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Following the tragic events of 9/11 there is today a much greater awareness throughout society about such issues as homeland security, airport security, public safety and management, international terrorism, criminology and criminal psychology and many other related subjects. Interestingly these are all subjects you can major in or obtain specializations in through degrees in criminal justice/criminology. And more interestingly, such a degree in criminal justice/criminology can get you a job a lot more easily than a degree in a number of other subjects. This is because the US Bureau of Labor Statistics has identified careers in criminal justice as one of the top five careers in the coming years in terms of future job opportunities.

You can get degrees in criminal justice/criminology from both traditional schools as well as online schools. If you are a working adult, online courses will suit you a lot more than a traditional program since to complete an online program you do not have to give up your job or relocate or disrupt your life in anyway.

More importantly, if you are a working adult already working in the field of criminal justice, an online degree will get you that much coveted promotion or switch to a more well paying job. You can also get a degree much quicker than through the traditional route as most online criminal justice/criminology programs allow you to take credit for your working experience or any on-the-job training that you may have gone through.

A degree in criminal justice/criminology will open up many different careers for you at the local, state or federal government level as well as in the private sector. You can also get teaching jobs in various colleges and universities if you have a master’s or a PhD degree in criminal justice/criminology.

Within the broad field of criminal justice/criminology you can specialize in different fields such as criminal justice administration, criminology, criminal and business law, court procedures, policing, corrections, juvenile justice, domestic violence, court report writing, private security, homeland security, public safety and management, economic crime and fraud management, cyber crime, paralegal studies, forensic science, crime scene investigation etc.

Depending on your major or specialization, a criminal justice/criminology degree in any of these areas will make you eligible for jobs in local, state or federal law enforcement, law firms, agencies such as the FBI, banks and insurance companies, corrections facilities, law courts, organizations responsible for public safety and a host of similar organizations. The salaries in these careers are also quite attractive with median salaries for such careers being around $40,000 a year.

There are several reasons why the University of Phoenix is not the best choice for you if you are thinking of obtaining a degree in criminal justice. The first reason is that the degrees offered by UoP are limited in their scope. It offers only two degrees – a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration and a Master of Science in Administration of Justice and Security. Those of you who want to look beyond a mere administration-oriented degree and are looking for employment in all the new areas opened up by recent events such as homeland security or international terrorism, public safety management, economic and cyber crime etc will find UoP inadequate for your purposes.

After earning a degree in criminal justice from UoP you will find that you are eligible to apply for only those jobs where the other applicants, your competitors, have management and administration degrees from even more reputed colleges and universities such as Harvard or Cornell or Wharton Business School. Most of the time you will find yourself to be just an also ran and no better than that.
Second, you will find the course curriculum to be such that you get more of a management orientation instead of the kind of sharp criminal justice focus that you are seeking. A large part of the curriculum will involve completing courses that do not have the prefixes you want – CRJ, JUS or CRIM.

The institute is also not the best choice for you if you are not yet working and if you are below 23 years of age although recently the University has changed its focus and is now targeting younger traditional students. But this change of focus has taken place recently and nobody knows how successful young traditional students will be in their professional life once they pass out with an online UoP criminal justice degree. It will take sometime before clear patterns emerge and it becomes accepted that UoP degrees work well even for traditional non-working students.

Third, an online UoP degree is certainly not the best for you if you are a traditional student seeking an education to make yourself qualified for academic and teaching jobs. With an UoP online degree you may at best be recruited by your own university, that is, UoP, or other such online universities which have a different take on the academic rigors needed for teaching, but most everywhere else your applications for teaching jobs will be rejected. If you are looking at a teaching career a UoP online degree, or, for that matter any online degree, is not right for you. You should try for a traditional on-campus degree or at the most you should try for an online degree offered by a highly reputed state university in case such an online degree is available in criminal justice.

Many state universities and colleges are now joining the fray for offering online degrees in criminal justice and you should look at them first instead of seeking an online degree in criminal justice from UoP.

Each institute offering an online program in criminal justice is sure to have its own syllabus. Though a few courses may be unique to certain institutes many of these are similar and may only be known by different names while their contents are more or less the same. A criminal justice program benefits prospective law enforcement officers as well as social service workers and private investigators. All these programs teach you the fundamentals of the criminal justice system and help you enrich your skills in the field. The nation’s legal system and law enforcement standards are given equal importance in most of these programs. Languages are an important part of the course as are interpersonal skills.

Courses in the humanities, mathematics, science and social sciences all figure in the syllabus. Over the years, the criminal justice program has also evolved and aims at encompassing the changing scenario of crime in the 21st century. Institutes now offer courses in tackling terrorism, aviation security and cyber crime. Interrogation and interviewing techniques, emergency procedures, and community policing are but some of the features of criminal justice programs.

