Case Study †Profitel Inc Essay

Decision maker: Lars Peeters, along with his team of executives Question 1: Which perspective of leadership best explains the problems experienced in this case? Analyze the case using concepts discussed in that leadership perspective. Leadership is defined as the collective effectiveness and successes of organizations members by influencing, motivating, and enabling others to contribute. In this case Lars Peeters, newly appointed CEO of Profitel, fails to maintain his role by lacking key ingredients central for effective leadership. Together with his executive team he hired from his previous employment, weaken Profitel’s image and success with customers, government leaders and even employees. Listed below are perspectives of leadership I have identified in this case that best explain the problems at hand: Contingency Perspective– Lars had not diagnosed Profitels’s situation thoroughly and adapted their style and objectives to fit that situation. Instead of using the employee’s thoughts and insights as a powerful recourses, Lars went ahead with his team of executives and implemented his strategies disregarding any feedback. Behavioral Perspective– Although Lars displays task-oriented behavior by pushing company to reach a certain goal, he lacks in people-oriented behavioral skills. This could explain for his disregard to his subordinates trust and lack of employee morale. Transformational Perspective– Lars failed to create a strategic vision for Profitel. By using one he could have build employee morale by increasing commitment and rewarding based on performances. Questions 2: What can organizations do to minimize the leadership problems discussed above? In this case Profitel’s broad based there to hire Lars as CEO based on reputation rather than focusing on how his expertise could benefit their company. Lars took incentive in implementing all major decisions without others input or involvement. The board of directors seemed to have minimal role in the company’s development and should have taken more precautions like overseeing major decisions. Also they should have evaluated his internal performance through feedback from employees and external performance through customers.

SCI Case Study

1. Why did Allen’s heart rate and blood pressure fall in this time of emergency (i.e. at a time when you’d expect just the opposite homeostatic response)? Pg. 969 This occurred because Allen’s spinal cord has decreased perfusion due to damage, and a broken vertebral bone. Also, there has been a disruptions of the sympathetic fibers of his autonomic nervous system therefore it can no longer stimulate the heart. Allen likely has spinal shock.2. Upon admission to the hospital, Allen’s breathing was rapid and shallow, can you explain why? Pg. 969 Due to Allen’s fall he likely has an incompetent diaphragm due to injuring a cervical segment. This would alter effect the lower motor neurons and external intercostal muscles. This would cause his chest x-ray to show a decreased lung expansion. This may have caused Allen to have to take rapid shallow breaths to maintain oxygenation. Overall, interruption of spinal innervation to the respiratory muscles would a lso explain his acidotic state.3. Why did Allen lose some sensation to his arms and all sensation from the upper trunk down? This is because Allen’s C5 segment was injured. Therefore, the dorsal column tracts and spinothalamic tracts were altered. This would cause Allen to have lost and decreased sensations.4. Why did Allen have dry skin and a fever upon admission to the hospital? pg. 970 The rationale for the dry skin and fever is that Allen had lack of sympathetic and hypothalamic control. Therefore, his body adapted to the temperature of the environment as wells as attempting to increase extracellular fluid. Overall, spinal shock would result in these symptoms along with decreased sweat production resulting from decreased sympathetic motor neuron stimulation.5. Based on the physical exam findings, which vertebral bone do you think was fractured? Give reasons for your answers? Pg. 969 Based on the physical findings I would say Allen’s fracture occurred at C5. I belie ve this is  where the fracture occurred because Allen had minimal biceps brachial stretch reflex, was able to raise his shoulders and tighten them, and could tighten his biceps.In addition Allen could not raise his arms against gravity, had flaccid lower extremities, and was without triceps or wrist extensor reflexes, and other muscle stretch reflexes were absent. If the fracture was at C4-5 Allen would not be able to shrug his shoulders and if the fracture was at C7 he could extend his flexed arms. Top of FormBottom of Form6. What is the normal pH of blood? Why was Allen’s blood pH below normal? Pg. 970-971. The normal blood pH is between 7.35 and 7.45. Allen’s blood was acidotic due to a decrease in lung expansion and an alteration in the perfusion to his spinal cord. He also has an alteration in spinal innervation to the respiratory muscles including the phrenic nerve that controls the diaphragm. This would further cause Allen to not be able to adequately take in enough oxygen and blow off enough CO2 to adequately have gas exchange, within the alveoli. Respiratory failure.7. What is the primary muscle of respiration? What nerve initiates this muscle? The primary muscle of respiration is the diaphragm. The nerve that initiates this muscle is the phrenic nerve.8. Which spinal neurons to the nerve you named in question #7? Pg. 969. The cervical spinal nerve C3-5 innervate the phrenic nerve. These are the lower motor neurons.9. By four days after the injury, some of Allen’s signs and symptoms had changed. Allen’s arm muscles were still flaccid, yet his leg muscles had become spastic and exhibited exaggerated stretch reflexes. Use your knowledge of motor neural pathways to explain these findings. Pg. 969. Allen is experiencing these signs and symptoms because he is his spinal shock is now resolved. Therefore his lower motor neurons will then be able to fire impulses unlike the upper motor neurons due to the injury being at C5. There fore, due to his cervical injury muscle spasticity, bladder activity, and reflex activity will begin. This is called spastic paralysis.10. Why did Allen suffer from urinary incontinence? Pg. 970. Allen suffered from urinary incontinence because of autonomic dysfunction. Initially autonomic dysfunction causes an areflexic bladder, also known as a neurogenic bladder. This means his bladder had zero ability to contract. Autonomic dysfunction then leads to urinary retention.

