A Policy Analysis of Cybersecurity and Mobile Applications: Implications on the Media Space

This study presents discussion for several examples that illustrates the importance of having a security policy for mobile phones. The study further examines the importance of developing a national security policy created for mobile devices in order to protect sensitive, and personal data to safeguard the media space. By inspection, it was observed from the literature that smartphones are becoming a vehicle to provide an efficient and convenient way to access, find and share information; however, the availability of this information has caused an increase in cyber attacks. Currently, cyber threats range from Trojans and viruses to botnets and toolkits. Presently, 96% of smartphones do not have pre-installed security software. This lack in security is an opportunity for malicious cyber attackers to hack into the various devices that are popular (i.e. Android, iPhone and Blackberry). Traditional security software found in personal computers (PCs), such as firewalls, antivirus, and encryption, is not currently available in smartphones. Moreover, smartphones are even more vulnerable than personal computers because more people are using smartphones to do personal tasks. Nowadays, smartphone users can email, use social networking applications (Facebook and Twitter), buy and download various applications and shop. Furthermore, users can now conduct monetary transactions, such as buying goods, redeeming coupons and tickets, banking and processing point-of-sale payments. Monetary transactions are especially attractive to cyber attackers because they can gain access to bank account information after hacking a user’s smartphone. Lastly, smartphones are small and are easy to carry anywhere. Unfortunately, the convenience of using smartphones to do personal task is the loophole cyber attackers need to gain access to personal data. Keywords: Smartphones, Social Media, Cybersecurity, Computers, E-commerce, Operating Systems, Internets, Browsers DOI: 10.7176/ISDE/13-1-04 Publication date:March 31st 202

An Analysis of the Impact of Computer Based Technologies on Business Communications

This article utilizes Information Communication Technology (ICT) frameworks to investigate the impactful effect of Information Communication Technology (ICT) such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and electronic commerce (e-commerce) on businesses in general. A narrative literature review analysis (or type) of research has been adopted, while a Boolean search of 24 articles met the criteria for inclusion. As part of the literature search, the data collection procedure took into account the first and second authors of the completed simultaneous electronic and ancestral searches for peer-reviewed articles by using the online database, Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), and five databases from A Database Management System (DBMS): Oracle Database Software (ODS), A Relational Database Management System (RDMS), Journal Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery (JDMKD) as well as Google scholar and advanced Google scholar. As part of the findings for the study utilized for the article, many scholars made specific inferences to the ICT applications in firms and businesses. Out of the twenty-four articles, six of the researchers, thus 24%, underscored and also perceived that e-commerce has become a widely accepted method for business operation. Researchers of 4 articles—thus 17% -- explicitly stated in their research that the use of e-commerce in the business world has benefited companies greatly. A total of 7 (29.5%) researchers –provide detailed discussion in the literature about labor productivity and ICT applications in businesses, mass communications, firms, and organizations, as well as the effective implementation of ERP in firms, businesses, and organizations. Above all, the article has unearthed implications as well as made cogent suggestion for future research in order to contribute to overall educational policy of society. Toward this end, three (12.5%) researchers provide a discussion about Supply Chain Management (SCM) performance and the components of an ERP system as well as ERP successful implementation emphasizing on the application and importance of ICT to businesses. Keywords: ICT, Enterprise, Resource, Planning, Businesses, Firms, E-commerce, Computers, Database DOI: 10.7176/CEIS/14-2-04 Publication date:March 31st 202

Dry flower disease of Macadamia in Australia caused by Neopestalotiopsis macadamiae sp. nov. and Pestalotiopsis macadamiae sp. nov

Incidence of dry flower disease of macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia), expressed as blight of the flowers, necrosis and dieback of the rachis, is increasing in Australia. In the 2012/13 production season, incidence of dry flower disease resulted in 10% to 30% yield loss in the affected orchards. Etiology of the disease has not been established. This study was established to characterise the disease and identify the causal pathogen. A survey of the major macadamia producing regions in Australia revealed dry flower disease symptoms, regardless of cultivar or location at all stages of raceme development. Based on colony and conidial morphology, the majority (41%) of fungal isolates obtained from tissue samples were identified as Pestalotiopsis and Neopestalotiopsis spp. The phylogeny of the combined partial sequence of the internal transcribed spacer, beta-tubulin and translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene loci, segregated the isolates into two well supported clades, independent of location or part of the inflorescence affected. Further morphological examination supported the establishment of two new species, which are formally described as Neopestalotiopsis macadamiae sp. nov. and Pestalotiopsis macadamiae sp. nov. Using spore suspensions of isolates of both species, Koch?s postulates were fulfilled on three macadamia cultivars at all stages of raceme development. To our knowledge, this is the first report of species of Neopestalotiopsis and Pestalotiopsis as causal agents of inflorescence disease in macadamia

