41 research outputs found
Predicting Software Suitability Using a Bayesian Belief Network
The ability to reliably predict the end quality of software under development presents a significant advantage for a development team. It provides an opportunity to address high risk components earlier in the development life cycle, when their impact is minimized. This research proposes a model that captures the evolution of the quality of a software product, and provides reliable forecasts of the end quality of the software being developed in terms of product suitability. Development team skill, software process maturity, and software problem complexity are hypothesized as driving factors of software product quality. The cause-effect relationships between these factors and the elements of software suitability are modeled using Bayesian Belief Networks, a machine learning method. This research presents a Bayesian Network for software quality, and the techniques used to quantify the factors that influence and represent software quality. The developed model is found to be effective in predicting the end product quality of small-scale software development efforts
AI ATAC 1: An Evaluation of Prominent Commercial Malware Detectors
This work presents an evaluation of six prominent commercial endpoint malware
detectors, a network malware detector, and a file-conviction algorithm from a
cyber technology vendor. The evaluation was administered as the first of the
Artificial Intelligence Applications to Autonomous Cybersecurity (AI ATAC)
prize challenges, funded by / completed in service of the US Navy. The
experiment employed 100K files (50/50% benign/malicious) with a stratified
distribution of file types, including ~1K zero-day program executables
(increasing experiment size two orders of magnitude over previous work). We
present an evaluation process of delivering a file to a fresh virtual machine
donning the detection technology, waiting 90s to allow static detection, then
executing the file and waiting another period for dynamic detection; this
allows greater fidelity in the observational data than previous experiments, in
particular, resource and time-to-detection statistics. To execute all 800K
trials (100K files 8 tools), a software framework is designed to
choreographed the experiment into a completely automated, time-synced, and
reproducible workflow with substantial parallelization. A cost-benefit model
was configured to integrate the tools' recall, precision, time to detection,
and resource requirements into a single comparable quantity by simulating costs
of use. This provides a ranking methodology for cyber competitions and a lens
through which to reason about the varied statistical viewpoints of the results.
These statistical and cost-model results provide insights on state of
commercial malware detection
Beyond the Hype: A Real-World Evaluation of the Impact and Cost of Machine Learning-Based Malware Detection
There is a lack of scientific testing of commercially available malware
detectors, especially those that boast accurate classification of
never-before-seen (i.e., zero-day) files using machine learning (ML). The
result is that the efficacy and gaps among the available approaches are opaque,
inhibiting end users from making informed network security decisions and
researchers from targeting gaps in current detectors. In this paper, we present
a scientific evaluation of four market-leading malware detection tools to
assist an organization with two primary questions: (Q1) To what extent do
ML-based tools accurately classify never-before-seen files without sacrificing
detection ability on known files? (Q2) Is it worth purchasing a network-level
malware detector to complement host-based detection? We tested each tool
against 3,536 total files (2,554 or 72% malicious, 982 or 28% benign) including
over 400 zero-day malware, and tested with a variety of file types and
protocols for delivery. We present statistical results on detection time and
accuracy, consider complementary analysis (using multiple tools together), and
provide two novel applications of a recent cost-benefit evaluation procedure by
Iannaconne & Bridges that incorporates all the above metrics into a single
quantifiable cost. While the ML-based tools are more effective at detecting
zero-day files and executables, the signature-based tool may still be an
overall better option. Both network-based tools provide substantial (simulated)
savings when paired with either host tool, yet both show poor detection rates
on protocols other than HTTP or SMTP. Our results show that all four tools have
near-perfect precision but alarmingly low recall, especially on file types
other than executables and office files -- 37% of malware tested, including all
polyglot files, were undetected.Comment: Includes Actionable Takeaways for SOC
Center Director's Discretionary Fund 2005 Annual Report