Gender Dynamics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gender Dynamics - Essay Example The difference of sex and gender implies a great deal today as social reforms have transformed the world since the rule of the masculine species to a more restrained co-existing living with the feminine species. Just to draw a clear line between the two, sex refers to the biological characteristics distinguishing male and female. Sexual definition of the male and female species is characterized by their differences in the physical aspects such as chromosomes, anatomy, hormones, reproductive systems, and other physiological components. On the other hand, gender refers to the social, cultural, and psychological traits linked to males and females through particular social contexts. Therefore, sex makes people male or female while gender makes people masculine or feminine. Sex is an attributed status because a person is born with it, but gender is an acquired status because it is a learned behavior through a person’s interaction with society and culture (Lindsey 4). Citing the dif ference between sex and gender did not totally entail gender equality and societal restructuring but has largely contributed especially in behalf of the female species and all the feminists who work for the value of women in the society such as equality in all terms with men which have moved many people all over the world, not just females but as well as feminists males who believe in justice between both genders. From all the years that gender roles issues have gone through, modern day gender dynamics is an outcome of years of reforms and challenges in bringing gender equality in all aspects of the society. Despite all these changes, a question in mind still possess a degree of doubt of whether if the world has totally evolved into a society of equal co-existence and gender dynamics. Within the chapter are some readings that fall under this category. One of the readings, authored by Phyllis Chesler, talks about how gender dynamics are still biased in the modern society where everyb ody seems to be enjoying freedom and feminism seem to fail on this concept. Within the essay Chesler (231) defined the victors and pitfalls of feminism that lead to the modern day gender dynamics. According to Chesler (229), today is the time when woman can and must make a difference. Truly the world presently has well known feminine leaders, professionals, scientists, researchers, etc. that contributes as much if not more than the male counterpart. Feminism had ended gender biased injustices such as violence against women, rape, many forms of oppression and neglect directed to women and has paved way for equality in education, healthcare and workforce (Chesler 230). Today the world has more literate, productive and empowering women contributing to better outcome in economy, education and healthcare which is far from the traditional woman of the dark past who were stripped off the rights to power, to education, to freedom of choice and the right to property just assuming a secondary caring role behind the strength of a man (Chesler 230). Despite the remarkable changes gender roles leaped over the years still women are encouraged not to rest among these victories. Chesler (231) notes that gender inequality still exists in other parts of the world and the contemporary thinking has led feminism into passivity. The modern feminists are focused on sexual rights and issues of women that the movement for more significant changes for societal benefit lies behind. Today, though women can go for a man’s work same wage level is not assured. The society should be penetrated with equal gender dynamics to provide equality in all a

Motivation in the Work Place Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Motivation in the Work Place - Essay Example Components of this model, from lowest to the highest are in the order, physical needs, safety and security needs, social needs of love and belonging, esteem needs of respect and confidence, and finally self-actualization needs of knowledge and understanding. Baumeister (p.88) asserts that esteem needs are required to enhance a person’s overall personality by providing a sense of achievement and shielding negative emotions. Self-esteem is associated with confidence and high expectations of success; high self-esteem is associated with optimism and lower anxiety. It also provides a sense of integrity and adequacy. Maslow’s theory points towards need for respect from others and from self. Respect from others confers recognition, acceptance and appreciation. Realizing that human being is a social animal, the Sociometer theory proposes that man continually tries to seek inclusion into social groups. Psychologically, it reduces anxiety and improves health (Baumeister, 89). Employees’ self-esteem is enhanced by gaining recognition in the form of awards and appreciations, and a need to enhance self-esteem, in order for the employees to feel included in the virtual social ‘wanted’ circles, is an effective motivat or (Marriner-Tomey, 92). Self-actualization needs refer to self-fulfilment in terms of all the activities a person can do or is capable of doing. This is driven by individual’s desires, interests and passion towards specific activity or job. Self-actualization needs occupy the topmost position in Maslow’s hierarchy. While the other motives are sought in order to fill deficiencies in one’s life or work, the self-actualization needs are sought in order to pursue growth and development (Gordon, 244). However, without realization of the other needs, self-actualization needs may not be very motivating to the employees. Achieving self-actualization in the work sphere is highly motivating for the employees because

Question 1 (75 marks) Last month, four friends, Rachel, Monica, Essay

Question 1 (75 marks) Last month, four friends, Rachel, Monica, Phoebe, and Joey acquired the freehold estate to Central Farm fr - Essay Example Moreover, in any contract for the sale of freehold land, there is a presumption that the contract will automatically include everything which legally constitutes â€Å"land†4. Accordingly, whether or not Barry was entitled to remove the sign depends on whether the sign can validly constitute land or whether it constituted a chattel, which doesn’t fall within the scope of â€Å"land†5. The classic definition of a fixture is anything which is physically (but not necessarily legally) removable and makes a permanent improvement to the land6. Conversely, a chattel is an item brought onto the land, which doesn’t become part of the land7. The general rule regarding fixtures is that whatever is attached to the soil becomes part of the soil8. In determining whether the sign is fixture or a chattel, it will be necessary to apply the two factual tests as extrapolated by Blackburn J in the case of Holland v Hodgson9, namely the degree of annexation test and the purpos e of annexation test. The degree of annexation test requires that the object be fastened to or connected with the land in some way for there to be a presumption that it is a fixture10. For example, in the case of Hamp v Bygrave11 it was held that patio lights that were attached to the wall of the house were fixtures. Moreover, if an object is not fixed, but merely rests on its own weight, there will be a presumption that it is a chattel12. If we apply this by analogy to the current scenario, the sign had hung from a post, which if resting on its own weight will lead to a presumption of it being a chattel. However, the presumption can be rebutted on the basis of the purpose of the annexation test. In the case of Elitestone Limited v Morris13 Lord Clyde asserted that this test involved a consideration of â€Å"the purpose which the object is serving and not the purpose of the person who put it there14†. As such, the test is objective and is concerned with the intention of the p erson who put the object on the land. It further requires the overriding purpose of the object being the enhancement and enjoyment of the land to make a permanent improvement to the land, in order for it to be a fixture15. If we apply this by analogy to the current scenario, we are not aware of the terms of the contract of sale between Barry, Rachel, Monica, Joey and Phoebe. If the contract expressly provided that the sign would remain as part of the land as a condition of sale, then removal by Barry will be in breach of contract. Alternatively, if the sign is part of the land, Barry did not have a right to remove it and Rachel, Monica, Phoebe and Joey would be able to request a return of the sign16. However, if the sign rests on its own weight, then the parties will have to rebut the presumption by demonstrating that the sign was intended to enhance the enjoyment of the land. If this can be established, the sign will form part of the land and the parties will be able to recover the sign from Barry. 2) Whether Alan is entitled to remain in Unit 2. The extent to which Alan’s rights are enforceable will depend on the nature of his rights and the enforceability of interests under the Land Registration Act 2002. If we firstly consider the factual scenario, Alan argues that he has been using Unit 2 since 2007 and pays a yearly â€Å"occupation fee†. This creates a degree of ambiguity as to whether his alleged right to use the property constitutes a licence or a lease. If the

