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Saturday 30 July 2011

Balochistan Can Be Saved

That governance has never been our forte is a fact that is evident from the extravagance with which incidents of violence are surfacing in Balochistan. Despite special efforts being directed towards it by the government and the armed forces, the province successfully remains grossly underdeveloped and backwards. In this backdrop it becomes essential to analyze the unrest and the factors responsible for such a state that perpetuate and subsequently lead to demands of an ‘independent’ Balochistan.

Despite severe economic setbacks there have been no cuts in the allocation of funds for the province. In the fiscal year 2010-11 Balochistan alone received Rs152bn which amounts to Rs100bn increase from that of the financial year 2004-05. Furthermore, a 4% increase in Balochistan’s share from the Divisible Pool has been a landmark of the NFC Award along with a 12-year installment of gas development charges of a total sum of Rs120bn. An additional Rs10bn grant was also released by the federal government in 2009. The shift of GST (General Sales Tax) to the provinces became another significant feature that turned into a major source of revenue generation for Balochistan.
It is an enigma why the province is experiencing yet another upheaval despite soaring of funds and resources. The age old grievances, it appears, are being exploited for the wrong ends. Why has the provincial government not been able to make a difference in the lives of the people? Why are the funds not being utilized? This underutilization of resources surely offers no genuine prospect for any miraculous improvement, thus becoming instrumental in maintaining the status quo.
The virtual indifference of the state apparatus has forced the people to lead a nomadic life in the post modern age when education and technology ought to have turned the dry barren land into an oasis of prosperity. Concentrating on trivial matters of personal interest, almost every government has leased the entire province to the sardars, who have kept strict control over the local populace turning the province into an example of personal fiefdom to maintain their power politics.
The question that needs to be asked here is who are these self appointed custodians of the Baloch people? Have they actually been chosen by the locals and have all the attributes to be classed as their true representatives? Are they actually advocating the Baloch case or once again, fueling discord? Who benefits from the formation of an independent Balochistan State? Where does the change in leadership guarantee a distinct improvement in the lives of the masses? Will the wealth that actually belongs to the citizens be made accessible to them at all or will the same exploitation perpetuate with a changed set of hands.
Background interviews with a number of prominent figures both at provincial and federal level, formerly or currently involved in the administrative or security affairs of the province almost commonly suggest that unless a massive development work is started on district levels, under a well-coordinated contingency plan, the situation cannot be turned to normal. Furthermore, cognizance of the threat of a big magnitude at national level is missing; the province can be saved from slipping into hands of insurgents if the entire nation, government, security apparatus, intelligentsia and civil society join don’t stand together. In words of former DG FC, “Pakistanis are a nation that can do wonders.”
The ability to perform miraculously, however, has been marred by the predominant sardari control over the lives of the people. These sardars can be easily classed as a growing ’beggar mafia’ with only one vocation; to sell their grievances and collect money from both the Centre and foreign forces. Thus, development of any sort would prove detrimental to this lucrative career which virtually thrives on violence and bloodshed. This turbulence and the tribal culture keep the law enforcers at bay, resulting in a huge security gap that benefits the separatist agenda.
The resultant void thus spells the need for the Frontier Corps as the only effective law enforcement agency to enter the province with the full support of the government. What was primarily the responsibility of the state was shifted conveniently to the shoulders of the FC and along with it the right to be criticized for every ill that befalls the province. Therefore, the entire security and safety aspect of the province including that of cities, borders, developmental projects etc was undertaken by the FC.
According to the data provided by the FC a total of 1,623 illegal immigrants have been checked by the law enforcement agencies in the past six months and handed over to the police for interrogation. Among them 14 were from Iran, 15 from Bangladesh and the rest Afghan citizens who had entered Balochistan illegally.
One is compelled to ask what is the apparent attraction these foreign individuals have for coming to Balochistan? Is it vacationing or sightseeing that they seek to indulge in? With an increase in violence against the state and law enforcement forces one needs to ask from where the insurgents acquire the relentless supply of arms and ammunition. Could these illegal entrants have something to do with it?
In the past six months Balochistan has witnessed around 107 incidents of attacks on gas installations, 6 on railways and railway tracks, 43 rocket attacks along with 64 incidents of targeted killings and 142 abductions by insurgents. The security forces are surely not spared by the insurgents as a total of 2,000 FC soldiers have lost their lives in these attacks so far.
With the rapidly deteriorating law and order situation the societal practices and responses have also altered visibly. It wouldn’t be entirely incorrect if we state that the society is acting as a resistant force against the fight to curb terrorism. This demoralizes the security forces that are under great duress from the threat they face from insurgents while facing an increased criticism directed towards them from within the society.
Most of us have forgotten or maybe never realized that we are at war where we have multiple enemies that can strike from every direction at any time. To end this agonizing era we have to play an equal and constructive part along with those who are fighting to keep the pieces of our land together.
The Balochistan turmoil needs to be viewed in a larger perspective that includes the economic, political and cultural context of the province in view. Where, the tribal social organization proves to be the major hindrance in exploiting available funds and resources for maintaining hegemony and perpetuating existing power paradigms. Strongholds of tribal ethnic politics over people need to be deconstructed and restructured to empower the masses.
For this state to materialize, however, coordination between all the operating forces in Balochistan is the only formula. The politicians, administration, judiciary, the society and the law enforcing agencies need to strike harmony with each other to augment their functional potential to bring long lasting peace and resolve age old issues. Peace in Balochistan is certainly not a mission impossible.

