Information And Communication Technology Security Research Articles

Current Trends in ICT Security: A Comprehensive Overview of Machine Learning and Soft Computing Applications

In an era marked by pervasive digitization, information and communication technology (ICT) security stands as a cornerstone of our digital infrastructure. The rapid evolution of cyber threats necessitates equally agile defence mechanisms. This research paper provides a comprehensive overview of the contemporary landscape of ICT security with a specific focus on the emergent trends in machine learning (ML) and soft computing (SC) applications. The paper commences by outlining the escalating challenges posed by cyber adversaries, underlining the inadequacy of traditional security paradigms in contending with the intricacies of modern-day attacks. This backdrop emphasizes the need for innovative, adaptable, and intelligent approaches to bolster ICT security.

Rethinking the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis across 214 countries: the impacts of 12 economic, institutional, technological, resource, and social factors

Research over the past three decades has provided rich empirical evidence for the inverted U-shaped EKC theory, but current problems facing advancing climate mitigation actions require us to re-examine the shape of global EKC rigorously. This paper examined the N-shaped EKC in a panel of 214 countries with 12 traditional and emerging variables, including institutions and risks, information and communication technology (ICT), artificial intelligence(AI), resource and energy use, and selected social factors. The two-dimensional Tapio decoupling model based on N-shaped EKC to group homogeneous countries is developed to explore the inter-group heterogeneous carbon emission effects of each variable. Global research results show that the linear and cubic terms of GDP per capita are significantly positive, while the quadratic term is significantly negative, regardless of whether additional variables are added. This means the robust existence of an N-shaped EKC. Geopolitical risk, ICT, and food security are confirmed to positively impact per capita carbon emissions, while the impact of composite risk, institutional quality, digital economy, energy transition, and population aging are significantly negative. The impact of AI, natural resource rents, trade openness, and income inequality are insignificant. The inflection points of the N-shaped EKC considering all additional variables are 45.08 and 73.44 thousand US dollars, respectively. Combining the turning points and the calculated decoupling coefficients, all countries are categorized into six groups based on the two-dimensional decoupling model. The subsequent group regression results show heterogeneity in the direction and magnitude of the carbon emission impacts of most variables. Finally, differentiated carbon emission reduction strategies for countries in six two-dimensional decoupling stages are proposed.

Application of big Data in e-Governance

Nepal is moving towards digitization. In Nepal federal, province and Local government are steadily moving towards digitizing all the government departments, scheme and services. e-Government is defined as an effort created, managed and implemented by public entities to use information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve delivery of public services and increase public and democratic participation. Three tier government of Nepal is moving towards achieving good governance through e-governance and utilization of big data for decision making and predication. The spread of e governance initiatives has had a positive impact on the quality of governance. Geographical, social, & economic disparities are the biggest barriers for full-fledged e-governance. Illiteracy and IT Illiteracy, lack of ICT infrastructure, security and privacy of personal and financial data are other constraints. The aim of this paper is to identify the application and utilization of big Data to Transform Government to e-Government, the issues, challenges and obstacles ahead. The study provides a framework for e-governance in Nepal by analyzing the its essential application and role in achieving good governance using big data.

Evaluation of ICT Security Implementation in Banks: Bangladesh Perspective

Nowadays, banks are the foundation of a strong economy in any country, whereas information and communication technology (ICT) has become the heart of any bank. As a result, one of the major challenges has become ensuring the security of the banks. Whenever ICT security comes up, the foremost thing that needs to be considered is” PAM, PCI DSS, SIEM, and ICT risk management,” which measures are improving immensely day by day. Under the ICT security guidelines of Bangladesh Bank, all banks are implementing many security measures to ensure ICT security standards. This paper mainly emphasis on the implementation of ICT security measures such as PAM, PCI DSS, SIEM, and ICT risk management through surveys from different banks. It also focuses on the challenges and future prospects of ICT security measures

New Management Standard for Digital Data Protection Using A PDCA Model Anchored to ISO/IEC 27001 and R.A. 10173

