A Novel Approach to Determining Real-Time Risk Probabilities in Critical Infrastructure Industrial Control Systems

Critical Infrastructure Industrial Control Systems are substantially different from their more common and ubiquitous information technology system counterparts. Industrial control systems, such as distributed control systems and supervisory control and data acquisition systems that are used for controlling the power grid, were not originally designed with security in mind. Geographically dispersed distribution, an unfortunate reliance on legacy systems and stringent availability requirements raise significant cybersecurity concerns regarding electric reliability while constricting the feasibility of many security controls. Recent North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection standards heavily emphasize cybersecurity concerns and specifically require entities to categorize and identify their Bulk Electric System cyber systems; and, have periodic vulnerability assessments performed on those systems. These concerns have produced an increase in the need for more Critical Infrastructure Industrial Control Systems specific cybersecurity research. Industry stakeholders have embraced the development of a large-scale test environment through the Department of Energy’s National Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition Test-bed program; however, few individuals have access to this program. This research developed a physical industrial control system test-bed on a smaller-scale that provided an environment for modeling a simulated critical infrastructure sector performing a set of automated processes for the purpose of exploring solutions and studying concepts related to compromising control systems by way of process-tampering through code exploitation, as well as, the ability to passively and subsequently identify any risks resulting from such an event. Relative to the specific step being performed within a production cycle, at a moment in time when sensory data samples were captured and analyzed, it was possible to determine the probability of a real-time risk to a mock Critical Infrastructure Industrial Control System by comparing the sample values to those derived from a previously established baseline. This research achieved such a goal by implementing a passive, spatial and task-based segregated sensor network, running in parallel to the active control system process for monitoring and detecting risk, and effectively identified a real-time risk probability within a Critical Infrastructure Industrial Control System Test-bed. The practicality of this research ranges from determining on-demand real-time risk probabilities during an automated process, to employing baseline monitoring techniques for discovering systems, or components thereof, exploited along the supply chain

Citizens\u27 Perception of a Good Electronic House Arrest Program

The successful implementation and operation of electronic house arrest (EHA) depends upon community acceptance. Research has explored the conditions under which the public supports EHA as an alternative to incarceration, but it has failed to fully address what the public believes are appropriate program characteristics and offender activities. In order to gain insight into these issues, the present article reports the findings of a survey (n=521) of Oneida County, New York, residents. Respondents indicated that a good EHA program has rules and regulations and promote individual and societal safet

Variable valve actuating apparatus

An actuating apparatus, which can be used to perform variable valve timing of the intake or exhaust valves of an internal combustion engine, includes a hollow shaft with at least one slot defined through a cylindrical wall. A movable cam member is disposed to project through the slot and is rotatable relative to the hollow shaft in a channel defined in the interior surface of the hollow shaft. A base circle band extends circumferentially around the outer surface of the hollow shaft between the endwalls of the slot. The exterior surface of the hollow shaft can define grooves which receive front or back ear members of the cam member. The exterior surface of the hollow shaft also can define recesses, which in some embodiments have bottom surfaces and in other embodiments have partial bottom surfaces or no bottom surface. The recesses can receive tongue members formed on the cam member. The cam member can be engaged by a cam follower that has a roller to engage the cam surface. When the length of the roller exceeds the width of the cam surface, base circle arcuate sections can be provided on the exterior surface of the hollow shaft to carry the roller across the exposed portion of the slot that exists between the endwall of the slot and the free end of the cam member. An inner shaft extends through an opening defined transversely through the cam member and nonrotatably engages same. The nose portion of the cam member can be defined by a rotatable roller. Twin cam members having identical cam surface profiles can be disposed side-by-side, with one cam member projecting through the slot and the other cam member secured to the outer surface of the hollow shaft. A single follower such as a tappet defining a circular cylindrical surface can be provided to engage both cam members and can be held nonrotatably

Method for continuous camlobe phasing

A method of attaining a desired engine performance comprises the steps of changing the angular position of a variable camlobe (or cam) member relative to a fixed camlobe (or cam) member from a first angular position to a second angular position. In changing from the first to the second angular position, the variable camlobe (or cam) member moves in a predetermined direction relative to the direction of rotation of a camshaft. The predetermined direction and the magnitude of the angular movement of the variable camlobe (or cam) member is dependent at least in part upon at least one desired operating condition of the engine. The method further comprises changing the angular position of both camlobe (or cam) members relative to a reference point of a drive pulley. This change in the angular position of both of the camlobe (or cam) members relative to the reference point involves movement of the camlobes (or cams) in a direction relative to the direction of rotation of a camshaft. The direction and magnitude of this movement is based at least in part upon at least one desired operating condition of the engine

Dual-acting apparatus for variable valve timing and the like

An apparatus and method effects the cyclical actuation of an actuation member. The apparatus can be driven by a crankshaft and has at least one dual-acting phasing apparatus with at least three rotatable mounted internally splined members and at least a first rotatably mounted, externally splined, flexible member having a portion thereof rotatably disposed within each of at least two of the internally splined members. One inner splined member can be connected nonrotatably to a first rotatable member such as an inner shaft, which is rotatably disposed within an outer shaft of a concentric camshaft. Another internally splined member can be nonrotatably connected to the outer shaft. Yet another internally splined member can be nonrotatably connected to a pulley wheel driven by the crankshaft. A fourth internally splined member can be connected to one of the other three internally splined members. A second externally splined, flexible member can be disposed with a portion thereof rotatably disposed within each of at least two of either the three or four internally splined members. Various configurations of cam members and camlobe members can be disposed as integral portions of the inner shaft and the outer shaft. The cam members can be fixed or variable, full width cam members or splittable cam members. More than one concentric camshaft can be controlled by a single dual-acting phasing mechanism. More than one dual-acting phasing mechanism can be used to control two camshafts, concentric or conventional

Assessing Student Work in Engineering Graphics and Visualization Course

Advances in computer technology have led to significant changes in the content of the freshman engineering graphics course. Course topics, textbooks, and software choices differ from one institution to another, depending in part on the programs of study the engineering graphics course serves.  In addition, institutions differ in the methods used to assess student learning. A number of authors have presented their work in the area of grading criteria and assessment of student work in the freshman engineering graphics course.   In the latest revision of the engineering graphics course at Georgia Tech, a backward design approach was used to identify goals for student understanding, to establish assessments for measuring student understanding, and to plan instruction. This paper describes the evolution of the freshman engineering graphics course at Georgia Tech, in terms of course content and assessment methodology. The paper includes a statement of learning objectives, an assessment matrix, and examples of student assignments

Management Information Systems Education: A Systematic Review

Management information systems (MIS) programs were developed to prepare graduates to create innovative solutions to problems where business and technology intersect. As such, the curricula must change rapidly to stay current with industry standards, an accelerating moving target. This research presents the findings of a systematic literature review to identify and present trends in the scholarly literature on MIS education. The purpose of this approach was to understand how academia ensures students are prepared for industry and keeps pace with changing industry needs. Key findings from the literature are presented, as well as a compilation of areas for future research. Overwhelmingly, a lack of international perspective was identified as the vast majority of articles collected data in the US. Further, the direction of future research and exploration revolved around five themes of innovative pedagogical approaches, industry partnerships, subtopics of MIS education, new methods and metrics for measuring success in MIS education, and cross-disciplinary opportunities in fields such as mathematics, traditional business disciplines, and the hard sciences

What change in outcomes after cardiac arrest is necessary to change practice? Results of an international survey

Background: Efficient trials of interventions for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) should have adequate but not excess power to detect a difference in outcomes. The minimum clinically important difference (MCID) is the threshold value in outcomes observed in a trial at which providers should choose to adopt a treatment. There has been limited assessment of MCID for outcomes after OHCA. Therefore, we conducted an international survey of individuals interested in cardiac resuscitation to define the MCID for a range of outcomes after OHCA. Methods: A brief survey instrument was developed and modified by consensus. Included were open-ended responses. The survey included an illustrative example of a hypothetical randomized study with distributions of outcomes based on those in a public use datafile from a previous trial. Elicited information included the minimum significant difference required in an outcome to change clinical practice. The population of interest was emergency physicians or other practitioners of acute cardiovascular research. Results: Usable responses were obtained from 160 respondents (50% of surveyed) in 46 countries (79% of surveyed). MCIDs tended to increase as baseline outcomes increased. For a population of patients with 25% survival to discharge and 20% favorable neurologic status at discharge, the MCID were median 5 (interquartile range [IQR] 3, 10) percent for survival to discharge; median 5 (IQR 2, 10) percent for favorable neurologic status at discharge, median 4 (IQR 2, 9) days of ICU-free survival and median 4 (IQR 2, 8) days of hospital-free survival. Conclusion: Reported MCIDs for outcomes after OHCA vary according to the outcome considered as well as the baseline rate of achieving it. MCIDs of ICU-free survival or hospital-free survival may be useful to accelerate the rate of evidence-based change in resuscitation care. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe