Monday, July 25, 2016

Apple and FBI Team Up to Bring Down One of the Largest Torrent Sites in the World


Well-known for its superfine technology and exceptionally sophisticated handsets, Apple Inc. is one of the largest computer technology and electronics manufacturing companies in the world. It has provided users with some of the best gadgets we see today, and has grown in the past two decades at a neck break speed. In recent news, it has helped the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to carry out a crack-down on the owner of one of the largest torrent sites of the world, Artem Vaulin of Kick Ass Torrents, and arrest him in Poland. However, the question which is popping-up, in the minds of many thinkers sitting at the back panel is – why did Apple Inc. help FBI in this case, but not in the one of the San Bernardino shooting? Here is a brief look into why Apple Inc. backed out on the San Bernardino case, even after being ordered by the Law of California.
The Kick Ass Torrent Case:
Artem Vaulin, the alleged owner of one of the largest torrent directories in the world called Kick Ass Torrents, was arrested in Poland, earlier this week. The person was charged with money laundering and copyright infringement. It turns out that Apple Inc. and Facebook provided IP addresses of Vaulin during the investigation. Sources said that Vaulin had an Apple account, which he used to make purchases to two different IP addresses. Almost a week ago, the final location of Vaulin was traced and after a crack-down by FBI and he was arrested in Poland.
The San Bernardino Case:
In 2015, a shooter named Farooq killed 14 people and was on the run. The FBI was tracing the killer for a long period of time, and after finding out that the killer owned an iPhone, the department approached Apple Inc. for help. However, opposing the decision of the Law of California, Apple Inc. refused to help and cited a privacy breach. The CEO said that it would be a backdoor to every iPhone out there and Apple Inc. would never help in creating something which was this dangerous.
What is The Difference? In the San Bernardino Shooting case, Apple Inc. was asked by the Government of the US to hack Farooq’s phone and let FBI know about his whereabouts and his recent activities. However, as there was no financial gain included in the case, Apple Inc. refused to use its resource, and cited privacy breach against a serial killer.
Whereas, if we take a look at the arrest of Kickass Torrent’s owner, it is clearly shown that with the removal of websites which provided pirated movies to the users, Apple Inc. could make a lot of money by selling their products on iTunes and the App Store. Moreover, it was an indirect way of reducing competition, which was being faced by Apple Inc. for a long period of time.
The Bottom Line:
Without any financial gains in the process, the multinational Apple Inc. backed off from the San Bernardino’s shooting case, and denied to help FBI in hacking the iPhone of the shooter. The facts and the figures prove that in order to cut the competition, achieve a greater position in the market and remove pirated movies, so people pay-per-view of each movie, Apple Inc. helped the FBI in catching Artem Vaulin.

Thursday, July 14, 2016

Maintaining an Organized Work Space


Whether you work in an office or at home, keeping an organized workspace is essential in helping you work more efficiently. When your desk is clear and everything is tidy, it helps you stay focused and gives an air of organization. It also helps you find things when you need them.

When a workspace is cluttered with notes, letters, files, empty drink cups, and general stuff, you cannot find what you need. If you are one of these people who proudly states “I know where everything is” as your boss, looks at your desk with disdain, then you really need to have a clear up.

Having a clear work space clears your mind. You may think you know where everything is on your desk, but you are wasting brain energy keeping record of your ungainly filling system. This in turn makes you less efficient, because not only can you not find the things you need quickly, your brain is trying to recall when you had it last and what has been put on top of it.

Some companies have now introduced a clear desk policy. This means that anything other than your necessary tools, like your computer and telephone should not be on show when you leave your desk at the end of the day. All files must be kept filed away especially at the end of the day and anything you are working on should be covered if you leave your desk.

This is as much a security issue for companies as anything. We may work with very sensitive information like people’s finances or legal information; even personal details on a computer are subject to the data protection laws. Therefore it is good practice to close your screen and put files in your drawer whenever you leave your desk. This kind of organization can only be achieved if your workspace is clear of all unnecessary items.
It may seem that an office is a safe environment and it can be felt that papers and on screen information is all part of the job and all the workers are okay, but this cannot be taken for granted. If you think about the way computer systems are structured in business then you will know that not everyone in the building has access to all computer files. You have access to folders and files that are relevant to your work, but nothing outside that area.

Large companies are particularly aware of this kind of security. If you have worked in this type of environment you will be aware that it takes a while to be set up with authority to areas when you first start a job. This is the company protecting itself by the organization of its own security.

When you are working from home it can seem irrelevant as no one ever goes into your office but good organization of your work place is still essential as it can help make you work more efficiently. A clear desk and space to work, without moving piles of files means that you are able to focus on the work in hand.