Effective Information Protection Research Articles

Information protection and cyber security in the public and financial sectors

The public sector faces increasing challenges in the field of cyber security and information protection, stimulated by the rapid development of digital technologies. A significant increase in the need for reliable protection of state data and information systems requires state institutions to implement complex information protection measures. The purpose of the study is to analyze modern approaches and technologies in the field of cyber security and the use of encryption, cryptography, and the use of cloud technologies that can be used in the public sector for effective information protection. The research methodology involves consideration of strategies that allow to increase the level of security and ensure the protection of critical infrastructure. The results of the study emphasize the need to adapt to the rapidly changing digital environment and involve modern technological solutions to create a reliable information network system in the public sector. The findings of the study draw attention to the importance of global cooperation and increased investment in the field of countering digital attacks, demonstrating examples of effective international cooperation and support in this direction. The need for the integration of international standards and practices in order to create a global digital space has been revealed. A promising area of research is the analysis of the impact of the latest technologies on data storage strategies, which contributes to the identification of ways for further innovations in the industry and the creation of flexible information network systems capable of effectively responding to changing conditions and challenges of modern cyberspace.

Quintessence and imperatives of strengthening the financial security of the country in the conditions of the digital economy

The paper addresses the issues of strengthening Ukraine's financial security in the context of the formation of the digital economy. An overview of the main scientific approaches to interpreting the concept of 'National Financial Security' was conducted, and the author proposed a definition. The paper primarily focuses on the quintessence of strengthening the financial security of the country as a set of fundamental principles and approaches that should be implemented to ensure the stability and reliability of the domestic financial system, the creation of favorable conditions for economic development, and the protection of the country's financial interests. The imperatives of strengthening the financial security of the country in the context of digitalization were systematized, aiming to minimize threats such as cyber-attacks, financial fraud, and external risks. To mitigate these risks, the authors propose implementing measures such as the development of effective information protection technologies in the financial sphere and the introduction of a financial monitoring system to enhance the transparency of financial transactions. It has been demonstrated that the financial security of the country is a key element of its economic security, as it ensures the reliability and stability of the financial system and safeguards the financial interests of the country and its citizens. The paper also presents a set of proposals to enhance domestic financial security by enhancing the resilience of the financial system to new risks and threats associated with the digitalization of the domestic economy.

Building an effective network security system of the enterprise based on the method of analyzing hierarchies of quality indicators

The article is devoted to the analysis of the optimal choice of network security systems for enterprises based on the method of pairwise comparison of criteria. The reaction speed, level of protection, integration and reliability of the systems were studied. Considered general requirements for quality and cost. The conclusion is made about the need for a comprehensive approach to system selection and careful consideration of all aspects to ensure effective information protection. The article analyzes the importance of a balanced approach between efficiency and cost when choosing a network security system. The importance of integration with existing systems and taking into account requirements for compliance with security standards is emphasized. The results of the study indicate the need for careful analysis before deciding on the choice of a network security system for the enterprise. Additionally, the article examines the influence of each of the considered criteria on the overall level of enterprise network security and the reliability of information protection. The proposed recommendations on the optimal choice of network security systems can be useful for enterprise management and information security specialists, contributing to the improvement of the overall level of cyber protection. In conclusion, the article offers a comprehensive approach to the selection of network security systems based on an objective comparison of various criteria. Taking into account the speed of response, the level of protection, integration and cost helps enterprises to ensure effective and economical protection of their information resources. The study can be useful both for management deciding on investment in security, and for information security specialists looking for optimal solutions for the specific needs of the enterprise.

Determining the patterns of using information protection systems at financial institutions in order to improve the level of financial security

This paper reports a study aimed at determining the features of using information protection systems at financial institutions in order to improve the level of financial security. It has been proven that under the conditions of digitization of the business environment, information provision is the basis of financial security at both the macro and micro levels. Information has become a strategic resource that needs protection due to the spread of cybercrime. The level of efficiency of information provision and the level of financial security of Ukraine was determined, and the relationship between them was confirmed. Attention is focused on the need to improve these indicators. It has been proven that an effective information protection system enables economic entities to resist dangers and threats. It was substantiated that the intensification of the processes of digitalization of economic activity had created prerequisites for the growth of risks and threats to the integral, uninterrupted, protected circulation of information resources of financial institutions, which leads to huge financial losses. This requires improvement of existing information protection systems. A topology of information protection systems has been presented. An algorithm for building effective information protection systems of financial institutions was proposed, which includes system vulnerability assessment, system assessment for compliance with security standards, penetration testing, and application assessment. Its application would allow financial market entities to promptly respond to real and potential threats, increase the level of information security, and ensure financial stability. The results of the study could also be used by state and local authorities to devise the principles of financial security management at the macro level under the conditions of the digital economy