Botryosphaeriaceae causing branch dieback and tree death of macadamia in Australia

Incidence of branch dieback of macadamia with characteristic symptoms including dark necrotic lesions on the wood and blackening of the vascular tissue is increasing in commercial macadamia orchards in the south-eastern production regions in Australia. In many cases, disease progresses from the branch to the main trunk resulting in total tree death and reduced orchard productivity. Previously, only Botryosphaeria ribis was associated with branch dieback of macadamia, however, recent observations suggest other species in the Botryosphaeriaceae may be involved. This study aimed to identify the causal agents of branch dieback of macadamia and examine their pathogenicity on a main macadamia cultivar (HAES 246). Thirty-four representative Botryosphaeriaceae isolates, obtained from over 150 samples of branch dieback symptoms on macadamia trees, were identified using the partial sequence of the internal transcribed spacer of the rDNA and partial sequences of -tubulin and elongation factor gene regions. Six species in the Botryosphaeriaceae were identified. Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae (n=18; 53%) was the most prevalent species, followed by Neofusiccocum parvum (n=5; 14%), L. iraniensis (n=4; 12%), N. luteum and L. theobromae (n=3; 9% each) and N. australe (n=1; 3%). Using an in planta assay, pathogenicity tests showed that all six species caused dieback and necrotic lesion symptoms on macadamia plants. Inoculated plants died within 4weeks of inoculation, showing the characteristic symptoms (blackening of the wood tissue). Inoculation trials revealed differences in aggressiveness among the six species

Dry flower disease of Macadamia in Australia caused by Neopestalotiopsis macadamiae sp. nov. and Pestalotiopsis macadamiae sp. nov

Incidence of dry flower disease of macadamia (Macadamia integrifolia), expressed as blight of the flowers, necrosis and dieback of the rachis, is increasing in Australia. In the 2012/13 production season, incidence of dry flower disease resulted in 10% to 30% yield loss in the affected orchards. Etiology of the disease has not been established. This study was established to characterise the disease and identify the causal pathogen. A survey of the major macadamia producing regions in Australia revealed dry flower disease symptoms, regardless of cultivar or location at all stages of raceme development. Based on colony and conidial morphology, the majority (41%) of fungal isolates obtained from tissue samples were identified as Pestalotiopsis and Neopestalotiopsis spp. The phylogeny of the combined partial sequence of the internal transcribed spacer, beta-tubulin and translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene loci, segregated the isolates into two well supported clades, independent of location or part of the inflorescence affected. Further morphological examination supported the establishment of two new species, which are formally described as Neopestalotiopsis macadamiae sp. nov. and Pestalotiopsis macadamiae sp. nov. Using spore suspensions of isolates of both species, Koch?s postulates were fulfilled on three macadamia cultivars at all stages of raceme development. To our knowledge, this is the first report of species of Neopestalotiopsis and Pestalotiopsis as causal agents of inflorescence disease in macadamia

Variations in macadamia varietal susceptibility to Phytophthora multivora and P. cinnamomi

Incidence of diseases caused by various Phytophthora spp. in macadamia is increasing worldwide, often resulting in severe yield loss and death of both juvenile and old macadamia trees. In Australia, P. cinnamomi and P. multivora has been identified to cause severe stem canker in macadamia orchards. Currently, various varietal improvement research programs on macadamia are underway, not only to obtain high-yielding and precocious macadamia germplasm but to develop macadamia genotypes with acceptable levels of tolerance/resistance to pests and diseases. In this study, we selected macadamia genotypes for their acceptable levels of tolerance/resistance to Phytophthora infection, after screening about 360 macadamia genotypes against to P. cinnamomi and P. multivora, using a rapid detached leaf and plant inoculation assays. These macadamia plant materials were collected from a major macadamia arboretum in Queensland. Our results revealed segregation of macadamia genotypes into two spectrum of susceptible and tolerant macadamia genotypes. Hence, strong representatives within the tolerant and susceptible spectrum were further investigated in order to understand if the basis of the differential response is driven by a variation in structural, physiological or genetic markers, following a challenge with Phytophthora spp. Our result revealed a marked variation in structural response during the infection process, between the selected susceptible, ‘HAES816’ and tolerant germplasm and ‘HAES344’. This information will provide evidence to support potential preferential selection of tolerant macadamia genotypes potentially useful for breeding against Phytophthora diseases. Further studies will characterize tolerant macadamia progenies to develop marker-assisted selection protocols for resistance, and explore defense mechanisms response