Penelope And Sarah Essays - Book Of Genesis, Abraham, Vayeira

Penelope And Sarah BEHIND EVERY GOOD MAN IS A GREAT WOMAN Most ancient texts were written by men. It is important to remember this. The writers made sure that men were always the heroes, the powerful ones-- the important ones. Women always seem to lay in the background. However, we must not blame this solely on the writers. Historically, women have not been treated as equals. One cannot help but observe that in the specific area of family life a widespread social and cultural tradition has considered women's role to be exclusively that of wife and mother. As a wife, a woman was expected to obey and serve her husband. Men saw women as, what they believed to be, the fulfillment of God's intention: It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner (Genesis 2.18). Despite these biases, women play a central and crucial role in many historical texts. Even if the men are always the heroes, behind every good man is a great woman. Let's explore these two great women: Penelope from Homer's Odyssey, and Sarah from Genesis. They are both shadowed by the greatness of their husbands. However, if we read carefully, we can make them come out of their hiding place and let their true beauty shine! Sarah is the faithful and loving wife of Abraham. God favors Abraham and makes great plans for him. God promises Abraham that he will become ?a numerous people? (Genesis 17). However, becoming ?a numerous people? is impossible without the aid of women. Thus, Sarah plays an important role in God's historical purpose. Sarah plays an important role in Abraham's life too. She is a devoted wife that seems willing to do anything for her husband. When they are about to enter Egypt (Genesis 12.10) Abraham says to Sarah, ? I know well that you are a woman beautiful in appearance; and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ?This is his wife'; then they will kill me..?. Abraham, of course, wants to save his life. He, therefore, tells Sarah to say she is his sister. Abraham thinks only of himself. The Egyptians shower Abraham with gifts. His content with such material possessions take precedence over the well-being of his wife. However, Sarah doesn't complain. She complies with her husband's wishes. By doing this, Sarah not only brings wealth to her husband, she also saves his life. Sarah's dedication doesn't stop there. Her devotion to her husband is also seen in Genesis 16. Here, Sarah, after being barren for some time, tells Abraham to, ?go in to my slave-girl; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.?. Sarah is not pleased with her decision. She performed this sacrifice for her husband-- again. We can see her frustration and disappointment when she tells Abraham, ?May the wrong done to me be on you!? Looking at this statement, it seems that Sarah was forced to ?give? her slave-girl to Abraham. However, it was she that made this suggestion. Was she forced by Abraham, and the author just failed to mention this? Maybe she felt forced by society. It is, after all, a woman's ?role? to please her husband. Without Sarah's faithful actions there would be no Abraham. Without Abraham there would be no ?numerous people?. Without ?a numerous people? millions of nations would not exist. Sarah seems pretty important now, doesn't she? Another important woman in literature is Penelope from Homer's Odyssey. She, like Sarah, is extremely faithful. Her husband, Odysseus, sailed with his army in an expedition twenty years ago and hasn't returned since. In his absence, the nobleman of Ithaca and the surrounding states have converged upon his palace, hoping to win the hand of Penelope. She, ever faithful to her husband's memory, will not remarry. She goes to great lengths to keep from having to chose one of the suitors as a husband: ?She set up a great loom in her palace, and set to weaving a web of threads long and fine. Then she said to us [the suitors]: ?Young men, ...wait... until I finish this web, so that my weaving will not be useless and wasted' (II, line 94)?. Penelope never intended to finish the web,

North and South DBQ essays

North and South DBQ essays 1. Although New England and the Chesapeake region were both settled by people of English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved into two distinct societies. Why did this difference in development occur? As England went through a boom in the 1600s after recovering from the black death two centuries earlier, the English and most of Europe had worldwide trade and prospered from it, but not all people came into wealth because of this boom and as the English introduce wool and it made open farmland less profitable so people left in search of a better life, and then when Elizabeth the I severed ties with the roman church it lead to religious outcry and reintroduce the religious differences that were in England. So this all lead to people going out and finding more land and exploring beyond their own back yard. So when the Americas where discovered, two types of people left for the new world, the religiously dissatisfied and the very poor trying to find riches in this far off land. Some settled in New England looking for religious freedom and others in the Chesapeake trying to work and earn a living or to find riches beyond their expectations, these people came for two different reasons and two different causes and settled in different places so it is no surprised that New England and the Chesapeake were two very different places. In the North lots came on the Mayflower and founded a colony on Plymouth and as they came for religious reasons, they bought their already establish families and sometimes even their slaves so they can start a new life, here is just what one typical family would look like according to a ships list heading for New England as referred to in document B: Musachiell Benard, of Batcombe, clothier in the county of Somerset As this document proves that the people went to New England to start a new life with ...

