ktmeng/mec huggingface dataset:
Topic: friendship

The fear really hits you. That’s what you feel first. And then it’s the anger and frustration. Part of the problem is how little we understand about the ultimate betrayal of the body when it rebels against itself. Betrayal is a part of life, we all experience it at one point. So many emotions run through us like electricity after we have been electrocuted. First its pain to the heart, you trusted this person, you told them things you could not imagine to discuss with anyone. Memories replay in your mind and then it hits you. Anger and frustration, how could they? You want revenge, you want to show them how much better you are.
Topic: friendship

Then you blame yourself, what did I do? It is my entire fault what should I do? Now betrayal is never easy and we all have different ways to deal with it, but at the end of the day we are all human we all feel these emotions, you never know what might have caused your friend to betray you, but since you were betrayed you learned something new. So you might betray someone else. It’s just a human thing, something we all may never understand but we just do it. We all make mistakes, and in the right circumstances, only you make your own desiscions. You’re responsible for you.
Topic: friendship

After all the emotions of betrayal you go through your own support system kicks in, you control these emotions and your mind helps you. You slowly begin building yourself up again. You trust people less and your more careful around people. Your barriers and walls are up again. You’re careful, before you call someone your friend. Sometimes you look for different qualities in people, you avoid being friends with people that remind you of the person that betrayed you. You have other friends, you move on from being betrayed, you find a replacement, your careful not to make the same mistakes. Sometimes you cannot trust everybody, but even through it all at the end of the day all you have is who you are.
Topic: friendship

Every friendship has there ups and downs, you get into fights, you disagree, you don’t talk to each there for some time but then somehow you start talking to them, you forgive each other and move on. The good times you have with them will always be there with you in memory, we learn from our past experience and each new person that comes into our life teaches us something, no friendship is ever perfect but it takes an effort from bothsides, to make it a good one.
Topic: friendship

It was a beautiful august day on a San Diego beach. The waves crashing, the sun shinning and Sam and I ready to go boogie boarding. We were so anxious because we had sat in a car for eight hours trying to get to San Diego. All we wanted to do was go swimming and get onto our new boogie boards that my mother had bought for the trip. But little did we know that that day would be a day that neither of us would ever forget.
Topic: friendship

Finally we were able to go out into the water with our boogie boards and not a care in the world because we were 10 years old and all we wanted to do was have fun. We would ride the waves in and swim back out only to keep doing the same thing. But Sam and I never separated he was always there by my side and I wouldn’t leave him. If we took breaks and went in for snacks we did it together. We were out there all day just having the time of our lives; nothing could ruin this amazing adventure until the day took a turn for the worst.
Topic: friendship

The weather was starting to get windy and the waves were getting very choppy. We were still really far out into the water and exhausted from being out there all day but hell we weren’t going to let a little bad weather ruin our time. Soon after this the waves started turning into rip tides. Rip tides are when the wind and wavesclash together which creates a force stronger than any human swimmer can fight. Sam and I didn’t know that so we were fighting against the waves trying to get to the beach but the more we fought the more we were pulled out into the ocean. I was getting exhausted from fighting the waves and I asked Sam please don’t leave me I wont be able to make it into shore without you. I was too tired to keep fighting the waves until we hear a megaphone yelling “Don’t Fight The Waves, Swim Diagonally.” We listened to the lifeguards and started to swim diagonally rather than fight the waves head on. Sam right by my side never even going further than a arms length.
Topic: friendship

We were still extremely tired; we could see the lifeguards getting ready to swim out and save us but without Sam coaching me I would have given up a long time ago. His word were the only thing that kept me going and the fact that I knew he wasn’t going to leave me. I looked over at Sam and realized he was so tired also I knew that if I don’t fight harder neither of us would make it. That thought gave me a second wind and I was again ready to fight my way back to shore. The lifeguards were just about to come out to get us as the realized that we could make it. We finally get to the shore and sigh in relief, as we were triumphant. That day is a day I will never forget because not only did Sam save my life by staying with me and encouraging me the entire way into shore, but also it made me realized this kid is a TRUE friend. He stayed with me no matter what, he could have swum in and left me out there but he didn’t. Sam was truly my best friend and he showed that to me by sticking with me till the end. Sam and I haven’t really kept up over the years of middle school and high school and I to this day regret that.
Topic: friendship

Life can be a lonely thing without companionship. People always talk about the true value of friendship but people do not know the friendship actually what it stands for and how to be a true friend. True friend is the one, in which the individuals do not have to maintain formalities with each other. A true friend you are talking about is counted as your family member. The relation you share with him/her reaches a stage that even if you do not correspond for sometime, your friendship remains unscathed.
Topic: friendship