The impact of Accounting Information System on the audit process Essay

The impact of Accounting Information System on the audit process - Essay Example In the field of accounting and auditing, the performance of functions has a great role in which auditors and accountants should expand their knowledge to adapt to these changes. Accounting information system (AIS) is the new way of preparing and analyzing financial statements in relation to technology advancement (Orwel, n.d.). This newly acquired system does not only end up to the preparation but also it extends up to the auditing process. The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of accounting information system (AIS) on the audit process. It is important to know how AIS is affecting the audit process and on the work of the auditors and accountants. The focus is to give an overview, objectives and motivations, and some proposals of the implementation. According to Orwel (n.d.), â€Å"accounting information system (AIS) is a system of records, usually computer based, which combines accounting principles and concepts with the benefits of an information system...† Making the accounting activities with the use of computer makes it easier and time safe, but threats in data collection and data processing should not be ignored for it comes from variety of sources (Beard & Wen, 2010). Decision makers should have a control on the system so that threats can be avoided. Enormous amount is needed in the implementation of AIS, it is quite expensive for those small enterprises but the benefits can surpass the amount of investment (Salehi, et al., 2010, p.188). On the other hand, the appropriateness of financial information produced by an accountant is being examined by an auditor, either by operational, internal or compliance. It is the role of auditing to objectively evaluate the entries based on established criteria before the results are given to the interested users (Kelechi, 2007, p.14). The information subject for audit process is now computerized that is why auditors are disturbed whether the information in the system is reliable for

Nutrition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Nutrition - Essay Example Such factors as body weight and secondary complications can help in understanding effectiveness of bariatric surgery for treating obesity. Type 2 diabetes is a significant health problem among obese patients. Empirical studies have been conducted to establish possible results that bariatric surgery has on prevalence of type 2 diabetes among obese people. One of the studies developed its knowledge from existing literature over a range of 16 years and revealed that more than ten percent of reported cases of bariatric surgery resulted in remission of type 2 diabetes among the patients. More than two percent of the involved participants achieved remission of type 2 diabetes because of the surgery. A consideration of body weight management among the patients also demonstrated success. Almost 90 percent of research participants achieved an average of about 56 percent weight loss (Buchwald, 2009). Different procedures for the bariatric surgery also showed significance in effectiveness of th e treatment measure. Biliopancreatic diversion, for instance, led to higher treatment effectiveness than gastric bypass and banding procedures. Bariatric surgery also reported significant effects in managing insulin level in obese patients. The study identified lower percentages of patients who reported significance of the treatment measure. These results are valid because of the longitudinal approach and the many studies and participants that the study considered. This means that a patient has high chances of treating obesity and its associated complications through bariatric surgery. Biliopancreatic diversion is the best of the surgery options (Buchwald, 2009). Gastric bypass surgery is an effective bariatric approach among patients with critical obese conditions. An empirical approach that employed quasi-experimental design observed remission of diabetes among the participants over the six-year period. Prior to the study’s intervention, the patients had persistent diabetes and traditional insulin treatment offered no remedy. The bypass surgery however ensured remission in up to 88 percent of the considered participants, as observed over the study’s duration. Some of the factors that regulate glucose level did not show a significant relationship with weight loss but the patients’ ability to regulate their glucose level improved. Application of the surgical approach is also safe from complications, as the research did not report such adverse effects as excess weight loss, disability, or even death. The patients’ bodies were also able to manage other conditions such as cardiovascular diseases. The research design and its longitudinal approach offer reliability and validity measures. The high rate of effectiveness of the bariatric approach means that it has a high probability of controlling obesity and its secondary conditions such as hypertension (Cohen et. al, 2012). In another empirical study in which researchers sought to explore potential benefits of gastric bypass surgery, similar effects, as observed under mild obese conditions, was noted. The researchers acknowledged scarcity of knowledge on long-term effects of the surgery on severe obesity cases. An experimental study was conducted among on patients who sought and received the surgery, those who sought but could not receive the surgery, and those who did not seek and did not

Human resource management and career management Dissertation

Human resource management and career management - Dissertation Example Since the beginning until today, human race has been able to ensure continuous progression in every aspect of the society from education to business, and from art to medicine.In such developments,business has remained an imperative component of every society;however,expertshave indicated that until few decades ago, business were only a meant of making profits, and employees were only instruments of ensuring that profit in the business. In other words, there was no difference between humans and animals and both were tools of carrying out work for the employers. However, in recent years, there has been noteworthy alteration in the process of business (Harris et al., pp. 56-60, 2003), and one can observe significant changes especially after the introduction of human resource management that has now become an imperative component of every business organization around the globe. Analysis of the literature (Hendry, pp. 20-22, 1995; Armstrong, pp. 71-78, 2006) has indicated that today in th e era of information and technology and in midst of thousands of qualified individuals lurking to acquire a job, career management has come up as a new aspect. It specifically involves provision of opportunities to individuals to explore their career possibilities, development of their career objectives, and provision of strategies to acquire their career. Experts (Miner, pp. 63-68, 2007) now believe that in the era of economic recession and increment in the unemployment, it has now become important for both career management and human resource management to integrate them, in order to ensure effectiveness at both workplaces, as well as in the marketplace (Ulrich, pp. 23-26, 1997). In the result, it is now a premise of this paper that human resource management should or even must be a component of career management in the future as such step will ease the process of recruitment, selection, and development of employees in the workplace. Additionally, it will allow the employers, as w ell as employees to acquire their targets easily in the marketplace. In order to understand the significance of making HRM a component of career management, the paper will now attempt to understand different current roles of HRM. Particularly, HRM is one of the tactical components (Lumsden et al., pp. 46-55, 2009) within a business entity, which ensures efficient handling of existing, as well as potential labor force. In particular, the major responsibility of HRM is to employ human workforce and make sure that they work in accordance with the identified goals and objectives of the organization, which HRM does by ensuring timely provision of all the required resources essential for such fulfillment. Experts (Briscoe & Schuler, pp. 50-54, 2004) have noticed that nowadays, HRM is also involved in dealing with factors, such as advantages, remuneration, efficiency of workers, productivity of employees, and most importantly, effective communication between employees and employers in the organization. From this brief understanding of the role of HRM, it seems that HRM can be very beneficial in ensuring effective implementation of career management. Unfortunately, nowadays, career has become a synonymous term to job, which is completely inappropriate and inaccurate. Particularly, career is a sequence of jobs, and job is a term that refers to a work that an individual takes to complete it (Grimshaw, pp. 20-25, 2009). In this regard, HRM should be a part of career management, as it can support the later to enable employees to manage their career in the most effective manner rather than sticking to a single job while changing different organizations, and considering it career management. Fortunately, nowadays, a huge number of business organizations are taking their workforce as basic pillars for the success of their organization (Mabey et al., pp. 25-30, 1998). In the result, employers are these days putting efforts to provide