ICT security has proven to be important in any organization in dealing with digital data. In implementing data protection, there are several challenges that an organization may encounter such as employee’s lack of awareness and education, cybersecurity threats, data breaches, lack of technical infrastructure, and limited resources. To combat internal security threats and encourage employees' security habits every agency, in the different sectors of the government must practice and promote data protection awareness against cybercrimes. To improve the security posture of every public or private organization in the Philippines. This study looked at a newly suggested security management standard that offers a thorough framework for detecting and evaluating risks to ICT (information and communication technology) systems and applications. The proposed standard strongly emphasizes the necessity of ongoing security control monitoring and assessment, frequent recovery plan testing and evaluation, and compliance with the PDCA Model anchored to the ISO/IEC 27001 standard and the Data Privacy Act of 2012. The study examined the suggested standard's main aspects and potential business advantages, including security, compliance, and stakeholder coordination and communication as well as emphasized the difficulties in implementing the suggested standard, including the requirement for significant resources and knowledge. The proposed standard also provides a common language for communication and collaboration among stakeholders, including I.T. staff, business leaders, and external partners. This can help promote a security culture and ensure everyone in the organization works together towards a common goal.

БРИКС в глобальном режиме ИКТ-безопасности

The ubiquitous implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is giving rise to cross-border security threats that require joint international responses. Fragmentation and growing conflict in the global information space complicates international cooperation within the UN to form a comprehensive global information security regime. Western countries actively support the formation of a cyber security regime based on Western values and promoted as a general initiative of the international community without taking into account the position of developing countries. An alternative approach focused on securing digital sovereignty is being promoted by many non-Western negotiating platforms, among which the BRICS occupies an important place. This article aims to assess the potential of BRICS influence in the framework of the international ICT security regime and the main directions of the BRICS activities in this area. In this paper, the BRICS agenda in the field of ICT security is studied on the basis of official documents of the annual summits and the main commitment made by the BRICS. The discourse analysis of the strategic planning documents of the BRICS countries allows to identify their priorities in the area under consideration, and to assess the potential for the implementation of the achieved obligations at the BRICS level. All the BRICS countries focus on ensuring sovereignty in the field of ICT. However, Russia, India and China consider digital development and ICT security as the most important direction of state policy and international cooperation; at the same time, they are more advanced in the field of digital technologies compared to other countries of the five and, as a result, are more vulnerable. In turn, Brazil and South Africa do not consider this area as a priority, placing more emphasis on ICT development and being more interested in access to technology and bridging the digital divide. However, all five countries are interested in solving the problem of extremism and terrorism in the digital sphere, which is also a promising area for the BRICS multilateral cooperation. A study of the voting of the BRICS countries in the UN and an analysis of their participation in alternative initiatives in the field of forming a cyber security regime promoted by Western countries showed the high efficiency of BRICS as a negotiating platform - the main contribution is made by developing a common position on the norms and principles of the international information security regime and their support at the UN level. Thus, BRICS can make a constructive contribution to the formation of the norms and principles of the international ICT security regime based on the principles of respect for state sovereignty, internationalization of the Internet governance, and counteraction to the criminal use of ICTs. An important advantage of BRICS in this area is the possibility of aggregating the interests and positions of developing countries.

How does information and communication technology affect energy security? International evidence

Using the panel data of 66 countries for the period 1996–2019, the current research explores the influences of information and communication technology (ICT) on energy security. We consider the role of financial development, human capital and technological development to explore the channels through which ICT influences energy security. Our empirical results reveal the adverse impact of ICT on energy demand and energy security. In addition, ICT mainly affects energy security through financial development and technological progress. Although human capital can significantly affect energy security, ICT cannot affect energy security through human capital channels. Furthermore, using economic risk as the threshold variable to study the link between ICT and energy security, we note that the impact of ICT on energy security is inverted U-shape with an improvement of economic risk. Specifically, ICT tends to increase the energy security in the lower stages of economic risk, while it weakens energy security reaching a certain level of said risk. In a similar vein, if financial risk is considered as the threshold variable, which is same as economic risk. Finally, the impact of ICT on energy security shows an upward trend in fluctuation with the passage of time. Our results provide policy implications to governments and future researchers.