Some of the courses taught in a criminal justice program are:

· Introduction to Criminal Justice

· Criminal Law

· Criminal Procedure

· Forensic Science

· Juvenile Justice

· Criminology

· Corrections

· Security

· Community Policing

· Aviation Security

· Hate Crimes and Groups

· Sex Crimes

· Independent Research

· Law Enforcement Reporting and Recording

· Correctional Programs: Probation and Parole

· Criminal Investigation

· Criminalistics of Cybercrime

· Issues in Ethics and Law

· Psychology and the Justice System

· Crime in America

· Correctional Systems and Practices

· Sociology of Law

In many cases the syllabus might combine traditional and the virtual method of study. All criminal justice programs aim at providing students with an informed perspective on the components of the justice system. They are taught to recognize and interpret crime data and statistics. Students are made aware of the correctional systems and purposes of punishment. It helps develop an understanding of the differences between the adult and juvenile justice systems.

Computer Science degrees are offered at hundreds, if not thousands of colleges across the country for a good reason; the demand for computer experts has never been higher. In fact, the need for computer scientists will continue to rise through at least 2015 according to the United State Department of Labor’s 2006 report on career growth.

What many people don’t realize is that part of the hiring increase of the future in the computer sciences area includes a trend toward more specialization. According to the Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, “The explosive use of computers has created a high demand for specialists to provide advice to users, as well as for day-to-day administration, maintenance, and support of computer systems and networks.”

When considering a career in the computer sciences, you should consider colleges and universities that offer a variety of programs under the umbrella of either computer science degrees or information technology degrees, as the terms are interchangeable. Look to see if the school offers just one degree or if they offer several different specializations. Ideally, a school should offer at least three bachelor’s degrees that are more tightly focused, such as Computer Programming, Network Engineering or Database Administration, all of which would fall under Management Information Systems (MIS).

The Department of Labor’s report also recommends that anyone pursuing a computer science degree be sure to pursue ongoing education after a degree is achieved and a job is landed. Because of the rapidly changing face of computing, it’s essential that anyone working in this industry continue to build on his education by getting additional certifications and adding new skills every few years.

Find a college that also offers ongoing certifications that are licensed by leaders in the industry, such as Microsoft’s various programs, Cisco’s CCNA and Net+. Knowing that you can return to your alma mater for continuing education is a great way to ensure that your certification courses will be of the same high caliber as your undergraduate classes.

Outlook is Good for Properly Trained Specialists

The Occupational Outlook Handbook of 2006 is adamant in its belief that there is no end in sight to the increasing need for computer specialists. It lists numerous specific titles that require intense training in particular areas, including:

Computer Systems Analysts
Computer Programmers
Software Engineers/Developers (consistently growing as businesses continue to require new, highly specialized software to suit their needs)
Database Administrators
Computer Support Specialists
Data Communication Analysts/Webmasters (increasingly popular in retail as more businesses open online, virtual storefronts)
Computer Systems Administrators (expected to be one of the fastest growing careers in the next five years)
Cyber Security (a relatively new field that has taken off like a rocket as online terrorism and corporate espionage has increasingly threatened corporate computer systems)

The best computer science degree programs will not only include a wide range of specializations, but will also offer different types of degrees as well. Ideally, a college should offer Associate’s, Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees along with various types of certification. This will help guarantee that the teaching staff is current on all the latest advancements and also giving you the most educational options. With computer training being in such high demand, you may even find that you can get a great job with one degree and get reimbursement through your employer to pursue a higher-level degree.

With so many reasons to go into the computer sciences and so many highly specialized career options available, pursuing one of the many specialized computer science degrees now offered is a great investment in your future.

Mauritius is an island nation off the coast of Africa in the southwest Indian Ocean.

Off major shipping routes, Mauritius remained uninhabited until the 16th century, allowing it to develop into one of the worlds biodiversity hotspots. It was favoured by pirates and occupied briefly by the Dutch before the French brought African slaves to work the sugar plantations. Captured by the British in 1810, Mauritius achieved independence in 1968. Its diversification into textiles, tourism and, of late, financial services, telecommunications and cyber services has been an Indian Ocean economic success story. So too has its stable multicultural society.

Descendants of Indian labourers brought in after the abolition of slavery in 1835 now comprise 70 percent of the population, and Chinese and Muslim traders add to a French and Creole cultural legacy. This friendly co existence of cultures expresses itself in croissants for breakfast and curry for dinner, and garish Indian temples near French colonial mansions.

