Passwords and the Human Factor

Written by Terrence F. Doheny


Passwords andrepparttar Human Factor

Passwords have a strange dual nature. The stronger and saferrepparttar 103738 passwordrepparttar 103739 more likely it will be undermined by human weakness.

It is widely known that passwords arerepparttar 103740 most common means of access control. It is also common knowledge that passwords arerepparttar 103741 easiest way to compromise a system. Passwords have two basic functions. First, they allow initial entry to a system. Next, after access, they grant permission to various levels of information. This access can range from public data to restricted trade secrets and pending patents.

The best passwords are a lengthy and complex mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols. The tendency for people when using these formats is to write them down or store them on a hand held device, etc. thus destroyingrepparttar 103742 integrity ofrepparttar 103743 password.

The integrity of passwords can also be circumvented through “Social Engineering.” People can unwittingly make grave errors in judgment in situations that they may view as harmless or even helpful. For example, a password shared with a forgetful employee can compromise an entire system. In more ominous cases, a con artist or hacker can phone a naïve employee and present themselves as a senior executive or help desk employee to obtain that persons password. People have also been duped by callers claiming an emergency, cajoling or even threateningrepparttar 103744 employee's job if a password is not supplied.

These human lapses can be addressed through employee training and written policies that provide solid guidance and procedures in these circumstances. Training in information security, including password protocols, should be mandatory for every employee ofrepparttar 103745 enterprise. Management support of this training andrepparttar 103746 security policy is critical to its success. To be effective, training should be repetitive with periodic reviews ofrepparttar 103747 company policy. There can also be frequent reminders, such as banners or other notices regarding password security that appear during logon.

Entrepreneurship: What does it really Mean?

Written by Dr. Alvin Chan


Introduction:

In a world where ideas drive economies, it is no wonder that innovation and entrepreneurship are often seen as inseparable bedfellows. The governments aroundrepparttar world are starting to realise that in order to sustain progress and improve a country’s economy,repparttar 103737 people have to be encouraged and trained to think out-of-the-box and be constantly developing innovative products and services. The once feasible ways of doing business are no longer guarantees for future economic success!

In response to this inevitable change, some governments are rethinkingrepparttar 103738 wayrepparttar 103739 young are educated by infusing creative thinking and innovation in their nation’s educational curriculum. Inrepparttar 103740 same vein, they are putting much emphasis onrepparttar 103741 need to train future entrepreneurs through infusing entrepreneurship components withinrepparttar 103742 educational system, especially atrepparttar 103743 tertiary level. Some countries have taken this initiative to a higher level by introducing entrepreneurship education at elementary schools and encouraging them to be future entrepreneurs when they are of age. In a series of survey funded by Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, it was found that nearly seven out of 10 youths (aged 14-19) were interested in becoming entrepreneurs. Being an entrepreneur is nowrepparttar 103744 choice ofrepparttar 103745 new generation as compared torepparttar 103746 preferred career choices of yesteryears such as being a doctor, lawyer or a fighter pilot. In a recent visit torepparttar 103747 bustling city of Shanghai in China, an informal survey was carried out among Chinese youths byrepparttar 103748 author. The results ofrepparttar 103749 survey showed that being an entrepreneur, especially inrepparttar 103750 field of computer and e-commerce, is perceived as a ‘cool’ career and is an aspiration for many Chinese youths Prior torepparttar 103751 ‘opening up’ of modern China, being an entrepreneur was perceived asrepparttar 103752 outcome of one’s inability to hold a good government job and those who dared to venture, were often scorned at by their peers. Times have indeed changed.

With this change in mindset andrepparttar 103753 relative knowledge that entrepreneurs bring forth increased job creations,repparttar 103754 awareness and academic studies of entrepreneurship have also heightened. In many tertiary institutes, many courses of entrepreneurship and innovation are being developed and offered to cater torepparttar 103755 increasing demand. The term “entrepreneurship” has also evolved with numerous variations. The proliferation of jargons such as netpreneur, biotechpreneur, technopreneur and multipreneur are coined to keep up withrepparttar 103756 ever-changing times and business conditions that surround us.

