Sustainable Security Research Articles

Machine learning technology for good health and well-being for sustainable human security in South Africa

The failure to achieve sustainable development in South Africa is due to the inability to deliver quality and adequate health services that would lead to the achievement of sustainable human security. As we live in an era of digital technology, Machine Learning (ML) has not yet permeated the healthcare sector in South Africa. Its effects on promoting quality health services for sustainable human security have not attracted much academic attention in South Africa and across the African continent. Hospitals still face numerous challenges that have hindered achieving adequate health services. For this reason, the healthcare sector in South Africa continues to suffer from numerous challenges, including inadequate finances, poor governance, long waiting times, shortages of medical staff, and poor medical record keeping. These challenges have affected health services provision and thus pose threats to the achievement of sustainable security. The paper found that ML technology enables adequate health services that alleviate disease burden and thus lead to sustainable human security. It speeds up medical treatment, enabling medical workers to deliver health services accurately and reducing the financial cost of medical treatments. ML assists in the prevention of pandemic outbreaks and as well as monitoring their potential epidemic outbreaks. It protects and keeps medical records and makes them readily available when patients visit any hospital. The paper used a qualitative research design that used an exploratory approach to collect and analyse data.

Multi‐Channel Optical Encryption Film With Strong Circularly Polarized Luminescence and High Quantum Yield

AbstractDeveloping a sustainable security module with multiple optical states is important to deter counterfeits, but is challenging. This work designs a kind of chiral luminescent film through the co‐assembly of the CNCs and d‐glucose, simultaneously doped with the lanthanide complex and organic dye. Superior mechanical performance makes it undertake various deformations, including twist, and tension without breaking. Meanwhile, this film has unique optical characteristics. On the one hand, the chiroptical signals can be manipulated through the matching of the photonic bandgap and fluorescence peak. On the other hand, due to the co‐assembly with two luminophores, the film displays the excitation wavelength (Ex)‐dependent circularly polarized luminescence properties. Under the Ex of 275 nm, the film simultaneously integrates a large dissymmetry factor of −0.3898, a high quantum yield of 69.19%, and a considerable lifetime of 1381 µs, which has exceeded most reported chiral luminescent assemblies. These multimodal and convertible optics endow the film with practical applications in the anti‐counterfeit. It can be designed as a security label or used as a written paper to encrypt the information. Even in humid surroundings, this security effect is still ensured.

The Republic of South Ossetia in the Context of Regional Security Threats

The article analyzes the security problems in the South Caucasus. The emphasis is placed on the key security threats to the Republic of South Ossetia, which is actually in a state of latent conflict with Georgia. The article uses the method of situational analysis (sitanalysis), which involves considering the problem at the applied level, identifying all the factors that influence the formation of the situation. The author considers that the most important part of the situational analysis is the development of practical recommendations in order to implement a favorable forecast and, if possible, avoid an unfavorable course of events.According to the author’s main conclusions, the Republic of South Ossetia is currently facing a number of serious external threats to its national security in the South Caucasus. The existing threats, challenges and risks for South Ossetia in the South Caucasus region tend to increase, both in local and regional variants. According to the author, efforts should continue to create a sustainable security architecture in the South Caucasus in order to prevent any violent scenarios for resolving existing contradictions and achieving sustainable peace and stability in the region.

The Rocky Road to Sustainable Security

The Rocky Road to Sustainable Security

Technological and Sustainable Security: A Longitudinal Study on Teacher Training

This study examines future teachers’ self-perception regarding competences related to the environmental impact of digital technologies. The sample includes 1948 participants (235 men and 1713 women) selected through incidental sampling from the Faculty of Education Sciences at the University of Seville. The validated instrument used was the Teacher’s Digital Competence and Eco-responsible Use of Technology Scale. Results indicated that the participants had received less than optimal training and had limited knowledge about technologies and their environmental impact. The study concludes that it is necessary to establish training on the development of environmental competences and their link to educational technologies, starting from the institution, with the aim of guaranteeing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A sustainable and trusted solution for IoT-based federated learning using feedback behavior

Federated learning is defined as one of the solutions that use distributed clients to train and aggregate the target model without sharing the private information of clients in the network. Hence, federated learning may easily handle and tackle the generated information in a more convenient, feasible and secure manner, while involving the intelligent devices to perform testing and training at the local edges. However, the design of such federated learning solutions faces multiple difficulties due to the cost and complexity of information computation, along with a high energy consumption. Furthermore, the identification of resource-constrained devices which ensures significant power consumption along with privacy and security to the devices makes it critical to attain a sustainable federated learning environment. The aim of this paper is to integrate feedback-based and objective trust models to accurately identify the behavior of communicating devices in the network. The secure transmission of information forwarded by trusted IoT devices is computed by the objective model. In addition, the energy consumption required for measuring the authenticity of a device can be further diminished using a behavior and feedback trusted model. In addition, the past history behavior and feedback received from neighboring devices may also contribute to achieving an efficient and sustainable security mechanism with reduced communication steps and computational delay in the network. The proposed solution is evaluated to analyze the feasibility and performance in terms of energy consumption and resource utilization, while also considering various security metrics for comparison against existing methods. The proposed mechanism out-performed 87% improvement in terms of security metrics in comparison of existing approaches.

