Performance of constrained wireless devices in the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things is an emerging concept where every device, regardless of size, have their own connection to the Internet. This thesis examines what possible limitations are imposed on the functionality of resource constrained, wireless devices. Several different technologies are evaluated and compared, before a set of them is chosen for inclusion in an implementation, for example: IEEE 802.15.4, 6LoWPAN and CoAP. The implementation uses the Contiki operating system, and runs on a Texas Instruments CC2530 SoC. We then examine several different performance aspects of our implementation: the amount of data sent, memory usage and energy consumption. The results are discussed together with security aspects applicable to the Internet of things. The memory usage and power consumption were found to be severe issues. Due to the small amount of memory on the chip, all features could not be used at the same time. In addition, the power consumption was found to be too high for battery-powered usage, giving a lifetime of only 27 hours using a button cell battery. The conclusion is that hardware with more memory, and lower power consumption is required. New protocols for radio power-saving should also be developed and implemented in software.Internet of Things – sakernas internet – är ett framväxande koncept där varje enhet, oavsett storlek, har en anslutning till Internet. Detta examensarbete undersöker vilka möjliga begränsningar i funktionalitet detta får på trådlösa enheter med begränsade resurser. Flera olika teknologier undersöks och jämförs, innan ett antal väljs ut för att ingå i en implementation, till exempel: IEEE 802.15.4, 6LoWPAN och CoAP. Implementationen använder operativsystemet Contiki och körs på ett Texas Instruments CC2530 SoC. Flera prestandaaspekter undersöks: mängden skickad data, minnesanvändning och energiförbrukning. Resultaten diskuteras tillsammans med säkerhetsaspekter att ta hänsyn till i Internet of Things. Minnesanvändningen och energiförbrukningen är de mest problematiska områdena. På grund av chippets begränsade mängd minne kan inte all funktionalitet användas samtidigt. Dessutom är energiförbrukningen för hög för längre tids strömförsörjning med batteri, vilket ger en livslängd på enbart 27 timmar med ett knappcellsbatteri. Slutsatsen är att hårdvara med mer minne och lägre energiförbrukning behövs. Nya protokoll för energibesparande radioanvändning behöver också utvecklas och implementeras i mjukvara

Improved Greedy Nonrandomness Detectors for Stream Ciphers

We consider the problem of designing distinguishers and nonrandomness detectors for stream ciphers using the maximum degree monomial test. We construct an improved algorithm to determine the subset of key and IV-bits used in the test. The algorithm is generic, and can be applied to any stream cipher. In addition to this, the algorithm is highly tweakable, and can be adapted depending on the desired computational complexity. We test the algorithm on the stream ciphers Grain-128a and Grain-128, and achieve significantly better results compared to an earlier greedy approach

Using TPM Secure Storage in Trusted High Availability Systems

We consider the problem of providing trusted computing functionality in high availability systems. We consider the case where data is required to be encrypted with a TPM protected key. For redundancy, and to facilitate high availability, the same TPM key is stored in multiple computational units, each one ready to take over if the main unit breaks down. This requires the TPM key to be migratable. We show how such systems can be realized using the secure storage of the TPM. Hundreds of millions TPM 1.2 chips have been shipped but with the recent introduction of TPM 2.0, more manufacturers are expected to start shipping this newer TPM. Thus, a migration from TPM 1.2 to TPM 2.0 will likely be seen in the next few years. To address this issue, we also provide an API that allows a smooth upgrade from TPM 1.2 to TPM 2.0 without having to redesign the communication protocol involving the dierent entities. The API has been implemented for both TPM 1.2 and TPM 2.0

eavesROP: Listening for ROP Payloads in Data Streams (preliminary full version)

We consider the problem of detecting exploits based on return-oriented programming. In contrast to previous works we investigate to which extent we can detect ROP payloads by only analysing streaming data, i.e., we do not assume any modifications to the target machine, its kernel or its libraries. Neither do we attempt to execute any potentially malicious code in order to determine if it is an attack. While such a scenario has its limitations, we show that using a layered approach with a filtering mechanism together with the Fast Fourier Transform, it is possible to detect ROP payloads even in the presence of noise and assuming that the target system employs ASLR. Our approach, denoted eavesROP, thus provides a very lightweight and easily deployable mitigation against certain ROP attacks. It also provides the added merit of detecting the presence of a brute-force attack on ASLR since library base addresses are not assumed to be known by eavesROP

'Triple wins' or 'triple faults'? Analysing policy discourse on climate-smart agriculture (CSA)