Pakistan: Conflict Profile

Since its birth in 1947 the Pakistani state has been repeatedly challenged by various groups on the basis of nationalism, regional separatism, religious doctrine and political ideology. This instability has been mirrored in domestic politics, where democracy has been regularly interrupted by authoritarian military rule (Auyb Khan 1958-69, Yahya Khan 1969-70, Zia ul-Haq 1977-88, Pervez Musharraf 1999-2007). In recent years, democratic rule has returned, and Musharraf was the president of Pakistan until August 2008, succeeded by Ali Asif Zardari.
Pakistan is currently facing several distinct but inter-related conflicts, both international and domestic.

The scars of partition

In 1947, colonial Britain divided the subcontinent into two new states: a mostly Hindu India, and a mostly Muslim Pakistan. Partition caused between 200.000 and 360,000 deaths, while 10 to 12 million people became refugees in the largest population transfer in our era. The young state of Pakistan has faced several waves of regional conflict and separatism that have their root in partition. Pakistanis often refer to Kashmir as their jugular vein or “Shehrag” in Urdu. Indeed, Kashmir remains an open wound since partition, opposing the Pakistani and Indian governments in an unending territorial dispute. The conflict has included three full-blown wars (1947-48, 1965 and 1971) and a smaller war at Kargil in 1999, taking a heavy toll on the local population. Between 1971 to 2008, both India and Pakistan lost roughly 13,000 lives over Kashmir, while the insurgency and military operation have claimed over 30,000 lives since 1989. Some estimates place the death toll in Indian administered Kashmir well over 100,000 during the 1990s alone when the insurgency was its highest level [John 1997, Tavares 2008, Champan 2009].

Image by openDemocracy published under a creative commons license
The Pakistan formed in 1947 included two non-contiguous provinces, East and West Pakistan, separated by over 1000 miles. Bengalis formed the majority of Pakistan’s population, and were concentrated in East Pakistan. Bengalis remained largely under-represented in the Pakistani army and central government, while their language was not recognized as a national language alongside Urdu. For over two decades, Bengali grievances accumulated while demands for increased autonomy went unheard. In 1971, a civil war opposed the government to the Mukti Bahini (Liberation Force) in East Pakistan, leading to secession and the formation of Bangladesh. Casualty estimates vary greatly, with between 300,000 and 3 million conflict-related deaths, and between 200,000 and 400,000 female rape victims. Even accepting the lower figures, the war was exceptionally bloody and bilateral relations between Pakistan and Bangladesh remain coloured by this conflict. Resource-rich Baluchistan, located near Pakistan’s south-western border with Iran, was also scarred from partition. Only a small portion of Baluchistan was in the British Raj, while partition saw the annexation of further territory. Baluchistan was granted full provincial status by the central government in 1970, but provincial status was dismissed in 1973 provoking much resentment among nationalists. In addition, further grievances emerged from the lack of redistribution of wealth derived from the central government’s exploitation of local coal and gas reserves. A civil war erupted between 1973-77 involving violent confrontations between the Pakistani army and the BLA (Baluchistan Liberation Army), BRA (Baluchistan Republican Army) and Baluch Ittihad (Baluch Unity), among others, while clashes have started again since 2004. Baluch nationalists are regularly “disappeared” by the Pakistani military, while in 2009 there has been an increase in assassinations of non-Baluch inhabitants by Baluch nationalists.

Image by βalochistan published under a creative commons license
The province of Sindh experienced both violent secessionism and communal violence linked to partition. During partition, Sindh witnessed a large influx of Muhajirs (Indian Muslims who migrated to Pakistan following partition), who soon became urban elites well represented in trade and civil bureaucracy, especially in Karachi and Hyderabad. Sindhi-Muhajir conflict escalated around the issue of language, triggering riots in 1971 and 1972. In the 1980s, new waves of immigration by Pathans (Pakistani Pashtuns) and Afghan refugees added to existing communal tension as competition increased in urban centres. In 1984, Muhajirs created the MQM (Muhajir People’s Party, later renamed Muttahida Qaumi Movement), defending the Muhajir’s agenda by mass mobilisation and violence, inflaming communal and sectarian violence in an attempt to forge a quasi-ethnic identity among Muhajirs. The MQM moved away from violence after a heavy crackdown by the Pakistani government in 1995. While partition has caused lasting conflict with India, the division of Pashtun territory (currently the Tribal Areas and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) during partition has also created deep conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pashtun-ruled Afghanistan supported an autonomous Pashtunistan and opposed Pakistan’s establishment in 1947, orchestrating repeated raids into Pakistan’s frontier tribal areas. Much of the current armed conflict stems from groups based in the northern provinces of Khyber-Pakhtunkwa and the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas, largely Pashtun areas which have sought increased autonomy and recognition from the central government. While demands for greater regional autonomy have often been formulated by armed groups, attempts to address regional grievances through the federal apparatus have also sparked local conflict, such as the recent re-naming of the North West Frontier Province as Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Religious and sectarian conflict

