Computer security Essay

1. What is a PHP Remote File Include (RFI) attack, and why are these prevalent in today’s Internet world? RFI stands for Remote File Inclusion that allows the attacker to upload a custom coded/malicious file on a website or server using a script. This vulnerability exploits the poor validation checks in websites and can eventually lead to code execution on server or code execution on website (XSS attack using javascript). RFI is a common vulnerability and all website hacking is not entirely focused on SQL injection. Using RFI you can deface the websites, get access to the server and do almost anything. What makes it more dangerous is that you only need to have your common sense and basic knowledge of PHP to execute this one, some BASH might come handy as most of servers today are hosted on Linux. 2. What country is the top host of SQL Injection and SQL Slammer infections? Why can’t the US Government do anything to prevent these injection attacks and infections? The United States of America is at the top of the list when it comes to SQL Injections and SQL Slammer infections, China comes in second. Cybercriminals have made vast improvements to their infrastructure over the last few years. Its expansion is thousands of websites vulnerable to SQL Injections. Malicious code writers have exploited these vulnerabilities to distribute malware so quick that the government cannot contain such a large quantity. The infected web servers redirected unsuspecting visitors to malicious websites, then the victim’s computers were then subjected to client-side exploit code. Once infected, these computers were added to the thousands of bots under the control of hackers. The attackers knew antivirus companies would write updates and software vendors will patch their code so they mad e sure their malicious web sites were loaded with a variety of exploit codes. 3. What does it mean to have a policy of Nondisclosure in an organization? It is a contract where the parties agree not to disclose information covered by the agreement. It outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the parties wish to share with one another for certain purposes, but wish to restrict access to or by third parties. 4. What Trends were tracked when it came to Malicious Code in 2009 by the Symantec Report researched during this lab? DoS attacks are always common, however targeted attacks using advanced persistent threats (SPT) that occurred in 2009 made headlines. 5. What is Phishing? Describe what a typical Phishing attacks attempt to accomplish. Phishing is Internet fraud that attempts to gain user’s credentials by deception. It includes theft of passwords, credit card numbers, bank account details and other confidential information. Phishing messages usually take the form of fake notifications from banks, providers, e-pay systems and other organizations. These notifications encourage its recipients, to enter/update their personal data. Excuses can vary but usually relate to loss of data, system breakdown, etc. 6. What is the Zero Day Initiative? Do you think this is valuable, and would you participate if you were the managing partner in a large firm? It is a program for rewarding security researchers for responsibly disclosing vulnerabilities. The outcome can be good for the company in means of protecting its infrastructure from harm, but may also expose weaknesses that can damage the company’s reputation. This policy further reassures researchers that in no case will any of their discoveries be â€Å"swept under the rug.† I would participate, but we must pass an internal audit with flying colors before signing up with the program. 7. What is a Server Side Include (SSI)? What are the ramifications if an SSI exploit is successful? The Server-Side Includes attack allows the exploitation of a web application by injecting scripts in HTML pages or executing arbitrary codes remotely. It can be exploited through manipulation of SSI in use in the application or force its use through user input fields. The attacker can access sensitive information, such as password files, and execute shell commands. The SSI directives are injected in input fields and they are sent to the web server. The web server parses and executes the directives before supplying the page. Then, the attack result will be viewable the next time that the page is loaded for the user’s browser. 8. According to the TippingPoint Report researched in this lab how do SMB attacks measure up to HTTP attacks in the recent past? Symantec identified a significant shift in an attackers tactics: 31% of targeted attacks were aimed at businesses with fewer than 250 employees. This shows a threefold increase from Symantec Corp.’s 2012 report, and is the latest sign that attackers are broadening their search for susceptible targets. 9. According to the TippingPoint Report, what are some of the PHP RFI payload effects DVLabs has detected this year? The common vulnerabilities in a CMS are unpatched or poorly patched plug-ins rather than the core system. Poor patch management represents a large hole in the overall security of the organization. 10. Explain the steps it takes to execute a Malicious PDF Attack as described in the Tipping Point Report? Each new release of a toolkit is likely to contain a new zero-day exploit that gives the attacker higher chances of infecting targeted hosts. Some toolkits keep very old exploits (4+ years) to cover a corner case in which targeted hosts are running older, unpatched versions of vulnerable software. Attackers infecting as many hosts as possible to increase profitability by monetizing the exploited systems. 11. What is a Zero Day attack and how does this relate to an organization’s vulnerability window? A zero day vulnerability is a hole in software that is unknown to the vendor. Hackers exploit before the vendor realizes it and hurries to fix it. The organization is vulnerable until the vendor comes out with a patch. 12. How can you mitigate the risk from users and employees from clicking on an imbedded URL link or e-mail attachment from unknown sources? Constant awareness efforts continuously made the organization. Ensure spoofing is included in the organizations AUP, practice risk mitigation exercises to embed in the users minds not to click on unsolicited messages, especially those from social media. 13. When auditing an organization for compliance, what role does IT security policies and an IT security policy framework play in the compliance audit? They play a very important role. Managers are responsible for placing and monitoring IT controls on systems. Senior managers are responsible for making the organization meet governance requirements. System administrators are responsible for implementing IT controls and provide data custodian functions. Risk managers are responsible for managing risks associated with compliance within the organization. IT auditors are responsible for information assurance. Data owners are responsible for identifying which data needs to be protected. 14. When performing a security assessment, why is it a good idea to examine compliance in separate compartments like the seven domains of a typical IT infrastructure? They are tied together. 15. True or False. Auditing for compliance and performing security assessments to achieve compliance requires a checklist of compliance requirements. True. There are different requirements per each compliance.

