Secure short-range communications

Analysts predict billions of everyday objects will soon become ``smart’\u27 after designers add wireless communication capabilities. Collectively known as the Internet of Things (IoT), these newly communication-enabled devices are envisioned to collect and share data among themselves, with new devices entering and exiting a particular environment frequently. People and the devices they wear or carry may soon encounter dozens, possibly hundreds, of devices each day. Many of these devices will be encountered for the first time. Additionally, some of the information the devices share may have privacy or security implications. Furthermore, many of these devices will have limited or non-existent user interfaces, making manual configuration cumbersome. This situation suggests that devices that have never met, nor shared a secret, but that are in the same physical area, must have a way to securely communicate that requires minimal manual intervention. In this dissertation we present novel approaches to solve these short-range communication issues. Our techniques are simple to use, secure, and consistent with user intent. We first present a technique called Wanda that uses radio strength as a communication channel to securely impart information onto nearby devices. We focus on using Wanda to introduce new devices into an environment, but Wanda could be used to impart any type of information onto wireless devices, regardless of device type or manufacturer. Next we describe SNAP, a method for a single-antenna wireless device to determine when it is in close physical proximity to another wireless device. Because radio waves are invisible, a user may believe transmissions are coming from a nearby device when in fact the transmissions are coming from a distant adversary attempting to trick the user into accepting a malicious payload. Our approach significantly raises the bar for an adversary attempting such a trick. Finally, we present a solution called JamFi that exploits MIMO antennas and the Inverse-Square Law to securely transfer data between nearby devices while denying more distant adversaries the ability to recover the data. We find JamFi is able to facilitate reliable and secure communication between two devices in close physical proximity, even though they have never met nor shared a key

Master of Science in Nutrition

thesisConsumption of a quality breakfast has been shown to benefit students academically, behaviorally, and in regard to overall health. School breakfast is offered at the majority of elementary and secondary schools in the state of Utah. However, Utah has the lowest participation rate in school breakfast programs in the United States, with only 33.9% of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch consuming school breakfast. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if students generally eat breakfast, where they eat breakfast, and if they consume food from four defined food groups. Elementary and secondary students from two rural and two suburban school districts were surveyed using an United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) survey. Two elementary schools, two junior high schools, and one high school were used in the analysis of this study. A total of 154 students participated in the survey and data analysis was conducted using Fisher's Exact Test and two-tailed T-tests. Findings indicate that the majority of students (84.42%) consumed breakfast the day of the survey. Of these, 85.71% consumed breakfast at home. There was no difference in the consumption of breakfast in general or breakfast consumption at school when comparing rural and urban students. Most students surveyed expressed understanding of the benefits to consuming breakfast regularly. However, only 8.46% of students reported that they ate foods from the four food categories needed for a complete breakfast, as defined by USDA. Results of this pilot study can be used to further investigate school breakfast participation in the state of Utah

Nocloud: Experimenting with Network Disconnection by Design

Application developers often advocate uploading data to the cloud for analysis or storage, primarily due to concerns about the limited computational capability of ubiquitous devices. Today, however, many such devices can still effectively operate and execute complex algorithms without reliance on the cloud. The authors recommend prioritizing on-device analysis over uploading the data to another host, and if on-device analysis is not possible, favoring local network services over a cloud service

Wanda: securely introducing mobile devices (Extended version)

Nearly every setting is increasingly populated with wireless and mobile devices -- whether appliances in a home, medical devices in a health clinic, sensors in an industrial setting, or devices in an office or school. There are three fundamental operations when bringing a new device into any of these settings: (1) to configure the device to join the wireless local-area network, (2) to partner the device with other nearby devices so they can work together, and (3) to configure the device so it connects to the relevant individual or organizational account in the cloud. The challenge is to accomplish all three goals simply, securely, and consistent with user intent. We present a novel approach we call Wanda -- a `magic wand\u27 that accomplishes all three of the above goals -- and evaluate a prototype implementation. This Tech Report contains supplemental information to our INFOCOM 2016 paper titled, ``Wanda: securely introducing mobile devices.\u27\u27 Much of the additional information is in Section II, III, and VI

Apparatus for Securely Configuring A Target Device and Associated Methods

Apparatus and method securely transfer first data from a source device to a target device. A wireless signal having (a) a higher speed channel conveying second data and (b) a lower speed channel conveying the first data is transmitted. The lower speed channel is formed by selectively transmitting the wireless signal from one of a first and second antennae of the source device based upon the first data. The first and second antenna are positioned a fixed distance apart and the target device uses a received signal strength indication (RSSI) of the first signal to decode the lower speed channel and receive the first data

