and gives the majority a raw deal. Advertisers of products and novel launches of software that project fast bucks in the business fasten their grip on fickle minds.

Dr. Atul Prakash, Prof of Dept. of Electrical Engineering at University of Michigan and his team has some alarming news to offer. Their study on 214 financial institutions in 2006 found that nearly 75% of the websites of the institutions had at least one design flaw. Majority of bank websites had design related flaws, which allowed hackers to gain access to personal information and accounts. They found login boxes on insecure pages that allow hackers to reroute data of create a spoof copy to steal information.

Consider the following shocking fact. According to a recent Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Technology report, banks listed 536 cases of computer intrusion with an average loss of per incident of $30,000 and total losses in 2007 was close to a staggering $ US 16 million.

Not everybody is cyber savvy when it comes to technicalities of computer. This fact serves to spreading of awareness to remain alert regarding proxy usage of one's e-mail addresses for ignoble motives. To prove that I am innocent of the happening becomes my responsibility in case somebody misuses my e-mail accounts. However, a basic understanding of the physical aspect of the computer comes to our rescue in such an unpleasant situation.

A recent article in an Indian Daily suggested that we need to be aware of our MAC (Media Access Control) number, which is the address of the tangible computer which we use in our home. Though somebody might have 'phished' our e-mail ID for some anti-social mailing, we can still prove that it was not sent from our machine, and some unscrupulous element has sent it from some remote corner of the globe using our e-mail ID. This stems from the fact that the MAC number is unique for a system, though our IP address may be reflected in the mails sent by the hacker.

A basic understanding of computer systems, firewall protections, virus controls and other updated information of cyberspace seems to be the need of the hour and last but not the least, let's not fall into the evil designs of alluring calls over the internet in the scramble for making fast lucre. No Midas touch can ever prevail in reality.

Homeland Security probes MnDOT official's hiring

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security says it will now check potential employees' backgrounds on the Internet after the department hired and then fired a disgraced Minnesota transportation official.

Kip Hawley, the top administrator for the Transportation Security Administration, recently made the change in hiring practices.

TSA had hired Sonia Pitt, who was fired in November from her emergency response job at MnDOT. She was fired from MnDOT after records showed she failed to return for 10 days from an unauthorized state-paid trip in the aftermath of the Interstate 35W bridge collapse.

The Department of Homeland Security fired Pitt July 31 after information from MnDOT backed up information from an internal investigation.

Homeland Security officials are investigating why Pitt continued to hold a federal security clearance after her MnDOT dismissal. They're also looking at Pitt's TSA application and whether corruption was involved in her hiring.

Social Security in forefront of 11th District race

Republican congressional candidate Lou Barletta blames a public perception that he supported Social Security privatization as a major reason he lost his 2002 congressional race against U.S. Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski.

When something works, why not try it again?

In its first two television commercials aired locally, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is trying to tie the Hazleton mayor to President Bush, partly through Barletta’s past support for a limited Social Security privatization, a stance he has repeatedly renounced this year. Bush supported much more extensive privatization.

The ads are giving Social Security a prominence in the 11th Congressional District race it so far doesn’t enjoy in other congressional races across the country. The first commercial was the DCCC’s first anywhere in the general election campaign.

“I can’t think of a specific Social Security” attack television commercial across the country by a candidate, said Nathan Gonzales, political editor for the Rothenberg Political Report, a Washington newsletter that tracks congressional races.

Gonzales cautioned that it’s too early to truly assess Social Security’s prominence as a campaign issue because few candidates are airing commercials.

Social Security isn’t among the top five issues voters worried about in poll after poll statewide and across the country.

No independent poll has measured its prominence in Northeast Pennsylvania, but it’s sure getting the royal treatment.

“Did that surprise you, given the number of senior citizens here?” asked Thomas J. Baldino, Ph.D., a political science professor at Wilkes University. “There’s a large number of people who really depend on it. We all know there’s a large number of senior citizens, but they also vote.”

In a year when younger voters might figure more prominently because of the presidential candidacy of Democrat Barack Obama, senior citizens will probably again be a hallmark of the region’s electorate.

n Luzerne County, with 18.24 percent, ranked 9th in residents 65 and older among the state’s 67 counties. Lackawanna County, with 18.07 percent, ranked 12th.

