The Hidden Advantage Among Digital Natives within Bug Bounty Programs

Bug bounty programs are a great way for companies and organizations to help keep their systems and information secure; however, there are only a limited number of white hat hacking participant spots. With only so many seats available at the table, being able to determine the most qualified group of individuals is critical to the efficiency of the program at large. Digital natives, people born into the digital age, provide an instinctive approach when dealing with technology. On the other hand, digital immigrants, people who grew up before the digital age and had to adapt to new technology, evidently utilize experience. This paper focuses on the observation and analysis of each group’s ability to identify critical inconspicuous vulnerabilities within presumably attack proof products. The goal was to identify how the younger generation’s ability to utilize technologies in unanticipated ways could provide security insights often overlooked by more experienced security professionals. We present members of each group six different newly released tech products asking them to, without effort, identify an uncommon usage and vulnerability for each. Their responses are then scored based on classification. After careful classification and analysis, it was determined that millennials with a technical background were the ideal candidates

The Relationship between Service Quality and Customer Loyalty in the Kenyan Mobile Telecommunication Service Industry

Customer loyalty has been presented as an indicator of successful quality management practices in both the manufacturing and the service sectors. Due to the rapid growth of the services sector in most economies, there is need to understand how this concept is associated with business practices for supporting quality in the services sector. The study examined the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty in the Kenyan Mobile Telecommunication Service Sector. The SERVQUAL model was adopted in the study. Kenyatta University students drawn from five of its campuses were selected for the population of the study. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient and regression analyses were the parametric statistical tools used to test the association and effect in the study. A significant relationship was found between service quality and customer loyalty r(313) = 0.47, p<0.05. The SERVQUAL model explained a significant proportion of variance in customer loyalty scores with R2 = 0.306, F(4, 308) = 33.93, p < 0.05. The dimensions in the model predicted different values on customer loyalty: Reliability b = 0.19, t(313) = 2.89, p<0.05, Assurance  b = 0.25 t(313) = 3.50, p < 0.05, Empathy b = 0.35 t(313) = 4.90, p<0.05 and  Reliability b = 0.37, t(313) = 0.54, p>0.05. In sum, service quality has a positive relationship with customer loyalty. These findings hold implications for industry operators on key areas to pay attention to in order to support the quality of services offered so as to guarantee sustained customer loyalty. Keywords: Service quality, Customer satisfaction, SERVQUAL model, Kenyatta University, Customer loyalt

Assessing the Role of Outsourcing in a Financial Institution: The Case of Prudential Bank Limited (Ghana).

Outsourcing has been growing both domestically and internationally in recent years. Contemporary highly competitive business environment today acts as strong stimulus for firms to go outsourcing. In addition, economic globalization facilitates the process of looking for opportunities on the global market to outsource some of the firm’s activities instead of performing them on their own. However, there are challenges associated with the practice. Methodology used was questionnaires, interviews and observations to collect data for the research work. Interestingly, certain findings were discovered which include benefits and challenges faced by the bank in outsourcing some of their activities. Some of these challenges were known to be quality problems; inability to nurture-in-house talent, poor supplier selection, high cost, loss of managerial control, failure to conduct outsourcing exercise, lack of proper planning and understanding the core activities from non-core activities. The assessment and evaluation of the findings clearly identified that Prudential Bank Limited outsources its non- core activities and its benefit can be seen in obtaining improved performance, cost savings, access to world class capabilities, accelerated re-engineering benefits, shared risks, free resources for other purposes, improve quality of service and adequate time for management. The study also further identified some of the non-core activities outsourced as security services, catering services, front desk staff, fuel usage and cash picks and species. The research was concluded with the statement that notwithstanding the challenges, outsourcing plays an important role at Prudential Bank limited, since it enables the organisation to enjoy a lot of benefits and also concentrate on their core activities. Keywords: Outsourcing, Financial Institution, Core and Non-Core

A critical investigation into the nature and quality of in-service Education and Training programmes for Further education and training (FET) mathematics teachers in the Greater Taung area

The study investigated the nature and quality of in-service education and training programmes organized for Further Education and Training (FET) mathematics teachers in the Greater Taung Area. The researcher is of the contention that more could be done to improve the process and the effectiveness of in-service training in the area. An extensive literature study provides a theoretical foundation and exposes some critical issues for effective in-service training programmes. The qualitative approach is used in the case study. The data were analysed through inductive analysis. The major research findings are that there are no formal processes of identifying the needs of mathematics teachers and further, teachers are not monitored and supervised after in-service sessions. It is recommended that the needs of teachers be identified by the school before inset. For effective monitoring and supervision of mathematics teachers after inset, it is recommended that each cluster within the Area Project Office (APO) should have a subject specialist for mathematics.Educational StudiesM. Ed. (Mathematics Education

Towards sustainability: Overcoming the physical barriers to urban green spaces in Kumasi, Ghana

