The Economist: Three Habits of Irritating Management Gurus

http://www.economist.com/businessfinance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14698784

Alas, Business Information (BI) practitioners can analyse, criticise and debunk the works of popular management gurus till the cows come home, but the demand for expert wisdom grows unabated.

The gurus fill a need of business leaders to provide the magic formulas and quick fixes, for management. Even if we criticise them, they often deliver “...their failures only serve to stoke the demand for their services....the very fact that (management) defies easy solutions, leaving managers in a perpetual state of angst, means there will always be demand...”

Microsoft Security Intelligence Report - Extracts

Here’s a look at the five most important aspects from the full Microsoft Security Intelligence Report.

1. Vulnerabilities (the response and reaction to them) vary, depending on whether the target is at work or home.

Based on data provided by its enterprise Forefront Client Security and consumer Windows Live OneCare, Microsoft found that vulnerabilities are very different. Why? A corporate user may have email and Internet limitations that reduce the attack surface. A home user has more software tools to be infected but less critical data at risk.

Simply put, a home user is more likely to get hit with a Trojan attack to extract bank and credit card details, etc. In the enterprise, the weapon of choice is the Worm attack, which is primarily destructive and disruptive.

The greatest difference between enterprise and home vulnerabilities is social engineering. Microsoft explains:

• The Windows Live OneCare list also includes several families associated with rogue security software, such as Win32/Renos, Win32/FakeXPA, and Win32/Antivirus2008.
• The social engineering messages used in connection with rogue security software may be less effective in an enterprise environment, where malware protection is typically the responsibility of the IT department…
• By contrast, the Forefront Client Security list is dominated by worms, like Win32/Autorun, Win32/Hamweq, and Win32/Taterf.
• Worms rely less on social engineering to spread than categories like trojans and downloaders do, does and more on access to unsecured file shares and removable storage volumes, both of which are often plentiful in enterprise environments.

2. Users don’t always remove unwanted software: There’s great appeal to the procrastinator in the “ignore” button.

• Microsoft explains one nuance of the malware issue:Software cannot always be classified in binary terms as “good” or “bad.”
  
• Some software inhabits a gray area wherein the combination of behaviors and value propositions presented by the software is neither universally desired nor universally reviled.
  
• This gray area includes a number of programs that do things like display advertisements to the user that may appear outside the context of the Web browser or other application and which may be difficult or impossible to control.

Microsoft’s scans allow users to ignore a security alert, allow software to remain, issue a prompt, quarantine or remove it.

If software is really malicious it is removed without user input. The gray areas appear when users have a choice.

Microsoft adds:

• These decisions are influenced by a number of factors, such as the user’s level of expertise, how certain they feel about their judgment regarding the software in question, the context in which the software was obtained, societal considerations, and the benefit (if any) being delivered by the software or by other software that is bundled with it.
  
• Users make choices about what to do about a piece of potentially unwanted software for different reasons, so it’s important not to draw unwarranted conclusions about their intent.

Moderate or Low threats are often ignored by users, who think that there’s value in the software. These threats are keepers based on user behaviour:

3. Rogue security software (Scareware) gains momentum.

The concept of rogue security software is pure genius. Malicious hackers prey on the fears of users, cook up bogus security software and extract payments to keep your PC running. Microsoft notes that rogue security software is becoming a hot category.

Microsoft reports:

• Rogue security software authors have long attempted to exploit this trust by giving their programs generic, anodyne names, like “Antivirus 2009,” and making them resemble genuine security software in many ways.
  
• Recently, many threats have taken this approach a step further, posing as components of the operating system itself or as a familiar search engine.
  
• One of the first families observed to exhibit this behavior was Win32/FakeSecSen, which was added to the MSRT in November 2008 and was the eighth most prevalent family in 2H08 overall.
  
• Win32/FakeSecSen adds an icon to the Control Panel named Vista AV or MS AV and fraudulently uses the same four-colour shield icon as the Windows Security Center. Double-clicking the icon launches the rogue software, which claims to detect a large number of nonexistent threats and urges the user to “activate” the software by paying for it.

Win32/Renos is a longtime threat that delivers rogue security software. It was the most prevalent threat in the second half of 2008. Two new trojans–Win32/FakeXPA and Win32/FakeSecSen were the seventh and eight most prevalent family class.

4. Social networking phishing attacks represented less than 1 percent of attacks, but yielded a big chunk of phishing impressions.

Translation: Social networking sites will remain a big phishing target.

Microsoft explains:

• A typical social network phish is likely to trick an order of magnitude more users than a typical financial phish. There are a number of explanations for this discrepancy.
  
• While financial institutions targeted by phishers can number in the hundreds, just a handful of popular sites account for the bulk of the social network usage on the Internet, so phishers can effectively target many more people per site.
  
• In addition, phishers often use the messaging features of the sites themselves to distribute their attacks, typically by gaining control of a user’s account and using it to send phishing messages to the victim’s friends.
  
• These attacks can be much more effective than e-mail–based attacks, because they exploit the considerable level of trust users place in their friends.

Take a look at:

And.

5. Malware is dominant in the U.S. and accounted for 67 percent of all infected computers.

Trojans—the miscellaneous variety–were detected on 29.4 percent of infected computers. Among other items:

• Five of the top 20 families detected in the United States in Q3 and Q4 of 2008 (Win32/Renos, Win32/FakeXPA, Win32/FakeSecSen, Win32/Antivirus2008, and Win32/Winfixer) download rogue security software or display misleading warning messages to convince users to purchase a program that supposedly removes spyware.

Here are the top five individual threats:

Trojan downloaders and droppers were detected on 24.4 percent of all infected computers.