Xbox

Get Free Xbox Live Membership Codes This method requires a glitched code I personally bought, the code doesn’t work when you try to redeem it, however to the employee’s at Xbox is shown on their screen as Active and working but does not tell them what the code is actually for (1 month, 3 month, 12 month, 4k msp etc. ) I know what you’re thinking already, bullshit? No, try it yourself below. Note: They could ask for the code anytime, so be ready. Make sure you’re signed in on a NEW silver account every single time you do this or it will not work.Also, on the Silver account fill out billing info with a fake address name, ect. Also, edit your bio and motto and everything else such as your gamerpicture so it looks like a real account. *Don’t just rush into this method without following the directions stated above or it will not work! * K8F3V-78HXG-YRRJ4-TW8XQ-RR7M3 1. Go to Xbox. com and get on Contact Us -> Support 2. From the drop down menu, choose Xb ox Live -> Prepaid Codes 3. 3.In the description type â€Å"Help with prepaid codes, very confusing† Or something along those lines. *Change what you write here everytime! * 4. When they welcome you, just go with what they say, act normal. Tell the Agent a scenario, say you got your code for you birthday from your mother. You got the code, wrote it down on a piece of paper and planned to use it when you needed it. Then, say that you tried to use it and it gave you an error code on the xbox. (Be creative with this story, make it convincing! ) 5.Tell them you can’t take the card back because you trashed the card after you wrote it down on a notepad on your computer for covinence. 6. If they ask you to troubleshoot the issues just don’t reply for a while, then tell them it didn’t work, or if they ask what the code was tell them it was for whatever you’re wishing to obtain. 7. If they ask what the error was when redeeming, the error on xbox. com is â⠂¬Å"This code is not valid† and the error on the console is â€Å"This code isn’t valid. Please enter a valid code. † 8.They will probably go on for a while asking you different questions , just answer the questions and feed them the lies you think they want to hear and you’ll be fine. 9. Eventually they should either : Offer you a 1 month code as they can’t give you anything else because you don’t have the original card, escalate the request for you and you will receive your desired code via email in a few days OR they will tell you they can’t do anything (If they say this to you, you have failed. You should just end the conversation then X it off and try again in an hour or so)

Free Essays on William Blakes Contrary States

William Blake’s Theory of Contrary States BY: DELORES JOHNSON William Blake was a talented poet. Many fans and critics alike think him one of the greatest poets of his time. It will be my duty and my pleasure to try a new approach to his writings and some insight to his poems. Of all his poetry that I have read I find the most contrast within the two collections of lyric poems called Songs of Innocence and Experience (1789-1794). These poems represent how Blake felt about â€Å"the two states of the human soul.† The poems in these collections were meant to contrast each other to reflect that. â€Å"Without contraries there is no progression† was often heard from his lips. I agree with that sentiment. I m a college student and as such I am going down an enlighten road. I truly believe that there is a constant struggle between the bourgeois and the proletariat. I believe that there is some evidence of Blake being aware of this struggle as demonstrated in the poems â€Å"Holy Thursday† and â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper†. These poems display ironic views and an overly trusting attitude towards the government. Blake was a controversial poet who often stirred up the political pots of his time. In fact I think that it was his hope to awaken some sympathy within the dormant hearts of the affluent people within his society, to the plight of the common man. So in this essay my goal is to show that Blake was a spiritual man, a man of sympathy and a natural love towards children. Yet I will still be able to uncover with my research why Blake was so avid a believer in man’s contrary soul.... Free Essays on William Blakes Contrary States Free Essays on William Blakes Contrary States William Blake’s Theory of Contrary States BY: DELORES JOHNSON William Blake was a talented poet. Many fans and critics alike think him one of the greatest poets of his time. It will be my duty and my pleasure to try a new approach to his writings and some insight to his poems. Of all his poetry that I have read I find the most contrast within the two collections of lyric poems called Songs of Innocence and Experience (1789-1794). These poems represent how Blake felt about â€Å"the two states of the human soul.† The poems in these collections were meant to contrast each other to reflect that. â€Å"Without contraries there is no progression† was often heard from his lips. I agree with that sentiment. I m a college student and as such I am going down an enlighten road. I truly believe that there is a constant struggle between the bourgeois and the proletariat. I believe that there is some evidence of Blake being aware of this struggle as demonstrated in the poems â€Å"Holy Thursday† and â€Å"The Chimney Sweeper†. These poems display ironic views and an overly trusting attitude towards the government. Blake was a controversial poet who often stirred up the political pots of his time. In fact I think that it was his hope to awaken some sympathy within the dormant hearts of the affluent people within his society, to the plight of the common man. So in this essay my goal is to show that Blake was a spiritual man, a man of sympathy and a natural love towards children. Yet I will still be able to uncover with my research why Blake was so avid a believer in man’s contrary soul....

