Science Article Summary - 8

Science Article Summary - 8
Google Asks Spy Agency for Help With Inquiry Into Cyberattacks
[1] J. Markoff, “Google Asks Spy Agency for Help With Inquiry Into Cyberattacks,” The New York

Times, Feb. 2010. [Online]. Available: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/05/science/05google.html?ref=science. [Accessed Feb.  6, 2010].

Since the cyberattacks at Google last year, Google has been trying to pinpoint just who exactly those attackers were.  Many other companies were attacked in much the same way that Google was, and many of those companies security analysts have stated that the attacks came from Taiwan.  Google being to arrogant to believe this, notes that they dug deeper into the location of the attackers, and that the exact location resides in China.  Since this release, Google has decided to cease all business operations in China regardless of the attackers actually location.  If ceasing business operations wasn't enough, Google has now decided to team with the National Security Agency, the agency in charge of global electronic surveillance, to try and find out more information about the attackers.  As if the choice of working with the government isn't an oddity on its own for such a technical powerhouse, the choice of agency is also raising questions with many people surrounding the issue.  Instead of working with the Department of Homeland Security, which has the authority for domestic attacks, Google may have decided to work with the N.S.A in order to avoid having its many services regulated as part of the "critical infrastructure" of the United States.  As if this issue isn't enough, the pairing of such a commercial company and federal agency may also have some implications towards the privacy of many of the services that Google offers, only adding to the notion that the government will have full control over our everyday lives.

#7 List of Research Questions/Problems (freewrite, 5-5-5 minutes)

Biometrics

Identify the parts and how they interrelate

What are the parts of your topic, and how do they relate to each other?

How do they scan for facial recognition?
What kind of computer architeture and systems are needed for biometrics security?
Can different types of biometric devices be used concurrently?

How is your topic part of a larger system?

Is biometrics better than normal types of security?
How is biometric security better than password security?

Trace is own history and its role in a larger history

How and why has your topic changed through time, as something with its own history?

Why is biometrics just becoming big now?
How will biometrics change in the future as technology grows more complex

How and why is your topic an episode in a larger history?

How will biometrics shape the future of security around the world?
Could biometrics fail at being secure in the future, making us revert back to other security measures?

Identify its characteristics and the categories that include it

What kind of thing is your topic?  What is its range of variation?  How are instances of it similar to and different from another?

How will biometric security better secure the systems that need securing?
Why are the security measures of today outdated and needing to be replaced by biometric devices?

To what larger categories can your topic be assigned?  How does that help us understand it?

How will computer security benefit from the advancement of biometrics?
We all know about fingerprints, but what other methods of biometric security measures are there?

Determine its value

What values does your topic reflect?  What values does it support?  Contradict?

Are the uses of biometric data again privacy laws or the privacy of individuals?
Should the authorities have access to your biological data such as hand and face patters?

How good or bad is your topic?  Is it useful?

Could biometrics be used for bad purposes?
What are the consequences and methods for fighting compromised biometric data?


Audio Compression


Identify the parts and how they interrelate

What are the parts of your topic, and how do they relate to each other?

How does audio compresssion relate to the actually devices that make the sounds?
Why is there a need for audio compression even when storage is so affordable?
What are the different methods of audio compression and how do they differ?
Among hte different methods of audio compression, which sound better to the human ear?

How is your topic part of a larger system?

How can the different audio compressions be used to trick your mind?


Trace is own history and its role in a larger history

How and why has your topic changed through time, as something with its own history?

How has audio compression changed with the invention of CD's, MP3's and DVD's?
Have differnt audio compression methods been designed to fit the new technology advances in sound storage?
How has audio compression advanced with the invention of newer and better audio technologies?

Determine its value

How good or bad is your topic?  Is it useful?

Does audio compression take the sound quality away form the listener?
What are the best methods of audio compression?


Network Security


Identify the parts and how they interrelate

What are the parts of your topic, and how do they relate to each other?

How are wireless and wired security similar?
Which is less secure, wireless or wired networks?

How is your topic part of a larger system?

How is cryptography used in the process of network security?
How is the method of data transfer across wireless networks vulnerable to attacks?


Trace is own history and its role in a larger history

How and why has your topic changed through time, as something with its own history?

With the invention of newer wireless technologies, has the advancement of security in the wireless field been less needed?

How and why is your topic an episode in a larger history?

What new technologies are on the horizon of breaking through, and will they be able to secure networks better?

Identify its characteristics and the categories that include it


What kind of thing is your topic?  What is its range of variation?  How are instances of it similar to and different from another?

How are the instances of a wired network and wireless network similar?
Of the wired and wireless networks, which are the more secure and why?
What are some different, unseen methods of securing networks?

Determine its value

What values does your topic reflect?  What values does it support?  Contradict?

Speaking of Google, Should their views on network security allow them to collect random information from their users?
What are the criminal charges placed against someone who infiltrates a computer network?

