Poverty and Adaptation in Rural Russia

Survey data are used to identify different levels of poverty emerging in the adaptation of rural households to the new Russian market economy. Three levels of poverty are described: the absolutely deprived, the deprived and the relatively deprived. Comparisons of the adaptation strategies of these different types of households are made with respect to (a) different sources of income; (b) access to physical capital; (c) household production and sales; (d) subjective quality of life and psychological well-being; and (e) overall income differentiation. Findings include the over-representation of husband and wife families with children and the lower representation of the elderly among the rural poor.     

Securing Internet Society: Toward an International Regime for Information Assurance

The Internet is rapidly changing how states and international businesses operate and deliver services and goods to citizens and customers. This global information medium, however, has also become the vehicle for a new set of malicious activities carried out by hackers, terrorists, and rogue states. This article discusses a possible course of action to counter this growing international security threat: the development of an international regime for information assurance. Still, this regime cannot arise exclusively from the cooperative efforts of national government, but requires the active involvement of international businesses. This article, therefore, postulates that this regime can arise only if states and international businesses fully appreciate their respective interests in the areas of information security and assurance.