With world class hotels offering the best service in the Indian Ocean and a renowned gastronomy as well as top spas and golf, Mauritius also offers more to do than many tropical islands, with trekking, mountain climbing and eco tourism playgrounds. With its signature sunny days, the worlds third largest coral reef surrounding a turquoise lagoon and silky blonde sandy beaches, this island certainly comes close to paradise.

Crime levels are low. Drug trafficking carries severe penalties.

The threat from terrorism is low. Travellers should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

The cyclone season in Mauritius is generally between November to May.

Walk around the capital, Port Louis, to see fine colonial architecture such as Government House atop the palm lined Place d Armes. Gaze at one of the worlds rarest stamps at the Blue Penny Museum or gawk at dodo skeletons in the Natural History Museum.

Stroll around Pamplemousses Gardens the third oldest botanical gardens in the world, created in the 18th century. Its international collection of plants includes giant Amazon lilies and the talipot palm, which flowers once every 60 years, then dies.

Visit Mauritius Aquarium in the north, populated by 200 species of fish, invertebrates, live coral and sponges originating from the waters around the island. It also has a touch pool for children.

Snorkel or take a glass bottom boat out to see the fish and coral in Blue Bay, Mauritius only Marine Park.

On July 24, 2007 the House Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection held their first hearings on Chemical Facility Security since the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published the final interim regulations on Chemical Facility Anti-terrorism Standards (CFATS, 6 CFR part 27) in April. Robert B. Stephan, Assistant Secretary, Infrastructure Protection, testified about the current state of efforts DHS is taking to protect chemical facilities from terrorist attack.

Stephan updated the Subcommittee on previous voluntary efforts completed by some members of the chemical industry to update their security after the attacks of 9-11-2001. These include the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care Security Code and Cyber Security Program as well as efforts by the National Association of Chemical Distributors, American Petroleum Institute, the Chlorine Institute, the Agribusiness Security Working Group, and the National Paint and Coatings Association.

He also described a wide variety of efforts that DHS is taking in coordination with other groups. Under the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) the chemical industry has partnered with DHS and other government agencies to form a Chemical Sector Coordinating Council (CSCC). As part of the Chemical Sector Specific Plan, teams will have conducted Comprehensive Reviews of security issues in Detroit, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Northern New Jersey and the Lower Delaware River areas by August of this year. Additionally, 394 chemical plants have been made eligible for grants under the Buffer Zone Protection Program. In June the first Chemical Security Summit was held with 350 industry attendees being briefed on DHS and CSCC plans and actions to date.

DHS is also working on training programs for the chemical sector. The Chemical Security Awareness Training Program, an on-line training tool for all chemical facility employees, will come on line this fall. A Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Device Training Program is under development for security officers who will be responsible for checking vehicles for explosive devices.

Next Secretary Stephan updated the Subcommittee on actions that DHS has taken to date under the new CFATS regulation. On June 8th the Chemical Security Assessment Tool (CSAT) went live for the first time and on June 11th DHS sent out notification letters to 50 known high-risk facilities that they were required to complete an initial Top Screen filing. These 50 facilities were aided by DHS inspectors so that a live trouble shoot of the system was effectively conducted.

In coordination with the Chemical SSP and the Oil and Gas SSP, additional facilities were identified for directed Top Screen Completion. To date (July 13th, 2007) 6,096 facilities have registered in the CSAT and are in some phase of Top Screen completion. These first two groups of facility registrations will serve as a learning program for DHS and the industry and provide a chance to work out the inevitable bugs in the system. Security Vulnerability Assessments (SVA) and Site Security Plans (SSP) should be in place for most of these facilities by year end.

The next phase of facility registrations will begin when the final version of Appendix A, DHS Chemicals of Interest, is published. Then, any facility that has (or plans to have) a chemical listed in the appendix at more than the published Screening Threshold Quantity (STQ) will be required to complete a Top Screen in the CSAT system.

Assistant Secretary Robert B. Stephan’s testimony provides valuable insight into the way the CSAT system is operating. The way that the system is operating at individual facility levelsw will be protected information under the Chemical Vulnerability Information (CVI) rules. This type of aggregated information will be all that the general public will ever see. It would be helpful if this subcommittee and their Senate counterparts were to hold periodic review type hearings to allow the public to keep up to date on the progress that is being made in this important area of community security.

It’s complicated.  Cybercrime cannot be described by any one word.  Just like crime as we know it, cybercrime has many different applications and can occur anytime and anyplace.  Identity thieves and other criminals use several different methods, depending on how much they know and what their objective is.  Cybercrime is ‘crime’ involving some sort of a ‘computer’ or ‘cyber’ factor.

