Scammers The Rise Of Cyber Crime In Britain Documentary 2015

Fascinating documentary regarding cyber-predation in Great Britain and how all levels of government, as well as NGOs, are working together to raise awareness and trying to proactively fight the a never-ending fight.

Next Generation Identification

Since early 2011, in an effort to increase resources available to law enforcement (LE), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has incrementally rolled out their Next Generation Identification (NGI) system which not only enhances the preexisting Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System but expands the biometric data-capture function exponentially. According to the FBI, NGI advancements will “increase the range and quality of its identification and investigative capabilities (Federal Bureau of Investigation, n.d.)” through components such as the Advanced Fingerprint Identification Technology, Repository for Individuals of Special Concern, Latent and Palm Prints, Rap Back, Facial Recognition, and Iris Scan (still currently being beta-tested). NGI additionally enables multi-national collaboration, an especially important feature in today’s war on terror.

FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Assistant Director Thomas E. Bush III purports NGI is not a data collection system but a “database that stores and aggregates information sent to it…from law enforcement agencies. (qtd. Smith, 2008)” yet Privacy advocates suggests otherwise, especially with regards to NGI’s facial recognition capabilities. While the accuracy of fingerprint analysis via NGI has improved from 92% to 99.6 % (Federal Bureau of Investigation, n.d.), the FBI only guarantees that facial recognition software will result in an 85% accuracy rate within a list of 50 candidates generated and only “when the true candidate exists” (qtd. Lynch, 2014). The minimum recommended resolution is .75 megapixels, a shockingly low threshold when compared against the newer iPhones which possess 8-megapixel resolution (Lynch, 2014). (Even Google Glass, which banned the use of facial recognition applications, possess a 5-megapixel camera! (Warman, 2013))

Unfortunately, much of America’s video surveillance infrastructure utilizes technology that does “meet the necessary resolution standards to make accurate facial recognition” (Walker, 2014). Furthermore, a German field study in facial recognition software in 2006 demonstrated only a 60% daytime accuracy rate and a dismal 10% nighttime rate (Smith, 2008). The FBI insists that NGI enables a zero percent false positive feedback because the system does not generate positive identifications but investigative leads. Yet, a database which contains both criminal and non-criminal (i.e. background check for employment) data, capable up processing up to 52 million photo queries a day, has an error rate of almost 8 million people.

Even more unnerving than the lack of accuracy remains a systemic failure to establish working guidelines. Documents released to Electronic Frontier Foundation as a result of a freedom of information lawsuit illuminate that “the FBI and Congress have thus far failed to enact meaningful restrictions on what types of data can be submitted to the system, who can access the data, and how the data can be used” (Lynch, 2014). Many deemed this as unacceptable particularly given that the annual financial obligation necessary to support NGI is suspected of being approximately one billion dollars (Smith, 2008). Nonetheless, the FBI can mitigate concerns over privacy encroachment through transparency in both policy and practice.

The following proposals can alleviate, if not then placate, concerns over privacy intrusions as well as instill the public with a sincere attempt by LE to minimize mistaken identities:

·         instituting a comprehensive policy, based upon significant field testing of enhanced capabilities, that includes standards required to accept data (i.e. higher camera resolution, minimum Galton Points, etc.), the full scope of data complied, methods of data acquisition, accessibility requirements that include limits that cannot be exceeded without a warrant, flow of information, data usage applications, and a recourse for data removal (conditional);

·         the establishment of multiple databases that separate the non-criminal, criminal, and terror suspect information;

·         Non-introduction of criminal data without criminal conviction (except terror investigations);

·         Alignment with both the Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act;

·         Congressional oversight that involves semi-annual briefings; and

·         System accessibility preclude any attempts for information from any non-verifiable and/or non-active LE entities.