ISLLC Education Standards

ISLLC Education Standards Free Online Research Papers Over the past two decades, a reform movement of responsibility has emerged in the field of education. With the emergence of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and our nation’s focus on accountability for education, we have begun to look beyond the classroom teacher for liability. In 1996 a new standard of measurement for school administrators was created. The Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards (ISLLC) was created for school leaders by a conglomerate of states, affiliations and organizations. The six ISLLC Standards are based on extensive research from these groups in the areas of leadership, authority, and analysis of policies and procedures (Council of Chief State School Officers [CCSSO], 2008). Creation of the ISLLC Standards has established a way to measure accountability and responsibility for school leaders by school districts and states. The original six standards were revised in 2007 and adopted into practice in January 2008. In August of 1994, the ISLLC initiative began to emerge (Southern Utah University [SUU], 1996). The original consortium consisted of 24 states, a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts, and help from the Danforth Foundation and the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA) (SUU). Furthermore there were several professional associations joined with the ISLLC: American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Association of School Administrators Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Association of Teacher Educators, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Association of State Boards of Education, National Council of Professor of Educational Administration, National Policy Board of Educational Administration, National School Boards Association, and University Council for Educational Administration (SUU, p. 6). The group operated under the guidance of the Coun cil of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) (SUU). The original set of standards were designed to be applicable to all formal leadership positions. Each of the six initial ISLLC Standards are comprised of knowledge, disposition and performance criterion. These criterions are so elaborate for each standard there were as few as 19 or as many as 39 knowledge, skills and dispositions (CCSSO, 2008). The CCSO based this type of measurement on the belief that â€Å"dispositions are the proclivities that lead us in one direction rather than another† (SUU, p. 8). They felt it was easier to measure school administrators, at all levels, based upon the dispositions, since they support and give meaning to the performance and knowledge pieces. The original ISLLC Standards were redesigned and finalized in 2008 (CCSSO, 2008). Undertaking the revision was an extensive researched based endeavor. The modification process was led by the NPBEA (CCSSO). Through careful consideration by the NPBEA and its member organizations, it had become clear that the original ISLLC Standards had become too restrictive. The knowledge, performance and dispositions design of the 1996 ISLLC Standards listed examples of leadership indicators and seemed to exclude other areas that could have been included (CCSSO). One of the important factors of the new ISLLC 2008 Standards are that they allow an association between assessments of school administrators and the standards. With the social change to accountability for teachers and administrators, the new ISLLC Standards allow states and school districts to set guidelines for evaluating performance of school administrators. Not only can performance be evaluated, but the new ISLLC Standards are a driving force behind how responsibility and authoritative roles are aligned (CCSSO). When the first ISLLC Standards were released, there was very little research or agreement on the influence that school leaders had over school or student improvement. Along with the ever-changing fabric of society, it is widely accepted that school administrators have a great deal of influence over both (The Wallace Foundation, 2008). The revised Standards support this theory and allow school administrators to be held accountable for school and student success. During my research of the ISLLC Standards, I came across three very beneficial websites. They were the CCSSO’s website, Southern Utah University’s Education Department, and The Wallace Foundation. The CCSSO’s website contained the original 1996 ISLLC Standards along with an informative description of how the research began, the original consortium that performed the research and provided input, and the guiding principles for the standards. While exploring that website it provided insight to how and why the Standards were created. Understanding the driving force behind their creation enabled me to understand the full aspect of their influence. Southern Utah University’s website was beneficial as well. It provided the insight on the importance of the revision of the standards. The main focus on the revision was to provide a framework for each state to develop its expectations for school administrators and leaders. The Wallace Foundation website was helpful in providing links directly to the research that went into creating the revised Standards. Now that I am well-informed on the ISLLC Standards, I will be able to implement them into daily practice. Standard One states that an educational leader will articulate, implement, and facilitate a learning environment that is shared and supported by all involved (CCSSO, 2008). This will be achieved by establishing a school wide vision statement that is adopted by not only the staff, but the community as well. An important aspect of creating a vision statement will be to effectively identify goals and establish the ability to monitor and track the status of those goals. Standard Two is created to promote a school environment that is conducive to student learning and professional growth for the staff (CCSSO). Creating an environment that is conducive to learning is imperative school wide. As a school administrator I would accomplish this by supervising instruction, promoting the use of up-to-date technology, and promoting an environment that encourages student involvement in thei r learning. Standard Three addresses creating a safe, effective, and efficient learning environment (CCSSO). Applying this on a daily basis will be achieved by supporting quality instruction, student learning, and most importantly protecting the welfare of the staff and students. The fourth Standard addresses creating a partnership between the faculty and the community (CCSSO). As a school administrator incorporating this into daily practice will be done by establishing a relationship with community members, business partners, and families in the area. The fifth Standard instills an ethical and professional demeanor on educational leaders (CCSSO). Applying this to daily practice is crucial because the school administrator is the role model for professional and ethical behavior. If the school leader demonstrates these values, the remainder of the staff will easily follow. Upholding an environment of integrity, fairness and professionalism is certain to increase student and st aff morale, and self-esteem. The final Standard encourages a school leader to become actively involved and influencing the political, social, economic, legal and cultural context of the school (CCSSO). In order for a leader to be effective, they must be able to promote student success by becoming an advocate for their students. This can be accomplished by acting to influence the social, economic, legal and cultural structures that affect student learning and success. In conclusion, the ISLLC Standards were created to establish a form of measurement, and accountability for school leaders. The constantly changing foundation of our society is influencing states and districts to establish a uniform policy on ensuring that effective leaders are placed appropriately. Colleges and Universities are utilizing the ISLLC Standards to create educational programs that use them as a foundation for creating high-quality school leaders. ISLLC Standards support the role of principals and school leaders and offer concrete policy recommendations that flow from these standards (CCSSO, 2008). With a newly established consensus on the important role school leader’s play in increasing student achievement, we need to provide the vehicle to create strong leadership values (The Wallace Foundation, 2008). The ISLLC Standards fulfill this task by creating a set of guiding policy standards in which high-qualify leaders are developed. References Council of Chief State School Officers (2008). Educational Leadership Policy Standards: ISLLC 2008 as Adopted by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration. Retrieved July 3, 2009, from ccsso.org/publications/details.cfm?PublicationID=365 Southern Utah University (1996). Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium: Standards for School Leaders. Retrieved July 3, 2009, from suu.edu/ed/pdf/isllc.pdf The Wallace Foundation (2008). Educational Leadership Policy Standards: ISLLC 2008 A Foundation for Helping States and Districts Improve Education Leadership. Retrieved July 3, 2009, from wallacefoundation.org/NewsRoom/PressRelease/Pages/EducationalLeadershipPolicyStandardsISLLC2008.aspx Research Papers on ISLLC Education StandardsStandardized TestingInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married MalesThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseHip-Hop is ArtResearch Process Part OneThree Concepts of PsychodynamicBringing Democracy to AfricaPETSTEL analysis of IndiaOpen Architechture a white paperRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and