Funding of Media Venture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Funding of Media Venture - Essay Example It is the main concern of the following paper to discuss with examples of the key requirements for, and obstacles faced when, seeking funding for a media venture. For a media firm to be able to secure funding, one of the requirements in many cases is a business plan which contains a solid business concept. This is because the funding agencies like the donors, banks or sponsors expect a return out of the funds they invest in the media venture. For this reason, they believe that a media firm with a good business concept would be able to compete effectively with other media firms and in the end make profit. However, the media firms that do not have sound business concepts will in most cases find it hard to acquire funds because they are perceived to be risky businesses that may not compete effectively in the media industry. A good business concept in this case will include details of the winning product and services in form of quality advertisement and creative thinking by the media per sonnel especially the journalists, the presenters and writers. Hewlett-Packard Company for example required that those media companies that seek funding must first ensure that they have a sound business plan. Product viability is another key requirement that venture capitalists tend to look at before providing funding to the media firms. They first look at the probability of success of the product that the media wants to offer in the market. If they realize that the products that the media wants to offer have high chances of success, the funds will be provided with relative ease since they assume that their investments are not going to be put in a business that is too risky with limited chances of survival. Picard noted on the contrary that venture capitalists are in most cases reluctant to provide funds to media firms if they establish that the products on offer have very low chances of success2. Capital Threshold Most companies that provide funding to media ventures require that t he latter have a given amount as part of their financial base before they can be offered funds. This situation was witnessed when HP Company announced their funding program to internet startups in which they required interested media companies to have a financial base of $250000 in capital before they could be considered for funding3. This capital threshold is meant to indicate the seriousness of the media company. The capital base also ensures that the company can provide security to its customers and clients before the business can pick up. This means that those media companies that were seeking funding to venture into the internet services but lacked the stated amount could not get funds from Hewlett-Packard4. Compliance with Government Regulations Before the media venture can be provided with funding from outside sources, they are normally required to be in compliance with government regulations and policies5. This is to ensure that the business that is being financed is a legal entity and operates within the legal framework. The media ventures that comply with the government regulations show signs of seriousness in doing business as opposed to those that fail to comply. Those who provide funding to

Seagate Technology Plc. (STX) Company Analysis Essay

Seagate Technology Plc. (STX) Company Analysis - Essay Example In the next section, a more comprehensive analysis is rendered considering the whole economy, with both an industry analysis and company analysis as part of the overall analysis of this paper. It included both qualitative and quantitative assessments of the company to have an idea of the various threats and challenges it is currently facing as well as the opportunities in the market. The third section is the conclusion portion of this paper and summarizes what has been stated in previous sections. It also reiterates the important points raised by the company analysis so that a potential investor can make an informed judgment on the company based on facts the paper has presented so far. The fourth and last section is the recommendation which suggests a buy position for the company but only for the medium term investment horizon and further subject to a periodic quarterly review. This is because the very nature of the computer industry is that of rapid technological change and short pr oduct life cycles that can render even market leaders with an uncertain viability in a â€Å"nightmare moment† (strategic inflection point). Keywords: buybacks, data storage devices, flash memory, hard disks, hard drives, Seagate Table of Contents Section Page Number Executive Summary..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.......1 A. ... ..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..................... 4 B.1 Economic Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦... 4 B.2. Industry Analysis..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦................................................†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 B.3. Company Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦................................................................................6 B.3.1 History and Other Information.†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..........................................†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦7 B.3.2 Qualitative Fundamentals†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...8 B.3.2.1 Management Team†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 B.3.2.2 Business Model†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.8 B.3.2.3 Competitive Advantage†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.8 B.3.2.4 Board of Directors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..9 B.3.2.5 Negative Factors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.9 B.3.2.6 Share Buyback Program†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦10 B.3.3 Quantitative Fundamentals.........................................†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....10 B.3.3.1 Balance Sheet (3-year trend)...................................................................11 B.3.3.2 Income Statement (3-year trend ).................†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....12 C. Conclusion.................................................................................................................13 D. Recommendation.......................................................................................................13 E. Bibliography..........................................................................................................14-16 A. Introduction This paper is a research report on the

Drilling for Oil in Alaska Essay Example for Free

Drilling for Oil in Alaska Essay Currently, there are more than 70 million drivers who drive more than 113 million vehicles each day. Compared to 30 years ago, drivers have increased their driving by about 44 percent in terms of the miles they have driven. It is likewise suggested that since 1970, traveling vehicles per year have increased about 145 percent. These information is according to the American Petroleum Institute; with increased driving miles and vehicles traveling on the road comes the corresponding increase in the need for fuel (Beyond, int). Though fuel can be considered the most reliable source of energy, it is unfortunate that it is not the most environmental friendly source. Any individual who choked walking behind a car due to exhaust fumes knows for a fact that it is not beneficial for the environment as an energy source. Right after cars leave noxious black smoke, the need to have some effective means of fuel refinement becomes a pressing concern. The gas industry did not take long to develop technology for cleaner fuels. Modern fuels including unleaded fuels in the market nowadays are said to be less of pollutants and less hazardous compared to fuels of the past decades. According to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, there was a dramatic 41% decline in vehicle emissions since 1970. While there was such a decline, this does not mean that the associated environmental problems on fuels are solved (Beyond , int). The major issue is in the process of getting crude oil from the earth. Transport accidents, oil spills and pipe leaks still remain common. The American Petroleum Institute asserts that there are