An Analysis of Cyber-Incidents in South Africa

Cybersecurity concerns are present in all nations, but the exact nature of the threats differs depending on the country and/or region. Therefore there is a need to assess the threats and impacts for specific countries. This article presents a high-level analysis of “newsworthy” cyber-incidents that affected South Africa. The 54 incidents that are considered are categorised according to impact type, perpetrator type, and victim type, and the trends are assessed. It was found that the most common impact type was data exposure, which was also one that had increased noticeably in recent years. The most prevalent perpetrator type was found to be hacktivists, which had also exhibited a recent increase in activity. A particularly concerning trend was the recent high number of incidents of data exposure caused by error, a trend running contrary to the drive to improve cybersecurity. It was also found that of the incidents considered, 54% targeted state-owned or political entities as victims. In general, the results appeared consistent with global reported trends.CA201

Mobile Malware Implications for IT Management

Since the turn of the century malicious software, called malware, has been generated to infect not only computer systems but also ‘smart’ mobile phones. This malicious code is designed specifically to infect the mobile devices and disrupt the operation of the device or to send messages or make calls, resulting in financial loss to the user. The paper analyses trends in mobile malware from the listings of the malware descriptions. These trends show the increasing severity of the mobile malware problem, the introduction of new malware types, and the changing focus on the malware objectives; predictions of possible future trends are made. The implications of these trends for organisational management are discussed, and possible countermeasures to the risks are suggested

Blind iterative multiuser detection for error coded CDMA systems.

Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005.Mobile communications have developed since the radio communications that were in use 50 years ago. With the advent of GSM, mobile communications was brought to the average citizen. More recently, COMA technology has provided the user with higher data rates and more reliable service, and it is apparent that it is the future of wireless communication. With the introduction of 3G technology in South Africa, it is becoming clear that it is the solution to the country's wireless communication requirements. The 3G and next-generation technologies could provide reliable communications to areas where it has proven difficult to operate and maintain communications effectively, such as rural locations. It is therefore important that the se technologies continue to be researched in order to enhance their capabilities to provide a solution to the wireless needs of the local and global community. Whilst COMA is proving to be a reliable communications technology, it is still susceptible to the effects of the near-far problem and multiple-access interference. A number of multiuser detectors have been proposed in literature that attempt to mitigate the effects of multiple-access interference. A notable detector is the blind MOE detector, which requires only the desired user 's spreading sequence , and it exhibits performance approximating that of other linear multiuser detectors. Another promising class of multiuser detector operate using an iterative principle and have a joint multiuser detection and error-correcting coding scheme. The aim of this research is to develop a blind iterative detector with FEC coding as a potential solution to the need for a detector that can mitigate the effects of interfering users operating on the channel. The proposed detector has the benefits of both the blind and iterative schemes: it only requires the knowledge of the desired user ' s signature, and it has integrated error-correcting abilities. The simulation results presented in this dissertation show that the proposed detector exhibits superior performance over the blind MOE detector for various channel conditions. An overview of spread-spectrum technologies is presented, and the operation of OS-COMA is described in more detail. A history and overview of existing COMA standards is also given . The need for multiuser detection is explained, and a description and comparison of various detection methods that have appeared in literature is given. An introduction to error coding is given , with convolutional code s, the turbo coding concept and method s of iterative detection are described in more detail and compared, as iterat ive decoding is fundamental to the operation of an iterative COMA detector. An overview of iterative multiuser detection is given , and selected iterative methods are described in more detail. A blind iterative detector is proposed and analysed. Simulation results for the propo sed detector, and a comparison to the blind MOE detector is presented, showing performance characteristics and the effects of various channel parameters on performance. From these results it can be seen that the proposed detector exhibits a superior performance compared to that of the blind MOE detector for various channel conditions. The dissertation is concluded, and possible future directions of research are given

Vulnerability assessment of modern ICT infrastructure from an information warfare perspective.

Ph. D. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2011.The overall objective of the study is to provide a vulnerability assessment of the mobile communications infrastructure to information warfare attacks; this study has a South African focus. The mobile infrastructure was selected as the infrastructure and mobile devices incorporate the majority of modern ICT technologies, namely social networking, wireless connectivity and mobility, mass storage, as well as the telecommunications elements. The objectives of the study are to: Propose a new information warfare model, and from this deduce a vulnerability assessment framework from the specific information warfare perspective. These are the guiding frameworks and model for the study. Gather information regarding threats and vulnerabilities, with particular focus on potential use in information warfare and relevance to South Africa. Establish the criticality of the mobile infrastructure in South Africa. Use the gathered information in the vulnerability assessment, to assess the vulnerability of the mobile infrastructure and related devices and services. The model and framework are generated through desk-based research. The information is gathered from research protocols that are relevant to both research and risk and vulnerability assessment, these include: expert input through interviews and a research workshop, incident and trend analyses through news and vendor reports and academic publishing, computer simulation, questionnaire survey, and mathematical analyses. The information is then triangulated by using it in the vulnerability assessment. The primary and secondary data shows that attacks on confidentiality are the most prevalent for both computer-based networks and the mobile infrastructure. An increase in threats and incidents for both computer and mobile platforms is being seen. The information security trends in South Africa indicate that the existing security concerns are likely to worsen, in particular the high infection rates. The research indicates that the mobile infrastructure is critical in South Africa. The study validates the proposed framework, which indicates that South Africa is vulnerable to an information warfare attack in general. Key aspects of vulnerability in the mobile infrastructure are highlighted; the apparent high load of the mobile infrastructure in South Africa can be seen as a high risk vulnerability. Suggestions to mitigate vulnerabilities and threats are provided

