A multifaceted evaluation of the reference model of information assurance & security

The evaluation of a conceptual model, which is an outcome of a qualitative research, is an arduous task due to the lack of a rigorous basis for evaluation. Overcoming this challenge, the paper at hand presents a detailed example of a multifaceted evaluation of a Reference Model of Information Assurance & Security (RMIAS), which summarises the knowledge acquired by the Information Assurance & Security community to date in one all-encompassing model. A combination of analytical and empirical evaluation methods is exploited to evaluate the RMIAS in a sustained way overcoming the limitations of separate methods. The RMIAS is analytically evaluated regarding the quality criteria of conceptual models and compared with existing models. Twenty-six semi-structured interviews with IAS experts are conducted to test the merit of the RMIAS. Three workshops and a case study are carried out to verify the practical value of the model. The paper discusses the evaluation methodology and evaluation results

Secure*BPMN - a graphical extension for BPMN 2.0 based on a reference model of information assurance & security

The main contribution of this thesis is Secure*BPMN, a graphical security modelling extension for the de-facto industry standard business process modelling language BPMN 2.0.1. Secure*BPMN enables a cognitively effective representation of security concerns in business process models. It facilitates the engagement of experts with different backgrounds, including non-security and nontechnical experts, in the discussion of security concerns and in security decision-making. The strength and novelty of Secure*BPMN lie in its comprehensive semantics based on a Reference Model of Information Assurance & Security (RMIAS) and in its cognitively effective syntax. The RMIAS, which was developed in this project, is a synthesis of the existing knowledge of the Information Assurance & Security domain. The RMIAS helps to build an agreed-upon understanding of Information Assurance & Security, which experts with different backgrounds require before they may proceed with the discussion of security issues. The development process of the RMIAS, which was made explicit, and the multiphase evaluation carried out confirmed the completeness and accuracy of the RMIAS, and its suitability as a foundation for the semantics of Secure*BPMN. The RMIAS, which has multiple implications for research, education and practice is a secondary contribution of this thesis, and is a contribution to the Information Assurance & Security domain in its own right. The syntax of Secure*BPMN complies with the BPMN extensibility rules and with the scientific principles of cognitively effective notation design. The analytical and empirical evaluations corroborated the ontological completeness, cognitive effectiveness, ease of use and usefulness of Secure*BPMN. It was verified that Secure*BPMN has a potential to be adopted in practice

Fauna and population of non-Passerine birds in the lower reaches of the Bolshaya Rechka River (Altai Territory, Bolsherechensky reserve)

The purpose of this paper is to provide additional information on the non-Passerine bird fauna and populations in the Bolsherechensky Nature Reserve, specifically within the Bolshaya Rechka River valley. Located in Altai Krai, the reserve occupies a typical territory of the Upper Ob forest massif. Protecting the habitats of rare and endangered bird species is one of the primary goals of the reserve. However, despite previous studies, our understanding of the avifauna and bird populations remains insufficient. To address this, we conducted bird surveys in the reserve during spring and summer of 2012, 2013, 2017, and 2021, specifically within the Bolshaya Rechka River valley. The results revealed that the summer breeding community of non-Passerine birds in the Bolsherechensky reserve consists of 48 species from 18 families and 12 orders. Additionally, we discovered 11 rare and endangered bird species previously unrecorded in the reserve. In particular, seven of these species lack specific distribution information in the latest regional Red Data Books, including the Black stork (Ciconia nigra), Oriental honey buzzard (Pernis ptilorhynchus), Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), Red-footed falcon (Falco vespertinus), Common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus), Eurasian pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinum), and European bee-eater (Merops apiaster). In general, our study significantly improves our knowledge of the non-Passerine bird fauna and population of non-Passerine birds in the lower reaches of the Bolshaya Rechka River within the Bolsherechensky Nature Reserve. The findings are valuable for the improvement of biodiversity protection measures.The authors express their gratitude to A. Gribkov and L. Pozhidaeva for their financial and technical support in organizing the field studies. The authors also thank R. Bakhtin, V. Kozil, student N. Kolotov and high school student A. Bespalov for their assistance during the expeditions. Financial support for the study was provided by the Global Greengrants Fund in 2012 (the project "Save the feathered raptors of the Upper Ob boron!") and "Lash-Rasha" LLC in 2017

