String Theory - From Physics to Metaphysics

Currently, string theory represents the only advanced approach to a unification of all interactions, including gravity. In spite of the more than thirty years of its existence it did not make any empirically testable predictions. And it is completely unknown which physically interpretable principles could form the basis of string theory. At the moment, "string theory" is no theory at all, but rather a labyrinthic structure of mathematical procedures and intuitions which get their justification from the fact that they, at least formally, reproduce general relativity and the standard model of elementary particle physics as low energy approximations. However, there are now strong indications that string theory does not only reproduce the dynamics and symmetries of our standard model, but a plethora of different scenarios with different low energy nomologies and symmetries. String theory seems to describe not only our world, but an immense landscape of possible worlds. So far, all attempts to find a selection principle which could be motivated intratheoretically remained without success. So, recently the idea that the low energy nomology of our world, and therefore also the observable phenomenology, could be the result of an anthropic selection from a vast arena of nomologically different scenarios entered string theory. Although multiverse scenarios and anthropic selection are not only motivated by string theory, but lead also to a possible explanation for the fine tuning of the universe, they are concepts which transcend the framework defined by the epistemological and methodological rules which conventionally form the basis of physics as an empirical science.Comment: 30 pages, submitted to "Physics and Philosophy" (Online-Journal

Protection Motivation Theory in Information Security Behavior Research: Reconsidering the Fundamentals

Scholars commonly use protection motivation theory (PMT) by Rogers to examine information systems (IS) security behaviors and behavioral intentions. A recent influential paper by Boss, Galletta, Lowry, Moody, and Polak (2015; hereafter BGLMP) in MIS Quarterly outlines correct and incorrect uses of PMT in Information Security behavior research. In this paper, we review some of BGLMP’s key recommendations, such as the claim that all IS behavior studies that apply PMT should always use the model of the full theory, contain and measure fear, and measure actual behaviors. We defend an interpretation of Rogers (1975, 1983) that differs from the interpretation that BGLMP propose. We present evidence that Rogers’ PMT and the empirical evidence do not adequately support many of BGLMP’s suggestions and that these suggestions contradict good scientific practices (e.g., restricting the use of the method of isolation) that the philosophy of science and the original literature on PMT uphold. As a result, if reviewers and editors continue to embrace these recommendations, they could hinder the progress of IS behavior research by not allowing isolation or the combination of different theoretical components. In contrast to BGLMP’s paper, we argue that further PMT research can focus on isolated PMT components and combine them with other theories. Some of our ideas (e.g., isolation) are not PMT-specific and could be useful for IS research in general. In summary, we contest BGLMP’s recommendations and offer revised recommendations in return

To Fear or Not to Fear? A Critical Review and Analysis of Fear Appeals in the Information Security Context

Controlling organizational insiders’ security behaviors is an important management concern. Research presents fear appeals as a viable security control to promote protective security behaviors. To date, research has proven security-related fear appeals have to effectively control insiders’ security behaviors. However, from critically examining fear appeals, we find a different story. Specifically, we critically analyze security-related fear appeal research from two ontological positions: critical realism and critical constructivism. The critical realist analysis identifies several issues with existing fear appeal research, which particular research traditions may cause. We explicate these traditions and issues in the paper. The critical constructivist analysis draws on critical management studies of control and Foucault’s work to identify the identities, beliefs, and values that fear appeals promote and the ways in which fear appeals create discursive closures that limit the consideration and discussion of other positions. Based on the two analyses, we provide important directions for future fear appeal research

An Empirical Assessment of Users\u27 Information Security Protection Behavior towards Social Engineering Breaches