It’s easy to be there for our friends when they ask you out for fun things like drinks at the bar, dancing in the club, or laughs at the theater. But are you willing to be there for the hard times that are the opposite of fun? You might not feel comfortable while spending time with an emotionally fragile person on the verge of tears, but true friends are readily available when they’re needed the most. When the other person is in trouble, a true friend comes to know that merely by listening to their “Hello” over the phone.
Topic: friendship

A true friend does not desert each other when one is facing trouble. They would face it together and support each other, even if it is against the interests of the other person. So to be a true friend is to help your friend whatever you can do. Second, people should be more truthful and vulnerable. Ironing out conflicts with friends is more difficult than with family members. Most people make the mistake of assuming that friends can help easily sort through conflict, but it’s the opposite. People often have different allowances for emotional expression. For example, I have learned that the hard way.
Topic: friendship

Months after befriending a now former friend, I learned that the person was speaking badly about my privacy to another friends. Because the person knew personal information about me, what he said was more convincing and harder to overcome. In many ways, you have to be much more strategic about choosing friends. When a conflict arises, pick up the phone to discuss with your friend, rather than using email. But even that can be awkward if there’s been a behind-the-back controversy. So if you can’t accept a person as they are, you will never know the feeling of true friendship. All best friends are friends, but not all friends can be best friends. In this world of cynics and back stabbers, there are still some people who are worth being friends with. They have to be recognized and respected for being best friends for the lifetime. Full disclosure will strengthen your friendship and make you both feel at ease in each other’s company. Finally, true friends will advice you with the constructive criticisms. A true friend is not scared to tell you what you’re doing wrong.
Topic: friendship

They’re not scared to seriously intervene if they see that something is seriously bad for you or if you’re going down the wrong path. But they always support their criticism with advice that can help you improve. “The truth is rarely pure and never simple”, Oscar Wilde said. Confronting a person about an inconvenient truth isn’t easy, but sometimes it needs to be done. If you have something to say and can’t find the nerves to do it, ask yourself, “How would I feel if it was me making a very bad decision and my friend said nothing about it?” While speaking out doesn’t guarantee you’ll change their mind, staying silent does guarantee you’ll regret not speaking up sooner. In my conclusion, a true friend will sacrifice their own comfort or happiness and put you first. A true friend is not a fair-weather friend. They are there for you in good times and in bad times. A true friend is someone who is honesty and can rely on. Best friends support even each other, even if the whole world opposes them. It is not easy getting true friends for the lifetime. If you have even one true friend, consider yourself blessed.
Topic: friendship

This is an enormous abundance, consisting or the light particles of our solar system. It is really time to appreciate that we live on the most precious planet in our galaxy. The journey through the suffering and separation is soon over. The next years to come, we all will open our eyes for the true gifts of nature. It will lead us to new choices. When we chose to incarnate in physical body, one of our goals is to enjoy nature because this is the only planet where we can do it. When we one day move on, our love for nature and our ability to visualize what it looks like, make us able to create trees and flowers in our gardens in higher dimensions..:) by our own thought power.
Topic: friendship

The phantom of the opera is a play based in the novel by the same name; it is a captivating play that brings out many themes and character traits as depicted by the main actors. This plays revolves Erik the phantom who is so possessed in winning the heart of a beautiful girl Christine. He is faced with many predicaments in his endeavor to win the heart of this blonde. He faces stiff competition from Raoul who is the girl’s childhood friend and who she has loved so much.
Topic: friendship

to actualize their love and does everything he could do to ensure he wins the love of Christine. Erik performed the role of a phantom very well as he did inhuman things to ensure his mission accomplishes (Francis & Leroux, 2007). A phantom character is not for easy hearted and Erik acted very well to bring out the picture of a phantom. Christine on the other hand made sure no matter the threats from the phantom her love for Raoul could not be moved. She stood her ground until the phantom obliged to her love. These two characters undertake their roles very well and keep viewers yearning for more.
Topic: friendship

Acting is a combination of several actors who seem to have a connection and interrelate well. In the phantom of the opera this is depicted by Erik relation with Christine, the quest for him to win Christine’s heart, doing everything in his capacity as a phantom. He even inflicts pain on Christine childhood love to ensure his cause becomes a reality (Francis & Leroux, 2007).On the other hand Christine unshakeable love for Raoul remains intact; the relationship between her and the phantom brings out many good and bad themes. She remains her stand until the phantom lets go, when she finally kisses the phantom. Though it has a happy ending, the phantom is left with no choice but to oblige.
Topic: friendship

