Enhancing the Conventional Information Security Management Maturity Model (ISM3) in Resolving Human Factors in Organization Information Sharing

Information sharing in organization has been considered as an important approach in increasing organizational efficiency, performance and decision making. With the present and advances in information and communication technology, sharing information and exchanging of data across organizations has become more feasible in organization. However, information sharing has been a complex task over the years and identifying factors that influence information sharing across organization has becomes crucial and critical. Researchers have taken several methods and approaches to resolve problems in information sharing at all levels without a lasting solution, as sharing is best understood as a practice that reflects behavior, social, economic, legal and technological influences. Due to the limitation of the conventional ISM3 standards to address culture, social, legislation and human behavior, the findings in this paper suggest that, a centralized information structure without human practice, distribution of information and coordination is not effective. This paper reviews the previous information sharing research, outlines the factors affecting information sharing and the different practices needed to improve the management of information security by recommending several combinations of information security and coordination mechanism for reducing uncertainty during sharing of information .This thesis proposes information security management protocol (ISMP) as an enhancement towards ISM3 to resolve the above problems. This protocol provides a means for practitioners to identify key factors involved in successful information sharing....

People Are the Answer to Security: Establishing a Sustainable Information Security Awareness Training (ISAT) Program in Organization

Educating the users on the essential of information security is very vital and important to the mission of establishing a sustainable information security in any organization and institute. At the University Technology Malaysia (UTM), we have recognized the fact that, it is about time information security should no longer be a lacking factor in productivity, both information security and productivity must work together in closed proximity. We have recently implemented a broad campus information security awareness program to educate faculty member, staff, students and non-academic staff on this essential topic of information security. The program consists of training based on web, personal or individual training with a specific monthly topic, campus campaigns, guest speakers and direct presentations to specialized groups. The goal and the objective are to educate the users on the challenges that are specific to information security and to create total awareness that will change the perceptions of people thinking and ultimately their reactions when it comes to information security. In this paper, we explain how we created and implemented our information security awareness training (ISAT) program and discuss the impediment we encountered along the process. We explore different methods of deliveries such as target audiences, and probably the contents as we believe might be vital to a successful information security program. Finally, we discuss the importance and the flexibility of establishing a sustainable information security training program that could be adopted to meet current and future needs and demands while still relevant to our current users

Adoption of Information Technology: Computer Application among Malaysian Civil Service Employees in Selected Agricultural Organisations

This study investigates factors that influence adoption of computer usage in agricultural organisations. Rogers' (1995) rate of adoption of innovations model was used as the research framework. The study focused on whether or not the adoption of innovation factors adapted from the model could explain and predict the computer usage adoption among employees of agricultural organisations in Malaysian civil service. The dependent variable was adoption of computer usage. The five independent variables were perceived attributes of computerisation, types of adoption-decision, communication channels, nature of social system and promotional efforts. The study employed the survey research technique. Sampling was done by using the multi-stage random sampling technique in selecting 219 employees from six (FAMA, MARDI, DOA, LPP, BPM and DVS) out of 12 organisations. Respondents' usage of ten computer applications namely Wordprocessing, Spreadsheet, Data Base, graphics, Presentation, Desktop Publishing, Statistical Data Processing, E-maiL Internet and other specific organisational applications, were studied. Data were collected by mailed self-administered questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were utilised in data analyses. The study should that computer usage adoption level among all employee categories and in all organisations was low. The highest adoption level was in Wordprocessing and the least in organisational application specific to that organisation. Adoption pattern did not differ much among organisations. In terms of categories, 1.8% of respondents could be categorised as innovators, 25.1% early adopters, 48.4% early majority, 24.7% late majority and no laggards. Adoption behaviours were not significantly different in terms of organisations. The wider the coverage of promotional effort, the higher would be the adoption

Bioassay and Partial Identification of Non-Volatile Bioactive Compounds Produced By Bacillus Subtilis

