Hack the room:an augmented reality game for non-experts to learn ethical hacking

Abstract. The shortage of cybersecurity skills caused by a widespread talent drought is having a signifcant economic impact on organizations globally. Several initiatives have been implemented to address this defcit, providing new educational pathways for novice and advanced students. Recently, ethical hacking gamifcation platforms and Capture the Flag (CTF) online games have risen in popularity, offering fun and engaging content that motivate beginners to acquire offensive and defensive cybersecurity skills. However, the use of augmented reality (AR) applications for cybersecurity skill development remains mostly unexplored. Against this backdrop, the overall aim of the thesis is to examine whether CTF games in AR can improve learning outcomes in information security and enhance security situational awareness. Specifcally, we explore how AR gamifcation impacts training and overall experience in the context of ethical hacking tasks. To achieve this, we have created Hack the Room, which is an ethical hacking game developed in Unity, where players use Linux terminals to solve CTF-style tasks. The game can be used for learning key cybersecurity concepts vital for organizations, and target users who have no previous cybersecurity experience, and need to be retrained for future-proofng organizations. In the game, the player has to use simple simple Linux terminal commands like listing fles in directories and reading fles stored in virtual machines hosted in the cloud (CSC Pouta) to reach the predetermined tasks. Each playthrough lasts 20 minutes and features three tasks. The game can be modifed or made more diffcult by changing the tasks in the virtual machine. The main goal of the game is to complete all of the tasks in the game. Our gamifcation concept was evaluated in a feld experiment that included six participants divided into two groups, an expert group (N=3) and a non-expert group (N=3). The expert group responded to a questionnaire that assessed their situational awareness during the game, while the non-expert group responded to a questionnaire that evaluated learning outcomes. The participants reported positive learning outcomes and high situational awareness after playing the game.Hack the room : lisätyn todellisuuden peli eettisen hakkeroinnin oppimiseen. Tiivistelmä. Pula tietoturvaosaamisesta vaikuttaa taloudellisesti organisaatioihin maailmanlaajuisesti. Tämän puutteen korjaamiseksi on tehty useita aloitteita, joissa tarjotaan oppipolkuja aloitteleville sekä edistyneemmille oppillaille. Eettisen hakkeroinnin pelillistämisalustat sekä Capture the Flag- (CTF) (suom. lipunryöstö) verkkopelit ovat lisänneet suosiotaan viime vuosina ja ne tarjoavat hyvän mahdollisuuden vasta-alkajille opetella tietoturvahyökkäämistä ja -puolustamista. Lisätyn todellisuuden hyödyntämistä tietoturvakoulutuksessa ei ole kuitenkaan tutkittu laajalti. Tässä kandidaatin tutkinnossa käsitellään lisätyn todellisuuden hyödyntämistä CTF-peleissä sekä sitä, miten lisätty todellisuus vaikuttaa tietoturvallisuuden ja turvallisuuden tilannetietoisuuden oppimiseen. Käsittelemme erityisesti, miten lisätyn todellisuuden pelillistäminen vaikuttaa harjoitteluun sekä yleiseen kokemukseen eettisissä hakkerointitehtävissä. Tämän mahdollistamiseksi loimme Hack the Roomin, joka on Unityssä kehitetty kyberturvallisuuspeli, jossa pelaajat käyttävät Linux-terminaaleja läpäistäkseen lipunryöstötyyppisiä tehtäviä. Sitä voidaan käyttää työkaluna henkilöiden tietoturvaan tutustuttamiseen, kouluttamiseen ja uudelleen opettamiseen. Pelin tehtävät koostuivat yksinkertaisista tehtävistä, joissa käytettiin Linuxkomentoja, kuten tiedostojen listaamista ja -lukemista. Jokainen pelikerta on 20 minuutin pituinen ja sisältää kolme tehtävää. Peliä voi muokata tarpeiden mukaan, esimerkiksi nostaa vaikeustasoa muuttamalla pelin virtuaalikonetta. Pelin käyttämä virtuaalikone sijaitsee CSC Pouta-palvelimella. Kehittämämme pelillistämiskonsepti evaluoitiin kenttäkokeella. Kokeessa oli 6 osallistujaa, jotka jaettiin kahteen ryhmään. Ryhmät koostuivat asiantuntijoista ja henkilöistä, joilla ei ollut aiempaa kokemusta eettisestä hakkeroinnista. Asiantuntijoiden ryhmä vastasi kyselyyn, joka mittasi heidän tilannetietoisuuttaan ja toinen ryhmä kyselyyn, joka mittasi heidän oppimistaan pelissä. Kenttäkoe osoitti sekä positiivisia oppimistuloksia, että korkeaa tilannetietoisuutta pelissä

Management of postoperative complications may favour the centralization of distal pancreatectomies. Nationwide data on pancreatic distal resections in Finland 2012-2014

Background: Centralization of pancreatic surgery has proceeded in the last few years in many countries. However, information on the effect of hospital volume specifically on distal pancreatic resections (DP) is lacking. Aim: To investigate the effect of hospital volume on postoperative complications in DP patients in Finland. Methods: All DP performed in Finland during the period 2012-2014 were analyzed, information having been retrieved from the appropriate national registers. Hospital volumes, postoperative pancreatic fistulae (POPF) and overall complications were graded. High volume centre (HVC) was defined as performing > 10 DPs, median volume centre (MVC) 4-9 DPs and low volume centre (LVC) fewer than 4 DP annually. Results: A total of 194 DPs were performed at 18 different hospitals. Of these 42% (81) were performed in HVCs (2 hospitals), 43% (84) in MVCs (6 hospitals) and the remaining 15% (29) in LVCs (10 hospitals). Patient demographics did not differ between the hospital volume groups. The overall rate of clinically relevant POPF, Clavien-Dindo grade 3-5 complications, and 90-day mortality showed no significant differences between the different hospital volumes. Grade C POPF was found more often in LVCs, being 1.2% in HVCs, 0% in MCVs and 6.9% in LVCs, p = 0.030. More reoperations were performed in LVCs (10.3%) than in HVCs (1.2%) or MVCs (1.2%); p = 0.025. Conclusions: Even though the rate of postoperative complications after DP is not affected by hospital volume, reoperations were performed ten times more often in the low-volume centres. Optimal management of postoperative complications may favour centralization not only of PD, but also of DP. (C) 2018 IAP and EPC. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Isomeric states close to doubly magic 132^{132}Sn studied with JYFLTRAP

The double Penning trap mass spectrometer JYFLTRAP has been employed to measure masses and excitation energies for $11/2^-$ isomers in $^{121}$Cd, $^{123}$Cd, $^{125}$Cd and $^{133}$Te, for $1/2^-$ isomers in $^{129}$In and $^{131}$In, and for $7^-$ isomers in $^{130}$Sn and $^{134}$Sb. These first direct mass measurements of the Cd and In isomers reveal deviations to the excitation energies based on results from beta-decay experiments and yield new information on neutron- and proton-hole states close to $^{132}$Sn. A new excitation energy of 144(4) keV has been determined for $^{123}$Cd$^m$. A good agreement with the precisely known excitation energies of $^{121}$Cd$^m$, $^{130}$Sn$^m$, and $^{134}$Sb$^m$ has been found.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Precision mass measurements of radioactive nuclei at JYFLTRAP

The Penning trap mass spectrometer JYFLTRAP was used to measure the atomic masses of radioactive nuclei with an uncertainty better than 10 keV. The atomic masses of the neutron-deficient nuclei around the N = Z line were measured to improve the understanding of the rp-process path and the SbSnTe cycle. Furthermore, the masses of the neutron-rich gallium (Z = 31) to palladium (Z = 46) nuclei have been measured. The physics impacts on the nuclear structure and the r-process paths are reviewed. A better understanding of the nuclear deformation is presented by studying the pairing energy around A = 100.Comment: 4 pages and 4 figures, RNB7 conf. pro

In-trap conversion electron spectroscopy

The Penning trap REXTRAP at ISOLDE was used to test the feasibility of in-trap conversion electron spectroscopy. The results of simulations, experiments with solid conversion electron sources as well as first on-line and tests with trapped radioactive ions are presented. In addition to obtaining high-resolution spectroscopic data, the detection of conversion electrons was found to be a useful tool for the diagnostics of the trap operation. The tests proved the feasibility of in-trap spectroscopy but also revealed some potential problems to be addressed in the future

Q-value of the superallowed beta decay of Ga-62

Masses of the radioactive isotopes 62Ga, 62Zn and 62Cu have been measured at the JYFLTRAP facility with a relative precision of better than 18 ppb. A Q_EC value of (9181.07 +- 0.54) keV for the superallowed decay of 62Ga is obtained from the measured cyclotron frequency ratios of 62Ga-62Zn, 62Ga-62Ni and 62Zn-62Ni ions. The resulting Ft-value supports the validity of the conserved vector current hypothesis (CVC). The mass excess values measured were (-51986.5 +-1.0) keV for 62Ga, (-61167.9 +- 0.9) keV for 62Zn and (-62787.2 +- 0.9) keV for 62Cu.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, submitted to Phys. Lett. B. v2: added acknowledgement

Precision mass measurements on neutron-rich rare-earth isotopes at JYFLTRAP - reduced neutron pairing and implications for the rr-process calculations

The rare-earth peak in the $r$-process abundance pattern depends sensitively on both the astrophysical conditions and subtle changes in nuclear structure in the region. This work takes an important step elucidating the nuclear structure and reducing the uncertainties in $r$-process calculations via precise atomic mass measurements at the JYFLTRAP double Penning trap. $^{158}$Nd, $^{160}$Pm, $^{162}$Sm, and $^{164-166}$Gd have been measured for the first time and the precisions for $^{156}$Nd, $^{158}$Pm, $^{162,163}$Eu, $^{163}$Gd, and $^{164}$Tb have been improved considerably. Nuclear structure has been probed via two-neutron separation energies $S_{2n}$ and neutron pairing energy metrics $D_n$. The data do not support the existence of a subshell closure at $N=100$. Neutron pairing has been found to be weaker than predicted by theoretical mass models. The impact on the calculated $r$-process abundances has been studied. Substantial changes resulting in a smoother abundance distribution and a better agreement with the solar $r$-process abundances are observed.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter

Intravenous levosimendan-norepinephrine combination during off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting in a hemodialysis patient with severe myocardial dysfunction

This the case of a 63 year-old man with end-stage renal disease (on chronic hemodialysis), unstable angina and significantly impaired myocardial contractility with low left ventricular ejection fraction, who underwent off-pump one vessel coronary bypass surgery. Combined continuous levosimendan and norepinephrine infusion (at 0.07 μg/kg/min and 0.05 μg/kg/min respectively) started immediately after anesthesia induction and continued for 24 hours. The levosimendan/norepinephrine combination helped maintain an appropriate hemodynamic profile, thereby contributing to uneventful completion of surgery and postoperative hemodynamic stability. Although levosimendan is considered contraindicated in ESRD patients, this case report suggests that combined perioperative levosimendan/norepinephrine administration can be useful in carefully selected hemodialysis patients with impaired myocardial contractility and ongoing myocardial ischemia, who undergo off-pump myocardial revascularization surgery

Characterization of a Be(p,xn) neutron source for fission yields measurements

We report on measurements performed at The Svedberg Laboratory (TSL) to characterize a proton-neutron converter for independent fission yield studies at the IGISOL-JYFLTRAP facility (Jyv\"askyl\"a, Finland). A 30 MeV proton beam impinged on a 5 mm water-cooled Beryllium target. Two independent experimental techniques have been used to measure the neutron spectrum: a Time of Flight (TOF) system used to estimate the high-energy contribution, and a Bonner Sphere Spectrometer able to provide precise results from thermal energies up to 20 MeV. An overlap between the energy regions covered by the two systems will permit a cross-check of the results from the different techniques. In this paper, the measurement and analysis techniques will be presented together with some preliminary results.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figures, also submitted as proceedings of the International Conference on Nuclear Data for Science and Technology 201