While Punjabis represent the majority of the population, Pakistan is home to a constellation of communities based on regional, religious, or historical identities: Bengalis, Baluchs, Pashtuns, Sindhis, Sunni, Shia and Ahmadi Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Hindus, Christians and Jews, Muhajirs and refugees from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Gujarat. Sectarian and religious violence have been a recurrent feature of Pakistan’s history since 1947, both in the form of violent conflict between religious communities, and in the form of one-sided violence against religious minorities. Inter-religious conflicts surfaced as early as in the early 1950s, when religious parties, and in particular the Jamaat-e-Islami, called for excluding Ahmadiyya community from Islam. Ahmadis have consistently experienced severe discrimination both from the government and from other Muslim sects. In 1974, the Pakistani parliament declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims, while their religious freedom was further curtailed in 1984 by a highly repressive military ordinance issued by General Zia. In Pakistan, Hindus are generally second-class citizens facing daily structural violence punctuated by occasional episodes of mass anti-Hindu violence and massacres, such as in 1950 and in 1964 and in 1971 in East Pakistan. Formerly peaceful Shia-Sunni relations were shattered by military ruler Zia ul-Haq’s sectarian Sunni-Islamisation agenda, which fit into the regional context of opposition of Iran’s Islamic revolution, and the Iran-Iraq war, where Saddam Hussein’s Iraq was then supported by the US, Pakistan’s ally. The radicalisation of Sunni religious movements and their increasing sectarianism through Saudi funding and patronage was ignored because of Saudi-Arabia’s ties with the Pakistani government and its US ally, while Pakistani Shias became increasingly sectarian under Iranian influence. Sectarian conflict further escalated after the Taliban victory in Afghanistan, as a pattern of assassinations of sect leaders and activists emerged. After 1997, mass killings of civilians on a sectarian basis became more frequent. Sectarian violence has involved groups on both sides, including the Shia group Sipah-i Muhammad Pakistan (SMP; the Army of Muhammad) created in 1991. However, anti-Shia violence has been on the rise, and since the 1990s there has been marked anti-Shia violence perpetrated armed militant groups with ties to Saudi Arabia operating in Pakistan [Abou Zahab 2002]. These Sunni armed groups include and Sipah-i Sahaba Pakistan (SSP; the Sunni Pakistan’s Army of the Prophet’s Companions) established in 1985, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LF – The Army of Jhangvi – 1990), Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-I Muhammadi (TNSM; Movement for Protection of Muhammad’s Religious Law – 1994) and the Lashkar-e-Taiba (The Army of the Pure – 1998). Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LF) is responsible for many anti-Shia attacks, including targeted assassinations, shootings and bomb attacks against Shia communities in Punjab, Karachi and Quetta.

Image by sic!ut.at published under a creative commons license"
These armed groups have also been involved in violence against non-Muslims. In August 2009, a mob guided by Sipah-e-Sahaba and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi attacked Christians on alleged desecration of Qur’an in the city of Gojra (Toba Tek Singh district). In this episode , 7 Christians were killed and 20 were injured, and 50 homes were burnt. Meanwhile, Christians and Hindus have suffered in retaliation to anti-Muslim incidents outside Pakistan, such the demolition of the Babri mosque in India, and the blasphemic cartoons published in Denmark.

International interventions and Afghanistan-Pakistan relations

Foreign intervention in the Afghanistan and Pakistan region is nothing new. During the 19th Century, present-day Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan were proxy war zones for the competing British and Tsarist colonial empires, and later between the Soviet and US blocks during the Cold War. This interference inflamed the Pakistani-Afghan territorial dispute. While Afghanistan became increasingly reliant on the USSR for military aid, Pakistan became a key US ally. Iranian mediation ended the conflict and a settled the border issue in 1963, although this dramatic improvement in Afghan-Pakistani relations was to last only a decade [Siddiqui 2008: 10-18]. Pakistan and Afghanistan have consistently offered refuge, funding and support to dissidents, with Afghan support for Pashtun and Baluch separatism in Pakistan, and Pakistani support for the Taliban opposition to the pro-Soviet government in Afghanistan. Zia’s military regime pushed a policy of state-driven Islamisation and supported Jihadist groups involved in the US-supported war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. During Zia’s rule, Pakistani involvement in Afghanistan generated an opium and small arms-based war economy inside Pakistan, especially in the Tribal Areas, profiting members of the army, local warlords and mujahideen alike [Siddiqui 2008: 26]. In 1981 the Reagan Administration issued $3.2 billion for Pakistan. The aid package was increased to $4.02 billion in 1987, which was a mix of military aid worth $1.7 billion. Pakistan’s current involvement alongside the US and NATO in the Afghanistan war bears a deep and complex relationship with Pakistan’s former support for the Afghan mujahideen. Pro-Taliban militant have been active in Indian-held Kashmir and inside Pakistan, turning their violence against the government and segments of the population. Since 2001, the war in Afghanistan has been spilling over into Pakistan in complex ways and with disastrous consequences. Political and economic factors interact with tribal, ethnic, religious and political identity groups, bringing violent conflict into the heart of the country. Saudi Arabia and Iran’s proxy war of influence through support to various Islamist and sectarian movements inside Pakistan, has also affected stability [Siddiqui 2008: 24].

