Online ID Research Articles

Age Verification Systems Will Be a Personal Identifiable Information Nightmare

Online ID checking is insecure, bad for privacy, and will not help children.

Class imbalance and concept drift invariant online botnet threat detection framework for heterogeneous IoT edge

Heterogeneous networks (HetIoT) of high-capacity and resource-constrained IoT devices and their edge associations for on-device distributed critical workloads—called the edge-of-things (EoT)—attract short-burst, botnet-based zero-day attacks that exploit latent vulnerabilities due to heterogeneous device properties, dynamic operational contexts, and insufficient security scrutiny of the constituent proprietary devices. Such a scenario necessitates a device-specific network intrusion detection (NID) technique for localizing the threat space and updated rule learning through online (real-time) model retraining. Furthermore, scarce labeled knowledge base and high levels of class imbalance of NID datasets complicate the ID system design process for EoT environments, as online detection cannot afford computationally expensive data balancing techniques; this necessitates a class imbalance invariant traffic inference technique for data preprocessing. Therefore, we propound the ONIDS online NID technique, which consists of a two-fold solution for the above problems. First, we propose a Beta distribution-based inference technique for efficient traffic behavior approximation—invariant of class imbalance and capable of non-cumulative traffic processing of smaller sample sizes. Then, we put forth an online ID technique called ELMO for class imbalance invariant time-bound training of smaller sample sizes on resource-constrained device-specific network traffic. Together, they are invariant of traffic class imbalances and adaptable to resultant concept drift categories exhibited by HetIoT attack behaviors. ONIDS has low memory and compute footprints and can efficiently process large and small amounts of traffic, making it suitable for online and offline NID. It also exhibits qualitative and quantitative superiority—particularly on smaller data samples.

Development of an Online Isotope Dilution CE/ICP-MS Method for the Quantification of Sulfur in Biological Compounds.

We report an analytical methodology for the quantification of sulfur in biological molecules via a species-unspecific postcolumn isotope dilution (online ID) approach using capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled online with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (online ID CE/ICP-MS). The method was optimized using a mixture of standard compounds including sulfate, methionine, cysteine, cystine, and albumin, yielding compound recoveries between 98 and 105%. The quantity of sulfur is further converted to the quantity of the compounds owing to the prior knowledge of the sulfur content in the molecules. The limit of detection and limit of quantification of sulfur in the compounds were 1.3-2.6 and 4.1-8.4 mg L-1, respectively, with a correlation coefficient of 0.99 within the concentration range of sulfur of 5-100 mg L-1. The capability of the method was extended to quantify albumin in its native matrix (i.e., in serum) using experimentally prepared serum spiked with a pure albumin standard for validation. The relative expanded uncertainty of the method for the quantification of albumin was 6.7% (k = 2). Finally, we tested the applicability of the method on real samples by the analysis of albumin in bovine and human sera. For automated data assessment, a software application (IsoCor)─which was developed by us in a previous work─was developed further for handling of online ID data. The method has several improvements compared to previously published setups: (i) reduced adsorption of proteins onto the capillary wall owing to a special capillary-coating procedure, (ii) baseline separation of the compounds in less than 30 min via CE, (iii) quantification of several sulfur species within one run by means of the online setup, (iv) SI traceability of the quantification results through online ID, and (v) facilitated data processing of the transient signals using the IsoCor application. Our method can be used as an accurate approach for quantification of proteins and other biological molecules via sulfur analysis in complex matrices for various fields, such as environmental, biological, and pharmaceutical studies as well as clinical diagnosis.

Online CNN-based multiple object tracking with enhanced model updates and identity association

Online multiple objects tracking (MOT) is a challenging problem due to occlusions and interactions among targets. An online MOT method with enhanced model updates and identity association is presented to handle the error drift and the identity switch problems in this work. The proposed MOT system consists of multiple single CNN(Convolutional Neural Networks)-based object trackers, where the shared CONV layers are fixed and used to extract the appearance representation while target-specific FC layers are updated online to distinguish the target from background. Two model updates are developed to build an accurate tracker. When a target is visible and with smooth movement, we perform the incremental update based on its recent appearance. When a target experiences error drifting due to occlusion, we conduct the refresh update to clear all previous memory of the target. Moreover, we introduce an enhanced online ID assignment scheme based on multi-level features to confirm the trajectory of each target. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed online MOT method outperforms other existing online methods against the MOT17 and MOT16 benchmark datasets and achieves the best performance in terms of ID association.

