IMPROVING SMART GRID SECURITY USING MERKLE TREES

Abstract—Presently nations worldwide are starting to convert their aging electrical power infrastructures into modern, dynamic power grids. Smart Grid offers much in the way of efficiencies and robustness to the electrical power grid, however its heavy reliance on communication networks will leave it more vulnerable to attack than present day grids. This paper looks at the threat to public key cryptography systems from a fully realized quantum computer and how this could impact the Smart Grid. We argue for the use of Merkle Trees in place of public key cryptography for authentication of devices in wireless mesh networks that are used in Smart Grid applications

Individual Risk Management for Digital Payment Systems

Despite existing security standards and security technologies, such as secure hardware, gaps between users’ demand for security and the security offered by a payment system can still remain. These security gaps imply risks for users. In this paper, we introduce a framework for the management of those risks. As a result, we present an instrument enabling users to evaluate eventual risks related with digital payment systems and to handle these risks with technical and economic instruments.Payment Systems, Digital Money

Corporate sustainability reporting index and baseline data for the cruise industry

Sustainability policies and corporate reports demonstrate the impacts cruise companies acknowledge as their responsibility, and the actions put in place to address them. This paper develops a corporate social responsibility index based on the Global Reporting Initiative, with industry specific additions including labor and human rights, health and safety, and environmental and economic aspects. Companies disclose more management than performance data, which is typical of early stages of development. Companies disclosing less information focus on soft indicators which are easy to mimic and demonstrate posturing. Items disclosed tend to be marginal to the core of the business, have a positive economic impact or pre-empt sector regulation. Reports echo the voice of the corporations and not the demands of stakeholders. Institutional isomorphism has not influenced a homogenization in reporting, with only the largest firms reporting at this stage

Review on DNA Cryptography

Cryptography is the science that secures data and communication over the network by applying mathematics and logic to design strong encryption methods. In the modern era of e-business and e-commerce the protection of confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA triad) of stored information as well as of transmitted data is very crucial. DNA molecules, having the capacity to store, process and transmit information, inspires the idea of DNA cryptography. This combination of the chemical characteristics of biological DNA sequences and classical cryptography ensures the non-vulnerable transmission of data. In this paper we have reviewed the present state of art of DNA cryptography.Comment: 31 pages, 12 figures, 6 table

A Survey on Wireless Sensor Network Security

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have recently attracted a lot of interest in the research community due their wide range of applications. Due to distributed nature of these networks and their deployment in remote areas, these networks are vulnerable to numerous security threats that can adversely affect their proper functioning. This problem is more critical if the network is deployed for some mission-critical applications such as in a tactical battlefield. Random failure of nodes is also very likely in real-life deployment scenarios. Due to resource constraints in the sensor nodes, traditional security mechanisms with large overhead of computation and communication are infeasible in WSNs. Security in sensor networks is, therefore, a particularly challenging task. This paper discusses the current state of the art in security mechanisms for WSNs. Various types of attacks are discussed and their countermeasures presented. A brief discussion on the future direction of research in WSN security is also included.Comment: 24 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

Comparing AI Algorithms for Optimizing Elliptic Curve Cryptography Parameters in Third-Party E-Commerce Integrations: A Pre-Quantum Era Analysis

This paper presents a comparative analysis between the Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), two vital artificial intelligence algorithms, focusing on optimizing Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) parameters. These encompass the elliptic curve coefficients, prime number, generator point, group order, and cofactor. The study provides insights into which of the bio-inspired algorithms yields better optimization results for ECC configurations, examining performances under the same fitness function. This function incorporates methods to ensure robust ECC parameters, including assessing for singular or anomalous curves and applying Pollard's rho attack and Hasse's theorem for optimization precision. The optimized parameters generated by GA and PSO are tested in a simulated e-commerce environment, contrasting with well-known curves like secp256k1 during the transmission of order messages using Elliptic Curve-Diffie Hellman (ECDH) and Hash-based Message Authentication Code (HMAC). Focusing on traditional computing in the pre-quantum era, this research highlights the efficacy of GA and PSO in ECC optimization, with implications for enhancing cybersecurity in third-party e-commerce integrations. We recommend the immediate consideration of these findings before quantum computing's widespread adoption.Comment: 14 page

A Survey of Access Control Models in Wireless Sensor Networks

Copyright 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have attracted considerable interest in the research community, because of their wide range of applications. However, due to the distributed nature of WSNs and their deployment in remote areas, these networks are vulnerable to numerous security threats that can adversely affect their proper functioning. Resource constraints in sensor nodes mean that security mechanisms with a large overhead of computation and communication are impractical to use in WSNs; security in sensor networks is, therefore, a challenge. Access control is a critical security service that offers the appropriate access privileges to legitimate users and prevents illegitimate users from unauthorized access. However, access control has not received much attention in the context of WSNs. This paper provides an overview of security threats and attacks, outlines the security requirements and presents a state-of-the-art survey on access control models, including a comparison and evaluation based on their characteristics in WSNs. Potential challenging issues for access control schemes in WSNs are also discussed.Peer reviewe

Financial Liberalization Index for Nepal

A financial liberalization index (FLI) for Nepal is constructed in order to show the degree or the level of financial liberalization at a particular time. FLI is calculated on the basis of principal components method following Demetriades and Luintel (1997), Bandiera, Caprio et al. (2000), Laeven (2003), and Laurenceson and Chai (2003). The index comprises eight policy components, viz, (1) interest rate deregulation (IRD), (2) removal of entry barriers (REB), (3) reduction in reserve requirement (RRR), (4) easing in credit control (ECC), (5) implementation of prudential rules (IPR), (6) stock market reform (SMR), (7) privatization of state-owned banks (PSB), and (8) external account liberalization (EAL). As some of these policy measures have been implemented in phases, the index is designed to take into account their partial and gradual implementation too.Financial Liberalization, Welfare, Employment, Income Distribution, South Asia, Nepal