Detecting the Presence of Electronic Devices in Smart Homes Using Harmonic Radar

Data about users is collected constantly by phones, cameras, Internet websites, and others. The advent of so-called ‘Smart Things\u27 now enable ever-more sensitive data to be collected inside that most private of spaces: the home. The first step in helping users regain control of their information (inside their home) is to alert them to the presence of potentially unwanted electronics. In this paper, we present a system that could help homeowners (or home dwellers) find electronic devices in their living space. Specifically, we demonstrate the use of harmonic radars (sometimes called nonlinear junction detectors), which have also been used in applications ranging from explosives detection to insect tracking. We adapt this radar technology to detect consumer electronics in a home setting and show that we can indeed accurately detect the presence of even ‘simple’ electronic devices like a smart lightbulb. We evaluate the performance of our radar in both wired and over-the-air transmission scenarios

Demo: Wanda, Securely Introducing Mobile Devices

Nearly every setting is increasingly populated with wireless and mobile devices – whether appliances in a home, medical devices in a health clinic, sensors in an industrial setting, or devices in an office or school. There are three fundamental operations when bringing a new device into any of these settings: (1) to configure the device to join the wireless local-area network, (2) to partner the device with other nearby devices so they can work together, and (3) to configure the device so it connects to the relevant individual or organizational account in the cloud. The challenge is to accomplish all three goals simply, securely, and consistent with user intent. We developed Wanda – a `magic wand\u27 that accomplishes all three of the above goals – and will demonstrate a prototype implementation

Methodology for Estimating Deer Browsing Impact

Because there were no reliable indicators of deer browsing on tree seedling regeneration, we developed methodology that can be used to measure deer browsing impact. We compared 11 years (2002 to 2012) of annual estimates of deer density with coarse (percent-plots-no-regeneration, percent-plots-no-impact) and fine (3 levels of impact on 6 indicator seedling species) indicators within a 29,642-ha study area in northwestern Pennsylvania. Coarse and fine measures met established criteria for indicators of environmental stress (e.g., high deer density); they were predictive of stresses that can be: avoided by management; integrative with causes of stress; responsive to disturbances and changes over time; and of sufficiently low variability to be significantly responsive to changes in stressors. Time spent and equipment required to collect indicator data were minimal. Data were collected at the same time and on the same plots as deer density data, producing a significant savings of time and capital. Indicators tested had potential as proxies for deer impact on other forest resources

The co-evolutionary relationship between energy service companies and the UK energy system: Implications for a low-carbon transition

The Energy Service Company (ESCo) business model is designed to reward businesses by satisfying consumers' energy needs at less cost and with fewer carbon emissions via energy demand management and/or sustainable supply measures. In contrast, the revenue of the incumbent Energy Utility Company (EUCo) model is coupled with the sale of units of energy, which are predominantly sourced from fossil fuels. The latter is currently dominant in the UK. This paper addresses two questions. First, why has the ESCo model traditionally been confined to niche applications? Second, what role is the ESCo model likely to play in the transition to a low-carbon UK energy system? To answer these, the paper examines the core characteristics of the ESCo model, relative to the EUCo model. The paper then examines how ESCos have co-evolved with the various dimensions of the energy system (i.e. ecosystems, institutions, user practices, technologies and business models) to provide insight into how ESCos might help to shape the future UK energy system. We suggest that institutional and technological changes within the UK energy system could result in a more favourable selection environment for ESCos, consequently enabling the ESCo model to proliferate at the expense of the EUCo model. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd

Computational and experimental techniques for coupled acoustic/structure interactions.

This report documents the results obtained during a one-year Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) initiative aimed at investigating coupled structural acoustic interactions by means of algorithm development and experiment. Finite element acoustic formulations have been developed based on fluid velocity potential and fluid displacement. Domain decomposition and diagonal scaling preconditioners were investigated for parallel implementation. A formulation that includes fluid viscosity and that can simulate both pressure and shear waves in fluid was developed. An acoustic wave tube was built, tested, and shown to be an effective means of testing acoustic loading on simple test structures. The tube is capable of creating a semi-infinite acoustic field due to nonreflecting acoustic termination at one end. In addition, a micro-torsional disk was created and tested for the purposes of investigating acoustic shear wave damping in microstructures, and the slip boundary conditions that occur along the wet interface when the Knudsen number becomes sufficiently large