The FY 2005 CDDF projects were selected from the following spaceport and range technology and science areas: fluid system technologies; spaceport structures and materials; command, control, and monitoring technologies; and biological sciences (including support for environmental stewardship). The FY 2005 CDDF research projects involved development of the following: a) Capacitance-based moisture sensors to optimize plant growth in reduced gravity; b) Commodity-free calibration methods; c) Application of atmospheric plasma glow discharge to alter the surface properties of polymers for improved electrostatic dissipation characteristics; d) A wipe-on, wipe-off chemical process to remove lead oxides found in paint; e) A robust metabolite profiling platform for better understanding the "law" of biological regulation; f) An explanation of the excavation processes that occur when a jet of gas impinges on a bed of sand; g) "Smart coatings" to detect and control corrosion at an early stage to prevent further corrosion h) A model that can produce a reliable diagnosis of the quality of a software product; i) The formulation of advanced materials to meet system safety needs to minimize electrostatic charges, flammability, and radiation exposure; j) A lab-based instrument that uses the electro-optic Pockels effect to make static electric fields visible; k) A passive volatile organic compound (VOC) cartridge to filter, identify, and quantify VOCs flowing into or emanating from plant flight experiments
The Mitochondrial Genome of Baylisascaris procyonis
BACKGROUND: Baylisascaris procyonis (Nematoda: Ascaridida), an intestinal nematode of raccoons, is emerging as an important helminthic zoonosis due to serious or fatal larval migrans in animals and humans. Despite its significant veterinary and public health impact, the epidemiology, molecular ecology and population genetics of this parasite remain largely unexplored. Mitochondrial (mt) genomes can provide a foundation for investigations in these areas and assist in the diagnosis and control of B. procyonis. In this study, the first complete mt genome sequence of B. procyonis was determined using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based primer-walking strategy. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The circular mt genome (14781 bp) of B. procyonis contained 12 protein-coding, 22 transfer RNA and 2 ribosomal RNA genes congruent with other chromadorean nematodes. Interestingly, the B. procyonis mtDNA featured an extremely long AT-rich region (1375 bp) and a high number of intergenic spacers (17), making it unique compared with other secernentean nematodes characterized to date. Additionally, the entire genome displayed notable levels of AT skew and GC skew. Based on pairwise comparisons and sliding window analysis of mt genes among the available 11 Ascaridida mtDNAs, new primer pairs were designed to amplify specific short fragments of the genes cytb (548 bp fragment) and rrnL (200 bp fragment) in the B. procyonis mtDNA, and tested as possible alternatives to existing mt molecular beacons for Ascaridida. Finally, phylogenetic analysis of mtDNAs provided novel estimates of the interrelationships of Baylisasaris and Ascaridida. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The complete mt genome sequence of B. procyonis sequenced here should contribute to molecular diagnostic methods, epidemiological investigations and ecological studies of B. procyonis and other related ascaridoids. The information will be important in refining the phylogenetic relationships within the order Ascaridida and enriching the resource of markers for systematic, population genetic and evolutionary biological studies of parasitic nematodes of socio-economic importance
Minimum Technical Data Elements for Liquid Biopsy Data Submitted to Public Databases
Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154656/1/cpt1747.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154656/2/cpt1747-sup-0001-FigS1.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154656/3/cpt1747_am.pd
Evaluating the Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Mutation D614G on Transmissibility and Pathogenicity.
Global dispersal and increasing frequency of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein variant D614G are suggestive of a selective advantage but may also be due to a random founder effect. We investigate the hypothesis for positive selection of spike D614G in the United Kingdom using more than 25,000 whole genome SARS-CoV-2 sequences. Despite the availability of a large dataset, well represented by both spike 614 variants, not all approaches showed a conclusive signal of positive selection. Population genetic analysis indicates that 614G increases in frequency relative to 614D in a manner consistent with a selective advantage. We do not find any indication that patients infected with the spike 614G variant have higher COVID-19 mortality or clinical severity, but 614G is associated with higher viral load and younger age of patients. Significant differences in growth and size of 614G phylogenetic clusters indicate a need for continued study of this variant
Evaluating the Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Mutation D614G on Transmissibility and Pathogenicity
Global dispersal and increasing frequency of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein variant D614G are suggestive of a selective advantage but may also be due to a random founder effect. We investigate the hypothesis for positive selection of spike D614G in the United Kingdom using more than 25,000 whole genome SARS-CoV-2 sequences. Despite the availability of a large dataset, well represented by both spike 614 variants, not all approaches showed a conclusive signal of positive selection. Population genetic analysis indicates that 614G increases in frequency relative to 614D in a manner consistent with a selective advantage. We do not find any indication that patients infected with the spike 614G variant have higher COVID-19 mortality or clinical severity, but 614G is associated with higher viral load and younger age of patients. Significant differences in growth and size of 614G phylogenetic clusters indicate a need for continued study of this variant