Computer Engineering Commons^™

Adversarial Training Of Deep Neural Networks, Anabetsy Termini

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Deep neural networks used for image classification are highly susceptible to adversarial attacks. The de facto method to increase adversarial robustness is to train neural networks with a mixture of adversarial images and unperturbed images. However, this method leads to robust overfitting, where the network primarily learns to recognize one specific type of attack used to generate the images while remaining vulnerable to others after training. In this dissertation, we performed a rigorous study to understand whether combinations of state of the art data augmentation methods with Stochastic Weight Averaging improve adversarial robustness and diminish adversarial overfitting across a wide …

Orientation And Social Influences Matter: Revisiting Neutralization Tendencies In Information Systems Security Violation, Frank Curtis King

CCE Theses and Dissertations

It is estimated that over half of all information systems security breaches are due directly or indirectly to the poor security practices of an organization’s employees. Previous research has shown neutralization techniques as having influence on the intent to violate information security policy. In this study, we proposed an expansion of the neutralization model by including the effects of business and ethical orientation of individuals on their tendencies to neutralize and compromise with information security policy. Additionally, constructs from social influences and pressures have been integrated into this model to measure the impact on the intent to violate information security …

Improving Employees’ Compliance With Password Policies, Enas Albataineh

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Employees’ lack of compliance with password policies increases password susceptibility, which leads to financial damages to the organizations as a result of information disclosure, fraud, and unauthorized transactions. However, few studies have examined what motivates employees to comply with password policies.

The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine what factors influence employees’ compliance with password policies. A theoretical model was developed based on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), General Deterrence Theory (GDT), Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), and Psychological Ownership Theory to explain employees’ compliance with password policies.

A non-probability convenience sample was employed. The sample consisted of …

Pause For A Cybersecurity Cause: Assessing The Influence Of A Waiting Period On User Habituation In Mitigation Of Phishing Attacks, Amy Antonucci

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Social engineering costs organizations billions of dollars a year. Social engineering exploits the weakest link of information security systems, the people who are using them. Phishing is a form of social engineering in which the perpetrator depends on the victim’s instinctual thinking towards an email designed to create a fear or excitement response. It is well-documented in literature that users continue to click on phishing emails costing them and their employers significant monetary resources and data loss. Training does not appear to mitigate the effects of phishing much; other solutions are necessary to mitigate phishing.

Kahneman introduced the concepts of …

A Study Of Factors That Influence Symbol Selection On Augmentative And Alternative Communication Devices For Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder, William Todd Dauterman

CCE Theses and Dissertations

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 1 in 59 children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) each year. Given the complexity of ASD and how it is manifested in individuals, the execution of proper interventions is difficult. One major area of concern is how individuals with ASD who have limited communication skills are taught to communicate using Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices (AAC). AACs are portable electronic devices that facilitate communication by using audibles, signs, gestures, and picture symbols. Traditionally, Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) are the primary facilitators of AAC devices and help establish the language individuals with …

An Empirical Assessment Of Users' Information Security Protection Behavior Towards Social Engineering Breaches, Nisha Jatin Patel

CCE Theses and Dissertations

User behavior is one of the most significant information security risks. Information Security is all about being aware of who and what to trust and behaving accordingly. Due to technology becoming an integral part of nearly everything in people's daily lives, the organization's need for protection from security threats has continuously increased. Social engineering is the act of tricking a user into revealing information or taking action. One of the riskiest aspects of social engineering is that it depends mainly upon user errors and is not necessarily a technology shortcoming. User behavior should be one of the first apprehensions when …

Comprehending The Safety Paradox And Privacy Concerns With Medical Device Remote Patient Monitoring, Marc Doyle

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Medical literature identifies a number of technology-driven improvements in disease management such as implantable medical devices (IMDs) that are a standard treatment for candidates with specific diseases. Among patients using implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD), for example, problems and issues are being discovered faster compared to patients without monitoring, improving safety. What is not known is why patients report not feeling safer, creating a safety paradox, and why patients identify privacy concerns in ICD monitoring.

There is a major gap in the literature regarding the factors that contribute to perceived safety and privacy in remote patient monitoring (RPM). To address this …

Perceptions Of Female Cybersecurity Professionals Toward Factors That Encourage Females To The Cybersecurity Field, Kembley Kay Lingelbach

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Despite multiple national, educational, and industry initiatives, women continue to be underrepresented in the cybersecurity field. Only 11% of cybersecurity professionals, globally, are female. This contributes to the growing overall shortage of workers in the field. This research addressed the significant underrepresentation of females in the cybersecurity workforce. There are many practitioner and industry studies that suggest self-efficacy, discrimination and organizational culture play important roles in the low rate of women in the cybersecurity field. A limited number of scholarly studies identify causal factors; however, there is not a general consensus or framework to explain the problem thoroughly. Moreover, there …

Exploring Generational Differences In Text Messaging Usage And Habits, Daniel Wayne Long

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Members of society today embrace multiple communication media for various purposes and intents. Text messaging has been identified as the medium of choice for continual relationship maintenance and text messaging from mobile devices overshadows all other media forms for the support of social connections. Text messaging is changing everything from how operators market their plans to how advertisers and service providers reach consumers. But just as technology usage of social media and internet access are different across generational boundaries, text messaging usage and habits may also be different for various generational groups. The majority of peer-reviewed research regarding text messaging …

Data Masking, Encryption, And Their Effect On Classification Performance: Trade-Offs Between Data Security And Utility, Juan C. Asenjo

CCE Theses and Dissertations

As data mining increasingly shapes organizational decision-making, the quality of its results must be questioned to ensure trust in the technology. Inaccuracies can mislead decision-makers and cause costly mistakes. With more data collected for analytical purposes, privacy is also a major concern. Data security policies and regulations are increasingly put in place to manage risks, but these policies and regulations often employ technologies that substitute and/or suppress sensitive details contained in the data sets being mined. Data masking and substitution and/or data encryption and suppression of sensitive attributes from data sets can limit access to important details. It is believed …

An Empirical Investigation Of The Willingness Of Us Intelligence Community Analysts To Contribute Knowledge To A Knowledge Management System (Kms) In A Highly Classified And Sensitive Environment, Robert Hambly

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Since September 11, 2001, the United States Government (USG) has possessed unparalleled capability in terms of dedicated intelligence and information collection assets supporting the analysts of the Intelligence Community (IC). The USG IC has sponsored, developed, and borne witness to extraordinary advances in technology, techniques, and procedures focused on knowledge harvesting, knowledge sharing, and collaboration. Knowledge, within successful (effective & productive) organizations, exists as a commodity; a commodity that can be created, captured, imparted, shared, and leveraged. The research problem that this study addressed is the challenge of maintaining strong organizational effectiveness and productivity through the use of an information …