many steps which are initiated to ensure that natural gas and oil can have minimal impact in the environment upon production. Moreover, the institute also asserts that with the use of diect technology in drilling, they are allowed to access gas resources and oil that lie beneath the sensitive areas of the earth (Chance 105). So far, despite the very impressive advancements in drilling technology, human intrusions and oil rigs still continue to modify the environment and cause habitat devastation. The Alaska Wilderness League’s legislative director, Brian Moore knows the harm produced by drilling. According to him, the Prudhoe Bay 400 toxic spills annually, and those spills do not only affect the drilling site but also nearby lands. The devastating effects are clear and real, and these are not made up by environmentalists. It is very difficult to forget the otters, seabirds and seals covered in oil, which slowly died during the spill of 10 million gallons of crude oil in 1989 from Exxon Valdez. It is very natural for environmentalists to campaign and strategize plans against the drilling in a wildlife dense area. The possibility of drilling the lands of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is a well-renowned area for pristine habitat and unique wildlife is shocking and alarming news to all environmentalists and nature lovers (Exxon Valdez disaster—15 years of lies). Viewing the issue from a different angle, the oil drilled in Alaska can reduce the oil imports of the United States of America by 15%, since at present, the oil imports of the country is over 25% from the Middle East. The effect of oil from Alaska in helping in the management of oil prices is very essential. However, it can be quite pointless, given that all Americans can reduce their consumption of oil by simply eradicating commercial vehicle SUVs granted exemptions from the standards of fuel efficiency, developing hybrid technologies and drastically raising the requirements in fuel efficiency (Beyond, int). If the refuge of Alaska is made open for drilling, then the Rocky Mountains and the coast of California will come in next, and if oil drilling will be open everywhere without any limits, the available oil will increase by magnitude, which can probably ensure the energy source of the US for decades. Not only of the US but of the world. The availability of oil will help the industrialization of many nations; however, in the same measure, the risks to the environment will also substantially increase (Berger 40). The officials of the Bush administration claim that the drilling in the areas of the Arctic will pave the way to enhancing U. S security by diminishing imported oil dependence. They are also promoting this controversial undertaking by asserting that drilling will help reduce the shortages on energy of the country. On the other hand, only a meager portion of electricity comes from oil. It was explained by the American Petroleum Institute that crude oil prices are established in the world markets retorting to supply and demand. The fresh discoveries will be critically significant to supply. Each oil barrel domestically produced is one less barrel that should be bought from foreign sources. In the long term, added U. S. supplies will help reduce the prices of crude oil given that the demand for crude oil from sources which are not from the US is muck lower compared to what it will be without additional domestic production (Berger 85). To alleviate the emergency of frequent blackouts in California and the increasing prices of gasoline, President Bush is promoting the increase in supply of energy instead of decreasing its demand. It may be too late to put a stop to the rising prices of gas, especially for traveling seasons like summer. The president is supporting the plan of utilizing the oil supply of Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (LaDuke 30). As expected, this proposition of the president has clashed with activists of the environment and with some residents of the targeted area. They are arguing that ANWR’s available supply of oil is insufficient to validate the potential damage to the environment. It is very hard believe that oil drilling in Alaska will guarantee benefits to the citizens of the US, since any kind of oil in existence will take almost a decade to enter the oil market and the estimates on the oil amount in the area are but tentative. Moreover, prices of oil will not change from drilling oil in Alaska given that the oil amount is minimal in the refuge. Harmful pollution and oil spills are foreseeable effects of this proposal of drilling from the area (Stage, int), and much more if it goes together with industrialization. In Alaska, there is an estimate of 300 to 400 oil spills annually, which is approximately greater than one oil spill a day (Oil spills in, int). America’s largest oil spill was the oil spill of Exxon Valdez in Prince William Sound, Alaska last 1989 on March 24. More or less, 10. 9 million gallons have spilled to over 1,100 miles of coastline in Alaska. It all began when an oil tanker hit a reef in the Sound (Heinrichs). The death toll of wildlife was extremely upsetting. Over 2,800 sea otters, 250,000 seabirds, 300 harbor seals, nearly two dozen whales and 250 bald eagles (Don’t, int) perished due to the event. Oil is still present in the area and it is now toxic (Exxon, int) even though Exxon insists that everything is been cleaned and paid for. A more recent event happened on December 7, 2004, where a freighter of Malaysia ran aground. It was carrying 21,000 of diesel fuel and 483,000 gallons of heavy bulk fuel (Oil spill devastates, int). The oil spill was so alarming and devastating, since oil is extremely difficult to clean up and threatens the refuge of nearby (Oil spill devastates, int). As the drilling increases, the occurrence of oil spills tends to follow in the same pace, such trend is sure to exist with more oil drilling in ANWR even as responsible large companies have promised to respond quickly. The risk of devastating wildlife is always there (Montgomery 38). How can people justify permission of oil companies to drill in an area rich with endangered wildlife? Why do oil companies still continue to drill even with the massive oil spills and its dangers? Is this activity truly worthwhile for the country? Sadly, these questions remain unanswered; however, it does not mean that these should not be asked incessantly. While importing foreign oil is a dire need, the solution is not in the destruction of pristine areas for oil supply. What should be done is for the government to invest dollars from taxes in renewable and clean energy (Stage, int). Together with this proposal for the government, Americans should act to help save what remains of our wildlife. ANWR is something that the United States of America can truly be proud of primarily because of its wildlife. It is unlike anything else. Its beauty is incomparable and unmatched. The prospect of drilling the land for oil should not be presented to oil companies. Such activity should be be discouraged as much as possible, there are many other ways to find alternative energy sources. Everyone must help to protect and preserve one of Alaska’s grandeurs or else, it will just be a picture of a beautiful landscape left in everyone’s memory. Works Cited Berger, Thomas R. Village Journey: The Report of the Alaska Native Review Commission, Hill Wang, New York. 1995. p. 40 â€Å"Beyond the Brooks Range: What is at Stake in Alaska Concerns More Than Just Caribou†. Ecoworld. com. 28 December 2004. http://www. ecoworld. com/home/articles2. cfm? tid=360. 25 March 2008. Chance, Norman A. The Inupiat and Arctic Alaska: An Ethnography of Development. Holt, Rinehart Winston Press, New York. 1990. p. 105 â€Å"Don’t Allow Big oil to drill in the Arctic National wild life Refuge†. Defenders of Wildlife. 17 March 2005. http://www. defenders. org/wildlife/arctic/print/overview. heml. 25 March 2008. â€Å"Exxon Valdez disaster—15 years of lies†. Greenpeace. 19 March 2005. http://www. greenpeaceusa. org/features/details? item_id=681778. 25 March 2008. LaDuke, Winona. Alaska: Oil and the Natives. Earth Island Journal. San Francisco: 2003. Vol. 18, Iss. 3, p. 30. Montgomery, David. ANWR 1002 area and development: One question, many issues. Oil Gas Journal. Tulsa: 2003. Vol. 101, Iss. 15; pg. 38, 5 pgs â€Å"Stage is set to drill in Arctic Refuge†. Greenpeace. 19 March 2005. http://www. greenpeaceusa. org/features/details? item_id=796496. 25 March 2008.

