The military is warning of increased threatening internet activity from China. Companies like Google and GoDaddy.com are reporting that in the past few months they have both received an increasing number of attacked that appear to originate from China. Both companies have stated that they are limiting their business in China immediately. U.S. Navy Admiral Robert Willard said "U.S. military and government networks and computer systems continue to be the target of intrusions that appear to have originated from within the PRC (People's Republic of China)," in a report that he gave in front of Congress earler this week.
Dell is another huge company that does business in China. They have over 5000 employees in China and they do about 25 billions dollars in outsourcing there. If Dell removes itself from China and looks elsewhere for locations for their manufacturers this could be a major blow to China. Maybe the threat of Dell leaving China will prompt the Chinese government in to action. So far the China government has not played a role in stopping these attacks or investigating them. Perhaps the loss of revenue will also motivate China to deploy an investigation.
What is the purpose behind the Chinese attacks on the U.S network? Are the attacks coming from a civilian or the government? What information have they intercepted already? What precautions can we take to prevent security breaches?
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Feds on Social Sites
An article recently in the Indianapolis Star covered Federal investigators on social websites like, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and etc. The Feds are able to check alibis by using services like Foursquare and updates from Twitter. The person of interest will update their status location and it differs from the alibi that they gave police. They can also use Facebook photos as evidence against someone who stole items and posted a picture of him/her with it. When an agent takes on a case they are advised to research their suspect and it now includes the social websites mentioned. It is completely acceptable in court to use the evidence found on these sites. Its almost funny that an FBI agent doesn't even have to "friend" you necessarily on Facebook and he or she can gather evidence against you.
Its not a new trend that Feds are going under cover online. I remember a few years earlier I remember chat rooms being all the rage. Shows like 20/2o and Dateline would do shows featuring catching predators from those websites. There was an anonymity to those chat sites and children could be easily fooled. They would believe they were talking to a 10 year old girl about Barbies but really she was talking to a 40 year old man with other things on his mind.
Since I've recently had a laptop stolen from me I would love to get a call from the police saying they saw the criminal with my laptop....on Facebook! If the Feds are able to build their case against criminals and win then its a wonderful idea.
A Electronic Frontier Foundation in San Francisco doesn't agree with me. They believe its a violation on our civil liberties and is now suing the Justice Department.
Whether you believe its a violation on our civil liberties or not its hard not to agree that social sites are huge and both sides of the law are utilizing it!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Week 8
This is the time of year that taxes must be filed. Recently I filed my taxes and I completed it online. Accounding to the article Tax-Prep Site found at http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/190866/taxprep_sites_the_big_three_fight_for_your_2009_return.html
there is three main competitors for online tax filing. They are Turbo Tax, H&R Block and TaxAct. Since each service offers varying degrees of importing the previous year's return into the current return many users stay with the same provider from year to year. Turbo Tax offers the best import service. Although Turbo Tax is the most expensive it seems to also offer the most support. There is an online community, a telephone number, and a support section on their website.
H&R Block went through a make over and it is cosmetically more appealing. H&R does not offer the ability to offer all forms such as the 1099 which puts it at a disadvantage to Turbo Tax. It also does not allow you to jump from one section to the next. You must file your return in a step by step process that H&R dictates for you.
TaxAct allows the users to jump from section to section. It does not allow imports from many forms but it is the least expensive of the three. The support for TaxAct is limited and if your new to filing your own taxes it may not be your best choice.
Filing taxes online can be easy and a lot less expensive than taking it to a professional. All three of the above services make it possible to do it yourself. I have always done my own taxes. Its a learning process but an interesting one. I enjoy having the knowlege of where my money goes each year and how I file. Each year I research the new credits and cuts. Its another way to keep control over my dollars. If you do choose to have a professional file your taxes for you be sure to know exactly what he or she is doing. Do not be left out in the dark. It is your money and you better know where its going!
I can breathe a sign of relief that my taxes done and that I can check one more item off my to-do list. Which tax service do you use? Do you take your taxes to a professional? What are the advatages and disadvantages?
there is three main competitors for online tax filing. They are Turbo Tax, H&R Block and TaxAct. Since each service offers varying degrees of importing the previous year's return into the current return many users stay with the same provider from year to year. Turbo Tax offers the best import service. Although Turbo Tax is the most expensive it seems to also offer the most support. There is an online community, a telephone number, and a support section on their website.
H&R Block went through a make over and it is cosmetically more appealing. H&R does not offer the ability to offer all forms such as the 1099 which puts it at a disadvantage to Turbo Tax. It also does not allow you to jump from one section to the next. You must file your return in a step by step process that H&R dictates for you.
TaxAct allows the users to jump from section to section. It does not allow imports from many forms but it is the least expensive of the three. The support for TaxAct is limited and if your new to filing your own taxes it may not be your best choice.
Filing taxes online can be easy and a lot less expensive than taking it to a professional. All three of the above services make it possible to do it yourself. I have always done my own taxes. Its a learning process but an interesting one. I enjoy having the knowlege of where my money goes each year and how I file. Each year I research the new credits and cuts. Its another way to keep control over my dollars. If you do choose to have a professional file your taxes for you be sure to know exactly what he or she is doing. Do not be left out in the dark. It is your money and you better know where its going!
I can breathe a sign of relief that my taxes done and that I can check one more item off my to-do list. Which tax service do you use? Do you take your taxes to a professional? What are the advatages and disadvantages?
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