The costumes in this play depict the clothes worn in ancient times. The characters in each set have clothes relating to the theme. The phantom costumes reveal a hat with an attached mask and cape, this feature depicts fear and the true state of a fearless living. A phantom should hide his face so as to inflict a sense of fear and suspense to his subject. The costumes worn by Christine reveal the character of an innocent girl in such of love, she is adorable and every one falls in love with her at first site. The setting of the theater is fantastic as rights change depending on the character and theme.
Topic: friendship

The sounds also change with the mood and what is about to happen (Gale, 2014). In the scenario where the bad things are to happen the sounds played make every viewer glued with suspense and expecting the worst. The period of the costume and style is ancient when people believed existence of phantoms. The costumes per character showed what each character is made of beneath the clothes, like the case of phantom wearing a mask to hide his ugly side (Francis & Leroux, 2007).
Topic: friendship

The central character in phantom of the opera is Christine, she brings together all other characters and she is the cause of agony, joy and hatred amongst other characters. Christine plays her role very well in bringing the phantom to her knees and her charm is irresistible. Though she is faced with a dilemma between forsaking her childhood friend and taking on the phantom, she stands her ground which makes the play more interesting at the turn of events. Christine is seen as adorable, loveable and strong willed woman, this is due to the fact that phantom devises many means to win her heart, she stood to her point and nothing could shake her faith in believing in true love.
Topic: friendship

Erik the phantom is depicted as a ruthless, merciless and strong willed character. Although Erik was abused and hated all his life, he was capable of beautiful things. This can be seen by the way hew devises unorthodox ways to win Christine’s heart. Although he bows down to the true love of Christine and Raoul he is seen as a go getter in his quest for this woman. Raoul is depicted as a lover, helpless and good character who believes in true love and a second chance. Although he suffers in the hands of phantom he believes that true love will conquer (Gale, 2014).
Topic: friendship

The world of this play is constantly hilarious as many events unfold opposite of the viewers thinking. The element of phantom depicted as a ruthless person and also as a loving person humbles me. The writer of the play shows that every person has his good side despite the negative deeds each one does. The play puzzles me how phantom let’s go Christine and wishes her well in her love endeavors despite his stand all along to never bow down to defeat. The character of phantom changes at the end of the play where he is seen as a reasonable person unlike in the past where he is seen as a ruthless guy. The high point in the play is when phantom threatens to kill him and the whole opera house if he could not have Christine for himself (Francis & Leroux, 2007). The low moment is when the phantom lets Christine go and ask her to come for his burial, this scene leaves the viewers remorseful.
Topic: identity

Worldwide, people may be wondering and asking what exactly a “Bitcoin” is and how is it supposed to be used. Bitcoins first came around in 2009 and were developed by a man who goes by the name Satoshi Nakamoto, who is still yet to be unknown. When they first came about, there were not too many people that cared for these coins. Today, bitcoins are very popular right now and are considered “very good investments”.  Since the coins are digital, they cannot be counterfeited, and they reduce any possibility of identity theft.
Topic: identity

These coins are the againstusefulagainst useful in the protection against fraud. Even though they are not equivalent to actual U.S. dollars, the majority of people use them just as if that’s what they are. In a (SteemKR beta) article, it is stated that there are just about 16.5 million bitcoins that already is in existence, which is about 80% of all bitcoins that may ever be available. Bitcoins are sought out to pay for a variety of goods and services, but can only be used to purchase anything that accepts it.
Topic: identity

You can also obtain these coins by trading other money and goods as well. For Example, video games, traveling, and even food like subway and PizzaForCoins which is a service that allows you to order pizza with these coins. These coins are unregulated, and transactions are completely free and private. Based on the articles I have read, Bitcoins aren’t cheap, and they are sometimes hard to get. People spend a lot of money on buying these coins even though they are worth so much and can be used for several of reasons.
Topic: identity

The main concern is that it can be used for illegal activities such as the purchase of drugs, weapons, and other illegal goods. The concern also exists with all other forms of regulated currency, such as cash and wire transfers. Anonymity is one of the greatest Bitcoin perks, however, nothing is as untraceable as cash. It is the solution to the leading economic and security issues that have left everyone vulnerable, such as after the Target security breach in which hackers stole unencrypted credit card and debit card data for 40 million customers as well as their pins over two weeks before it was detected. In addition, these hackers were also able to obtain addresses, the names, email addresses, and phone numbers of 70 million customers (Andreesen 6).
Topic: identity

