Development of a Secure Model for Mobile Government Applications in Jordan

This paper develops a secure model for mobile government (M-G) applications using effective privacy methods and validates the model through semi-structured interviews with eight Jordanian e-government experts. The experts emphasized the importance of M-G applications in enhancing services such as bill payments, civil services, civil defense, and police services. To improve privacy, the experts suggested methods such as strong textual passwords, data encryption, login tracking, SMS login confirmation, and signup confirmation. Based on these suggestions, a prototype with suggested privacy features was developed using Android programming, and a questionnaire was administered to 150 Jordanian citizens who confirmed the ease of use and usefulness of the proposed privacy model. This paper expands the acceptance of M-G applications and recommends privacy methods to improve their security. The study highlights the importance of security and privacy as acceptance factors for M-G applications in developing countries and suggests that further studies can investigate advanced privacy and suitable security methods for M-G applications in other developing countries

Determinants of information security awareness and behaviour strategies in public sector organizations among employees

In this digital era, protecting an organisation's sensitive information system assets against cyberattacks is challenging. Globally, organisations spend heavily on information security (InfoSec) technological countermeasures. Public and private sectors often fail to secure their information assets because they depend primarily on technical solutions. Human components create the bulk of cybersecurity incidents directly or indirectly, causing many organisational information security breaches. Employees' information security awareness (ISA) is crucial to preventing poor information security behaviours. Until recently, there was little combined information on how to improve ISA and how investigated factors influencing employees' ISA levels were. This paper proposed a comprehensive theoretical model based on the Protection Motivation Theory, the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the General Deterrence Theory, and Facilitating Conditions for assessing public sector employees' ISA intentions for information security behaviour. Using a survey and the structural equation modelling (SEM) method, this research reveals that the utilised factors are positively associated with actual information security behaviour adoption, except for perceived sanction certainty. The findings suggest that the three theories and facilitating conditions provide the most influential theoretical framework for explaining public sector employees' information security adoption behaviour. These findings support previous empirical research on why employees' information on security behaviours vary. Consistent with earlier research, these psychological factors are just as critical as facilitating conditions in ensuring more significant behavioural intention to engage in ISA activities, ensuring information security behaviour. The study recommends that public-sector organisations invest in their employees' applied information security training

Storage optimization for digital Quran using sparse matrix with hexadecimal representation

Digital Quran is a common application today in smart devices such as hand phones and tablet. The verses are usually presented using images of verses on written in an Arabic font.This raise issues related to storage when representing the whole Quran text.This study proposed a hexadecimal digital representation technique for words in Arabic using UTF-8 for character encoding which is backward compatible with ASCII code.This paper will explain three approaches used in representing the digital Quran.They are the hexadecimal representation for each Quranic words, sparse matrix in representing verses of Al-Quran and double offset indexing for transforming the sparse matrix to efficiently use the space. This representation proof more than 50% reduction in the memory space for storage thus will increase the searching speed.The storage of words being optimized through the use of one memory space for that particular word rather than one memory space for each Arabic character in the words .This technique helps optimized memory management for the whole digital Quran.Due to the smaller size, the digital Quran can be conveniently installed in the future as standard applications in mobile devices

Query cost-reduction for Quranic-Arabic information retrieval using hexadecimal conversion algorithm

Digital Quran is a natural language document that use either Arabic font or images of the verses. In the Al-Quran there are 18994 unique words.Thus, the image approach uses a significant amount of memory space.However there is not much work has been done using machine translation (MT) technique for the Quranic representation. This paper will proposed Arabic information retrieval based on keywords search in Hexadecimal Representation using Al-Quran verses as the test case. All Quranic words will transliterate into machine language in the form of binary format after removing diacritic and duplication.This machine language approach in representing Digital Quran reduces the size of storage around 47-54% and retrieval time up to 20% hence reduce the query cost for Arabic information retrieval in general

Ultra-Morphological Changes of Trichophyton Rubrum Treated with Hydroxychavicol

Trichophyton rubrum is a common pathogenic fungal species that is responsible for causing infection on human skin, hair and nail. The antifungal-resistant strains complicate the treatment regime. Hydroxychavicol (HC) is one of the main compounds from Piper betel leaf that have antifungal potential and its mechanism of action has not been studied yet. The objective of this preliminary study to determine the antifungal properties of HC against T. rubrum using transmission electron microscope (TEM) on gross and ultrastructure of T. rubrum hypha. T. rubrum was treated with HC and miconazole (MI) at concentrations of 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 mg/mL for 1, 3, 5 and 7 days continuously. Generally, fungi structures became more severely damaged at increasing treatment duration. Microscopically, the fungi’s cell wall treated with HC showed a rough surface, shrinkage and demolition similar to the MI treated group. The fungi organelles were also demolished and disorganized. This study revealed that HC has the ability to inhibit T. rubrum growth and has potential to be an antifungal agent for skin infections

The pattern of e-book use amongst undergraduate in Malaysia : a case of to know is to use