Reference List

Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). Next Generation Identification (NGI). Retrieved from fbi.gov: https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/fingerprints-and-other-biometrics/ngi

Lynch, J. (2014). FBI Plans to Have 52 Million Photos in its NGI Face Recognition Database by Next Year. Retrieved from Electronic Frontier Foundation: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2014/04/fbi-plans-have-52-million-photos-its-ngi-face-recognition-database-next-year

Smith, J. L. (2008). The FBI's Next Generation Identification Database. Retrieved from Hendon Publishing.

Walker, L. (2014). FBI Announces Its Facial Recognition System is Ready to Go. Retrieved from Newsweek: http://www.newsweek.com/fbi-announces-its-facial-recognition-system-ready-go-270955

Warman, M. (2013). The Creepiest Google Glass Feature Has Been Banned: No Facial Recognition Apps Allowed. Retrieved from Business Insider: http://www.businessinsider.com/google-glass-facial-rec-apps-banned-2013-6

I See Social Media Everywhere

Social media, and its resultant by-product of social networking, seamlessly integrated themselves into our lives in as much that both concepts have become synonymous. Nevertheless, there resides a difference even if that difference is miniscule. Painting with broad strokes, social media can simply be defined as “web-based communication tools that enable people to interact with each other by both sharing and consuming information” (Nations, n.d.). The difference between social media and social networking then stems directly from the words preceding “social” whereby social media refers to a mediated form of interactive communications via non-traditional mediums (although those non-traditional mediums are becoming the standard) and social networking, sub-categorically, denotes the employment of social media to address an audience in an attempt to establish a relationship.

The global dominating force of social media networking remains Facebook, with its 1.13 billion monthly users (Facebook, n.d.). The most successful non-U.S. based social media networking platforms, defined by both active user accounts and new monthly subscriptions, are, in part, based on the successful model established by Facebook. While Facebook possesses a global virtual supremacy, regional competition continues to challenge that status.

The three largest non-U.S.-based social media networks - Ozone, VK, and Odnoklassniki (French & Shaw, 2016) - demonstrate the status quo challenge stemming from regional upstarts. In China, Qzone, with its 652 million users (Statista, 2016), enables individuals to “blogs, keep diaries, send photos, listen to music, and watch videos…However, most Qzone accessories are not free; only after buying the "Canary Yellow Diamond" can users access every service without paying extra” (Wikipedia, 2016).  VK, properly known as V Kontakte, claims 100 million users (Statista, 2016) and is purported to be “the largest European online social networking service… allow(ing) users to message each other publicly or privately, to create groups, public pages and events, share and tag images, audio and video, and to play browser-based games” (Wikipedia, 2016). Odnoklassnki describes itself as a “social network service for classmates and old friends…popular in Russia and former Soviet Republics” (Wikipedia, 2016).

Culturally-specific social media networks are having an impact in connecting people as well.  For example, MyMFB, or My Muslim Friends Book, is a Muslim alternative to Facebook aimed at connecting the faith’s 1.5 billion plus followers into a single platform (Milanovic, 2015). Facenama, is the ninth most popular website in Iran but, even though Facebook is banned, 58% of Iranians still utilize the American-based service (Jafari, 2015). Another trend worth noting that breaks from “networking” is the aggressive growth of instant messaging applications such WhatsApp, QQ, and WeChat. Individuals certainly reap numerous benefits incipient of this instantaneous connection-driven movement but all of this interaction also comes with a cost to the user.

According to the Society for Human Resource Management, some of the advantages made available via social media networking include open communication, business expansion targeting both consumers and potential employees, and a minimization of advertising capital (Society for Human Resource Mangement, 2012). In addition to global connectivity, social networking enhances educational undertakings, raises awareness for causes, and even assists law enforcement in the pursuit of security objectives. Conversely, some of the disadvantages include the malicious compromise of information, loss of individual productivity, and general misuse (Society for Human Resource Mangement, 2012). Social media networks have negatively produced cyberbullying, health problems including addictive behavior, enabled violations of personal relationship, and even sensationalized unhealthy lifestyles. Invasion of privacy lingers at the forefront of consequential concerns.

Most Americans place incursions into personal privacy as their paramount apprehension. From a commercial perspective, 61% of Americans strongly disagree with the notion that increased access to personal information increases the efficiency of online services (Madden, 2014)). Simply put, people feel reticent when engaging in online endeavors even if only from a generational perspective. Certain digital footprints, particularly personal identifiable information, should be carefully guarded by both the user and the medium receiving the input. Passwords/PINS, social security numbers, and credit card numbers should never be shared. Ultimately, just like the real world, the virtual world offers many pleasures and distractions. By exercising moderation and employing basic risk management principles you will maximize your experience.

Reference List

Facebook. (n.d.). Company Info. Retrieved from Facebook Newsroom: http://newsroom.fb.com/company-info/

French, S., & Shaw, J. M. (2016). The No. 1 Social Network by Country isn’t Always Facebook. Retrieved from MarketWatch: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-no-1-social-network-in-every-country-in-the-world-2016-02-18

Jafari, H. (2015). Even Our President Is More Social Than You! Retrieved from Techrasa.com: http://techrasa.com/2015/08/30/iran-even-president-digs-social-media/

Madden, M. (2014). Public Perceptions of Privacy and Security in the Post-Snowden Era. Retrieved from Pew Research Center: http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/11/12/public-privacy-perceptions/

Milanovic, R. (2015). The World's 21 Most Important Social Media Sites and Apps in 2015. Retrieved from Social Media Today: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-networks/2015-04-13/worlds-21-most-important-social-media-sites-and-apps-2015

Nations, D. (n.d.). What Is Social Media? Explaining the Big Trend. Retrieved from About.com: http://webtrends.about.com/od/web20/a/social-media.htm

Society for Human Resource Mangement. (2012). Social Media: What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networking Sites? What Should We Include in a Policy? Retrieved from SHRM.org: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/hr-qa/pages/socialnetworkingsitespolicy.aspx

Statista. (2016). Leading Social Networks Worldwide as of September 2016, Ranked by Number of Active Users (in Millions). Retrieved from Statista: https://www.statista.com/statistics/272014/global-social-networks-ranked-by-number-of-users/

Wikipedia. (2016). Odnoklassniki. Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odnoklassniki

Wikipedia. (2016). Qzone. Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qzone

Wikipedia. (2016). VK (social networking). Retrieved from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VK_(social_networking)

Cyberlaw Concepts - Death and Taxes in the E-World

Benjamin Franklin is attributed with correlating death and taxes as inevitabilities of life. The virtual world has not empowered an escape from either. Still, the very premise of our democracy derives itself from the war-inducing notion of “no taxation without representation”. Taxation remains the fundamental source of government revenue, revenue designed to facilitate, sustain and protect initiatives deemed essential to a nation. Arising from the dawn of the Internet, e-commerce opened another taxable avenue.

Unless residing in one of a handful of states, most individuals are accustomed to paying a sales tax. Sales tax is an additional cost associated with a purchase, “imposed…as a percentage” (Craig, 2013), beyond the asking price and collected by the seller to be remitted indirectly back to the state/local government as revenue. All business deemed a permanent establishment (PE) within a state with a compulsory sales tax are required to collect such monies. E-commerce challenges the pre-existing concept of sales tax as a requirement of PE.

Although certain items may be exempt from sales tax (i.e. “necessities” and government purchases), online retailers and online auction sellers operating e-businesses outside of a state’s jurisdiction are not required to collect sales taxes unless such entities appease the “substantial nexus” test as predicated by a 1992 Supreme Court ruling established under Quill Corp. v. North Dakota. If an e-business possess a nexus, or physical connection, such entities are inconvenienced with the burden of collection of sales tax. Multiple nexuses across multiple states introduces a matter additionally complicated by the fifty different systems currently operated by the states. State-championed proposals, such as Streamlined Sales Tax Project, or Federal law proposals, such as the Federal Marketplace Fairness Act, are attempts at addressing the fifty-state bureaucratic nightmare. Nonetheless, consumers taking advantage of “tax-free” online shopping are still responsible for paying use tax.