Information security threats encountered by Malaysian public sector data centers

<span>D</span><span lang="EN-AU">ata centers are primarily the main targets of cybercriminals and security threats as they host various critical information and communication technology (ICT) services. Identifying the threats and </span><span>managing the risks associated with data centers have become a major challenge as this will enable organizations to optimize their resources to focus on the most hazardous threats to prevent the potential risks and damages. The objective of this paper is to identify major ICT security threats to data centers in the Malaysian public sector and their causes. The data for this study was collected through interview sessions. A total of 33 respondents from various government organizations were interviewed. The results revealed that the technical threats, </span><span lang="EN-MY">spyware, phishing, bluesnarfing threats, social engineering and virus, trojan, malware, ransomware, viral websites threats are the major categories of threats often encountered by the malaysian public sector organizations. The</span><span> causes for these threats </span><span lang="EN-MY">are lack of budget, competent personnel, and manpower for security tasks, user awareness; lack of </span><span>compliances and monitoring; insufficient security policies and procedures as well as deliberate cyber attacks. The outcome of this study will give a greater degree of awareness and understanding to the ICT security officers, who are entrusted with data center security.</span>

Evaluating non-market costs of ICT involving data transmission in smart cities

ABSTRACT Smart cities are spurred by rapid development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Cost justification has been a challenging but essential decision-making aspect for smart city projects. Whilst market costs are measurable, non-market costs are often obscure and even intangible. The adverse effects on individuals arising from ICT services are usually underestimated due to the exclusion of intangible elements. This study is devoted to the non-market costs of ICT to users (i.e. Privacy leak, Cyber-attack, Non-availability, and Impediment) and non-users (due to Digital divide) in smart cities. Contingent Valuation is conducted on representative ICT services in Hong Kong which is an emerging smart city. Ordinal regression is adopted to calculate Willingness-to-Pay (WTP) for avoiding detriments as the proxy of non-market cost. The results indicate that the WTPs increase with data input needs. Information overload is remarkable in smart cities. Age is identified as a significant determinant through a discussion of influential factors of WTP. The impacts of Age on digital divide are studied with further insights through supplementary interviews. The estimated non-market costs should be incorporated into the Cost–Benefit Analysis of smart city projects for decision-making. Accordingly, policy recommendations on ICT use and security are provided for smart city managers.

Factors influencing the deployment of innovative (ict) facilities by construction organisations in port Harcourt, Nigeria

Data management and exchange of information within contractor organization or between contractors and/or consultant or clients are facilitated through effective information and communication technologies (ICTs) facility provisions. Information exchange happens in real time and jobs made easier through the use of electronic devices. In spite of the huge data generation and information exchange needs of construction contractors, they are still faced with the challenge of adopting ICT in their daily transactions. Thus, this research set out to assess the factors influencing innovative ICT facilities deployment in contracting firms in Port Harcourt. The study adopted a survey approach, in which quantitative data were gathered from construction professionals within the study area, using of a well-structured questionnaire. With a response rate of 68.28%, the data gathered were analyzed using percentage and factor analysis. The study reveals that the factors influencing the deployment of ICT in construction are; Change related issues, Security related concerns, Human and management related Concerns, and Cost related Concerns. Key among these factors are satisfaction with existing method of working, inadequate trained ICT professionals, inadequate knowledge about return on ICT investment, virus attack, security breach and fear of piracy, and lack of legal support for use of ICT. It was recommended that government should put legislation in place to make it mandatory for construction firms to make ICT an integral part of their service delivery.

Döl kontrolü parsellerindeki yonca (Medicago sativa L.) Genotiplerinin Verim ve Kalite Özellikleri ile Genel Kombinasyon Yeteneklerinin Belirlenmesi

This study was conducted to analyze the differences in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) between the population living in rural and urban areas in Ankara. The study is particularly important as it is an original research that lays down the groundwork for developing potential future ICT strategies for rural development by determining the difference in ICT usage between rural and urban populations. In the study 50 men and women each living in rural areas were surveyed as well as an additional 50 men and women each living in urban areas by using a custom-developed multiple-choice survey through purposeful sampling. Data collected were analyzed with SPSS statistical analysis software for both personal and gender factors. Khi-squire ( χ2 ) analyses were made to reveal the differences between variables. The results showed that there were significant differences between gender and location (rural vs. urban) in terms of education, income and employment in addition to preferred ICT tools and the use cases. Evaluation of the results revealed that the women living in rural areas utilize ICT less than those who live in urban areas and also increasing ICT security in rural-specific ways would make a significant difference.

