Security Actions Research Articles

Online learning assessment: transformative actions for linguistic security in a basic writing course

In this institutional research, indirect learning assessment was incorporated to improve the design of evaluation instruments in an online Spanish Basic Writing course. The study addresses the issue that first-year students at a public university continued to struggle with two short-answer items that had not been identified as particularly difficult in previous evaluation processes. The first addresses the gerund in a journalistic excerpt; the second, the concept of ‘vulgar speech’. A questionnaire was administered to gauge the perceptions of 100 of the 117 enrolled students, aged between 17 and 19, regarding the language used in those two items from the first test of the semester. The results of this descriptive research revealed that a significant percentage felt uncomfortable with the content of the prompts (68% and 71%, respectively), indicating possible adverse reactions to the design of the stimuli. In response, two transformative actions were taken: the items were revised to ensure linguistic neutrality, and the theoretical framework of the course was shifted from prescriptive grammar to applied linguistics to promote linguistic security. This study highlights the importance of aligning assessment design with student perceptions to build effective learning environments.

Machine Learning-Based Reconnaissance Bee Colony with Custom AES & AE for Robust IoT Data Security and Transmission

Objectives: To propose a robust method to enhance data security and transmission in IoT to address the challenges in real-time data transmission and create a comprehensive security solution. The new method takes credit for the machine learning-based bioinspired method to minimize data loss and maximize end-to-end data transmission rate. Methods: Custom-AES with Avalanche Effect (AE) and Machine Learning-based Reconnaissance Bee Colony are employed to secure the data with enhanced encryption by creating a multi-layered IoT security solution. Key stretching is used to provide high resistance to cryptographic attacks. In order to optimize threat detection, Pareto-based selection and dynamic parameter tuning with ML-RBC are used. To improve attack resilience, rank, and tournament selection methods are employed to target DDoS and MMIT attacks with a minimized encryption time. The NSL-KDD IoT network dataset is used to test the proposed CAES-AE with the ML-RBC model using a network simulator. To assess the performance of the proposed work, the results are compared with prevailing IoT data transmission techniques such as ERSA, QoS-BFT, AES, Custom AES, and RBC. Findings: The suggested CAES-AE with ML-RBC data security and transmission method attains the promising results of 97% authentication success rate, 6 seconds response time to security actions, 96% vulnerability detection speed, 97% data encryption strength, 5 seconds incident response time, and 97.8% network performance (energy efficiency & lifetime), which is higher than earlier methods. Novelty: This research provides a secured data transmission method in an IoT environment to address the real-time data transmission challenges faced in sensor-based networks. This will function as a multi-layered IoT security model that optimizes real-time attack detection and resilience. The performance metrics are evaluated with multiple packet transfer rates to boost the network performance. Keywords: Machine Learning, Advanced Networking, Data Security, Secured Data Transmission, Bio­Inspired Algorithm

Does the type of privacy-protective behaviour matter? An analysis of online privacy protective action and motivation

ABSTRACT Individual decisions to protect privacy online are complex. Most research has treated privacy protection measures as a single, unitary category. This paper challenges this notion by looking at multiple categories of privacy protection behaviour. Our data are from the Oxford Internet Survey (OxIS) as well as insights from the semi-structured interviews. We find two types of privacy protective actions, which we call security actions and preventive actions. We use logistic regression, based on protection motivation theory, to investigate what leads people to take either type of action. The contribution of this research is three-fold. First, it shows that individual privacy protection cannot be treated as a single category. Second, it demonstrates that there are different motivations underlying different privacy protection actions. Finally, it proposes an expansion of protection motivation theory to include a contextual aspect based on Nissenbaum (2009, Privacy in context. Stanford University Press). This expansion considers the privacy context defined by actor, activity, values and norms. We suggest that future work on privacy should consider multiple categories and contextual settings.

Regional Power Dynamics and Security Approaches: A Comparative Study of SADC and ECOWAS

This study examines regional power dynamics and security approaches within two prominent African regional organisations: ECOWAS– Economic Community of West African States and the SADC– Southern African Development Community. Since Africa remains insecure due to internal conflicts, and terrorism, regional organisations have a vital role in stability. ECOWAS and SADC are particularly marked by their specific security mechanisms; however, they are located in different political, social and economic environments and thus perform differently in terms of management and resolution of conflict. Using the theoretical framework of power theory and the adoption of case study research design and content analysis, the research critically explores regional power dynamics and security approaches within SADC and ECOWAS. The findings reveal that while ECOWAS’s interventionist policies enable swift action, they sometimes face issues of sustainability and regional buy-in. In contrast, SADC’s consensus-driven approach promotes stability but can lead to prolonged conflict resolution processes. This study contributes to the broader discourse on regional security in Africa, highlighting the need for adaptable strategies that address both immediate threats and long-term stability in diverse geopolitical environments. The study concludes that while both SADC and ECOWAS employ different strategies in Western and Southern Africa, yet the approaches are similar in many ways. Consequently, the two organisations though having the common strategic object of creating stability at regional level have significantly different operating models defined by their respective historical, political and socio-economic circumstances. These differences define their security actions, the coordination of the states which are members of the union, and their performance in the handling of conflicts.