Large swaths of both are in the 11th District.

Carbon, which ranked 27th, Columbia, 39th, and Monroe 66th, are the other counties in the district.

n More than 187,000 people receive Social Security benefits in the five counties — 77,178 in Luzerne and 49,777 in Lackawanna — almost a quarter of all their residents. The numbers include benefits paid to widows, widowers and disabled people.

During the 2002 race, Barletta favored allowing people to divert part of their Social Security payroll taxes into individual personal retirement accounts invested in government-backed securities or bonds, but not the stock market. The money would remain in government control, he said. Democrats say that’s privatization. Barletta argues it’s not, but says he’s against personal accounts now, too.

Ed Mitchell, Kanjorski’s campaign media consultant who developed Kanjorski’s 2002 Social Security ads, said the region’s demographic makeup isn’t the only reason Social Security is resonating at the moment.

“It’s an issue that has broad appeal with every American, especially at a time the stock market is down, the economy is so poor and people are seeing their 401(k) (pension plans) and IRAs (individual retirement accounts) diminish,” Mitchell said.

In an AARP poll of 401 Pennsylvania voters released Wednesday, almost six in 10 said they were somewhat or very worried when asked specifically if they worried about Social Security existing when they retired. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

One of Kanjorski’s top commercials in their 2002 contest accused Barletta of wanting to “gamble with your retirement.”

As hard as Barletta tried to deny supporting privatization, the charge stuck and afterward he said it was a major factor in his loss along with lacking enough money to air his own commercials.

Within hours after he announced his latest candidacy Feb. 7, Democratic Party officials attacked Barletta as a privatization backer again.

In late May, aiming to head off another barrage on the issue, Barletta had a news conference on Courthouse Square in Scranton where he made it clear he wouldn’t stand for being ripped on Social Security.

“I don’t support privatizing Social Security, and anyone who says I do is lying,” Barletta said. “I’m against personal savings accounts. How much clearer could I be? The public has said it’s against personal accounts, so let’s take that idea off the table.”

The mayor also counterattacked, accusing Kanjorski of being part of a Congress that raided the Social Security Trust Fund 18 times to the tune of $4 trillion to balance the federal budget since 1991. He made a similar accusation in 2002, though not as specific — and much later and less forceful than now.

Kanjorski said the Social Security Trust Fund, which currently runs a surplus, routinely loans money to the federal government by buying the government bonds and securities. The government must sell bonds and securities to raise money to fund the budget. But that only happens because the past Republican-controlled Congress and President Bush allowed the federal budget deficit to mushroom to historic proportions

Hu Offers Sympathy for Dead Tourist, Boosts Security

Chinese President Hu Jintao offered sympathy to U.S. President George W.Bush for yesterday's stabbing in Beijing of two American tourists related to a U.S. Olympic coach.

The Olympic host will ramp up security after the father-in- law of the U.S. men's indoor volleyball coach was killed and his wife wounded yesterday. The U.S. embassy called the assault an ``isolated'' incident unconnected to the Games.

``I want to take this opportunity to express profound sympathy to the families,'' Hu said. ``The Chinese side takes this very seriously,'' and will ``carry out a very serious investigation.'' Bush thanked Hu for his condolences as the two met today.

The murder on the first day of Beijing's Olympic Games cast a shadow on the world's largest sports event as China's government seeks to project the image of a progressive and peaceful nation to an estimated 4 billion television viewers globally. As many as 500,000 tourists are likely to visit the Chinese capital during the Olympics, which run through Aug. 24.

Todd Bachman was killed when a man wielding a knife attacked him, his wife, daughter and a Chinese guide at noon yesterday at the Drum Tower in central Beijing.

Bachman's wife, Barbara, 62, remained in a critical though stable condition at a Beijing hospital after eight hours of surgery, the U.S. Olympic Committee said today.

Internet Marketing Vs Yellow Pages!

To most companies, advertising in Yellow Pages is the unshakable cornerstone of their annual marketing spend and they would no more think of canceling it than they would hire David Brent as office manager.

