Penetration Testing Frameworks and methodologies: A comparison and evaluation

Cyber security is fast becoming a strategic priority across both governments and private organisations. With technology abundantly available, and the unbridled growth in the size and complexity of information systems, cyber criminals have a multitude of targets. Therefore, cyber security assessments are becoming common practice as concerns about information security grow. Penetration testing is one strategy used to mitigate the risk of cyber-attack. Penetration testers attempt to compromise systems using the same tools and techniques as malicious attackers thus, aim to identify vulnerabilities before an attack occurs. Penetration testing can be complex depending on the scope and domain area under investigation, for this reason it is often managed similarly to that of a project necessitating the implementation of some framework or methodology. Fortunately, there are an array of penetration testing methodologies and frameworks available to facilitate such projects, however, determining what is a framework and what is methodology within this context can lend itself to uncertainty. Furthermore, little exists in relation to mature frameworks whereby quality can be measured. This research defines the concept of “methodology” and “framework” within a penetration testing context. In addition, the research presents a gap analysis of the theoretical vs. the practical classification of nine penetration testing frameworks and/or methodologies and subsequently selects two frameworks to undergo quality evaluation using a realworld case study. Quality characteristics were derived from a review of four quality models, thus building the foundation for a proposed penetration testing quality model. The penetration testing quality model is a modified version of an ISO quality model whereby the two chosen frameworks underwent quality evaluation. Defining methodologies and frameworks for the purposes of penetration testing was achieved. A suitable definition was formed by way of analysing properties of each category respectively, thus a Framework vs. Methodology Characteristics matrix is presented. Extending upon the nomenclature resolution, a gap analysis was performed to determine if a framework is actually a framework, i.e., it has a sound underlying ontology. In contrast, many “frameworks” appear to be simply collections of tools or techniques. In addition, two frameworks OWASP’s Testing Guide and Information System Security Assessment Framework (ISSAF), were employed to perform penetration tests based on a real-world case study to facilitate quality evaluation based on a proposed quality model. The research suggests there are various ways in which quality for penetration testing frameworks can be measured; therefore concluded that quality evaluation is possible

Integration of multisensor hybrid reasoners to support personal autonomy in the smart home.

The deployment of the Ambient Intelligence (AmI) paradigm requires designing and integrating user-centered smart environments to assist people in their daily life activities. This research paper details an integration and validation of multiple heterogeneous sensors with hybrid reasoners that support decision making in order to monitor personal and environmental data at a smart home in a private way. The results innovate on knowledge-based platforms, distributed sensors, connected objects, accessibility and authentication methods to promote independent living for elderly people. TALISMAN+, the AmI framework deployed, integrates four subsystems in the smart home: (i) a mobile biomedical telemonitoring platform to provide elderly patients with continuous disease management; (ii) an integration middleware that allows context capture from heterogeneous sensors to program environment¿s reaction; (iii) a vision system for intelligent monitoring of daily activities in the home; and (iv) an ontologies-based integrated reasoning platform to trigger local actions and manage private information in the smart home. The framework was integrated in two real running environments, the UPM Accessible Digital Home and MetalTIC house, and successfully validated by five experts in home care, elderly people and personal autonomy

Personalised body counter calibration using anthropometric parameters

This book describes the development of a new method for personalisation of efficiency factors in partial body counting. Its achieved goal is the quantification of uncertainties in those factors due to variation in anatomy of the measured persons, and their reduction by correlation with anthropometric parameters. The method was applied to a detector system at the In Vivo Measurement Laboratory at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology using Monte Carlo simulation and computational phantoms