THE EXHAUSTIVE LIST OF ORDINANCE No. 439/MJSP OF AUGUST 4, 2023 AND THE AUTONOMY OF THE STATES

Brazilian federalism, characterized by the division of power between different levels of government, aims to guarantee the autonomy and decentralization of public administration. In this context, public safety emerges as a crucial issue, requiring coordination and joint financing between the federal government, states, and municipalities. Law 13,756/2018, enacted on December 12, 2018, represented an important milestone in promoting federal cooperation in public safety. By creating the National Public Safety Fund (FNSP), the law established financing and management mechanisms that aimed to strengthen the actions of federal entities in preventing and combating crime. This decentralization sought to ensure greater effectiveness in the application of resources, allowing each federal entity to adapt actions to its specific needs and realities. However, Ordinance MJSP 439/2023, published on August 4, 2023, raised questions about its compatibility with the principles of federalism. By establishing a limitative list of axes and assets that can be financed with FNSP resources, Ordinance 439/2023 limited the autonomy of states in choosing priorities for their public security actions. The central question then arises: does Ordinance 439/2023, by establishing strict guidelines for the application of FNSP resources, violate the principles of Brazilian federalism? This is the question that this study, of a bibliographic and documentary nature, seeks to answer. Through an in-depth analysis of Law 13,756/2018 and MJSP Ordinance 439/2023, we conclude that the limitative list violates the autonomy of states in deciding what to invest in public security in the State or Federal District.

Indicadores de Sustentabilidade para Gestão da Água

Water safety involves the sustainable use and protection of water sources, so that water is available in adequate quantity and quality to health, livelihoods, ecosystems and production, in addition to protecting it from the negative effects of extreme weather events. Internationally, the concept of water security began being discussed in the 1990s, and more so since 2009, when the issue became the subject of a greater number of publications. In Brazil Federal Law 9433/97, which establishes the National Water Resources Policy, and corresponding state laws implicitly provide the concept of water security. However, the National Water Safety Plan was only launched in 2019, and has became the fundamental instrument for decision-making on this issue. The objective of the research was to pre-select indicators to analyze the water safety of the municipalities contemplated in the Capibaribe river watershed, within the framework of sustainable water management. To achieve the objective, the following methodology was adopted: pre-selection of indicators; application of a questionnaire to a panel of experts; structure a database. Thus, this work aims to bring subsidies that contribute to water security actions and public policies through the development of an indicator database. Additionally, this research is a proposal for future work, helping to define an equation of the water security index for the municipalities in the watershed.

Роль державних та недержавних інституцій у відновлені екосистем реінтегрованих територій

The paper highlights the key role of non-state actors in ecosystem restoration through community mobilization, adaptive initiatives, and integration of local knowledge. It examines the relationship between ecological restoration and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the context of biodiversity conservation, food security, and climate action. It examines challenges, including high unemployment, security risks, and political instability, that affect the effectiveness of restoration efforts. It highlights the importance of collaboration between state and non-state actors to achieve sustainable outcomes.

“Protect Me Tomorrow”: Commitment Nudges to Remedy Compromised Passwords

Internet users often neglect important security actions (e.g., installing security updates or changing passwords) because they interrupt users’ main task at inopportune times. Commitment devices, such as reminders and promises, have been found to be effective at reducing procrastination in other domains. In a series of online experiments ( \(n{\gt}3{,}000\) ), we explored the effects of reminders and promises on users’ willingness to change a compromised password. We find that adding an option to delay the task increases the share of people willing to eventually change their password considerably. Critically, the option to delay yields this overall increase without reducing the share of people choosing to change their password immediately. Additionally, most participants who promised to change their password later, or asked to be reminded to do so, indeed followed through on their commitment, leading to a net positive effect. Reminding participants of their previous commitment further increased this effect.

