As awareness of human rights increased, as their definition expanded and as new, often authoritarian polities, resorted to torture and repression - human rights advocates and non-governmental organizations proliferated. It has become a business in its own right: lawyers, consultants, psychologists, therapists, law enforcement agencies, scholars and pundits tirelessly peddle books, seminars, conferences, therapy sessions for victims, court appearances and other services.

Human rights activists target mainly countries and multinationals.

In June 2001, International Labor Rights Fund filed a lawsuit on behalf of 11 villagers against American oil behemoth, ExxonMobile, for "abetting" abuses in Aceh, Indonesia. They alleged that company provided army with equipment for digging mass graves and helped in construction of interrogation and torture centers.

This past November, law firm of Cohen, Milstein, Hausfeld & Toll joined other American and South African law firms in filing a complaint that "seeks to hold businesses responsible for aiding and abetting apartheid regime in South Africa ... forced labor, genocide, extrajudicial killing, torture, sexual assault, and unlawful detention".

Among accused: "IBM and ICL which provided computers that enabled South Africa to ... control black South African population. Car manufacturers provided armored vehicles that were used to patrol townships. Arms manufacturers violated embargoes on sales to South Africa, as did oil companies. The banks provided funding that enabled South Africa to expand its police and security apparatus."

Charges were leveled against Unocal in Myanmar and dozens of other multinationals. Berger & Montague filed, last September, a class action complaint against Royal Dutch Petroleum and Shell Transport. The oil giants are charged with "purchasing ammunition and using ... helicopters and boats and providing logistical support for 'Operation Restore Order in Ogoniland'" which was designed, according to law firm, to "terrorize civilian population into ending peaceful protests against Shell's environmentally unsound oil exploration and extraction activities".

The defendants in all these court cases strongly deny any wrongdoing.

But this is merely one facet of torture business.

Torture implements are produced - mostly in West - and sold openly, frequently to nasty regimes in developing countries and even through Internet. Hi-tech devices abound: sophisticated electroconvulsive stun guns, painful restraints, truth serums, chemicals such as pepper gas. Export licensing is universally minimal and non-intrusive and completely ignores technical specifications of goods (for instance, whether they could be lethal, or merely inflict pain).

Amnesty International and UK-based Omega Foundation, found more than 150 manufacturers of stun guns in USA alone. They face tough competition from Germany (30 companies), Taiwan (19), France (14), South Korea (13), China (12), South Africa (nine), Israel (eight), Mexico (six), Poland (four), Russia (four), Brazil (three), Spain (three) and Czech Republic (two).

Passwords have a strange dual nature. The stronger and safer password more likely it will be undermined by human weakness.

It is widely known that passwords are most common means of access control. It is also common knowledge that passwords are 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 destroying integrity of 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 threatening employee's job if a password is not supplied.