Dynamic real-time risk analytics of uncontrollable states in complex internet of things systems, cyber risk at the edge

The Internet of Things (IoT) triggers new types of cyber risks. Therefore, the integration of new IoT devices and services requires a self-assessment of IoT cyber security posture. By security posture this article refers to the cybersecurity strength of an organisation to predict, prevent and respond to cyberthreats. At present, there is a gap in the state of the art, because there are no self-assessment methods for quantifying IoT cyber risk posture. To address this gap, an empirical analysis is performed of 12 cyber risk assessment approaches. The results and the main findings from the analysis is presented as the current and a target risk state for IoT systems, followed by conclusions and recommendations on a transformation roadmap, describing how IoT systems can achieve the target state with a new goal-oriented dependency model. By target state, we refer to the cyber security target that matches the generic security requirements of an organisation. The research paper studies and adapts four alternatives for IoT risk assessment and identifies the goal-oriented dependency modelling as a dominant approach among the risk assessment models studied. The new goal-oriented dependency model in this article enables the assessment of uncontrollable risk states in complex IoT systems and can be used for a quantitative self-assessment of IoT cyber risk posture

Factors Influencing Revenue Collection for Preventative Maintenance of Community Water Systems: A Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis

This study analyzed combinations of conditions that influence regular payments for water service in resource-limited communities. To do so, the study investigated 16 communities participating in a new preventive maintenance program in the Kamuli District of Uganda under a public–private partnership framework. First, this study identified conditions posited as important for collective payment compliance from a literature review. Then, drawing from data included in a water source report and by conducting semi-structured interviews with households and water user committees (WUC), we identified communities that were compliant with, or suspended from, preventative maintenance service payments. Through qualitative analyses of these data and case knowledge, we identified and characterized conditions that appeared to contribute to these outcomes. Then, we employed fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to determine the combinations of conditions that led to payment compliance. Overall, the findings from this study reveal distinct pathways of conditions that impact payment compliance and reflect the multifaceted nature of water point sustainability. Practically, the findings identify the processes needed for successful payment compliance, which include a strong WUC with proper support and training, user perceptions that the water quality is high and available in adequate quantities, ongoing support, and a lack of nearby water sources. A comprehensive understanding of the combined factors that lead to payment compliance can improve future preventative maintenance programs, guide the design of water service arrangements, and ultimately increase water service sustainability

Automatic Taxonomy Generation - A Use-Case in the Legal Domain

A key challenge in the legal domain is the adaptation and representation of the legal knowledge expressed through texts, in order for legal practitioners and researchers to access this information easier and faster to help with compliance related issues. One way to approach this goal is in the form of a taxonomy of legal concepts. While this task usually requires a manual construction of terms and their relations by domain experts, this paper describes a methodology to automatically generate a taxonomy of legal noun concepts. We apply and compare two approaches on a corpus consisting of statutory instruments for UK, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland laws.Comment: 9 page

Direct regulation is an efficient approach to industrial environmental improvement: empirical evidence and perceptions from chemical manufacturers in Ireland and Italy.

Industrial production is a major source of global pollution, and it is widely recognised that regulation is required to reduce this pollution for the benefit of society. However, there is considerable debate about the most effective approach to environmental regulation with respect to both environmental and competitive performance. This paper integrates complementary empirical evidence from two entirely separate projects with different approaches (scientific and econometric), from different countries (Ireland and Italy), in order to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of direct environmental regulation in practice. Quantitative pollution avoidance and compliance cost data from Ireland’s pharmaceutical-manufacturing sector were combined with questionnaire responses from 20 Irish pharmaceutical manufacturers and 25 Italian manufacturers of chemicals for building products. We conclude that direct command-and-control regulation is a highly effective approach, and that the efficiency of such regulation is often underestimated.environmental regulation, environmental performance, competitiveness.

21st century social work: reducing re-offending - key practice skills

This literature review was commissioned by the Scottish Executive’s Social Work Services Inspectorate in order to support the work of the 21st Century Social Work Review Group. Discussions in relation to the future arrangements for criminal justice social work raised issues about which disciplines might best encompass the requisite skills for reducing re-offending in the community. Rather than starting with what is known or understood about the skills of those professionals currently involved in such interventions, this study sought to start with the research evidence on effective work with offenders to reduce re-offending and then work its way back to the skills required to promote this outcome

An Analysis of the Main Drivers for ISO 9001 and other Isomorphic Metastandards

Research on the adoption of metastandards (e.g. ISO 9001, ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001, SA 8000) has used a variety of theoretical perspectives to identify the main driving forces or motivations. While the majority of existing studies on this subject are of an empirical character with little development of a theoretical framework, there are nonetheless a certain number of noteworthy studies undertaken in the context of a clear and consistent conceptual and theoretical framework, on the basis of which various working hypotheses may be assessed and compared. In this article the main theoretical perspectives for the analysis of the motivations for the adoption of metastandards are reviewed. Furthermore, a short review of the empirical literature dealing with the drivers for ISO 9001, the most promiment metastandard, is carried out, in order to shed light on this issue for both the researchers and practitioners interested in this management tool.international standards; standardization; metastandards; ISO 9001; motivations.

All-Payer Claims Database Development Manual: Establishing a Foundation for Health Care Transparency and Informed Decision Making

With support from the Gary and Mary West Health Policy Center, the APCD Council has developed a manual for states to develop all-payer claims databases. Titled All-Payer Claims Database Development Manual: Establishing a Foundation for Health Care Transparency and Informed Decision Making, the manual is a first-of its-kind resource that provides states with detailed guidance on common data standards, collection, aggregation and analysis involved with establishing these databases