This paper aims to unpack the equity implications of ‘climate-smart agriculture’ (CSA). The CSA approach has gained considerable traction in recent years, but remains highly contested. One of the principal areas of contestation relates to CSA’s contribution to social equity, yet equity is rarely defined in the CSA literature. To fill this gap, we apply an equity framework to four discourses that are commonly encountered in debates on the challenges and opportunities for applying CSA in different contexts and for different purposes. From this, we identify three important equity issues: First, distributive equity implies a need to acknowledge how CSA may transfer the burden of responsibility for climate change mitigation to marginalized producers and resource managers. Second, a procedural equity perspective reveals how CSA discourses generally fail to confront entrenched power relations that may constrain or block the emergence of more ‘pro-poor’ forms of agricultural development, adaptation to climate change, or carbon sequestration and storage. Third, to improve CSA outcomes, a focus on contextual equity means the need to pay more attention to the institutions that underpin the bargaining power of the poorest and most vulnerable groups, as well as a deeper acknowledgement of the political nature of transformations that are needed to address challenges around the agricultural sector in a changing climate

Prosessorientering ved universiteter i Norge En fler-casestudie av erfaringer ved tre norske universiteter

Masteroppgave informasjonssystemer- Universitetet i Agder, 2015Kommunal- og moderniseringsminister Jan Tore Sanner har uttalt at regjeringen vil fjerne tidstyver i offentlig sektor. Universitet er en type organisasjoner i offentlig sektor som har interesse av å eliminere tidstyver. Prosessorientering er en styringsdisiplin som ved å fokusere på prosesser fremfor funksjonelle og hierarkiske strukturer, muliggjør blant annet økt effektivitet og økt kvalitet. Det er utført lite forskning på prosessorientering ved universiteter. Hensikten med vår masteroppgave er derfor å frembringe forståelse og ny innsikt i hvilke effekter norske universiteter kan oppnå ved å innføre prosessorientering. Dette er en utforskende, kvalitativ fler-casestudie basert på et fortolkende forskningsperspektiv. Vi har gjennom semi-strukturerte intervjuer samlet inn data om prosessorienteringstiltak ved tre norske universiteter. De tre universitetene er Universitetet i Nordland, Universitetet i Agder og Universitetet i Tromsø. Våre funn indikerer at effekter av prosessorientering som er identifisert i tidligere litteratur, i stor grad gjelder for norske universiteter. Vi har videre identifisert to nye effekter av prosessorientering som ikke er omtalt i tidligere litteratur. Disse effektene er mer tid til de rette tingene og redusert sårbarhet i prosesser. Mer tid til de rette tingene innebærer at ressurser kan frigjøres og tilføres undervisning og forskning, hvilket bidrar til at universitetene i større grad kan oppfylle sin samfunnsoppgave. Redusert sårbarhet i prosesser innebærer at universitetene i mindre grad er avhengige av nøkkelpersoner for å gjennomføre sine prosesser. Det tredje funnet er at universitetene som deltok i studien ikke har utnyttet mulighetsrommet ved å bruke informasjonsteknologi for å understøtte arbeidet med å forbedre prosesser. Det kan anses som en begrensning i studien at to av tre case er fra universiteter som kun har arbeidet med å bli prosessorientert i en kort periode. Det kan tenkes at de identifiserte effektene av prosessorientering ikke nødvendigvis er sammenlignbare med universitetet som har arbeidet med prosessorientering i lengre tid. Videre kan det anses som en potensiell begrensning at respondentene som ble intervjuet i stor grad ble valgt av personer som jobber med prosessorienteringstiltakene ved de tre universitetene. Gjennom litteratursøk har vi ikke vært i stand til å finne forskning som omhandler prosessorientering ved norske universiteter. Vår studie bidrar til å utvide kunnskapsbasen på et fenomen hvor det tidligere ikke er utført mye forskning. Videre belyser vi viktigheten av prosessorientering, og at prosessorientering kan være like aktuelt og relevant for norske universiteter som virksomheter i privat sektor

‘Triple wins’ or ‘triple faults’? Analysing the equity implications of policy discourses on climate-smart agriculture (CSA)

This paper analyses contrasting discourses of ‘climate-smart agriculture’ (CSA) for their implications on control over and access to changing resources in agriculture. One of the principal areas of contestation around CSA relates to equity, including who wins and who loses, who is able to participate, and whose knowledge and perspectives count in the process. Yet to date, the equity implications of CSA remain an under-researched area. We apply an equity framework centred on procedure, distribution and recognition, to four different discourses. Depending on which discourses are mobilised, the analysis helps to illuminate: (1) how CSA may transfer the burden of responsibility for climate change mitigation to marginalised producers and resource managers (distributive equity); (2) how CSA discourses generally fail to confront entrenched power relations that may constrain or block the emergence of more ‘pro-poor’ forms of agricultural development, adaptation to climate change, or carbon sequestration and storage (procedural equity); (3) how CSA discourses can have tangible implications for the bargaining power of the poorest and most vulnerable groups (recognition). The paper contributes to work showing the need for deeper acknowledgement of the political nature of the transformations necessary to address the challenges caused by a changing climate for the agricultural sector

