Privacy in crowdsourcing:a systematic review

The advent of crowdsourcing has brought with it multiple privacy challenges. For example, essential monitoring activities, while necessary and unavoidable, also potentially compromise contributor privacy. We conducted an extensive literature review of the research related to the privacy aspects of crowdsourcing. Our investigation revealed interesting gender differences and also differences in terms of individual perceptions. We conclude by suggesting a number of future research directions.</p

Electronic negotiation and security of information exchanged in e-commerce

In settings such as electronic markets where trading partners have conflicting interests and a desire to cooperate, mobile agent mediated negotiation have become very popular. However, agent-based negotiation in electronic commerce involves the exchange of critical and sensitive data that must be highly safeguarded. Therefore, in order to give benefits of quick and safe trading to the trading partners, an approach that secures the information exchanged between the mobile agents during e-Commerce negotiations is needed. To this end, we discuss an approach that we refer to as Multi-Agent Security NEgotiation Protocol (MASNEP). To show that MASNEP protocol is free of attacks and thus the information exchanged throughout electronic negotiation is truly secured, we provide a formal proof on the correctness of the MASNEP.<br /

Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? Technology Can Reduce Dispute Resolution Costs When Times are Tough and Improve Outcomes

Cost reduction is one of the desirable results frequently attributed to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) processes. Although it is reasonable to assume that businesses always are interested in saving money, this goal takes on added importance when the economy is struggling. The cost savings inherent in ADR, which already are significant, can be increased substantially through the strategic adoption of technology. Although I generally do not urge caution when it comes to expanding the ways in which we use technology, we nonetheless must recognize not only technology’s potential benefits but also its possible pitfalls. It is relatively easy to identify some of the cost savings that can be achieved through greater reliance on technology. It can be somewhat more difficult, however, to identify the circumstances in which technology can create unanticipated costs. Fortunately, many of those costs can be avoided. This article identifies cost efficiencies that technology can bring to dispute resolution processes and also suggest how potential costs can be minimized or avoided. The article begins by examining the Technology Revolution. The emergence of technology mediated dispute resolution (TMDR) as an efficient and cost-effective means of resolving disputes illustrates the significant impact the Technology Revolution has had in the area of ADR. This article suggests why TMDR has not been embraced more enthusiastically. It then explores how we can use technology to make dispute resolution more effective and efficient and explains why, in light of a rapidly maturing technology savvy generation, we might have little choice but to embrace TMDR. The article next discusses Cybersettle and Smartsettle, two of the established TMDR programs available today. The following section provides additional reasons why the use of TMDR will increase, including the assertion that foreign nations’ decisions to expand TMDR will compel the United States to rely more heavily on TMDR. The article then examines the challenges raised by TMDR. These challenges include power imbalances; the possibility that TMDR software and platforms may exercise greater influence over the dispute resolution process than expected; and questions as to how we can involve artificial intelligence devices, robots, and avatars in our dispute resolution processes. Ideas for integrating artificial intelligence devices into TMDR processes are based upon the manner in which these devices already are being used in the health care industry. The article concludes by examining the dangers and financial costs of relying on avatars and robots, identifies sectors well positioned to use TMDR, and briefly raises the issue of whether we need to regulate TMDR

Refining the PoinTER “human firewall” pentesting framework

PurposePenetration tests have become a valuable tool in the cyber security defence strategy, in terms of detecting vulnerabilities. Although penetration testing has traditionally focused on technical aspects, the field has started to realise the importance of the human in the organisation, and the need to ensure that humans are resistant to cyber-attacks. To achieve this, some organisations “pentest” their employees, testing their resilience and ability to detect and repel human-targeted attacks. In a previous paper we reported on PoinTER (Prepare TEst Remediate), a human pentesting framework, tailored to the needs of SMEs. In this paper, we propose improvements to refine our framework. The improvements are based on a derived set of ethical principles that have been subjected to ethical scrutiny.MethodologyWe conducted a systematic literature review of academic research, a review of actual hacker techniques, industry recommendations and official body advice related to social engineering techniques. To meet our requirements to have an ethical human pentesting framework, we compiled a list of ethical principles from the research literature which we used to filter out techniques deemed unethical.FindingsDrawing on social engineering techniques from academic research, reported by the hacker community, industry recommendations and official body advice and subjecting each technique to ethical inspection, using a comprehensive list of ethical principles, we propose the refined GDPR compliant and privacy respecting PoinTER Framework. The list of ethical principles, we suggest, could also inform ethical technical pentests.OriginalityPrevious work has considered penetration testing humans, but few have produced a comprehensive framework such as PoinTER. PoinTER has been rigorously derived from multiple sources and ethically scrutinised through inspection, using a comprehensive list of ethical principles derived from the research literature