Surely Yellow Pages is established, recognised everywhere and enjoys strong distribution. It's expensive, but is there any alternative?

A moderately sized quarter of half page ad is looking at 3 -5K a year. A whole page? That can be anything from 5K to over 8K for the year. There's no negotiation; take it or leave it - and that's with the regulators on their back capping and indeed cutting rates by 3.4%.

How surprising is it that more and more of my clients are cutting back expenditure on Yellow Pages?

Not surprising at all really. If you think about it, search is not new and it has played a major part in marketing activity for decades in the form of phone books and directories. Effective search engine marketing simply takes this a giant step further, unlocking as is does the incredible introductory potential the web medium provides between supplier and consumer to connect and do business.

This trend is reflected in Yellow Pages own market analysis, which shows a downward trend in client retention from 78% to 75% year on year. Interestingly, it is newer customers who are leaving.

Yellow Pages ads are viewed by people who have all ready made a decision to buy. Don't emphasise why your product or service is needed but rather why it should be obtained from you. Consumers need and want two types of information from Yellow Pages adverts.

Firstly, they need to know why they should purchase from one company and not another.

Secondly, they need information that facilitates making their purchase ie they need to know how to make the purchase or have a call to action.

If you really focus and see things through your customers eyes then your Yellow Pages ad copy should virtually write itself.

The use of colour and how Yellow Pages charge for it is pretty unbelievable.

The book is now printed on white paper (think about it you can't have white ink)

Yellow Pages charge more for white in your adverts - 40% in fact.

But, Yellow Pages actually have to take an extra step to print a yellow coloured ad ie they overlay white paper with a yellow ink but this is cheaper than a white ad.

Our surveys show that colour is not the most important factor in selecting an advert. In fact, it is well down the list.

Yellow Pages sales reps often argue:

"It'll only cost you £800 a year to move up to the next largest ad size and ad colour. Don't you believe that the increased sales you'd obtain would more than offset that expense?"

This is a bad argument for a number of reasons....

It assumes that the business generated by your original ad pays for itself

It assumes that you make a 100% profit on each sale (nice work if you can get it)

It assumes that the use of £800 for additional Yellow Pages advertising would generate more business than would the use of the same £800 in another media

Nonetheless I see many of my clients putting all their eggs in one "Yellow Pages" basket without obtaining effective proof that their adverts are actually working.

The secret is to monitor the response to each and every advert you place.

If you can't measure it you can't manage it.

I know from my experience as a former Yellow Pages sales rep that one had to continually create a false sense of urgency. Typically Yellow Pages reps only work two directories ie they are in each area for six months at a time. The reps are paid a commission on signed orders so it's no surprise they go in for the kill...

This article is free to republish provided the authors resource box remains intact.

This article was written by David Clarke a partner at DBS and an internet marketing consultant who offers 0845 to mobile and 0845 number services.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_Clarke

How to Wipe Your Hard Drive to Permanently Remove Private Or Sensitive Data

You may not know how to wipe your hard drive, but you should be aware of the process. Computer security is a major concern for both business people and individuals, these days. If you want to keep your data safe, you should consider clearing all of the files off of your computer using a wipe disk tool, when necessary.

What is a wipe disk tool? Well, it's a tool designed to completely delete all files on a hard disk drive. It even detects and deletes files that could potentially be used to restore regularly deleted data. There is no better way of cleaning files from your computer permanently than using a wipe disk tool.

What possible reason could you have for wanting to wipe your hard drive completely clean? Well, if you personally or your business decides to get new computers, you may want to wipe the data from the old units. That will guard against it falling into the wrong hands.

Another scenario where it could be useful is if your company is going out of business and you are selling your computers. This is especially important for business owners who have client confidentiality to consider. There's no telling who will wind up in possession of the computers, after all.

Simply using the delete key or dragging files to your recycle bin is not going to remove those files from your computer completely. You are probably only deleting short cuts, if you delete things that way. It can take hours and be totally useless for your data security.

If you don't learn how to permanently wipe your hard drive, anyone can access files on it. All they need to do is use some sort of system recovery software to access the files. System recovery software can be found all over the Internet.