QISS: Quantum-Enhanced Sustainable Security Incident Handling in the IoT

As the Internet of Things (IoT) becomes more integral across diverse sectors, including healthcare, energy provision and industrial automation, the exposure to cyber vulnerabilities and potential attacks increases accordingly. Facing these challenges, the essential function of an Information Security Management System (ISMS) in safeguarding vital information assets comes to the fore. Within this framework, risk management is key, tasked with the responsibility of adequately restoring the system in the event of a cybersecurity incident and evaluating potential response options. To achieve this, the ISMS must evaluate what is the best response. The time to implement a course of action must be considered, as the period required to restore the ISMS is a crucial factor. However, in an environmentally conscious world, the sustainability dimension should also be considered to choose more sustainable responses. This paper marks a notable advancement in the fields of risk management and incident response, integrating security measures with the wider goals of sustainability and corporate responsibility. It introduces a strategy for handling cybersecurity incidents that considers both the response time and sustainability. This approach provides the flexibility to prioritize either the response time, sustainability or a balanced mix of both, according to specific preferences, and subsequently identifies the most suitable actions to re-secure the system. Employing a quantum methodology, it guarantees reliable and consistent response times, independent of the incident volume. The practical application of this novel method through our framework, MARISMA, is demonstrated in real-world scenarios, underscoring its efficacy and significance in the contemporary landscape of risk management.

Gender diversity management in NATO for sustainable security and peace

Gender diversity management in NATO for sustainable security and peace

Sustainable Secure Communication in Consumer-Centric Electric Vehicle Charging in Industry 5.0 Environments

Sustainable Secure Communication in Consumer-Centric Electric Vehicle Charging in Industry 5.0 Environments

Factors Affecting the Sustainable Secure Supply of Minerals

Sustainability is one of the most challenging concepts in the global mining industry. The purpose of this is to limit the harmful effects of mineral extraction on the environment and at the same time to meet the present and future needs of civilization. Therefore, we should blaze the path leading to sustainability and supply security, as well as identify the factors affecting these concepts. Thus, in this paper, the main factors are listed and defined. They are divided into two main categories: the positives and the negatives. The positives are the longevity of the minerals' mining, the index of the annual met need, the environmental-social condition of the resources, and the condition of the resources in friend countries. Also, the negative ones are the harmful chemicals released, the energy required per ton of minerals, annual CO2 emitted per ton, and recyclability. Accordingly, the factors can be used to make a strategic plan for the future of the minerals supply of a country. So, the framework developed leads the authorities to find the solutions to the sustainability of minerals' supply and increase the security of mining productions.

Vulnerable Agents and Sustainable Security

Vulnerable Agents and Sustainable Security

The Impact of Security Arrangements in West Asian Countries on the National Security of the Islamic Republic of Iran: A Copenhagen School Perspective

This study examines the impact of security arrangements in West Asian countries on the national security of the Islamic Republic of Iran from the perspective of the Copenhagen School. Given Iran's geographical and geopolitical position, as well as the existing tensions and challenges in the region, Iran's national security is influenced by military, economic, environmental, and social threats. The Copenhagen School, with its comprehensive approach to security, divides this concept into five dimensions: military, political, economic, social, and environmental, and emphasizes the importance of regional security in achieving national security. In this research, the military threats posed by terrorist groups such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda and their impacts on Iran's national security are addressed. Additionally, the environmental threats resulting from these groups' activities and their effects on Iran's water and air resources are examined. Moreover, the economic and social impacts of regional instability and the efforts of extra-regional powers to influence and intervene in the domestic affairs of West Asian countries and Iran are analyzed. The research method of this study is based on descriptive analyses and the use of library resources. The findings of this study indicate that Iran's national security is heavily influenced by regional security developments and that achieving sustainable security requires interaction and cooperation with regional countries and international organizations. In this regard, Iran's foreign policy should be based on active diplomacy and multilateralism, aiming to create sustainable security arrangements and strengthen regional cooperation. This study provides strategies to enhance Iran's national security, emphasizing Iran's significant role in regional and international developments, and offers recommendations for improving regional relations and reducing tensions.

