Fingerprint-based biometric recognition allied to fuzzy-neural feature classification.

The research investigates fingerprint recognition as one of the most reliable biometrics identification methods. An automatic identification process of humans-based on fingerprints requires the input fingerprint to be matched with a large number of fingerprints in a database. To reduce the search time and computational complexity, it is desirable to classify the database of fingerprints into an accurate and consistent manner so that the input fingerprint is matched only with a subset of the fingerprints in the database. In this regard, the research addressed fingerprint classification. The goal is to improve the accuracy and speed up of existing automatic fingerprint identification algorithms. The investigation is based on analysis of fingerprint characteristics and feature classification using neural network and fuzzy-neural classifiers.The methodology developed, is comprised of image processing, computation of a directional field image, singular-point detection, and feature vector encoding. The statistical distribution of feature vectors was analysed using SPSS. Three types of classifiers, namely, multi-layered perceptrons, radial basis function and fuzzy-neural methods were implemented. The developed classification systems were tested and evaluated on 4,000 fingerprint images on the NIST-4 database. For the five-class problem, classification accuracy of 96.2% for FNN, 96.07% for MLP and 84.54% for RBF was achieved, without any rejection. FNN and MLP classification results are significant in comparison with existing studies, which have been reviewed

CLASSIFYING AND RESPONDING TO NETWORK INTRUSIONS

Intrusion detection systems (IDS) have been widely adopted within the IT community, as passive monitoring tools that report security related problems to system administrators. However, the increasing number and evolving complexity of attacks, along with the growth and complexity of networking infrastructures, has led to overwhelming numbers of IDS alerts, which allow significantly smaller timeframe for a human to respond. The need for automated response is therefore very much evident. However, the adoption of such approaches has been constrained by practical limitations and administrators' consequent mistrust of systems' abilities to issue appropriate responses. The thesis presents a thorough analysis of the problem of intrusions, and identifies false alarms as the main obstacle to the adoption of automated response. A critical examination of existing automated response systems is provided, along with a discussion of why a new solution is needed. The thesis determines that, while the detection capabilities remain imperfect, the problem of false alarms cannot be eliminated. Automated response technology must take this into account, and instead focus upon avoiding the disruption of legitimate users and services in such scenarios. The overall aim of the research has therefore been to enhance the automated response process, by considering the context of an attack, and investigate and evaluate a means of making intelligent response decisions. The realisation of this objective has included the formulation of a response-oriented taxonomy of intrusions, which is used as a basis to systematically study intrusions and understand the threats detected by an IDS. From this foundation, a novel Flexible Automated and Intelligent Responder (FAIR) architecture has been designed, as the basis from which flexible and escalating levels of response are offered, according to the context of an attack. The thesis describes the design and operation of the architecture, focusing upon the contextual factors influencing the response process, and the way they are measured and assessed to formulate response decisions. The architecture is underpinned by the use of response policies which provide a means to reflect the changing needs and characteristics of organisations. The main concepts of the new architecture were validated via a proof-of-concept prototype system. A series of test scenarios were used to demonstrate how the context of an attack can influence the response decisions, and how the response policies can be customised and used to enable intelligent decisions. This helped to prove that the concept of flexible automated response is indeed viable, and that the research has provided a suitable contribution to knowledge in this important domain

NASA RECON: Course Development, Administration, and Evaluation

The R and D activities addressing the development, administration, and evaluation of a set of transportable, college-level courses to educate science and engineering students in the effective use of automated scientific and technical information storage and retrieval systems, and, in particular, in the use of the NASA RECON system, are discussed. The long-range scope and objectives of these contracted activities are overviewed and the progress which has been made toward these objectives during FY 1983-1984 is highlighted. In addition, the results of a survey of 237 colleges and universities addressing course needs are presented

Architecture and implementation of online communities

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 1999.Includes bibliographical references.by Philip Greenspun.Ph.D

Strategic role of internet-related technologies in supply chain networks

PhD ThesisOrganisations are operating in increasingly competitive market places. To enhance competitiveness, organisations are shifting their focus from individual supply chains to improving the responsiveness of the whole Supply Chain Network (SCN) that serves and impacts the level of final product or service provided to customers. Consequently, there has been a major upsurge of interest in the role of Internet-related technologies (IRT) in advancing SCNs. This area was examined by conducting case studies with large organisations from a range of industries that focused on the function of IRT in inter-organisational supply chain processes. A number of major themes emerged. Firstly, it is clear that IRT will be at the heart of future SCN communication surrounding enabling, operational and strategic supply chain processes. IRT provide a mechanism for integrating different supply chainrelated systems thus leading to improved information sharing and visibility. Furthermore, it widens the scope and flexibility of intra-organisational and interorganisational linkages and pathways that are available between different network members. In addition, IRT is being used to broaden and deepen relationships with key partners and within teams formed around supply chain processes. IRT can also be personalised to suit different organisations and people in the SCN and to provide appropriate access to web links, information and applications. However, it is important to understand that IRT cannot be equally applied throughout the supply chain. A number of factors will influence its suitability including the type and stage of supply chain processes, the nature of activities, the content of communication and the people communicating. The thesis will provide guidance to academics and practitioners on the strategic role of IRT. Finally, future research is recommended to investigate the additional impact that smart tags and mobile technologies will have and the long term effects of technological linkages on social relations between different network members.Division of Business Information Management and the Department of Computing, of Glasgow Caledonian University

Implications of Socio-Technical Interactions for e-Government Implementation and its Success

e-Government projects have become a strategic enabler for public administration reform and the development of the local economy. However, there is an agreement among researchers that most e-Government implementation projects fail to achieve their goals and deliver their desired benefits. One important reason for this failure reported in the literature is that current e-Government system designs do not meet the socio-technical reality of e-Government, which is shaped by several environmental, social, political, and technical forces. Researchers emphasise that e-Government projects can continue to fail unless equal attention is devoted to these diverse aspects. On the other hand, the current e-Government stage/maturity models (e.g., Layne & Lee, 2001) offer only little awareness about the effects, implications, and attributes of the changes happening within and between organisations as e-Government projects go through design and implementation, thus falling short to fully address the socio-technical nature of e-Government. Moreover, little is known about not only how and in what ways social and technical factors interact and affect each other but also the implications of their interactions for e-Government implementation and its success. This research is set to investigate the implications of socio-technical interactions for implementing e-Government and its success, using the lens of socio-technical systems (STS) theory. This study was conducted within the previously unexplored setting of Oman using the multiple case-study method. Further, it employed semi-structured interviews as the primary data collection instrument, supported by archival analysis as a secondary data source. Oman was chosen as the context for the study due to its rapid socio-economic development in embracing an e-Government design for public administration reform. The research outcome indicated that the socio-technical factor effects identified in this study are mostly consistent with those reported in the extant literature. The findings of the analysis of socio-technical factors’ interaction, presented in terms of theoretical propositions, further support the extant literature. They demonstrated that examining e-Government implementation from the holistic view of STS theoretical lens can help significantly understand the complexity of e-Government systems. This outcome will help in identifying the various tangled issues attached to the project’s implementation and contribute towards lowering the failure rates of e-Government projects. It can also assist e-Government researchers by offering them a holistic analysis of this phenomenon to avoid the pitfalls resulting from focusing on specific aspects or dimensions of e-Government. The results of this study also offer a diagnostic tool to practitioners to gain better control over e-Government projects and provide great opportunities for avoiding potential failure and increasing the rate of success, either entirely or partially