Impact of Identity Theft in E-Commerce

Impact of Identity Theft in E-Commerce ABSTRACT In the world of today, where time is money and information is a corporate asset, protection of data confidentiality and integrity has become critical. Today, companies are focusing much more on how to secure their businesses from identity fraud, which has emerged as the modern day menace. As I found research on identity theft is rather limited. This research will provide more knowledge of the subject. The aim of this research therefore was to find and assess the impact and the level of identity theft in e-commerce. This was achieved by using analytic induction from the existing research literature and analysis of feed back from the various business executives, industry specialists and company clients through a questionnaire. After introducing identity theft and its impact on the corporate sector in detail, in the first two chapters with the data protection laws; it discusses their merits, demerits, controls and loopholes, the third chapter of this study delves into the methods and techniques used to prevent identity theft, it discusses in detail their efficacy, efficiency, implications and limitations while the last chapter is a case study of an organization where , existing data has been collected from various sources and has been critically analyzed and reviewed. A quantitative method approach has been employed in carrying out this research, besides carrying out a case study of an organization Moreover, aim to decrease the risk and effects of identity theft in e-commerce possible best practice techniques were identified through this research which was achieved through a study of existing literature which results the formation of a policy document. This policy document was also evaluated by industry experts. INTRODUCTION Like Mcleod and Scheel (2001) says, â€Å"e-business creates higher customer satisfaction, by providing quicker service, less effort to buy a product or service, and less business cost compared to a business run without the use of information technology (IT)†. Internet is also called worldwide network of computers. It provides excellent opportunities for an organization to do their business online. To get more customers and to increase the publics awareness of the business, it is very important to represent themselves on the Internet and their products, resulting in increased sales volume and higher profits. Security implications hold back the business. Nowadays, Credit card companies, banks and software companies work together to produce a broad standard to do safe online business. Whereas on the other hand System Hackers are trying to get as much information as possible, which they can easily sell in the black market. Some of the staff in companies also busy in selling their customers details in the same black market. Specific guidelines should be followed by companies to develop a safe and successful appearance in the online business. Some critics like Professor Richard Walton CB, (2005) however quarrel, The rise of the Internet and other modern technologies has brought about a fundamental change in commercial life. He further says that thieves have been stealing wallets and credit cards for a long time, but the growth of online buying and on-line banking has made Identify Theft the fastest growing white-collar crime in the U.K. and America, Its a big problem, and it can happen to anyone. On the other hand, some people are disagreed that the major cause of Identity theft is internet. As per Thomas C. Greene (2005) he said, that The vast majority of incidents can be traced to (what he calls) skimming, or dumpster diving, he goes further to say that plain stupidity among those who own our personal data are also contributive. Only a small fraction of such incidences result from on line transactions. I found majority of research is on the topic of identity theft, which usually consists of some variations in the phrase identity theft is the fastest growing crime in the United kingdom or it begins with a quaint anecdote about the tens of thousands of identity theft victims that emerge each year. According to a report published in the American angle, Anne P.Minz (2002) which says that the consumer sentinel network of agencies gathering data on e-commerce fraud, reports that in 2001 alone, there were 204,000 complaints, compared to 138,900 reported in 2000. It is noticeable that 47% increase demonstrates the growing nature of the problem. Figures such as the ones noted above are apparently disconcerting, in other to glean possible remedies which in turn demands for additional research on this issue. There are so many occasioning of identity theft and different ways this may be consummate. The overheads and wounded are considerable to financial institutions as well as individuals, but the overheads are often difficult to reveal or enumerate, mainly for individual punter sufferers. If an individual is auspicious enough to avoid financial responsibility for the theft, in so many ways they still endure losses in different ways, which may not be substantial; most of the time the affecting damage is very heavy that some sufferers commend suicide while so many others hunt for therapeutic or psychiatric assistance. In an attempt to recover from the theft or loss, sufferer may end up costs more money and time. These two must not be perplexed as theft resembles fraud in that and both engagedin some form of unlawful takings, but fraud requires an extra component of false pretenses formed to persuade a sufferer to turn over wealth, property or other services. Theft, by difference, needs only the illegal captivating of anothers possessions withthe aim to enduringly divest the other of the possessions. Harsh punishment is for fraud because of more planning is involved in that than does the theft. However, for the use of this study we are going to focus on identity theft in e-commerce in accessing the effect on online business in UK. Definition of Identity Definition of Theft â€Å"Theft† can be defined as per English Law act 1968 section (1). Subsection (1), that a person is guilty of theft if he is deceitfully appropriates property belongs to another with the purpose of enduringly miserly the additional of it; and that steal and theft shall be construed consequently. It is irrelevant whether the appropriation is made with a view to expand, or is made for the thiefs own benefit. As per encyclopedia dictionary 2007, Sometimes theft is used synonymously with larceny as a term; however, we can say that, it is actually a broader term, encircling many forms of dishonestly taking of property, including cheating, double-crossing and false pretenses. Some states categorize all these offenses under a single statutory crime of theft. Property belonging to another