TechNews digests: Autumn 2004

TechNews is a technology, news and analysis service aimed at anyone in the education sector keen to stay informed about technology developments, trends and issues. TechNews focuses on emerging technologies and other technology news. TechNews service : digests september 2004 till May 2010 Analysis pieces and News combined publish every 2 to 3 month

Connecting to Unfamiliar Wi-Fi Hotspots - A Risk Taking Perspective

Public Wi-Fi provides a convenient, cost-effective means for network connectivity in areas where wired infrastructure would be impractical. However, the use of multiple access points and radio wave transmissions present formidable challenges to providing a secure platform. Considering the rapid growth in Wi-Fi hotspot deployments and their potential vulnerabilities, the damage from these malicious activities could be substantial. While organizations deploying hotspots have great control over the security posture of the Wi-Fi network, the consumer has little insight into the risk associated with a particular system. Despite widespread knowledge of potential vulnerabilities related to public Wi-Fi, many people still connect to unfamiliar hotspots. We explore user perceptions of public Wi-Fi risks and benefits when making a connection decision. We develop a public Wi-Fi connection calculus model based on the theoretical foundations of motivational determinants of risk taking behavior theory, technology threat avoidance theory, and the extended privacy calculus model

Why do people use unsecure public Wi-Fi? An investigation of behaviour and factors driving decisions

© 2016 Copyright is held by the owner/author(s). Public Wi-Fi networks are now widely available in many countries. Though undoubtedly convenient, such networks have potential security and privacy risks. The aim of this study was to understand if people are aware of those risks, and - if so - why they decide to take them. We set up an experimental free Wi-Fi network at 14 locations in central London, UK, for a period of 150 hours, and people connected most often to use instant messaging, search engines, and social networks, and sensitive data (such as name, date of birth, and sexual orientation) were transmitted. We subsequently investigated people's risk awareness and risk behaviour through semi-structured interviews with 14 participants, and an online scenario-based survey with 102 participants. The majority of participants said they would use public Wi-Fi under circumstances where the risks taken are not consistent with maximising utility. Female participants rated the risks associated with public Wi-Fi use, more highly - and yet more females than males said they would use them to save their data plans. These findings align with insights from behavioural economics, specifically the insight that people can misjudge risky situations and do not make decisions consistent with expected utility theory

Search and the City: Comparing the Use of WiFi in New York, Budapest and Montreal

Over the past five years, the use of mobile and wireless technology in public spaces of cities around the country has grown exponentially. Recently, cities including Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, Minneapolis, and Austin have announced plans to build municipal wireless networks. These projects make a number of assumptions about the payoffs of municipal wireless networks without the benefit of research on the communication practices of users. To date, there is little such research. In addition, wireless technology – specifically, wireless fidelity or WiFi -- is often discussed as one of many ways to access the high-speed (broadband) Internet i.e. cable, digital subscriber line (DSL), fiber etc. Thus, there has been little analysis of the ways in which the use of the wireless Internet via WiFi may differ from that of the wireline Internet. In order to understand the potential user patterns that will be observed with respect to emerging technologies, it is necessary to disaggregate research about the various ways of connecting to the Internet.This paper compares the results from a six-month survey of the use of WiFi hotspots in New York, Budapest and Montreal. It is hoped that further analysis of these survey results will contribute to a more acute understanding of the ways in which the user patterns of particular modes of Internet access may differ internationally. The major research questions addressed in this paper are: 1) How is WiFi being used in public spaces, by whom, where, for what purposes?; 2) How does the use of WiFi differ from other communication technology?; and, 3) How is the use of WiFi similar or different across cities internationally? This paper makes the following arguments based on the survey data: first, WiFi is an important factor in attracting people to specific locations; second, the use of WiFi highly localized in that it is often used to search for information relevant to one's geographic location; third, there are significant differences in the way that WiFi is used across a variety of locations including cafes, parks and other public spaces; fourth, at present, WiFi users are, for the most part, young, male and highly educated displaying the characteristics of early adopters of technology; and, fifth, there is a convergence in the ways in which WiFi is used internationally in some respects, however there are also important differences in the reasons for these uses as well divergence in other respects.These findings may have an important impact in shaping current discussions municipal wireless networks by helping to identify content, applications and services that can be delivered overmobile and wireless networks. In addition, the answers to these questions are vital to inform a wide variety of legal and public policy issues related to information and communication technologies in addition to being important to the development of content and applications for mobile and wireless technologies. These include policies surrounding municipal wireless networks, spectrum, universal service, community media and network neutrality