You might also try clearing files from your computer by simply formatting the hard drive, but that doesn't actually protect your files. A skilled specialist in data recovery can still retrieve them. So, using a wipe disk tool is a much better and safer idea.

Disk wiping is one of the most secure ways of wiping your hard drive. It is a very thorough process, too. It can even delete licensed programs. How does it work? Well, a disk wiping tool is designed to overwrite your whole hard drive multiple times with data. That way, it's impossible for anyone, no matter how skilled, to recover files that were created before the disk wiping process was done. Not only that, but such programs are so thorough that they also usually wipe out the master boot record and partitioned drives, too.

The government has set a medium security standard that says that a hard drive should be overwritten six times, over the course of three different steps. The first step is to remove the hard drive data. The second is to replace it with a series of zeros. The third assigns a code, 246, to the wiped drive. It takes a while, but it's very important to wipe your hard drive, if you don't want people to access your files.

The Computer Security Act of 1987 - In Layman's Terms

Are you concerned about computer security? Do you worry that personal and sensitive information could be leaked to someone with the intent to use that information in a negative manner?

What Is It? The Computer Security Act of 1987 was the first true attempt by the government of the United States to legislate information in the federal government's computer systems. The overall goal was to protect and defend any of the sensitive information in the systems and provide security for that information.

Basically, what's private should remain private. The Computer Security Act of 1987 puts a check into place on federal computer systems. And, it's paved the way for the future of the public's limited access to government information.

The National Bureau of Standards, which is now known as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), was put in control of creating a strategy to develop certain standards for protecting any information. The Computer Security Act of 1987 required the National Bureau of Standards to create an absolute minimum of acceptable security practices.

Under the Computer Security Act of 1987, security plans dealing with computers needed to be created, and people who used those systems needed to be given the correct training.

Why Did the Computer Security Act of 1987 Originate? At one point in time, the United States Congress had concerns about how vulnerable computer databases could be. Could information be leaked? How possible were breaches in security? Could there be a national security threat if any information leaked and fell into the wrong hands?

It was at this time that Congress decided to check into matters and see how vulnerable the government computers really were.

What Does the Computer Security Act of 1987 Do? The Computer Security Act of 1987 created an advisory board, consisting of twelve members, who met a minimum of three times during the year. The board would give their report to Congress, the National Security Council and others.

The government act does prevent sensitive information from being released, but it also forbids the withholding of any information that's requested because of the Freedom of Information Act. And, the Computer Security Act of 1987 does not allow any restrictions, limitations or regulations on the disclosure, collection, sale or use of public domain or privately-owned information.

Outcomes from the Computer Security Act of 1987 As of yet, there haven't been any reports of major information leaks or threats to national security. But, libraries have reported that several government agencies, like NASA, the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense, have not released as many documents to the public as they did before the Computer Security Act of 1987.

Since the Computer Security Act of 1987 was passed, it has now been superseded by the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002, which expands on the realm of computer and network security.

Warning Spyware Detected on Your Computer! Is it a Hoax?

If you get the infamous "Warning Spyware Has Been Detected on Your Computer", you first need to take your hands off the mouse because the worst thing you can do at that moment is to click the popup, because it is a hoax.

The popup message will instruct you to click on it in order to install antivirus or antispyware software, or to scan your computer, when in reality it is designed to get you to click on it so that it can further inundate your computer with additional spyware. The irony of this is that if you do see this popup, then you absolutely do already have spyware on your computer.

So how did you get spyware on your computer in the first place?

Some of the most common places where you can get a spyware infection include:

- Peer to Peer file sharing software/websites like Kazaa and Limewire
- Pornography websites
- Gambling websites
- Freeware and shareware applications
- Email attachments from people you don't know

Even if you are using top notch antispyware software, and you should be, you should avoid all of the above as doing so will greatly reduce your chances of getting infected with spyware.

How do you get rid of the "Warning - Spyware has Been Detected on Your Computer" popup?

While you will see various "fixes" and instructions on how to remove spyware by editing the registry or removing certain files, I cannot stress enough that I do not recommend you take this course of action unless you are a trained professional computer technician because you could do irreversible damage and make your computer unusable.

