24 research outputs found

    Automating Security Configuration for the Grid

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    Metacomputing on clusters augmented with reconfigurable hardware

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    Barriers to the acceptance and utilisation of knowledge management systems: An exploratory study

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    Organisations entering the 21st Century arc exposed to an environment of continuous change, a challenge that requires a movement away from more predictable structures of the past, with hierarchies and formal chains of command. The emerging fluid and network like structures present new challenges for ensuring the development and dissemination of organisational knowledge. An area of considerable current debate involves the issue of harmony and balance between and organisation\u27s culture and its Knowledge Management (KM) systems. The focus of this study is on organisations that are recognising the implications of these changes and are responding by installing knowledge systems in an attempt to capture and distribute the organisation\u27s explicit knowledge. Such actions indicate the recognition of a need to move towards a managerial culture which is inclusive of knowledge development, and where managerial actions demonstrate a concern with capturing the tacit knowledge of all employees, creating open external interfaces. The success of the implementation of a knowledge management system depends upon full utilisation of the system by all potential users and the development of a culture which facilitates this inclusivity. Research and experience have indicated that KM systems are often not successfully adopted by the potential users. This study seeks to understand why users may choose not to participate in the use of knowledge management systems, which is the first critical step in ensuring that a knowledge management system may be fully utilised and provide maximum value to an organisation, creating a culture that provides a competitive edge. This study attempts to explore and model the relationships between factors that act as barriers for individuals when knowledge management systems are implemented, and to identify aspects of an organisation or a KMS which may facilitate improved uptake of a KMS.. The study focuses on a range of employees across three organisations which have given the research project considerable latitude in research opportunity and provided detailed in-depth interviews. This study is based on the findings of a pilot study, conducted by this researcher, that categorised the barriers into three broad areas: structure, culture and individual perceptions. That categorisation is used as a conceptual framework for this study. The qualitative data from the in-depth interviews and observation is analysed, categorised, and patterns of issues identified using a grounded theory approach. Industry experts have reviewed the results to identify and confirm possible issues in the data and give practitioner validity to the analysis. For practitioners the results provide a framework of the relationships that may act as barriers to employee participation, and an indication of those issues that appear the most critical when constructing an appropriate organisational culture for knowledge management systems. Academically the study identifies critical issues that should be the subject of more detailed cultural exploration in this developing field

    A knowledge management framework for the telecommunication industry : the KMFTI model

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    Recent years have witnessed a continuing growth of developments in knowledge management systems to capture the information flows within organisations and tum them into exploitable management databases. Examples to this are such as the Total Quality Management and the Business Process Reengineedng models. There is no doubt, that during the last few years there has been a broad interest of exploiting knowledge. However, traditional Knowledge Management (KM) systems and frameworks do not necessarily take into account the specific nature of the telecommunication industry, particularly those related to capturing, sharing and exploiting unconventional data flows that occur between the personnel on the move such as technicians and engineers. Thus, a large amount of these data is lost and will never be able to benefit the organisation or its employees in any way. Therefore, this research addresses the development of a new KM framework to fill in this gap and provide the telecommunication organisations in general and the General Post and Telecommunication Company(GPITC) in Ubya in particular with a solid base where bulk and rough data will become exploitable and manageable in a concise and intelligent way. The main questions being posed by this research are as follow: Could the Existing Knowledge Management Systems help the GPTC in Libya in particular and the telecommunication industry in general to better manage their data flows and turn them into an exploitable knowledge base? and How a strategic Knowledge Management Framework (KMF) could contribute to establishing adequate guidelines and policies in such telecommunicatioenn vironment? In this regard, the investigations in this research will stress on the Identification of the broad range of issues that are preventing the adoption of KM systems within the GPTC or any given telecommunication organisation rather than trying to focus on a specific and unique question about the exploitation of KM. This approach is justified by the fact that no specific KMS appear to be developed for such Industry. Furthermore, the various parameters are described under this common framework which is expected to benefit the telecommunication sector as a whole.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

