Locally, Human Resource Management alone does the job of monitoring overtime, leave and change shift. This setting is indeed a false one. Most of the companies in the Philippines are owned by the Japanese and the American. Certainly, Filipinos encompass ¾'s of the population. Unfortunately, it is proven that most of the Filipinos relate themselves to common local connotation that is “Mamaya Na!”

Likewise, Ibiden Philippines, Inc. monitors overtime, leave and change shift through HR Department. Other departments just like QA monitors overtime, leave and change shift but not as serious as HR's monitoring. Some departments even rely with HR's update by the end of the month. Sadly, there was a delay in HR updates.

Hence, Automated OT, Leave & Change Shift Monitoring® was developed to alleviate the scenario.

Productivity

In the first place, IPI employees are unconscious of their productivity since there was no monitoring at all. This allows them to work without direction in the sense that they will just work in manner of just working.

Quality

Some departments have monitoring of overtime, leave and change shift. However, their monitoring is manual. Manual monitoring is susceptible to human errors. Thus, the quality and accuracy of computation is being sacrificed.

Cost

Since there was no monitoring of overtime, employees can render overtime on the basis of their “wants” not on the “needs of the company” for their service. This fact incurs cost.

Morale

No recognition is given to employees who were not able to file leave and change shifts per month. This hampers appreciation and employee satisfaction.

The first step in every security assessment and hardening process is always to conduct an environmental survey specifically tailored towards promoting a comprehensive scenario specific awareness and understanding of the prevailing functional operating climate/environment.

One all too often overlooked aspect here is physical security. One should never forget that all security starts with the physical and only then progresses to the logical if appropriate. Without further ado here are the issues and potential solutions that merit consideration with regards to all wireless networking environments and implementation scenarios.

Fixing and Camouflage

So make sure that all of your Wireless Access Points (WAPs) are physically secured. Tie downs and camouflage are great ways to do this. Both camouflaged and secreted devices (located in suspended ceilings etc) have the added security benefit of being hidden from general view.

The old adage “out of sight out of mind” immediately springs to mind. What cannot be seen is often out of mind and therefore less likely to go walk-about. WAPs can be secreted in suspended ceilings, wiring closets or fixtures such as ornaments and planter pots. This makes for an all round far more aesthetically pleasing approach.

Signal Degradation

With respect to wireless networking physical security also entails taking such factors as environmental interference from other wireless devices and cell phones etc., electromagnetic interference (EMI) from other electronic and electrical devices such as TVs, radios and public address systems, signal attenuation, degradation and for the network's wired components such as those connecting your WAPs and wireless bridges/routers to your wired network (LAN) noise and cross-talk need to be taken into consideration.

Functional Reliability

Do not overlook the need for equipment reliability and robustness along with adequate emergency situation operating functionality. It is imperative that in the event of an emergency or catastrophe that your wireless network remains fully functional unless circumstances dictate otherwise. Communication is usually the most valuable resource in times of doubt and uncertainty. Just ask the military.

Naming, Labeling and Documentation

An appropriate secure customized naming convention complete with a fully complementary secure labeling system is a must. This is generally of higher importance for a business wireless networking environment where there may be considerable numbers of roaming network member devices than is usually the case for the home wireless network.

On top of this, wireless network physical security requires the appropriate planning to ensure ready location and identification of network devices in the event of malfunctions, failures or hacking (successful or not) especially when physical access of the equipment in question becomes necessary. Of course this will include the proper documentation detailing all physical aspects of the wireless network including device location and identification markers.

Wireless Traffic Control

Another crucial principal element of physical security for all wireless networks that rates special mention here is that of traffic control. Just as one regulates the physical ebb and flow of people on any given site through orchestrated control of transport facilities and mechanisms, the same holds true for the regulation of traffic flow and control for wireless networks.

Consider this to be very much akin to a perimeter-based site/facility security strategy that deploys multiple layers of defenses for physical site access. In networking applications firewalls can do an admirable job of regulating authenticated access; very much as a fence and guard-house does for facility perimeter security. So install one and ensure that it is correctly configured.

Physical Traffic Control Mechanisms

With regards to physical traffic control for wireless networks the majority of options will be partially implemented in hardware and partially logically. The exact mix will be situation specific. Planning and due care with device placement, the selection of transmission frequency bands and power ratings will all have a role to play.

Consider that some frequencies have better physical penetration attributes than others, while more powerful signals (higher wattage) will be propagated further and will also penetrate fixtures better. There have been documented instances of wireless network signals being detectable and of service level quality at up to 125 miles from the transmission source (the official world record distance as recorded by http://www.wifi-shootout.com).

For these reasons in a high security zone one might need to deploy more specialized WAPs set to a lower transmission power rating than usual in combination with unidirectional antennae rather than omnidirectional antennae. The additional costs of these types of units are readily justifiable in terms of the additional security levels attained.