Determining the impact of economic indicators on water, energy and food nexus for sustainable resource security

Water, energy, and food are economic resources whose security and sustainability affect human livelihood. This paper is dedicated to exploring the influence of economic indicators on the security and sustainability of these resources within the water–energy–food (WEF) nexus. The research employed a quantitative approach, gathering data through a structured questionnaire from 282 WEF management professionals in South Africa. The collected data were subjected to statistical analyses, including mean score ranking, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and structural equation modeling (SEM) using EQS and SPSS software. The results of this study highlight the significant impact of economic indicators on the sustainable security of WEF resources. The mean ranking revealed that there is a need to understand people’s economic power for resource sustainability. The CFA and SEM analyses identify four key economic indicators that influence resource security: WEF resource pricing mechanisms, employment rates in the WEF sectors, WEF resource importation, and WEF resource exportation. In conclusion, managing economic indicators within the WEF nexus calls for strategic investment based on comparative advantage. The study provides valuable policy recommendations to support this approach.Graphical

“Sustainable security” through river enlargements: A political ecology of nature-based solutions and flood control in the Rhone Valley, Switzerland

“Sustainable security” through river enlargements: A political ecology of nature-based solutions and flood control in the Rhone Valley, Switzerland

Security Measures in Meeting Information Needs and Seeking Behaviour of Agricultural Science Students in Nigerian Universities

Security measures play a significant role in the accessibility and use of agricultural information resources among undergraduate science students in Nigeria. This results in overcoming obstacles to valuable information required by agricultural students to cultivate their products that would replicate food substances in the Nigerian economy. Nonetheless, unauthorised individuals have pervaded access to information that is meant for agricultural science students due to a lack of security of such information. There are unlimited assets and products to which agricultural students have access; hence, this paper investigates security measures in meeting information needs and seeking behaviour of agricultural science students in Nigerian universities. The paper employed a qualitative research method based on the explanatory research method. In so doing, the use of a systematic literature review was adopted to examine the information needs and seeking behaviour of agricultural students in Nigeria and again to find out the security measures put in place to ensure valuable information and preventive approaches to unauthorised individuals are sustained. Using a purposive sampling technique, the authors collected articles published between 2015 and 2023 on databases of Emerald and ResearchGate for the review. Findings reveal that agricultural science students in Nigerian universities have a diverse range of preferred information sources. Findings further reveal that students engage in information-seeking behaviour for various purposes, such as course assignments, practical experiments, exam preparation, general reading, discussions, seminars, workshops, conferences, and research projects. Challenges in information-seeking behaviour include inadequate access to current information materials and uncooperative attitudes of librarians and lecturers. The study concludes that security measures are crucial in shaping how students access information. The study recommends that universities ensure a balance between print and electronic resources to cater to students’ varied preferences to accommodate comprehensive support for their research and studies in the university environment. This would enhance sustainable security measures and accessibility to varied information resources for the students.

The nature of Lao security challenges

East Asia (including the sub regions of Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia) has been viewed as ranking among the most dangerous or conflictual regions on the planet, enduring colonial and Cold War legacies and several potential flashpoints. Regional international security governance has focused on nonintervention and conflict management, whereas domestic governance has focused on national security, development, and unity under tight central government control. Laos is a paradigmatic case of East Asian security policy prioritization. Its authoritarian government focuses, primarily, on traditional state-centric conceptualizations of security, and top-down, macroeconomic models and mega-projects to develop the country out of insecurity. This research project uses a qualitative approach consisting of literature review, document analysis, and limited interviews in the field. The conclusions are that, while by some measurements Lao governmental policymaking has been successful in achieving stated security objectives, in terms of nontraditional security (NTS) and human security considerations, these policies may not only be considered insufficient, but could also be counter-productive, storing up challenges for the future. Hence, the final section contains policy prescription for a more sustainable security situation in the Lao PDR.

Food-Grade Physically Unclonable Functions.

Counterfeit products in the pharmaceutical and food industries have posed an overwhelmingly increasing threat to the health of individuals and societies. An effective approach to prevent counterfeiting is the attachment of security labels directly on drugs and food products. This approach requires the development of security labels composed of safely digestible materials. In this study, we present the fabrication of security labels entirely based on the use of food-grade materials. The key idea proposed in this study is the exploitation of food-grade corn starch (CS) as an encoding material based on the microscopic dimensions, particulate structure, and adsorbent characteristics. The strong adsorption of a food colorant, erythrosine B (ErB), onto CS results in fluorescent CS@ErB microparticles. Randomly positioned CS@ErB particles can be obtained simply by spin-coating from aqueous solutions of tuned concentrations followed by transfer to an edible gelatin film. The optical and fluorescence microscopy images of randomly positioned particles are then used to construct keys for a physically unclonable function (PUF)-based security label. The performance of PUFs evaluated by uniformity, uniqueness, and randomness analysis demonstrates the strong promise of this platform. The biocompatibility of the fabricated PUFs is confirmed with assays using murine fibroblast cells. The extremely low-cost and sustainable security primitives fabricated from off-the-shelf food materials offer new routes in the fight against counterfeiting.