A review of cyber security risk assessment methods for SCADA systems

This paper reviews the state of the art in cyber security risk assessment of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. We select and in-detail examine twenty-four risk assessment methods developed for or applied in the context of a SCADA system. We describe the essence of the methods and then analyse them in terms of aim; application domain; the stages of risk management addressed; key risk management concepts covered; impact measurement; sources of probabilistic data; evaluation and tool support. Based on the analysis, we suggest an intuitive scheme for the categorisation of cyber security risk assessment methods for SCADA systems. We also outline five research challenges facing the domain and point out the approaches that might be taken

Cyber-risks in the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT): towards a method for continuous assessment.

Continuous risk monitoring is considered in the context of cybersecurity management for the Industrial Internet-of-Thing. Cyber risk management best practice is for security controls to be deployed and configured in order to bring down risk exposure to an acceptable level. However, threats and known vulnerabilities are subject to change, and estimates of risk are subject to many uncertainties, so it is important to review risk assessments and update controls when required. Risks are typically reviewed periodically (e.g. once per month), but the accelerating pace of change means that this approach is not sustainable, and there is a requirement for continuous monitoring of cybersecurity risks. The method described in this paper aims to alert security staff of significant changes or trends in estimated risk exposure to facilitate rational and timely decisions. Additionally, it helps predict the success and impact of a nascent security breach allowing better prioritisation of threats and selection of appropriate responses. The method is illustrated using a scenario based on environmental control in a data centre

Использование депротеинизированной костной ткани в качестве матрицы тканеинженерной конструкции: экспериментальное исследование

