Understanding The Significance Of Cyber Security Threats

In the age of globalization, rapidly emerging digital infrastructures of states are open for the clandestine and malicious activities of virtual warriors. The dependency on cyberspace has revealed the digital vulnerabilities of states before their rivals. Hence, the national security of state, presently, is wrestling with the cyber security threats. The protection of core national values and sensitive infrastructure of states are under question. Therefore, the safety and security of digital assets of states have become one of the most serious concerns for the policymakers. The international cyber culture across has declared the national government of states more insecure and unprotected. The combination of offensive and defensive capabilities of state is the key instrument in the cyberspace for the security, and protection of their cyber borders. In this way, the central theme of the work attempts to highlight the significance of cyber security threats by elaborating the strategic dimension of global cyberspace

Vulnerability modelling and mitigation strategies for hybrid networks

Hybrid networks nowadays consist of traditional IT components, Internet of Things (IoT) and industrial control systems (ICS) nodes with varying characteristics, making them genuinely heterogeneous in nature. Historically evolving from traditional internet-enabled IT servers, hybrid networks allow organisations to strengthen cybersecurity, increase flexibility, improve efficiency, enhance reliability, boost remote connectivity and easy management. Though hybrid networks offer significant benefits from business and operational perspectives, this integration has increased the complexity and security challenges to all connected nodes. The IT servers of these hybrid networks are high-budget devices with tremendous processing power and significant storage capacity. In contrast, IoT nodes are low-cost devices with limited processing power and capacity. In addition, the ICS nodes are programmed for dedicated functions with the least interference. The available cybersecurity solutions for hybrid networks are either for specific node types or address particular weaknesses. Due to these distinct characteristics, these solutions may place other nodes in vulnerable positions. This study addresses this gap by proposing a comprehensive vulnerability modelling and mitigation strategy. This proposed solution equally applies to each node type of hybrid network while considering their unique characteristics. For this purpose, the industry-wide adoption of the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) has been extended to embed the distinct characteristics of each node type in a hybrid network. To embed IoT features, the ‘attack vectors’ and ‘attack complexity vectors’ are modified and another metric “human safety index”, is integrated in the ‘Base metric group’ of CVSS. In addition, the ICS related characteristics are included in the ‘Environmental metric group’ of CVSS. This metric group is further enhanced to reflect the node resilience capabilities when evaluating the vulnerability score. The resilience of a node is evaluated by analysing the complex relationship of numerous contributing cyber security factors and practices. The evolved CVSSR-IoT-ICS framework proposed in the thesis measures the given vulnerabilities by adopting the unique dynamics of each node. These vulnerability scores are then mapped in the attack tree to reveal the critical nodes and shortest path to the target node. The mitigating strategy framework suggests the most efficient mitigation strategy to counter vulnerabilities by examining the node’s functionality, its locality, centrality, criticality, cascading impacts, available resources, and performance thresholds. Various case studies were conducted to analyse and evaluate our proposed vulnerability modelling and mitigation strategies on realistic supply chain systems. These analyses and evaluations confirm that the proposed solutions are highly effective for modelling the vulnerabilities while the mitigation strategies reduce the risks in dynamic and resource-constrained environments. The unified vulnerability modelling of hybrid networks minimises ambiguities, reduces complexities and identifies hidden deficiencies. It also improves system reliability and performance of heterogeneous networks while at the same time gaining acceptance for a universal vulnerability modelling framework across the cyber industry. The contributions have been published in reputable journals and conferences.Doctor of Philosoph

Genome-wide association studies for Fusarium head blight resistance in spring wheat germplasm for Northern Europe