Synergizing Roadway Infrastructure Investment with Digital Infrastructure for Infrastructure-Based Connected Vehicle Applications: Review of Current Status and Future Directions

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.The safety, mobility, environmental and economic benefits of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) are potentially dramatic. However, realization of these benefits largely hinges on the timely upgrading of the existing transportation system. CAVs must be enabled to send and receive data to and from other vehicles and drivers (V2V communication) and to and from infrastructure (V2I communication). Further, infrastructure and the transportation agencies that manage it must be able to collect, process, distribute and archive these data quickly, reliably, and securely. This paper focuses on current digital roadway infrastructure initiatives and highlights the importance of including digital infrastructure investment alongside more traditional infrastructure investment to keep up with the auto industry's push towards this real time communication and data processing capability. Agencies responsible for transportation infrastructure construction and management must collaborate, establishing national and international platforms to guide the planning, deployment and management of digital infrastructure in their jurisdictions. This will help create standardized interoperable national and international systems so that CAV technology is not deployed in a haphazard and uncoordinated manner

A framework for determining the adoption of new services in the South African mobile telecommunications market

Abstract in English, Afrikaans and ZuluThe aim of this study was to determine the key factors which explain the adoption of mobile data services in South Africa and incorporate them into an explanatory framework that can be used to indicate whether a new mobile data service that is introduced into the South African Mobile Market will be successful. Additionally, it shows that the current usage of mobile data services in South Africa supports the framework. The research used a design based on a mixed methods methodology. The research was conducted using a literature survey and two research phases. The literature survey was an extensive review of communication technology adoption frameworks and all the possible factors of adoption. This literature survey was also used to develop the discussion document which was used as the guidelines for the Phase 1 interviews. The interviews were with experts in the telecommunications market in South Africa and were used to determine the key drivers of adoption and possible moderating factors of mobile data services. From those interviews a preliminary model was proposed. Phase 2 was a market survey which tested the framework and moderating factors in different metropolitan areas as well as examined the current usage of mobile data services. The statistical analysis used in determining the framework incorporated Descriptive Statistics, Factor Analysis, using Principal Axis Factoring, and Structural Equation Modelling. The framework, which was based on the Technology Acceptance Model, introduced two new constructs. The first new construct was the Mobile Service Providers Marketing Tactics and the second was Social Pressure and Aspirational Value. The two constructs combined can be used to explain why mobile service providers with low cost strategies are not successful. Demographic factors such as Age were found to influence the adoption as well as Socio-economic factors such as Income. Personal factors such as Technical Knowledge, Ability and Skills and Attitude towards Technology were also found to influence adoption. Geographical location was found to be the most important moderating factor. The current mobile data usage supported the framework. The results of data usage highlighted the fact that nearly 50% of the study’s participants spent over 4 hours per day interacting with their mobile devices and that the participants from Gauteng spent more than 2½ times on mobile services than those in the other metropolitan municipalities of Cape Town and eThekwiniDie doel van hierdie studie was om die sleutelfaktore te bepaal wat die aanneming van selfoondatadienste in Suid-Afrika verklaar, en hulle te verenig in ʼn raamwerk waarmee aangetoon kan word of ʼn nuwe selfoondatadiens die Suid-Afrikaanse selfoondatamark suksesvol sal betree. Afgesien hiervan dui hierdie studie aan dat die huidige gebruik van selfoondatadienste in Suid-Afrika die geldigheid van die voorgestelde raamwerk bevestig. ʼn Mengsel van metodes is in die navorsing toegepas. Die navorsing het uit ʼn literatuuroorsig en twee navorsingsfases bestaan. Die