Conserving green spaces (parks, gardens, forest) in the physical landscape of cities is an action that has been identified as contributing to the sustainability of cities. However, to be able to conserve such spaces, some barriers need to be overcome, and this has not received much attention. This paper therefore provides measures to overcome the ‘physical’ barriers to urban green spaces in order to enhance the sustainability of such spaces in Ghana, using Kumasi as a case study. A qualitative research approach, 30 in-depth interviews, ten focus group discussions, archival data, and numerous observation sessions were utilized in the study. Kumasi city authorities, allied bodies on green spaces, opinion leaders, and residents of Kumasi constituted the study’s target population. It was discovered that conflicting ownership rights, encroachment, and poor maintenance are major physical barriers hampering the development of urban green spaces. To enhance the sustainability of urban green spaces, the study recommends that there should be the creation of additional parks and gardens, conversion of brownfield sites into green spaces, incorporation of quantitative standards into the provision of green spaces, and institutionalization of an award scheme on green spaces

Diploma Mills: A Historical Foundation

In the context of the digital age, this paper discusses the issue of diploma mills, which are fraudulent institutions that grant unearned academic degrees for a fee. The study traces the history of diploma mills back to John Cook Bennett's early practice of awarding degrees based on untested hypotheses of experience rather than curriculum-based learning. It provides a thorough understanding of the operation and classification of these institutions, emphasizing the importance of financial gain and social prestige as key motivators for their continued existence. The paper goes on to investigate the impact of these fraudulent activities on the credibility of higher education, labor markets, and public safety in various industries. Additionally, it describes the typical traits and critical thinking techniques of diploma mills, emphasizing naming conventions, unconventional curricula, quantity over quality methods, and structural flaws. The presentation of notable diploma mill examples and the industries in which they operate serves to highlight the size and complexity of the issue. The paper highlights the significant drawbacks, such as deception, lack of recognition, and the breeding of mediocrity, while acknowledging the potential benefits of honorary degrees as a positive offshoot of the diploma mill concept. In its final section, the paper makes a plea to decision-makers in government, higher education, and business to work together and raise awareness to preserve the credibility and value of educational credentials. Keywords: Diploma mills, For-profit, certificate, fake, degree, educational institution DOI: 10.7176/HRL/54-02 Publication date:September 30th 2023

Engendering Immersion for International Low-Income Muslim Students in United States of America: Morgan State University as Case Study

As education becomes more globalized, many universities are welcoming a diverse student body from various cultural and religious backgrounds. International low-income Muslim students, on the other hand, frequently face unique challenges when pursuing higher education abroad. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the barriers that these students face at Morgan State University (MSU) and to propose strategies to improve their immersion experience. MSU can create a more welcoming and supportive educational environment for international low-income Muslim students by addressing their specific needs and fostering an inclusive campus environment. Keywords: Muslim Students, International Muslim Students, Low Income, Engender, Immersion DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/13-6-04 Publication date:September 30th 2023

Costs of reproductive health services provided by four Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) hospitals

The Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) is a large faith-based NGO which currently serves an estimated 35 percent of the Ghanaian population, mainly in remote rural areas. This study built capacity within the CHAG secretariat to calculate the economic cost and cost recovery levels of selected reproductive health services in four CHAG-affiliated hospitals. Techniques learned in the study are applicable to most costing problems, not just to reproductive health. Information obtained in the study forms the basis for negotiating reimbursement under the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme, and for setting cost recovery and containment policies. CHAG senior managers plan to train other association hospitals in the technique

Blockchain-IoT peer device storage optimization using an advanced time-variant multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm

The integration of Internet of Things devices onto the Blockchain implies an increase in the transactions that occur on the Blockchain, thus increasing the storage requirements. A solution approach is to leverage cloud resources for storing blocks within the chain. The paper, therefore, proposes two solutions to this problem. The first being an improved hybrid architecture design which uses containerization to create a side chain on a fog node for the devices connected to it and an Advanced Time‑variant Multi‑objective Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm (AT‑MOPSO) for determining the optimal number of blocks that should be transferred to the cloud for storage. This algorithm uses time‑variant weights for the velocity of the particle swarm optimization and the non‑dominated sorting and mutation schemes from NSGA‑III. The proposed algorithm was compared with results from the original MOPSO algorithm, the Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm (SPEA‑II), and the Pareto Envelope‑based Selection Algorithm with region‑based selection (PESA‑II), and NSGA‑III. The proposed AT‑MOPSO showed better results than the aforementioned MOPSO algorithms in cloud storage cost and query probability optimization. Importantly, AT‑MOPSO achieved 52% energy efficiency compared to NSGA‑III. To show how this algorithm can be applied to a real‑world Blockchain system, the BISS industrial Blockchain architecture was adapted and modified to show how the AT‑MOPSO can be used with existing Blockchain systems and the benefits it provides