Honor Among Thieves and The Hacker Ethic †Information Technology Essay

Honor Among Thieves and The Hacker Ethic – Information Technology Essay Free Online Research Papers Honor Among Thieves and The Hacker Ethic Information Technology Essay The rights of a person have been well defined by law and sanctions such as the United Nations, however how are they able to protect the rights of these people when they are on a un moderated medium such as the internet? A question like this brings up many grey areas of the law that have allowed the proliferation of what seems to be the most feared type of person on the internet – often referred to as Hackers. To be hacked into means that your security measures have been compromised and that they have access to your information system. With the increasing dependence of computers to store sensitive data ranging from credit cards to correspondence, the need to protect the users of these computer sytems rises also. In order to work on society to becoming better managed in protecting their interests, work needs to be done on not so much the hardware involved, but the peoples attitudes towards them. Even if a Computer was in the ideal world properly protected, a slip of the passwords or allowed physical access can bring the whole security subsystem down. All of the worked up controversy has to be put away that they (hackers) are the most powerful computer users that exist as well. If there was an Information system developed involving a large network of computer systems, who would be the most potentially dangerous person? The hacker infiltrating the system sequentially, or the System Administrator that oversees the entire maintenance of the systems with a completeness of this view much like the Popular series â€Å"Big Brother†. In this tv show, a group of people are put into a house that is a spiers bug dream – with about 120 Cameras and other nifty inventions, the every move of the person is tracked. You would think that such would be an outrage, yet this is not the case. Being the highest rating show by far on that network, The show can pull millions of dollars each time it is shown to the millions of viewers tuning in. The reason this has been mentioned is because a virus or a large â€Å"break in† by a hacker receives similar attention. The â€Å"Mellisa/I love you† virus has been the most recent and had the largest effect of any other virus before it. Reported on the news, and reaching practically everyone, this virus spread itself by embedding itself on the infected machine, and sends out emails to everyone on the persons address book on the computer. With an exponential type of effect such as this, the virus could spread to millions of people in days (and it did).If this virus had other intentions though, like data collection on the computer and sending it back to a central source, the level of profitable information received back would rival any other source of voluntary collected information in the world. When a virus is found one way or another on a common users system though, the first reaction is almost knee jerk like, being on how to remove the present virus. If there was potential to receive a virus in the first place, I feel that how it had became an problem in the first place needs to be addressed just as importantly.If a company were to do this, that is obviously unethical as their means are for profit. It is a different kettle of fish when a hacker presents a similar situation. The aurora of a hacker is a mystical one that has eluded many of their victims. To say that they are rude and arrogant would be far from the truth. A well-known hacker by the name of Kevin Mitnick bared these ethics out to the court in what appears to be a quite truthful testimony. He aired his previous hacking experience was mostly of social engineering (using pretences of other people to intimidate low level employee’s to do what they will) and that security systems were much easier to bypass by using this method. All of the time he had spent hacking also, he said in his testimony as not to make a single dime at all1 This is far in contrast to something such as a bank robbery where the intent is to do whatever is possible to take possession of something that is not theirs, even if a human life is at stake. A hacker seemingly has knowledge of many things beyond the realm of computers and is aware of the risks and consequences of the actions they take. Some of these hackers have a lot more power than is known, and yet they do not use this power because they realise that its effects are damaging to more than themselves. Please note that this essay is concentrating on real hackers. There is a disturbing growth in what the hacking scene refers to as â€Å"Script kiddies†, People who use hackers code to break into systems in order to get the information they want without much regard for how they do it. To quote from one of the reference’s I have found, which encounters the same point. These kids dont really have any skills, says Deth Veggie of cDc, one of the oldest hacker crews around. Since they didnt learn it for themselves they dont respect the system theyre infiltrating. And so they steal things and download files, which a real hacker would never do. 2 Although the account is from the perspective from a hacker, it shows that there is a certain degree of division of the term hacker, as well. Taking the example of Rapheal Gray one may feel this veil of mystery is very much present in his interview3 where he refers to things as often to a higher authority, which he has control