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the major crops in the world and an important agricultural commodity in Finland with various uses. Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a deadly disease of cereal crops and with the gradual increase in temperature and precipitation, it is becoming alarming to Finnish agriculture. Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a vomitoxin produced by Fusarium graminearum species during the FHB infection and is hazardous to health if taken in larger quantities by humans and animals. European Union has legalized the maximum allowed DON content in wheat flour for human consumption at 1.75 ppm. Various types of resistance against FHB are known till date, including tolerance and escape from the disease. Anther extrusion (AE) is a highly heritable trait in wheat and is mechanistically involved in resistance against FHB by preventing the availability of nutrients for the fungus. Other traits such as heading, maturity, and height have shown correlations with FHB incidence and severity in previous studies. Genomic information is crucial to identify markers to accelerate wheat breeding programs against FHB. This experiment was conducted at Boreal Plant Breeding Ltd. Finland using 198 spring wheat breeding lines in a row-and-column design with three replications in an artificially spawn-inoculated F. graminearum field. The goal of the project was to evaluate the genetic diversity for various agronomic and FHB-resistance traits and to estimate correlations among them. A genome-wide association study was also performed by using 11,987 SNP markers to investigate any marker-trait association(s) in the spring wheat breeding germplasm. Larger phenotypic variability was observed in both agronomic and FHB-resistance related traits. Many spurious associations were found with general linear models (Naïve and Q model). No marker-trait associations were observed among the traits in mixed linear model (K) after including kinship as a covariate. Cryptic relatedness among breeding lines has shown a significant role during association mapping. An unexpected negative correlation was found between DON and Fusarium severity indicating inaccuracies in phenotyping. A negative phenotypic and genotypic correlation was found between AE and DON. Future studies on the validation of AE as a phenotypic marker against DON accumulation is recommended. Repeating the experiment with the inclusion of more lines with Fhb1 gene in homozygous state might be helpful in finding reliable associations for FHB-resistance related traits

Genome-wide association studies for Fusarium head blight resistance in spring wheat germplasm for Northern Europe

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the major crops in the world and an important agricultural commodity in Finland with various uses. Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a deadly disease of cereal crops and with the gradual increase in temperature and precipitation, it is becoming alarming to Finnish agriculture. Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a vomitoxin produced by Fusarium graminearum species during the FHB infection and is hazardous to health if taken in larger quantities by humans and animals. European Union has legalized the maximum allowed DON content in wheat flour for human consumption at 1.75 ppm. Various types of resistance against FHB are known till date, including tolerance and escape from the disease. Anther extrusion (AE) is a highly heritable trait in wheat and is mechanistically involved in resistance against FHB by preventing the availability of nutrients for the fungus. Other traits such as heading, maturity, and height have shown correlations with FHB incidence and severity in previous studies. Genomic information is crucial to identify markers to accelerate wheat breeding programs against FHB. This experiment was conducted at Boreal Plant Breeding Ltd. Finland using 198 spring wheat breeding lines in a row-and-column design with three replications in an artificially spawn-inoculated F. graminearum field. The goal of the project was to evaluate the genetic diversity for various agronomic and FHB-resistance traits and to estimate correlations among them. A genome-wide association study was also performed by using 11,987 SNP markers to investigate any marker-trait association(s) in the spring wheat breeding germplasm. Larger phenotypic variability was observed in both agronomic and FHB-resistance related traits. Many spurious associations were found with general linear models (Naïve and Q model). No marker-trait associations were observed among the traits in mixed linear model (K) after including kinship as a covariate. Cryptic relatedness among breeding lines has shown a significant role during association mapping. An unexpected negative correlation was found between DON and Fusarium severity indicating inaccuracies in phenotyping. A negative phenotypic and genotypic correlation was found between AE and DON. Future studies on the validation of AE as a phenotypic marker against DON accumulation is recommended. Repeating the experiment with the inclusion of more lines with Fhb1 gene in homozygous state might be helpful in finding reliable associations for FHB-resistance related traits

MANAGING EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IN GENERATION Z

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of compensation equity and development opportunities as well as psychological meaningfulness on employee engagement. The study was conducted on 150 generation Z employees in Central Java. Analysis using SEM (AMOS) shows several findings: compensation fairness affects psychological meaningfulness; fairness compensation has no effect on employee engagement; career opportunities for psychological meaningfullness; Career opportunities have no effect on employee engagement; Psychological meaningfullness affects employee engagement .