If Bitcoin were to be used as the standard form of payment, the transaction data doesn’t identify the purchaser’s identity and all information is encrypted. It is the most secure payment method and is a more secure future. It is an innovative solution to several global economic issues, including fraud and identity theft. This cutting-edge, technological advancement of Bitcoin has had a profound impact on the economy. As the value of bitcoins increasesfees, charges, the cost of the goods, and processing fees will decrease. The cryptographic algorithms provide an innovative method to protect users’ personal and account data secure. Due to no fees or very low fees, it has created an opportunity to stimulate global economic growth while providing retailers with higher profit margins and consumers with decreased fees when sending wire transfers, money orders, and check processing charges fees. Bitcoin’s peer-to-peer payment system is mutually beneficial to both the retailer and consumer.
Topic: identity

Bitcoin is best described as an Internet-wide distributed ledger. To buy into the ledger, one must purchase one of the fixed numbers of slots. This can be attained by cash procurement or by selling merchandise and service. Trading these bitcoins to another individual that wants to buy into the ledger, is how one would sell out of the ledger. Globally speaking, anyone can buy into or sell out of the ledger at any time they wish, without approval, and either no fees or a nominal fee. Purchasing bitcoins is similar to buying a seat on a stock exchange but is broadly relevant to actual transactions. This makes providing payment to someone anywhere in the world a simple process by transferring ownership of the relating slot in the Bitcoin ledger. To be part of this innovative payment system, one must “put value in, transfer it, the recipient gets value out, no authorization required, and in many cases, no fees” (Andreesen 3).
Topic: identity

Each day, there are “hundreds of millions of low-income people go to work in hard jobs in foreign countries to make money to send back to their families in their home countries – over $400 billion in total annually, according to the World Bank” (Andreessen 8). These proprietary systems like wire transfers, money orders, and check to process charge fees that average about 9% and peak at 25% of the total amount being sent (Andreesen 8). Converting to Bitcoin would enhance the quality of life of migrant workers and their families significantly.
Topic: identity

The rapid growth of e-commerce necessitated the innovation of more financial and technological novelties to accommodate the global business systems. Due to this growth, an increase in virtual wallets has been witnessed globally. Such online transfer platforms as Venmo, Cash app, Google Wallet, and PayPal, among others have changed the e-commerce world with the convenience to transact across the globe. The acceptance of virtual currencies such as Bitcoin has expanded the e-commerce platform further. Consumers have also embraced these developments albeit the risks associated with them.
Topic: identity

More fraudsters have defined new ways of obtaining money from online payment systems through identity theft and privacy compromise. International fraud attributes to the highest percentage of e-commerce fraud with merchants reporting more than $83 billion in loss from online sales. Online fraud affects both new entrants and established online merchants in equal measures. This report forms the basis of the research on the risks associated with digital wallets (e-wallets) and digital currencies to the consumers, merchants, and the nation at large.
Topic: identity

In this chapter, Choo discusses the influence that digital currencies have in expanding bribery, corruption, money laundering and andenforcementandenforcementmayenforcementandmayenforcement mobilemayenforcement terrorism financing. He examines compliance issues that nay be exploited for these vices and the evasion of law enforcements thereof. In his view, special strategies should be established to address gaps in virtual currencies that may increase corruption, money laundering, and terrorism financing.
Topic: identity

Fernandes digs deeper into the world of e-commerce and presents findings on the threats encountered through the e-payment systems. In this article, she expounds on the birth of e-fraud, the people affected in numbers, and revenue loss in figures from e-fraud. She also expounds on the different methods that frauds use and how both consumers and merchants can protect their transactions online. As a lecturer, Lisa has used instructional technologies to educate the readers on e-fraud as a risk factor of digit,al wallets.
Topic: identity

In this journal article, Kadusic, Bojovic, &Zgalj, explores the risks of mobile banking and e-wallet apps to the consumer. They analyze how consumers have responded to these innovations and expound on the risks that have been encountered during consumer adoption. The risks discussed in the article include fraud, financial regulations and legislation, lack of technological interoperability, privacy issues, and identity theft. The article is essential to the discussion of the potential risks that e-wallets pose to the consumer and how they can be mitigated to reduce the negative impacts and increase consumer adoption.
Topic: identity

The decentralization of Virtual currencies away from legal and financial frameworks continues to pose a risk and Toto’s national security. The anonymous operation of digital currency accounts allows potential criminals to evade law enforcement and financial regulations while performing criminal activities. Kleiman argues that the lack of regularizations and the decentralized nature of virtual currencies endanger the national security of the U.S. In the argument, he uses the Silk Road website to demonstrate how virtual currencies are pushing the boom of illegal trade in black markets and compromising national security in the process. This article is essential in discussing how the lack of digital currency regularizations has endangered national security in local and international spheres.
Topic: identity

