11,060 research outputs found
The Viability and Potential Consequences of IoT-Based Ransomware
With the increased threat of ransomware and the substantial growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) market, there is significant motivation for attackers to carry out IoT-based ransomware campaigns. In this thesis, the viability of such malware is tested.
As part of this work, various techniques that could be used by ransomware developers to attack commercial IoT devices were explored. First, methods that attackers could use to communicate with the victim were examined, such that a ransom note was able to be reliably sent to a victim. Next, the viability of using "bricking" as a method of ransom was evaluated, such that devices could be remotely disabled unless the victim makes a payment to the attacker. Research was then performed to ascertain whether it was possible to remotely gain persistence on IoT devices, which would improve the efficacy of existing ransomware methods, and provide opportunities for more advanced ransomware to be created. Finally, after successfully identifying a number of persistence techniques, the viability of privacy-invasion based ransomware was analysed.
For each assessed technique, proofs of concept were developed. A range of devices -- with various intended purposes, such as routers, cameras and phones -- were used to test the viability of these proofs of concept. To test communication hijacking, devices' "channels of communication" -- such as web services and embedded screens -- were identified, then hijacked to display custom ransom notes. During the analysis of bricking-based ransomware, a working proof of concept was created, which was then able to remotely brick five IoT devices. After analysing the storage design of an assortment of IoT devices, six different persistence techniques were identified, which were then successfully tested on four devices, such that malicious filesystem modifications would be retained after the device was rebooted. When researching privacy-invasion based ransomware, several methods were created to extract information from data sources that can be commonly found on IoT devices, such as nearby WiFi signals, images from cameras, or audio from microphones. These were successfully implemented in a test environment such that ransomable data could be extracted, processed, and stored for later use to blackmail the victim.
Overall, IoT-based ransomware has not only been shown to be viable but also highly damaging to both IoT devices and their users. While the use of IoT-ransomware is still very uncommon "in the wild", the techniques demonstrated within this work highlight an urgent need to improve the security of IoT devices to avoid the risk of IoT-based ransomware causing havoc in our society. Finally, during the development of these proofs of concept, a number of potential countermeasures were identified, which can be used to limit the effectiveness of the attacking techniques discovered in this PhD research
Multi-modal Facial Affective Analysis based on Masked Autoencoder
Human affective behavior analysis focuses on analyzing human expressions or
other behaviors to enhance the understanding of human psychology. The CVPR 2023
Competition on Affective Behavior Analysis in-the-wild (ABAW) is dedicated to
providing high-quality and large-scale Aff-wild2 for the recognition of
commonly used emotion representations, such as Action Units (AU), basic
expression categories(EXPR), and Valence-Arousal (VA). The competition is
committed to making significant strides in improving the accuracy and
practicality of affective analysis research in real-world scenarios. In this
paper, we introduce our submission to the CVPR 2023: ABAW5. Our approach
involves several key components. First, we utilize the visual information from
a Masked Autoencoder(MAE) model that has been pre-trained on a large-scale face
image dataset in a self-supervised manner. Next, we finetune the MAE encoder on
the image frames from the Aff-wild2 for AU, EXPR and VA tasks, which can be
regarded as a static and uni-modal training. Additionally, we leverage the
multi-modal and temporal information from the videos and implement a
transformer-based framework to fuse the multi-modal features. Our approach
achieves impressive results in the ABAW5 competition, with an average F1 score
of 55.49\% and 41.21\% in the AU and EXPR tracks, respectively, and an average
CCC of 0.6372 in the VA track. Our approach ranks first in the EXPR and AU
tracks, and second in the VA track. Extensive quantitative experiments and
ablation studies demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method
Enhancing Low-resolution Face Recognition with Feature Similarity Knowledge Distillation
In this study, we introduce a feature knowledge distillation framework to
improve low-resolution (LR) face recognition performance using knowledge
obtained from high-resolution (HR) images. The proposed framework transfers
informative features from an HR-trained network to an LR-trained network by
reducing the distance between them. A cosine similarity measure was employed as
a distance metric to effectively align the HR and LR features. This approach
differs from conventional knowledge distillation frameworks, which use the L_p
distance metrics and offer the advantage of converging well when reducing the
distance between features of different resolutions. Our framework achieved a 3%
improvement over the previous state-of-the-art method on the AgeDB-30 benchmark
without bells and whistles, while maintaining a strong performance on HR
images. The effectiveness of cosine similarity as a distance metric was
validated through statistical analysis, making our approach a promising
solution for real-world applications in which LR images are frequently
encountered. The code and pretrained models are publicly available on
https://github.com/gist-ailab/feature-similarity-KD
Open Set Classification of GAN-based Image Manipulations via a ViT-based Hybrid Architecture
Classification of AI-manipulated content is receiving great attention, for
distinguishing different types of manipulations. Most of the methods developed
so far fail in the open-set scenario, that is when the algorithm used for the
manipulation is not represented by the training set. In this paper, we focus on
the classification of synthetic face generation and manipulation in open-set
scenarios, and propose a method for classification with a rejection option. The
proposed method combines the use of Vision Transformers (ViT) with a hybrid
approach for simultaneous classification and localization. Feature map
correlation is exploited by the ViT module, while a localization branch is
employed as an attention mechanism to force the model to learn per-class
discriminative features associated with the forgery when the manipulation is
performed locally in the image. Rejection is performed by considering several
strategies and analyzing the model output layers. The effectiveness of the
proposed method is assessed for the task of classification of facial attribute
editing and GAN attribution
VIVE3D: Viewpoint-Independent Video Editing using 3D-Aware GANs
We introduce VIVE3D, a novel approach that extends the capabilities of
image-based 3D GANs to video editing and is able to represent the input video
in an identity-preserving and temporally consistent way. We propose two new
building blocks. First, we introduce a novel GAN inversion technique
specifically tailored to 3D GANs by jointly embedding multiple frames and
optimizing for the camera parameters. Second, besides traditional semantic face
edits (e.g. for age and expression), we are the first to demonstrate edits that
show novel views of the head enabled by the inherent properties of 3D GANs and
our optical flow-guided compositing technique to combine the head with the
background video. Our experiments demonstrate that VIVE3D generates
high-fidelity face edits at consistent quality from a range of camera
viewpoints which are composited with the original video in a temporally and
spatially consistent manner.Comment: CVPR 2023. Project webpage and video available at
http://afruehstueck.github.io/vive3
A Phenomenological Study of How Active Engagement in Black Greek Letter Sororities Influences Christian Members\u27 Spiritual Growth
This phenomenological study explored how being part of a Black Greek Letter. Organization (BGLO) sorority impacts the spiritual growth of its Christian members. One of the issues explored was the influence relationships within these sororities have on members striving to be like Christ. There is a dichotomy of perspectives regarding Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs). They have a significant role in the Black community as organizations that foster leadership, philanthropy, and sisterhood and promote education. They are admired on and off college campuses and in the broader community in graduate chapters. The objective of phenomenology is to describe phenomena of spiritual growth among Christian sorority members from the life experiences of those who live them; that premise guided the interviews conducted for this study. The results found that active engagement in a BGLO sorority positively impacts its members\u27 spiritual growth. From the emotional stories of sisterhood, service, and devotion to prayer, their experiences evidenced strengthened walks of faith. This study contrasts the Anti-BGLO narrative as a testament to these organizations\u27 legacy and practices deeply grounded in the church
Examples of works to practice staccato technique in clarinet instrument
Klarnetin staccato tekniğini güçlendirme aşamaları eser çalışmalarıyla uygulanmıştır. Staccato
geçişlerini hızlandıracak ritim ve nüans çalışmalarına yer verilmiştir. Çalışmanın en önemli amacı
sadece staccato çalışması değil parmak-dilin eş zamanlı uyumunun hassasiyeti üzerinde de
durulmasıdır. Staccato çalışmalarını daha verimli hale getirmek için eser çalışmasının içinde etüt
çalışmasına da yer verilmiştir. Çalışmaların üzerinde titizlikle durulması staccato çalışmasının ilham
verici etkisi ile müzikal kimliğe yeni bir boyut kazandırmıştır. Sekiz özgün eser çalışmasının her
aşaması anlatılmıştır. Her aşamanın bir sonraki performans ve tekniği güçlendirmesi esas alınmıştır.
Bu çalışmada staccato tekniğinin hangi alanlarda kullanıldığı, nasıl sonuçlar elde edildiği bilgisine
yer verilmiştir. Notaların parmak ve dil uyumu ile nasıl şekilleneceği ve nasıl bir çalışma disiplini
içinde gerçekleşeceği planlanmıştır. Kamış-nota-diyafram-parmak-dil-nüans ve disiplin
kavramlarının staccato tekniğinde ayrılmaz bir bütün olduğu saptanmıştır. Araştırmada literatür
taraması yapılarak staccato ile ilgili çalışmalar taranmıştır. Tarama sonucunda klarnet tekniğin de
kullanılan staccato eser çalışmasının az olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Metot taramasında da etüt
çalışmasının daha çok olduğu saptanmıştır. Böylelikle klarnetin staccato tekniğini hızlandırma ve
güçlendirme çalışmaları sunulmuştur. Staccato etüt çalışmaları yapılırken, araya eser çalışmasının
girmesi beyni rahatlattığı ve istekliliği daha arttırdığı gözlemlenmiştir. Staccato çalışmasını yaparken
doğru bir kamış seçimi üzerinde de durulmuştur. Staccato tekniğini doğru çalışmak için doğru bir
kamışın dil hızını arttırdığı saptanmıştır. Doğru bir kamış seçimi kamıştan rahat ses çıkmasına
bağlıdır. Kamış, dil atma gücünü vermiyorsa daha doğru bir kamış seçiminin yapılması gerekliliği
vurgulanmıştır. Staccato çalışmalarında baştan sona bir eseri yorumlamak zor olabilir. Bu açıdan
çalışma, verilen müzikal nüanslara uymanın, dil atış performansını rahatlattığını ortaya koymuştur.