of. In one of the questions asked about what he would be doing in ten years. Quite the opposite of the Stereotypical Dictator, he replied that he would be making things such as artificial intelligences and other items that could help the disabled. To counteract this train of thought though is the interview with Chris Davis, The person responsible for tracking down. To him, he started beginning tracking down Rapheal because (and I quote): â€Å"Hackers have a sort of honor among thieves. Theres this hacker ethic, and this guy just didnt seem to have that. So, I think thats kind of what drove me to go after him a bit† 4 From this it is noticeable that the perceived opinion of what the persons abilities really were influenced how much he had wanted to track him down. Inside of the interview Chris went on to imply many things like that he is not worried about the hackers with ethics, but more of people who brag like Rapheal that have no respect of the ethics that people place concern on when thinking about their security. With reference to the Cyber squatting article (in regard to owning website names and selling them off to the apparent rightful company) this argument that the perceived bad guys are not that wrong at all. Ignoring Mr Culicans (the positive side) poorly presented argument, the negative side was well presented and can be discussed on. To change the current way of first come, first served would put many workings of the internet out of order, so to speak. I would bet that when the creators of the Internet would have never foreseen such major debates over companies owning their own acre of cyberspace to add to their corporate image. The Internet was and still is primarily a convenience tool in the eyes of the average consumer, and the Internet’s structure has been designed to be fast and efficient. People go on the Internet and almost expect to be able to go on any Internet service without having to remember any password they have. In the new Windows XP, a service that is activated by default is called â€Å"Auto complete†. Its purpose is to remember all of the computer users passwords to automatically log them into any services that the password will allow. This has been a largely used feature of the operating system due to the time saved by many for typing in passwords. If you were to imagine a security world hypothesis, in the above example the users would need a biometric verification along with their password just to get in, and then while on the information system no one else must be present so that the content viewed by the person is assured to have been seen by them only. Before they leave the computer, the person must delete all files created since the last time they logged in. I feel that it does not sound very practical or helpful for the user if they want to find any meaningful information. People work in social situations much more often now in the macro age of cooperative teamwork and computers, this means that perfect security is never assured unless not only the computer system they are working on is secured, but the work group is as well. Having a spy from another company keeping a tap on your workflow is just as unproductive as sending an email to your competitors saying â€Å"here is our trade secrets, please use them against us† In conclusion I write that the current perspective of the view of the importance of computers needs to be taken far more seriously, and that respect in the activities they do should reflect how they would be conducting themselves in real life. The consumers of technology are just as much to blame for the lack of security as the products that they use. By controlling their usage of the Internet much more consciously (such as not giving out credit card information except when it is relevant and necessary) they can avoid the grey areas of the Internet much more effectively. Remember that in cyber space, every one can hear you scream. Bibliography (Grouped by site) pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/hackers/ Frontline’s TV Documentary on the hackers prevalence in society pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/hackers/whoare/testimony.html 1 Testimony by Kevin Mitnick (hacker) pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/hackers/interviews/curador.html 3 Rapheal Grey AKA Curador explains about his nature of hacking pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/hackers/blame/how.html Are software companies responsible for buggy products? pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/hackers/interviews/davis.html 4 Interview with the person responsible for tracking down Curador attrition.org/~modify/texts/ethics//computer.hackers.and.ethics.html Hackers ethics, with a focus on the moral direction. Comparisons to crime. attrition.org/~modify/texts/ethics//vv-ethics.html 2 Cracking the Code of Ethics accad.ohio-state.edu/Astrolabe/noframes/topics/hacker/hacker.html A quite accurate account/list of what hackers ethics really are Research Papers on Honor Among Thieves and The Hacker Ethic - Information Technology EssayIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanGenetic EngineeringOpen Architechture a white paperBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfThe Project Managment Office SystemDefinition of Export QuotasPETSTEL analysis of IndiaCapital PunishmentAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into Asia