Shopbots, Powershopping, Powersales: New Forms of Intermediation in E-Commerce - An Overview -

With the advent and proliferation of the Internet many aspects of business and market activities are changing. New forms of intermediation also called cybermediaries are becoming increasingly important as a coordinator of interaction between buyers and sellers in the electronic market environment. Especially the overwhelming abundance of information offered by the Internet promotes the development of new intermediarie like malls, shopbots, virtual resellers etc. This paper provides a detailed overview of different new forms of cybermediation and illustrates their influence on consumer choice, firm pricing and product differentiation strategies.comparison shopping, cybermediaries, e-commerce, shopbots

Perceptions of HIV-positive kidney donations to HIV-positive recipients

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation is the preferred standard of care for patients who have both end stage renal disease (ESRD) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The first successful kidney transplant was done in 1954 and the first case of HIV/AIDS occurred in 1981. Until recently, HIV-positive patients who required an organ transplant received an HIV-negative organ because it was illegal to use HIV-positive organs in transplants in the United States. The HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act was signed in 2013 and legalized the use of HIV-positive donor organs in organ transplants. The first of these transplants was completed in March 2016 with good results. LITERATURE REVIEW: Renal transplants have lower mortality than dialysis. HIV damages the kidney in multiple ways, including HIV associated nephropathy and HIV immune complex kidney disease, putting HIV patients at higher risk of ESRD. Studies from before the utilization of anti-retroviral therapy show that transplantation of HIV infected blood or organs do not cause failure of the transplanted organ. However, in 1997 most surgeons would not transplant kidneys to HIV-infected individuals. Success of antiretroviral therapy has allowed HIV patients to live longer, but patients experience complications including end organ damage. Providing transplants to ESRD patients with HIV infection has been preferred treatment since 2010. Due to improvements in both HIV and transplant science, transplant specialists today are likely to accept HIV-positive organs to HIV-positive transplant recipients. PROPOSED PROJECT: The proposed study is a survey of United States transplant professionals to determine their perceptions about these transplants. Researchers will collect data in the form of Likert scales as well as open-ended responses. The survey will also collect demographic information about surveyors. Investigators will then analyze the collected data for professional knowledge of the legal change, perceptions of efficacy and safety, and concerns. Researchers will analyze the data both as a whole and divided by demographic subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: To date, there has been no study that has assessed at the attitudes of the medical community involved in these transplants. This study is unique in that it attempts to obtain the perceptions and concerns the transplant specialists have about HIV-positive donor organs to HIV-positive transplant recipients. SIGNIFICANCE: The data from this study will help to establish what opinions are at this time, to determine if there are any regional discrepancies that may affect patient access to care, and to determine the concerns of transplant specialists at this time

Meeting their potential: the role of education and technology in overcoming disadvantage and disaffection in young people

This report is a review of literature, policy and reported practice, exploring the potential of technology to mitigate disaffection and disadvantage in education and raise attainment of those young people who are under-achieving in school or other educational settings

FISA Reform

Congress and the Executive Branch are poised to take up the issue of FISA reform in 2014. What has been missing from the discussion is a comprehensive view of ways in which reform could be given effect—i.e., a taxonomy of potential options. This article seeks to fill the gap. The aim is to deepen the conversation about abeyant approaches to foreign intelligence gathering, to allow fuller discussion of what a comprehensive package could contain, and to place initiatives that are currently under consideration within a broader, over-arching framework. The article begins by considering the legal underpinnings and challenges to the President\u27s Surveillance Program. It then examines how technology has altered the types of information available, as well as methods of transmission and storage. The article builds on this to develop a taxonomy for how a statutory approach to foreign intelligence gathering could be given force. It divides foreign intelligence gathering into two categories: front-end collection and back-end analysis and use. Each category contains a counterpoise structured to ensure the appropriate exercise of Congressionally-mandated authorities. For the front-end, this means balancing the manner of collection with requirements for approval. For the back-end, this means offsetting implementation with transparency and oversight. The article then considers the constituent parts of each category