The lack of proper regulations to govern virtual currencies and e-wallets has been cited as the major threat to the regulation of online transactions. Fraud incidents conceived from new techniques continue to escalate at the same speed as digital currencies innovation. Kovacs & David (2016) evaluates these fraudulent activities that should be adopted by local and international regulators to mitigate the risk of fraud from online payments systems. This article serves to show that with proper regulations in place, digital wallets and currencies can be safe for consumers.
Topic: identity

To understand the operation of e-commerce, Niranjanamurthy et.al, have provided an analysis of what it is and how new advances have influenced the way of doing business globally. They analyze the limitations of devices used in conducting e-commerce and how these form risk in online transactions. Interestingly, e-commerce has been narrowed down and m-commerce introduced. Devices used for m-commerce, such as has and may and phones, and personal digital assistants, can be a source of risks for online transactions. Such things as malware, middle-wares, and phishing apps can interfere with the information security frameworks of e-payment platforms.
Topic: identity

Trusted authentication mechanisms can be used in verifying new applicants for online platforms as the person they identify with. Pinheiro advocates this mechanism as a way of eradicating identity theft in e-commerce. New applicants opening new accounts can be evaluated against a trusted authenticator located in a different database such as a financial institution. The article indicates that although identity theft is prevalent in digital payment platforms, the trusted authenticator mechanism can curb the vice easily. This report is essential for discussing mitigation factors for e-commerce risks.
Topic: identity

From its design to its operation, Bitcoin raises many security questions. First, the irreversibility of transactions limits the consumer or buyer-seller power. Secondly, there are no vetting procedures for opening Bitcoin accounts nor any vetting procedure is available. Compared to traditional banking systems and e-wallets, Bitcoin creates more privacy and flexibility but at the same time more vulnerability. Rainer et.al, have discussed all these limitations of Bitcoin as a virtual currency and supports the thesis of this research paper
Topic: identity

Cases of money laundering have accelerated with the innovation of cashless and virtual currencies innovations. Stokes analyses how the Bitcoin and Linden dollar as examples of virtual currencies, can be used by an online criminal to launder money. Published in the ICT Law journal, the article integrates the legal frameworks with the ICT and examines how the two can interoperate to curb fraud. A discussion on Money Laundering Regulations 2007, helps understand how the law can be applied in virtual currency trading.
Topic: identity

Vendezande examines how the EU legal framework maneuvers the interoperability of e-payment across borders and still faces hindrances from the complexity of digital wallet systems. The increase in services offered across digital wallet systems in addition to e-payments has further complicated the regulations of operations. The article proposes financial regulations to protect consumers with the continuous enhancement of services offered by virtual currencies. This paper is essential in proposing mitigations for the risks involved in digital wallets and digital currencies.
Topic: identity

In this article Vovchenko, analyses the threats imposed by virtual currencies on national security. Issues of money laundering, terrorism financing, and international scams form the center stage of the discussion. The lack of a legal redress system to mitigate these risks has been discussed as the potential root of these threats since the trade exists freely without laws. As economists, the researchers have analyzed potential risks from the perspective of how they impact the national economy and pose a financial security risk. The authors support the notion that the lack of proper monitoring and management of e-wallets and virtual currencies poses a risk to national security. The article also proposes methods that can be adapted to the management of virtual currencies in the national and global spheres.
Topic: identity

In 2009 Chelsea Manning from the US army, leaked over 700,000 government Videos and documents, many of them being executions of terrorists. Online security is what the social media, databases, and banks need to use for holding all the info and passwords and such. Online security needs to go further and improve because hackers are busting in, bots are overflowing the service, and people have their identities stolen every day. Online security must change because of black hat hackers. First of all, a black hat hacker is a hacker that terminates servers with knowledge of a server, and many people get dosed by these hackers.
Topic: identity

What should happen is that the security on the internet should be improved more. Right now the internets security options are lacking and making the public more open to hackers ¨Password-protected documents (33%) were ranked as the least effective security tool, followed by facial recognition (19%)¨ (Marketwire). Furthermore, there are multiple different types of these hackers and the public needs to be more opened up to these multiple hacker threats, which is why security on the internet should be more secure.
Topic: identity

It’s good to know that there are three types of hackers Gray, White, and Black hat hackers. ¨……black hat hackers usually have extensive knowledge about breaking into computer networks and bypassing security protocols….. …..white hat hackers can sometimes be paid employees or contractors working for companies…… ……Grey hat hackers are a blend of both black hat and white hat activities….¨ (Norton Security) This evidence clearly shows that there is a lack of protection from the colored hat hackers that run rampant.
Topic: identity