is taken without that persons consent will be assumed as theft, where Theft could be regarded as criminal act. Sense of Identity Theft In the Identity theft and assumption prevention Act of 1998 the term identity theft was first codified, where the act makes it as a federal crime when someone deliberately uses or transfers, without legal permission, a means of identification of another person with the aim to commit, or to aid or support, any unlawful activity that constitutes a breach of federal law, or that constitutes a offense under any applicable state or local law. In addition, the act defines it as a means of identification as any name or number that may be used, alone, or in combination with any other information, to identify a specific person. Identifying information is noted to be, surrounded by other things, passport number, a name, date of birth, drivers license or national insurance number (NI), access device or telecommunication identifying information. Identity theft may be broadly defined as the unlawful acquirement or the use of any aspect of an individuals personal information for committing some form of criminal activity (Hoar, 2001; LoPucki, 201; Slosarik 2002). This definition is proposed to cover any type of crime that falsely uses a victims name, home address, bank account, credit / debit card number, national insurance number, date of birth, etc. (Federal trade commission, 2004) Formal Definition of Identity Theft Although the act of simply embezzlement ones private information is an offense, the key factor to be notable here is that this information is then used to declare to be someone else. In other words we can say when someone else uses your identity as his own with the ultimate ambition for fiscal, material, and monetary gain. The Internet, the evolution of e-commerce, online shopping, and wireless capability, the explanation of identity theft can be further extended to comprise such things as the hacking into the customer databases of large organizations; stealing of usernames and passwords; the theft and hacking of network login sessions; and onwards. The development of e-commerce and particularly Wireless has compounded the problem of identity theft. Basically, it can happen worst yet to anyone, anywhere and at anytime, at variable edges in the way that information can easily be stolen. For example, Identity theft can occur by an individual simply rummaging through the trash cans at the local dumpster (the technically it is well-known as â€Å"Dumpster Diving†, and will be discussed later). Identity theft can also happen at your workplace, particularly if you do most of your work through telecommuting over a wireless link. Suppose yourself sitting in a cafà © at the train station, and while you are waiting for your train. Your laptop computer is connected to the â€Å"Hot Spot† or wireless link at the cafà ©, and you access your confidential customer data as well as an important work e-mail, but how do you know if the wireless link is for authentic? For example, there could be someone sitting next to you, and this person could have set up a fake wireless access point, and you unintentionally logged into that, thinking that you have really linked to a legitimate, safe and encrypted wireless link. Now, you can see that, this person has all the right to use your customer information, usernames and passwords as a result of that fake link, or â€Å"rogue† Wireless access link, And then you are completely unaware to all of this (this situation is well-known as â€Å"The Evil Twins†). Nowadays, you can see every where there is always a case of theft of identity going on almost every day. First, it was simply stealing a Bank Account Number or 16 digits credit card numbers, but now this crime is going on a large scale, where it affects millions of people all at once. Some peoples working in companies where they are steeling and selling customers full details under the table. As according to the BBC world report (March-2008) on local TV news, that HSBC Bank lost one data disk (compact disk) of their customer details. As we move more towards a wireless and mobile world, people who launch identity theft attacks are becoming much more stylish in the manner in which these attacks are launched. We are also seeing a trend today where large corporations are becoming very complacent in protecting their customer databases from these attacks. There are also trends going on where small, Wireless devices with huge capacity are being used in identity theft crime, and private information is even sold during auctioning processes over the internet. Definition of the term â€Å"Electronic Commerce†: â€Å"Electronic Commerce refers generally to all forms of commercial transactions involving both organizations and individuals, that are based upon the electronic processing and transmission of data, including text, sound and visual images† (OECD, 1997), â€Å"Electronic commerce is about doing business electronically. It is based on the electronic processing and transmission of data, including text, sound and video. It encompasses many diverse activities including electronic trading of goods and services, online delivery of digital content, electronic fund transfers, electronic share trading, electronic bills of lading, commercial auctions, collaborative design and engineering, online products (e.g. consumer goods, specialized medical equipment) and services (e.g. information services, financial and legal services); traditional activities (e.g. healthcare, education) and new activities (e.g. virtual malls).† (EC document, 1997) â€Å"Electronic commerce is the carrying out of business activities that lead to an exchange of value across telecommunication networks† (EITO, 1997) â€Å"E-commerce involves business transactions conducted through computer networks. The e-business literature deals with the technical facilities needed to run a business smoothly.