Electronic Communication Networks Research Articles

Рoint for autonomous access to information in the electronic communications network

The article is devoted to the problem of determination of concept of “point for autonomous access to information in the electronic communications network”, introduced in everyday life by the Law of Ukraine “On electronic communications”. The specified point for such access is determined by the provider of electronic communications services and/or networks. It provides the possibility at the point for autonomous access to information to connect the technical means of a united system that is used by all statutory authorities to intercept/obtain information from electronic communications networks.

Artificial Intelligence in Electronics and Communication

In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) integration has ushered in a new era of innovation and efficiency across numerous industries. One domain where AI is making profound contributions is electronics and communication design. A new era of efficiency, invention, and connectedness has been brought about by the integration of AI into electronic gadgets and communication networks. AI fundamentally transforms the electronics design process from automating schematic design and optimizing component selection to enhancing printed circuit board layouts and predicting failure modes.AI-driven speech recognition technology has improved the accuracy and reliability of voice- activated systems

Особливості організаційно-правового забезпечення інформаційної безпеки в умовах війни з росією

The article, based on a theoretical and practical study of the essence and features of the regulation of information and legal relations in the conditions of russian aggression, focuses on the problematic issues of organizational and legal provision of information security as an activity aimed at the prevention, timely detection and termination of threats that destructively affect vital interests of the individual, society and the state in the information sphere. It has been proved that the analysis of the results of the adoption of international legal acts by the UN General Assembly in recent years, with their short-sighted and futile vision, confidently prove that the entire burden of the organizational and legal provision of information security in the formation of principled positions on the regulation of norms aimed at the development of a single mechanism in counteracting threats to geopolitical information security still rests with states within their territorial jurisdiction. It has been determined that the informational pressure, which russia has continuously been using against Ukraine over the past decade, is being accompanied by frantic information propaganda aimed at discrediting public authorities, baseless accusations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the deaths of people in the temporarily occupied territory, and the imposition of the chauvinistic idea of defending “russian” peace”, the return of the post-Soviet republics to the “renewed Union” with its imperial goals of aggression. Taking into account the problems of organizational and legal provision of information security, an analysis of the implementation of legal acts regulating informational and legal relations in the conditions of the russian-Ukrainian war has been carried out. Attention has been drawn to the order of creation and running of the system of operational and technical management of electronic communication networks of public use and the national centre of management of electronic communication networks for the purposes of defence and security of the state in conditions of martial law. The issues of combating phishing as a form of information attack, which, having been presented as a simple electronic message, is carried out by criminal groups in a deceptive way on the user in order to obtain any type of data, have been studied out. The problems associated with the implementation of the filtering system for phishing domains, which may create additional significant risks and pose threats to the information security of Ukraine, have been outlined. The mechanisms of organizational and legal protection against disinformation and the means of countering it have been defined. Taking into account the recommendations of the numerous scientists and practitioners, proposals have been made to optimize the organizational and legal provision of information security in the conditions of russian aggression.

Assessment of QOS indicators of a network with UDP and TCP traffic under a node peak load mode

The object of research is Markov models of network nodes with UDP (User Datagram Protocol) and TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) traffic and their differences. The task solved is the lack of Markov models of network nodes describing the behavior of TCP traffic from the point of view of packet retransmissions and packet delivery guarantees. Markov models of network nodes describing traffic behavior with guaranteed packet delivery have been further advanced. Given the comparison of the models, the differences from the classic models serving TCP traffic were shown, for each packet flow, an additional dimensionally was added to the graph of states and transitions, which takes into account the retransmission of a lost packet. The comparison graph shows similar behavior of queue length and packet loss for both types of traffic. But the nature of the curves is different. With TCP traffic, packet loss can exceed 5 percent. In addition, lost packets must be retransmitted, which increases the load on the network node. More failures and packet queue lengths at a network node during peak load typically occur with TCP traffic compared to UDP traffic. At peak load, the difference in service failures can reach 20–30 percent. The main reason is that TCP uses flow control and rate-limiting mechanisms to avoid network congestion and ensure efficient data transfer between nodes. The Markov model of TCP traffic requires an additional dimensionally on the graph of states and transitions, which affects the behavior of queues and packet failures. The investigated problem was solved due to the universality and diversity of the mathematical apparatus of Markov mass service systems. The results could be used in network modeling software products for building and reengineering the topology of electronic communications networks at enterprises and organizations

Blocking Dangerous Content in Electronic Communications Networks: Evidence from Netherlands, United States and Singapore

In recent years, the blocking of internet sites with harmful content or those deemed to be (illegal content) has increased. The policy of blocking dangerous sites has pros and cons regarding freedom of expression. Blocking is considered to be carried out to control citizens' expression, which can impact all areas, especially freedom of opinion, which can be seen as a threat to certain parties. This research aims to compare criminalization policies for blocking dangerous content in electronic communications networks in the Netherlands, the United States, and Singapore and provide thoughts on law enforcement models for blocking dangerous content in more democratic electronic communication networks. This is normative legal research using a law and case approach and comparing several countries. The conceptual approach is directed at the concept of a democratic state and the protection of human rights to formulate relevant policy models. The results of blocking studies in the Netherlands, The USA, and Singapore already have regulations and policy directions for blocking dangerous content, or at least rules regarding law enforcement for cybercrime. The difference is in the level of sensitivity to the specifications of existing problems. The policy model for blocking dangerous content with special regulations outside the Criminal Code must be carried out in a non-repressive manner so that it does not violate the ultimum remedium principle and becomes over-criminalized. The formulation of policy model of all crime prevention plans using the criminal law system, which pays attention to the problem of formulating criminal acts (criminalization), criminal responsibility, and criminal regulations and punishment.

The Essence of High-Tech Warfare in the Organizational and Institutional Security Theory of State Administration

At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, fundamental changes occurred in the field of international security. The world community faced fundamentally new challenges and threats. In many regions of the world, interstate rivalry was observed, which led to the outbreak of local wars and military conflicts, which mostly took the form of armed confrontation. Technological progress, the presence of significant military power, the demonstration of determination and its use transformed social relations into more conflictual ones. Gradually, more and more countries of the world are involved in local wars and military conflicts. In this context, it should be noted that the intensity and scale of hostilities during the last thirty years, which took place in different corners of the globe, testify to the growth of dynamic changes in the situation in the combat zone during the use of international coalition forces. At the same time, the strict implementation of the requirements for stable, continuous, operational and covert management of troops during their performance of combat missions prompts the world's leading countries to develop and implement new concepts of information networks and systems. It should be noted that future wars will depend on high-tech intelligence. The priority is to identify the enemy first, before he notices you; blind the enemy's sensors, be it drones or satellites; and disrupt their means and data channels, whether through cyberattacks, electronic warfare, or old-fashioned firepower. Armies will have to develop new forms and methods of application, relying on mobility, dispersion, camouflage and deception measures. Large armies that fail to invest in new technology or develop new doctrine will be overwhelmed by smaller ones that do. "We have to recognize that the old concepts of fighting large tank battles on European land are over," said Boris Johnson, the UK's prime minister, in November 2021. "There are other, more important things in which we should invest. Cyber technologies, this will be the war of the future." Three months later, Russia invaded Ukraine. So, the work defines the problem of incomplete compliance of the current state and readiness of the security and defense sector with regard to the requirements of effective countermeasures against threats to national security and their neutralization, the task of improving this activity, regarding the creation of unified management and communication systems, and horizontal connections are defined connections of these systems and electronic communication networks, which in the future will undoubtedly affect the safe functioning of the national segment of cyberspace.

Exploring and Acquiring Modern Human Resource Competencies in Cybersecurity Amidst State Digital Transformation

This paper validates the relevance of contemporary electronic communication systems, networks, and hardware and software suites and tools being particularly susceptible to cyber influences. The goal of the article is to concisely summarize international experience in modern human resource competencies within the cybersecurity domain and to identify their components according to specific directions. The paper examines current international trends regarding the formation of a minimal necessary package for creating, implementing, technical support, and enhancing an information security and cyber defense management system. This necessitates the development of a digitally aware society by the state, a crucial area of its internal policy. It emphasizes the undeniable fact that the demand for cybersecurity professionals will continually grow as high-technology society advances. In the context of the state’s total defense, the role of unified training for defense force personnel and the civilian sector in cybersecurity is beyond doubt. It is concluded that the main focus in forming Cybercom of partner countries is adequate funding, careful selection of personnel, quality professional training, and ensuring full interoperability of diverse structural units of subjects ensuring information protection and cybersecurity at the state level. The share of cyber threats is increasing, and this trend will intensify over the next decade as the internet technology sphere is developing rapidly, and digital solutions are being used in combination (e.g., artificial intelligence and blockchain). For instance, current Russia is one of the main threats to national and international cybersecurity, actively implementing the concept of information confrontation based on a combination of destructive actions in cyberspace. An increase in conflicts between states and the intensity of intelligence and subversive activities in cyberspace is expected. The number of states seeking to form their own cyber-intelligence, master the latest methods of destructive influence in cyberspace, and strengthen state control over the state segment of the Internet is growing. The technical level of cyber threats is increasing, and new tools and mechanisms for cyber attacks are constantly being improved and developed

Analytical model OFDM-MIMO signal in a radio channel with frequency-time selective fading

One of the main problems in modern wireless electronic communication networks is the transmission and reception of signals in multipath propagation. Due to the imperfect impulse response of the communication channel, frequency-selective fading of the transmitted signal occurs. This can cause waveform distortion and inter-symbol interference, which can seriously degrade the performance of the communication system. Thus, increasing the noise immunity of wireless electronic communication networks in real-world conditions is one of the most important tasks of modern communication technologies. Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing is known for its resistance to multipath fading and is used to reduce the impact of inter-symbol interference. Multi-antenna systems are a key technology for increasing bandwidth and improving communication reliability. The combination of these two technologies in wireless electronic communication networks can reduce the impact of negative phenomena on the transmitted signal in difficult interference conditions. An analytical model of the signal transmitted by a nonstationary frequency-selective radio channel in a wireless electronic communication network with orthogonal frequency multiplexing and a multi-antenna system is proposed. Analytical expressions are presented that allow us to jointly take into account the influence of interchannel and inter-symbol interference (the effect of multipath signal propagation and Doppler shift on the transmitted signal) against the background of fluctuating noise. Taking into account the factors affecting the transmitted signal makes it possible to bring the model closer to the real processes that occur in the vast majority of radio channels of wireless electronic communication networks.

A method for assessing the resistance of distributed networks of electronic communications for special purpose from the position of the theory of risk management

The diversity of special-purpose electronic communications networks, their destruction and restoration processes make the problem of developing methodological bases for evaluating their key characteristics highly demanded during operational calculations by officials of communication management bodies. The problem of rational and optimal use of the resources preserved in the system aimed at performing critically important functions of the system after the intense impact of external destabilizing influences on it remains just as relevant. Solving this problem requires new qualities from the system, which it may not have if it is designed to work only in certain operating conditions. In view of the above-mentioned problems with the properties of survivability and their features, which are widely used in the creation of complex systems of various purposes, a number of special requirements are put forward that relate to both the structural and functional parts of complex systems. One of the natural indicators of the quantitative measurement of the effectiveness of special purpose electronic communications networks is the survivability index that has remained in the system after a fixed set of destabilizing influences.The efficiency indicator is a measure (metric or in the form of a scale of points in the appropriate modifications) of the degree of compliance with the required real result of the performance of the established functional tasks, after the impact of destabilizing influences. In order for the performance indicator, determined on the basis of many strategies, to be considered as a characteristic of the functioning of the system, it must satisfy the following requirements: content and interpretability, measurement, compliance with the system of preferences of the decision-maker. Since the decision of the person making the decision on the construction and combat use of special-purpose electronic communications networks is decisive, it is advisable to calculate the network efficiency indicator from the standpoint of the risk management model.

Mathematical, algorithmic and software support of synphase detection of radio signals in electronic communication networks with noises

Mathematical (radio signal model as a periodically correlated stochastic process and synphase method of its processing) and algorithmic support for synphase detection of stochastic-periodic radio signals in electronic communication networks with noise by calculating new detection indicators in the form of correlation components, which ensure effective making a decision regarding the presence or the absence of a useful radio signal in obstacles of different power. For a more detailed assessment of the calculated indicators of radio signal detection in the form of correlation components, were used averaged estimates. Software for synphase detection of radio signals in electronic communication networks with a graphical user interface is implemented in the Matlab environment. The process of synphase detection of radio signals in electronic communication networks with noise was investigated and the effectiveness of the application of new detection indicators was ascertained.