As opposed to sales tax, income tax augments the coffers at both the federal and state level. Income tax is a direct, compulsory contribution to government, levied by government, typically as a percentage of an individual’s or entity’s annual gross financial worth based upon received revenues. At the federal level, that percentage currently ranges between 0% and 39.6% depending on several factors. State percentages vary by state and range from 0% to 13.3%. Here again, unless residing in one of a handful of states, most individuals are accustomed to paying income tax to both the federal government and the state. (Alaska possess the singularity of having neither a sales tax nor state personal income tax.) According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), online sales “may be subject to liabilities for income tax, self-employment tax, employment tax, or excise tax” (Internal Revenue Service, 2016). Generally speaking, online retailers and online auction sellers are required to report earnings generated through sales and to pay income tax on such unless such sales can be equated to engaging in a “hobby” as strictly defined by the IRS.

Another complicated realm under the purview of tax law concerns the taxation of winnings resulting from online pursuits such as gambling. Taxation varies based on both activity and location. The matter is convoluted by a determination of legality so much so that avoidance is the order of business with entities launching offshore operations (Craig, 2013). Yet, gambling, virtual or otherwise, does not allege an illegal action under federal law. In fact, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 does not levy a clear declaration although it does provide for actions to be taken by banking institutions regarding deposits suspected of being generated through illegals mechanisms. Therefore, from a federal perspective, online winnings are taxable as those winnings simply comprise part of an individual’s total income and any losses stemming from such activities are then deductible. While the simplicity of the previous statement precludes an exploration of professional opposed to enthusiast, the Catch-22 with reporting additional income generated via online gambling or wagering comes from the states. Thus, the matter of determining legality remains at the state level. Some states have bans while some states have specific laws concerning online gambling. Some states purport nothing. Accordingly, “the taxpayer bears the burden of having to properly substantiate that a deduction is allowable” (Rosenberg, 2009). As a side note, online sports betting is illegal. Online fantasy sports operations blur the line and now rage at the heart of legal debate.

As a final consideration, telecommuting has dynamically impacted fundamental business processes. What was once a novelty has proven an ideal alternate methodology that attacks multiple societal dilemmas. Current technological advancements combined with better management practices have engendered greater mobility of employees (Craig, 2013) and that mobility has enabled benefits to individuals, businesses and the environment. Unfortunately, cash-strapped states have found a way to undermine this idyllic arrangement by introducing a telecommuter tax, a.k.a. “convenience tax”. Precedent created by cases such as Zelinsky v. Tax Appeals Tribunal of the State of New York (2003) imbue states with the authority to extort taxable revenue double what the individual normal pays. Effectively, any individual residing in one state but working/earning income in another state may face having to file multiple state tax returns for money values beyond just what is earned in the state of employment. Furthermore, the telecommuter tax has ramifications extending beyond the individual. Judicial end-arounds of the “substantial nexus” test, such as Telebright Corporation, Inc. v. New Jersey Division of Taxation (2012), establish dangerous precedent permitting the “stretching the limits of traditional taxing principles in order to collect…tax revenues.  It means…companies must now be judicious when permitting telecommuting…or face increased state tax liabilities and compliance” (McClellan, 2014). 

*Note: Whether engaging in online markets (virtual or real), online gambling, or telecommuting, revenue is revenue and therefore possibly subject to taxation. Cyber-driven initiatives, and the resultant byproducts, have proven to be another advent challenging the quagmire of tax codes. The best source of information regarding taxes and tax liabilities stem from relevant tax law. The counsel of professionals remains paramount to ensuring compliance. As such, this opinion is a cursory overview regarding taxation of some online revenues or initiatives, providing a broad synopsis of potential impact under current U.S. law.