Exploring levels of ICT adoption and sustainability - The case of local governments from Poland

Abstract This study is a part research on the contribution of information and communication technologies (ICT) adoption by local governments to sustainability [1-3]. Its main purpose is to assess the levels of ICT adoption and sustainability in the context of local governments. ICT adoption by local governments is shaped by ICT outlay, information culture, ICT management, and ICT quality, whereas sustainability in local governments is shaped by ecological, economic, sociocultural, and political sustainability. This study employs a quantitative approach and descriptive statistics to evaluate the levels of ICT adoption and sustainability. The survey questionnaire was used and data collected from 118 local government units were analyzed. The research findings revealed that the adoption of electronic delivery boxes and security of back-office systems were at the highest level in local governments, whereas the adoption of EDMS (electronic document management systems), BI (business intelligence) and ERP (enterprise resources planning) systems were at the lowest level. Furthermore, the highest level of ICT adoption was specific for the information and ICT security regulations, and the standard ICT solutions developed for local governments by national governments, whereas the lowest level was specific for the adoption of latest management concepts by local governments and the alignment between information society strategy and ICT adoption. Moreover, employees’ personal mastery, employees’ creativity, and incentives systems used to engage employees in adopting ICT and enhancing their competences were at the very low level.

Intrusion Detection Based on Deep Learning

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays an important role in our life. ICT is engaged with the business and individual patterns of human life. The ICT security is one of the normal ICT fields, which attracts researchers’ attention. The objective of security is to discover attacks represented in control and data planes. These attacks include Denial of Service (DoS), and probing attacks. Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is one of the best solutions for observing, and distinguishing these attacks. In this paper, an IDS dependent on Deep Learning (DL) is proposed. This system achieves an accuracy detection level of 100%.

ICT, Senior universities and digital security

Abstract The Senior Universities (US) in Portugal are socio-educational organisations, of non-formal education, officially recognised by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers nº 76/2016. According to the National Network of Senior Universities (RUTIS), there were 330 US in Portugal with a total of 45,000 senior students in 2019. Since the beginning of the US, computer education has been one of the most sought after topics for seniors. In 2018, 62% of students attended a course related to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). This teaching has gone through three phases in the US that we will present. In the study carried out by the author to 1,016 senior students from all over the country, it was possible to conclude that the frequency of the US contributed a great deal to diminish digital illiteracy and that it is in the older and less literate public that these contributors are more visible. It was also possible to realise that most US students have smartphones and laptops and understand the evolution that the use of computers has had in the US.

Analysis of factors that influence the ICT adoption by SMEs in Colombia

Purpose: The objective of this article is to analyze the factors that influence the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by SMEs in Colombia.Design/methodology: To prove empirically these hypotheses, we administered a questionnaire to a sample of 474 SMEs in Colombia regarding the adoption of ICT and independent variables identified in the literature. Then, we conducted a series of multiple regression models using the data we obtained.Findings: We developed a model that identifies a positive relation between new business opportunities that ICT offer and their adoption level. Likewise, this research identified that a lack of confidence in ICT's security and privacy, a perception of ICT cost-benefit unbalance have a negative impact on the implementation of these technologies.Research limitations/implications: This study has limitations that are inherent to cross-sectional research. These restrict the possibility of conducting dynamic analysis between independent and dependent variables. Likewise, the generalization of results is circumscribed to a geographical context and the type of enterprises surveyed.Practical implications: The results of this research provide valuable contributions to decision-making by SMEs' directors and to public policies that foster the implementation of ICT in SMEs based on an analysis of benefits and barriers found in this study.Originality/value: In view of a lack of empirical work that analyzes the implementation of technology in enterprises in emerging countries, this study provides a valuable contribution to the creation of knowledge when attempting to explain the implementation of ICT using a representative sample of SMEs in Colombia identifying the quantitative form of the impact of the benefits and barriers of these technologies.

VIABLE DIAGNOSIS OF ICT POLICY MANAGEMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy is a code that clarifies the duties, responsibilities and rights of technology stakeholders and specifies acceptable and efficient ICT utilization. ICT policy is very fluid and rooted in a fast changing technology generating new issues and requirements. The study of ICT policy requires the organization to continuously adapt without having to make dramatic structural changes and with keeping long term focus. ICT policy life cycle encompasses four main processes which are: development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. In many cases, the processes that form the life cycle of ICT policy usually stopped or failed at starting phase(s), including the case study in this research. Failures in ICT policy management may compromise ICT security, control and strategy in addition to incurring unnecessary expense. This study explored the challenges and issues in managing ICT policy in one of the Malaysian Public Institutions of Higher Education. An in-depth analysis and elaboration is performed using Viable System Model (VSM) and Hermeneutics method to diagnose and identify weaknesses, mismatches and viable requirements. The case documented here underlines the vast potential of the VSM in ICT policy analysis due to its flexibility and robustness that are a prerequisite in fast-changing environments. The evidence documented here represents the power of VSM through the application of its systemic functions and organizational structure that accommodates environmental dynamism, encourages sustainable development and provides sound theoretical platform. The paper demonstrates practical application of the VSM in diagnosing the organization that contribute towards the maturation of the field.