原子力プラントのライフサイクル情報管理に基づく廃炉シミュレーションに関する研究

Tohoku University博士（情報科学）thesi

Markerless Kinematics of Pediatric Manual Wheelchair Mobility

Pediatric manual wheelchair users face substantial risk of orthopaedic injury to the upper extremities, particularly the shoulders, during transition to wheelchair use and during growth and development. Propulsion strategy can influence mobility efficiency, activity participation, and quality of life. The current forefront of wheelchair biomechanics research includes translating findings from adult to pediatric populations, improving the quality and efficiency of care under constrained clinical funding, and understanding injury mechanisms and risk factors. Typically, clinicians evaluate wheelchair mobility using marker-based motion capture and instrumentation systems that are precise and accurate but also time-consuming, inconvenient, and expensive for repeated assessments. There is a substantial need for technology that evaluates and improves wheelchair mobility outside of the laboratory to provide better outcomes for wheelchair users, enhancing clinical data. Advancement in this area gives physical therapists better tools and the supporting research necessary to improve treatment efficacy, mobility, and quality of life in pediatric wheelchair users. This dissertation reports on research studies that evaluate the effect of physiotherapeutic training on manual wheelchair mobility. In particular, these studies (1) develop and characterize a novel markerless motion capture-musculoskeletal model systems interface for kinematic assessment of manual wheelchair propulsion biomechanics, (2) conduct a longitudinal investigation of pediatric manual wheelchair users undergoing intensive community-based therapy to determine predictors of kinematic response, and (3) evaluate propulsion pattern-dependent training efficacy and musculoskeletal behavior using visual biofeedback.Results of the research studies show that taking a systems approach to the kinematic interface produces an effective and reliable system for kinematic assessment and training of manual wheelchair propulsion. The studies also show that the therapeutic outcomes and orthopaedic injury risk of pediatric manual wheelchair users are significantly related to the propulsion pattern employed. Further, these subjects can change their propulsion pattern in response to therapy even in the absence of wheelchair-based training, and have pattern-dependent differences in joint kinematics, musculotendon excursion, and training response. Further clinical research in this area is suggested, with a focus on refining physiotherapeutic training strategies for pediatric manual wheelchair users to develop safer and more effective propulsion patterns

A virtual hand assessment system for efficient outcome measures of hand rehabilitation