Background. At present, for a number of reasons the complete bone defect replacement with autogenous bone is not always possible. Bone substitute materials are used as an alternative to autogenous bone tissue and can be of either biological or non-biological origin. One of the ways of development of reconstructive technologies is the use of tissue-engineered constructs that fully imitate autogenous bone tissue in the required volume. Aim of study to define in vivo the possibility of using deproteinized human cancellous bone tissue as a matrix for creating tissue-engineered constructs. Methods. An in vivo study was carried out on NZW rabbits. To create a construct, we used the fragments of deproteinized cancellous bone tissue of the human femoral head and stromal vascular fraction of rabbit adipose tissue as a matrix. Bone defect modeling with its subsequent replacement was performed to evaluate the efficacy of reparative osteogenesis during bone defects reconstruction. Study groups were defined: group 1 (control) surgical modeling of a bone defect of the femur without its reconstruction; group 2 surgical modeling of a bone defect of the femur with its reconstruction using fragments of deproteinized cancellous bone matrix; group 3 surgical modeling of a bone defect of the femur with its reconstruction using fragments of deproteinized cancellous bone matrix in combination with stromal vascular fraction of adipose tissue (according to ACP SVF technology). Results. Comparative analysis of reparative processes in case of applying tissue-engineered constructs based on deproteinized human cancellous bone matrix in combination with adipose tissue-derived stromal vascular fraction on in vivo experimental model revealed that the use of these bone substitute materials contributes not only to an early activation of reparative regeneration of main structural elements of the bone tissue in the area of the bone defect replacement, but also to its well-timed differentiation. This determines the restoration of structural and functional viability of the bone tissue at the damage site without developing discernible reactive inflammation. Moreover, the effect of the selected tissue-engineered construct with the combined influence of several factors (ACP SVF) in its composition turned out to be more effective in stimulating bone tissue repair and differentiation. Conclusion. Combination of SVF and deproteinized bone matrix for creating tissue-engineered constructs enables to engage several regeneration mechanisms and accelerate the process of bone defect replacement in comparison with isolated deproteinized bone matrix without bone defect reconstruction.Актуальность. В настоящее время по ряду причин не всегда возможно полное замещение дефекта костной ткани аутогенной костью. В качестве альтернативы используют костнозамещающие материалы как биологического, так и небиологического происхождения. Одним из путей развития реконструктивных технологий является использование тканеиженерных конструкций, полноценно имитирующих аутогенную костную ткань в необходимом объеме. Цель исследования определить in vivo возможности использования депротеинизированной губчатой костной ткани человека в качестве матрицы для создания тканеинженерных конструкций. Материал и методы. Исследование in vivo осуществляли на кроликах линии NZW. Для создания матрицы использовали фрагменты депротеинизированной губчатой костной ткани головки бедренной кости человека, стромально-васкулярную фракцию жировой ткани кролика. Для оценки эффективности репаративного остеогенеза при реконструкции костных дефектов выполнялось моделирование костного дефекта с его последующим замещением. Выделены группы исследования: 1-я группа (контрольная) хирургическое моделирование костного дефекта бедренной кости без его реконструкции; 2-я группа хирургическое моделирование костного дефекта бедренной кости с его реконструкцией фрагментами депротеинизированной губчатой костной матрицы; 3-я группа хирургическое моделирование костного дефекта бедренной кости с его реконструкцией фрагментами депротеинизированной губчатой костной матрицы совместно со стромально-васкулярной фракцией жировой ткани (согласно технологии ACP SVF). Результаты. Cравнительный анализ репаративных процессов при использовании тканеинженерной конструкции на основе костной матрицы из депротеинизированой губчатой костной ткани человека в сочетании со стромально-васкулярной фракцией жировой ткани на экспериментальной модели in vivo выявил, что использование костнозамещающих материалов способствует не только ранней активации репаративной регенерации основных структурных элементов костной ткани в месте замещения костного дефекта, но и их своевременной дифференцировке. Это обусловливает восстановление структурно-функциональной состоятельной костной ткани в месте повреждения, не вызывая развития выраженного реактивного воспаления. При этом действие выбранной тканеинженерной конструкции с сочетанным влиянием нескольких факторов (ACP SVF) в ее составе оказалось более эффективным для ускорения регенерации и дифференцировки костной ткани. Заключение. Использование сочетания SVF с депротеинизированной костной матрицей для создания тканеинженерной конструкции позволяет задействовать несколько механизмов регенерации и ускорить процесс замещения костного дефекта по сравнению с изолированным использованием депротеинизированной костной матрицы и без реконструкции костного дефекта

Operations-informed incident response playbooks

Cyber security incident response playbooks are critical for establishing an effective incident response capability within organizations. We identify a significant conceptual gap in the current research and practice of cyber security playbook design: the lack of ability to communicate the operational impact of an incident and of incident response on an organization. In this paper, we present a mechanism to address the gap by introducing the operational context into an incident response playbook. This conceptual contribution calls for a shift from playbooks that consist only of process models to playbooks that consist of process models closely linked with a model of operations. We describe a novel approach to embed a model of operations into the incident response playbook and link it with the playbook's incident response activities. This allows to reflect, in an accurate and systematic way, the interdependencies and mutual influences of incident response activities on operations and vice versa. The approach includes the use of a new metric for evaluating the change in operations in coordination with critical thresholds, supporting decision-making during cyber security incident response. We demonstrate the application of the proposed approach to playbook design in the context of a ransomware attack incident response, using a newly developed open-source tool

Оценка in vitro влияния аллогенной костной матрицы на характеристики мезенхимальных стромальных клеток из жировой ткани при создании комбинированных тканеинженерных конструкций