Debating Healthy Hunger - Free Kids Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Debating Healthy Hunger - Free Kids Act - Essay Example Taxpayers finance roughly half of the total medical costs annually through Medicaid and Medicare (Hinman, 2011, 16). In view of this growing problem of childhood obesity, the Obama administration recently signed the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 to intensify its fight against childhood obesity. However, the ratification of the 2010 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act generated varied responses all over the United States. In the view of some, the additional 6-cents for each meal given are valued, but others are dissatisfied with the extra 6-cents which is argued to be insufficient. This paper presents a comprehensive a discussion of the arguments for and against the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Ultimately, the author discusses its position in the debate. Overview The Obama administration recently released a new cluster of federal policies that would regulate the quantity of calories permitted state-sponsored school meals, prohibiting majority of trans fats at the same time as boosting the quantities of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. The projects, proposed by the Agriculture Department, embody the initial large-scale overhauling of school lunch rules in the 21st century (The Washington Times, 2011a, A03). The guidelines would be valid to all partly and fully funded meals and may have an impact on a vast number of children. Supporters claim revamping the price in the country’s school lunches is fundamental in mitigating childhood obesity since large numbers of children take at least half of their everyday calories at school (Hinman, 2011, 16). However, a number of conservative detractors, headed by Sarah Palin, have denounced federal attempts to oblige nutritional intake and control school vending machines and bake sales as unwarranted government intrusion. A number of local school administrators and personnel have questioned the cost of putting into effect the new guidelines, with a large number of the suggested menu selections more costly to acquire and prepare. The U.S. is confronting an obesity outbreak, and the predicament of poor diets puts the future of the children and the nation at risk, according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, emphasizing that the country confronts an enormous cost from poor diets in chronic health crises (The Washington Times, 2011a, A03). The rules are a reaction to the 2010 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act. The $4.5 billion policy enlarges the population of students entitled to school lunch initiatives and raises the federal financial backing by 6 cents a meal (The Washington Times, 2011a, A03). Aside from mandating calorie restrictions, the recommended policies demand cutting down sodium by at least half over a decade (Hinman, 2011, 17), increasing quantities of whole grains and forbidding bad fats. The Argument for the Healthy Hunger-Free Free Kids Act Many individuals and organizations within the food industry supported the implementation of the Act with eagerness like the Internatio nal Dairy Foods Association, the United Fresh Produce Association, American Bakers’ Association, and Grocery Manufacturers Association (Julian, 2010). As argued by Center for Science in the Public Interest’s director of nutrition policy, Margo Wootan, criticizing the legislation by the cost only is very crude since there are other resource-saving

Entrepreneurship and small business management Essay

Entrepreneurship and small business management - Essay Example On the other hand, they also observe that such decision-making may just be beneficial to the business operations. One good thing about them is that they play a critical role in global economy. Even so, one should understand that family businesses are managed in different styles especially as pertains to leadership. Their characteristics are largely similar although small variations exist. Such differences are what sum up the total picture that of what constitutes their unique features. Unique Characteristics of Family Business As mentioned above, family business has unique characteristics. According to Bassanini, Breda, Caroli and Reberioux (2013, p. 433), family business are characterized by low job insecurity. Bassanini et al. observe that unlike nonfamily firms, family businesses are not in the habit of laying out workers. Rather than downsize by dismissals, many of them tend to rely on not hiring. They respond to their business operations through this unique way. This does not im ply that family businesses will never lay off workers. In the US, family businesses account for up to 28% in 2007 while Germany has the highest number at 56% (Boom, Van and Reenen 2007, in Bassanini et al. (2013, p. 433). Bassanini et al. observe that many family businesspeople see their firms as future assets for their descendants (p. 434). As a practice, any of them nurture their kids for eventual takeover and management. Some do not follow that path but entrench family members in critical decision-making organs. Probably this explains why many of them are reluctant to lay off their employees. Bassanini et al. also note that many family businesses pay comparatively low or average pay as compared to non-family firms. They offer that one may attribute such differences in wages to the fact that there are differences between family and nonfamily firms. Comparatively, the scholars point out that the wage gap between family and nonfamily gaps is approximately 2.4% (Bassanini et al., 201 3, p. 443). Even so, one should