Alignment of Coursework with Knowledge Requirements: A Textbook Content Analysis

Every information systems professional has a role to play in security. Analysts must consider security in their analyses and designs; programmers think through logic flaws that create vulnerabilities; and database managers need to provide appropriate access without exposing sensitive information to bad actors. Other disciplines also recognize the importance of employees having a respect for security and a broad understanding of concepts that enable it. Universities prepare students for careers across different domains; and the increasingly important formation of security knowledge falls to IS faculty. This study first examines relevant job postings to determine the knowledge, skills, and abilities most sought after by employers; then uses those results in a content analysis of current information security textbooks to indicate the degree to which employer-demanded concepts are covered in university-deployed teaching materials. The overall results of this study found that coverage of terms associated with security knowledge areas demanded by the marketplace is mixed among six leading textbooks, ranging from near complete coverage to just over half of the topics

Toward Alignment Between Communities of Practice and Knowledge-Based Decision Support

The National Repository of Digital Forensics Information (NRDFI) is a knowledge repository for law enforcement digital forensics investigators (LEDFI). Over six years, the NRDFI has undertaken significant design revisions in order to more closely align the architecture of the system with theory addressing motivation to share knowledge and communication within ego-centric groups and communities of practice. These revisions have been met with minimal change in usage patterns by LEDFI community members, calling into question the applicability of relevant theory when the domain for knowledge sharing activities expands beyond the confines of an individual organization to a community of practice. When considered alongside an empirical study that demonstrated a lack of generalizability for existing theory on motivators to share knowledge, a call for deeper investigation is clear. In the current study, researchers apply grounded theory methodology through interviews with members of the LEDFI community to discover aspects of community context that appear to position communities of practice along a continuum between process focus and knowledge focus. Findings suggest that these contextual categories impact a community’s willingness to participate in various classes of knowledge support initiatives, and community positioning along these categories dictates prescription for design of knowledge based decision support systems beyond that which can be found in the current literature. Keywords: grounded theory, decision support, communities of practice, knowledge managemen

Differentiated Smooth Muscle Cells Generate a Subpopulation of Resident Vascular Progenitor Cells in the Adventitia Regulated by Klf4

RATIONALE: The vascular adventitia is a complex layer of the vessel wall consisting of vasa vasorum microvessels, nerves, fibroblasts, immune cells, and resident progenitor cells. Adventitial progenitors express the stem cell markers, Sca1 and CD34 (adventitial sca1-positive progenitor cells [AdvSca1]), have the potential to differentiate in vitro into multiple lineages, and potentially contribute to intimal lesions in vivo. OBJECTIVE: Although emerging data support the existence of AdvSca1 cells, the goal of this study was to determine their origin, degree of multipotency and heterogeneity, and contribution to vessel remodeling. METHODS AND RESULTS: Using 2 in vivo fate-mapping approaches combined with a smooth muscle cell (SMC) epigenetic lineage mark, we report that a subpopulation of AdvSca1 cells is generated in situ from differentiated SMCs. Our data establish that the vascular adventitia contains phenotypically distinct subpopulations of progenitor cells expressing SMC, myeloid, and hematopoietic progenitor-like properties and that differentiated SMCs are a source to varying degrees of each subpopulation. SMC-derived AdvSca1 cells exhibit a multipotent phenotype capable of differentiating in vivo into mature SMCs, resident macrophages, and endothelial-like cells. After vascular injury, SMC-derived AdvSca1 cells expand in number and are major contributors to adventitial remodeling. Induction of the transcription factor Klf4 in differentiated SMCs is essential for SMC reprogramming in vivo, whereas in vitro approaches demonstrate that Klf4 is essential for the maintenance of the AdvSca1 progenitor phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that generation of resident vascular progenitor cells from differentiated SMCs is a normal physiological process that contributes to the vascular stem cell pool and plays important roles in arterial homeostasis and disease

Development of a National Repository of Digital Forensic Intelligence

Many people do all of their banking online, we and our children communicate with peers through computer systems, and there are many jobs that require near continuous interaction with computer systems. Criminals, however, are also “connected”, and our online interaction provides them a conduit into our information like never before. Our credit card numbers and other fiscal information are at risk, our children\u27s personal information is exposed to the world, and our professional reputations are on the line.The discipline of Digital Forensics in law enforcement agencies around the nation and world has grown to match the increased risk and potential for cyber crimes. Even crimes that are not themselves computer-based, may be solved or prosecuted based on digital evidence left behind by the perpetrator. However, no widely accepted mechanism to facilitate sharing of ideas and methodologies has emerged. Different agencies re-develop approaches that have been tested in other jurisdictions. Even within a single agency, there is often significant redundant work. There is great potential efficiency gain in sharing information from digital forensic investigations.This paper describes an on-going design and development project between Oklahoma State University’s Center for Telecommunications and Network Security and the Defense Cyber Crimes Center to develop a Repository of Digital Forensic Knowledge. In its full implementation, the system has potential to provide exceptional gains in efficiency for examiners and investigators. It provides a better conduit to share relevant information between agencies and a structure through which cases can be cross-referenced to have the most impact on a current investigation

Managing digital forensic knowledge an applied approach

The science of digital forensics is continually changing as technological advances are made and new digital devices are developed. This environment forces analysts to regularly extend their skills with training and frequent research to develop new and admissible techniques. Unfortunately, the same and similar methods are re-discovered by other analysts who are unaware of earlier peer efforts. The situation is aggravated by a nearly universal backlog in qualified digital forensics facilities. This leaves little time for communication between analysts even within a single agency. To address these issues and facilitate an increase in efficiency across all law enforcement agencies, we apply the lessons of knowledge management to digital forensics and extend them with special characteristics required by the law enforcement profession. The result is the development of the National Repository of Digital Forensic Intelligence. This system has been implemented in the largest accredited digital forensics lab in the world and is currently being extended to many other local, state, and federal agencies to increase effectiveness and efficiency among analysts

Development of A National Repository of Digital Forensic Intelligence

Many people do all of their banking online, we and our children communicate with peers through computer systems, and there are many jobs that require near continuous interaction with computer systems. Criminals, however, are also “connected”, and our online interaction provides them a conduit into our information like never before. Our credit card numbers and other fiscal information are at risk, our children\u27s personal information is exposed to the world, and our professional reputations are on the line. The discipline of Digital Forensics in law enforcement agencies around the nation and world has grown to match the increased risk and potential for cyber crimes. Even crimes that are not themselves computer-based, may be solved or prosecuted based on digital evidence left behind by the perpetrator. However, no widely accepted mechanism to facilitate sharing of ideas and methodologies has emerged. Different agencies re-develop approaches that have been tested in other jurisdictions. Even within a single agency, there is often significant redundant work. There is great potential efficiency gain in sharing information from digital forensic investigations. This paper describes an on-going design and development project between Oklahoma State University’s Center for Telecommunications and Network Security and the Defense Cyber Crimes Center to develop a Repository of Digital Forensic Knowledge. In its full implementation, the system has potential to provide exceptional gains in efficiency for examiners and investigators. It provides a better conduit to share relevant information between agencies and a structure through which cases can be cross-referenced to have the most impact on a current investigation