    The development of an information management system at the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Institute of Hajj Research, Saudi Arabia

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    The main aim of the Two Holy Mosques Institute of the Hajj Research (CTHMIHR) is to establish an information resource about the pilgrimage to Makkah made by Muslims (Hajj) and services provided to them, which is one of the fifth pillar of Islam. In fact, that each Muslim should make the visit to Makkah at least once in his or her lifetime. When complete, this information resource will comprise a comprehensive scientific reference source that will provide factual evidence and anecdotes to assist in the planning of services and utilities required for the Hajj. Information management at CTHMIHR poses a number of problems; particularly in the rapid increase in the number of records (each individual making the Pilgrimage will have a record), duplication of records, disaggregated information throughout the Institute, and lack of information control. The Dean and Heads of Department are aware of these problems, but they cannot identify the root of the issues nor the people responsible for them. This research study aims to develop and implement an Information Management System (IMS) at CTHMIHR. This IMS would help staff and users to access information about the Hajj easily and more effectively at a time when it is needed. Soft Systems Methodology (SSM, mode 1) and Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) have been combined to develop a novel multi-methodology that has been applied to the problem issues exhibited within the CTHMIHR. The main reasons for combining methodologies (SSM and ISM) in this research study is to match the variety in the real world problem; situation at CTHMIHR, which is highly complex and multi-dimensional. SSM (Mode 1) was applied to discover and express the problem situation (Stages I and 2), to develop conceptual models (II separate systems are considered) and make comparisons with the real world (stages 2 and 5), and to study subsequent change (that is, change which is systemically desirable and culturally feasible) and then to take action to improve the problem situation (Stages 6 and 7). ISM was used to discover the relationships between these 11 systems in order to find a method of implementing them through interpretations with participants. Following implementation, both the staff development training system, which, in turn, will indicate the make-up of the staffing system, and the security system can be determined. When all of these are combined, the records management system can be described; this will indicate the design of the database management system, and consequently, this will satisfy user needs. Furthermore, the research study also suggests five types of change to improve the problem situation: structural, procedural, policy, attitudinal and cultural. The major findings of this research study are that CTHMIHR not only needs to develop clear information strategies, but it also needs to develop a system for strategic planning. In this way information strategies to establish an information resource about Hajj can be formulated

    Honeypot for Wireless Sensor Networks

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    People have understood that computer systems need safeguarding and require knowledge of security principles for their protection. While this has led to solutions for system components such as malware-protection, firewalls and intrusion detection systems, the ubiquitous usage of tiny microcomputers appeared at the same time. A new interconnectivity is on the rise in our lives. Things become “smart” and increasingly build new networks of devices. In this context the wireless sensor networks here interact with users and also, vice versa as well; unprivileged users able to interact with the wireless sensor network may harm the privileged user as a result. The problem that needs to be solved consists of possible harm that may be caused by an unprivileged user interacting with the wireless sensor network of a privileged user and may come via an attack vector targeting a vul- nerability that may take as long as it is needed and the detection of such mal-behaviour can only be done if a sensing component is implemented as a kind of tool detecting the status of the attacked wireless sensor network component and monitors this problem happening as an event that needs to be researched further on. Innovation in attack detection comprehension is the key aspect of this work, because it was found to be a set of hitherto not combined aspects, mechanisms, drafts and sketches, lacking a central combined outcome. Therefore the contribution of this thesis consists in a span of topics starting with a summary of attacks, possible countermeasures and a sketch of the outcome to the design and implementation of a viable product, concluding in an outlook at possible further work. The chosen path for the work in this research was experimental prototype construction following an established research method that first highlights the analysis of attack vectors to the system component and then evaluates the possibilities in order to im- prove said method. This led to a concept well known in common large-scale computer science systems, called a honeypot. Its common definitions and setups were analy- sed and the concept translation to the wireless sensor network domain was evaluated. Then the prototype was designed and implemented. This was done by following the ap- proach set by the science of cybersecurity, which states that the results of experiments and prototypes lead to improving knowledge intentionally for re-use
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