From a fiscal standpoint it is worthy of note that this small additional cost is a onetime up front encumbrance and the financial department will love the fact that these devises are far more sturdy, reliable and in general have a longer expected mean operating life thereby reducing running costs and failure induced troubleshooting and replacement rates.

Logical Traffic Control Mechanisms

Having implemented perimeter-based access verification and validation security initiatives we may well need to implement additional logical controls and network subdivisions such as Demilitarized Zones (DMZs). DMZs for instance allow for additional network traffic control, regulation, isolation and compartmentalization.

Limiting wireless devices to specific areas/zones of a network also delivers additional benefits such as greater economy and efficiency of bandwidth usage patterns and superior levels of granular administrative capabilities and ease of use.

Wireless-Free Zones

There are also many instances where wireless networking devices along with mobile communications or entertainment devices functionality are undesirable or unwelcome. The most sensitive of these areas will be related to sensitive electronic equipment such as that found in hospital trauma, intensive care, surgical units, coronary care units and life support systems. Areas where flammable materials are handled, stored or used also qualify as wireless-free zones.

In these cases and others like them we need to monitor to ensure that within a specific perimeter wireless devices are not functional and that signal leakage from wireless enabled sectors does not leak in. Perimeter threshold detection is generally considered to be the most effective solution here.

By this I mean that metaphorically speaking a line is drawn beyond which none of the above devices will pass while still turned on. Hospitals generally paint a red line on the floor, walls and ceiling to clearly mark this threshold.

Collateral Damage

When designing and planning a wireless network remember to incorporate provisions that address physical security from the health perspective by ensuring that no possible harm, collateral damage or interference can be caused by the network, its devices and its signals. Cables for example, should be secured and out of harm's way as should WAPs.

We don't, for instance want a WAP falling onto somebody from a humane perspective as well as from a litigation avoidance perspective. Nor do we want our wireless network to cause the cardiac pacemaker of a passer-by to malfunction. Here is a case where clear, readily noticeable and unambiguous notifications (signage) are our main preventative and compliance option. I guess this is more or less a disclaimer approach really.

Not only do we need to protect and guard humans from harm caused directly or indirectly by our wireless network and its components but we need to protect our wireless network from physical harm caused by humans and/or the environment as well. It is up to us to provide for our networks physical well-being as it cannot do this for itself.

Regulatory Compliance

Regulatory compliance issues also need to be addressed at all levels and all stages of a wireless network's life cycle. Local and regional standards and regulations need to be researched and fully compliant measures implemented. Policies also need to be developed, made appropriately available to those concerned and of course implemented.

Pass-Through Point Security

Just as a physical site's physical access controls may see the implementation and installation of fences and stationing of security guards at primary access points the same can often be done with wireless networks. For example there may be the opportunity to implement search mechanisms such as the pass-through points seen at airports etc. This is one way of ensuring that unknown devices do not enter within the coverage area of your wireless network.

Unfortunately, for most businesses it is often impractical to implement this type of measure as the cost and negative customer reactions may preclude it as being overly draconian. Larger chain retailers do however, employ pass-through scanning devices but they are more attuned to the detection of theft of merchandise rather than the prevention of unauthorized wireless access.

Note however, that for areas not publicly accessible and/or where sensitive materials are stored pass-through inspection security is a viable option. Espionage is a reality that must be addressed. If not the stealing of properties then the sabotage aspect may be of appropriate weight to implement pass-through surveillance mechanisms.

Much damage has been done in the past by persons posing as service or utility personal that many facilities, especially an organization's research and development and marketing divisions as well as their datacenter have seen fit to implement the pass-through security approach.

Wireless Network Presence Detection

Although a wireless network uses an invisible to the human eye medium with the right tools it becomes very observable. Tools such as Kismet for example, have very little difficulty in detecting the presence of a wireless network. Furthermore, there is very little you can do to prevent this type of detection. After all, wireless signals are transmitted over the public domain. Fortunately however, there is a lot you can do to prevent exploitation of a wireless network after detection.

The implementation of full conversation encryption including that of authentication mechanisms and connection establishment is, as far as most would-be intruders/hackers are concerned, just too much hard work considering that there are untold numbers of easier targets to be had.

Quality of Service (QoS) Geographical Access Parameters

One should always consider geographical access and connectivity requirements and parameters in conjunction with the desired timely delivery of Quality of Service (QoS) metrics. The wireless network's ideal is to provide adequate connectivity and accessibility throughout the entire area of intended coverage (no drop-out zones) and with a specified level of Quality of Service (QoS) for said area but no more.

The Quality of Service (QoS) factor may be defined by either meeting or failing to meet specific performance metrics such as transfer rates or strength of encryption.

The geographical network confinement parameters are generally characterized and measured by the degree of signal leakage beyond a specified intended perimeter of coverage. The distance, signal strength, signal quality and degree of availability both within and beyond the designated network perimeter are the parameters that define and delineate that point at which signal leakage becomes unacceptable.

