Information security service management : a service management approach to information security management

In today’s world, information and the associated Information Technology are critical assets for many organizations. Any information security breach, or compromise of these assets, can lead to serious implications for organizations that are heavily dependent on these assets. For such organizations, information security becomes vital. Organizations deploy an information security infrastructure for protecting their information assets. This infrastructure consists of policies and controls. Organizations also create an information security management system for managing information security in the organization. While some of the policies and controls are of a purely technical nature, many depend upon the actions of end-users. However, end-users are known to exhibit both compliant and noncompliant behaviours in respect of these information security policies and controls in the organization. Non-compliant information security behaviours of end-users have the potential to lead to information security breaches. Non-compliance thus needs to be controlled. The discipline of information security and its management have evolved over the years. However, the discipline has retained the technology-driven nature of its origin. In this context, the discipline has failed to adequately appreciate the role played by the end-users and the complexities of their behaviour, as it relates to information security policies and controls. The pervasive information security management philosophy is that of treating end-users as the enemy. Compliance is sought to be achieved through awareness programs, rewards, punishments and evermore strict policies and controls. This has led to a bureaucratic information security management approach. The philosophy of treating end-users as the enemy has had an adverse impact on information security in the organization. It can be said that rather than curbing non-compliance by end-users, the present-day bureaucratic approach to information security management has contributed to non-compliance. This thesis calls this the end-user crisis. This research aims at resolving this crisis by identifying an improved approach to information security management in the organization. This research has applied the service management approach to information security management. The resultant Information Security Service Management (ISSM) views end-users as assets and resources, and not as enemies. The central idea of ISSM is that the end-user is to be treated as a customer, whose needs are to be satisfied. This research presents ISSM. This research also presents the various components of ISSM to aid in its implementation in an organization

Cross-Sectional Study to Find Out the Prevalence of Cardiovascular Diseases Through Detection of ECG Abnormalities in Undiagnosed Population Using a Handheld ECG Device, SanketLife Pro Plus

: In India, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are now the main cause of sudden death. Statistics on prevalence or nationally representative surveillance statistics, however, are lacking. Aim: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to assess the ECG findings in general OPD patients not yet diagnosed with any CVD using SanketLife Pro Plus handheld ECG device. Materials and methods: The study data was extracted from a free ECG test camp, which was organized in the common OPD waiting area at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in New Delhi. Of the 100 persons screened, 78% had sinus rhythm and 13% had tachycardia. Apart from these, no other major findings were detected in the study population. One percent ST depression and 4% T-wave inversions were the significant findings of concern, suggestive of myocardial ischemia or infarction, especially in the undiagnosed population. Conclusion: Considering the sample size, even at a 1% incidence of major ECG abnormalities, the outcome is indicative of a possible underlying danger, which is avoidable with early detection and thorough awareness. A mass ECG screening along with collection of relevant data and appropriate research design may help to identify the population at risk. Besides the ECG screening, a stroke risk assessment should be done and prophylaxis must be given to the individuals who have been diagnosed with CVDs

Including Everyone, Everywhere:Understanding Opportunities and Challenges of Geographic Gender-Inclusion in OSS

The gender gap is a significant concern facing the software industry as the development becomes more geographically distributed. Widely shared reports indicate that gender differences may be specific to each region. However, how complete can these reports be with little to no research reflective of the Open Source Software (OSS) process and communities software is now commonly developed in? Our study presents a multi-region geographical analysis of gender inclusion on GitHub. This mixed-methods approach includes quantitatively investigating differences in gender inclusion in projects across geographic regions and investigate these trends over time using data from contributions to 21,456 project repositories. We also qualitatively understand the unique experiences of developers contributing to these projects through a survey that is strategically targeted to developers in various regions worldwide. Our findings indicate that gender diversity is low across all parts of the world, with no substantial difference across regions. However, there has been statistically significant improvement in diversity worldwide since 2014, with certain regions such as Africa improving at faster pace. We also find that most motivations and barriers to contributions (e.g., lack of resources to contribute and poor working environment) were shared across regions, however, some insightful differences, such as how to make projects more inclusive, did arise. From these findings, we derive and present implications for tools that can foster inclusion in open source software communities and empower contributions from everyone, everywhere

First principles insights into improved catalytic performance of BaTiO₃- graphene nanocomposites in conjugation with experimental investigations

The present work aims to provide first principles insights into the catalytic performance of composites based on BaTiO3 particles decorated over reduced graphene oxide (rGO). Examination regarding the orbital contributions of valence states, conduction states, interaction. surface and anchoring of perovskite over rGO have been carried out. Theoretical results thus obtained have been validated using experimental investigation. Further experiments have also been conducted to analyze the catalytic performance of composites with respect to multiple advanced oxidation processes. Charge separation has been improved due to rGO acting as macromolecular photosensitizer. Degradation of xanthene dye (Rhoda mine B) and methyl orange (MO) assisted in evaluation of the catalytic performance. Acoustic irradiation provides an additional route to improve degradation by ameliorating catalytic activity (from 0.036 min to 0.099 min in RhB especially). Synergistic effect obtained through conjugated benefits of oxidation processes with proposed composite, played a crucial role in improving the overall efficiency. The cumulative outcome of the results indicates superior performance of BaTiO3-rGO composites for green and sustainable water treatment applications. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved