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Full-Text Articles in Engineering

An Analysis Of Botnet Vulnerabilities, Sean W. Hudson Jun 2008

An Analysis Of Botnet Vulnerabilities, Sean W. Hudson

Theses and Dissertations

Botnets are a significant threat to computer networks and data stored on networked computers. The ability to inhibit communication between servers controlling the botnet and individual hosts would be an effective countermeasure. The objective of this research was to find vulnerabilities in Unreal IRCd that could be used to shut down the server. Analysis revealed that Unreal IRCd is a very mature and stable IRC server and no significant vulnerabilities were found. While this research does not eliminate the possibility that a critical vulnerability is present in the Unreal IRCd software, none were identified during this effort.


A Survey Of Satellite Communications System Vulnerabilities, Jessica A. Steinberger Jun 2008

A Survey Of Satellite Communications System Vulnerabilities, Jessica A. Steinberger

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. military’s increasing reliance on commercial and military communications satellites to enable widely-dispersed, mobile forces to communicate makes these space assets increasingly vulnerable to attack by adversaries. Attacks on these satellites could cause military communications to become unavailable at critical moments during a conflict. This research dissected a typical satellite communications system in order to provide an understanding of the possible attacker entry points into the system, to determine the vulnerabilities associated with each of these access points, and to analyze the possible impacts of these vulnerabilities to U.S. military operations. By understanding these vulnerabilities of U.S. communications satellite …


Optimal Guidance Of A Relay Mav For Isr Support Beyond Line-Of-Sight, John H. Hansen Mar 2008

Optimal Guidance Of A Relay Mav For Isr Support Beyond Line-Of-Sight, John H. Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis developed guidance laws to optimally position a relay Micro-UAV (MAV) to provide an operator with real-time Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) by relaying communication and video signals when there is no line-of-sight between the operator at the base and the rover MAV performing the ISR mission. The ISR system consists of two MAVs, the Relay and the Rover, and a Base. The Relay strives to position itself to minimize the radio frequency (RF) power required for maintaining communications between the Rover and the Base, while the Rover performs the ISR mission, which may maximize the required RF power. …


Shi(El)Ds: A Novel Hardware-Based Security Backplane To Enhance Security With Minimal Impact To System Operation, Matthew G. Judge Mar 2008

Shi(El)Ds: A Novel Hardware-Based Security Backplane To Enhance Security With Minimal Impact To System Operation, Matthew G. Judge

Theses and Dissertations

Computer security continues to increase in importance both in the commercial world and within the Air Force. Dedicated hardware for security purposes presents and enhances a number of security capabilities. Hardware enhances both the security of the security system and the quality and trustworthiness of the information being gathered by the security monitors. Hardware reduces avenues of attack on the security system and ensures the trustworthiness of information only through proper design and placement. Without careful system design, security hardware leaves itself vulnerable to many attacks that it is capable of defending against. Our SHI(EL)DS architecture combines these insights into …


Composable Distributed Access Control And Integrity Policies For Query-Based Wireless Sensor Networks, David W. Marsh Mar 2008

Composable Distributed Access Control And Integrity Policies For Query-Based Wireless Sensor Networks, David W. Marsh

Theses and Dissertations

An expected requirement of wireless sensor networks (WSN) is the support of a vast number of users while permitting limited access privileges. While WSN nodes have severe resource constraints, WSNs will need to restrict access to data, enforcing security policies to protect data within WSNs. To date, WSN security has largely been based on encryption and authentication schemes. WSN Authorization Specification Language (WASL) is specified and implemented using tools coded in JavaTM. WASL is a mechanism{independent policy language that can specify arbitrary, composable security policies. The construction, hybridization, and composition of well{known security models is demonstrated and shown to preserve …


Constellation Design Of Geosynchronous Navigation Satellites Which Maximizes Availability And Accuracy Over A Specified Region Of The Earth, Halil Ibrahim Ozdemir Mar 2008

Constellation Design Of Geosynchronous Navigation Satellites Which Maximizes Availability And Accuracy Over A Specified Region Of The Earth, Halil Ibrahim Ozdemir

Theses and Dissertations

Currently, there are four Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) either being developed or in existence-GPS, GLONASS, Compass, and Galileo. Additionally, there are several Regional Navigation Satellite Systems (RNSS) planned or in existence, as well as numerous augmentation systems (which require a GNSS for operation). It can be anticipated that there will be interest in developing additional independent regional navigation satellite systems to cover areas of interest to particular countries or regions, who want to have their own system. In this paper, a genetic algorithm is used in an effort to determine near-optimal RNSS constellations. First, a cost function is setup, …


Dialable Cryptography For Wireless Networks, Marnita T. Eaddie Mar 2008

Dialable Cryptography For Wireless Networks, Marnita T. Eaddie

Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research is to develop an adaptive cryptographic protocol, which allows users to select an optimal cryptographic strength and algorithm based upon the hardware and bandwidth available and allows users to reason about the level of security versus the system throughput. In this constantly technically-improving society, the ability to communicate via wireless technology provides an avenue for delivering information at anytime nearly anywhere. Sensitive or classified information can be transferred wirelessly across unsecured channels by using cryptographic algorithms. The research presented will focus on dynamically selecting optimal cryptographic algorithms and cryptographic strengths based upon the hardware and …