The Cradle of the Makonde Nation of Mozambique Torn between Wars of Wealth

Abstract The cradle of the Makonde Nation of Mozambique is historically rich with unmatched artefacts that convey experienced socio-political struggles and unique heritage. The Makonde nation fought heroic wars that led to the end of imperialism as well as colonialism, and ultimately led to the liberation of Mozambique in 1975 from Portugal. The post-independent era, however, was marred by a 16-year-long civil war that left socio-political and economic bruises on the entire country and to a certain extent destabilised the Southern African Development Community (SADC). In 1992, a civil war erupted, and the attainment of peace became elusive. The unresolved socio-economic and political attrition between the ruling Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) and the opposition Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) contributed to the internal political crisis which compounded inequalities and socio-economic imbalances. Subsequently, opportunist transnational actors such as Al-Shabaab exploited these conditions in the frail yet minerally wealthy region of Cabo Delgado. The proceeding unfolding of events reveals the implications of unresolved past conflicts potentially escalating into complex conflicts – terrorism. Reflecting on past struggles and their influence on present conflicts, a qualitative methodology employing a desktop approach with documental and historical data analysis to determine how the prospects for full-scale peace, economic development, and sustainable security and stability can be attained. The question is: to what extent do the drivers of resource conflict contribute to radicalism and violent extremism as is the case of Cabo Delgado, in Mozambique? This paper argues that apart from other regional dimensions such as border proximity with terror-prone states such as Tanzania, the ill-management of natural resources and ambiguous approaches to the resolution of internal conflicts create conditions for terrorism in Cabo Delgado. The interdependence and cooperation perspective presents opportunities where collective implementation of robust counterterror strategic plans may effectively redress the associated resource conflict challenges in Mozambique.

Quantitative Model Construction for Sustainable Security Patterns in Social–Ecological Links Using Remote Sensing and Machine Learning

With the global issues of extreme climate and urbanization, the ecological security patterns (ESPs) in the Qinling Mountains are facing prominent challenges. As a crucial ecological barrier in China, understanding the characteristics of ESPs in the Qinling Mountains is vital for achieving sustainable development. This study focuses on Yangxian and employs methods such as machine learning (ML), remote sensing (RS), geographic information systems (GISs), analytic hierarchy process and principal component analysis (AHP–PCA), and the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model to construct an ecological security network based on multi-factor ecological sensitivity (ES) and conduct quantitative spatial analysis. The results demonstrate that the AHP–PCA method based on ML overcomes the limitations of the single-weighting method. The ESPs of Yangxian were established, consisting of 21 main and secondary ecological sources with an area of 592.81 km2 (18.55%), 41 main and secondary ecological corridors with a length of 738.85 km, and 33 ecological nodes. A coupling relationship among three dimensions was observed: comprehensive ecological sensitivity, ESPs, and administrative districts (ADs). Huangjinxia Town (1.43 in C5) and Huayang Town (7.28 in C4) likely have significant areas of ecological vulnerability, while Machang Town and Maoping Town are important in the ESPs. ADs focus on protection and management. The second corridor indicated high-quality construction, necessitating the implementation of strict protection policies in the study area. The innovation lies in the utilization of quantitative analysis methods, such as ML and RS technologies, to construct an ecological spatial pattern planning model and propose a new perspective for the quantitative analysis of ecological space. This study provides a quantitative foundation for urban and rural ecological spatial planning in Yangxian and will help facilitate the sustainable development of ecological planning in the Qinling region.

Security in the Context of Sustainability: The Implications on Defence Expenditures

Abstract This scientific article aims to assess the link between defence expenditures and sustainable development in Romania. As the world faces increasingly complex security challenges and environmental concerns, it becomes crucial to examine the interplay between defence investments and sustainable development goals. The study focuses specifically on Romania, a country that has been undergoing significant economic and political transformations since joining the European Union. The analysis employs a comprehensive framework that integrates economic, social, and environmental indicators to evaluate the sustainability implications of defence expenditures. Using data from various sources, including national statistics and international databases, this study examines the trends in defence spending in Romania over a specified period. The research investigates the potential trade-offs between defence investments and sustainable development outcomes by considering key dimensions such as economic growth, social well-being, and environmental impact. By examining the case of Romania, valuable insights can be gained regarding the challenges and opportunities in balancing defence expenditures with sustainable development priorities. The study not only provides a comprehensive analysis of the current situation but also identifies potential pathways for enhancing the sustainability of Romania’s defence sector. This study contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable security fostering a more resilient and sustainable future.