Central bank interventions and foreign exchange rate volatility 01291 Essay

Central bank interventions and foreign exchange rate volatility 01291 - Essay Example Some researchers are on the opinion that such intervention policies are ineffective and may lead to increase the degree of foreign exchange volatility whereas other academic intellectuals sighted that central bank volatility can become the potential reason behind reducing exchange rate volatility. Another consensus views central bank intervention as ineffective and a waste of taxpayers’ money. In this paper the effect of central bank intervention, exchange rate regimes and currency risk hedging decisions will be analysed in order to evaluate whether the central bank intervention impacts positively on the level of volatility of foreign exchange rate or not. Central bank intervention has always been a controversial policy among all researchers across world. According to a report from Wall Street Journal, central bank intervention is not only futile to manage exchange rate but also perilous as it may increase volatility of exchange rate. However, it is also evident that in some cases such intervention has a positive or limited effect of such volatility as well (Suranovic, 2004). During the period of Bretton Woods Exchange Rate System, central bank intervention had become necessary each time the exchange rates surpasses their parity bands. In 1973, after the dissolution of this exchange rate system, the intervention policy became country specific. In 1977, International Monetary Fund (IMF) formulated three distinct guidelines for its member countries to bring uniformity in the intervention practices. First, countries were not authorized to manipulate exchange rate for adjusting their Balance of Payment (BOP) or for gaining any discriminat ory competitive advantages. Secondly, countries were legitimated to intervene only for countering the disorderly market conditions and finally, countries were directed to always take into account the exchange rate interests of other

Heroes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Heroes - Essay Example Martin Luther and Nelson Mandela are some of the world’s best heroes because they changed the world around them in a significant way. A hero can be defined as a person who contributes significantly and positively towards social, political, or economic discourse in a society. Heroes are identified by a strong sense of discipline in all aspects of life as well as a strong stand to their beliefs. One overarching characteristic of a hero is the ability to sacrifice personal comfort, interests, and even life for the sake of the community. Most of the world’s recognized heroes have indeed gone through a lot of painful experiences, jail terms, and even tortured as they sought to fight for the community. For instance, Nelson Mandela was jailed for 27 years as he fought against apartheid in South Africa. Martin Luther is globally recognized for his fight for civil rights for African Americans in U.S. However, Luther chose to use nonviolent means to achieve his objectives of securing equal rights for all people in America. Luther was at the forefront leading protests against workers mistreatment at Memphis Sanitation. The blacks working for Memphis sanitation were poorly paid and their merge salaries delayed and at times not even paid. Luther was able to organize a non violent protest lasting more than two months (â€Å"Martin Luther King,† 2014). On a different light, Luther led a successful non-violent protest against Montgomery bus company for segregating against blacks from sitting in front seats. However, Luther’s epitome moments are perhaps tied to his maiden speech dubbed â€Å"I Have a Dream.† (â€Å"BBC†, 2015). With over 200, 000 followers, Luther unleashed this maiden speech pushing the congress to pass the laws regarding civil rights for the bl acks in America. The swearing in of Barrack Obama as the first Black president in America indeed marked a significant milestone for Martin Luther as a hero in U.S and the rest of the world. However, on the