Previously held under moratorium from 1st December 2016 until 1st December 2021.Hand rehabilitation is an extremely complex and critical process in the medical rehabilitation field. This is mainly due to the high articulation of the hand functionality. Recent research has focused on employing new technologies, such as robotics and system control, in order to improve the precision and efficiency of the standard clinical methods used in hand rehabilitation. However, the designs of these devices were either oriented toward a particular hand injury or heavily dependent on subjective assessment techniques to evaluate the progress. These limitations reduce the efficiency of the hand rehabilitation devices by providing less effective results for restoring the lost functionalities of the dysfunctional hands. In this project, a novel technological solution and efficient hand assessment system is produced that can objectively measure the restoration outcome and, dynamically, evaluate its performance. The proposed system uses a data glove sensorial device to measure the multiple ranges of motion for the hand joints, and a Virtual Reality system to return an illustrative and safe visual assistance environment that can self-adjust with the subject’s performance. The system application implements an original finger performance measurement method for analysing the various hand functionalities. This is achieved by extracting the multiple features of the hand digits’ motions; such as speed, consistency of finger movements and stability during the hold positions. Furthermore, an advanced data glove calibration method was developed and implemented in order to accurately manipulate the virtual hand model and calculate the hand kinematic movements in compliance with the biomechanical structure of the hand. The experimental studies were performed on a controlled group of 10 healthy subjects (25 to 42 years age). The results showed intra-subject reliability between the trials (average of crosscorrelation ρ = 0.7), inter-subject repeatability across the subject’s performance (p > 0.01 for the session with real objects and with few departures in some of the virtual reality sessions). In addition, the finger performance values were found to be very efficient in detecting the multiple elements of the fingers’ performance including the load effect on the forearm. Moreover, the electromyography measurements, in the virtual reality sessions, showed high sensitivity in detecting the tremor effect (the mean power frequency difference on the right Vextensor digitorum muscle is 176 Hz). Also, the finger performance values for the virtual reality sessions have the same average distance as the real life sessions (RSQ =0.07). The system, besides offering an efficient and quantitative evaluation of hand performance, it was proven compatible with different hand rehabilitation techniques where it can outline the primarily affected parts in the hand dysfunction. It also can be easily adjusted to comply with the subject’s specifications and clinical hand assessment procedures to autonomously detect the classification task events and analyse them with high reliability. The developed system is also adaptable with different disciplines’ involvements, other than the hand rehabilitation, such as ergonomic studies, hand robot control, brain-computer interface and various fields involving hand control.Hand rehabilitation is an extremely complex and critical process in the medical rehabilitation field. This is mainly due to the high articulation of the hand functionality. Recent research has focused on employing new technologies, such as robotics and system control, in order to improve the precision and efficiency of the standard clinical methods used in hand rehabilitation. However, the designs of these devices were either oriented toward a particular hand injury or heavily dependent on subjective assessment techniques to evaluate the progress. These limitations reduce the efficiency of the hand rehabilitation devices by providing less effective results for restoring the lost functionalities of the dysfunctional hands. In this project, a novel technological solution and efficient hand assessment system is produced that can objectively measure the restoration outcome and, dynamically, evaluate its performance. The proposed system uses a data glove sensorial device to measure the multiple ranges of motion for the hand joints, and a Virtual Reality system to return an illustrative and safe visual assistance environment that can self-adjust with the subject’s performance. The system application implements an original finger performance measurement method for analysing the various hand functionalities. This is achieved by extracting the multiple features of the hand digits’ motions; such as speed, consistency of finger movements and stability during the hold positions. Furthermore, an advanced data glove calibration method was developed and implemented in order to accurately manipulate the virtual hand model and calculate the hand kinematic movements in compliance with the biomechanical structure of the hand. The experimental studies were performed on a controlled group of 10 healthy subjects (25 to 42 years age). The results showed intra-subject reliability between the trials (average of crosscorrelation ρ = 0.7), inter-subject repeatability across the subject’s performance (p > 0.01 for the session with real objects and with few departures in some of the virtual reality sessions). In addition, the finger performance values were found to be very efficient in detecting the multiple elements of the fingers’ performance including the load effect on the forearm. Moreover, the electromyography measurements, in the virtual reality sessions, showed high sensitivity in detecting the tremor effect (the mean power frequency difference on the right Vextensor digitorum muscle is 176 Hz). Also, the finger performance values for the virtual reality sessions have the same average distance as the real life sessions (RSQ =0.07). The system, besides offering an efficient and quantitative evaluation of hand performance, it was proven compatible with different hand rehabilitation techniques where it can outline the primarily affected parts in the hand dysfunction. It also can be easily adjusted to comply with the subject’s specifications and clinical hand assessment procedures to autonomously detect the classification task events and analyse them with high reliability. The developed system is also adaptable with different disciplines’ involvements, other than the hand rehabilitation, such as ergonomic studies, hand robot control, brain-computer interface and various fields involving hand control

Human Machine Interaction

In this book, the reader will find a set of papers divided into two sections. The first section presents different proposals focused on the human-machine interaction development process. The second section is devoted to different aspects of interaction, with a special emphasis on the physical interaction

Enabling the Development and Implementation of Digital Twins : Proceedings of the 20th International Conference on Construction Applications of Virtual Reality

Welcome to the 20th International Conference on Construction Applications of Virtual Reality (CONVR 2020). This year we are meeting on-line due to the current Coronavirus pandemic. The overarching theme for CONVR2020 is "Enabling the development and implementation of Digital Twins". CONVR is one of the world-leading conferences in the areas of virtual reality, augmented reality and building information modelling. Each year, more than 100 participants from all around the globe meet to discuss and exchange the latest developments and applications of virtual technologies in the architectural, engineering, construction and operation industry (AECO). The conference is also known for having a unique blend of participants from both academia and industry. This year, with all the difficulties of replicating a real face to face meetings, we are carefully planning the conference to ensure that all participants have a perfect experience. We have a group of leading keynote speakers from industry and academia who are covering up to date hot topics and are enthusiastic and keen to share their knowledge with you. CONVR participants are very loyal to the conference and have attended most of the editions over the last eighteen editions. This year we are welcoming numerous first timers and we aim to help them make the most of the conference by introducing them to other participants