User behavior is one of the most significant information security risks. Information Security is all about being aware of who and what to trust and behaving accordingly. Due to technology becoming an integral part of nearly everything in people\u27s daily lives, the organization\u27s need for protection from security threats has continuously increased. Social engineering is the act of tricking a user into revealing information or taking action. One of the riskiest aspects of social engineering is that it depends mainly upon user errors and is not necessarily a technology shortcoming. User behavior should be one of the first apprehensions when it comes to social engineering. Unfortunately, there are few specific studies to understand factors that affect users\u27 information security protection behavior towards social engineering breaches. The focus of the information security literature is shifting from technology to user behavior in recent times. SETA (Security Education Training Awareness) program aids organizations in teaching their users about information security issues and expectations to prevent information security breaches. Information security policies depict the rules and regulations that everyone must follow utilizing an organization\u27s information technology resources. This research study used Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) combined with the SETA program and security policies to determine factors that affect users\u27 information security protection behavior towards social engineering breaches. This research study was an empirical and quantitative study to congregate data utilizing a web survey and PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling) technique. As a result, the research study supported all three hypotheses associated with fear, including a positive impact of perceived severity on fear, perceived vulnerability on fear, and fear on protection motivation. Moreover, the research study substantiated the positive impact of perceived severity, perceived vulnerability, and response efficacy on protection motivation. Furthermore, the research study also confirmed the positive impact of protection motivation and the SETA program on protection behavior. The findings of this research study derived that, unswerving with the literature, social engineering has arisen as one of the biggest threats in information security. This research study explored factors impacting users\u27 information security protection behavior towards social engineering breaches. Support of all hypotheses for fear appeal is a substantial contribution in view of a lesser-researched fear appeal in preceding research using PMT. This research study provided the groundwork for encouraging and nurturing users\u27 information security protection behavior to prevent social engineering breaches. Finally, this research study contributes to the increasing phenomenon of social engineering in practice and future research

Legislation Assessment Lesson Is the Construction Direction of Freshmen Seminar for Law Major in China

Freshman seminar is a kind of emerging curriculum and teaching mode in the teaching field of undergraduates; the introduction of it into the discipline of legal science in China is helpful to cultivate freshman’s abilities of legal thinking, legal expression and discovering legal facts. The seminars for freshmen majoring in law should be featured in structure diversity, humanistic content and small class teaching, and thus help freshmen choose the discipline direction, improve their ability to listen, speak, read and write, cultivate their spirit of scientific exploration and form a harmonious relationship between teachers and students

Greece, Financialization and the EU: The Political Economy of Debt and Destruction, By: Vassilis K. Fouskas and Constantine Dimoulas, Palgrave Macmillan July 2013

No abstract available

Simply tell me how -- On Trustworthiness and Technology Acceptance of Attribute-Based Credentials

Attribute-based Credential Systems (ACS) have been long proposed as privacy-preserving means of attribute-based authentication, yet neither been considered particularly usable nor found wide-spread adoption, to date. To establish what variables drive the adoption of \ACS as a usable security and privacy technology, we investigated how intrinsic and presentation properties impact their perceived trustworthiness and behavioral intent to adopt them. We conducted two confirmatory, fractional-factorial, between-subject, random-controlled trials with a total UK-representative sample of $N = 812$ participants. Each participant inspected one of 24 variants of Anonymous Credential System Web site, which encoded a combination of three intrinsic factors (\textsf{provider}, \textsf{usage}, \textsf{benefits}) and three presentation factors (\textsf{simplicity}, presence of \textsf{people}, level of available \textsf{support}). Participants stated their privacy and faith-in-technology subjective norms before the trial. After having completed the Web site inspection, they reported on the perceived trustworthiness, the technology adoption readiness, and their behavioral intention to follow through. We established a robust covariance-based structural equation model of the perceived trustworthiness and technology acceptance, showing that communicating facilitating conditions as well as demonstrating results drive the overall acceptance and behavioral intent. Of the manipulated causal variables, communicating with simplicity and on the everyday usage had the greatest and most consistently positive impact on the overall technology acceptance. After earlier correlational empirical research on ACS technology acceptance, ours is the first research showing cause-effect relations in a structural latent factor model with substantial sample size.Comment: 15 pages. Work funded by the ERC Starting Grant CASCAde (GA no 716980