Image by Al Jazeera English published under a creative commons license
Violent conflict erupted in the Waziristan district of the Tribal Areas between 2001-2007 between local tribes and members of the IMU (Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan) who fled Afghanistan in 2001 and took refuge in Waziristan. However, beyond the influx of fighters from Afghanistan into Pakistan’s border regions, it was the Pakistani government’s participation in the war that brought conflict into Pakistan. Pakistan withdrew its support for the Taliban after the US-led NATO invasion in 2001, providing logistical and intelligence support to NATO forces in Afghanistan, while fighting the pro-Taliban armed groups (especially the TNSM) in the tribal areas of the country. The US and NATO have adopted a strategy of pre-emptive strikes and drone attacks into the tribal areas of Pakistan, further escalating the conflict between the people in the tribal areas and the government of Pakistan, and increasing the animosity of local people against the West.
The TNSM started directly attacking the Pakistani government in 2007, attracting a large-scale government military offensive against their stronghold in the Swat valley. While many TNSM leaders then renounced armed struggle and effectively brought TNSM to a close, a more militant breakaway faction formed around former-TNSM leader Maulana Fazlullah, and became known as the TTP (Tehrik-i-Taleban Pakistan). The TTP has been forcibly closing down government institutions in areas under its control and replacing them with Sharia-based institutions.
After a brief lull in early 2009, the conflict escalated as the Pakistani army led large-scale offensives in the north west of the country, causing widespread displacement of civilians. Fighting between the Pakistani army and TTP in 2009 displaced over 3 million people, 1.2 million of which remained displaced at the end of the year. Such displacement is partly due to Pakistani army tactics of encouraging civilians to flee in order to “cleanse” the region of all potential support for insurgents, emulating the US army in Vietnam. TPP bombed government targets in the south of the country causing many civilian deaths. Indeed, suicide bombings have been the main tactic used by these armed groups, which claim to target politicians and military targets but spread death and terror among civilians across the country.
The recent killing of Osama Bin Laden by US military forces has stirred up affairs around the world and particularly in Pakistan, were the Islamist leader was tracked down. The excessive broadcasting of Bin Laden’s killing and US revenge statements and celebrations, left many observers alienated and Pakistanis agitated. Subsequently, Pakistan was hit by a wave of violence, including a recent suicide bombing killing 5 police officers, as Taliban and other al-Qaida-affiliated groups strive to avenge Bin Laden’s death. Once again, a spiral of revenge and violence threatens the long-standing efforts of peacebuilders.

Thursday 21 July 2011

USB Devices Responsible for 1 in 8 Malware Attacks


USB devices are handy, powerful and convenient. They're also a major headache for IT security administrators because they're almost impossible to police and they can spread malware like wildfire.
Security software developer AVAST Software did some monitoring and research and came to the conclusion that roughly one in eight of the 700,000-plus malware incidents it identified this year were the direct result of tainted USB devices.
Researchers said the prime vulnerability is found in the "AutoRun" feature in the Microsoft Windows operating system. AutoRun alerts computer users when a new device, such as a memory stick is connected and is designed to help them choose which application should run with the new files.
"AutoRun is a really useful tool, but it is also a way to spread more than two-thirds of current malware," Jan Sirmer, a security analyst at AVAST, said in the report. "The threat of USB-distributed malware is much more widespread than just the Stuxnet attacks on enterprise computers."
"Cybercriminals are taking advantage of people’s natural inclination to share with their friends and the growing memory capacity of USB devices," he added. " Put these two factors together and we have an interesting scenario."
To IT administrators, there's nothing interesting about a USB leak that exposes intellectual property or gives hackers an opening to spread malware throughout their corporate networks.
As more and more employees familiarize themselves with the legitimate benefits of USB sticks and other portable devices that they connect -- authorized or not -- to their company-issued PCs and mobile devices, the bigger the threat.
Leading security software vendors, including McAfee (NYSE: MFE) and Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC), have issued numerous advisories warning companies and consumers of the inherent security risks of allowing workers to drag in all these portable storage and media-sharing devices to the office.
AVAST researchers said that USB storage devices infected by the INF:AutoRun-gen2 virus were wreaking havoc in the enterprise, infecting not only the device they connect to, but the entire network of PCs and mobile devices sharing the same local-area connections.
It's not just USB sticks that are gumming up the works. Smartphones, digital cameras and MP3 players are just as insecure and there's an alarming lack of supervision within most companies that's allowing these security threats to promulgate.
"In a work environment, staff will often bring in their own USB memory sticks to move files around,” Sirmer said. "This can bypass gateway malware scanners and leave the responsibility for stopping malware just on the local machines’ antivirus software."
Between 2000 and 2009, security researchers found that portable storage and media player devices were largely responsible for an exponential increase in new security signatures issued by leading security software vendors. Symantec alone said the number of new signatures --essentially the fixes for the malware leaks -- rose from 1,500 in 2000 to more than 2.5 million last year.
Security consulting and research firm the Ponemon Institute found that more than 800,000 data-sensitive devices, including USB drives, portable hard drives and laptops, were compromised last year.
AVAST researchers claim that more than 60 percent of all malware in circulation can be spread via USB drives and advises consumers and enterprises to make sure their AV applications are configured to immediately conduct auto-scans of any device connected to a PC or mobile device once their attached to the network.
 