I trust this was of interest to you and you will see the sense of protecting your computer(s) with known and trusted anti Virus software as well as setting up a good Firewall and Intrusion detection. The rise and rise of Malware across the globe means that you will also need to protect your system(s) from this menace.

Do your research, read the reviews and never be the first to try any new protection software.

Categories of intelligence

The categories of intelligence proposed by Howard Gardner are:

Bodily-kinesthetic

This area has to do with bodily movement. People who have this intelligence usually learn better by getting up and moving around, and are generally good at physical activities such as sports or dance. They may enjoy acting or performing, and in general they are good at building and making things. They often learn best by doing something physically, rather than reading or hearing about it. Those with strong bodily-kinesthetic intelligence seem to use what might be termed muscle memory - they remember things through their body such as verbal memory or images.

Careers that suit those with this intelligence include athletes, dancers, actors, surgeons, doctors, builders, and soldiers. Although these careers can be duplicated through virtual simulation they will not produce the actual physical learning that is needed in this intelligence.

Interpersonal

This area has to do with interaction with others. People who have a high interpersonal intelligence tend to be extroverts, characterized by their sensitivity to others' moods, feelings, temperaments and motivations, and their ability to cooperate in order to work as part of a group. They communicate effectively and empathize easily with others, and may be either leaders or followers. They typically learn best by working with others and often enjoy discussion and debate.

Careers that suit those with this intelligence include politicians, managers, teachers, and social workers.

Verbal-linguistic

This area has to do with words, spoken or written. People with high verbal-linguistic intelligence display a facility with words and languages. They are typically good at reading, writing, telling stories and memorizing words along with dates. They tend to learn best by reading, taking notes, listening to lectures, and discussion and debate. They are also frequently skilled at explaining, teaching and oration or persuasive speaking. Those with verbal-linguistic intelligence learn foreign languages very easily as they have high verbal memory and recall, and an ability to understand and manipulate syntax and structure.

This intelligence is highest in writers, lawyers, philosophers, journalists, politicians and teachers.

Logical-mathematical

This area has to do with logic, abstractions, reasoning, and numbers. While it is often assumed that those with this intelligence naturally excel in mathematics, chess, computer programming and other logical or numerical activities, a more accurate definition places emphasis on traditional mathematical ability and more reasoning capabilities, abstract patterns of recognition, scientific thinking and investigation, and the ability to perform complex calculations. It correlates strongly with traditional concepts of "intelligence" or IQ.

Many scientists, mathematicians, engineers, doctors and economists function in this level of intelligences.

Naturalistic

This area has to do with nature, nurturing and relating information to one's natural surroundings. This type of intelligence was not part of Gardner's original theory of Multiple Intelligences, but was added to the theory in 1997. Those with it are said to have greater sensitivity to nature and their place within it, the ability to nurture and grow things, and greater ease in caring for, taming and interacting with animals. They may also be able to discern changes in weather or similar fluctuations in their natural surroundings. Recognizing and classifying things are at the core of a naturalist. They must connect a new experience with prior knowledge to truly learn something new.

"Naturalists" learn best when the subject involves collecting and analyzing, or is closely related to something prominent in nature; they also don't enjoy learning unfamiliar or seemingly useless subjects with little or no connections to nature. It is advised that naturalistic learners would learn more through being outside or in a kinesthetic way.

The theory behind this intelligence is often criticized, much like the spiritual or existential intelligence (see below), as it is seen by many as not indicative of an intelligence but rather an interest.

Careers that suit those with this intelligence include scientists, naturalists, conservationists, gardeners and farmers.

Intrapersonal

This area has to do with introspective and self-reflective capacities. Those who are strongest in this intelligence are typically introverts and prefer to work alone. They are usually highly self-aware and capable of understanding their own emotions, goals and motivations. They often have an affinity for thought-based pursuits such as philosophy. They learn best when allowed to concentrate on the subject by themselves. There is often a high level of perfectionism associated with this intelligence.

Careers that suit those with this intelligence include philosophers, psychologists, theologians, writers and scientists.

Visual-spatial (Spatial reasoning)

This area has to do with vision and spatial judgment. People with strong visual-spatial intelligence are typically very good at visualizing and mentally manipulating objects. Those with strong spatial intelligence are often proficient at solving puzzles. They have a strong visual memory and are often artistically inclined. Those with visual-spatial intelligence also generally have a very good sense of direction and may also have very good hand-eye coordination, although this is normally seen as a characteristic of the bodily-kinesthetic intelligence.

Some critics point out the high correlation between the spatial and mathematical abilities, which seems to disprove the clear separation of the intelligences as Gardner theorized. Since solving a mathematical problem involves reassuringly manipulating symbols and numbers, spatial intelligence is involved in visually changing the reality. A thorough understanding of the two intelligences precludes this criticism, however, as the two intelligences do not precisely conform to the definitions of visual and mathematical abilities. Although they may share certain characteristics, they are easily distinguished by several factors, and there are many with strong logical-mathematical intelligence.

Careers that suit those with this intelligence include artists, engineers, and architects.

Musical

This area has to do with rhythm, music, and hearing. Those who have a high level of musical-rhythmic intelligence display greater sensitivity to sounds, rhythms, tones, and music. They normally have good pitch and may even have absolute pitch, and are able to sing, play musical instruments, and compose music. Since there is a strong auditory component to this intelligence, those who are strongest in it may learn best via lecture. In addition, they will often use songs or rhythms to learn and memorize information, and may work best with music playing in the background.

Careers that suit those with this intelligence include instrumentalists, singers, conductors, disc-jockeys, and composers.