Reference List

Craig, B. (2013). Cyberlaw: The Law of the Internet and Information Technology. Boston: Pearson.

Internal Revenue Service. (2016). Tax Laws and Issues for Online Auction Sellers. Retrieved from IRS.gov: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/tax-laws-and-issues-for-online-auction-sellers

McClellan, C. (2014). Tax Consequences of Telecommuting Employees. Retrieved from carr-mcclellan.com: http://www.carr-mcclellan.com/insights/tax-consequences-of-telecommunicating-employees/

Rosenberg, E. (2009). Online Gambling Poses Tax Conundrum. Retrieved from WSJ.com: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704779704574553763086903756

Whether Raising Chickens or Harnessing the Wind, GIS gets the job done

Early efforts in man’s quest to harness the raw power of earth bore the resemblance of child-like bewilderment. Drill a hole here, put a wind mill up there. Evaluate. Adjust. Relocate. Repeat. Trial and error were the inefficient order of the day without any thought to the consequences. Today’s information-driven approach minimizes both the fiscal and physical impacts. Information Technology, partnered with science, changed the very nature of energy exploration and the resultant profitability of its exploitation. One particular offspring of this partnership is the advent of geographic information systems (GIS), simply described as “a computer system capable of assembling, storing, manipulating, and displaying geographically referenced information” (Stair & Reynolds, 2014).

Wind farming remains one particular explorative endeavor embracing technology. According to U.K.-based consultant Samuel Clark, GIS “methodologies which combines database information with mapping and modeling is at the heart of the process” (Clarke, 2013). Such capabilities enable leadership to visualize, analyze, and interpret human impacts on the natural environment. Additionally, it offers increased efficiency, better decision making, improved communications, and better record keeping (Environmental Systems Research Institute, n.d.). America currently leads the world in harnessing the power of the wind.

Wind farm design constraints primarily consider available wind resources, noise, aviation, air defense, electrical connectivity and electromagnetic interference (Clarke, 2013) with additional constraints evaluating terrain, public acceptance, proximity to protected areas, site accessibility, proximity to the (electrical) grid, availability of installation equipment (Ouma, 2012). As opposed to the agricultural constraints considered by the placement of a chicken farm, wind farms embrace a coexistence with for-profit agricultural endeavors. Consider that “a standard wind farm of 20 turbines will extend over an area of about 1 square kilometre (sic), but only 1% of the land is used...The rest of the land can be used for farming or natural habitat” (Wind Measurement International, n.d.). Additionally, landowners can repeat additional financial rewards by subletting their property.

The table provided below provides comparable constraints and preferences easily identified by the employment of GIS technology via the association of concerns across two different human endeavors. 

Chicken Farm Location Constraints:	Wind Farm Location Constraints
Primary	Primary
·         In an urban or residential area	·         In an urban or residential area
·         In an area of high ecological significance	·         In an area of high ecological significance
·         Within aviation flight paths	·         Within aviation flight paths
·         Too close to another poultry farm	·         Available wind resource
·         In a key mineral extraction area	·         In an area with complex terrain
·         In a low-lying, flood-prone area	·         Noise
·         In a designated water catchment area	·         Electromagnetic interference
Secondary	Secondary
·         On land deemed too steep	·         On land deemed too steep
·         In a national park or other protected areas	·         In a national park or other protected areas
·         On good quality agricultural land	·         Public opinion
·         On land suitable for strategic crops	·         Accessibility
·         On an oil or gas pipeline
·         On acid sulfate soil

Chicken Farm Location Preferences	Wind Farm Location Preferences
·         Near paved roads	·         Near paved roads
·         Near a supply of electricity	·         Near a supply of electricity
·         Near a reliable supply of clean water	·         A reliable wind
·         Near poultry processing plants	·         Near available installation equipment
·         Near poultry feed mills