Adaptive embedding combining LBE and IBBE for high-capacity reversible data hiding in encrypted images

Reversible data hiding in encrypted image (RDHEI) has received wide attention as an effective information protection technique, and most of the existing RDHEI schemes introduce pixel prediction technique to improve embedding performance. However, the high embedding capacity (EC) requirement is still not achieved because the redundancy of carrier medium is not fully utilized. Thus, a novel RDHEI based on pixel prediction and adaptively combining "L"-shaped block embedding (LBE) and improved binary-block embedding (IBBE) is presented, which maximizes the use of Laplacian-like distribution of prediction-errors to achieve higher EC. Specifically, the original image is first predicted to get the prediction-error image and then eight binary prediction-error bit-planes (PEBPs) are generated. Subsequently, the proposed LBE and IBBE are used to calculate the net EC to encode each PEBP. Also, a new bit-plane selection encryption is designed to ensure that the intra-block correlations of the IBBE-based PEBPs remain unchanged. Eventually, the data hider adaptively completes data embedding according to the PEBP coding. Moreover, the 4-D hyperchaotic system is exploited to encrypt the carrier image and the secret data to further enhance the security. Extensive experimental results verify that our strategy achieves more outstanding performance compared with some state-of-the-art schemes.

METHOD OF ASSESSING THE EFFICIENCY OF ENSURING INFORMATION SECURITY OF THE EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEM

In the modern conditions of the development of information technologies, the issue of ensuring information security is becoming more and more relevant. Information has become a key resource that affects the success and stability of the functioning of organizations, enterprises and institutions. Despite the fact that a significant part of efforts is aimed at creating and maintaining effective information protection systems, the issue of assessing their effectiveness remains relevant and important. The article examines a complex methodology for assessing the effectiveness of information security, which is based on the use of modern approaches and tools for analyzing the security of information systems. The proposed methodology covers various aspects of information security, including technical, organizational, procedural and human factors. The evaluation of efficiency is based on a complex analysis of multiple indicators, which allows to obtain an objective picture of the state of information security of the organization. The main part of the methodology is the development and application of mathematical models that allow quantitative assessment of the level of information security. Such models take into account various factors, including the level of technical protection of information systems, information security policy, the level of training of personnel, response to incidents and other important aspects. In addition, the article considers the issue of optimizing costs for ensuring information security by applying economic models and approaches. The proposed methodology includes several stages: determination of key security indicators, data collection and analysis, development of mathematical models for performance evaluation, interpretation of results and development of recommendations for increasing the level of protection. An important component of the methodology is a systematic approach that allows taking into account the interaction of various elements of the information security system and their impact on the overall level of protection. The practical application of the developed methodology makes it possible to timely identify vulnerabilities in the information security system, optimize the costs of its provision, increase the overall level of security of the organization and reduce the risks associated with information threats. The results of the study confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach and demonstrate its applicability in various fields of activity, including business, public sector, education and other areas. Thus, the proposed methodology for assessing the effectiveness of information security is an important tool for organizations seeking to ensure reliable protection of their information. Its use contributes to increasing the level of information security, which, in turn, has a positive effect on the general level of functioning and stability of organizations in the face of modern challenges and threats.