literatuuroorsig het ʼn deurtastende oorsig van die raamwerke vir die aanneming van kommunikasietegnologie en alle moontlike faktore daarvoor behels. Uit die literatuuroorsig is die besprekingsdokument saamgestel wat as riglyn gedien het vir die onderhoude in fase 1 van die navorsing. Onderhoude is met kundiges uit die Suid-Afrikaanse telekommunikasiebedryf gevoer om die belangrikste dryfvere vir aanneming en moontlike remfaktore ten opsigte van selfoondatadienste te bepaal. ʼn Voorlopige model is op grond van die onderhoude aangebied. Fase 2 het ʼn markopname behels waarin die raamwerk en remfaktore in verskeie metropolitaanse gebiede getoets en die huidige gebruik van selfoondatadienste ondersoek is. Die statistiese analise waarop die raamwerk berus, het bestaan uit beskrywende statistiek, faktorontleding met behulp van hoofasfaktorering, en struktuurvergelykingsmodellering. Twee nuwe konstrukte het uit die raamwerk wat op die tegnologieaanvaardingsmodel gegrond was, gespruit. Die eerste was selfoondiensverskaffers se bemarkingstrategieë en die tweede sosiale druk en aspirerende waarde. Saam verklaar die twee konstrukte waarom selfoondiensverskaffers wat laekostestrategieë volg, misluk. Daar is bevind dat demografiese faktore soos ouderdom, en sosiaal-ekonomiese faktore soos inkomste, aanneming beïnvloed. Volgens die bevindings word aanneming eweneens bepaal deur persoonlike faktore soos tegniese kennis, vermoë en vaardighede asook houding jeens tegnologie. Daar is bevind dat geografiese ligging die belangrikste remfaktor is. Die huidige selfoondatagebruik bevestig die geldigheid van die raamwerk. Die uitslag van datagebruik benadruk die feit dat byna 50% van die deelnemers aan die studie langer as vier uur per dag met hulle selfone doenig is, en dat deelnemers in Gauteng twee en half keer meer as deelnemers in die metropolitaanse munisipaliteite van Kaapstad en eThekwini aan selfoondienste bestee.Inhloso yalolu cwaningo bekuwukuthola izinto ezibalulekile ezichaza ukwamukelwa kwezinsiza zamadatha amaselula eNingizimu Afrika nokuzifaka ohlakeni oluchazayo olungasetshenziswa ukukhombisa ukuthi ngabe insiza entsha yedatha ethulwe emakethe yamaselula eNingizimu Afrika izophumelela. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kukhombisa ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kwamanje kwezinsiza zedatha yamaselula eNingizimu Afrika kuyalusekela uhlaka. Ucwaningo lusebenzise umklamu osuselwe ezindleleni zokwenza ezixubile. Ucwaningo lwenziwe kusetshenziswa ucwaningo lwezincwadi kanye nezigaba ezimbili zocwaningo. Ucwaningo lwezincwadi belungukubuyekezwa okubanzi kokwamukela kwenzinhlaka zobuchwepheshe kwezokuxhumana kanye nazo zonke izici ezingenzeka ukuthi zamukelwe. Lolu cwaningo lwezincwadi lusetshenzisiwe futhi ukuthuthukisa umqulu wezingxoxo osetshenziswe njengezinkombandlela zokuxoxisana nabantu besigaba 1. Izingxoxo ebezinazo bezingochwepheshe emakethe yezokuxhumana eNingizimu Afrika futhi zasetshenziselwa ukuthola izidingongqangi zokwamukelwa kanye nezici zokulingisanisa kwezinsiza zamadatha amaselula. Kulezo zingxoxo, kuphakanyiswe isifaniselo sokuqala. Isigaba 2 bekungukucwaningo lwezimakethe oluhlola uhlaka kanye nezici zokulinganisa ezindaweni ezahlukahlukene zedolobha kanye nokuhlola ukusetshenziswa kwamanje kwezinsiza zedatha yamaselula. Ukuhlaziywa kwezibalo okusetshenzisiwe ekunqumeni uhlaka lufake izibalo ezichazayo, ukuhlaziya izakhi, kusetshenziswa izisekelo eziyinhloko zokuphamba, kanye nesifaniselo sokulinganisa esihlelekile. Uhlaka, olwalususelwa kusifaniselo sokwamukela ubuchwepheshe, lwethule izakhiwo ezimbili ezintsha. Isakhiwo esisha sokuqala kwakungamacebo wokukhangisa wabahlinzeki bezinsiza zamaselula futhi owesibili kwakuyingcindezi yomphakathi nenani lesifiso. Lezi zakhiwo zombili ezihlanganisiwe zingasetshenziswa ukuchaza ukuthi kungani abahlinzeki bezinsizakalo zamaselula abanamasu ezindleko eziphansi bengaphumeleli. Izici ezithinta abantu ezinjengobudala zitholakele ukuthonya ukwamukelwa kanye nezici zezomnotho nezenhlalo ezifana nomholo. Izici ezithinta umuntu ngqo ezifana nolwazi lwezobuchwepheshe, ukwazi ukwenza kanye namakhono, nesimo sengqondo maqondana nezobuchwepheshe zatholakala zithonya ukwamukelwa. Indawo yendawo yatholakala njengesici sokulinganisa esibaluleke kakhulu. Ukusetshenziswa kwedatha yeselula yamanje kusekele uhlaka. Imiphumela yokusetshenziswa kwedatha igcizelele iqiniso lokuthi bacishe babe ngama-50% ababambe iqhaza kulolu cwaningo bachithe isikhathi esingaphezu kwamahora amane ngosuku bexhumana nemishini yabo yamaselula nokuthi ababambiqhaza abavela eGauteng bachithe izikhathi ezingaphezu kwezingu-2½ kuzinsiza zamaselula kunalabo bakwamanye amadolobha amakhulu aseKapa naseThekwini.Business ManagementD.B.L