Gelecek nesillere edinilen bilgi ve birikimlerin aktarılması ve geliştirici olması teşvik edilmiştir.
Çıkacak eserlerin nasıl çözüleceği, staccato tekniğinin nasıl üstesinden gelinebileceği anlatılmıştır.
Staccato tekniğinin daha kısa sürede çözüme kavuşturulması amaç edinilmiştir. Parmakların
yerlerini öğrettiğimiz kadar belleğimize de çalışmaların kaydedilmesi önemlidir. Gösterilen azmin ve
sabrın sonucu olarak ortaya çıkan yapıt başarıyı daha da yukarı seviyelere çıkaracaktır
Bridging technology and educational psychology: an exploration of individual differences in technology-assisted language learning within an Algerian EFL setting
The implementation of technology in language learning and teaching has a great influence onthe teaching and learning process as a whole and its impact on the learners’ psychological state seems of paramount significance, since it could be either an aid or a barrier to students’ academic performance. This thesis therefore explores individual learner differences in technology-assisted language learning (TALL) and when using educational technologies in
higher education within an Algerian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) setting.
Although I initially intended to investigate the relationship between TALL and certain affective variables mainly motivation, anxiety, self-confidence, and learning styles inside the classroom, the collection and analysis of data shifted my focus to a holistic view of individual learner
differences in TALL environments and when using educational technologies within and beyond the classroom. In an attempt to bridge technology and educational psychology, this
ethnographic case study considers the nature of the impact of technology integration in language teaching and learning on the psychology of individual language learners inside and
outside the classroom. The study considers the reality constructed by participants and reveals multiple and distinctive views about the relationship between the use of educational technologies in higher education and individual learner differences. It took place in a university
in the north-west of Algeria and involved 27 main and secondary student and teacher participants. It consisted of focus-group discussions, follow-up discussions, teachers’
interviews, learners’ diaries, observation, and field notes. It was initially conducted within the classroom but gradually expanded to other settings outside the classroom depending on the availability of participants, their actions, and activities.
The study indicates that the impact of technology integration in EFL learning on individual learner differences is both complex and dynamic. It is complex in the sense that it is shown in multiple aspects and reflected on the students and their differences. In addition to various positive and different negative influences of different technology uses and the different psychological reactions among students to the same technology scenario, the study reveals the
unrecognised different manifestations of similar psychological traits in the same ELT technology scenario. It is also dynamic since it is characterised by constant change according to contextual approaches to and practical realities of technology integration in language teaching and learning in the setting, including discrepancies between students’ attitudes and teacher’ actions, mismatches between technological experiences inside and outside the classroom, local concerns and generalised beliefs about TALL in the context, and the rapid and unplanned shift to online educational delivery during the Covid-19 pandemic situation.
The study may therefore be of interest, not only to Algerian teachers and students, but also to academics and institutions in other contexts through considering the complex and dynamic
impact of TALL and technology integration at higher education on individual differences, and to academics in similar low-resource contexts by undertaking a context approach to technology integration
Strategies for Early Learners
Welcome to learning about how to effectively plan curriculum for young children. This textbook will address: • Developing curriculum through the planning cycle • Theories that inform what we know about how children learn and the best ways for teachers to support learning • The three components of developmentally appropriate practice • Importance and value of play and intentional teaching • Different models of curriculum • Process of lesson planning (documenting planned experiences for children) • Physical, temporal, and social environments that set the stage for children’s learning • Appropriate guidance techniques to support children’s behaviors as the self-regulation abilities mature. • Planning for preschool-aged children in specific domains including o Physical development o Language and literacy o Math o Science o Creative (the visual and performing arts) o Diversity (social science and history) o Health and safety • Making children’s learning visible through documentation and assessmenthttps://scholar.utc.edu/open-textbooks/1001/thumbnail.jp
Building body identities - exploring the world of female bodybuilders
This thesis explores how female bodybuilders seek to develop and maintain a viable sense of self despite being stigmatized by the gendered foundations of what Erving Goffman (1983) refers to as the 'interaction order'; the unavoidable presentational context in which identities are forged during the course of social life. Placed in the context of an overview of the historical treatment of women's bodies, and a concern with the development of bodybuilding as a specific form of body modification, the research draws upon a unique two year ethnographic study based in the South of England, complemented by interviews with twenty-six female bodybuilders, all of whom live in the U.K. By mapping these extraordinary women's lives, the research illuminates the pivotal spaces and essential lived experiences that make up the female bodybuilder. Whilst the women appear to be embarking on an 'empowering' radical body project for themselves, the consequences of their activity remains culturally ambivalent. This research exposes the 'Janus-faced' nature of female bodybuilding, exploring the ways in which the women negotiate, accommodate and resist pressures to engage in more orthodox and feminine activities and appearances
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