understand that this rate is not fixed as it fluctuates. One can also deduce that the differences between wages in family firms and nonfamily firms vary largely from firms to firm, making the percentage difference a dynamic range. Other scholars observe that family firms tend to follow certain values held dear to them. They note that family businesses thrive on strong commitment to stewardship of the family’s assets amongst others (p. 39). The scholars also observe that as the family shareholder decide on formation of Family Entrepreneur Teams. They also assess the shared vision to be in business together (Cruz, Howorth and Eleanor, 2012, p. 39). This is despite the fact that they are first brought together by shared family values. From this observation, one may deduce that another characteristic of family business is that the success of family business lies on the continued goodwill on the shared values down the lineage. It appears that as muc h as family businesses are characterized by shared values, down along the generation lines, there may be deviations from the shared values. Another characteristic of family teams is that the level of flexibility is usually high (Schjoedt, Monsen, Pearson, and Chrisman, 2012, p. 7). Schjoedt et al. highlight that such a characteristic usually comes from the fact that many team members in family businesses tend to be couples. Being couples, Schjoedt et al. point out that the shared goals and strong relationships usually allow some form of

Article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Article - Essay Example The article suggests that ,Vogan firm assisted an accused named Julian Green , who is arrested for storing child pornography images on PC to go free . According to Montaldo ,(2013)â€Å"Almost all pedophiles have a collection of pornography, which they protect at all costs. Many of them also collect "souvenirs" from their victims. They rarely discard either their porn or collections for any reason†. At the Julianne Green's home enormous numbers of child porn images were found, which led to the accusation of being a pedophile. The images stored in his computer were a firsthand proof to the police to accuse him as a pedophile. The convicted Julian Green is saved by Vogon, due to latter’s professional approach and eye for detail. The hard disk of Greene acquired by Vogon is detected for virus infection to understand whether the pornographic images were downloaded and stored due to malware functioning. As per American Associated Press (2009) â€Å"Of all the sinister thing s that Internet viruses do, this might be the worst: They can make you an unsuspecting collector of child pornography†. Green could have been unaware that the images stored on his PC could lead to his arrest. The Effort of Vogon in releasing Greene Greene is acquitted of pedophile act on the basis of evidence found on his PC which was 172 images of child pornography. The police arrested Green on the basis of the evidence they collected from his computer. The pictures were unknowingly harbored by the Trojan virus in the PC but Green is imprisoned for 10 years for this abusive act. The solicitor Chris has approached Vogon to confirm the reason behind the storage of child porn images, as they were suspicious that it could be the act of virus .The hard drive of Greene is cloned and processed to understand presence of Trojan which infected his pc with images. The computer specialist unraveled this malware in the hard drive of Green with utmost care and skill. The real culprit detec ted by the software specialist was the unsolicited e-mails opened by Green. The computer specialist Gibbs detected 12 Trojan programs on Green’s computer and this was a solid evidence for the solicitor to prove Green’s innocence. According to Kaspersky(2013)â€Å"A common scenario is that a person receives what looks like a perfectly legitimate e-mail or computer update, often from a trusted source. When the user tries to open the file, it seems that nothing happens. In fact, they may have installed a Trojan horse on their hard drive†. Only on the basis of this strong professional evidence, the court decided to drop this case. The credit for Green’s relief from acquitting solely goes to the Solicitor and Vogon Forensic laboratory. According to Forensic Control Limited (2013) â€Å"Computer forensics is the practice of collecting, analyzing and reporting on digital information in a way that is legally admissible. It can be used in the detection and preven tion of crime and in any dispute where evidence is stored digitally† The pedophile cases on Trojan and its consequences The author explains that, a person named Karl Scofield escaped accusation of being a pedophile on the basis of Trojan infection. Apart from this, Aaron Caffrey , the teenage hacker who is accused of crippling Houston web -based system

Exxon Oil Spill Essay -- essays research papers