This exploratory study focuses on identifying the usage pattern of e-books especially on how, when, where and why undergraduates at the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology (FCSIT), University of Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur use or do not use the e-books service provided by the University of Malaya library. A total of 206 (82) useable questionnaires form the basis of analysis. The results indicate even though the students are heavy users of the Internet, rate themselves as skilled in Internet use and have positive attitude towards the e-book service, the level of e-book use is still low (39). The students become aware of the e-book service mainly while visiting the University of Malaya Library Website, or are referred to it by their lecturers, friends or the librarians. About 70 rate positively on the e-book service. Those who are users of e-books find e-books easy to use and their usages are mainly for writing assignment or project work. Most respondents prefer to use e-versions of textbooks and reference sources. Generally, both users and non-users of e-books prefer to use the printed version of textbooks especially if the text is continuously used. There are significant difference between the frequency of e-book use and gender; between past usage of e-book and preference for electronic textbooks and reference books. The possible factors which may be related to e-book use are categorized into 4 groups and presented in a model, which comprises the ICT competencies of the students, their cognitive makeup, the degree of user access to the e-books and the functional or use factors

Assessing information security management in Malaysian academic libraries / Roesnita binti Ismail

This research aimed to study the perceived threats of information security, their frequency of occurrence and the perceived main source of information security threats in Malaysian academic libraries. Utilising the relevant literature, a possible list of information security threats were listed and investigated. In addition, the researcher also studied the levels of implementation of information security measures in these academic libraries. The information security measures were grouped into five (5) components that represent the proposed library information security assessment model (LISAM). The five (5) components included the technological measures, information security policies, security procedures, security methods and security awareness creation activities. The researcher also studied the differences between the academic libraries in applying information security measures based on the type of university, number of staff, years in ICT adoption, yearly information security budget, availability of information system (IS) security staff and availability of wireless connection. Data used was based on structured questionnaires collected from a total of 39 individuals who were responsible for the information systems (IS) or information technology (IT) in academic libraries in Malaysia. The pilot test and the actual data collection indicated all the five components in the instruments are reliable with cronbach alpha correlation coefficients above α = 0.60. Findings revealed that hardware security threats (70.0%), human-related threats (66.0%) and environmental threats (51.0%) were perceived as the most common information security threats in Malaysian academic libraries. However, data security threat was perceived as the least threatening to these academic libraries. There were slightly high frequencies of occurrence of hardware maintenance errors, use of unauthorised hardware and malicious code attacks in these academic libraries. Parallel with the existing research findings, hardware and software failures (56.4%) as well as human-related threats (41.0%) were perceived as the main root causes of information security incidents in these academic libraries. Most of technological measures for hardware, software, workstation, network, server, data and environmental security have been implemented and reviewed on regular basis in these academic libraries. This study found significant differences among academic libraries in Malaysia in applying technological measures due to yearly information system’s security budget and availability of information systems (IS) security staff. However, most of information security procedures, information security administrative tools and information security awareness creation were rated at Level 2 (Only some part of measures have been implemented), these findings were discouraging as rating of Level 4 (Implemented and reviewed on regular basis) and Level 5 (Fully implemented and recognised as good example for other libraries) would be better reflection of a well implemented organisational measures in libraries. This study found significant differences among academic libraries in Malaysia in applying the organisational measures due to number of staff, yearly information system security budget and availability of information system (IS) security staff. With regard to the overall security status of information security management in Malaysian academic libraries based on the proposed information security assessment tool for libraries, findings revealed that half of those academic libraries (55.3%) surveyed have good practice of technological security measures but require improvement on organisational measures. This may be due to the over-emphasis on technology as the sole solution to information security problems in these academic libraries. Therefore, it is necessary to put organisational measures in place as relying on technology alone will not solve the information security problems effectively

Readiness of Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) policy on hospital staff using e-patuh system

ISO 27001:2013 is the best-known standard providing requirements for information security management systems (ISMS). An ISMS is a systematic approach to manage sensitive information through people, processes and IT systems. In a hospital, a patient's individual medical record is highly private and sensitive. This study performed qualitative questionnaire based on the ISO27001:2013 policy. Seven hospitals in Malaysia were involved in this study. This study focus on the Data Center as it contains a high risk server. This study reveals the non-compliance issues among the sampled hospitals in Malaysia. The participation of the hospitals in trainings related to information security awareness and education were still not adequate due to lack of support from the top management. The Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU), the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the top management in hospitals in Malaysia play vital roles to educate and ensure the compliance of ISO 27001:2013

Readiness of Information Security Management Systems (ISMS) Policy on Hospital Staff Using e-Patuh System

ISO 27001:2013 is the best-known standard providing requirements for information security management systems (ISMS). An ISMS is a systematic approach to manage sensitive information through people, processes and IT systems. In a hospital, a patient's individual medical record is highly private and sensitive. This study performed qualitative questionnaire based on the ISO27001:2013 policy. Seven hospitals in Malaysia were involved in this study. This study focus on the Data Center as it contains a high risk server. This study reveals the non-compliance issues among the sampled hospitals in Malaysia. The participation of the hospitals in trainings related to information security awareness and education were still not adequate due to lack of support from the top management. The Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (MAMPU), the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the top management in hospitals in Malaysia play vital roles to educate and ensure the compliance of ISO 27001:2013