†(Laudon and Laudon, 2000) â€Å"E-business creates higher customer satisfaction, by providing quicker service, less effort to buy a product or service, and less business cost compared to a business run without the use of information technology (IT)† (McLeod and Schell, 2001). Both of these approaches to e-business point to changes in the entire vision of a classical understanding of business. Service industrys challenges Companies are using electronic funds transfer (EFT) for their customers as the fast and secure way of transactions, at present; there are two most excellent ways to handle money online: personal checks and credit cards, there are other fast and secure methods to exchange funds online. Electronic funds transfer (EFT) is another name for online money exchange. Here, the exchange of digital money is involved between buyers and sellers. In the front customer authorization is made over the Internet where Banks handles the transactions behind. To ensure higher level of security specialized authentication systems should be adopted. IDs and passwords are one of the most fashionable methods of data security are in use to access a server or Internet site, but these are often poor. To address this problem, Axent Technologies has developed hardware and software solution called Defender that creates unique, one-time passwords that cannot be guessed, shared, or cracked (Venetis, 1999). â€Å"The system incorporates software on the users computer that communicates with the Defender Security Server on the other end. When the user connects with the server, a software token is activated that automatically establishes a dialogue with the server. A new password is generated during each session, removing any possibility that the user will forget to change his/her password on a regular basis† (Venetis, 1999). This study aims not only to evaluate benefits of adopting secure solution to identity-theft, but also to see that what best practices should be adopted by the Companies, which add value to their online business. Through in-depth research, I will be able to examine why customers switch to new online companies for their shopping. I will see techniques other companys uses to give confidence to their customers to retain them. Although there is a very limited research available on prevention of identity theft in e-business, but my aim is to study how I can contribute from the experiences of other companys perspective. By using quantitative method approach, I will try to test the current literature available on the subject matter. The study is based upon research conducted throughout the report from a variety of sources. The scope of the study is the assessment of tools, technologies and architectures that may involve in identify theft in e-commerce. As the scope of â€Å"Identity theft in e-commerce† is a diversified, so I have limited my research to online fraud detection and prevention methods. Why this research? The Literature provides insights into factors underlying the impacts of identity theft on e-business and failure results: customers lack of confidence, inappropriate variety of technologies structures, lack of ability to control and secure online businesses, lack of adoptable techniques and processes, but lack of study on how to secure online business. Research Questions To concentrate the research primary and secondary questions have been devised to establish a central path to guide the research. PRQ:What technologies are currently in place to combat fraud and how do they work? SRQ:Looking at previous fraud prevention techniques, have new technologies actually prevented and deterred fraud from the mainstream areas? The past study on identity theft in e-commerce was not enough to solve the problems. As the cyber crime growing rapidly, it is very difficult to secure online business. The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate why the organization like XYZ UK Limited not able to continue their online businesses and what new techniques and best practices are in use by others to run their online businesses. What are the techniques that were appropriate for identity management and how well the organization (XYZ UK limited) complies with these techniques? The quantitative data was collected through an online questionnaire addressed to approximately 50 business executives, partners, experts and consumers. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This research emphasizes the issues in private company (XYZ-UK Limited) regarding the risk and impact of identity theft that company had faced while doing online business and also the problems they had been through in transactions, made on the Internet. I will also put forward what new techniques should be adopted to increase more business and customers satisfaction. To see companies involved in e-business and how to overcome their problems. Adopt new techniques and ideas to have secure online business. Following are research objectives: To analyze, the affect of cyber crime on businesses and with its consequences on customer relationship. Determine the protection level that the company has provided through its security Policy to maintain the privacy of their customers sensitive information and determine its compliance with industry best practices. To identify the reasons that results for the company in suffering loses and losing business opportunities and determining their plan to overcome those constraints. Analyzing new strategies acquired by the company to achieve the level of protection and review their effectiveness in accordance with existing practices. To provide opinion whether new methods for safe on-line business ensure customers satisfaction or need of improvement. Organization of Research This research is organized as follows. The first chapter, as noted, introduces the research and objectives. The second chapter provides the brief overview of literature on identity theft in e-commerce and describes the critical background identity theft associated with e-commerce., and third Chapter consists of Methodology. Chapter 4 Analysis of the findings of Survey as well as content analysis to assess the scale of the effect of these factors on e-commerce success as supposed. Chapter 5 is a policy document can be used as best practices. CHAPTER2 Literature Review â€Å"Whats my ROI on e-commerce? Are you crazy? This is Columbus in the new world. What was his ROI?† (Andy Grove, chairman of Intel) CHAPTER TWO Literature Review DEFINITION OF E-COMMERCE Various definitions of e-commerce are there; the one given at this point is an attempt to relate to this research. â€Å"Electronic commerce is about doing business electronically. It is based on the electronic processing and transmission of data, including text, sound and video. It encompasses many diverse activities including electronic trading of goods and services, online delivery of digital content, electronic fund transfers, electronic share trading, electronic bills of lading, commercial auctions, collaborative design and engineering, online products (e.g. consumer goods, specialized medical equipment) and services (e.g. information services, financial and legal services); traditional activities (e.g. healthcare, education) and new activities (e.g. virtual malls).