Development of multi-agent information security management system

The issue of creating an information security system is very relevant in the world today. One of the urgent tasks is to solve the issues of effective protection of information from both external and internal threats through the creation and implementation of information security management systems in automated systems of enterprises, which, among other things, requires the formalization of the task of protecting information for its subsequent implementation by software and other means. Now there are security analysis systems, for example, that examine the security elements settings of workstations and servers operating systems, analyze the network topology, look for unprotected network connections, examine the settings of firewalls. The disadvantage of these systems is that they are not suitable for monitoring large volumes of network traffic. The solution to this problem is the use of monitoring tools capable of analyzing large amounts of data in real time. Therefore, a significant place in the article is given to the review of developments based on artificial intelligence technologies, namely multi-agent systems, review of information security models, threat risk assessment in automated systems.
 The functional architecture of the information security management system based on a multi-agent system has been proposed to search in real time for information security optimal solutions through the selection of such coalitions of protection mechanisms agents that will allow to build the optimal protection of the automated system according to the selected criteria. The model with complete overlapping of threats has been substantiated and adopted as a basis, which allows to analyze the overall situation and choose strategically important decisions directly during the organization of information security. The essence of of multi-agent systems functioning that implement a decentralized control system based on the work of autonomous agents that can be implemented programmatically has been revealed. The role of threat agents, resource agents, agents of protection mechanisms and their functional purpose have been defined. The problem of searching a set of protection mechanisms agents coalition for the current state of the automated system as a problem of optimal search by the criterion of protection cost, taking into account the value of information, has been generalized. Due to the modularity of the multi-agent system, the further work will be aimed at detailing its components and perfection.

МЕТОДИКА ОЦІНКИ ЕФЕКТИВНОСТІ СИСТЕМ ЗАХИСТУ КОРПОРАТИВНОЇ ІНФОРМАЦІЇ ВІТЧИЗНЯНИХ ПІДПРИЄМСТВ

The article is devoted to the substantiation of the integrated methodology for assessing the effectiveness of corporate information protection systems of domestic enterprises, taking into account the selected components of the system. The relevance of the development of this methodology is due to the fact that due to the growing number of information crimes, the organization of effective systems for the protection of corporate information in domestic enterprises is a prerequisite for the survival of the enterprise. The issues of scientific and theoretical substantiation of the method of integrated evaluation of the effectiveness of corporate information protection systems of the enterprise are based on general scientific and special methods of cognition. Thus, methods of analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, generalization are used to identify the main components of the system of protection of corporate information. A systematic approach was used to substantiate the author's methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of corporate information protection systems of the enterprise. The method of theoretical gen-eralization and formulation of conclusions was used to formulate conclusions. Thus, the article substantiates the feasibility of organizing effective information protection systems at domestic enterprises. The essence and purpose of functioning of the sys-tem of protection of corporate information at the enterprise are considered. The main components of the corporate information protection system of the enterprise (functional, economic and organizational) are highlighted. Taking into account the allocated structure of the information protection system, an integrated method for assessing the level of efficiency of the corporate information protection system is proposed, which provides for the calculation of integrated indicators for each selected component of the corporate information protection system and the overall integrated indicator. The scale of interpretation of the level of efficiency of the corporate information protection system of the enterprise according to the proposed method is developed. The practical value of the developed methodology is that it is based on one of the basic principles of the system approach, which assumes that each component of the information security system, performing its function, ensures the achievement of the goal, which is, its information security.

Modeling of mechanical characteristics of composite materials applied for protection of information and control complexes of aircraft

In modern conditions of electronic warfare, effective protection of information and control complexes of aircraft (AC) from the destructive effects of external interference is impossible without the use of innovative solutions in the field of creating new composite materials (CM) with radio-absorbing properties. This scientific area is inextricably linked with the issues of predicting the properties of these materials. A wide variety of design solutions to protect aircraft “electronics”, as well as a wide range of electromagnetic and mechanical effects, require the creation of functional materials for specific operating conditions. Thus, the developers of functional materials must have an effective tool to predict the properties of the CM being created. Solutions can be based on mathematical models that allow predicting the properties of CM and subsequently optimizing their composition. The article discusses the identification and verification of mathematical models of the mechanical characteristics of CMs based on BASF polyurethane with the addition of both untreated and processed ferric iron oxide as a filler, with subsequent optimization of the characteristics and determination of the corresponding CM composition with radio-absorbing properties. Experimental studies have been carried out, which confirm the adequacy of the developed mathematical models.

BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY: FEATURES, PROSPECTS

The article examines the features of blockchain technology and the construction of its structural elements. It is based on the principle of structuring and working with databases, which was developed by Satoshi Nakomoto in 2008. A feature of its model is the reliability of transactions and the creation of a decentralized register of data accounting and key blocks of information. The article also examines the main types of operation of the blockchain system, from Blockchain 1.0 to the concept of Blockchain 4.0. Given the high level of interest of the world in building reliable information accounting, the blockchain has become an important tool for ensuring reliability both for the financial world and for the wider areas of application considered in the work. The stages of development are characterized and the process of formation of blockchain technology on the world market is analyzed. The paper presents examples of major cryptocurrencies in the world, which are currently considered the most stable and relevant for investment or settlement. The study shows a tendency to accelerate the emergence of various types of cryptocurrencies developed by the world's largest digital giants, such as Libra 2019 from Facebook, Gram from the most popular messenger Telegram, and many others. The wide range of cryptocurrencies on the market encourages users to increasingly use the blockchain system and increase the turnover of cryptocurrency, because as of 2019 the market value is about 420.5 billion dollars, which is growing every year. The basic principles of information protection and ensuring the reliability of its accounting are considered. Considerable attention in the article is paid to the peculiarities of the construction and operation of the blockchain system itself. The operating model is the most important for improving the operation of the blockchain system and encouraging users to use modern technologies. Much attention is paid to the system of accounting for information blocks, access to it, the use of hashes and ensuring the reliability of the connection of chains of blocks with each other. An important area of work is the analysis of accounting systems PoW and PoS, as well as combining them into a single, which provides more effective protection of information. Prospects for further development of Blockchain technology at the corporate and state levels are outlined. The paper identifies the main prospects for the use of blockchain technology at the corporate level, provided the use of effective financial instruments and ensuring the transparency of financial transactions, increasing the number of innovative technologies and calculation methods based on this technology. At the state level, among the promising areas of blockchain technology, attention is paid to social security, accounting and registration of tax information, introduction of the system in the military-industrial complex, archive of vehicle operation, issuance of certificates, voting system and other areas

Safeguarding RFID Wireless Communication Against Proactive Eavesdropping

Passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) communication raises new transmission secrecy protection challenges, since passive tags stored information lack effective information protection mechanisms. Due to constraints of passive tags, such as limited computation and storage capabilities, security solutions based on the physical-layer security (PLS) are promising candidates compared to those based on conventional lightweight cryptography. Unlike existing endeavors on PLS of RFID wireless communication, we consider an RFID system in the presence of a special proactive eavesdropper, which is able to both enhance the information wiretap and interfere with the information detection at the RFID reader simultaneously by broadcasting its own continuous-wave (CW) signal. To defend against proactive eavesdropping attacks, we propose a wiretap-channel-conscious artificial-noise (AN)-aided secure transmission scheme for the RFID reader, which first estimates both legitimate and wiretap channels and then superimposes an AN signal on the CW signal to confuse the proactive eavesdropper. The transmit power and power allocation between the AN signal and the CW signal are optimized to maximize the secrecy rate. Furthermore, we model the attack and defense process between the proactive eavesdropper and the RFID reader as a hierarchical security game and prove it can achieve the equilibrium. The simulation results show the superiority of our proposed scheme in terms of the secrecy rate and the interactions between the RFID reader and the proactive eavesdropper.

Conceptual principles for ensuring effective protection of information in the context of economic security of the enterprise

The necessity of formation of an effective information security system of the enterprise is substantiated. It is emphasized that when designing an information policy, the firm must comply with the requirements of the current legislation, take into account the level of technical support, especially the regulation of employees' access to confidential information, etc. It is stated that the costs of organizing information security measures should be appropriate to its value. The article identifies major threats that could be breached by confidential information. The list of the main normative legal acts aimed at bringing to civil, administrative and criminal responsibility for illegal collection, disclosure and use of information constituting a trade secret. The main stages of building an information security policy are summarized, the most common types of information threats related to the use of modern computer technologies are described. The necessity of developing a domestic original accounting (management) program that could be used in the long term by the vast majority of Ukrainian enterprises is pointed out. There are three groups of tools that are applied in the theory and practice of information security of the enterprise (active, passive and combined), emphasizing the need for planning and continuous monitoring in real time of all important processes and conditions that affect data security. It is noted that even if the information security system is built taking into account all modern methods and means of protection, it does not guarantee one hundred percent protection of the information resources of the enterprise, but a well-designed information security policy allows to minimize the corresponding risks. Key words: information security, information policy, information security, confidential information, information threats, information and communication technologies, software.

Analysis of possible adaptation of the general pattern of immune system within the systems for preventing intrusions

The subject of this research is the analysis of possible implementation of the mechanisms of functionality of human immune system applicable to information security systems in automated data processing systems. The objects of this research are the human immune system, information security systems, and automated data processing systems. The research is conducted on the basis of achievements of systemic-conceptual approach towards information protection in automated data processing systems, developed within the framework of the project sponsored by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research No. 19-01-00383 on creation of intelligent information protection systems based on the neural network intrusion detection systems and  the mechanisms of artificial immune systems. The article reviews similarity and difference between human immune system and information security systems. Special attention is given to identification of peculiarities of functionality of the mechanisms on detection of harmful intrusions into these systems respectively. Methodological research on the topic are carried out using the achievements in the area of creation of neural network intrusion detection system, built on the basis of artificial immune mechanisms that function similar to human immune system. The main result consists in the conclusion that adaptive information security systems containing the means and mechanisms of protection and built by analogy with the human immune system, may provide successful and effective protection of information in automated data processing systems. The specificity and importance of this conclusion is substantiated by the fact that it can be implemented despite the absence of full analogy between human immune system and information security system; moreover, multiple mechanism of protection implemented in human immune system are absent in the information security system, or the other way around.

МІЖНАРОДНИЙ ДОСВІД ІНФОРМАЦІЙНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ

In our state there are a number of complex problems in the field of information security that require urgent and radical solution. That’s why theoretical, methodological and political research of the problem of information security in Ukraine, which is experiencing a crisis phase of its development, is becoming especially relevant today. In order to develop an effective system of national information security, a detailed study of the experience of the leading countries of the world, which carry out effective information protection of their states and citizens, is necessary. Today there are national information security systems that have really proven their effectiveness and structural and functional perfection. Indeed, the successful development of a democratic state and civil society is possible only if the information resources are properly used and the state policy is implemented, which would ensure a high level of national information security. In the modern world, the basic principles and tools for the formation of effective information protection of the national security space have been developed already. At the same time, Ukraine needs to apply adequately the foreign experience of the most successful countries in this regard, correctly transforming it taking into account national specificity and the unique role of Ukraine in modern geopolitics. As an important indicator of the protection of citizens, society and state, information security is an integral part of national security. Therefore, its determination mainly focuses on preventing harmful effects that may result in various information threats, as well as eliminating and overcoming those effects with the least possible harm to society and humans. In this aspect, the study of not only the philosophical and phenomenological and socio-psychological determinants of information security of citizens, but also political and legal resources and mechanisms of protection of the information space of the state in the conditions of the functioning of the global information society acquires a special significance. А content analysis of the notion «information security» as a form of national security aimed at ensuring human rights and freedoms in relation to free information access, creation and implementation of secure information technologies and protection of the property rights of all participants of information activities, includes consideration of possible diversions in this area, especially at the international level. Today there is a situation of incompleteness of formation and fragmentary filling of the information space content of the country and the legislative base in our society. The efficiency of the information weapon itself has increased too quickly due to the rapid information circulation and the spread of information networks. As a result, mass media forms the «mass» person of our time, in turn this fact displaces traditional direct contacts, by dissociating people and replacing them by computers and television. At the same time it gives rise to apathy, uncritical attitude and indifference, it complicates the adequate orientation, causing the social disorientation. Informative safety has the human measuring. Therefore an important role in opposition to destructive external and internal informative influences is played by education of citizens. Her proper level called to provide the state and civil society. An in fact uneducated population easily is under destructive influence of informative threats of the modern global world. Unfortunately, Ukraine, does not have sufficient resources and technologies for adequate opposition to the external threats. Taking into account it strategy of forming of the national system of informative safety of our state can be only the maximal leveling of destructive influences from the side of external informative threats. To the end it is necessary to carry out democratic reforms Ukraine, generate civil society, to provide functioning of the legal state and increase of political and civil culture of population. At the same time it is necessary to bear reformers in a mind, that global nature of informative society predetermines rapid transformation of external threats in internal, converting them into permanent calls which are opened out within the limits of national in a civilized manner-informative and socio-political space. Besides modern global informative systems, mass medias, network facilities do a limit between external and internal threats almost unnoticeable.

A Multidimensional Approach towards a Quantitative Assessment of Security Threats

Information security is the most challenging aspect of information processing. Organizations, governments, and individuals are facing many information security risks. These risks can cause serious damages that might lead to significant financial losses, breach of the confidentiality of sensitive information, or loss of integrity or availability of sensitive data. To facilitate effective protection of information, a better identification, understanding, and assessment of security threat and their characteristics are crucial for system security managers. In order to define and then assess security threats, we propose a new threat identification approach on which we build a quantitative security risk model for information systems. The proposed model is systematic, extendable, and modular. The aim is to help managers accurately assess security threat in an incremental and comprehensive way.

A Security based Framework for Interoperability of Healthcare Systems

The healthcare domain requires the seamless, secured and meaningful exchange of health related information for effective and efficient patient care. These information are highly sensitive and they are meant to be highly confidential. However, health related information are usually distributed across several heterogeneous and autonomous healthcare systems which makes the interoperability process prone to abuse, medical fraud, inappropriate disclosure of patients’ information for secondary purposes by unauthorized persons and misuse. The effects of inadequate security and privacy in healthcare include monetary penalties, loss of revenue, damage to the healthcare system reputation, risk of receiving less information for optimum care, decreased quality of patients’ care as well as threat to patients’ lives. Consequently, effective information protection within the healthcare domain is highly significant. Hence, this paper examines the security and privacy policies that safeguard sensitive and confidential information in healthcare systems during the exchange and use of vital health information. The paper also proposes a security based framework that seeks to mitigate security risks in healthcare, and thus protect the integrity, confidentiality, and access to health related information.

The Worldwide Search for Techno-thieves: International Competition v. International Co-operation

In an age of explosive worldwide growth of electronic data storage and communications, many vital interests require the effective protection of information. Today's information age requires businesses to compete on a worldwide basis, sharing sensitive information with appropriate parties while protecting that information against competitors, vandals, suppliers, customers, and foreign governments. Elements of the US civilian infrastructure, such as the banking system, the electric power grid, the public switched telecommunications network, and the air traffic control system, are central to so many dimensions of modern life that protecting these elements must have a high priority. Governments have an important stake in assuring that rival nations do not appropriate technology.

Electronic eavesdropping onto information systems: What can the auditor do?

The effective protection of information stored in an electronic form requires a complex mixture of physical, administrative, logical access controls and data structuring/ encoding. Physical security of assets is an important consideration, but the key planning and operational aspects have been left to others, security management, line management etc. Network security, the protection of information during electronic transmission, has depended upon the utilisation of encryption techniques. The confidentiality and integrity of the data, and the knowledge associated with the administrative environment of the communication (e.g. the identity of the sender and the recipient) can be assured by a selection of graded encryption/de-encryption processes. The internal auditor is playing a greater role in recommending and supporting the encipherment of sensitive data both in transmission and in storage. Data when being used by humans, however, needs to be in a human readable form and not enciphered. Access to electronic information is invariably through the ubiquitous workstation. Good security is achieved by a mixture of administrative processes and logical access control, identification/authentication controls — passwords etc. The auditing profession has emphasised the need for good administrative controls surrounding an adequate set of software and, increasingly, hardware facilities. These embrace authentication of the user, authorisation over access to systems resources and the auditing of what has actually taken place. Physical security over resources has been primarily left to the security manager. New classes of technical threats to information resources may need a redistribution of planning, operational and monitoring responsibilities. One such threat, not yet fully understood, in the non-defence sector is the possible loss of valuable information by unauthorised monitoring of electronic emanations from office automation. Workstations especially may be considered increasingly at risk from remote electronic eavesdropping. There is a need for practical, marketable generic solutions to this problem to be integrated with the current security controls to produce a ‘secure commercial multi-functional workstation’. There has been little published material on the electronic propagation of workstations, or associated electronic storage and transmission devices and the associated eavesdropping opportunities into various networked/distributed electronic information systems. Solutions that would be economically acceptable (or even technically viable!) in the commercial sector have been restricted by a lack of understanding of technical issues. This article outlines some current research into solutions for non-defence organisations, where electronic hardening to defence ‘Tempest’ standards may be neither politically acceptable nor commercially viable! This research falls into the two major categories of administrative improvement and physical changes to equipment and/or the working environment. The technical aspects are considered first, to establish a base understanding of the extent of the problem.