Multi-Stage Detection Technique for DNS-Based Botnets

Domain Name System (DNS) is one of the most widely used protocols in the Internet. The main purpose of the DNS protocol is mapping user-friendly domain names to IP addresses. Unfortunately, many cyber criminals deploy the DNS protocol for malicious purposes, such as botnet communications. In this type of attack, the botmasters tunnel communications between the Command and Control (C&C) servers and the bot-infected machines within DNS request and response. Designing an effective approach for botnet detection has been done previously based on specific botnet types Since botnet communications are characterized by different features, botmasters may evade detection methods by modifying some of these features. This research aims to design and implement a multi-staged detection approach for Domain Generation Algorithm (DGA), Fast Flux Service Network, and Domain Flux-based botnets, as well as encrypted DNS tunneled-based botnets using the BRO Network Security Monitor. This approach is able to detect DNS-based botnet communications by relying on analyzing different techniques used for finding the C&C server, as well as encrypting the malicious traffic

MACHS: Mitigating the Achilles Heel of the Cloud through High Availability and Performance-aware Solutions

Cloud computing is continuously growing as a business model for hosting information and communication technology applications. However, many concerns arise regarding the quality of service (QoS) offered by the cloud. One major challenge is the high availability (HA) of cloud-based applications. The key to achieving availability requirements is to develop an approach that is immune to cloud failures while minimizing the service level agreement (SLA) violations. To this end, this thesis addresses the HA of cloud-based applications from different perspectives. First, the thesis proposes a component’s HA-ware scheduler (CHASE) to manage the deployments of carrier-grade cloud applications while maximizing their HA and satisfying the QoS requirements. Second, a Stochastic Petri Net (SPN) model is proposed to capture the stochastic characteristics of cloud services and quantify the expected availability offered by an application deployment. The SPN model is then associated with an extensible policy-driven cloud scoring system that integrates other cloud challenges (i.e. green and cost concerns) with HA objectives. The proposed HA-aware solutions are extended to include a live virtual machine migration model that provides a trade-off between the migration time and the downtime while maintaining HA objective. Furthermore, the thesis proposes a generic input template for cloud simulators, GITS, to facilitate the creation of cloud scenarios while ensuring reusability, simplicity, and portability. Finally, an availability-aware CloudSim extension, ACE, is proposed. ACE extends CloudSim simulator with failure injection, computational paths, repair, failover, load balancing, and other availability-based modules

The Experience of the Self in Cyberspace: An Experiential Perspective on Social Networking Sites

The growth of social networking sites (SNSs) has led to significant alterations in the dynamics of our interpersonal relationships as well as how we present and experience ourselves (Alloway, Runac, Quershi, & Kemp, 2014). These transformations have important implications for researchers and practitioners in the field of counselling psychology. SNSs have become an integral aspect of many people’s lives and have grown faster and changed more than any other Internet activity over the last decade (Lup, Trub, & Rosenthal, 2015). The primary aim of this study was to explore the experience of the self on SNSs with a focus on understanding online interpersonal interactions and how participants experience their relationship to social media (SM) from an experiential perspective. Eight participants were recruited for this study between the ages of 20 – 41. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in order to explore participants’ experiences on these platforms. An experiential inductive thematic analysis was utilised to analyse participants’ accounts. The epistemological position adopted was phenomenology and the ontological position was critical realism. Analysis generated five themes and seven sub-themes representing patterned meaning throughout their accounts with a central theme ‘double- edged sword’. The themes were the following: ‘active versus passive use’ (sub-themes: ‘numbing versus stimulating - positive versus negative stimulation’, ‘recognition – social comparison’, ‘perception of oversharing’), ‘perception of control versus loss of control’ (sub-theme: ‘more control in the presentation of the self’, ‘addictive’), ‘virtual versus physical presence’ (sub-theme: ‘virtual versus sensory connectedness’), ‘bridge versus loss of connection’ (sub-theme: ‘surface-level platform’). Findings indicated that participants’ experience of and their relationship to SNSs can be described as a ‘double-edged sword’. Although they experienced positive aspects to SM, including positive ways of connecting to others, all their narratives of their lived experiences included negative consequences of engaging in the use of SM. The findings of the study offer some important insights into the role of SM within these participants’ lives, providing a potential guideline for other therapists and researchers to build upon. The results bring to light the vast complexity of individual and relational experiences that are taking place on SNSs and thus, highlight the potential value in exploring the experiences of clients’ who utilise these sites within a therapeutic setting (Gowen, Deschaine, Gruttadara, & Markey, 2012)