The risk of depression in elderly individuals Essay Example for Free

The risk of depression in elderly individuals Essay This study aims at investigating whether there is significant difference between depressed and non depressed individuals level of physical activity. The study will involve two groups of participants: depressed and non depressed groups. Depressed individuals will be selected on the criteria that an individual has been in the past diagnosed with chronic or acute depression in any of the hospitals in the location while non depressed participant will be people who have never been diagnosed with depression in their life time. Data from both groups will be collected through time series analysis where the physical activity of the participants will be monitored three times a day at regular intervals during the day. This will be followed by analysis of temporal dynamic for participants between physical activity and depression through investigation of vector autoregressive. Each participant in the study will be required to fill a self- registration form for 3 times of a day. In addition each participant will be fitted with accelerometer to monitor their motions to determine their physical activity. The research will be based in name of the location. Time series approach will be used for objective comparison between the two types of the study groups. This will give adequate information on the state depressed individuals and those that are not on the nature of their physical fitness that reflect direct to their physical activities. Mood of the participants will be measured using positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS; Watson, Clark and Tellegen 1988). The positive affects will include the following terms as related to the study; active, excited, alert, attentive, enthusiastic, determined, proud, inspired, strong, and proud in addition to happiness (Ingram, 2009). On the other hand negative affects will include afraid, hostile, ashamed, guilty, distressed, guilty, irritable, nervous, jittery, sacred, and scared in addition to sadness (Ingram, 2009). Other factors contributing to physical inactivity in both the groups under study will be considered so that a better conclusion on the research question can be reached. Consequent ly, questionnaires will be a rich tool to examine the past history of the two groups under the study so as to be able to get details on their physical activities for a given period of time. The data on physical activities between the two groups of people will be entered and analyzed using various appropriate statistical tools such as statistical package for social scientists (SPSS). The data will be compared between the participants with depression and those without so as to determine whether there is significant difference between patients’ with depression and those without. Further, depression will be investigated whether it affects the physical fitness of a person thus affecting his or her physical activities. Elective period description The elective period will involve data collection from both the group of participants by use of time series analysis and questionnaires. The data that will be collected will then be analysed using various statistical methods in order to compare the findings in relation to the study question. Depression is a condition that is becoming common to populations in the world. It is among the five non-communicable diseases that are prevalent across social class in societies (Bloom et al, 2011). The burden of the condition has continued to increase year and year and it was found recently to be between 10 and 15% globallyThe condition is associated with negative effects to the quality of health and life, which are major determinants of physical activity in patients diagnosed with it (Onat, DelialioÄŸlu, Uà §ar, 2014). The main symptoms of depression are depression mood and lack of interests in various activities. The depression condition has been linked with physical inactiveness. The physical inactivity has been the major hindrance to depression treatments because of impaired body metabolic processes (Teychenne, Ball, Salmon, 2008). Therefore, the physical activity presents is an important indicator of depression Depression is caused by environmental, biochemical and genetic factors. Some environmental causes include marital conflicts, stress due to loss of employment, death of a close relative, and other social related issues (Chen et al, 2014). Biochemical factors include depletion of monoamine and hormonal imbalances that might be triggered by environmental factors. Genetic factors have also been linked to depression where some genes mutations that are inherited in family lineages cause heredity transfer of the condition (Chen et al, 2014). The numerous causes has led to increased incidences of depression and so there is need to find ways in which the effect of the condition can be reduced so as to ensure high quality of life and health among populations (Hafslund, Espehaug, Nortvedt, 2012). It has well been documented that patients with depression experiences physical inactivates. However, much of the studies carried out on the relationship between depression and physical activities have showed inconsistence (Teychenne et al, 2008). People that have not experienced depression experiences decreased physical inactivity that has been related to other causes other than depression. Few studies have been conducted to compare how physical activities differ between these two groups of populations. Physical activity is an important factor in remission of depressed patients (Dinas, Koutedakis, Flouris, 2011; Azar et al, 2010). Therefore, it is important to study the physical activity in depressed people and compare it with non depressed people. Any significant difference between the two groups will be important in therapeutic management of depression and thus lowering its burden. This research study investigates whether there is significant difference between depressed and non depressed individual physical activities in name of the location of the study. The population has its own characteristics in terms of social, ethnic and economic characteristics. A problem statement/question Physical activity is an important therapeutic consideration in depressed people. However, few studies have been conducted and therefore inadequate data is available to ascertain physical inactivity as one of the factors in depressed people. To contribute more on this data, the research aim to address the question, if there are difference between depressed and non depressed individual’s physical activity. Indication of the importance/significance of the study This study will highly target audience from medical profession, rehabilitation centre who are particularly involved in management of depression, patients suffering from depression, and communities at large. The results of the study will be expected to increase and build on the knowledge on how depression relates to the physical activities thus improving depression management and treatment. The outcome will be important to health profession in making decision on what type of management that should be adapted to depressed patients. Moreover, the results will help policy makers in health care system to develop appropriate policies that will help health care providers to deal with the condition. Therefore, the study will impact positively to health care system. The study will increase knowledge to patients with depression and help them to increase physical activity thus reducing the negative impact of depression. Hence, the study will play an important role in reducing