John G. Sommer. Empowering the Oppressed: Grassroots Advocacy Movements in India. New Delhi: Sage Publications, 2001. 207 pages. Paperback. Price not given.

Advocacy movements all over the world have been quite instrumental in bringing about social change. The efforts of groups involved in such movements are directed towards realising the core human values of justice and equality by securing the human and civil rights of the poor, oppressed, and marginalised sections of society. Lately, many groups have realised that merely obliterating the effects of oppression, discrimination, and injustice is not enough—these efforts must be supplemented by attempts to address their root causes as well. Only by doing so, the constructive changes occurring in society owing to the struggle of these movements can become sustainable

Transforming Academic Discourse: A Case Study of International Relations as Discipline

The study of social sciences in general and the discipline of International Relations (IR) in particular, always remained the areas of less scholarly significance, because the leading academic circles remained less-inclined towards the non-western production of knowledge in the international system. The main discussions of IR generally revolve around the western discourse and approaches to knowledge. The end of the decades-long Cold War and the elimination of the Soviet Union from the world politics allowed the Western academic circles to influence the production of knowledge in the international system. In this way, the production of knowledge and the promotion of knowledge ignored the non-western academic perspectives. Contrary to conventional academic patterns, there is a need to realize the significance of non-western literature in academics while updating the conventional academic patterns. In this scenario, this paper attempts to address the questions of the production of knowledge and promotion of knowledge on the basis of relative perspectives. While emphasizing the non-western or non-American approaches to knowledge, the central theme of the paper endeavors to highlight the importance of the non-western way of looking at world politics

Finding Ways to Improve Employee Performance in Banking Sector

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of individual characteristics andIntrinsic motivation on innovative behaviour and employee performance, and the effectinnovative behaviour on employee performance. The study was conducted at banking company, the sample size is about 200 employees. Methods of data analysis used in thisstudy is a quantitative analysis method where quantitative data analysis method is a method of analysis in the form of figures and calculations using statistical methods. In simplify the analysis process, will be used Structural Equations Modeling (SEM). According to the analysis, it is concluded as the followings: individual characteristics has a positive effect oninnovative behaviour; intrinsic motivation has a positive effect on innovative behaviour; individual characteristics has a positive effect on employee performance intrinsic motivation has a negative effect on employee performance and innovative behaviour has apositive effect on employee performance. The results of this study and the limitations found to be a source of ideas and input for the development of this study in the future, the suggested expansion of this research include: Future research is not only done from one employee's perspective, rather it is recommended at the same time from two points of view, namely the perspective of the leaders / top management / manager and also the point of view of the employees themselves

Shoulder impingement syndrome: Outcome of arthroscopic subacromial decompression

Objective: To describe the outcome of cases with subacromial impingement syndrome managed with arthroscopic subacromial decompression. Study Design: Quasi-experimental study. Place and Duration of Study: Section of Orthopaedics, Department of Surgery, The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi from April 2005 to March 2006. Methodology: Thirty patients with impingement syndrome who underwent arthroscopic subacromial decompression after failed conservative treatment were included. The Constant and Murley shoulder scoring system was used for the clinical assessment of pain and function pre-operatively and 1, 6 and 24 weeks postoperatively.Results: The postoperatively significant improvement was observed in the Constant and Murley scores in all the patients (by mean 40 points, p \u3c 0.01), which was progressive over six months. Lower scores were noted in patients over 40 years of age, with advanced stage of impingement and partial tears of the rotator cuff. Conclusion: Arthroscopic subacromial decompression was effective in reducing pain and improving function in the studied patients with subacromial impingement syndrome