10 traits of a great manager, according to Google

10 traits of a great manager, according to Google There are many reasons that Google has been successful in its bid to become a globally dominant company. (Its onetime motto, â€Å"don’t be evil,† probably didn’t hurt.) But one of the most important factors is one you can’t see by going online and using one of their many tools, or asking your Google Home to tell you: effective management. You don’t build a company that big and that successful without quality people at all levels.In its regular Project Oxygen studies to analyze how to improve management and leadership at the company, Google has come up with a number of traits that make a good manager.1. â€Å"Is a good coach†A coach is only as strong as what his or her players produce. A high-quality manager supports the team, always working closely with team members to provide guidance, motivate them, and make sure that everything is moving along as it should.2. â€Å"Empowers team and does not micromanage†It may seem like getting the outcome you want from employees means micromanaging their every move. In reality, it’s a fast way to take power away from individuals and make them less likely to grow and change in ways that make the work better. A great manager knows when to step back and let team members take agency and initiative, building their own confidence and leadership skills while getting the work done. Trusting your team to do what they need to do is a morale booster, and helps create more productive, more satisfied employees.3. â€Å"Creates an inclusive team environment, showing concern for success and well-being†If employees don’t feel supported, work is likely to suffer and you start losing talented people. A great manager makes sure that each team member feels valued and supported in their work. Knowing that your manager cares about you, and not just the work output, improves morale and helps employees feel like a necessary part of the team’s goals.hbspt.cta.load(2785852 , '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});4. â€Å"Is productive and results-oriented†Setting goals and making sure everyone is working effectively toward them is a key part of managing well. It’s up to the manager to set those expectations, and show that he or she is just as committed to them as everyone else.5. â€Å"Is a good communicator- listens and shares information†Nothing causes frustration in the ranks faster than poor communication to and from the top. There’s a reason that communication skills are on just about every job description under the sun. It’s not just about passing information, it’s also about knowing how to hear and understand what’s going on, react appropriately, and communicate outward. That means being able to navigate sticky work politics, as well as take feedback and concerns from employees.6. â€Å"Supports career development and discusses performance†A great manager doesn’t just see team members as faceless worker bees doing the same job over and over indefinitely. A great manager works with team members to find opportunities for improvement and define job goals in a way that pushes them forward. Performance reviews (whether formal or periodic â€Å"how are things going?† check-ins) can identify ways employees can grow and let them know you’re there to support that.7. â€Å"Has a clear vision/strategy for the team†Another morale killer: not really understanding how or why the work is being done. Managing well includes coaching employees toward a particular goal or strategy. Sometimes those are handed down from above as part of a larger corporate mission, but other times it means defining what your group hopes to achieve. Having a clear strategy and communicating that to team members shows how everyday work is contributing to the company’s larger goals or mission. It’s your job to make sure everyone’s seeing the forest and t he trees.8. â€Å"Has key technical skills to help advise the team†It may be that your job is assembling and cultivating experts- not being an expert yourself in a particular process or skill set. You don’t necessarily have to be better than your employees at everything, but you should definitely have enough technical skill to be able to speak intelligently about it, and be ready to provide guidance or support when necessary.9. â€Å"Collaborates across Google†No team is an island. (Okay, that’s not quite how it goes, but you get the gist.) No matter how specialized your team may be, chances are you have to get information from other teams, communicate with other teams, or collaborate on projects with other teams. It’s important to make sure those connections with other groups and colleagues across the company are valued, and ensure that communication is smooth between your team and others.10. â€Å"Is a strong decision maker†Being the boss means having to make the decisions, tough or not. Getting input from others is important, but if you want to push your managerial skills to the next level, that means owning the decision-making process and backing your decisions with as much information and education as possible.If you’re looking to boost your bossing, paying attention to these 10 qualities will help you become a well-rounded manager.