the burden of depr ession globally. Moreover, this study will form the basis in which other similar studies can be conducted and developed. Hypotheses statement Do depressed and non-depressed individuals differ significantly on their levels of physical activities? The null hypothesis will be there is no significant difference between the depressed and non depressed individual physical activities while the alternative will be that there is significant difference between depressed and non depressed physical activity. Detailed work plan In the figure 1 below, the research process will involve reassessment period of two weeks. During the two weeks prior to the study, potential participants will be notified through posters and meetings and the whole procedure of the study communicated so as to prepare them for the whole period. In addition, the period will involve screening of depressed participants as detailed below. At the end of the 2 weeks, a sample of 30 depressed and 30 non depressed participants will be drawn. This will be followed by the research process that will take a period of one month (4 weeks). The actual data collection process will take place in this place and the research tools will be employed at this phase. Data analysis processes will take place for a period of 4 weeks, which will be followed by report completion and submission that is estimated that will take place for 2 weeks. This will mark the end of the research study processed. The project will run for one month (30 days) for both groups of individuals. The data will be collected 3 times a day for the entire period for both self reported reports and questionnaires detailing participants past physical activity. The accelerometers will be inserted to patients for the entire period of the study so as to monitor their movement or motion during the period of the study. A total of 60 participants will form the study sample. 30 will be depressed patients recruited from outpatient clinic in the name of the hospital. On the other hand, 30 non depressed patients will be recruited from the general population who have never been diagnosed with depression. The participants’ inclusion criteria will involve of age of between 20 and 50 years limit; able to complete the whole study for 30 days through filling self reports and wearing accelerometer for 24 hours the entire period. To determine illegibility of depressed participants they will be screened for depressive symptoms using various depression diagnostic protocols such as Beck depressions inventory (Stulz, Crits-Christoph, 2010). Similarly, non-depressive patients will be assessed using the same diagnostic evaluator to prevent erroneous inclusion of depressed participant in non depressed sample. The importance of carrying out the assessment before the study is to ensure that participants are placed correctly in the study groups. On the other hand, the participants will be excluded in the study if they have been diagnosed of Psychotic Disorder or Bipolar Disorder; Somatic disorders mainly affecting HPA axis function, or under ANS- Medication, which affects HPA function and vis ual-hearing impairments, and finally pregnant participants will be excluded through carrying out a pregnancy test). The self report will be used to measure depressive symptoms (time analysis series). This will involve a regular measurement at the frequency of three times a day for three months. Self report is an important tool that measures depressed symptoms in a more reliable way thus giving high valid results (Uher et al, 2012). In addition to self report, questionnaires will be used to measure depression symptoms. The data collection will involve self-filled reports and questionnaires. In addition, readings on accelerometers will be monitored in 24 hours and the readings recorded on self-report for 30 days. Questionnaires that will be conducted inform of interviews are expected to give the outcome of the patients depression history and the physical activities. The time series analysis is expected to give details of events and physical activities on time interval that will be recorded in the self-report. The accelerometer is expected to give the results on the motion of the participant throughout the study period. The motion of the participants will be important in determining how active the participant has been during the study. Expected results The outcome of this study is expected to answer the study question. The expected results will be that there is significant difference between depressed and non depressed patients. Depressed patients are expected to show decreased activities while non depressed participants are expected to show increased physical activities thus linking depression to physical inactiveness. Decreased physical is a characteristic of depressed people and therefore, an increase in physical activity in theses people is associated with positive impact of depression by decreasing it. Plan for elective period The research will involve a period of 30 days to carry the actual study by administering questionnaires, monitoring time series analysis, and accelerometer. The other period that will be few weeks will involve data analysis and writing of the project report to finality. This will ensure that the desired objective of the study will be accomplished within the study period. References Azar, D., Ball, K., Salmon, J., Cleland, V. J. (2010). Physical activity correlates in young women with depressive symptoms: a qualitative study. International journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 7(1), 3.Bloom, D.E., Cafiero, E.T., Janà ©-Llopis, E., Abrahams-Gessel, S., Bloom, L.R., Fathima, S., Feigl,A.B., Gaziano, T., Mowafi, M., Pandya, A., Prettner, K., Rosenberg, L., Seligman, B., Stein, A.Z., Weinstein, C. (2011).The Global Economic Burden of Noncommunicable Diseases. Geneva: World Economic Forum Chen, J., Li, X., Natsuaki, M., Leve, L., Harold, G. (2014). Genetic and Environmental Influences on Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Adolescents. Behavior Genetics, 44(1), 36-44. Dinas, P. C., Koutedakis, Y., Flouris, A. D. (2011). Effects of exercise and physical activity on depression. Irish journal of medical science, 180(2), 319-325.Hafslund, B., Espehaug, B., Nortvedt, M. (2012). Health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression related to mammography screening in Norway. Journal Of Clinical Nursing, 21(21/22), 3223-3234 Ingram, R. E. (2009). The international encyclopedia of depression. New York: Springer Là ©pine, J. P., Briley, M. (2011). The increasing burden of depression. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat, 7(Suppl 1), 3-7. Onat, Åž., DelialioÄŸlu, S., Uà §ar, D. (2014). The risk of depression in elderly individuals, the factors which related to depression, the effect of depression to functional activity and quality of life. Turkish Journal Of Geriatrics / Tà ¼rk Geriatri Dergisi, 17(1), 35-43. Stulz, N., Crits-Christoph, P. (2010). Distinguishing anxiety and depression in self-report: purification of the beck anxiety inventory and beck depression inventory-II. Journal Of Clinical Psychology, 66(9), 927-940. Teychenne, M., Ball, K., Salmon, J. (2008). Physical activity and likelihood of depression in adults: A review. Prev Med 46, 397-411 Uher, R., Perlis, R. H., Placentino, A., DernovÃ… ¡ek, M., Henigsberg, N., Mors, O., Farmer, A. (2012). Self-report and clinician-rated measures of depression severity: can one replace the other?. Depression Anxiety (1091-4269), 29(12), 1043-1049. Watson, D., Clark., L., A., Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 54:1063-1070. Source document

