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| SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY |
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Fishy
phishing
THIS UNIVERSE |
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Fishy
phishing TODAY, the Internet has
become the most powerful communication tool. Earlier, it had been
predicted that a day would soon come when printed books would be
replaced by e-books. However, nothing has happened till date. But one
thing is quite sure that e-mail has, by and large, replaced the role
of the once most wanted khaki-clad man of society, the postman,
carrying postcards, inland letters, telegrams, etc., sent by post. With the rapid development in e-communication, e-commerce is also gaining popularity. Financial transactions are now regularly done through websites and e-mail, at least in the developed countries of the world. In our country, too, e-commerce is catching up and there is a concerted campaign by government and private organisations alike for customers to use these e-modes for more convenience and efficiency. However, there are certain dangerous pitfalls of transacting business through the Internet. If you are off your guard, online transactions may lead to frauds. Therefore, there is need to be aware of phishing scam, one of the most common online threats. Phishing refers to an e-mail sent by an individual or a group which attempts to obtain personal details of the user, such as user name, password or credit card information or bank account numbers. These phishing e-mails are crafted in such a way that they appear to have been sent by a legitimate organisation or a known individual. Such messages are designed to steal your identity information. This can be done though the Internet, cell phones or other devices. In general, phishing bait can be found embedded in e-mail messages or instant messages with the subject such as “Congratulations! you have won the lottery” or “You have won a prize” or “Verify your account” or “Your Internet banking account may have been accessed from an unauthorised computer” or “If you don’t respond within 48 hours, your account will be closed”. All these flashings on the screens perturb the young minds or the uninitiated, who are goaded to live in the nightmares of economic insecurities or reveries of becoming millionaires, thereby getting hooked up by these e-baits. However, there are some useful tips recommended by the Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) to avoid becoming a victim of phishing scams: n Be suspicious of any e-mail with urgent requests for personal financial information. n
Don’t use the links in an e-mail, instant message, or chat to get to any Web page if you suspect that the message might not be authentic or if you don’t know the sender. Instead, call the bank/company on telephone, or log onto the website directly by typing in the Web address in your browser. n
Avoid filling in forms in e-mail messages that ask for personal financial information. n
Always ensure that you’re using a secure website while submitting credit card or other sensitive information via your Web browser. n
Make it a habit to enter the address of any banking, shopping, auction or financial transaction website yourself. Never depend on displayed links. n
Remember, not all scam websites will try to show the https:// and/or the security lock. Get into the habit of looking at the address line, too. Were you directed to secure PayPal website? Does the address line display something different like “http://tcp3.com/payupal/login.htm?” Always be aware of where you are going. n
Consider installing a Web browser toolbar (e.g., EarthLink ScamBlocker, available at
http://www.earthlink.net/
earthlinktoolbar) to protect you from known fraudulent websites. n
Ensure that your browser is up to date and security patches are applied. Cheating or chicanery had always been an integral part of human society from time immemorial. The rat race of transforming rupee into dollar or pound or euro, that too overnight, makes us an easy prey to e-frauds. Greed, negative competitiveness and insecurity further aggravate the probability of more and more educated and tech-savvy young generation to becoming victims of such frauds. So, the message put across is this: make use of technology, but with intelligence and caution.