Access Anytime Anyplace: An Empircal Investigation of Patterns of Technology Use in Nomadic Computing Environments

With the increasing pervasiveness of mobile technologies such as cellular phones, personal digital assistants and hand held computers, mobile technologies promise the next major technological and cultural shift. Like the Internet, it is predicted that the greatest impact will not come from hardware devices or software programs, but from emerging social practices, which were not possible before. To capitalize on the benefits of mobile technologies, organizations have begun to implement nomadic computing environments. Nomadic computing environments make available the systems support needed to provide computing and communication capabilities and services to the mobile work force as they move from place to place in a manner that is transparent, integrated, convenient and adaptive. Already, anecdotes suggest that within organizations there are social implications occurring with both unintended and intended consequences being perpetuated. The problems of nomadic computing users have widely been described in terms of the challenges presented by the interplay of time, space and context, yet a theory has yet to be developed which analyzes this interplay in a single effort. A temporal human agency perspective proposes that stakeholders’ actions are influenced by their ability to recall the past, respond to the present and imagine the future. By extending the temporal human agency perspective through the recognition of the combined influence of space and context on human action, I investigated how the individual practices of eleven nomadic computing users changed after implementation. Under the umbrella of the interpretive paradigm, and using a cross case methodology this research develops a theoretical account of how several stakeholders engaged with different nomadic computing environments and explores the context of their effectiveness. Applying a literal and theoretical replication strategy to multiple longitudinal and retrospective cases, six months were spent in the field interviewing and observing participants. Data analysis included three types of coding: descriptive, interpretive and pattern coding. The findings reveal that patterns of technology use in nomadic computing environments are influenced by stakeholders’ temporal orientations; their ability to remember the past, imagine the future and respond to the present. As stakeholders all have different temporal orientations and experiences, they exhibit different practices even when engaging initially with the same organizational and technical environments. Opposing forces emerge as users attempt to be effective by resolving the benefits and disadvantages of the environment as they undergo different temporal, contextual and spatial experiences. Insights about the ability to predict future use suggest that because they are difficult to envisage in advance, social processes inhibit the predictability of what technologies users will adopt. The framework presented highlights the need to focus on understanding the diversity in nomadic computing use practices by examining how they are influenced by individual circumstances as well as shared meanings across individuals