Management commitment and awareness creation – ICT safety and security in electric power supply network companies

Purpose – This paper aims to follow-up on previous research by studying the degree of management commitment to information and communication technology (ICT) safety and security within network companies in the electric power supply sector, implementation of awareness creation and training measures for ICT safety and security within these companies and the relationship between these two variables. Design/methodology/approach – Data were mainly collected through a survey among users of ICT systems in network companies within the Norwegian electric power supply sector. In addition, qualitative data were gathered through interviews with representatives from the regulatory authorities, and observation studies were conducted at ICT safety and security conferences. Findings – In accordance with previous research, our survey data showed a statistically significant correlation between management commitment to ICT safety and security and implementation of awareness creation and training measures. The majority of survey respondents viewed the degree of management commitment to ICT safety and security within their own organization as high, even though qualitative studies showed contradictory results. The network companies had implemented awareness creation and training measures to a varying degree. However, interactive awareness measures were used to a lesser extent than formal one-way communication methods. Originality/value – The paper provides insight into management commitment to and implementation of awareness creation and training measures for ICT safety and security within network companies.

Vulnerabilities and mitigation techniques toning in the cloud: A cost and vulnerabilities coverage optimization approach using Cuckoo search algorithm with Lévy flights

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) security issues have been a major concern for decades. Today's ICT infrastructure faces sophisticated attacks using combinations of multiple vulnerabilities to penetrate networks with devastating impact. With the recent rise of cloud computing as a new utility computing paradigm, organizations have been considering it as a viable option to outsource major IT services in order to cut costs. Some organizations have opted for a private or hybrid cloud to take advantage of the emerging technologies and services. However, ICT security issues have to be appropriately mitigated. This research proposes a cloud security framework and an approach for vulnerabilities coverage and cost optimization using Cuckoo search algorithm with Lévy flights as random walks. The objective is to mitigate an identified set of vulnerabilities using a selected set of techniques when minimizing cost and maximizing coverage. The results show that Cloud Computing providers and organizations implementing cloud technology within their premises can effectively balance IT security coverage and cost using the proposed approach.

Strengthening Business Process Modeling with the Application / Combination of Viable System Model in ICT Policy Analysis Context

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy is a code that clarifies the duties, responsibilities and rights of technology stakeholders and specifies acceptable and efficient ICT utilization. ICT policy life cycle encompasses four main processes which are: development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. In many cases, the processes that form the life cycle of ICT policy usually stopped or failed at starting phase(s), including th e case study in this research (one of the Malaysian Public Institutions of Higher Education). Failures in ICT policy management may compromise ICT security, control and strategy in addition to incurring unnecessary expense. This paper discusses the methods utilized in conducting the study. Qualitative research and case study method were utilized to provide greater insight into this complicated phenomenon. An in-depth analysis and elaboration was performed using Viable System Model (VSM) and Hermeneutics method to diagnose and identify weaknesses, mismatches and viable requirements. The proposed model combined the perspectives of systemic functions and organizational structure of VSM with organizational processes and entities of Business Process Modeling (BPM). The application of VSM accommodated environmental dynamism, encouraged sustainable development and provided a sound theoretical platform. In combination with BPM, emphasis shifted from a specific, isolated policy domain to a business process model designed to manage overall ICT policy. An ICT policy management prototype was also developed based on the model. The model and prototype system have been verified through the case study.

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) in dentistry

As the use of information and communication technology (ICT) becomes more widespread in dentistry the risk of breaching electronic commerce laws and patient confidentiality increases. It is necessary to be aware of the responsibilities internet usage entails, especially within a dental practice where the protection of patient information is of the utmost importance. More should be done to outline the various precautions that should be taken to ensure ICT security within the professional domain, as it would appear dentistry has been neglected with regard to receiving the proper ICT education, training and support systems.