Ranking the states most at risk of healthcare data breaches: an application of integrated multicriteria framework for prioritization in risk management

PurposeData breaches in the US healthcare sector have more than tripled in the last decade across all states. However, to this day, no established framework ranks all states from most to least at risk for healthcare data breaches. This gap has led to a lack of proper risk identification and understanding of cyber environments at state levels.Design/methodology/approachBased on the security action cycle, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity framework, the risk-planning model, and the multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) literature, the paper offers an integrated multicriteria framework for prioritization in cybersecurity to address this lack and other prioritization issues in risk management in the field. The study used historical breach data between 2015 and 2021.FindingsThe findings showed that California, Texas, New York, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ohio, and Georgia are the states most at risk for healthcare data breaches.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight each US state faces a different level of healthcare risk. The findings are informative for patients, crucial for privacy officers in understanding the nuances of their risk environment, and important for policy-makers who must grasp the grave disconnect between existing issues and legislative practices. Furthermore, the study suggests an association between positioning state risk and such factors as population and wealth, both avenues for future research.Originality/valueTheoretically, the paper offers an integrated framework, whose basis in established security models in both academia and industry practice enables utilizing it in various prioritization scenarios in the field of cybersecurity. It further emphasizes the importance of risk identification and brings attention to different healthcare cybersecurity environments among the different US states.

Economics of sustainable irrigation in smallholder agriculture: implications for food security and climate action

Economics of sustainable irrigation in smallholder agriculture: implications for food security and climate action

Pathfinding and Connections in the Life of Small Reformed Communities in Budapest. The Contexts of the 1967 YMCA Trial

In July 1967, the communist political police arrested five members of Keresztyén Ifjúsági Egyesület (the Hungarian equivalent of the YMCA), which had been dissolved in 1950, on charges of conspiracy against the state. Among those arrested were pastors, elders, and a former deacon. The trial is considered to be the last politically motivated trial against the Reformed Church and the most significant of all state security actions against the Reformed in Hungary. In order to understand the background of the trial and the changing considerations of church policy and state security surrounding it, it is necessary to look at how the image and political approach of the decisive actors of church policy had evolved by the 1960s. On the other hand, the documents produced by the party-state can be examined not only from the perspective of power but also from that of communities in action: what were the individual and collective strategies for active Christianity in the first decades of the Kádár regime? What were the individual and collective aspirations, adaptation techniques, and patterns of value transmission that can be discerned among different groups, congregations, youth communities, and their leaders in Reformed Christianity? Which forms of church or religious behaviours were considered dangerous by the party-state, and how did it set forth for the church policy enforcement bodies the activities it considered to be within the category of church or religious resistance and opposition?

India’s maritime security dilemma and geopolitical competition in Indo-Pacific

ABSTRACT Maritime security is a major concern in the contemporary global environment. Rapid technological progress has facilitated the exploration and utilisation of oceanic resources in remote offshore regions. Traditionally, the maritime domain has faced several threats, such as sea piracy, armed robberies, and illegal drugs. In the twenty-first century, with the rise of China as an important maritime power, geo-strategic competition has increased among great powers. India has long enjoyed a sphere of influence in the Indian Ocean Region has been challenged. The rise of China poses a credible security threat to India in the Indo-Pacific region. This article explores the dynamic backdrop of global, regional, and domestic politics and their effects on Indian foreign policy through the ocean. This article contends that the marine security initiatives and actions observed over the last decade necessitate more comprehensive consideration. In global maritime politics, India and the USA look to each other as partners to counterbalance China. Nevertheless, India is not ready for any military alliance against China based on Indian national interests. Therefore, this paper examines how India has pursued its ‘strategic autonomy’ in the region during the power rivalry between China and the US.

Digital security by design

This paper scrutinises the evolving digital security landscape, encompassing technological advancements, regulatory frameworks, and industry-specific challenges. It explores the influence of technologies like AI, quantum computing, and blockchain on security paradigms whilst identifying emergent threats. The study analyses the interplay between digital security and legislative policies, underlining their impact on industry practices and individual behaviours. Sector-specific examinations are conducted, pinpointing unique security concerns in sectors such as healthcare and finance and advocating bespoke solutions. The study highlights discrepancies between security intentions and actions, proposing strategies to bridge this divide. Projecting into the future, we anticipate shifts in technology and regulation, culminating in pragmatic recommendations for stakeholders. This article offers an informed perspective on digital security, laying the groundwork for proactive approaches in a dynamic digital environment.

Evolving research on groundwater governance and collective action for water security: A Global bibliometric analysis

Groundwater is a significant source of freshwater supply globally. State-mandated groundwater regulatory frameworks are often pervasive and have failed to reap tangible outcomes. The participatory approach of groundwater governance has surfaced to understand human-groundwater relations through collective action going beyond the techno-managerial paradigm. Hence, the study is carried out to provide a comprehensive and systematic review of the evolution and trends of research in groundwater governance and collective action deploying bibliometric analysis to understand the political economy of groundwater. A total of 356 scholarly peer-reviewed and grey literature published from 2000 to 2022 was compiled. A substantial increase in publications after 2013 was observed. USA and India lead in publication contributions in terms of geographical distribution. Three peer-reviewed journals were prominent publishing outlets: Hydrogeology, Water, and Water Alternatives. The analysis of 814 keywords co-occurrence shows that "groundwater," "governance," and "collective action" were the most extensively used keywords. The emerging themes observed are governance and institutions, cooperative management, and policy. Our findings signify that cooperative management or collective action will be prioritised to understand human-groundwater relations by making the invisible resource visible integrating socio-cultural perspectives.

Beyond conflict-related sexual violence: the continuum of violence in Iraq’s Women, Peace and Security action plans

Women’s experiences of conflict and their roles in its prevention have become an increasingly large focus for feminist scholars, particularly since the adoption of the Women, Peace and Security agenda in 2000. Iraq has been at the forefront of engagement with the Women, Peace and Security agenda, being the first Middle East state to adopt a national action plan. This article analyses Iraq’s Women, Peace and Security action plans, largely drafted by women’s civil society organisations, using the concept of the ‘continuum of violence’. In doing so, the article shows how a fuller breadth of violence is used by Iraqi women writing and working on Women, Peace and Security inside Iraq than what appears in Women, Peace and Security resolutions. The article therefore contributes to critical engagements with the Women, Peace and Security agenda by addressing two themes: the agenda’s limited capture of gendered violence in conflict; and the agenda’s top-down nature when it comes to reconceptualising the agenda, its limits and its opportunities.

Multisectoral approaches for sustainable food and nutrition security actions in Ethiopia

Ethiopia has demonstrated a commitment to tackling the high burden of Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) challenges by developing and implementing various policies, strategies, and programs. Despite the efforts, the current FNS situation is of significant public health concern observed by various nutrition indices. The narrative review aimed to appraise multisectoral policy, strategic and programmatic initiatives aimed at addressing FNS challenges and identify entry points for enhancing coherent and integrated FNS approaches. The review involved broad literature research using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 1,086 articles and grey literature were identified. Out of this, 47 full-text articles and documents met the selection criteria and were included in this review. Evidence was synthesized in themes to characterize the successes and challenges of key FNS policies, strategies, and programs and identify potential areas of improvement to enhance multisectoral actions and address FNS challenges. Overall, Ethiopia has made considerable progress in enhancing FNS through the implementation of a range of FNS policies, strategies, and programs such as the National Nutrition Program (NNP), Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP), and Agricultural Growth Program (AGP) among others. These efforts have resulted in notable achievements, such as the reduction of the prevalence of undernourishment from 47.0% in 2000 to 24.9% in 2020 and the reduction of stunting among children under five years from 57.4% to 35.2% over the same period. Nonetheless, the pace of progress has been hindered by various contextual and programmatic challenges such as climatic shocks, poverty, high inflation, political instability, limited access to production resources, inadequate coverage of FNS interventions, inadequate financing, and inadequate multisectoral coherence and integration. A comprehensive and integrated multisectoral FNS approach focusing on enhancing commitment, planning, coordination, financing, capacity building, and accountability across sectors and levels is imperative. Strengthening coherence across various sectors, alongside the operationalization of robust multisectoral monitoring and evaluation systems highlighted in the National Food and Nutrition Strategy, constitutes the most suitable entry points for ensuring sustainable advancement in mitigating the prevailing FNS challenges in Ethiopia. Key words: Food and nutrition security, policy and program, multisectoral approaches, Integration, Ethiopia

Design of the Bali Province Food Security Action Plan towards Food Independence

The problem of hunger is one of the problems that still occur in Indonesia. The problem of hunger is closely related to the problem of staple foods, such as the unmet security of staple food, rice as the community's main food, and the increasing demand for staple foods. This research aims to analyze the challenges faced by Bali Province in maintaining sustainable food security and to design food security action designs in Bali Province towards food independence. The data used in this research are primary data and secondary data with a descriptive analysis method using ISM analysis. The results of the research show that food challenges that occur in Bali Province include reduced agricultural land, unbalanced supply and demand for food commodities, weak use and mastery of technology, lack of farming management and product marketing, the proportion of crop loss and food waste is still quite high, food loss due to inaccuracy in handling food, the area of agricultural land per capita is very limited, the number of young people interested in working in the agricultural sector is still problematic, the age of farmers over 45 years reaches 64.2%, Indonesia is also still facing three times the burden of nutrition, climate change, and hydrometeorological disasters. The Bali Province's food security design towards food independence consists of farmers, government, companies, financial institutions, and agricultural cooperatives who are interconnected with each other.

A fast and reliable LC-MS-MS method for the quantification of saxitoxin in blood plasma samples.

Saxitoxins (STXs) are potent neurotoxins produced by marine dinoflagellates or freshwater cyanobacteria known to cause acute and eventually fatal human intoxications, which are classified as paralytic shellfish poisonings (PSPs). Rapid analysis of STXs in blood plasma can be used for a timely diagnosis and confirmation of PSPs. We developed a fast and simple method of STX extraction based on plasma sample acidification and precipitation by acetonitrile, followed by quantification using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS). Our approach provides the results ≤30 min, with a limit of detection of 2.8 ng/mL and a lower limit of quantification of 5.0 ng/mL. Within-run and between-run precision experiments showed good reproducibility with ≤15% values. Standard curves for calibration were linear with correlation coefficients ≥0.98 across the assay calibration range (5-200 ng/mL). In an interlaboratory analytical exercise, the method was found to be 100% accurate in determining the presence or absence of STX in human plasma specimens, with recovery values of 86-99%. This simple method for STX determination in animal or human plasma can quickly and reliably diagnose STX exposures and confirm suspected PSP cases to facilitate patient treatment or expedite necessary public health or security actions.

EVOLUTION OF MILITARY-POLITICAL COOPERATION IN THE RAMSTEIN FORMAT (2022-2024)

The Ramstein format, initiated in 2022, has emerged as a groundbreaking mechanism for military-political cooperation in response to the escalating security crisis caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This article explores the evolution of this international coalition from its formation to 2024, focusing on its role in uniting over 50 countries to provide coordinated military and logistical support to Ukraine. The study examines the main stages of the coalition's development, highlighting its strategic goals, such as strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities, supplying advanced military equipment, and fostering interoperability among allied nations. Particular attention is given to the challenges faced by the coalition, including maintaining member-state cohesion, overcoming logistical hurdles, and addressing resource limitations in the face of prolonged conflict. The findings reveal that the Ramstein format represents a new model of collective action in global security, demonstrating the effectiveness of flexible, multi-nation partnerships in addressing large-scale aggression. The article also underscores the format’s impact on redefining military-political cooperation, setting a precedent for future alliances in mitigating similar threats to international peace and stability. This research contributes to the understanding of how innovative frameworks for collaboration can adapt to rapidly changing geopolitical realities, offering insights into the long-term implications for global defense strategies.

INVESTMENT SUPPORT FOR THE ENERGY SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT: GLOBAL TRENDS AND TOOLS

The modern global world faces threats to energy security in the context of instability and variability of the security environment. The escalation of the conflict in the Middle East and the ongoing aggressive war of Russia in Ukraine have led to the fact that attention has sharply focused on some of the most important energy-producing regions of the world. And the key issue today is the search for sources of investment (including non-traditional ones) for the development of energy systems in most countries of the world. In view of this, the purpose of this study is to identify global trends, approaches, tools and mechanisms for investment support for the development of energy systems in the context of global challenges and threats. To achieve this goal, an analytical assessment of the average annual capital investments for energy access by scenario and private capital in energy access projects for 2013-2019 was performed; estimated investments in energy by type in selected regions in 2024; clean energy investment by region under the APS and NZE scenarios to 2035; clean energy spending by type and selected regions under the New Zealand scenario in 2023 and 2035; energy sector investment by technology and scenario, and share in emerging and developing markets, 2019-2035; annual energy sector investment by scenarios in 2024 and 2035; annual energy sector investment in selected emerging markets by scenario in 2023 and 2035; electricity investment by type and scenario in 2023-2050; energy sector financing characteristics under the APS and NZE scenarios in 2023 and 2035. The study found that a comprehensive approach to energy security is appropriate, going beyond traditional fuels and encompassing the safe transformation of the electricity sector and the sustainability of clean energy supply chains. Energy security and climate action are inextricably linked: extreme weather events, high levels of greenhouse gas emissions, already pose serious risks to energy security. The transition to clean energy has accelerated dramatically in recent years, shaped by public policies and industrial strategies, but in the near term there is more uncertainty about how these policies and strategies will develop. Keywords: global economy, national economy, energy system, energy infrastructure, energy network, threat, risk, sustainability, energy security, transformation, global trends, approaches, tools, investment mechanism, investment support, security aspects, security environment.