Gothic Architecture and Renaissance Architecture Comparison

Gothic Architecture and Renaissance Architecture Comparison Introduction Gothic architecture and Renaissance architecture are both the comprehensive expression of culture in their own times. Gothic architecture started in 12th-century France and lasted for 4 centuries, into the 16th. After that, renaissance architecture took the place of Gothic architecture from 15 century until 17 century from Florence, Italy. Different time-backgrounds, social cultures, religious believes and different aesthetical standards from origins are the main reasons that formed these two polarity architectural style, Gothic and Renaissance. They represent their time and nation, becoming a specific language. In this essay, I will study and compare two finest works from each era, Amiens Cathedral and Florence Cathedral, trying to find out the contrast of these two architecture styles through the angle of historical evolution on European architecture. Time background and characteristics of Gothic architecture Gothic architecture evolved from Romanesque architecture and then flourished during the high and late medieval period. Gothic started from the 12th century France and it spreaded to the entire Europe, especially south and middle Europes architecture are deeply influenced. Europe was divided into a multitude of city states and kingdoms at the end of the 12th century. Throughout Europe archived its heyday because of the rapid growth in trade and the development of artisan industry, and an associated growth in towns (Banister, 1975 John 1950). Because of Germany and the Lowlands were in comparative peace, emerged lots of large flourishing towns. With the purpose of competition with other towns, or united for mutual weal, citizens had very high enthusiasm to built religious buildings. Those buildings were importance to these towns, represented wealth and pride. At that time, religious architectures like churches, cathedrals, abbeys were not only used as unalloyed religious architecture, they became the central of civic lives, became as halls, Hanseatic Leagues, even markets or theaters. Not only the religious architectures, many castles, universities, municipal halls were built in gothic style and remained till today. Few of domestic houses were gothic s tyle. In the other word, gothic architecture embodies the power of the rulers of the day. Gothic architecture is the zenith of European medieval architecture. No matter the engineering technologies or the means of artistic expression both achieved an unprecedented level, and hence came the golden time of European religious architecture. Churches buildings are the most elegant and superb workmanship of construction among all gothic buildings. Amiens cathedral is the most typical gothic architecture; we can almost find all of the gothic architecture Characteristics in this building. Amiens cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral. It is located in Amiens, the chief city of Picardy, north of Paris. It is the tallest complete cathedral in France, with the nave high 42.30 m, and it has the greatest interior volume, estimated at 200,000 m ³ (Wikipedia, 2009). It is said that it can contain all citizens in Amiens city at that time and more than sufficient (Baidu, 2009). Characteristics of Amiens cathedral Gothic art not only can been shown on the gothic religious buildings, but also painting, sculpture and crafts. A lot of sculpture, reliefs and illuminated entrances of the cathedral, let the gothic church buildings becoming art galleries. These sculptures and paintings break out of the range of religion and restrict, emphasize portray of characters, novelty seeking for accurate human histology. It presents a new thought, a brand new art creations tend was increasing through these gothic arts in church buildings, and it might lead to the renaissance art. (Huihua, 2004) The Western portals of the Amiens cathedral have a lot of outstanding elegant art works. Especially their elaborate sculpture, featuring a gallery of locally-important saints and large eschatological scenes are justly famous. In the book Mr Standfast, John Buchan has his character Richard Hannay describe the Amiens cathedral as being the noblest church that the hand of man ever built for God.( John,1960) Material Gothic architectures have no strict restraint on the chosen of material. Mainly French gothic churches employed limestone as the material. In England, Germany and Italy, heavy materials such as marble, sandstone, brick and stone are also be used. Amiens cathedral, just like the mostly French churches use limestone as material. Amiens cathedral have a very standardized gothic churchs Latin cross or cruciform plan. The long nave makes the body of the cathedral. Beyond a transverse arm called the transept, there is an extension which may be called the choir, chancel or presbytery. In other gothic churches architectures, there are several variations on the plan because of the regional reasons. Gothic architecture made a breakthrough of Romanesque style, using sprightly ogival or pointed arch, forceful spires and lots of narrow long windows instead of heavy shape, stability and semicircle arch,emphasis gothic churches verticality. These characteristics application, aimed to create a powerful impression on the approaching people, indicating the might of God and the might of the institution that it represents. Like other French cathedrals, Amiens cathedral is emphasis its height, both real and proportional. The 42.30 m height nave is even considerably taller than the width. On the interior of the Amiens cathedral, there is no break of the vertical lines. 126 giant pillars rise up from the floor straight to the ceiling, and meet the ribs of the vault. The walls and long narrow windows are all follow the rule of verticality. Through these methods, it leads peoples sight up to the high, create an impression of pious and transcendence of god, and the dream of heaven. The treatment of vertical elements in gallery and window tracery of mostly French and perpendicular period of English gothic churches shows a strongly unifying feature that counteracts the horizontal divisions of the interior structure. (Wim, 1985) Rose windows are applied widely in the design of gothic churches. In Amiens cathedral, rose windows can be found above the entrance and transept. This is the rose window above the west entrance of the Amiens cathedral. In Amiens cathedral, brick or stone is not the main part of the walls, but colored glasses, which tells many stories of gods, in order to educate people who cannot read at that time. All the rose windows and long narrow windows are using stained glass. The big contrast of dark walls and bright gorgeous windows gives a mysterious feeling. The flying buttress is a crucial element or characteristic contributing to the larruping looking of Gothic cathedrals. The flying buttress was used as a structure element, supporting the walls vertically. But in some gothic architecture, it comes to become a kind of decoration of building. The flying buttress outside the clerestory walls, decreasing the solidity of structure virtually, made the cathedra looked as being suspended from heaven. Furth more, it also played a role to balance the network of interior vaults ribs to give the same impression of a tent-like canopy over the congregation (www.wikipdia.com, 2009). In Art Through the Ages, authors describe the flying buttress as like slender extended fingers holding up the walls.( TANSEV. R , KLEINER. F. S CROIX. H, 1995) The ribbed vault is another importance characteristic of gothic architecture. The ribbed vault is made by combining three separate but connected arches. These are the transverse arches that span the ends of the vault, the lateral or longitudinal arches that span the length or sides of the vault, and the two diagonal arches that reach from corner to corner.(Parry. S) This simple construction dominated the medieval construction because of it is simply constructed, strong and flexible. Time background and characteristics of renaissance architecture The renaissance architecture appeared from the 15th century Florence, Italy, and then it spread to other European countries like France, Germany, England, Russia and elsewhere quickly, and formed regional renaissance architecture styles. At the end of the 14th century, the bud of capitalism in Europe. With its development, people in that era changed their attitude and requirement of art. Renaissance is a Political and cultural movement, which aim to bury the darkness rule of religious class in medieval in Europe. The newly emergent bourgeoisie against feudal aristocracy, and at the same time, they also fight with religious forces. In their mind, the though the medieval culture as historical regression, they describe the era as dark and barbarous time. Classic Greece and Rome culture was highly praised as luciferous and well- developed culture. From then on, the whole Europe went into the renaissance. In brief, we can find that, both the gothic and renaissance architecture, the style of architecture changed and fit the rulers taste, as a result, influence on the architecture style of that age. Because of the change of ruler, lots of commercial buildings like town halls, theaters, palaces and domestic buildings all built in renaissance style, not only the