Oil spills have often occurred too many times in this world. Unfortunately, when this does happen, there is always losses of life. Many people are affected by it. There is always a price to pay. On March 24, 1989 the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spilt all its oil into the ocean.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Going about twelve miles per hour, the doubt of a oil spill was highly unlikely. But, when the oil tanker hit Bligh Reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, the worst oil spill in United States history occurred. Consequently, more than eleven million gallons of oil spued into the ocean. In addition, more than thirteen hundred miles of shoreline was coated with oil. Furthermore, the slick would have covered more than three football fields in width. It was the fifty-third ranked spill in the world and the worst the United States has ever seen. Many places would be contaminated by the oil.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not only did the oil spill into the ocean, it also got on shore. More than one thousand miles of shore line was hit by the oil. It hurt the small towns along Alaska, Canada, and even parts of Russia that depend on fishing and the sea life. Many species were affected by it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The disaster destroyed many sea creatures. More than 250,000 birds were wiped out. Over 2,800 sea otters were killed. Analysis showed that there are two recovered species. These species are the bald eagle and the river otter. Also, there are eight recovering species. These are the black oystercatcher, common murre, marbled murrelet, mussel, Pacific herring, pink salmon, sea otter, sockeye salmon, and intertidal and subtidal flora and fauna. Unfortunate, there are six unrecovered species. Common loon, cormorant, harbor seal, harlequin duck, pigeon guillemot, and others are among these. In addition, there are four species of unknown recovery. They include the cutthroat trout, dolly varden, kittlitz’s murrelet, and rockfish. Not only were the fish affected, but also the humans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thousands of fisherman were hurt by the spill. In fact, more than 10,000 fisherman that work the waters of Prince William Sound, Cook Inlet, and Kodiak Island received money from Exxon. Exxon estimated that the losses to commercial fisheries amounted to $113 million. Exxon paid the fisherman $286.8 million in compensatory damages. Because of the s... ...more than $2.1 billion in cleanup costs in the first two years after the disaster. Surprisingly, only about fourteen percent of the oil was recovered by cleanup crews. Cleaning and natural degradation removed much of the oil from the beaches, but visually identifiable surface and subsurface oil persists at many locations. Of the approximate 1,300 miles of shorelines, 200 miles of it was considered heavy or medium oiling. The rest of the shorelines were considered light or very light oiling. So what happened to the 10.8 million gallons of oil released into the environment? Based on surveys, most of the oil either evaporated, dispersed into the water column, or degraded naturally. Cleanup crews just got fourteen percent of it while thirteen percent of it sunk to the sea floor. About two percent remains on the beaches.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  March 24, 1989 is a date no one will forget. As the worst oil spill ever to hit America, many sea creatures lost their life and humans lost their source of work and food. A lesson can be learned from the tragedy of the Exxon Valdez. It is too bad it was learned with the expense of thousands of sea creatures.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Plural French Subject Pronouns Nous Vous Ils and Elles

Before you start this lesson, I encourage you to read my Singular French Subject Pronouns lesson, or even start with introduction to French subject pronouns if you have not read it yet. Now, lets take a closer look to the plural French subject pronouns. The French Subject Pronoun for We Nous   Nous is the pronoun to use when you are talking about a group of people that includes yourself.Ex : nous regardons la teÃŒ leÃŒ  : we are watching TV. Nous is also referred to as the first person plural (premieÌ€re personne du pluriel). Pronunciation: the s of the nous is silent when followed by a consonant.Ex : Nous regardons, nous faisons, nous sommes.Nous makes a strong liaison in Z when followed by a vowel or an h ; nous ‘Z’eÃŒ tudions, nous ‘Z’habitons, nous ‘Z’utilisons. Important: in colloquial French,  « On  » is used instead of nous. The verb will agree with  « On  » (3rd person singular), but the adjectives will agree with the meaning, therefore being plural when on means we. Here is my lesson about the obscure French subject pronoun on.Ex : Anne et moi, on est brunes : Ann and I, we are brunettes. Note: other words related to nous are: notre, nos, le noÌ‚tre, la noÌ‚tre, les noÌ‚tres. The French Subject Pronoun for You Vous   Vous is the pronoun to use when you are talking to a group of people.Ex : vous regardez la teÃŒ leÃŒ  : you are watching TV   Vous is also referred to as the second person plural (deuxieÌ€me personne du pluriel). Pronunciation: the s of the vous is silent when followed by a consonant.Ex : Vous regardez, vous faites, vous parlez.Vous makes a strong liaison in Z when followed by a vowel or an h ; vous ‘Z’eÃŒ tudiez, vous ‘Z’habitez, vous ‘Z’eÌ‚tes. Important: vous may also refer to one person that you are being formal to. Like an adult you don’t know, or a business partner, or someone that is older. The verb will agree with vous (2nd person plural), but the adjectives will agree with the meaning, therefore being feminine or masculine singular. To understand this notion, you need to read my article on tu versus vous. Ex : M. le PreÃŒ sident, vous eÌ‚tes grand : Mr President, you are tall.Ex : Mme la PreÃŒ sidente, vous eÌ‚tes grande : Mrs President, you are tall. Note: other words related to vous are : votre, vos, le voÌ‚tre, la voÌ‚tre, les voÌ‚tres. The French Subject Pronoun for They Ils   Ils is the pronoun to use when you are talking about a group of people.Ex : ils regardent la teÃŒ leÃŒ  : they are watching TV. Ils is also referred to as the third person plural, masculine (troisieÌ€me personne du pluriel, masculin). Pronunciation: the S of the Ils is silent when followed by a consonant. It’s pronounced exactly as the â€Å"il† singular.Ex : ils regardent, ils font, ils sont.For a regular ER verb starting with a consonant, you cannot hear the difference between Il singular and Ils plural : il regarde (singular), ils regardent (plural). Ils (plural) makes a strong liaison in Z when followed by a vowel or an H ; ils ‘Z’habitent, ils’Z’eÃŒ tudient, ils ‘Z’utilisent. Important: ils refers to a group of people or things either all masculine, or masculine and feminine. Note: other words related to ils are : se, les, leur, leurs, le leur, la leur, les leurs.   