How to prevent identity theft Speech or Presentation

How to prevent identity theft - Speech or Presentation Example While such crimes are easy to commit, their complexity makes them hard to investigate and prosecute them. It calls for each of us to identify-smart and make sure such crimes are stopped from spreading. It is a challenging task, but easy to win. What simply needs to be done is to follow the tips given by the experts, exercise extra care and we shall all be ahead of these identity thieves by a big step. It is a responsibility of each of us to rise to the occasion to prevent identity theft. But before we are ready to take up the task, we need to be informed of what identity theft mean. This paper is a presentation of how to prevent an identity thief. Identity theft, or identity fraud, according to the United States Department of Justice, are terms that are used when referring to all forms of crime in which an individual wrongfully obtains and makes use of personal data of that other person in some way involving deception typically for personal, economic gains (National Crime Prevention Council, 2005). Research has shown that by 2004, there were on average twenty million incidents involving identity theft in the U.S alone (Joseph, 2005). How this happens with all the securities in place, is a question everyone would want to know its exact answer. However, according to a study that was released by two research bodies (Better Business Bureau and Javelin Strategy), in early January 2005, most of the theft do take place offline, which is quite opposite of what majority of people might think (Joseph, 2005). The study found out that online information theft only accounts for about 11.6% of the total identity fraud cases. This, in essence, implies that limiting your use of own computer does not help much. Nonetheless, rushing into grabbing headline scandal that involve theft of thousands of personal records, coupled with the advent of pharming and phishing these involved in the theft might go a long way to the above figures dramatically. The findings of these studies, on the other hand, are extremely troubling. These studies indicate that almost half of the identity thefts are often committed by those people known to the victims. One other study in 2004, reported that on average 655,000 complaints that were registered with the agency, 60 percent were to do with fraud and 40 percent involving complaints of theft identity. Basing on the figures released by this study, the predominant form of identity theft was that of Credit card fraud that accounts for 30 percent of the theft reported. Utilities fraud was ranked second accounting for 20 percent of the identity theft. This was followed by Bank fraud that account for 17percent of identity theft. The FTC, as well conducted some study concerning theft committed on the internet, and it came up with 206,568 as a figure for the internet identity theft. It was also noted that about 89 percent of the victims said they suffered a financial loss, which was averaged at $1,440. Basing on these study Phoenix-Mesa- Scottsdale, Bernardino-Ontario, Las Vegas-paradise, and Riverside-San reported the highest number of identity theft. The FTC found out that of all that reported having been victimized in the U.S 8 percent aged 60 years and above with the largest number, 30 percent, falling in the range between 18 to 30 age group (Joseph, 2005). Following those figures, it becomes clear that identity theft is real and

US Steel Tariffs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

US Steel Tariffs - Essay Example In 2001, US Steel lost $62 per every domestically produced ton. US Steel, the largest American producer, now that LTV, National Steel, and Bethlehem Steel went bust. US Steel Kosice made a profit of $55 per ton. USSK plans to purchase still mills in the Czech Republic as well. To remedy the situation and the strengthening the domestic steel sector by decreasing imports of cheaper steel and therefore shielding domestic steel producers from foreign competition. The US argued that under the World Trade Organization agreements safeguard measures are acceptable if the domestic industry is severely harmed by the cheaper imports and if these measures are limited to a timeframe of less than four years. The government hopes the industry will take advantage of the break to modernize and become more efficient. The history of the industry, however, sheds doubt on the industry's ability to overcome past inefficiencies (Abboushi, 2006). In March 2002, Bush imposed tariffs of up to 30 percent in th e first year of the new regime on $8 billion of steel imports, mainly from Europe, South Korea, and Japan. This is about one tenth of the global market. The tariffs were scheduled to decline to 24 percent in the second year and 18 percent in the third. Both Europe and Japan are challenging these measures in the WTO (Vaknin, 2004). The optimal tariff maximizes welfare of a large trading country that acts like a monopoly in trade. It is based on the naive assumption that trading partners do not retaliate. It is arguing that US could gain from a tariff if its trading partners do not retaliate. Economists are not arguing that US should restrict imports for this reason. Maximize U[y1 + z1,y2 + z2], subject to F(y1,y2,L,K) = 0. Figure 1 Use Steel trade indifference curves. z2 Optimal Tariff: to = 1/(* - 1), where * = - (z*1/p*1)(p*1/ z*1) is the price elasticity of foreign import demand. For the above reasons, on June 5, 2001, President Bush announced his optimal tariff comprehensive initiative to address the challenges facing the U.S. steel industry. But The American Institute for International Steel (AIIS) opposes the tariffs. Steel distributors largely support President G.W. Bush's decision to impose the tariffs because they expect it to stabilize the market for their suppliers and help financially-struggling mills regain liquidity. Can Protectionist measures ever be justified on economic grounds There is a classic case to suicidal protectionism of the recent steel quarrel between the USA and the EU. American steel producers ended up imposing quotas and tariffs on manufacturers they have only recently purchased in central and Eastern Europe (Vaknin, 2004). This argument has never been used by protectionists. The administration has backtracked. It promised to consider more than 1000 requests to exclude up to $1 billion in steel imports from the tariffs. The gaffe-prone then US Treasury Secretary, Paul O'Neill, said that this is done in order to reduce the "shrillness" of the conversation. More likely, it is aimed to prevent the emergence of an anti-American trade coalition (Vaknin, 2004). U.S. trade policy has been facing widespread criticism around the world. The economic devastation suffered in the United States resulting from the tragedy could be ameliorated by resurgence in the U.S. steel industry. Significant indications of the crisis began to emerge