INFORMATION-BASED CONFLICT IN AFRICA

For a long time, the African continent was regarded as the ‘Dark Continent’. The rapid assimilation of information technologies into the African economies has placed Africa firmly on a trajectory that will see it compete and integrate with the developed world. As nations and organisations become more information-centric, it is natural that conflicts and competition amongst the various nations or organisations will become increasingly information-based. In this article, the authors reflect upon information-based conflict in Africa. Areas of information conflict that are discussed include censorship, communications intercepts, the use of information and communications to instigate violence and uprisings, and the possibility of cyberwarfare. The article shows that the use of technology to conduct information conflict in Africa is prevalent, and that it is likely to increase

Lessons from implementing the Australian National Action Plan for Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a common yet under-recognised chronic disease with one in nine (more than 830,000) women and those assigned female at birth diagnosed with endometriosis by the age of 44 years in Australia. In 2018, Australia was the first country to develop a roadmap and blueprint to tackle endometriosis in a nationwide, coordinated manner. This blueprint is outlined in the National Action Plan for Endometriosis (NAPE), created from a partnership between government, endometriosis experts and advocacy groups. The NAPE aims to improve patient outcomes in the areas of awareness and education, clinical management and care and research. As researchers and clinicians are working to improve the lives of those with endometriosis, we discuss our experiences since the launch of the plan to highlight areas of consideration by other countries when developing research priorities and clinical plans. Historically, major barriers for those with endometriosis have been twofold; first, obtaining a diagnosis and secondly, effective symptom management post-diagnosis. In recent years, there have been calls to move away from the historically accepted ‘gold-standard’ surgical diagnosis and single-provider specialist care. As there are currently no reliable biomarkers for endometriosis diagnosis, specialist endometriosis scans and MRI incorporating artificial intelligence offer a novel method of visualisation and promising affordable non-invasive diagnostic tool incorporating well-established technologies. The recognised challenges of ongoing pain and symptom management, a holistic interdisciplinary care approach and access to a chronic disease management plan, could lead to improved patient outcomes while reducing healthcare costs

BioSimulators: a central registry of simulation engines and services for recommending specific tools

Computational models have great potential to accelerate bioscience, bioengineering, and medicine. However, it remains challenging to reproduce and reuse simulations, in part, because the numerous formats and methods for simulating various subsystems and scales remain siloed by different software tools. For example, each tool must be executed through a distinct interface. To help investigators find and use simulation tools, we developed BioSimulators (https://biosimulators.org), a central registry of the capabilities of simulation tools and consistent Python, command-line and containerized interfaces to each version of each tool. The foundation of BioSimulators is standards, such as CellML, SBML, SED-ML and the COMBINE archive format, and validation tools for simulation projects and simulation tools that ensure these standards are used consistently. To help modelers find tools for particular projects, we have also used the registry to develop recommendation services. We anticipate that BioSimulators will help modelers exchange, reproduce, and combine simulations

Convergence of functional areas in information operations

Background: Contemporary technology and its rapid rise to a ubiquitous nature are affecting the way in which technology is used. This holds implications for military information operations and information warfare concepts as the previously separate functional areas are increasingly overlapping due to the increased convergence of information technology. Objective: The aim of the article is to illustrate the convergence of the functional areas of information operations through the use of reported examples and descriptive models. Methods: A qualitative review and analysis of practitioner documents, academic publications, and other reports is conducted. The diverse views of this phenomenon are contrasted and discussed. The possible implications of the convergence and possible management techniques are proposed and discussed. Results: There is strong opinion that the domains are not converging, however practice shows that there is an increasing overlap of operational considerations and organisational structure. Conclusion: It is concluded that the domains are not converging, but the operations and management of the information operations functional areas may converge, and this has an impact across all functional areas that needs to be taken into consideration

Students' Cybersecurity Awareness at a Private Tertiary Educational Institution

Internet-based attacks have become prevalent and are expected to increase as technology ubiquity increases. Consequently, cybersecurity has emerged as an essential concept in everyday life. Cybersecurity awareness (CSA) is a key defence in the protection of people and systems. The research presented in this article aimed to assess the levels of CSA among students at a private tertiary education institution in South Africa. A questionnaire tested students in terms of four variables: cybersecurity knowledge; self-perception of cybersecurity skills, actual cybersecurity skills and behaviour; and cybersecurity attitudes. The responses revealed several misalignments, including instances of "cognitive dissonance" between variables, which make the students potentially vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The findings demonstrate the need for targeted CSA campaigns that address the specific weaknesses of particular populations of users

The Information Warfare Life Cycle Model

Information warfare (IW) is a dynamic and developing concept, which constitutes a number of disciplines. This paper aims to develop a life cycle model for information warfare that is applicable to all of the constituent disciplines. The model aims to be scalable and applicable to civilian and military incidents where information warfare tactics are employed. Existing information warfare models are discussed, and a new model is developed from the common aspects of these existing models. The proposed model is then applied to a variety of incidents to test its applicability and scalability. The proposed model is shown to be applicable to multiple disciplines of information warfare and is scalable, thus meeting the objectives of the model