Adaptive security

Automated runtime security adaptation has great potential in providing timely and fine grained security control. In this thesis we study the practical utility of a runtime security-performance trade off for the pervasive Secure Socket Layer (SSL/TLS) protocol. To that end we address a number of research challenges. We develop an Adaptive Security methodology to extend non-adaptive legacy security systems with adaptive features. We also create a design of such an extended system to support the methodology. The design aids in identifying additional key components necessary for the creation of an adaptive security system. We furthermore apply our methodology to the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol to create a design and implementation of a practical Adaptive SSL (ASSL) solution that supports runtime security adaptation in response to cross-cutting environmental concerns. The solution effectively adapts security at runtime, only reducing maximum server load by 15% or more depending on adaptation decision complexity. Next we address the security-performance trade off research challenge. Following our methodology we conduct an offline study of factors affecting server performance when security is adapted. These insights allow for the creation of policies that can trade off security and performance by taking into account the expected future state of the system under adaptation. In so doing we found that client SSL session duration, requested file size and current security algorithm play roles predicting future system state. Notably, performance deviation is smaller when sessions are longer and files are smaller and vice versa. A complete Adaptive Security solution which successfully demonstrates our methodology is implemented with trade-off policies and ASSL as key components. We show that the solution effectively utilises available processing resources to increase security whilst still respecting performance guarantees.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Public-private partnerships : a qualitative approach to prospects for pharmacy in the South African health care environment

Thesis (Ph.D. (Pharmacy Practice))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.BACKGROUND: Powerful public-private partnerships (PPPs) can only be established if the partners are able to deal with complexity. Such partnerships may serve to stimulate local community and economic development. Thus, it may maximise the effectiveness of local groups and resources in meeting the needs for rebuilding a community through a partnership representative of the public and private sectors. A problem that exists in South Africa, is the uneven distribution of population ratios dependent on public and private sector health care service delivery, in relation to the proportion of pharmaceutical service providers in the different sectors. OBJECTIVE: The main objectives of this qualitative research investigation were to examine the prospects for PPP development in the pharmaceutical sector of South Africa as well as to explore the possibilities of a proposition for a proposed generic public-private partnership model to be managed and used in the pharmaceutical sector of South Africa. METHOD: The study comprises of the exploration of the research questions by means of a qualitative research design. The study design implicated a balance between the in-depth literature study and a qualitative research process. The researcher employed a grounded theory approach to collect and analyse the data. Data collection represented the identifiable role players and opinion formulators in the South African health care sector. By following a combination of the various qualitative sampling methods and techniques, a total of 38 (n=38) interviews were conducted. The data collected from the interviewees and from the literature study were integrated and analysed by making use of computer assisted data analysis. SETTING: The researcher selected interviewees from the South African health care sector. The interviews included role players in the pharmaceutical sector in both the public and private sectors. The interviewees further represented eight different spheres of the pharmaceutical setting in South Africa. KEY FINDINGS: The investigation identified a range of prospects for PPP development in South Africa and these were reported in terms of views, expectations and scope for success. The management elements for developing and sustaining joint ventures between the public and private sectors were identified and a proposition was formulated in theory to serve as a proposed generic PPP model (PGM) in the pharmaceutical sector for the South African health care milieu. CONCLUSION The exploratory qualitative investigation surfaced the various facets of the complexity of PPPs. The investigation concluded that several barriers, such as competition and market entry disparities between the macro and micro level pharmaceutical entities, which impede PPP development, affected the prospects for PPP development in South Africa. The South African legislation, South African Treasury guidelines, regulations and the views of the SA Competition Commission need transformation to accommodate both the micro and macro level pharmaceutical service providers in the formation of PPPs. Capacity building within the sphere of pharmaceutical service delivery to the bigger population of South Africa may become sustainable on removal of these barriers. A series of recommendations were presented and several critical issues in need of supplementary research, have been identified.Doctora