АКТУАЛІЗАЦІЯ ЗАВДАНЬ СТЕЙХОЛДЕРІВ СУДОВОЇ ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ ЕКСПЕРТИЗИ ЩОДО ВИЗНАЧЕННЯ ЗБИТКІВ, ЗАВДАНИХ АГРЕСІЄЮ РФ

The article defines the actual tasks of the stakeholders of the forensic economic examination regarding the determination of damages caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation and with the aim of more fully satisfying the needs of the state, investigative and judicial practice in solving issues that require the application of special knowledge, it is suggested to consider the issue of opening a new expert specialty, namely: Economic examination of the damage caused/inflicted damages (or – Economic examination of the determination of the amount of real damages). An approximate list of issues that can be considered by specialists of this profile of knowledge and competences has been determined, taking into account the challenges that have arisen before the professional society regarding the determination of the amount of damage caused by military aggression. A fullscale war changed the priorities in the requests of society, the judiciary and law enforcement agencies regarding certain tasks that arose before the expert. Numerous losses, destruction, the need for an urgent determination of the amount of costs for the restoration of property and property rights that have suffered a destructive impact as a result of armed aggression, make it necessary to provide a qualified answer from an expert on the question of determining the damage and the amount of losses that not only individual enterprises, but entire territories, regions with objects of industry, agriculture, construction, production infrastructure (trade, transport, communication), non-production infrastructure (service sector), electronic communications networks, etc. located on them. Economic examination, related to the determination of the amount of real losses, solves issues that require special knowledge in the field of accounting and tax accounting, and economics, and the analysis of the economic activity of both the enterprise and the industry as a whole, and in modern conditions it is becoming more and more expedient and necessary. During the examination, regulatory and administrative acts and other documents regulating the procedure for the provision, distribution and use of funds, including funds from the state and local budgets, accounting, financial, tax documents and transactions are examined, statistical, financial, budgetary reports, documents and information of enterprises, institutions and organizations.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CYBER SECURITY VS INFORMATION SECURITY

The terms cyber security and information security are often used interchangeably, both in the academic literature and by organizations. This article aimed to identify whether these terms can be used interchangeably, analyzing the differences between the terms, based on several definitions identified in scientific articles and books, as well as definitions presented by specialized organizations. The analysis consists in determining the keywords, that define the terms, based on which conclusions were made. It has been determined that information security places a strong emphasis on the protection of information, cyber security refers to all assets that are part of cyberspace, such as end devices (including IoT), network devices, communication media and information. Cybersecurity is an umbrella term that includes: electronic communications network and computer security, physical security, infrastructure security, personnel security, hardware and application security, business process security. Through the identified results, important contributions are made both for the academic environment, as well as for governmental and non-governmental organizations, for the understanding and correct use of terms, to reduce uncertainty and to correctly approach specialist terminology, because the field of security is increasingly important, the challenges are complex and diverse.

ВИМОГИ З КІБЕРЗАХИСТУ IНФОРМАЦІЙНО-КОМУНІКАЦІЙНИХ СИСТЕМ ТА СЕРВІСІВ ЗВ’ЯЗКУ ПІД ЧАС ЇХ РОЗГОРТАННЯ ТА ЕКСПЛУАТАЦІЇ НА ПУНКТАХ УПРАВЛІННЯ СКЛАДОВИХ СИЛ ОБОРОНИ ТА БЕЗПЕКИ

The relevance of this work is due to the fact that in recent years the communication forces have been constantly developing and equipped with the latest digital means of communication, which allows them to successfully perform their assigned tasks. Today, information and communication systems that are deployed at the control points of various branches of management ensure the implementation of priority tasks for the management of troops. Functionally, the communication system and information systems are deployed at control points as a single information and communication environment based on the implementation of the latest information and communication technologies, information exchange protocols, complexes, systems and means of communication, which ensures the exchange of all types of information between bodies military management (management bodies) and control points at all levels of management. An active communication system ensures the exchange of information with guaranteed security in a single information space as a set of material functions (including personnel and other resources) that combine to perform a certain task. In turn, information systems, as a set of equipment, methods and procedures, and, if necessary, personnel organized to perform information processing functions operate in accordance with a defined structure, namely: - services, in the context of communication and information systems; - architecture, in the context of communication and information systems; - functions in the context of service-oriented architecture; - interoperability; - information protection and cyber protection. It is clear that the more important the object of management, the more capacious flow of information can be directed to it. This allows the adversary/attacker to identify the most important targets and direct other types of information to them or suppress them in various ways. Thus, in the interests of ensuring cyber protection of electronic information resources, communication and technological systems of the control points of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the technological infrastructure of cyber protection of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been deployed and is functioning, which is a component of the unified system of information protection and cyber protection in the information and communication systems of the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In these conditions, to solve the tasks of preventing unwanted interventions, disruption of the stable functioning of the information and communication environment at control points, counterweights in obtaining confidential information, data theft, and other minimally necessary components of the cyber protection infrastructure are deployed. The main components of the relevant technological infrastructure of cyber protection are the security information event management system (SIEM), the threat information exchange platform (Malware Information Sharing Platform & Threat Sharing, MISP), the centralized management system of inter-network screens and the system for detecting and countering cyber threats. including computer viruses on end equipment. Therefore, solving the tasks of ensuring cyber protection in the course of deployment and operation of electronic communication networks and communication services at the control points of various branches of management turns out to be quite a serious and urgent task.