Biological control of plant pathogens is an alternative to the strongly dependence of modern agriculture on chemical fungicides. Extensive applications of chemical control may lead to environmental pollution and development of resistant phytopathogenic fungi strains. It is therefore necessary to develop alternatives to synthetic chemical control to reduce the risks and raise consumer confidence. Bacillus subtilis (BS) was used in this study as the biological control agent (BCA) against Rhizoctonia solani (RS), Pythium ultimum (PU) and Sclerotium rolfsii (SR). The first part of this study focus on optimizing BS as BCA by examining application conditions using stability tests and bioassays. The effects of three variables namely temperature (-20oC-100oC), pH (3-11) and light (sunlight, UV and darkness) on the production of bioactive compounds were studied. From the dual culture bioassay, BS was found to suppress the growth of PU better than RS and SR. Temperature show a considerable effect on BS antifungal activity with highest inhibition occur on SR at 80oC (58.30%), followed by PU at -20oC treatment (38.68%) and RS at 30oC (35.39%). The optimal pH for antifungal production was pH 3 for RS (51.12%), pH 11 for SR (28.33%) and pH 7 for PU (28.73%). However, neither darkness nor UV treatment altered the antifungal activity. Darkness treatment managed to subdue PU (57.16%), RS (58.30%) and SR (46.24%). Thin layer chromatography (TLC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used in the second part of this study in order to screen and isolate the bioactive compound produced by BS. Methanolic extracts of BS was found to be the best extraction method from which 2 anticipated peaks with inhibitory activity against PU and Candida albicans (CA) were exhibited. However, the activity is more significant when tested against CA compared to PU due to concentration limitation. The TLC profiles of extracts revealed an identical chromatographic mobility to BS iturin A (Rf 0.51) and surfactin (Rf 0.68). Meanwhile through HPLC, homologous compound of fengycin and an iturinic compound were detected. The final part of this study was to determine the effectiveness of supplementing different carbon sources to BS on its antifungal activity and hydrolytic enzymes production. Bioassay was again applied to record the inhibitory activities. By using 1% (w/v) of three different carbon sources namely oil palm root (OPR), Ganoderma lucidum (GL) and ball-milled chitin (CHIT)], respectively, inhibitory activity of BS was induced compared to BS grown in Nutrient Agar (NA). Inhibitory activities (cm ± SD) for each pathogen were as followed: for PU, OPR (3.688 ± 0.01) > CHIT (2.304 ± 0.02) > GL (2.114 ± 0.1); for RS, CHIT (4.171 ± 0.05) > OPR (3.038 ± 0.66) > GL (2.892 ± 0.06); while for SR, OPR (2.927 ± 0.02) > CHIT (2.854 ± 0.06) > GL (2.843 ± 0.07). The exposure of selected phytopathogenic fungi to the hydrolytic enzymes such as chitinases, proteases or glucanases was found to degrade the structural matrix of fungal cell walls. BS was found to produce high chitinase in the medium containing CHIT (0.084 U/ml), followed by GL (0.056 U/ml) and OPR (0.051 U/ml), respectively. Meanwhile for β-1,3 and β-1,6-glucanase production, both OPR (1.099 U/ml, 0.716 U/ml) and GL (0.820 U/ml, 1.165 U/ml) showed higher production than CHIT (0.579 U/ml, 0.513 U/ml). The activity of protease was high when BS were cultured with GL (2.579 U/ml), followed by OPR (2.547 U/ml) and CHIT (2.548U/ml)

Readiness Factors For AMT Implementation In Manufacturing SMEs

Malaysia has been independent more than five decades since 1957. Along that way many changes and improvement had been experienced by Malaysian government and citizen. Since 1980 Malaysia had a big changes from agricultural sectors to industrial sectors. This great changing is consistent with world economic development and towards high income countries. Many activities and programs were planned to accomplish the goals. One of them is improving the production part. Implementation of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (AMT) is the best strategy to speedy the production activities. For the large and established companies, this phenomena is not a big deal but for small organization especially for Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) many aspects need to be considered. Implementing AMT requires higher cost, risk and complexity. Although AMT are well known for long term profits but further research need to be done so that implementation is not futile. In this research, the researcher examined the relationship of readiness factors with AMT implementation within manufacturing SME. Other than that is to recognize the most influencing factor of implementing AMT in manufacturing SMEs. This research modified two domain theories which are Theory of Technology Index (TRI) and TOE Framework that analysed three independent variables (Individual Dimensions, Organization and Technology). Quantitative method was used for data collection that developed a set of questionnaire from previous literature review. Total of 120 questionnaire were distributed to manufacturing SMEs in southern of Malaysia. Results indicates that only two constructs had contributed significantly to the relationship with AMT implementation, which were innovativeness and technology favourability. This shown that presenting of these factors encourage AMT to be implement. Moreover, from these eight readiness factors, technology favourability shows the strongest impact towards AMT implementation. It can be proven that people are more interested to implement with new technology when they realize the benefits and suitability with the existing technology. This research indicates several theoretical implication and make several insights for development of manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia. For the view of managerial, this research provide an applicable framework that useful for AMT implementing. Subsequently, practical implication able to examine whether the SMEs are ready to implement AMT or not. Hence, an important implication of this study to the academics, policy maker and manufacturing practitioners in Malaysia is by creating knowledge on readiness factors to amend with better standard of manufacturing SMEs in Malaysia

On Newton-like Gummel Iterative Solutions to Drift- Diffusion Equations

The one-dimensional carrier transport equations as they apply to thesemiconductor devices are governed by the one-dimensional drift diffusionmodel. It is defined by the Poisson\u27s equation, the electroncontinuity equation and finally the hole continuity equation