For example, In 2009 – 2010 a US army member named Chelsea Manning leaked more than 700,000 government documents to WikiLeaks. Things she leaked were such as combat logs, diplomatic cables, and videos. People that do this suffer from terrible consequences such as prison internet access taken. “In August 2013, a military judge sentenced Manning to 35 years in prison” (Lawrance) In addition there is still a huge lacking of security in fraud and identity theft. These hackers can steal accounts for fraud, which is stealing online info or accounts for personal benefit or gain. But the public can also make new accounts for new banking accounts and such. “New-account fraud occurs when thieves use identifying data, which can include such information as Social Security “ (GAO reports 4) With all this in mind the conclusion is that theft of accounts and private information is happening even after all security changes. Spam bots are everywhere. Bots spam and overload servers with ads and viruses. Slowing down government computers and personal computers. On April 18th, 2009 an army of bots overflowed Dakota internet services “A Tucson-based Internet services provider was attacked with malicious software this week, disrupting online access for its roughly 5,000 customers.” (Dale) It is a simple but complex task to flood these bots on computers and networks, it’s about a 4 step process to do this. The bots use a peer-to-peer connection that has to infect the main component, which slows down the servers majorly. “These bots include P2P clients. They connect to a server that uses Gnutella, an open-source file-sharing technology….” (Geer 2) As you can see Botnets and bot servers are just openly available to the public which is why botting is such a threat to the companies that own networks. Cyber security is improving by the seconds though. Cyber security gets constantly changed and improved constantly every single day. Google makes new security keys constantly. Google’s current security key is called titan, which uses FDI and adds even more secure log-in options ‘ ‘Titan Security Key gives you even more peace of mind that your accounts are protected, with assurance from Google of the integrity of the physical key.’ ‘ (Lin) But hackers constantly find new ways to hack into the system and breach in, finding login information and more and more ways to ruin others.
Topic: identity

In November of 2011, the public thought cell phones were almost completely secure. But they found a way in and did some online shopping. “Smartphone attacks mostly come in the form of malicious apps that phone users get enticed to download. Malicious apps steal personal information and send text messages to premium numbers,” (Acohido) With everything considered, network companies keep trying to fix cyber security but it never works, new tech and old tech keeps going outdated because of these hackers. Online security must be changed because it can get hacked by just a bit of research and debugged code. A hacker can just hack into the public’s internet like nothing since the security is constantly being broken (colored hat hackers). The public all has a name and face, but hackers can breach the code and steal all information in a snap. Cameras can be broken into super fast and the footage can be leaked, all because of bots looking at the computer’s code all in the little tiny camera. As time keeps going on more and more people get their identity stolen, the public doesn’t look at faces but looks at the text on a screen.
Topic: identity

We’ve all received a sketchy email. Usually, the person sending the email is pretending to be someone you can trust such as your bank or your insurance company, in an attempt to get your username, password, credit card information, etc. This is known as a phishing attack. Phishing is an attempt to mislead someone into giving away sensitive information. In a phishing attack, an email, message, or another form of communication is used to create a facade that the sender is trustworthy, such as the CEO of your banking company or simply your insurance agent.
Topic: identity

This is done by overloading the target with fake requests to clog their actual requests from completing successfully. This can either slow down their connection or stop it altogether. In a DOS attack, one computer sends many fake requests to the target through the internet. In a DDOS attack, distributed denial-of-service, many computers send requests at the same time to more easily and effectively flood the target and disrupt the target’s connection to the internet. DDOS attacks are often accomplished using a botnet. A botnet is a group of devices connected to the internet that is controlled by the attacker. The attacker can use this group of computers to perform DDOS attacks and shut down networks. Botnets are often created by spreading malware onto many computers. These computers could belong to anybody and can contribute to DDOS attacks without the owner of the computer even knowing. DOS and DDOS attacks are very dangerous attacks that can shutdown shut downconnecteddown connectedshutdown shut down a computer or network connected to the internet. Stronger DDOS attacks can even shut down high-profile websites.
Topic: identity