Tips for preventing VIRUS, WORM and TROJAN HORSE infections


Methods that guarantee a computer or network is safe from computer viruses, worms and trojan horses simply do not exist. Users can take several precautions, however to protect their home and work computers from these malicious infections. The precautionary measures are:

1. Never start a computer with a floppy disk in drive A; unless it is an uninfected recovery disk.
2. Set the macro security in programs so you can enable and disable macros. Only enable macros if the document is from a trusted source and you are expecting it.
3. Install an antivirus program on all of your computers. Obtain updates to the antivirus signature files on a regular basis.
4. Check all downloaded programs for viruses, worms, or trojan horses. These malicious-logic programs often are placed in seemingly innocent programs, so they will affect a large number of users.
5. Never open an e-mail attachment unless you are expecting it and it is from a trusted source. Scan for viruses in all e-mail attachments you intend to open. Turn off message preview.
6.Write-protect your recovery disk by sliding the write-protect tab into the write-protect position.
7.If the antivirus program flags an e-mail attachment is infected, delete the attachment immediately.
8. Before using any floppy disk or zip disk, use the antivirus scan program to check the disk for infection. Incorporate this procedure even for shrink-wrapped software from major developers. Some commercial software has been infected and distributed to unsuspecting users this way.
9. Back up your files regularly. Scan the backup program before backing up disks and files to ensure the backup program is virus free.By:Abdul Raziq

Wednesday 13 July 2011

Top 10 Most Secure Operating Systems


Top 10 Most Secure Operating Systems


The security of a given anything, even operating systems (OS), tends to be a difficult or even controversial issue to examine. The only, truly secure operating systems are those that lack contact to the outside world (e.g., a DVD player's firmware). As for any other OS, they'll inevitably have some sort of vulnerability or weakness that can be exploited. In fact, any networked OS can be exposed by careful abuse of its configuration—no exceptions. All the same, here are the top ten most secure operating systems on the planet today.


1.           OpenBSD: By default, this is the most secure general purpose operating system out there. The proof in the pudding? The fact that it suffered only two remote attack vulnerabilities in the last decade serves as solid evidence of its stringent security and strict auditing policy. Moreover, OpenBSD lacks a large enough attack surface (care of running numerous web applications) for hackers to exploit.

2.           Linux: Linux is a superior operating system. When customized it can be set up to extremely secure. Linux has an impressive vulnerability patching policy. 

3.           Windows Server 2008: Say what you will about a Microsoft operating system's security; at the very least, they know how to improve and they've gone through the very worst security threats that the Internet can dish out. This iteration of Windows Server has improved backup and recovery, user account control, web server (IIS) role, and server role security configuration.

4.           Windows Server 2000: This operating system is so secure that it took nearly a decade before Microsoft can come up with a better one. This OS for network servers, notebook computers, and corporate workstations continues to get monthly security patches even after nine years since its release.

5.           Windows Vista: Microsoft attempted to fix the security issues that has plagued Windows 95, 98, ME, and XP, but they ended up alienating consumers instead. The main complaints that people aimed against the polarizing OS—confusing security policies and the lack of backward compatibility with older applications—were actually security measures that were supposed to make Vista a lot more protected from breaches and hacker penetrations.

6.           Windows Server 2003: The good news is that Windows Server 2003 is still a more secure OS than Windows XP. The bad news is that, security-wise, it's even worse than its earlier prototype, Windows Server 2000. Nevertheless, it features competent security improvements like default disabling of vulnerable services and a built-in firewall.

7.           Windows XP: It became one of Microsoft's greatest and most long-running releases (mostly because of Vista's failure to connect to the general Windows-using consumer base). Tragically, it's also one of the most non-secure operating systems of all time as well.Because this OS runs a lot of network services by default and allows users to access full privileges by default, it also gets hacked and breached on a nigh-daily basis by default as well.

8.           HP-UX 11i: Even though it's not one of the most commercially successful operating systems in the market today, this Unix-based Hewlett-Packard OS has been included in this list because of its superior security policies to several more popular operating systems (namely, Mac OS X, Solaris, and Linux).

9.           Solaris: This Sun Microsystems Unix-OS variant is on the lower notches of this article's security hierarchy because it's not inherently security-focused. Because of certain business-related circumstances as well, most of the Solaris source code has already been published via the OpenSolaris project.
  
10.      Mac OS X: This Apple-made OS handles user permissions better than, say Windows XP, but it still contains an indecent number of vulnerabilities and remote exploits in its systems. That, coupled with Apple's slow response to many of its security issues, has landed this operating system at the bottom of this list.

Sunday 10 July 2011

Training for CISSP Video Practice


 


 














Tutorials-Training for CISSP Video Practice | 1.53 GB 

Training for CISSP Video Practice
Module 00 : Course Introduction and Overview.
Module 01 : Access Control Systems and Methodology.
Module 02 : Telecommunications and Network Security.
Module 03 : Security Management Practices.
Module 04 : Applications and Systems Development.
Module 05 : Cryptography.
Module 06 : Security Architecture and Models.
Module 07 : OPerations Security.
Module 08 : Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning.
Module 09 : Laws Investigations and Ethics.
Module 10 : Physical Security.
Module 11 : Methods of Attack.
Install CISSP Practice Test Demo.

Wednesday 6 July 2011

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What is Open Source Software and Why is it Used?

What is Open Source Software?
By: Abdul Raziq 

Open Source Software (OSS) is software that is available under a special license that allows everyone to access the program code as well as the executable program. This means that anyone is able to edit the program code and therefore customise the software for their own needs.

This ability to access the source code is protected by the license under which the software is released. There is a great many Open Source licenses, but they all have one thing in common, they protect the right of the user of the software to access and modify it in any way they desire.

This ability to modify applications is in direct contrast to the Closed Source Software model. In Closed Source only the creator of the application has access to the source code, and therefore, only the creator is able to modify the application.

Being able to change the way an Open Source Software application operates is critical in many business environments. No two businesses are identical and therefore it is unlikely that any one piece of software will satisfy the needs of all potential users. Without the ability to modify their software a company is restricted in its operations by that software.

While it is true that no two businesses are identical, it is also true that there are a great many common business practices that are repeated across organisations. These common practices can be well served by "standard" software. The remaining practices, those that are different from competitors are, typically, the ones that give a business an advantage in the marketplace.

Since these non-standard practices are key to the organisations success it is critical that any software solutions adopted by the company also support these non-standard processes. It is in this need to adapt software to a companies specific needs that makes Open Source Software attractive. Since the company has access to the source, the application can be freely adapted to suit the unique requirements of each user.
What is Open Source Software?

Open Source Software (OSS) is software that is available under a special license that allows everyone to access the program code as well as the executable program. This means that anyone is able to edit the program code and therefore customise the software for their own needs.

This ability to access the source code is protected by the license under which the software is released. There is a great many Open Source licenses, but they all have one thing in common, they protect the right of the user of the software to access and modify it in any way they desire.

This ability to modify applications is in direct contrast to the Closed Source Software model. In Closed Source only the creator of the application has access to the source code, and therefore, only the creator is able to modify the application.

Being able to change the way an Open Source Software application operates is critical in many business environments. No two businesses are identical and therefore it is unlikely that any one piece of software will satisfy the needs of all potential users. Without the ability to modify their software a company is restricted in its operations by that software.

While it is true that no two businesses are identical, it is also true that there are a great many common business practices that are repeated across organisations. These common practices can be well served by "standard" software. The remaining practices, those that are different from competitors are, typically, the ones that give a business an advantage in the marketplace.

Since these non-standard practices are key to the organisations success it is critical that any software solutions adopted by the company also support these non-standard processes. It is in this need to adapt software to a companies specific needs that makes Open Source Software attractive. Since the company has access to the source, the application can be freely adapted to suit the unique requirements of each user.

Who Pays for Open Source Development?


Sometimes the most important aspects of a subject are not immediately obvious. Keep reading to get the complete picture.

The ability to customise software is critical to allow an organisation to continue to improve their business processes, but how does a company afford to pay for such customisations?

One of the side effects of allowing any user access to the source code is that the cost of acquiring the software in the first instance is massively reduced. In most cases the source code is available for no cost. This enables the user to divert resources normally allocated to pay software license fees into enhancing the software.

A successful Open Source Software project has a large community of software developers. Many of these developers work as independent contractors and can be employed to customise the software, alternatively, if a company has internal developer resources, they can leverage those skills to perform the customisations.

Does it Really Work?

This all sounds fantastic, but does it really work? Are there Open Source Applications in use in the real world?

Here are a few facts to convince you that it most certainly does work:
  • Around 70% of web sites are served by the Open Source Apache HTTPD server.
  • In a 2002 survey it was found over 31% of UK and nearly 42% of German companies were using or planning to use OSS.
  • In 2001, Debian (an Open Source Operating System), contained over 55 million lines of code and was estimated to have consumed over 14,000 person years in development time. That is a development cost of around 1.89 Billion Dollars (US) yet it is still available with no license fees.
Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of OSS. Share your new understanding about OSS with others. They'll thank you for it.
Article Source: http://bytepowered.org/articles


Sometimes the most important aspects of a subject are not immediately obvious. Keep reading to get the complete picture.

The ability to customise software is critical to allow an organisation to continue to improve their business processes, but how does a company afford to pay for such customisations?

One of the side effects of allowing any user access to the source code is that the cost of acquiring the software in the first instance is massively reduced. In most cases the source code is available for no cost. This enables the user to divert resources normally allocated to pay software license fees into enhancing the software.