MODELING OF THE INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL

This publication researches the problem of modelling the information infrastructure of higher education institutions. It is noted that the information infrastructure includes people, processes, procedures, tools, technologies, as well as organizational structures and mechanisms necessary to support the functioning and development of the economic entity. The information infrastructure has corresponding components, each of which has its own characteristics and there is a certain dependence between the information infrastructure of the subject of economic activity as a function of its structural components. A model of the electronic communication networks organization within the defined high school and connected to the general purpose e-communications has been developed in the form of a tuple of constituent structural components, where the structure of electronic communication networks within the defined high school and connected to the general purpose e-communications is involved, a set of objects of electronic communication networks that change their state as a result of a set of certain operations and users. It is shown that the information infrastructure of the defined high school in the form of an undirected graph considers a number of uncertainties and it is proposed to introduce such a structural component of the IIS of the defined high school as an intelligent system (InS), which will be interconnected on the basis of neural network algorithms and defined structural components. Accordingly, the information infrastructure of a higher education institution with an intellectual component is a complex set of information systems of higher education institutions/automated specialized systems and all information resources controlled by neural network algorithms and aimed at harmonizing the educational process and educational activities.

Lična prava i slobode - oblici i tendencije zaštite

In the paper, the authors analyze the history, application and effects, respectively the achieved level of personal rights and freedoms as a part of human rights. The right to life is an elementary human right, a right that is natural, permanent, unchangeable, inalienable and no one has the right to dispose of another's life. The European Convention prohibits the death penalty or the states undertake not to carry it out striving to remove the death penalty from the law. Personal rights include the right to respect and inviolability of the physical, moral and spiritual integrity of every person. A large number of multilateral conventions advocate the prohibition of slavery and human trafficking. The right to marry, start a family and have children is included in the family law, as well as the inviolability of the apartment and property relations of the spouses regarding the property acquired in marriage and before marriage. The inviolability of the secret of letters is recognized by the European Convention on the protection of the acquired rights and guarantees for their respect. The electronic communication network represents transmission systems that, for the sake of security, integrity and confidentiality of communications, should apply adequate measures. The right to protection of personal data represents an additional guarantee of inviolability of human integrity. In the paper, there has been used a normative method, supplemented with an analytical and deductive methodological approach, as well as a basic quantitative data analysis and the provisions of the Criminal Code. The achieved level of human and minority rights cannot be reduced. The paper itself represents a contribution to a higher development and application of the equal regulation at both the national and international levels.

Retracted: Signal Optimization of Electronic Communication Network Based on Internet of Things

Retracted: Signal Optimization of Electronic Communication Network Based on Internet of Things

Signal Optimization of Electronic Communication Network Based on Internet of Things

In order to solve the problem that many people communicate at the same time, there are many external interference factors, and the signal is prone to instability in the process of electronic communication, the author proposes a signal optimization method for electronic communication network based on the Internet of Things. The method takes the cloud trust mechanism as the dynamic evolution trust relationship between various Internet of Things electronic communication services, performs explicit and implicit uncertainty conversion, calculates the objective function of data communication network performance, and confirms the control strategy. The positioning information of the network nodes in the communication is added to the communication data packet, and the most stable electronic communication path in the network is obtained to form the network topology structure. The Krasovsky method is adopted, and the working state of the nodes of the communication network is divided into the congested state and the normal state, the probability of the two is calculated, and the range of the transition balance is determined, so as to realize the optimization of the stability of the network topology. Experimental results show that the transmission rate of this method has been maintained at about 180 Kb/s; although there is fluctuation, the fluctuation value is small and the transmission rate is very stable. Conclusion. It can improve the accuracy of electronic communication of the Internet of Things and is less affected by external interference factors, and the communication transmission rate is faster.