religious churches. St. Peters Basilica St Peters basilica can be though as one of the most outstanding religious renaissance buildings. St. Peters Basilica is located within the Vatican City. St. Peters Basilica can hold 60,000 people inside of it, been considered as the church with the largest interior of any Christian church in the world. It has a very high status of Christian churches, and it is regarded as one of the holiest Christian sites. The St. Peters basilica was described as holding a unique position in the Christian world(Lees-milne. J, 1967, p. 12.) and as the greatest of all churches of Christendom by Fletcher (FLETCHER .B, 1996, p. 719). It is the most prominent building inside the Vatican City. Its dome is an outstanding symbolic feature of the Rome skyline. It covers 2.3 hectares with a capacity of over 60,000 people. Characteristics of St Peters basilica Gothic architecture emphasizes its verticality. But renaissance architects paid lots of attention on symmetry, proportion and geometry of buildings. The faà §ade is 114.69 meters wide and 45.55 meters high .Not as the Amiens cathedral using pointed arch, spires and lots of narrow long windows to increase the visual verticality feeling, the St Peters basilica been put emphasis on its horizontality, symmetrical around its vertical axis. Its faà §ades is surmounted by a pediment and organized by a system of pilasters, arches and entablatures (www.Wikipedia.com). The columns and windows show a progression towards the center. You can also find fancy sculptures of gods at the top of the basilica. Compare to Amiens cathedrals intricate decoration, colourful west entrance and a good many sculptures on the surface of the cathedral, the St Peters basilicas appearance seems more maestoso and laconic. Material As the same reason as the architect of Amiens cathedral, the architect chose to use massive white travertine stone as the building material for the sake of highlight the solemn and saintly of the basilica. For gothic architectures, stones and glasses are the only used materials. For the St Peters basilica, brick masonry is used for the domes as well. Some other renaissance churches, timber and brick are also be used for domes. The St Peters Basilica took almost 120 years to finish. Lots of architects and artists worked together to join the design of the basilica, and made great contribution. So we can say that, the St Peters basilica is an aggregation of greatest renaissance architects and artists brightness. Donato Bramante was the first architect start the rebuilt of the St Peters basilica. Photo 11 is the plan that Bramante designed, which followed the renaissance thought, applying an enormous Greek cross with a dome in the middle, inspired by that of the huge circular Roman temple, the Pantheon. But he did not blindly follow the classic style. Bramante employed four large piers to support the basilica. Latter Bramante was replaced with Giuliano da Sangallo, Fra Giocondo and Raphael. The concept of the 4 piers remained unchanged. In Raphaels design, he added a row of complex apsidal chapels off the aisles on either side. He also reduced the size of towers to define the squareness of the exterior walls. And the semi-circular apses more clearly defined by encircling each with an ambulatory (Wikipedia). It cannot deny that Michelangelo made greatest contribution to the design of the basilica. The building remained now was built base on his design, although in his design he reconsidered the obvious plans and made some improvements. Michelangelo replaced every corner of the Raphaels plan with small vestries to blur the definition of the geometry. Columns and pilasters are the most obvious element of renaissance architecture, they are also an embodiment of the renaissance though, which is the classic columns and pilasters presents the harmony and senses of ancient Greece though. The whole series of columns and pilasters were continued to use by renaissance architecture. People tried to understand ancient Greeks understand of human body. So the base of the column was regarded as humans foot, the main body as the body, and the capital as humans head. A giant order of pilasters set at slightly different angles to each other was employed on the surface of the exterior walls of St Peters basilica. They do not like columns have supportive function, they are purely decoration purpose. Columns were used inside of the building. As introduced the basilica is supported by 4 piers, the columns take the role of decoration in this case. Semi- circular arch, which was shunned by gothic architecture represent its value on renaissance architecture. They are used in arcades, supported on piers or columns with capitals. In my point of view, the pointed arch in Amiens cathedral gives a mysterious impression, but on the other hand, the renaissance semi-circular arch accidently gives people a shock of god. And the vaults without ribs continue follow the semi-circular or segmental shape. All the vaults are on a square plan, unlike the vault of Amiens cathedral, which is rectangular. The dome of St Peters basilica is the tallest point of the Vatican City. The basilica becomes the landmark of the Vatican city of the day, the conspicuous dome made the most significant contribution to this result. Qua the tallest one among all renaissance domes, the domes height is as tall as 136.57 meters, accounting from the floor to the silver cross on the top of the dome. Its internal diameter, slightly smaller than Pantheon of Ancient Rome and Florence Cathedral, is 41.47 meters. I thing Michelangelo Buonarrotis dome is another engineering success after the Florence cathedral. The dome is constructed similar as the dome of Florence cathedral, which has two shells, but the St Peters outer shell has 16 strong stone ribs, as twice of the Florence cathedral. The 16 pairs of 15 meters height columns visually buttress each of the ribs, but actually they are redundant in structure of the dome. There are some openings along bottom edge of the dome, which subdued light up the elegant painting inside of the dome. Openings on the top of dome let bright sunlight goes straight into the interior of the basilica, light up the interior room naturally. Furthermore, the strong sunlight contrasts with the shading space, creating a saintly feeling. As the same as mostly gothic architecture, the ceiling of Amiens cathedral is left open. The interior aesthetics rely on light and shade contrast by the effect of colourful windows. The St Peters basilica is comprehensive decorated. Roofs are fitted with coffered ceilings, which are painted. Not only the ceiling, but also inside of domes are painted by famous renaissance artists. Fancy sculptures can be seen on every surface of piers, including some Michelangelos masterworks. Conclusion After all, the thought of the society limited the architecture style of the day. So gothic architecture and renaissance architecture were both influenced by the particular politic, economy, culture and art of the time. After all, all architecture styles centered around the rulers taste, and then influenced all the building style of that era. From here we see that architecture, as the symbol of the age, also can presents the characteristics of the society. Therefore, in order to satisfied the need of new social, political and culture, architecture form changing along with the time. On the other hand, the development of engineering techniques and material gave a solid support for the development of new architecture. Bibliography Banister FLETCHER, A History of Architecture on the Comparative Method, June 1975 John HARVEY, The Gothic World, 1100-1600: A Survey of Architecture and Art, 1950 Amiens Cathedral, from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiens_Cathedral, modified on 24 December 2009 Amiens cathedral, http://baike.baidu.com/view/426548.htm, modified on 27 December 2009 John BUCHAN, Mr Standfast. London: Penguin Books, 1960 Huihua HUANG, the difference characteristics between gothic architecture and renaissance architecture, 2004 Wim SWAAN, The Gothic Cathedral,1985 Flying buttress, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_buttress, 2009 Richard TANSEV , Fred S. KLEINER, Horst De LA CROIX, Gardners Art Through the Ages, 1995, http://www.tudorhistory.org/glossaries/f/flying_buttress.html Stan PARRY, the key elements of gothic architecture , http://www.cartage.org.lb/en/themes/Arts/Architec/MiddleAgesArchitectural/GothicArchitecture/KeyElementsGothicArchitecture/KeyElementsGothicArchitecture.htm Claims made that the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro in Africa is larger appear to be spurious, as the measurements include a rectorate, a villa and probably the forecourt. Its capacity is 18,000 people against St. Peters 60,000. Its dome, based on that of St. Peters, is lower but carries a taller cross, and thus claims to be the tallest domed church. James Lees-Milne describes St Peters Basilica as a church with a unique position in the Christian world in Lees-Milne 1967, p. 12. Banister FLETCHER, the renowned architectural historian calls it The greatest of all churches of Christendom in Fletcher 1996, p. 719. Wikipedia, Renaissance architecture, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_architecture,2009 Wikipedia, St. Peters Basilica,2009

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