A modern hostage scenario might not involve a person, but a computer. A ransomware attack essentially allows an attacker to hold your computer captive in exchange for money. This is done by installing malware on the target computer that allows the attacker to encrypt the information on the device, denying access to this information unless you have the password or key to decrypt your information. Essentially, a ransomware attack will take all the information on the computer and block access to it. It will then display a screen asking the target to give the attacker a specified amount of money within a certain amount of time, or the data on the computer will be deleted. These monetary transactions are usually done through some cryptocurrency so they can’t be traced. Once they paid up, they were given the key to decrypt their data and use their device again. This wasn’t guaranteed as the attackers were not always trustworthy. Ransomware could have devastating effects if it infects the right computer. Malware can spread through a network, so places with large computer networks such as schools and hospitals are especially at risk. If ransomware spreads to an entire network holding important information, they may have to pay a hefty ransom to get that information back. This has happened before. effectively Hancock Health hospital in Greenfield, Indiana was subject to a ransomware attack. They had to pay $55,000 to get their information back. This payment was done through BitCoin and thankfully they received the decryption keys and were able to get all their sensitive information back.
Topic: identity

Identity theft is when a criminal poses as somebody else to get access to their money, commit crimes, or use their identity to benefit some other way. This is done by stealing or obtaining sensitive information that allows the attacker to convincingly pose as the target to profit. There are many ways to benefit from identity theft. Attackers can use their bank information to directly steal money or similarly use their information to sign up and use credit cards. They can use their identity to apply for loans and never pay them off, they can commit crimes that benefit them and not face repercussions. There is a surplus of ways that criminals can use their identity to profit. How do they get this information? More often than not, it’s through the use of malware. A piece of malware can scan the target’s device for sensitive information such as bank account information, passwords, your full name, or even your Social Security Number. With any or all of this information, major damage can be done to the target while the attacker reaps the benefits. Identity theft can ruin lives. If an attacker is ruthless they can put the target in serious debt or legitimate criminal trouble. It is very difficult to work these things out and will at the very least cost the target a lot of stress and time.
Topic: identity

Securing information systems in the last decade has become more apparent and malicious than ever before due to the ever-expanding internet. Cyber-crime is any type of crime that involves a computer or a computer network used for malicious or harmful purposes. Cyber-crime comes in all shapes and sizes and can cause different problems ranging from not being able to access resources to the entire computer network crashing. There has been a spike in cyber-crime on the internet due to the loose regulations, lack of laws governing internet and computer use, and growing popularity in online markets posing a risk for millions.
Topic: identity

Summarized by The U.S Bureau of Investigation (2017) Victim loss from corporate data breaches surpluses 60,942,306 and will continue to rise in coming years. With the total cyber-crime annual revenues being over 1.5 trillion it is no secret that this is a big problem. Of these cyber-crimes identity theft, email phishing scams, SQL injection attack, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS), and cyber stalking have been among the most prevalent and dangerous.
Topic: identity

In this portfolio project, I will be discussing five different case studies on different topics of digital crime. For each of the five cyber-crimes I will be explaining the type of crime, as well as give background on the development and history of the cyber-crime. The information for each crime will include the crime, how the computer was used, victims, outcome, and how it could be prevented. In addition, the perpetrator will be identified (if found), and their punishment explained.
Topic: identity

Identity theft is not a new crime, in fact, it dates back to even before the computer or internet was invented. Identity theft is the act of deliberately using someone elses identity to gain a financial advantage, obtain credit, and benefits in the other persons name, and to the possible disadvantage of the other person. With the development and the increased use of the internet, the crime of identity theft has made it’s way into the cyber world. The first case study presented is possibly one of the ost famous cyber identity theft cases in the United States. Abraham Abdallah of Brooklyn New York was arrested after his elaborate identity theft impersonations were uncovered. Abdallah used the identities of some of the most rich and famous people in the US to breach banks and credit card companies. His scams were so elaborate that it took years to uncover the entire scheme. He stole millions from hollyood personalities such as Warren Buffett and Steven Spielberg, and performed all of this in the computer lab in the Brooklyn Library in New York. He was eventually arrested on the charges, sent to prison, and received a hefty fine on top of damages to the victims. Although there was justice in this case, many identity theft cases are never solved, especially when they are online. According to 2018 Identity Fraud: Fraud Enters a New Era of Complexity from Javelin Strategy & Research, in 2017, there were 16.7 million victims of identity fraud, a record high that followed a previous record the year before.
Topic: identity

This case study example of cber identity theft could have been avoided a couple different ways. Security at the Brooklyn library computer center could have been better if it was not able to detect there as at least something “funny” going on. Additionally, the computer could have implemented time restrictions, website restrictions, or even closed circuit TV (CCTV) to watch over the computer lab for suspicious activity. This case study could have also been prevented by the credit card companies and banks. At the time this case took place security within credit card companies and banks was not as strict as it is today, which Abdullah used to his advantage to steal these celebrities money. Two step verification, providing personal information only the customer would know, and bank account number and credit card numbers can all be used to verify if someone is who they say they are. Although these precautious have been implemented recently, there are still ways being developed for identity theft everyday.
Topic: identity