† (EC document, 1997) While, defining the term â€Å"Electronic Commerce† ranges from broad (EITO) to the very narrow (OECD), basically they are equivalent. A patent description of transactions rather than the scope of activities are there. A hurdle in drafting a precise definition of e-commerce is the continuing evolution of science and technology and its impact on ever-changing environment. (Civil Jurisdiction, 2002) Identity theft may be broadly defined as the unlawful acquirement or the use of any aspect of an individuals personal information for committing some form of criminal activity (Hoar, 2001; LoPucki, 201; Slosarik 2002). This definition is proposed to cover any type of crime that falsely uses a victims name, home address, bank account, credit / debit card number, national insurance number, date of birth, etc. (Federal trade commission, 2004) Some authors and authorities have obviously been some hard work on the result of identity theft to those whom their identity had been stolen; they were trying to see how identity theft can be avoided and possible ways to avoid ones identity being stolen by the criminal specially in online business and to find what identity theft in e-commerce is about. For instance, Mehdi Khosrowpour (2002) defines â€Å"identity theft is a form of hacking which results in possession of personal data and information by the hackers to masquerade as the true identity owners for future use†. IMPACT OF CYBER CRIMES ON BUSINESS E-commerce oriented Businesses are often having a fear that exposing security weakness gives the opportunity to hackers to penetrate into business sensitive information and do the damage. These concerns have shown to have negative impact on consumer attitudes toward using the Internet to make purchases. (Koufaris, 2002) The outcome is failure in doing business online. The losses can be divided into â€Å"direct† and â€Å"indirect losses†. The complete impact of identity theft is not completely understood so far, but latest researches importance the fast development and major costs linked with the offense have discussed and looking to solve it. Near the beginning debate around identity theft relied on subjective proof which is mainly reported by the popular press Identity theft is in many ways a more harmful act that can have continuous effects on major financial effect on merchants as well as on customers. Recent studies have found that identity theft victims often suffer the same emotional consequences as victims of other crimes. The crime of identity theft can be difficult to track because it takes many forms and is used to facilitate other crimes, such as credit card fraud, immigration fraud, Internet scams, and terrorism. Identity fraud arises when someone takes over fictitious name or adopts the name of another person with or without their consent Rt Hon David Blunkett MP (2002) DIRECT LOSSES Direct losses can be defined as losses in terms of monetary value. Reflection of such costs can be seen as incorporated costs of the market incentives faced by such parties addressing the issue. Surveys conducted by experts show the range of financial losses that the businesses have suffered. Identity theft losses to companies are over two times greater whereas to consumers three times that are linked with conventional payment deception. Analysis of recent consumer surveys has suggested that while users may view the internet as a marketing channel valued for its convenience and ease of use for shopping, security and privacy issues are very influential on decisions to buy online†. (Smith and Rupp, 2002a, b) In e-businesses associated fraud losses are also normally charged back to merchants. From the perspective of the credit card issuer, the cost of identity theft for illegally purchased products is most likely to be claimed against the applicable retailers by the credit card issuer. Internet merchants fraud-related costs are high, and when those costs are combined with growing consumer fears of identity theft it results in significant damage to the business. For consumers, the main impact of identity theft is the unauthorized use of their credit card accounts that could make them suffer financial losses. Corporate identity theft provides perpetrators to conduct industrial sabotage resulting in possible fines to businesses for breach of regulatory rules. Another form of direct losses is the loss of data, according to studies data breaches cost companies losses in terms of administrative performance, management defections and loss of critical and sensitive business data as well as customer data. It will also allow consumers to sue if their personal information is improperly taken from online transactions (Tillman, 2002). It also results in cost overheads for companies to implement preventive measures and techniques. Additionally there will be costs for the recovery of loss-data. It also impacts the company to continue its business processes, above all companies may go out of business because of major data-loss. One more category of direct loss is the loss of equipments and products, since it is very easy for id theft criminal to divert the delivery or shipment of goods by having unauthorized access to the place where it is convenient to pick it up. INDIRECT LOSSES There could be many indirect losses because of identity theft. For example, the time and resources spent on corrective action after the identities and personal information have compromised. However, the ultimate indirect loss, in this regard is, the loss of goodwill, company reputation, customer confidence and relationship with trading partners. Reputation is one of trustworthy behaviour and plays an important part in determining the willingness of others to enter into an exchange with a given actor (Grabner-Kraeuter, 2002, p. 48). It has also estimated that businesses fear to accept large number of orders because of their susceptibility, especially they turn away overseas transactions and hence get to lose business. The combination of financial losses coupled with reputation and customer trust provide great level of damage to the e-businesses. In terms of reputation, it can said that any e-commerce scandal will become headline of news immediately and the media is always curious about such scandals, thus the publicity of any such incident ruins the company reputation largely. Consumers always worry about their privacy. Many researchers have found that, a majority of internet users worry about spreading of personal data, because the person stealing someones data can use it to misuse the bank accounts, conduct a crime using the details of somebody else, can easily get away from worst situations or can even cross countries borders using fake identities, all of the above can create problem for the person whose identity has been used for all such crimes. Liability issues are always in concern when companies are dealing with trading partners or doing the business within a country having strict laws for companies to be found liable if they do not protect their own and critical information of others. Theft of corporate identities may adversely affect morale of third party employees as well as the competitive advantages that a company may have with its trading partners. Using a network perspective, concerning interrelationships between people and organizations, economic relationships between organizations embedded in networks of social relationships (Galaskiewicz, 1985; Granovetter, 1985; Uzzi, 1997). Improper handling of information can also take companies to court where they can held accountable for negligence and can face severe fines including imprisonments. Another aspect of indirect loss is the damage to the credit history of both customers and businesses. Businesses will no longer be able to obtain business loans to boost their business and also cannot obtain insurance benefits from insurance companies. Similar things happens to customers, once their history has been marked susceptible they cannot obtain bank loans, credit cards, health claims and even a better carrier. In summary, the above psychoanalysis shows a picture what an individual or a business might suffer from if cyber criminals steal their identities. E-commerce and Main Categories Nowadays businesses are using heterogeneous computer environments to integrate their proprietary systems with the external world. Database servers and application servers supported with middleware to interface with online connections; these include HR management, supply chain management and customer relationship management. Through electronic networks where the purpose is to achieve businesses, E-Commerce can be separated into major categories: Business-to-Business (B-TO-B) relationship Business-to-Customer (B-TO-C) relationship Business-to-Government (B-TO-G) relationship Consumer-to-Consumer (C-TO-C) relationship Mobile Commerce (m-commerce) relationship The two core categories are Business to Business and Business to Customer. Business to Customer (B-TO-C) B-TO-C e-commerce is a part of the business, which deals with commercial activities between companies and customers. Companies can easily make their strategies according to the needs and requirements of customers, based on analysis of customers statistics in this model, these statistics can be based on marketing, sales and customer service components (e.g. ordering, online assisting, delivering and customers interaction etc.). E-tailing The most common form of business-to-consumer (B2C) transaction is E-tailing. (Electronic retailing) It is the selling of sellable merchandise over the Internet. E-Tailing: Revolutionary Trends in E-Business Recent studies have found that 1997 was the first big year for e-tailing. Dell Computers claimed as they processed a multimillion dollar orders taken through their Web site. In 1996, was the success for Amazon.com welcomed Noble Barnes to launch its E-business site whereas, Commerce Net/Nielsen Media disclosed that 10 million customers had completed purchases on-line. A systematic approach in this regard, needs a good combination of business strategies and dynamic networks. â€Å"The total of these structures is called a dynamic strategic network† (Dyke, 1998). One of the best examples of B-to-C e-commerce is Amazon.com, an online bookstore that launched its site in 1995. The benefits of B-TO-C e-commerce includes that it provides instantaneous communication between consumer and trader as well as products and services can be access globally and transactions happens in real time, whereas the risk includes, the confidentiality and privacy of customers information. Business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) transactions are used in e-commerce and is a type of online shopping. Advantages of B2C e-commerce; The subsequent advantages are: Shopping can be quicker and expedient. Prices and Offers can alter immediately. The website can be incorporated with Call centers directly. The buying experience will be improved by Broadband communications. Background of E-Shopping E-Shopping was in

Business Is Booming Essay

The Broadway Cafe needs to take advantage of e-business strategies if it wants to remain competitive. Create a document that discusses the many e-business strategies that The Broadway Cafe could use to increase revenue. Be sure to focus on the different areas of business such as marketing, finance, accounting, sales, customer service, and human resources. PROJECT FOCUS: * Explain how understanding e-business can help you achieve success in each of these areas. A few questions you might want to address include: 1. What type of e-business would you deploy at The Broadway Cafe? 2. How can an e-business strategy help The Broadway Cafe attract customers and increase sales? 3. What types of metrics would you want to track on your e-business Web site? 4. How could you use an e-business strategy to partner with suppliers? 5. How could a portal help your employees? 6. Would you use Kiosks in the cafe? By implementing the e-business strategy into broadway cafà © I believe that this would help us more to success in our small business. Referring to the e-business strategies I would deploy both the B2B and the B2C strategies. The B2B strategy is definitely a helpful tool that we will be used to deal with all our suppliers. This strategy makes communication between organizations easier.it will help us to keep track of our orders , make our data entry easier for our employee, helps to keep track of our shipment and orders.it will help us to have a good management plan as well.another plan that we can count on is the electronic data interchange EDI by implementing this we would be able to exchange private message between our business and other organizations. From another side we have the B2C strategy and it’s the relationship between our cafà © and its customer.by implementing this strategy in our coffee shop we will allow first all internet users to have access to our coffee sh op and have an idea what’s broadway cafà © is all about and second we’ll allow our customer to have access to their preferable coffee shop. This strategy will allow our customer to make online orders in a small or large quantity and it will make our base of customer larger than before. The e-business strategies in our broadway cafà © will definitely play a big  role in the marketing of our cafà © it will definitely help our customers to meet our new products and to stay attached to the old ones and at the same time it will introduce our product to some new customers . the e-business will definitely help in reducing cost through both strategies the B2B and the B2C.these strategies will allow our customers to have access to their products 24/7 and that help us to increase our sales. A portal is very important for our employee, it makes things easier to understand and clear and allow them to make any important changes that has to be done and showed to public.and from another side kiosk will help our customer to get all information they need online,any events or changes or how to use coupons for discounts etc.