I also would not recommend using any of the free spyware removers that are available such as Windows Defender or Search and Destroy as their methods of spyware detection are antiquated and are not very effective against the myriad of spyware and adware out there.

What I do recommend you do is get your hands on a proven and tested antispyware solution. You should look for one that scans your computer against a spyware database that is kept up to date by the company's programmers so that you are ensured the software can detect and remove even the most current and newest spyware that is out there.

So again, if you get the "Warning Spyware Has Been Detected on Your Computer", be certain not to click on it and go out and find the best spyware remover available to scan and clean your computer.

Encryption and Making Your System Secure

What does encryption do for me?

Encryption and cryptographic software has been used in many different ways to make systems more secure. This article discusses only a few ways that such software can make your system more secure, including:

1) Encrypting your email

2) Encrypting your files

To programs are mentioned that will help encrypt information. There are many more programs out there that will help, but these programs are good and a good place to start as any. They have the added benefit of both being free with source code available.

Will encryption stop people from accessing my information?

Encryption simply makes it harder for people to gain access to important information, like passwords or sensitive information in a file. The first thing you should know about encryption is that the algorithm that is used to encrypt can be simple or more complex and that affects how securely what you have encrypted is protected. Encryption systems have been broken when the method of encryption is understood by hackers and is easy to break.

Why bother to encrypt my email?

It should be noted that email is far less secure than paper mail for two very good reasons: first, electronic data can be accessed easily over an Internet and secondly, electronic data is really simple to copy. There is a very good chance that someone has snooped around in your email despite your best intentions to stop it.

How do I go about encrypting my email?

There are many programs out there that can help you encrypt your email. A very popular one is PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) or its Gnu offshoot GPG.

PGP (http://www.pgpi.org/) self-describes itself this way: This "is a program that gives your electronic mail something that it otherwise doesn't have: Privacy. It does this by encrypting your mail so that nobody but the intended person can read it. When encrypted, the message looks like a meaningless jumble of random characters. PGP has proven itself quite capable of resisting even the most sophisticated forms of analysis aimed at reading the encrypted text."

Why bother to encrypt my files?

The answer to this boils down to what you store on your computer. If you have financial data with important information like social security numbers, email addresses, account numbers and passwords, then you open yourself up to losing very valuable information. Most corporate Internet security employees will attest to the widespread theft of very valuable information. As long as you are connected to the Internet you are vulnerable.

Free Spyware Removal - Don't Believe the Hype!

Are spyware removal tools really effective? Do they keep your computer clean and protect you from the constant threat of spyware and adware all of us as Internet users face?

Unfortunately, and contrary to what most people believe - the answer is absolutely not.

Industry experts estimate that over 90% of all Internet users will get infected with spyware while online. Given that fact, it is becoming extremely important that we properly protect ourselves and unfortunately, the reality about free spyware removal tools is that they are not nearly as effective as software that might cost you a mere $30 to download.

Most Internet users unfortunately do not understand the difference between free spyware removal tools and the tools that are not free because if they did, they wouldn't think twice about getting their hands on paid software versus thinking they get enough protection from the freebies. The reason I say this is because there is a very large difference between the scanning methods that free and paid spyware removal tools use.

Free spyware remover tools depend on observing the history of your computer's operating system and registry to find spyware infections. In other words, it scans common locations where spyware installs itself and then examines the files and entries to conclude if any changes have taken place and then analyzes those findings to determine if an infection is present.

The issue with this type of detection is twofold. First, the software often reports false positives - which means that it can report authentic files and registry entries as spyware and in some cases if these files are removed this can cause even more damage to your computer and can even make it unusable.

The second problem is that free spyware removal tools neglect to detect a fairly large number of spyware infections, including much of the newest spyware that has been written primarily because of the ever changing nature of programming and hackers exploiting more and more security glitches in software and applications. This results in many of the most dangerous spyware ignored and left running on your computer. With paid spyware removal tools, you rarely see this at all because the method in which they detect and remove spyware is very different.

Most paid spyware removers are more effective than the free tools because they depend on a database of known spyware programs when scanning your computer. In other words, instead of simply looking for changes in files, the software will compare each file scanned against a database to determine if it is a legitimate file or if it is spyware. This is important because it minimizes the amount of false positives but even more importantly, it significantly increases the accuracy of spyware detected and removed which means a greater level of protection for users.

