Securely Handling Inter-Application Connection Credentials

The utilization of application-to-application (A2A) credentials within interpretive language scripts and application code has long been a security risk. The quandaries being how to protect and secure the credentials handled in the main body of code and avoid exploitation from rogue programmers, system administrators and other users with authorized high levels of privilege. Researchers report that A2A credentials cannot be protected and that there is no way to reduce the risk of the inevitable successful attack and subsequent exploit. Therefore, research efforts to date have primarily been focused on mitigating the impact of the attack rather than finding ways to reduce the attack surface. The work contained herein successfully addresses this serious cross-cutting concern and proves that it is in fact possible to significantly reduce the risk of attack. This reduction of risk was accomplished through implementing a method of credential obfuscation which applied advice with concerns utilizing a composition filter. The filter modified messages containing the credentials as they were sent from the interpretive language script to the remote data store. The modification extracted credentials from a secure password vault and inserted them into the message being sent to the remote data store. This modification moved the handling of the credentials from the main body of code to a secure library and out of the reach of attackers with authorized high levels of privilege. The relocation of the credential handling code lines significantly reduced the attack surface and the overall risk of attack

The Trinity Reporter, Spring 2002

https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/reporter/2090/thumbnail.jp

The person who arrives: Storying connections between disability studies and educational practice

I am a disabled scholar, activist, parent, and public-school educator. My practice as an educator is informed by my interactions and activism alongside Autistic/Neurodivergent and other disabled people. The connectivity of social media has created a tremendous opportunity for us to work collaboratively on projects, locally and internationally. My research is situated within the paradigm of practitioner research, and the finely measured attunement and noticings that arise both during and in reflection upon my work with others. Specifically, I am interested in undermining the dominant narratives that suggest disabled people are less than, in order to consider and make space for including alternative perspectives. I seek to understand and respond to disability and disabled children/students/people in our schools and our homes and communities in ways that honour who they already are. I explore opportunities to disrupt the predominant pedagogy around disability within our school systems and the greater society, and as such I work to engage educators (and others) with the ideas of disability studies, drawing upon and amplifying the perspectives and voices of disabled people. What are the opportunities to teach and engage educators (and others) with the ideas of disability studies outside of higher education? My practice, aligned with my scholarship, is political, and I collaborate with other disabled people to shift the conversation about disability so that educators can explore and question ableist attitudes and thus be positioned to become co-conspirators for disability rights alongside their students. My research is a narrative exploration; a weaving of poetry, story, images, and theory that locates me firmly as a member of the disability community. I ask: what are the possibilities for transformation when educators are supported to view disability through a social justice lens that highlights counter narratives of disability, resistance, and pride

The Spatial dimensions of control in restricted settings

Ph.D.John Peponi

The Gamer's Mindset: A Retrospective Study Exploring Young Adult Males' Online Gaming Experiences

This study investigated the in-depth experiences of young adult males describing their adolescent online gaming behaviours. Qualitative data was collected from three interviews and five focus groups, with a total of 19 participants ranging in age from 18 to 26. Braun and Clark’s (2006) thematic analysis was used to analyze the transcribed data. Six themes emerged: (1) Reasons for gaming; (2) Understanding gaming culture; (3) The role friendships play in online gaming; (4) The role trash-talking plays in online gaming; (5) Understanding cyberbullying in the context of gaming; and (6) Barriers to not reporting. Participants reported that the concept of gaming culture is too broad an area and that researchers should examine the sub-cultures of games (such as genres) to gain a better understanding of gaming culture. Participants also discussed how online gaming helped form and maintain friendships. Participants revealed that trash-talking, the use of name calling and disparaging, taunting and boastful comments, while perhaps appearing hostile to others, was considered banter and a way of joking around and connecting with friends. Trash-talking was mostly done with friends and rarely done with strangers. Participants regularly trash-talked in certain genres (i.e., first person shooters, sports games, or battle arenas) as well as in certain games (i.e., Call of Duty, Madden, or League of Legends). They considered trash-talking as being normal, and did not consider these behaviours to be cyberbullying. Participants believed that cyberbullying happens in gaming, but rarely. In the gaming community it may be that gamers have their own set of norms that distinguish their behaviour from the common understanding of cyberbullying. Future research should begin investigating specific sub-cultures of gaming as well as examining how cyberbullying does or does not occur in online gaming

Electioneering Across the Ages: Examining the Application and Implication of Media-Based Mobilization in American Presidential Campaigns Post-Radio

This work follows the evolution of media-based mobilization strategies employed by presidential candidates and their campaign teams. Assessing how this practice has changed over the centuries involves examining the technologies and philosophies that underlie specific mobilization methodologies. Part of the discussion is compiled from uncovering national newspaper articles printed around Election Day each year from 1980 to 2000. Another section explores more deeply the two presidential campaigns that have occurred since the turn of the millennium

Very Important Game People in the History of Computer and Video Games

This thesis covers the history of 30 very important game people (in alphabetical order): David Arneson, Ralph Baer, Daniel Bunten, Nolan Bushnell, John Carmack, Chris Crawford, Richard Garriott, Gary Gygax, Trip Hawkins, Rob Hubbard, Toru Iwatani, Eugene Jarvis, Ken Kutaragi, Ed Logg, Sid Meier, Jeff Minter, Shigeru Miyamoto, Peter Molyneux, Yuji Naka, Alexey Pajitnov, John Romero, Hironobu Sakaguchi, Chris Stamper, Tim Stamper, Yu Suzuki, Satoshi Tajiri, Ken Williams, Roberta Williams, Will Wright and Gunpei Yokoi. It includes their background, their most important games and game-related work. It also provides information about the companies they worked for and the people they worked with. The thesis was created by gathering information from large number of sources, including books, internet, magazines, games and contacting some of the actual people. The thesis also contains a timeline of the most important events in the history of computer and video games and a chapter on the precursors of videogames, namely money game machines and pinball. The thesis is illustrated with several hundred pictures

Messages from the Margins: How Mature Women at Risk of Homelessness Sustain Their Psychosocial and Spiritual Lives

This community based qualitative study examined the psychosocial and spiritual lives of 10 mature women (age 50 and older) who were at risk of becoming homeless, in other words, the hidden homeless. A narrative inquiry research design was employed to explore the lived experiences of these women. Voluntary participants were recruited through Life*Spin, a community based non profit organization that works primarily with low income families and individuals in London, Ontario. The Executive Director of Life*Spin circulated the recruitment flyers and handbills throughout her networks of social agencies. Individual interviews were arranged with participants who met the inclusion categories of being 50 or older and possessing at least two risk factors for becoming homeless. Using a strengths based theoretical framework throughout the data collection and analysis this study addressed the primary research question “What sustains the psychosocial and/or spiritual lives of mature women at risk of homelessness, as revealed in their stories of lived experience?” A narrative analysis generated ten life stories which were further examined through a thematic analysis. Themes of relationships, identity, meaning and spirituality were analyzed for their multiple sub themes. In addition to augmenting the current minimal research available for older women at risk of homelessness, this study found that these hidden homeless women remained socially connected through relationships and through meaningful activities and pursuits. Volunteering was particularly meaningful for many. The women were resilient and deeply spiritual, articulating a variety of beliefs and engaging in a number of spiritual practices such as gratitude, prayer and meditation