Prevalencia de dientes supernumerarios en una muestra mexicana

RESUMENObjetivoEl propósito de este estudio fue determinar la prevalencia y condición de los dientes supernumerarios no asociados a síndromes en el Departamento de Ortodoncia de la Universidad Latinoamericana, Campus Valle en México D.F.Material y métodosSe realizó un estudio retrospectivo utilizando 1,038 radiografías panorámicas de 622 mujeres y 416 hombres, con edades comprendidas entre los 9 y 57 años de edad en un periodo de 20 meses. Se contemplaron la edad y el sexo del paciente, la clasificación del diente supernumerario y la ubicación. Las variables de género, número y edad se resumieron con porcentajes y la media y desviación estándar respectivamente.ResultadosSe encontraron 40 dientes supernumerarios en 29 pacientes (2.8%); de éstos, 17 fueron hombres y 12 mujeres. En los hombres se encontró el 55% de dientes supernumerarios, mientras que en las mujeres el 45% del total. De acuerdo a su clasificación se observaron los siguientes porcentajes: mesiodens 35%, entre cónico 20% y tuberculado 15%, molares suplementarios 22.5%, premolares suplementarios 17.5%, caninos e incisivos laterales suplementarios 10% cada uno. Respecto a su ubicación no se encontró gran diferencia entre el maxilar y la mandíbula (p = 0.168).ConclusionesAl parecer, el mesiodens es el diente supernumerario que se presenta con mayor frecuencia, siendo el maxilar superior el más afectado en el sexo masculino; sin embargo, las mujeres presentaron mayor cantidad de dientes supernumerarios.ABSTRACTObjectiveThe aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and conditions of supernumerary teeth not associated to syndromes in the University of Latin America Orthodontics Department Campus Valle in Mexico City.Material and methodsA retrospective study was made using 1,038 panoramic radiographs, 622 females and 416 males, ages between 9 and 57 years old in a period of time of 20 months. Considering age, sex, classification of the supernumerary tooth and location. The variables of gender, number, and age, were specified in rates as well as the mean, and standard deviation respectively.Results40 supernumerary teeth were found in 29 patients (2.8%), 17 in males, 12 in females. In accordance to their classification, the next rates were found: mesiodens 35%, conical 20% and tuberculated 15%, supplemental molars 22.5%, supplemental premolars 17.5%, supplemental cuspids and lateral incisors 10% each. With respect to their location, there is no statistically significant difference between maxilla and mandible (p= 0.168).ConclusionsIt seems that the mesiodens are the most frequent supernumerary teeth, being the Upper maxilla the most affected in males, although females had more supernumerary teeth

Prevalence of supernumerary teeth in a mexican sample

ABSTRACTObjectiveThe aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and conditions of supernumerary teeth not associated to syndromes in the University of Latin America Orthodontics Department Campus Valle in Mexico City.Material and methodsA retrospective study was made using 1038 panoramic radiographs, 622 females and 416 males, ages between 9, and 57 years old in a period of time of 20 months. Considering age, sex, classification of the supernumerary tooth and location. The variables of gender, number, and age, were specified in rates as well as the Mean, and standard deviation respectively.Results40 supernumerary teeth were found in 29 patients (2.8%), 17 in males, 12 in females. In accordance to their classification, the next rates were found: mesiodens 35%, conical 20% and tuberculated 15%, supplemental molars 22.5%, supplemental premolars 17.5%, supplemental cuspids and lateral incisors 10% each. With respect to their location, there is no statistically significant difference between maxilla and mandible (p= 0.168).ConclusionsIt seems that the mesiodens are the most frequent supernumerary teeth, being the upper maxilla the most affected in males, although females had more supernumerary teeth