The Council of Europe’s Cybercrime Treaty uses the term ‘cybercrime’ to identify offenses ranging from criminal activity against data to content and copyright infringement [Krone, 2005].  Others [Zevar-Geese, 1997-98] have stated that the definition is not that confined and include fraud, unauthorized access, child pornography, and cyberstalking.  The United Nations have authored the Manual on the Prevention and Control of Computer Related Crime and they include fraud, forgery, and unauthorized access [United Nations, 1995].  Obviously cybercrime comes in many different packages and different types of cybercrime are going to require different defences if your computer is going to be safe.

Internet security software giant Symantec draws from the various definitions of cybercrime and define it as ‘any crime that is committed using a computer or network, or hardware device’.  Symantec says that ‘the computer or device may be the agent of the crime, the facilitator of the crime, or the target of the crime’.  The cybercrime may occur just on the computer or in addition to other places.  To help us understand this complex group of crimes, Symantec has divided it into two categories and they are Type I and Type II cybercrime

Type I cybercrime contains the following properties:

Typically it is a single event (in the mind of the victim).  An example would be when a victim downloads a Trojan horse, without knowing it, and then the horse installs a keystroke logger into his or her machine.  Or the victim could receive an e-mail that carries a link to a supposed known entity, but instead it is a link to a hostile website. Type I cybercrime is often enabled by crimeware programs like keystroke loggers, viruses, rootkits or Trojan horses.  Software flaws or vulnerabilities will usually provide the anchor that the identity thief/criminal is looking for.  An example would be a group of criminals having control of a website and then taking advantage of a vulnerability in a Web browser that would allow them to place a Trojan horse on an un-suspecting persons computer.  Type I examples include but are not limited to phishing, theft or manipulation of data services by way of hacking or viruses, identity theft, and bank or e-commerce fraud.

Type II cybercrime includes, but is not limited to cyberstalking and harassment, child predation, extortion, blackmail, stock market manipulation, complex corporate spying and planning/carrying out terrorism.  The properties of Type II cybercrime are a set of circumstances etc. that are an on-going series of events where there are repeated interactions with the target.  One example is a target being contacted on a social networking site or chat room and because of the calculated time and effort of the criminal, a relationship is formed.  Inevitably the target is exploited in a criminal manner.  Another example is a group of identity thieves, terrorists or other criminals using hidden messages to communicate in a public forum to plan activities or discuss money laundering locations.  Type II cybercrime is usually enabled by programs that are not classified as crimeware where conversations may take place using IM (instant messaging) or files may be shared using FTP.

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 By: Prof. Hasan Yahya

In two months, NATO the world’s largest  and most durable military alliances will celebrate its 60th anniversary. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has racked up four incomplete achievements, One was facing down the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

The other,  the process of “war on terror”  in Iraq and Afghanistan which still bringing  serious challenges, especially in Afghanistan, the third is the tension between the U.S. and some of its European allies, and finally,  the newly resurgent Russia through the SCO.

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In a gesture during a NATO-Ukraine Commission roundtable at the NATO defense ministers meeting in Krakow, Poland, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer,  NATO secretary-general acknowledges that the challenge in Afghanistan is complex. But added that no current rift in the alliance. While he has been an outspoken advocate of sending more troops to Afghanistan and a critic of some allies members hesitates to provide more assistance in the NATO operations. 
This year marked the end of the five-year term as secretary-general which will end two months after the 60th anniversary celebration this year in May. While in his office in Brussels. Some critics asked him about one of the challenges face NATO in terms of  incongruity  and divisions  among the allies. He denied drifting of members because NATO is operating in two different political and security environments which certainly different 60 years ago. Now NATO is facing cyber-defense and energy security discussions. In addition to the fifty thousand soldiers in Afghanistan and will be more soon.  He emphasized that NATO  still in the process of transformation, NATO is “as alive and kicking as it has ever been”  as if NATO still in a child in his mother’s womb. He did not say reviving or dying [After 60 years old] as some might describe such transformation.

 The idea of NATO death

NATO as a global arm force may face various obstacles. Some people  say that crisis among the allies are not simply post-cold war or post 9/11, phenomena, the best times of NATO are when serious disputes occur. International events and disputes create opposing divisions in NATO with less influence on the forces vitality. In 2003, comments were made by commentators such as the need for existence of NATO. They say NATO is aging now and is dying, so time has come and gone, and today there is no legitimate reason for NATO to exist. Although the strong difference exhibited in the alliance over the war on Iraq have accelerated NATO irrelevancy, the root causes of its problems go much deeper, Consequently for bothy the US and EU, NATO is the best an errilevent distraction, and at worst toxic  to their responsive contemporary security needs.

Challenges for the NATO:

NATO’s faces three broad  challenges in it 60th anniversary, the map future for NATO reform has something to do with the long term vitality which is ultimately determined by several influences:

The challenge posed by future international events to its existing structure;

2.     the challenge of existing abilities; and ;          

3.     the challenges of existing quality of relations between the allies, through the idea of keeping solidarity alive.

 Concerning events, it is near impossible to assess NATO response to events that are as yet unknown. But the problem NATO will face is the future of the loss of threat NATO originally designed to counter. What NATO will do? How its structure will be in terms of enlargement or reduction of membership and abilities………..More may be found on this webpage.

 http://www.worldfutures.info/ProfHasan/Essay/IS-NATO-Alive-and-Kicking-OR-dying-Out-By-Prof.-Hasan-Yahya.html

 Highest Paying Jobs

 

 

Well shaping your career is as good as shaping your body for better. The more your body and mind is fit and agile the more you will be on top of things around you. Similarly you need to keep your career on track. You may have started with wonderful career on wonderful technology. Over the period of time that technology has become obsolete or not enough use in government or private sector. One has to tune to changing technologies. Update your self with technical and added education to be in the race for premium jobs.

 

 

Following jobs are in high demand because there is shortage of trained staff.

1. Healthcare Sector: Under new administration in Washington, president has started new initiative on healthcare and there is good chance more and more uninsured Americans will be covered under new healthcare plan. Jobs are available in all specialties, doctors, nurses, technicians and new job profile as bio/info space. The door is opened to wide variety of jobs and some of the universities have already opened the courses vertically catering to Healthcare sector.

2. Digitized World - Data Miner We are living in the age of internet. Our information source is digitized world in the form of cell phones, iPhone, corporate phones and computers. Lot of research is in process to get user information on shopping trends and monetize best online services. This sector is growing in leaps and bounds and soon will be the biggest consumer sector.

3. Information Technology: IT jobs still tops one of five best jobs for year 2009. The newest job category on block is server farming and cell computing. More and more companies are providing online space to individuals and small and medium companies to host their data and business online. This has created demand for high power servers and data computing. There is shortage of trained staff needed to provide 7/24 service schedule with zero down time. Apart from new jobs, the existing IT jobs such as Database administrator, Network admins and web developers are still in demand.

4. Business with Asia: In global market national and commercial boundaries have shrunken and brought countries and business community closer. Today there is global demand for positions which require to work for join ventured companies or to work in foreign land. Working experience with Asian economic giants are big advantage in applying for these jobs.

5. CPA - Accounting After Enron debacle government and corporate world has put more focus on best accounting practice. Today there is great demand for Accountants , CPA and accounting auditors. Companies are spending good amount money on streamlining their old and new records to fulfill government and tax obligations.

6. Biologists and Behavioral Geneticists - With lot of research going on killer diseases, genetic research, new drug invention, demand for bio and genetic engineers is growing fast. More and more companies required trained people to fulfill vacant positions.

7. Home Land Security: The fear of attacks from terrorist in many countries have created urgency to upgrade defense mechanism both at infrastructure and human level. Governments are spending huge money in upgrading surveillance systems and training man power to take 21st century challenge to counter terrorist in real and cyber world. Many openings are available at investigation, surveillance, counter terrorism, information technology and field staff etc.

8. Environmentalism: Global warming and global dimming has caused lot of buzz in world. Thanks to environment and green technology companies have created pressure on government to create policy to encourage green revolution. Fluctuating oil prices, changing weather patterns and droughts in Africa is pushed momentum towards the green technology. Today from construction to automobile and consumer goods to travel, every effort is being made to make business green friendly.

9. Travel Industry: Although with current global meltdown the travel industry is seeing a temporary dip but this is suppose to change once market rebounds. With the rise of ASIA, business with Asian countries has grown in double digits. Once the market rebounds the commercial and individual travel visits will surpass old records. The industry will be on fast track. Already there is construction plan for motels, hotels, airports, in China, Indian and other Asian countries. There will be demand for service industry, trained technicians and people with management experience.

10. Backend office jobs: The backend jobs will come back to America. The economies of cheaper locations such as India and China are growing with fast pace. The cost of sending work to overseas is closing gap with cost of work to be kept at shore. The backend jobs will slowly move back to America, especially in the sector were customer service matters most such as healthcare, investment and product support.

For more information and resume and intereview tips …. visit  http://www.tophighestpayingjobs.com/ - Top Highest Paying Jobs.