Reference List

Clarke, S. (2013). Finding the Perfect Site for a Wind Farm. Retrieved from EngineerLive: http://www.engineerlive.com/content/22779

Environmental Systems Research Institute. (n.d.). What is GIS? Retrieved from ESRI.com: http://www.esri.com/what-is-gis

Ouma, C. (2012). Assessing Locations for Wind Power Generation. Retrieved from ExploringGreenTechnology.com: http://exploringgreentechnology.com/wind-energy/assessing-locations-for-wind-power-generation/

Stair, R. M., & Reynolds, G. W. (2014). Fundamentals of Information Systems (8th ed.). Boston: Cengage Learning.

Wind Measurement International. (n.d.). FAQ. Retrieved from windmeasurementinternational.com: http://www.windmeasurementinternational.com/wind-info/wind-energy_faq.php

Business Intelligence at Irish Life

Pioneering IT developer IBM noted that many big businesses are “unable to interpret 90 percent of their information” (Savvas, 2011). Leading insurance provider and retirement planner Irish Life stood out as one of those business unable to access, and therefore interpret, data-rich information.

Paul Egan, IT manager for business intelligence at Irish Life, succinctly described the data analytics environment arising from use of Oracle Discoverer as “MIS Monday Madness…copying and pasting and emailing…to satisfy audiences” (McKenna, 2011). Irish Life’s environment was facilitated by a mismanagement of accessibility that defined information accessibility as the sole realm of IT.  Such a outdated purview of roles engendered a system that failed to empower the appropriate personnel with the correct applications. The end result produced “static, with little trend analysis” (McKenna, 2011) reporting with poor functionality and a lack of individual service. A change was needed.

Mr. Egan’s vision foresaw individual environments were his IT staff could “enable data sources for power users to build dashboards” (McKenna, 2011) leaving the dedicated IT staff to focus on data development. Adoption of such a forward-thinking initiative requires operator criticism in order to induce a product which provides better user functionality. After a two-month test period that involved multiple systems and direct feedback, Tableau was chosen because its “strength is in allowing non-IT professionals to build their own dashboards which can then be published on the internet or distributed on mobile devices” (Smith, 2012).

Irish Life also dictated that any system chosen must support business growth and retention but maintain a “primary focus…to improve the sales pipeline and customer service management” (Savvas, 2011). Irish Life’s power users needed business intelligence capabilities which could “graphically represent data across the organisation (sic), improve decision-making and map patterns and trends in a cleaner way” (Savvas, 2011) by combining historical trends, real-time fiscal performance and future financial predictions.

Furthermore, Irish Life consciously decided customer ownership remained a necessary byproduct of their initiatives. Through the introduction of mobile-accessibility and online tools, customers are endowed with knowledge and feel a sense of control over their financial destiny. Customers can now engage better educated financial advisors using supported analysis regarding market predictions with the ability to “monitor a range of different aspects…such as sales margins, costs, the value of new business and head count” (McKenna, 2011). Consequently, Irish Life “tripled its customer base” (Stair & Reynolds, 2014).

Reference List

McKenna, B. (2011). Irish Life Chooses Tableau over QlikView, Oracle. Retrieved from ComputerWeekly: http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240112678/Irish-Life-chooses-Tableau-over-QlikView-Oracle

Savvas, A. (2011). Irish Life Deploys New BI System. Retrieved from ComputerWorldUK: http://www.computerworlduk.com/data/irish-life-deploys-new-bi-system-3321944/

Smith, G. (2012). Irish Life Chooses Tableau to Deliver Business Intelligence Dashboards. Retrieved from SiliconRepublic.com: https://www.siliconrepublic.com/enterprise/irish-life-chooses-tableau-to-deliver-business-intelligence-dashboards

Stair, R. M., & Reynolds, G. W. (2014). Fundamentals of Information Systems (8th ed.). Boston: Cengage Learning.