The aim of the study was to evaluate in vitro the effect of native and deproteinized compact and spongy allogenic bone matrices on the characteristics of adipose mesenchymal stromal cells (ASC) in combined tissue engineering.Material and Methods. 24 samples of native and deproteinized compact and spongy bone were examined, which were exposed to mechanical treatment, modeling, followed by sterilization of the samples by ionizing radiation and bacteriological control of sterilization. Some of the samples underwent deproteinization. The characterized cultures of human ASC were used as test cultures to assess the interaction with the bone samples. The Cytation-5 fluorescent imager and Hoechst 3334 fluorochromes (BD Pharmingen™) and calcein (Calcein AM, BD Pharmingen™) were used to characterize the degree of adhesion, migration, and viability of ASC on bone matrix samples. Matrix cytotoxicity was evaluated by MTT assay on days 1 and 7 of extraction.Results. The bone matrix samples are characterized by the absence of cytotoxicity (rank 1). ASC demonstrated good adhesion and migration on any surface of the bone matrix and preservation of cell viability during 7 days of observation. Nuclei sizes of the cells adhered to the deproteinized bone matrix of the spongy structure increased by 25–30% compared to other samples. The cells on deproteinized bone matrix had greater size (the size of the cells from nuclei 8.8 to 11.5 μm, the average size of cells nuclei from an 86.3 μm to 129,0 μm, the average perimeter of the cells nuclei from 30.7 μm to 40.7 μm) than in the native bone matrix samples.Conclusion. The results of the study of various allogeneic bone matrices demonstrate that deep purification of the bone matrix determines the absence of cytotoxicity and the most favorable conditions for the adhesion, migration, proliferation and viability of ASC. Also makes it possible to use tissue engineering based on bone matrices of different structures. Deproteinized spongy bone matrices are best suited for this purpose.Цель исследования — оценка in vitro влияния нативной и депротеинизированной компактной и губчатой аллогенных костных матриц на характеристики мезенхимальных стромальных клеток из жировой ткани (МСК ЖТ) для создания эффективной комбинированной тканеинженерной конструкции.Материал и методы. Исследовали 24 образца нативной и депротеинизированной компактной и губчатой костной ткани, которые подвергали механической обработке, моделированию с последующей стерилизацией образцов ионизирующим излучением и бактериологическим контролем стерилизации. Часть образцов проходила процедуру депротеинизации. В качестве тестовых культур для оценки взаимодействия с исследуемыми образцами костной ткани использовали охарактеризованные культуры МСК ЖТ человека. Для характеристики выраженности адгезии, миграции и жизнеспособности МСК на образцах костного матрикса использовали флуоресцентный имиджер Cytation-5 и флуорохромы Hoechst 3334 (BD Pharmingen™) и кальцеин (Calcein AM, BD Pharmingen™). Цитотоксичность матриц оценивали с помощью МТТ-теста после 1 и 7 сут. экстракции.Результаты. Образцы исследуемых костных матриц характеризуются отсутствием цитотоксичности (ранг 1). Это сопровождается хорошей адгезией и миграцией МСК ЖТ на любой поверхности костного матрикса и сохранением жизнеспособности клеток в течение 7 сут. наблюдения. В большей степени изменения касаются увеличения размеров ядер клеток, адгезированных на депротеинизированной костной матрице губчатой структуры, на 25–30% по сравнению с величиной аналогичного параметра на других образцах. При этом размеры клеток на депротеинизированной костной матрице несколько больше (величина ядер клеток с 8,8 до 11,5 мкм, средняя площадь ядер клеток от 86,3 мкм до 129,0 мкм, средний периметр ядер клеток с 30,7 мкм до 40,7 мкм), чем на образцах нативной костной матрицы.Заключение. Результаты исследования различных аллогенных костных матриц демонстрируют, что глубокая степень очистки костной матрицы определяет отсутствие цитотоксичности и наиболее благоприятные условия для адгезии, миграции, пролиферации и жизнеспособности МСК ЖТ. Это обусловливает возможность создания тканеинженерных конструкций на основе матриц из костной ткани различной структуры. Наилучшим образом для этой цели подходят депротеинизированные губчатые костные матрицы