How good or bad is your topic?  Is it useful?

How could an attacker take advantage of a vulnerable wired or wireless network?

#6 Refined List of Research Topics (freewrite, 5-5-5 minutes)

Biometrics
This topic covers some very easily implemented programming concepts and some very intricate, complex ones.  The most basic, which I have done in a CS class, was to implement a very easy and basic eye scanner, something which could have been more complex and maybe fashioned into something usable.  Most of the biometrics stuff I have learned about deals with security issues on computers and many other places.  With a single eye scanner security can be made much more impermiable.  Just like your fingerprint, your eyes are also extremely unique, and now that I'm thinking about it, I think i've read that it is the most distinguishable thing about us humans.  Other uses of biometrics would be to test your gait.  I remember hearing about this in a lecture with Professor Heishman some time ago.  Apparently this can be used to detect people that should or should not be in the room at the time, almost like a under-floor security detection system.  Biometrics can also help with the disabled.  Just like scanners can use your eyes to secure certain places or things, they can also use them for people missing limbs so that they will be able to work in a better fashion in order to ease their lives.

Audio Compression
Although I havn't had any formal classes on this topic, I have seen enough of it to be interested.  No matter what you're listening to, each file has a certain file type extension.  These correlate to the compressions that the audio has undergone.  I am really interested in figuring out what these compressions actually mean for us humans, and to what extent the sound quality drops in our minds.  I am also interested in learning about DRM.  I know that many music companies sell their music with this type of security integrated so that the buyer won't be able to do anything illegal with that piece of music.  While on the topic of audio compression, I would also like to know how the compression is done.  I know most of it can be done on a computer with various software, but in what manner does the program actually compress the file to make it smaller?  It would be interesting to learn about the function and algorithms put in place to actually compress the files.  Does the software just pick out pieces of the music in different increments so that the song sounds the same, or is there just another algorithm for piecing the music apart while still allowing the original sounds to come through?

Network Security
I haven't had a formal class on this topic either, but while messing around with the topic on Linux I have opened my interests for this topic.  I've heard many instances of network security being very easy to break, allowing intruders into your home network where a lot of delicate information can be stored.  I know that WEP is the source of the problems, but I would think that after a while of being used it would either be honed down to be perfect, or another passwording system with better integrity would be implemented and take over.  In this topic I also know that there is cryptography.  I did a short project on this within the first year of joining George Mason University, and I know that the very basic level is completely overwhelming for a beginner in Computer Science.  During that project we learned that there are many various ways to crypt data and other information that you don't want to be found, and I know that various network traffic can be made secure, both via your browser (for example Google https) and in a terminal via secure file transfer, both of which are still widely used today.  I would be interested in learning some of the more secure ways of crypting data, and learning the uses of each one and how exactly they crypt and secure your data.

#4 Current Major and Career Goals (freewrite, 10 minutes)

My current major is computer science.  At the moment I cant really think of any hard-set career goals, but if I had to note one I would say that I really need to get an internship as soon as possible.  Not only will this help me to get my foot in the door with a computer related job, but it will give me the experience that many employers are looking for in the job market.  This is my goal because it will put me ahead of most students, and in the end I will look better and more qualified for most of the computer jobs on the market.  I will get there by looking around (in fact i've already started) and applying to internships.  They really don't have to be paid, because just like college, I am there for the knowledge and the experience.  Hopefully if I can do a good job there for a semester or year long internship, they will decide to keep me for longer, hopefully under a paid job.  Now that we're talking about goals, I have another long-shot goal that would be one of my dream jobs (in my ind).  I would really like to work at Google, doing pretty much anything related to computers because I really don't want to say that I'll specialize in anything particular at the moment.  Preferably I would like to work at the branch in Germany, which would be perfect since both my fiancee and I plan to live in Europe as soon as we get out of college if not sooner.  This is my career goal because from what I've seen it is the total dream job.  If you like computer related activities, this is the place for you as they have anything and everything related to computers and even some other things.  If the job type isn't right on the target, they offer amazing benefits to their employees that would make the work place so much more enjoyable.

My current major will fit into my plans perfectly.  I really want to work in the computer sector, and my major will fit into that category perfectly.  I hope that the training and knowledge that I am getting at George Mason will actually be of some help to me in the job place.  I know most people say that the things we learn in college are useless, and most of the stuff done in the real world job force are completely the opposite of what we've learned.

If i decided on a French minor, I think that it will greatly help with my current career goals and plans for the future.  If I really want to go to Germany to work, or even grad school, another language would be almost necessary.  I believe that even if I don't get to go to Germany, there are plenty of jobs and colleges in France that would fill my needs, meaning that the knowledge of the language would help me quite a bit.

In 5 years I see myself having a job, making a lower salary because I will just be at entyr-level status.  In both 10 ad 15 years I really see myself having a well paying job (hopefully) doing something I love, and hopefully by this time I will be completely proficient will all activities needed.