Network Monitoring and Site Surveys

In monitoring the attributes of a wireless network, tools such as Airsnort, WireShark (formerly Ethereal), NetStumbler and Kismet are your friends. Use them to conduct regular site surveys to assess signal leakage. If need be take the appropriate remedial measures to ensure compliance at all times and locations.

Some organizations even go to the extent of using signal jamming technologies to ensure that any leakage is rendered useless and piggy-backing cannot take place.

Line of Sight

Line of sight requirements need to be assessed carefully from the perspectives of both the current scenario and extrapolated into making predictions of the most likely conditions that will be prevalent at various predefined times in the future. Trees for example have a habit of growing.

So where a clear line of sight exists today the possibility that this will not be so in the future must be evaluated. In the case of trees one solution might entail lopping every other year in order to preserve said clear line of sight. No matter the terms or conditions, the establishment and implementation of a documented schedule or regime that addresses these types of issues needs to be set forth.

Conclusions

Wind, vibration, the environment in general and other factors including human interference of one form or another will all conspire to throw the most carefully designed and implemented wireless network out of alignment. Persistent cognizant vigilance must be your motto and creed.

Sometimes crazy ideas arise in front of crazy people. As all of us know, it is normal. A lot of people are talking about artificial intelligence. They believe that it is the only way for making a “human-like PC”. I believe that making such a thing is possible. Maybe such a thing has been discussed more than enough. But, still I think that it is a good idea to share my crazy ideas with all of you.

In theoretical view point, a human is divided into two parts. They are a tangible part and intangible part. The tangible part is the body of a human being. It consists of the eyes, hands, head, core, etc. The intangible part is the most difficult parts of the human, such as mind, feelings, etc. This part is the part that if we can represent in some way, we will be able to create a “human in pc”.

Since the problem is divided in two parts. We will deal with each part one by one.

Tangible Parts

We can make a comparison that shows some of those human parts and abilities and their corresponding human-like PC. Still not all humans' parts and activities can be ported to the human-like PC, but this does not mean dropping of the idea.

Human --------> Human-like PC

Head --------> Pc Case

Brain (thinking part) --------> CPU

Short memory --------> Ram

Long memory --------> Rom, hard disk

Brain (main controlling part) --------> Operating System

Eyes --------> Cameras

Ears --------> Microphones

Mouth (speaking part) --------> Speakers

Hands (writing) --------> Printers

Hands (catch, hold, etc) --------> Robotic hands

Walk --------> Wheels

Eat food; drink water --------> Food and water are electricity (data)

Playing games --------> Playing online

Sickness --------> Sickness from viruses, Trojan, worms, etc

Stupidity, lack of common sense --------> Bugs and run time errors

Intangible Parts

This part is the most difficult one. Until today, science fails to understand it. How a human is thinking, how feelings are created, and more question. All of those questions have no sure answers. No matter how the technology is evolving, science is useless in front of this part.

Lines above are more to be facts. This has nothing to do with our imaginary world. So let us continue our talk.

Let us assume that human intangible part consists of those three parts:

1. Mind, is the judging part. Here everything should be a correct equation based in well known facts.
2. Feelings, is the guessing part. Everything depends on the emotions.

It can be noticed that mind will result in fix answered with no additional assumption. This leads to an exact true or an exact false answer. In the other hands, feelings are the world of assumptions and dreams. Here guessing is the big game. The accurateness is various from person to person and from situation to another.

Now it is obvious that to copy my mind into my pc, I need to create a program with a database. Then add all my information into that database. Today it is easy to find terabytes HDDs. After that, with some coding, my program will be able to work as if I am in my pc. If someone ask the program about the bands it likes, then “LINKIN PARK” will be in the list. If someone asks about my mobile number then (99999999) will be the answer, and so on.

Here comes the problem. If someone asks “Do you like me?” The answer will be a copy of what I wrote in my database. Maybe yes maybe no. Who want to know?

What is missing here is the feeling part. How we can decide that we love someone, want to talk to someone, want to visit someone, want to do something, want to eat, want to drink , etc.

Science view point says:

Humans are affected by the chemical interactions that are occurring automatically in their body for some reasons like food, drink, pictures, sounds, etc. an example is when a man see a beautiful woman, his mind will go blank, his heart pulse will raise, etc. even he may think that he in love with her. But after sometime everything will return to normal. Maybe her face will be printed in his mind. But often nothing more may happen.

To do such thing in the pc we will need to add those automatic interactions. A possible way is to use random numbers variables (from 0 to 100) to control the mood of the human-like PC. We may assign each factor to a variable. As much variable will be added, as much as the human-like PC will become more human like. The program should be able to check those variables from time to time. This will make it more human-like, since the mood variables are changing unpredictably.

We may get the following table of moods: (this table is to show the idea, Results are not correct)

In conclusion talk is as easy as always and work is as hard as always. Ideas start small and end to be big or nothing. Human-like PC is a big field with big dreams. A fact remains, no matter what we do; a Pc will not become a human.