Mission Impact Analysis Visualization For Enhanced Situational Awareness, Sean C. M. Carroll Mar 2008

Mission Impact Analysis Visualization For Enhanced Situational Awareness, Sean C. M. Carroll

Theses and Dissertations

This research effort examines the creation of mission impact analysis visualizations to enhance situational awareness. It focuses on using prefuse to create a visualization that allows the user to quickly understand the impact of the failure of any element needed directly or indirectly for a mission. The visualization correctly identifies the direct or indirect impact on physical requirements such as network links and servers as well as non-physical elements such as the generation of a report, or ability to perform a task. The visualization provides an overview of the situation, as well as including enhancements to allow for greater detail …


Evaluating Security And Quality Of Service Considerations In Critical Infrastructure Communication Networks, Gregory R. Roberts Mar 2008

Evaluating Security And Quality Of Service Considerations In Critical Infrastructure Communication Networks, Gregory R. Roberts

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis demonstrates the benefits of utility communication based on Internet technology, some dangers in using Internet technology in establishing a utility intranet connecting protection and control systems, and compares three different approaches to making reservations for routing traffic in the utility intranet based on different levels of background traffic. A model of expected background traffic on a national utility intranet is presented. The Utility Communication Architecture 2.0 and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 61850 began laying the groundwork in 2002 in establishing an infrastructure allowing power substations, program logic controllers, remote terminal units, intelligent electronic devices, and other devices …


Network Visualization Design Using Prefuse Visualization Framework, John Mark Belue Mar 2008

Network Visualization Design Using Prefuse Visualization Framework, John Mark Belue

Theses and Dissertations

Visualization of network simulation events or network visualization is an effective and low cost method to evaluate the health and status of a network and analyze network designs, protocols, and network algorithms. This research designed and developed a network event visualization framework using an open source general visualization toolkit. This research achieved three major milestones during the development of this framework: A robust network simulator trace file parser, multiple network visualization layouts {including user-defined layouts, and precise visualization timing controls and integrated display of network statistics. The parser architecture is extensible to allow customization of simulator trace formats that are …


Hardware Algorithm Implementation For Mission Specific Processing, Jason W. Shirley Mar 2008

Hardware Algorithm Implementation For Mission Specific Processing, Jason W. Shirley

Theses and Dissertations

There is a need to expedite the process of designing military hardware to stay ahead of the adversary. The core of this project was to build reusable, synthesizeable libraries to make this a possibility. In order to build these libraries, Matlab® commands and functions, such as Conv2, Round, Floor, Pinv, etc., had to be converted into reusable VHDL modules. These modules make up reusable libraries for the Mission Specific Process (MSP) which will support AFRL/RY. The MSP allows the VLSI design process to be completed in a mere matter of days or months using an FPGA or ASIC design, as …


Priority Based Buffering Over Multiple Lossy Links Using Tcp Aware Layer Buffering, Kevin J. Savidge Mar 2008

Priority Based Buffering Over Multiple Lossy Links Using Tcp Aware Layer Buffering, Kevin J. Savidge

Theses and Dissertations

Wireless military information systems require high reliability, which is difficult to achieve in adverse conditions. To provide high reliability, one must overcome packet loss across multiple wireless hops. Buffering packets in a lossy environment is well explored; however, the ability to selectively buffer TCP traffic across multiple lossy links is a new area of research. This document seeks to explore the delivery of high priority traffic in a lossy environment and conclude that prioritized buffing can increase the probability that a high priority download will finish, where others will fail. It is shown that buffering provides six times the throughput …


Hot Swapping Protocol Implementations In The Opnet Modeler Development Environment, Mark E. Coyne Mar 2008

Hot Swapping Protocol Implementations In The Opnet Modeler Development Environment, Mark E. Coyne

Theses and Dissertations

This research effort demonstrates hot swapping protocol implementations in OPNET via the building of a dependency injection testing framework. The thesis demonstrates the externalization (compiling as stand-alone code) of OPNET process models, and their inclusion into custom DLL's (Dynamically Linked Libraries). A framework then utilizes these process model DLL's, to specify, or “inject,” process implementations post-compile time into an OPNET simulation. Two separate applications demonstrate this mechanism. The first application is a toolkit that allows for the testing of multiple routing related protocols in various combinations without code re-compilation or scenario re-generation. The toolkit produced similar results as the same …


Scripted Mobile Network Routing In A Contested Environment, Anthony R. Otto Mar 2008

Scripted Mobile Network Routing In A Contested Environment, Anthony R. Otto

Theses and Dissertations

Mobile wireless network protocols currently run on optimistic routing algorithms, adjusting node connectivity only when the chosen connectivity metrics, such as signal strength, pass beyond minimum thresholds. Optimistic routing has several weaknesses. Optimistic routing suffers from increased network overhead during increased frequency of node movement and increased node density per area, and optimistic routing also suffers from non-optimistic access change for individual nodes. The overall communication throughput of a network may be increased if the network topology change is scripted; a scripted plan can allow messages to travel along a more efficient topological path while creating less topology control traffic. …