A successful Open Source Software project has a large community of software developers. Many of these developers work as independent contractors and can be employed to customise the software, alternatively, if a company has internal developer resources, they can leverage those skills to perform the customisations.

Does it Really Work?

This all sounds fantastic, but does it really work? Are there Open Source Applications in use in the real world?

Here are a few facts to convince you that it most certainly does work:

- Around 70% of web sites are served by the Open Source Apache HTTPD server.

- In a 2002 survey it was found over 31% of UK and nearly 42% of German companies were using or planning to use OSS.

- In 2001, Debian (an Open Source Operating System), contained over 55 million lines of code and was estimated to have consumed over 14,000 person years in development time. That is a development cost of around 1.89 Billion Dollars (US) yet it is still available with no license fees.

Hopefully the sections above have contributed to your understanding of OSS. Share your new understanding about OSS with others. They'll thank you for it.

We Know Why You Haven’t Decided Yet To Purchase A Security Product!



There are many people, who heared about the security tools, available for data protection. But it is not an easy issue to understand to those who are not software literate. In this article we will look at this issue in order to understand that.
With the growth of information technologies, people own a lot of professional or personal information, which has both a financial and emotional value. As people get vulnerable to numerous security threats, they become more and more aware of the ways they could overcome their vulnerability. And this security concern is common to all people, especially when it comes to lose something they possess. This is why the security products, available on the IT security market, are more and more commonly expanded in Europe and USA.
Among many people who rely on different kinds of digital assets in their businesses and private life, there are some whose main concern is how to protect them. There are also people who think that it is too far for them to make a decision on purchasing existing security products, because they do not have any special knowledge in security. Here we would like to come up with the data, which would help you to get a start in considering the ways you could protect your information.
At first look, it seems that the security products market is so sophisticated, that without any professional knowledge it is not possible to understand what kind of products you need. You may think that it is so much complicated to be able to analyze what solutions exist, what for they may be used and which one is right for you to purchase.
These questions and the solutions to them may seem vague to people with excellence in other areas, but with no knowledge in the IT security. By giving the answers to these and other related questions, we will help you define your needs and decide which data protection and access control solutions will best suit your needs.
1. What is the security software for and how can it help people?
While the security products industry is largely expanding in the world, there are more and more areas where it can be used. The Dekart Company has committed itself to developing solutions that can be easily deployed and used by people.
Most of the digital assets, available on the market, are designed with the option for the security hardware installation. The PCs and many mobile devices that can be connected to PCs (like mobile phones) and that may have an increased need for security, are technically available now to be protected.
From another point of view, there are products, which can be of real help in protecting important data (like hard disk encryption and file encryption software, brought to you by Dekart). These products can protect any type of data for any kind of people, who are interested in protection of their business information, scientific researches, as well as personal information. This type of protection ensures that no data will be accessed and viewed by unauthorized malicious users, even if your computer is lost or stolen or if there are many people who can access it.
The security products have another large area of usage. When there is the need to control access to the office computers, Dekart offers its smart card and biometric authentication solutions. The state-of-the-art biometric identification improves the security of login procedures, thus ensuring that no third party will access critically important information.
Users now can also protect and encrypt their email correspondence using Dekart digital certification service in combination with the smart card and biometric authentication.
There are different hardware devices used to provide two- and three-factor authentication to secure access to the information. Dekart offers the flexibility to choose between different vendors’ smart cards, tokens, biometric devices and even USB flash drives to satisfy users’ security needs.
The types of the Hardware Keys (USB tokens and Smart cards)
Dekart Software uses the following types of Hardware Keys to generate secret cryptographic keys and store users’ private data:
1. USB (universal serial bus) tokens are smaller token-style cards that plug directly into the USB port of a computer. The USB-compatible ports are being built into many PCs (i.e., desktops and laptops) and many mobile devices that connect with PCs (i.e., PDAs and mobile phones), as this is the simplest type of reader to connect
2. Smart cards are conventional credit card–shaped contact cards
The Smart Card device contains the cryptographic chip. The use of credit-card size Smart Cards has successfully been adopted by a number of European companies, with a particularly high level of acceptance in Germany and France. However, high hardware deployment costs and the lack of application standards associated with Smart Cards have proved to be significant barriers to their widespread use, especially in the US.
USB Token solution is different from traditional smart card solutions in that it does not require a reader infrastructure, helping to make it less expensive for organizations to deploy and easier for users to adopt.
Dekart has developed the following utilities for managing and deploying the smart cards or tokens used with Dekart applications:
1. Dekart Key Manager Utility can help determining the memory usage of the card, performing backups and duplicating the data stored on the hardware keys.
2. Key Formatting utility or Corporate Key formatting utility allows formatting the smart cards or tokens to be used with Dekart software.
What to consider before purchasing a smart card or USB token?
1. Define all of your anticipated present and future card usage requirements
2. Define the memory requirements for each certificate or application. Here is a sample of Smart Card memory usage:
· Free space – 5K
· Your custom application -1,5 K
· Smart Card logon certificate -2,5 K
· Smart card vendor applications – 8K
· Windows for Smart Cards Operating system -15K
3. Making a decision on which present and future applications are required. It is important to preview the future applications needed, as it is important to leave an extra storage space on the chip.
4. Test smart cards and smart card readers to verify compatibility before deploying them in your production environment.
In conclusion, there are few things important to understand:
1. It is important to remember that there are different types of hardware and software available for them.
2. It is suggested to understand specific needs of the buyer and the variety of existing products in order to make the best purchasing decision.
***You are welcome to drop me a line on abrazaq@gmail.com***