In view of these changes, it is important thatrepparttar 103757 definition of entrepreneurship be refined or redefined to enable its application in this 21st century. To put it succinctly, “Good science has to begin with good definitions (Bygrave & Hofer, 1991, p13).” Withoutrepparttar 103758 proper definition, it will be laborious for policymakers to develop successful programs to inculcate entrepreneurial qualities in their people and organisations within their country.

The paper will provide a summary ofrepparttar 103759 definitions of entrepreneurship provided by scholars in this subject area. The author will also expand on one ofrepparttar 103760 definitions by Joseph Schumpeter to create a better understanding ofrepparttar 103761 definition ofrepparttar 103762 term “entrepreneurship” as applied in today’s business world.

Entrepreneurship throughrepparttar 103763 Years:

It was discovered thatrepparttar 103764 term ‘entrepreneurship’ could be found fromrepparttar 103765 French verb ‘entreprende’ inrepparttar 103766 twelfth century thoughrepparttar 103767 meaning may not be that applicable today. This meaning ofrepparttar 103768 word then was to do something without any link to economic profits, which isrepparttar 103769 antithesis of what entrepreneurship is all about today. It was only inrepparttar 103770 early 1700’s, when French economist, Richard Cantillon, described an entrepreneur as one who bears risks by buying at certain prices and selling at uncertain prices (Barreto, 1989, Casson 1982) which is probably closer torepparttar 103771 term as applied today.

Inrepparttar 103772 1776 thought-provoking book ‘The Wealth of Nations’, Adam Smith explained clearly that it was notrepparttar 103773 benevolence ofrepparttar 103774 baker but self-interest that motivated him to provide bread. From Smith’s standpoint, entrepreneurs wererepparttar 103775 economic agents who transformed demand into supply for profits.

In 1848,repparttar 103776 famous economist John Stuart Mill described entrepreneurship asrepparttar 103777 founding of a private enterprise. This encompassedrepparttar 103778 risk takers,repparttar 103779 decision makers, andrepparttar 103780 individuals who desire wealth by managing limited resources to create new business ventures.

One ofrepparttar 103781 definitions thatrepparttar 103782 author feels best exemplifies entrepreneurship was coined by Joseph Schumpeter (1934). He stated thatrepparttar 103783 entrepreneur is one who applies “innovation” withinrepparttar 103784 context ofrepparttar 103785 business to satisfy unfulfilled market demand (Liebenstein, 1995). In elaboration, he saw an entrepreneur as an innovator who implements change within markets throughrepparttar 103786 carrying out of new combinations. The carrying out of new combinations can take several forms:

The introduction of a new good or standard of quality;

-The introduction of a novel method of production;

-The opening of a new market;

-The acquisition of a new source of new materials supply; and

-The carrying out ofrepparttar 103787 new organisation in any industry.

Thoughrepparttar 103788 term ‘innovation’ has different meanings to different people, several writers tended to see “innovation” inrepparttar 103789 form of entrepreneurship as one not of incremental change but quantum change inrepparttar 103790 new business start-ups andrepparttar 103791 goods/services that they provide (egs, Bygrave, 1995; Bygrave & Hofer, 1991).

Inrepparttar 103792 view of Drucker (1985), he perceived entrepreneurship asrepparttar 103793 creation of a new organisation, regardless of its ability to sustain itself, let alone make a profit. The notion of an individual who starts a new business venture would be sufficient for him/her to be labelled as an entrepreneur. It is this characteristic that distinguishes entrepreneurship fromrepparttar 103794 routine management tasks of allocating resources in an already established business organisation. Thoughrepparttar 103795 definition tends to be somewhat simplistic in nature, it firmly attachesrepparttar 103796 nature of entrepreneurial action with risk-taking andrepparttar 103797 bearing of uncertainty byrepparttar 103798 individual (Swoboda, 1983)

In a Delphi study, Gartner (1990) found eight themes expressed byrepparttar 103799 participants that constituterepparttar 103800 nature of entrepreneurship. They wererepparttar 103801 entrepreneur, innovation, organisation creation, creating value, profit or non-profit, growth, uniqueness, andrepparttar 103802 owner-manager. The themes could be seen as a derivative and expansion of Schumpter’s earlier concept.

Cont'd on page 2 ==>
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use