ШЛЯХИ ПОДОЛАННЯ ЦИФРОВИХ ІНФРАСТРУКТУРНИХ І НАВИЧКОВИХ РОЗРИВІВ В УКРАЇНІ

Досліджено ступінь релевантності статистичної оцінки стану цифрових перетворень національної економіки та суспільства України щодо забезпеченості цифровими інфраструктурою і навичками населення, оскільки саме в цих сферах у довоєнний період сформувалися небезпечні для швидшої цифровізації і створення смарт-спеціалізованої соціально-економічної системи розриви. В умовах війни вони заважають активнішій адаптації до надзвичайних умов і також заважатимуть у період повоєнної відбудови країни на базі вищого технологічного укладу. Констатовано наявність інституційної, організаційної та методологічної неузгодженості між суб'єктами управління і регулювання сфери і органами державної статистики, через що має місце брак релевантної статистики сфери. У 2014––2020 рр. значні капітальні інвестиції у розвиток телекомунікацій здійснювали переважно приватні компанії, які й нині, в умовах бойових дій, забезпечують стабільне функціонування телекомунікацій і відновлюють зруйновані об'єкти. У ситуації повоєнної відбудови держава за допомогою донорських структур має компенсувати їх витрати на відновлення і розгортання електронних комунікаційних мереж для подолання цифрових інфраструктурних розривів згідно із законодавством України. Держава також повинна дбати про забезпечення закладів соціальної інфраструктури доступом до Інтернету. Акцентовано на необхідності переходу до мобілізаційної моделі управління розвитком сектору телекомунікацій, за якої провідна роль у проведенні політики цифровізації належатиме центральному органу виконавчої влади у даній сфері, а саме Міністерству цифрової трансформації, і регіональним органам державної влади. Інструментом цифрової трансформації на рівні громад мають стати цифрові територіальні громади, цифрові органи місцевого самоврядування, цифрові офіси старост, які поряд з державою можуть сприяти подоланню розривів у цифрових навичках населення.

Content of special investigation measures in the field of electronic communications networks. Part I

Online communication, on non-governmental platforms or through various electronic networks, has become more and more widespread in the contemporary era. Thus, the means of interaction of the human community, know a major period of ascension and development. Therefore, in the conditions of positive ascent of the respective field of communication, it has become the target of new illegalities committed in the objective reality. Therefore, in order to counteract these alleged illegal acts and alleged attacks on the rule of law, a wide range of criminal prosecutions and special investigative measures are being taken. Thus, that research is intended exclusively for the analysis of the content of these special measures of targeted investigations in order to prevent and combat illegal acts in the field of electronic communications networks

Spatial structure of workplace and communication between colleagues: A study of E-mail exchange and spatial relatedness on the MIT campus

How does the spatial structure of work environments affect social interactions among workers? Building on prior studies of both physical and electronic communication networks, we present the results of a study conducted on the MIT campus using an anonymized dataset of e-mail communication to examine how spatial relatedness between faculty, staff, and researchers’ office locations impact E-mail communication between them. Our findings suggest that (a) people whose offices are closer to each other by walking are more likely to exchange E-mails, (b) on the campus as a whole, people who are more likely to walk past each other’s offices on the way to or from work are more likely to exchange E-mails, and (c) people who share access to similar eating venues around their offices are more likely to exchange E-mails. However, when controlling for unobserved relationships within departments and research units, a higher likelihood of physical encounters on the way to one’s office can reverse the effect of E-mail exchange, potentially substituting electronic communication for physical interactions with colleagues who are encountered more often. Further, the existence of social ties can be negatively affected by crowdedness, i.e., the chances of communication are reduced when encounters with each other’s offices occur in more crowded corridors. On the other hand, crowdedness at eating venues has a positive effect. E-mail exchange is also more likely if researchers are connected via indoor corridors along MIT’s renowned “infinite corridor” network than if the physical connection between them requires crossing an outdoor space. The key innovations presented in the paper include a novel approach to analyzing encounter probabilities during participant’s journey to work; estimation of potential crowdedness in building corridors; and a similarity estimation in amenity access for different workers. Our analysis suggests that these types of spatial relationships, which go beyond simple distance between workers’ offices, can affect E-mail communication between workers. The results provide limited evidence that spatial planning may be used strategically to encourage social, cultural, and economic exchange or knowledge-spillovers within buildings and campuses.