Towards Enhanced Usability of IT Security Mechanisms - How to Design Usable IT Security Mechanisms Using the Example of Email Encryption

Nowadays, advanced security mechanisms exist to protect data, systems, and networks. Most of these mechanisms are effective, and security experts can handle them to achieve a sufficient level of security for any given system. However, most of these systems have not been designed with focus on good usability for the average end user. Today, the average end user often struggles with understanding and using security mecha-nisms. Other security mechanisms are simply annoying for end users. As the overall security of any system is only as strong as the weakest link in this system, bad usability of IT security mechanisms may result in operating errors, resulting in inse-cure systems. Buying decisions of end users may be affected by the usability of security mechanisms. Hence, software provid-ers may decide to better have no security mechanism then one with a bad usability. Usability of IT security mechanisms is one of the most underestimated properties of applications and sys-tems. Even IT security itself is often only an afterthought. Hence, usability of security mechanisms is often the after-thought of an afterthought. This paper presents some guide-lines that should help software developers to improve end user usability of security-related mechanisms, and analyzes com-mon applications based on these guidelines. Based on these guidelines, the usability of email encryption is analyzed and an email encryption solution with increased usability is presented. The approach is based on an automated key and trust man-agement. The compliance of the proposed email encryption solution with the presented guidelines for usable security mechanisms is evaluated

The capital structure of banks and practice of bank restructuring : eight case studies on current bank restructurings in Europe ; final report

This study presents an empirical analysis of capital and liability management in eight cases of bank restructurings and resolutions from eight different European countries. It can be read as a companion piece to an earlier study by the author covering the specific bank restructuring programs of Greece, Spain and Cyprus during 2012/13. The study portrays for each case the timelines between the initial credit event and the (last) restructuring. It proceeds to discuss the capital and liability management activity before restructuring and the restructuring itself, launches an attempt to calibrate the extent of creditor participation as well as expected loss by government, and engages in a counterfactual discussion of what could have been a least cost restructuring approach. Four of the eight cases are resolutions, i.e. the original bank is unwound (Anglo Irish Bank, Amagerbanken, Dexia, Laiki), while the four other banks have de-facto or de-jure become nationalized and are awaiting re-privatization after the restructuring (Deutsche Pfandbriefbank/Hypo Real Estate, Bankia, SNS Reaal, Alpha Bank). The case selection follows considerations of their model character for the European bank restructuring and resolution policy discussion while straddling both the U.S. (2007 - 2010) and the European (2010 - ) legs of the financial crisis, which each saw very different policy responses...

Library Resources For Ethnic Minorities In The Federal Republic of Germany

published or submitted for publicatio

Social Motives and Their Development in Cultural Context

This paper deals with differences in social motives between cultures and with respect to their development. First, social motives are described as complex functional systems. Then aggressiveness and achievement motivation are dealt with as examples. Assumptions about biological factors are discussed and cultural differences are reported. Based on cross-cultural research, variations in early mother-child relations and in cultural norms and values are discussed as main sources of individual and cultural differences

Predatory Exclusive Dealing

While the previous literature on exclusive dealing has been concerned with the question of how exclusive dealing can raise static profits, this paper analyzes the question of how exclusive dealing can be used to predate in a dynamic context. It is shown that exclusive dealing may arise even if it reduces static profits. Exclusivity provisions may not only allow excluding efficient competitors, but indeed are often a cheaper exclusionary tool than predatory pricing. This is the case if the prey's access to finance is not too limited. Furthermore, it is more likely that exclusive dealing is preferable compared to predatory pricing the more market power the predator has with respect to the prey

Convertibility, currency controls and the cost of capital in Western Europe, 1950-1999

For most of the post-war period, Europe’s capital markets remained largely closed to international capital flows. This paper explores the costs of this policy. Using an event-study methodology, I examine the extent to which restrictions of current and capital account convertibility affected stock returns. The delayed introduction of full currency convertibility increased the cost of capital. Also, a string of measures designed to reduce capital mobility before the ultimate collapse of the Bretton Woods System had considerable negative effects. These findings offer an explanation for the mounting evidence suggesting that capital account liberalization facilitates growth.Cost of capital, liberalization, current account, capital account, convertibility

Better Be Convincing or Better Be Stylish? a Theory Based Multi-Agent Simulation to Explain Minority Influence in Groups Via Arguments or Via Peripheral Cues

Very often in the history of mankind, social changes took place because a minority was successful in persuading the dominant majority of a new idea. Social psychology provides empirically well-founded theories of social influence that can explain the power of minorities at individual level. In this contribution, we present an agent-based computer simulation of one such theory, the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM). After introducing the theoretical background and our agent model, we present three simulation experiments that confirm past laboratory research but also go beyond its findings by adopting the method of computer simulation. First, we found that even a minority with low argument quality can be successful as long as it has positive peripheral cues. Second, our results suggest that a higher personal relevance of a topic for the majority led it to be more receptive to minority influence only when the minority showed neutral peripheral cues and very good arguments. Third, we found evidence that a neutral or only slightly biased majority is influenced more easily than a strongly biased one. To sum up, we consider these results to illustrate the notion that a well-presented, comprehensible and valid computer simulation provides a useful tool for theory development and application in an exploratory manner as long as it is well founded in terms of the model and theory.Social Influences, Persuasion Processes, Group Processes, Minority Influence, Computer Simulation, Modelling, Theory Verification, Simulation Experiments

Analysing growth and productivity in Syria by growth accounting

This study investigates the performances of growth and productivity in Syria for the period 1985-2008 by means of growth accountings for the total economy and three major sectors, agriculture, industry, and services. Based on these analyses, guidelines for policies are suggested aiming at the targets for growth and employment as projected in the 11th Five-Year Plan of the economy for the period 2011-2015. The relative importance of the growth of physical capital and labour, of human capital and total factor productivity (TFP) is assessed. The study shows that much higher investments in physical and human capital per year are necessary than accomplished in the recent past in all sectors to achieve the projected growth targets of the Plan. Particularly in the industry sector negative TFP growth hampers growth of output and productivity in the global economy. Growth and reform policy should be focused in the planning period particularly on this sector in order to meet the requirements with respect to the growth and employment targets for the total economy in the Plan. --economic growth,productivity,growth accounting,investment,TFP