Another important factor to consider is that paid spyware removal tools reinvest much of the money they take in from sales back into research and development of their spyware database and many of the top vendors update their databases at least a couple of times per week and allow you to download those updates for free so you are always current in being protected from even the newest of spyware programs.

So the next time you have a spyware infection, and you undoubtedly will, you'll want to think about whether it is worth the $30 price tag to get a proven and effective spyware removal tool or just use the free tools. If you choose the second option, be prepared to fight an infinite spyware battle where you'll always be fighting pop-ups, always suffering from a slow computer, and constantly putting yourself at a higher risk for identity theft.

Security chiefs discuss a replacement for Prisons boss

Top security chiefs have met to discuss a replacement for the Commissioner of Prisons Gilbert Omondi, The Standard can reveal.

The officials met on Thursday night at Harambee House and made proposals on who should succeed the prisons chief, probably in the coming week.

Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura chaired the meeting.

Others said to be in attendance were NSIS Director-General Maj-Gen Michael Gichangi, Commissioner of Police Maj-Gen Hussein Ali, PS Internal Security Francis Kimemia, PS Youth Affairs Mburugu Kinuthia and AP Commandant Kinuthia Mbugua.

Although the finer deliberations at the meeting were scanty, sources told The Standard the name of George McGoye, a former deputy AP Commandant, was floated as the possible replacement for Omondi.

presidential appointment

McGoye is currently an undersecretary at the Ministry of Public Works.

Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka is expected to endorse McGoye followed by an appointment by President Kibaki.

Omondi’s replacement is part of recommendations made by a report on the Prisons Department.

The report compiled by a team led by former MP Marsden Madoka details cases of corruption, mismanagement, land grabbing, nepotism and other ills that have bedevilled the country’s correctional services over the years.

Kalonzo, who is also the minister for Home Affairs, picked the Madoka team after the warders went on strike to protest against the Government’s failure to pay them a risk allowance like their colleagues in other disciplined forces.

At the time, the warders said they were denied the allowance yet they had helped quell post-election violence.

Says the report: "The crisis facing the institution roots from a history of neglect."

Prisons officers complained to the committee that promotions were done on the basis of ethnicity, nepotism, political alignment and corruption.

The team established prisons suffer an acute shortage of housing for staff. There are 3,660 houses against a staff strength of 17,177.

And although most of its officers lived in shacks, the department did not use the Sh480 million allocated to in the last two financial years to build houses. Instead it only spent Sh348 million.

The development came as anxiety continued to grip the institution following recommendations by a taskforce for an overhaul of its leadership. The idea of bringing in an army or GSU officer to head the department was dropped.

Other sources said a civilian could be brought in to head the badly tainted outfit and transform it to international standards.

Apart from having a new Commissioner of Prisons, authorities have also considered picking new assistants.

The committee, which investigated the causes of the warders’ strike recommended that the entire leadership of the Kenya Prisons Service be sacked and in some cases, face court action.

Reads part of the report: "The Prisons Department urgently needs a change in leadership... to root out strongly embedded practices such as corruption."

The committee recommended that new leadership be put in place within a year.

The fate of nine senior officers who were interdicted, charged before court and later reinstated is still unclear following reports that they could not resume work without a "directive from above".

But officers who spoke to The Standard claimed the composition of the committee was aimed at kicking out some senior officers to pave way for favoured individuals.

"We understand officials want to lobby for their kin to lead the Prisons Department and that is why the committee was picked up," said an officer who did not wish to be named.

The officers said former Vice-President Moody Awori filed a report after similar studies on the institution yet nothing was done.

PC Owners Urged to Manage Power Use and Save Money

Businesses and home users can help the environment and save money at the same time by making better use of basic tools for desktop PC power management.

It's a simple message but one that's sometimes hard to get across, especially to home users who don't realize how much electricity their computers waste if they don't take steps to manage consumption, said Mark Bramfitt, head of the consumer energy efficiency group at Pacific Gas & Electric, a California utility.

Power management tools ship with virtually all computers these days but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reckons that most home users turn them off within a few months of buying a PC, Bramfitt said.