The French Subject Pronoun for They Elles   Elles is the pronoun to use when you are talking about a group of people that are women, or feminine things.Ex : Elles regardent la teÃŒ leÃŒ  : they are watching TV (they here are only women). Pronunciation: the S of the elles is silent when followed by a consonant.Ex : elles regardent, elles font, elles parlent.For a regular ER verb starting with a consonant, you cannot hear the difference between Elle singular and Elles plural : elle regarde, elles regardent. Elles makes a strong liaison when followed by a vowel or an H ; elles ‘Z’habitent, elles’Z’eÃŒ tudient, elles ‘Z’utilisent. Important: elles refers to a group of people or things only feminine. Note : other words related to elles are : se, les, leur, leurs, le leur, la leur, les leurs.   Voilà  , now that you know all about the French subject pronouns, you can go to the next step and study my French Verb Introduction lesson. If you are serious about learning French, I strongly suggest you find a good French learning audio method. Written French and spoken French are like two different languages, and you need audio - and someone who can not only list the grammar points but explain them well - to conquer French. I suggest you take a look at  my own French learning method  as well as my article on the  Best French tools for the self-learning student. I post exclusive mini lessons, tips, pictures and more daily on my Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest  pages - so join me there! https://www.facebook.com/frenchtoday https://twitter.com/frenchtoday https://www.pinterest.com/frenchtoday/

What Determines a Currencys Exchange Rate

When traveling abroad, youll have to exchange the currency of your origin country for that of your destination, but what determines the rate at which these are exchanged? In short, the exchange rate of a countrys currency is determined by its supply and demand rate in the country for which currency is being exchanged. Exchange  rate sites  make it easier for people to plan their trips abroad, but its important to note that along with an increase in cost for foreign currency oftentimes comes an increased price of goods and services there. Ultimately, a variety of factors influences how a nations currency, and in turn, its exchange rate, are determined, including supply and demand of goods by foreign consumers, speculations on future  demands of currency, and even central banks investments in foreign currencies. Short-Run Exchange Rates Are Determined by Supply and Demand: Like any other price in local economies, exchange rates are determined by supply and demand — specifically the supply and demand for each currency. But that explanation is almost tautological as one must also know we need to know what determines the supply of a currency and the demand for a currency. The supply of a currency on a foreign exchange market is determined by the following: Demand for goods, services, and investments priced in that currency.Speculations on future demands of that currency.Central banks occasionally  buy up foreign currency to affect  the exchange rate. To put it simply, demand relies on the want for a foreign traveler in Canada, for instance, to buy a Canadian good like maple syrup. If this demand of foreign buyers rises, it will cause the Canadian dollar value to rise as well. Similarly, if the Canadian dollar is expected to rise, these speculations will affect the exchange rate, too. Central banks,  on the  other  hand, dont directly rely on consumer interaction to affect the exchange rates. While they cant simply  print more money, they can influence investments, loans, and exchanges in the foreign marketplace, which will either raise or lower the value of their nations currency abroad. What Should The Currency Be Worth? If speculators and central banks can affect both the supply and demand for a currency, they can ultimately affect the price. Thus does a currency have an intrinsic value relative to another currency? Is there a level the exchange rate should be at? It turns out there is at least a rough level to which a currency should be worth, as detailed in the  Purchasing Power Parity Theory. The exchange rate, in the long run, needs to be at the level which a basket of goods costs the same in two currencies. Thus, if a Mickey Mantle rookie card, for instance, costs $50,000 Canadian and $25,000 U.S., the exchange rate should be two Canadian dollars for one American dollar. Still, the exchange rate is actually determined by a variety of factors, which change constantly. As a result, its important when traveling abroad to check the current exchange rate in destination countries, especially during peak tourist season when the foreign demand for domestic goods is higher.