The next case study presented involves an email phishing scam which ended up almost costing the organization a serious financial loss. Phishing is a scam where the criminal sends an email pretending to be from a legitimate company, with a legitimate looking website through the URL, in hopes of the victim providing the requested information. If successful, the criminal is free to use this information for personal gain. In this particular case study, which took place on January 24th, 2018 there was an email wire transfer request sent from the CEO of First Business Bank for $15, 850. The bank employee emailed back a blank wire request form, received the completed wire request form and wire agreement, with a valid signature that matched the signature of the CEO. The wire stransfer was then submitted. It was not until a phone call back to the clients phone number from the bank records indicated this was a fraudulent transaction and was stopped right away. All of the emails were directed automatically to the delete folder so neither the bookkeeper or CEO knew the fraud was happening. It as later determined by the banks IT department that the CEO and bookkeepers corporate emails were compromised in November 2017. From November 2017 to January 24th, 2018 the emails were monitored to gain the information needed to carry out the scam. Eventually police were able to trace the IP address back to South African however, it is very unlikely these criminals will ever be brought to justice.
Topic: identity

What went wrong in this case study is not proper authentication before the wire transfer was put through. A simple phone call to the CEO before the wire transfer to confirm this was their request could have saved lots of time and frustration, and could have prevented the situation all together. Organiational measure that should be instituted is frequent email and account password change and password complexity. In addition, double checking high value requests and employee cyber security training and awareness will help mitigate attacks suh as these.
Topic: identity

The next case study presented is one tht managed to affect millions of people, and is known as one of the biggest distributed denial of service attacks ever launched. The Dyn DDoS occurred on October 21st, 2016 and overturned larger portions of the internet and services in the United States and Europe. The source of the botnet was the Mirai botnet, which consists of the Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices such as internet protocol (IP) cameras, printers, and video recorders. According to Sreekanth, Aishwarya Sri, Prashant Vartiainen, Teemu (2017) “Mirai is a piece of malware which infects and exploits the vulnerable network devices on Fig. 1. DNS attack mechanism the Internet, preferably IoT devices. Upon successful infection, the bot gets registered to a Command and Control Server (C&C) which controls the botnet during attacks. Mirai malware exploits those network devices that authenticate using default credentials.” The attack was deemed to be unusual and bizarre by Dyn because of the use of IoT devices with this particular malware.
Topic: identity

The fourth cse study for this portfolio project is one involving cyber stalking. Stalking has historically been an issue, it is usually done by physically following someone however, with the availability of information on the internet you can now stalk people online. In this case study, Cassandra Cruz who was an online school student became fixated on a woman she found on a porn website. Although it had been 15 years since this woman was actively posting porn, Cassandra was relentless with her growing obsession for the actress. She had access to two of the victim’s news feeds for social media by portraying an attractive marine named Giovanni. Soon she began to post on every picture as well as her friends and families social media posts which raised suspicions with the victim. Giovanni was soon blocked from accessing the victim’s social media and that’s when Cassandra started email, call, and letter threats. Summarized by the Federal Bureau of Investigations News (2017) “From the beginning of 2016 until late April, the victim received more than 900 phone calls and text messages on her cell phone alone. Approximately the same amount of unwanted calls were made to the victim’s home and work phones before the FBI ended the stalking.” Cassandra Cruz was good at what she did as she had several fake social media accounts and deceived the FBI for months in an ongoing investigation. Finally, Cassandra was caught in a video chat that confirmed she was the stalker as well as discussing $100,000 extortion demand from the victim. The FBI officially took her down at the meet-up for this supposed $100,000 demand. One thing to note from the article on the case is that even on her way to jail she was completely fixated and infatuated with this random victim, which goes to show virtually anyone can be a cyber stalker. However, the numbers do not lie released by the U.S. Department of Justice only 23% of stalkers identified by females were strangers, which is why it is equally important in the age of information to secure private credentials and do not overshare on social media, even with people you “know”.
Topic: identity

It is hard to say how cyber stalking can be prevented due to the multi-faceted use of different avenues to obtain information on the victim (social media, email, phone calls, in person). The best way to prevent this type of attack is to simply be aware and investigate anything unusual. The biggest warning sign is getting an add from a person you do not recognize, or unwanted emails from someone who claims they know you, or someone who is persistent and will not take no for an answer. Measure that can be instituted to mitigate cyber stalking would be not oversharing on theinternet, using a different email for social media accounts, password complexity, privacy settings, and searching for yourself online to see what information comes up.