"There's a tremendous opportunity for energy efficiency and environmental improvements, but influencing individual PC users is a very difficult thing to do," he said at an energy efficiency seminar arranged by the Business Council.

The management tools can yield annual energy savings of $25 to $30 per desktop computer, according to Bramfitt. For big companies that operate thousands of PCs that quickly adds up to a lot of money.

The tools allow the computer to turn off the processor and hard drive after they have been idle for, say, 15 minutes, and put the whole computer into standby after 30 minutes. That reduces the energy consumed by a PC from roughly 100 watts to 40 watts with the power tools enabled, Bramfitt said.

To enforce power management, companies can use network-based tools that allow the settings on a PC to be controlled centrally. PG&E and other utilities give rebates to companies that use these tools because it helps them to avoid having to construct new power plants.

The tools, from companies like Faronics, Scriplogic and Veridiem, range in price from $15 to $20 per computer, said Alena Gilchrist [cq], a senior project manager with the City of San Francisco's SF Environment group. PG&E will subsidize the cost to the tune of $15 per PC for businesses, and the City of San Francisco gives slightly more.

PC makers could do more to help. Around half of the energy PCs consume is sucked up by inefficient power supplies, Bramfitt said. More efficient supplies are available but cost about $20, compared to $5 for the cheap ones, so PC makers don't use them.

Much of the wasted energy pours out as heat, which adds to air conditioning bills. "The PC that sits under your desk at home or in the office kinda looks like a toaster to PG&E," he said. "Half the energy that goes into it comes out as heat."

Speed Meter Pro Network Utility

Like most other computer owners in the world, you've probably become a network administrator by default, forced to handle the myriad problems that can bedevil your home network or small-office network. Pure Networks' $40 software app, Speed Meter Pro, can help you do the job--but only to a point. Speed Meter Pro focuses on network slowdowns and ignores other issues such as IP woes, making it only a partial salve for the beleaguered.

Still, what it does do it does exceptionally well. Install the program, and it automatically creates a network map that shows every device on your network, including your router. It also scans your PC and the network for problems, such as too many applications and devices trying to use the network at the same time; then it suggests solutions.

Speed Meter sits in the background, monitoring network performance and popping up alerts and accompanying recommendations whenever it detects a slowdown. You can also use it to troubleshoot network performance. For example, if you notice that an Internet connection on one PC seems particularly sluggish, open Speed Meter and it will show you which PCs and applications are using too much network bandwidth. The program also tracks your Internet use and bandwidth over time.

Unfortunately, Speed Meter Pro can't solve all of your network woes: It won't detect and resolve problems related to sharing printers, IP conflicts, and network setup. For that, Pure Networks, has a companion product, called Network Magic. You can buy the two in a bundle for $65.

The bottom line? Speed Meter Pro does a very good job of tracking and analyzing network performance issues, but by itself it simply doesn't do enough. If you want a full-blown network troubleshooting tool, you'll have to buy the combo.

EtherScope Series II Network Assistant

LAN Network Assistant
This application is essentially a packet capturing, logging and reporting application which can search devices, find the amount of traffic transfered between devices and report in case of network problems. But that's not the great thing about it. There is a lot more. For instance, if you try to search a class B network for active devices using a PC based scanner, the process will at least take 15 - 20 minutes depending on the type of processor you are using.

This device when connected to a Class B network easily detected the active devices in less than 2 minutes. And that's not all, the device was also able to detect other devices which are on some other subnet and showed them through a warning message.

One of the other features is its capability to detect and tell the distance (the cable length) from these devices to the next connected node. Which means you can just connect it to any cable whose other end is terminated to any network device.

It will tell you the length of the wire between these two spots. Other great feature of the devices is its capability to trace the switch route to any machine. Let's say you have a faulty machine in your network somewhere in the building and you want to find exactly where the machine is, this device can tell you the route through the switches (managed switches) and its ports. For example, there are five switches between this device and the faulty machine, then it will detect all the five switches and their respective port numbers from where the connection is happening.

This is a great feature because one of the biggest challenges for a network admin is to figure out and pinpoint the devices in a huge campus with lots of cascaded switches.