The writer is Associate Professor, NITTTR, Chandigarh |
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Trends
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida: The Obama administration has outlined a space policy that offers an expanded role for foreign governments including possibly China and private companies in monitoring Earth's climate, tracking and removing orbital debris and protecting satellites. The strategy follows President Barack Obama's blueprint for NASA that cancels the space shuttle follow-on program to return to the Moon, hires private space taxis to fly crews to the International Space Station and seeds promising technologies for future human and robotic missions into deep space. Scientists explain Parkinson’s transplant problem LONDON: Scientists working with Parkinson’s disease patients who had pioneering transplant surgery using aborted foetal tissue have figured out what causes one of the most damaging side-effects of the treatment. The finding opens the way for a revival of the controversial and unpredictable procedure, which was halted in the mid-1990s after many patients suffered bouts of serious sudden and uncontrolled movements. Researchers from Britain and Sweden have found that the sudden movements, called dyskinesias, which are a common side effect of treatment for Parkinson’s disease, are a result of excess serotonin cells in the transplanted tissue that trick the brain into releasing unregulated levels of dopamine. Dopamine is a brain chemical that helps control movement, while serotonin is brain chemical which acts as a messenger. Ariane rocket puts two satellites into orbit CAYENNE,
French Guiana: An Ariane rocket has put two satellites into orbit after a launch from French Guiana, space officials said. The Ariane-5 rocket blasted off from the European Space Agency's launch center in Kourou, French Guiana on the northeast coast of South America. Methane in Gulf ‘astonishingly high’ CHICAGO: As much as 1 million times the normal level of methane gas has been found in some regions near the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, enough to potentially deplete oxygen and create a dead zone, US scientists said. Texas A&M University oceanography professor John Kessler, just back from a 10-day research expedition near the BP Plc oil spill in the gulf, says methane gas levels in some areas are “astonishingly high”. — Reuters |
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THIS UNIVERSE When we come out of an air-conditioned room/car, windowpanes get misty even though it is quite hot outside. Why? Some component of air is water vapour. The quantity of vapour increases when it is wet and rainy. But the quantity of water vapour that air can hold increases with its temperature, to reach a maximum value when the air is fully saturated with water vapour. Under these conditions, the air cannot dry a wet towel or evaporate a pool of water. This is the condition of 100 per cent humidity and is very uncomfortable. If now we raise the temperature of the air, the relative humidity drops to below 100 per cent, meaning it becomes able to evaporate some more water. The reverse happens when air at any temperature encounters a very cold surface. The cooled air becomes supersaturated, leading to condensation of some of its vapour on the cold surface. This is the reason for the experience you have mentioned-the windowpanes get misty when you come out of a well-cooled car. All the 92 elements found on
the Earth — from hydrogen to uranium — have atomic numbers from 1 to 92. Is it a tailor-made situation or a chance consequence of natural forces? This is a magnificent question. Why only 92 elements why not 592, or 920? I may not get into all the scientific details, but it is clear that the types and strengths of various forces are centrally involved in any reply to your question. First, consider the atomic structure of the atoms involved. Just consider the velocity of the electrons in the lowest orbit to an atom with a charge much greater than that of the nucleus of uranium. It might turn out that the electrons will require a speed greater than that of light, if we consider the Bohr-type of treatment of the structure of the atom. We certainly cannot allow that and must go on to a relativistic treatment. Perhaps a solution can be found but it would be tricky. Let us now look at the nucleus. Uranium-238 has 92 protons and 146 neutrons. It is clear that a large excess of neutrons is required to counter the repulsive force of the 92 positively charged protons. Even then, we do not manage to make U-238 completely stable. Large number of neutrons with short-range nuclear force seem to act like a large police force to ensure stability of the nucleus against the disruptive repulsive force of less than half as many positively charged protons. They already seem to have a difficult time ensuring stability. Now, if we want to increase the atomic number, namely the number of protons, we will have to put in increasing number of neutrons. This has been attempted and a several trans-uranic elements have been produced in nuclear physics laboratories, but they have extremely short lifetimes. There is some indication that there might be some islands of stability, but it is a very unstable regime. It seems, therefore, that various forces together colluded to make the present world as it is. |
TODAY,
the Internet has become the most powerful communication tool. Earlier,
it had been predicted that a day would soon come when printed books
would be replaced by e-books. However, nothing has happened till date.
But one thing is quite sure that e-mail has, by and large, replaced
the role of the once most wanted khaki-clad man of society, the
postman, carrying postcards, inland letters, telegrams, etc., sent by
post.