How to Save a Failing Fellowship: Drexel Infectious Disease Improvement in ACGME Fellow Survey Results

BackgroundLess than two-thirds of Infectious Disease Fellowship programs filled in the 2017 All-In match. The pressure to fill ID training programs with desirable candidates increases the need for programs to become both more robust and more attractive. Here, we describe the two-year experience of improving our program in each of the ACGME Fellow Survey categories.MethodsAfter low scores on the 2015 ACGME Fellow Survey, faculty at Drexel University Division of Infectious Diseases in Philadelphia, PA completed an overhaul of the ID fellowship program over a two-year period. We reduced the number of weekend calls and restructured clinical time to make appreciable changes to duty hours and fellow workload. We initiated a culture shift in order to increase collegiality and respect, faculty conference attendance, and research mentorship. We revitalized our conference schedule to incorporate more didactic lectures by faculty, featuring a yearlong Core Lecture Series, an interactive board review curriculum, and a new ID Grand Rounds speaker series. We provided our fellows educational resources including tablets, access to an online ID Board Review course, and protected time and funding to present their research at local, regional and national meetings. To quantify our efforts, we analyzed our ACGME Fellow Survey data for 2015–2017.ResultsOver a two-year period, we made improvements across all six of the ACGME survey categories. The ACGME reports data as ÒTotal Percentage Compliance,Ó an average of fellow responses in each category measuring satisfaction on a one-to-five scale (with five being the highest). In the ÒFacultyÓ category, the 2015 Fellow Survey had a Total Percentage Compliance of 19.6. This improved to 66.7% in 2016, and 96.7% in 2017. In the ÒEducational ContentÓ category, the 2015 Fellow Survey had a Total Compliance of 37.5% in 2015, 68.8% in 2016, and 93.8% in 2017. See Figure 1.ConclusionAlthough changing institutional culture is a slow process, we found that by making a series of changes to the structure of the program, collegiality between attendings and fellows, the content of conferences, and the educational resources available to fellows, we were able to transform our fellows’ attitudes toward the Drexel ID Fellowship Program.Figure 1.Drexel ID ACGME Fellow Survey Scores 2015–2017.Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Gender Differences in Problematic Online Behavior of Adolescent Users over Time

This study identifies and tracks changes gender differences in adolescent users’ problematic online behavior. This study used Korea Youth Panel Survey (KYPS), which has tracked respondents over 7 years, with self-control theory and social learning theory applied as a theoretical framework. The model included individual-level variables such as self-control and respondent’s experience of problematic behavior (offline), as well as socialization variables such as the number close friends who engaged in problematic offline behavior, parent-child relationships, and parental monitoring. Dependent variables included problematic online behavior, unauthorized ID use (ID theft) and cyberbullying (cursing/insulting someone in a chat room or on a bulletin board). Control variables consisted of academic performance, time spent on a computer, monthly household income, and father’s educational attainment. Random and fixed effects models were performed by gender. Results supported self-control theory even for the within-level analysis (fixed effects models) regardless of gender, while social learning theory was partially supported. Only peer effects were found significant (except for unauthorized ID use) among girls. Year dummy variables showed significant negative associations; however, academic performance and time spent using computers were significant in some models. Father’s educational attainment and monthly household income were found insignificant, even in the random effects models. We also discuss implications and suggestions for future research and policy makers. Keywords: problematic online behavior, online ID theft, cyberbullying, digital socialization

Fraction-related quantification of silver nanoparticlesvia on-line species-unspecific post-channel isotope dilution in combination with asymmetric flow-field-flow fractionation (AF4)/sector field ICP-mass spectrometry (ICP-SF-MS)

Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) show new and interesting properties leading to an increased use in various application fields and have entered our daily environment (e.g., functionalized clothing, cosmetics, food, medicine). Though on the one hand nanotechnology plays a substantial role in societies' daily life, on the other the presence and behavior of ENPs in organisms and the environment is still unclear to a large extent. Furthermore, comprehensive legislative regulation is still missing. For adequate regulation a clear definition of ENPs is needed. A definition recommendation was released in 2011 by the European Commission (EC) on the basis of size and number of ENPs present within a defined size range. However, straightforward analytical techniques which easily provide information allowing for a decision (based on the EC definition) on the presence and concentration of ENPs in a given sample do not exist yet. A promising tool, offering fraction-related size information on the one hand and allowing for element-specific detection on the other is the coupling of asymmetric flow-field-flow-fractionation (AF4) with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In this work, a new strategy for quantifying silver nanoparticle (AgNP) size fractions (30 nm ± 2.1 nm, 75 nm ± 3.9 nm) after base-line AF4 separation relying on on-line ICP-MS detection combined with “post-channel” species-unspecific on-line isotope dilution (on-line ID) was successfully developed. A limit of detection (LOD) of 0.5 μg Ag L−1 and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 1.6 μg Ag L−1 were achieved by the approach applied. The recovery values for the smaller size-fraction (30 nm) were in the range of 31–41% while for the larger size-fraction (75 nm) in the range of 75–78%. The overall reproducibility (RSDs, peak areas) was in between 3.4–5.4%. Validation of the on-line ID approach was achieved via off-line fraction collection and total silver determination afterwards; a bias of 2.9–16.4% between both approaches was observed indicating that the on-line ID approach is working properly. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first time that species-unspecific (post-channel) on-line ID was combined with AF4/ICP-SF-MS for fraction-related quantification of AgNPs.

Empowering India through unique IDs to 1.2 billion indians

E an ID is a common challenge for poor. A resident typically accesses multiple service providers, at different times and needs to repeatedly re-establish his ID which is a problem for the poor. The Government of India has launched a project in 2009, under which an Aadhaar, (which means “ foundation”) , a unique 12 digit number, is issued to residents on a voluntary basis free of cost, which would facilitate provision of a robust, one time, reusable, nationally on-line verifiable ID to those who do not have any ID . This number will also clean up the existing databases of beneficiaries of services through uniqueness and by removal of the duplicates and fakes. This, in turn, will improve targeting and delivery of services with cost reduction as the attendant benefit. In India, Financial Inclusion is minimal, with only 5% habitations having banks, 40% of the population having bank accounts, and Life Insurance Cover less than 10%. In fact, the usage of Debit Cards is just 13% and that of the Credit Cards is 2% . Aadhaar has enabled the opening of bank accounts for people who have never had access to banking services so far. To bring millions of Indians in the mainstream of inclusive development, the “Aadhaar” solution comprises enrolment of residents by way of collection and storage of basic demographic and biometric attributes viz. Name, Address, Date of Birth, Gender , photo, 10 finger prints and IRIS and by allotting a 12 digit unique number guaranteeing uniqueness through biometric de-duplication. The technological solution also provides online, cost-effective, ubiquitous Authentication services (anytime, anywhere) across the country. The solution is based on 30+ minutiae extracted from each fingerprint and iris pattern. Aadhaar Authentication is the process wherein Aadhaar number, along with other attributes (biometrics, demographics or One time PIN (OTP)) is submitted to UIDAI’s Central Identities Data Repository (CIDR) for verification. The CIDR verifies whether the data submitted matches the data available in CIDR and responds with only “yes/no” without disclosing any personal identity information as part of the response. The sheer volume and scalability to achieve the target of giving unique ID to 1.2 billion people with 12 billion finger prints and 2.4 billion Iris is a huge challenge. Presently, Enrolment of the magnitude of 01 million per day is being carried out on 100,000 enrolment machines. The major applications of the project are delivery and targeting of beneficiaries in various socio-economic programs run by the government such as Public Distribution System, Direct Benefit Transfers to the needy and poor, Health and Education programs, apart from financial inclusion. The target of the project is to create 600 million Aadhaars by 2014

Watermarking in E-commerce

A major challenge for E-commerce and content-based businesses is the possibility of altering identity documents or other digital data. This paper shows a watermark-based approach to protect digital identity documents against a Print-Scan (PS) attack. We propose a secure ID card authentication system based on watermarking. For authentication purposes, a user/customer is asked to upload a scanned picture of a passport or ID card through the internet to fulfill a transaction online. To provide security in online ID card submission, we need to robustly encode personal information of ID card’s holder into the card itself, and then extract the hidden information correctly in a decoder after the PS operation. The PS operation imposes several distortions, such as geometric, rotation, and histogram distortion, on the watermark location, which may cause the loss of information in the watermark. An online secure authentication system needs to first eliminate the distortion of the PS operation before decoding the hidden data. This study proposes five preprocessing blocks to remove the distortions of the PS operation: filtering, localization, binarization, undoing rotation, and cropping. Experimental results with 100 ID cards showed that the proposed online ID card authentication system has an average accuracy of 99% in detecting hidden information inside ID cards after the PS process. The innovations of this study are the implementation of an online watermark-based authentication system which uses a scanned ID card picture without any added frames around the watermark location, unlike previous systems.

HPLC/ICP-MS in Combination with “Reverse” Online Isotope Dilution in Drug Metabolism Studies

During the development of a new drug compound, its metabolism needs to be unraveled. For quantification of the metabolites formed, the drug under investigation is traditionally synthesized with a radiolabel ((14)C or (3)H) and the metabolites present in different matrixes (blood, urine, feces) upon drug administration are determined by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to radiodetection. This approach allows for quantification of the metabolites formed and enables a straightforward distinction between exogenous (i.e., drug-related) and endogenous species (as only the radiolabeled species are detected). However, in some cases, the use of a radiolabeled compound in human in vivo studies is not advisible, e.g., for drug compounds or their metabolites showing a long plasma or tissue half-life. In cases where the candidate drug molecule contains an element detectable by means of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), HPLC/ICP-MS is a promising alternative approach. However, the method lacks specificity when a distinction between drug-related species and endogenous compounds containing the same target element needs to be accomplished. As a result, we have developed an HPLC/ICP-MS-based method combined with "reverse" online isotope dilution ("reverse" online ID) for metabolite quantification. The methodology was evaluated by the analysis of feces samples from rats dosed with a (81)Br-labeled drug compound. The method allows for both (i) valid quantification of the drug metabolites and (ii) distinction among endogenous, exogenous, and "mixed" species, based on their isotopic "fingerprint". A good repeatability (relative standard deviation of 4.2%) and limit of detection (0.35 mg of drug compound L(-1) of feces extract), of the same order of magnitude as those observed for "normal" online ID HPLC/ICP-MS and HPLC/radiodetection, were achieved.

Speciation analysis of bromine-containing drug metabolites in feces samples from a human in vivo study by means of HPLC/ICP-MS combined with on-line isotope dilution

The aim of this work was speciation analysis of metabolites in feces samples collected within a clinical study during which a bromine-containing anti-tuberculosis drug (TMC207) was administered to patients with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis infection. Owing to slow elimination of the drug, no (14)C label was used within this study. Quantification of the bromine species was accomplished using high performance liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC/ICP-MS) in combination with on-line isotope dilution (on-line ID), while structural elucidation of the species was performed using HPLC coupled to electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry. The ICP-MS-based method developed shows a good intra- and inter-day reproducibility (relative standard deviation = 3.5%, N = 9); the limit of detection (1.5 mg TMC207 L(-1)) is of the same order of magnitude as that for HPLC/radiodetection; the dynamic range of the method covers more than two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, the column recovery was demonstrated to be quantitative (recoveries between 90.6% and 99.5%). Based on the excellent figures of merit, the "cold" HPLC/ICP-MS approach could be deployed for the actual human in vivo metabolism study, such that exposure of the human volunteers to the (14)C radiolabel was avoided.

Online ID theft techniques, investigation and response

ID theft, especially in its online form, is currently one of the most prevalent types of computer crime. The limited end-user awareness as well as the retention and business processing of large amounts of personal data in a manner that does not meet security and regulatory requirements provide plenty of opportunities to fraudsters. A number of organisations have produced guidelines of good practice targeted to individuals and organisations; however the matter is still on the rise. In this paper, we review computer-based techniques employed by fraudsters in order to steal IDs and refer to published guidelines and the documented good practice against those. We discuss the issues related to the investigation of such incidents and provide the grounds for the development of a framework to assist in their forensic examination.

Determination of cadmium in environmental and biological reference materials using isotope dilution analysis with a double focusing ICP-MS: a comparison with quadrupole ICP-MS

J. Pablo Valles Mota, J. Ruiz Encinar, M. Rosario Fernández de la Campa, J. Ignacio García Alonso and A. Sanz-Medel, J. Anal. At. Spectrom., 1999, 14, 1467 DOI: 10.1039/A901753D