Monday 4 July 2011

Morality and Ethics in Islam

       Islam is a comprehensive way of life, and morality is one of the cornerstones Islam.  Morality is one of the fundamental sources of a nation’s strength, just as immorality is one of the main causes of a nation’s decline.  Islam has established some universal fundamental rights for humanity as a whole, which are to be observed in all circumstances.  To uphold these rights, Islam has provided not only legal safeguards, but also a very effective moral system.  Thus, whatever leads to the welfare of the individual or the society and does not oppose any maxims of the religion is morally good in Islam, and whatever is harmful is morally bad.
Given its importance in a healthy society, Islam supports morality and matters that lead to it, and stands in the way of corruption and matters that lead to it.  The guiding principle for the behavior of a Muslim is “Virtuous Deeds”.  This term covers all deeds, not only acts of worship.  The Guardian and Judge of all deeds is God Himself.
The most fundamental characteristics of a Muslim are piety and humility.  A Muslim must be humble with God and with other people: 

“And turn not your face away from people (with pride), nor walk in insolence through the earth.  Verily, God likes not each arrogant boaster.  And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, and lower your voice.  Verily, the harshest of all voices is the voice (braying) of the ass.”  (Quran 31:18-19)

Muslims must be in controls of their passions and desires.
A Muslim should not be vain or attached to the ephemeral pleasures of this world. While most people allow the material world to fill their hearts, Muslims should keep God in their hearts and the material world in their hand.  Instead of being attached to the car and the job and the diploma and the bank account, all these things become tools to make us better people.
“The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, but only he (will prosper) that brings to God a sound heart.” (Quran: 26:88-89)

 

Principles of Morality in Islam


God sums up righteousness in verse 177 of Surat Al Baqarah:
“It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards East or West; but it is righteousness (the quality of ) the one who believes in God and the Last Day and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; who spends of his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, to the needy, to the wayfarer, to those who ask and for the freeing of slaves; and who is steadfast in prayers, and gives Zakah (Alms); and those who fulfill their covenants which they made; and who are patient and perseverant in poverty and ailment and throughout all periods of fighting.  Such are the people of truth, the pious.”
This verse teaches us that righteousness and piety is based before all else on a true and sincere faith.  The key to virtue and good conduct is a strong relation with God, who sees all, at all times and everywhere.  He knows the secrets of the hearts and the intentions behind all actions.  Therefore, a Muslim must be moral in all circumstances; God is aware of each one when no one else is.  If we deceive everyone, we cannot deceive Him.  We can flee from anyone, but not from Him.  The love and continuous awareness of God and the Day of Judgment enables man to be moral in conduct and sincere in intentions, with devotion and dedication:
“Indeed, the most honorable among you in the sight of God is the most pious.” (Quran 49:13)
Then come deeds of charity to others, especially giving things we love. This, like acts of worship, prayers and Zakah (mandatory alms), is an integral part of worship.  A righteous person must be reliable and trustworthy.
Finally, their faith must be firm and should not wane when faced with adversity.  Morality must be strong to vanquish corruption:
“And God loves those who are firm and steadfast.” 
Patience is often hardest and most beautiful when it’s against one’s own desires or anger:

“And march forth toward forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for the pious.  Those who spend (in the way of God) in prosperity and in adversity, who repress anger, and who pardon people; verily, God loves the doers of the good deeds.”  (Quran 3:133)

These three acts are among the hardest things for most people, but they are also the key to forgiveness and to paradise.  Are they not the best, those who are able to exercise charity when they are in need themselves, control when they are angry and forgiveness when they are wronged?
This is the standard by which actions are judged as good or bad.  By making pleasing God the objective of every Muslim, Islam has set the highest possible standard of morality.
Morality in Islam addresses every aspect of a Muslim’s life, from greetings to international relations.  It is universal in its scope and in its applicability.  Morality reigns in selfish desires, vanity and bad habits.  Muslims must not only be virtuous, but they must also enjoin virtue.  They must not only refrain from evil and vice, but they must also forbid them.  In other words, they must not only be morally healthy, but they must also contribute to the moral health of society as a whole.

“You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in God; and if the followers of the Book had believed it would have been better for them; of them (some) are believers and most of them are transgressors.” (Quran: 3:110)

The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, summarized the conduct of a Muslim when he said:
“My Sustainer has given me nine commands: to remain conscious of God, whether in private or in public; to speak justly, whether angry or pleased; to show moderation both when poor and when rich, to reunite friendship with those who have broken off with me; to give to him  who refuses me; that my silence should be occupied with thought; that my looking should be an admonition; and that I should command what is right.”