A Graph Theoretic Approach for Analysis and Design of Community Wireless Networks

Community Wireless Networks (CWNs) have recently emerged as a top priority for many communities world-wide to access the information highway and bridge the digital divide. There are many factors that contribute to the development and the sustainability of a successful CWN. These factors include traditional technical network parameters in addition to several social and economic parameters. This paper proposes a two-graph model for describing CWNs. The proposed graph model uses well established graph concepts to depict the key factors needed to be addressed when analyzing and designing CWN. We show how the two graphs; the social network graph and the wireless network graph are used to model CWN factors. We also show how the proposed model was used in a case study to support the Omaha Wireless project. We argue that having such a quantitative model represents a significant step towards better understanding of CWN and advancing this timely research area

Socio-Technical Aspects of Security Analysis

This thesis seeks to establish a semi-automatic methodology for security analysis when users are considered part of the system. The thesis explores this challenge, which we refer to as ‘socio-technical security analysis’. We consider that a socio-technical vulnerability is the conjunction of a human behaviour, the factors that foster the occurrence of this behaviour, and a system. Therefore, the aim of the thesis is to investigate which human-related factors should be considered in system security, and how to incorporate these identified factors into an analysis framework. Finding a way to systematically detect, in a system, the socio-technical vulnerabilities that can stem from insecure human behaviours, along with the factors that influence users into engaging in these behaviours is a long journey that we can summarise in three research questions: 1. How can we detect a socio-technical vulnerability in a system? 2. How can we identify in the interactions between a system and its users, the human behaviours that can harm this system’s security? 3. How can we identify the factors that foster human behaviours that are harmful to a system’s security? A review of works that aim at bringing social sciences findings into security analysis reveals that there is no unified way to do it. Identifying the points where users can harm a system’s security, and clarifying what factors can foster an insecure behaviour is a complex matter. Hypotheses can arise about the usability of the system, aspects pertaining to the user or the organisational context but there is no way to find and test them all. Further, there is currently no way to systematically integrate the results regarding hypotheses we tested in a security analysis. Thus, we identify two objectives related to these methodological challenges that this thesis aims at fulfilling in its contributions: 1. What form should a framework that intends to identify harmful behaviours for security, and to investigate the factors that foster their occurrence take? 2. What form should a semi-automatic, or tool-assisted methodology for the security analysis of socio-technical systems take? The thesis provides partial answers to the questions. First it defines a methodological framework called STEAL that provides a common ground for an interdisciplinary approach to security analysis. STEAL supports the interaction between computer scientists and social scientists by providing a common reference model to describe a system with its human and non-human components, potential attacks and defences, and the surrounding context. We validate STEAL in a two experimental studies, showing the role of the context and graphical cues in Wi-Fi networks’ security. Then the thesis complements STEAL with a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) methodology for security inspired from the ones used in safety. This methodology, called S·CREAM aims at being more systematic than the research methods that can be used with STEAL (surveys for instance) and at providing reusable findings for analysing security. To do so, S·CREAM provides a retrospective analysis to identify the factors that can explain the success of past attacks and a methodology to compile these factors in a form that allows for the consideration of their potential effects on a system’s security, given an attacker Threat Model. The thesis also illustrates how we developed a tool—the S·CREAM assistant— that supports the methodology with an extensible knowledge base and computer-supported reasoning