Förbättring av lagerhantering : Case: Oy Flexo-Power Ab

Detta examensarbete gjordes på beställning av Oy Flexo-Power Ab. Företaget är grun-dat 1994 och har en omsättning på 2 miljoner euro, personalen består av 6 personer. Syf-tet med arbetet var att utreda vilka fördelar ett företag inom en teknisk bransch kan uppnå vid uppdatering av sitt lagerhanteringssystem. Företaget Flexo-Power är en åter-försäljare av småmaskiner och till alla maskiner de säljer erbjuder de också service samt reservdelar. Då det finns omkring 5000 olika reservdelar i lagret kräver det ett fungerande lagerhanteringssystem. Ett bra lagerhanteringssystem skall ha reda på vad som finns i lager, var i lagret och i vilket lager produkterna finns. Systemet bör meddela när en produkt börjar vara slut i lagret och dessutom eventuellt automatiskt beställa påfyll-ning. Företaget har använt sig av manuella Excel-tabeller för att ha koll på vad som finns i lagret. Problemet med de manuella Excel-tabellerna var att de inte uppdaterades tillräckligt ofta och informationen var därför inte tillförlitlig. Företaget bestämde sig för att ta i bruk KoneFutur, ett specialverktyg för småmaskinsbranschen. Ibruktagningen av KoneFutur krävde att företagets datorer samt betalkortavläsarna uppdaterades, efter det kunde mjukvaran installeras och en utbildnings-dag påbörjas. För att sedan koppla systemet till lagret var det viktigt att börja gå igenom lagret och mata in produktkoderna till KoneFutur. En stor del av produkterna kommer utan någon streckkod, vilket innebär att alla produkter skulle förses med streckkoder för att förenkla samt effektivisera för-säljningen. KoneFutur togs i bruk under våren 2017 och har nu varit i användning ett år. För att komma fram till resultatet om vilka fördelar företaget har uppnått vid uppdateringen av lagerhanteringssystemet har kvalitativa intervjuer använts. Resultaten var positiva, de två respondenterna vid intervjuerna är de två försäljare som startat företaget. Det att man nu vet vad man har i lagret och hur många exemplar var den huvudsakliga förbättringen som uppdateringen medförde

Mining peasants and pig-iron merchants. Perspectives om industrialization 1810 - 1900

This thesis studies the preconditions for the industrialization of the Swedish iron industry in Lekebergslagen in the county of Närke. It focuses on the Bergsman and the ironworks, and on the division of production between these two, which was imposed by the government from the 17th century onto the early 19th century. The Bergsman and his household were mining peasants. They had special privileges, for example the mining peasants had exclusive property rights to their land during a long period of time. In return they had to produce pig-iron for the Swedish state. The pig-iron was transformed into bar-iron at the ironworks. By the year of 1810 the mining peasants lost these exclusive property rights. The purpose of this study is to analyze the consequences of this development. Which were the consequences of the land reform for the traditional division of production between the ironworks and the mining peasants? Two concepts central to this study are economic stratification and penetration. These concepts were previously discussed in the research of the Western European proto-industrialization. The researchers considered the industrialization a long process where groups of capitalists and a proletariat evolved through socio-economic stratification, and the small-scale commodity production was penetrated by the capitalists, who finally transferred all production into factories. In conjunction, those two processes constituted the foundation for the industrial breakthrough. Previous research often studies one of these three aspects, but this thesis studies the relationship between penetration, differentiation and industrialization. The iron industry gradually evolved during the 19th century, and by the end of the century it was centralized, that is, industrialized. This study shows that the industrialization process was far from linear. The industrialization of the iron production in Lekebergslagen was preceded by complicated interaction between several operators as well as between different types of capital. The mining peasants of Lekebergslagen were gradually involved in a production system that was mainly controlled by others because of a credit system. The mining peasants in Lekebergslagen were exploited by local creditors within or linked to the mining peasant community, or by the ironworks. A group of capitalists eventually appeared in the local society. We might even say that the mining peasants in Lekebergslagen were gradually proletarianized during the first half of the 19th century. This proletariat was not set free until the mortgage banks were established in the mid 19th century, and when the iron production was centralized. The mining peasants then got the opportunity to emancipate from the local usurers and to invest in agriculture instead of iron production; in the eyes of the ironworks, exploitation of the mining peasants was no longer the most cost-efficient production solution