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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Parallelized Quadtrees For Image Compression In Cuda And Mpi, Aidan Jones
Parallelized Quadtrees For Image Compression In Cuda And Mpi, Aidan Jones
Senior Honors Theses
Quadtrees are a data structure that lend themselves well to image compression due to their ability to recursively decompose 2-dimensional space. Image compression algorithms that use quadtrees should be simple to parallelize; however, current image compression algorithms that use quadtrees rarely use parallel algorithms. An existing program to compress images using quadtrees was upgraded to use GPU acceleration with CUDA but experienced an average slowdown by a factor of 18 to 42. Another parallelization attempt utilized MPI to process contiguous chunks of an image in parallel and experienced an average speedup by a factor of 1.5 to 3.7 compared to …
Artificial General Intelligence And The Mind-Body Problem: Exploring The Computability Of Simulated Human Intelligence In Light Of The Immaterial Mind, Caleb Parks
Senior Honors Theses
In this thesis I explore whether achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI) through simulating the human brain is theoretically possible. Because of the scientific community’s predominantly physicalist outlook on the mind-body problem, AGI research may be limited by erroneous foundational presuppositions. Arguments from linguistics and mathematics demonstrate that the human intellect is partially immaterial, opening the door for novel analysis of the mind’s simulability. I categorize mind-body problem philosophies in a manner relevant to computer science based upon state transitions, and determine their ramifications on mind-simulation. Finally, I demonstrate how classical architectures cannot resolve so-called Gödel statements, discuss why this inability …
The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning On Organizations Cybersecurity, Mustafa Abdulhussein
The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning On Organizations Cybersecurity, Mustafa Abdulhussein
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
As internet technology proliferate in volume and complexity, the ever-evolving landscape of malicious cyberattacks presents unprecedented security risks in cyberspace. Cybersecurity challenges have been further exacerbated by the continuous growth in the prevalence and sophistication of cyber-attacks. These threats have the capacity to disrupt business operations, erase critical data, and inflict reputational damage, constituting an existential threat to businesses, critical services, and infrastructure. The escalating threat is further compounded by the malicious use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), which have increasingly become tools in the cybercriminal arsenal. In this dynamic landscape, the emergence of offensive AI introduces …
Managing Cyber Defense As A Business Threat For Small And Medium Enterprises, Binh Quang Vo
Managing Cyber Defense As A Business Threat For Small And Medium Enterprises, Binh Quang Vo
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The U.S small and medium businesses (SMBs) are constantly attacked by cybercriminals. Alarmingly, the number of victimized SMBs is growing considerably every year. This results in the increasing loss of billions of dollars and risks to the national economy. The problem addressed was the rising number of cyberattacks critically harming SMBs resulting in revenue loss, damages to reputation, and business closure. The purpose of this research was to reveal the contemporary barriers and challenges that impact cybersecurity competencies of SMBs. This study used semi-structured interviews of participants who are currently working as cyber professionals in SMBs across industries. The goal …
An Analysis Of Successful Sqlia For Future Evolutionary Prediction, Andrew Pechin
An Analysis Of Successful Sqlia For Future Evolutionary Prediction, Andrew Pechin
Senior Honors Theses
Web applications are a fundamental component of the internet, many interact with backend databases. Securing web applications and their databases from hackers should be a top priority for cybersecurity researchers. Structured Query Language (SQL) injection attacks (SQLIA) constitute a significant threat to web applications. They can hijack the backend databases to steal personally identifiable information (PII), initiate scams, or launch more sophisticated cyberattacks. SQLIA has evolved since its conception in the early 2000s and will continue to do so in the coming years. This paper analyzes past literature and successful SQLIA from specific time periods to identify themes and methods …
The Mceliece Cryptosystem As A Solution To The Post-Quantum Cryptographic Problem, Isaac Hanna
The Mceliece Cryptosystem As A Solution To The Post-Quantum Cryptographic Problem, Isaac Hanna
Senior Honors Theses
The ability to communicate securely across the internet is owing to the security of the RSA cryptosystem, among others. This cryptosystem relies on the difficulty of integer factorization to provide secure communication. Peter Shor’s quantum integer factorization algorithm threatens to upend this. A special case of the hidden subgroup problem, the algorithm provides an exponential speedup in the integer factorization problem, destroying RSA’s security. Robert McEliece’s cryptosystem has been proposed as an alternative. Based upon binary Goppa codes instead of integer factorization, his cryptosystem uses code scrambling and error introduction to hinder decrypting a message without the private key. This …
The Minority In The Minority, Black Women In Computer Science Fields: A Phenomenological Study, Blanche' D. Anderson
The Minority In The Minority, Black Women In Computer Science Fields: A Phenomenological Study, Blanche' D. Anderson
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of Black women with a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in computer science, currently employed in the United States. The theory guiding this study was Krumboltz’s social learning theory of career decision-making, as it provides a foundation for understanding how a combination of factors leads to an individual’s educational and occupational preferences and skills. This qualitative study answered the following central research question: What are the lived experiences of Black women with a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree in computer science, currently employed in the United States? …
Lost At Sea: The Nintendo Gamecube’S Failure And The Transformation Of An Industry 1996-2006, Izsak Kayne Barnette
Lost At Sea: The Nintendo Gamecube’S Failure And The Transformation Of An Industry 1996-2006, Izsak Kayne Barnette
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The history of video games is critically underdeveloped. Long simmering under a veil of academic neglect, video games have long been denied the sort of academic relevance of their sister industries: books, film, music, and TV. It is long-past time that such neglect was addressed. Most historical analyses of games begin with their origins in the 1950s, discuss their ubiquity during the heyday of Atari or Nintendo, or rope in modern views of games as tools of diversity and inclusion. Very few studies pay attention to the rather ugly adolescent years of the game industry, its motorcycle-jacket wearing, rebellious teenage …
Security Posture: A Systematic Review Of Cyber Threats And Proactive Security, Amanda Jones
Security Posture: A Systematic Review Of Cyber Threats And Proactive Security, Amanda Jones
Senior Honors Theses
In the last decade, several high-profile cyber threats have occurred with global impact and devastating consequences. The tools, techniques, and procedures used to prevent cyber threats from occurring fall under the category of proactive security. Proactive security methodologies, however, vary among professionals where differing tactics have proved situationally effective. To determine the most effective tactics for preventing exploitation of vulnerabilities, the author examines the attack vector of three incidents from the last five years in a systematic review format: the WannaCry incident, the 2020 SolarWinds SUNBURST exploit, and the recently discovered Log4j vulnerability. From the three cases and existing literature, …
General Purpose Computing On Graphics Processing Units For Accelerated Deep Learning In Neural Networks, Conor Helmick
General Purpose Computing On Graphics Processing Units For Accelerated Deep Learning In Neural Networks, Conor Helmick
Senior Honors Theses
Graphics processing units (GPUs) contain a significant number of cores relative to central processing units (CPUs), allowing them to handle high levels of parallelization in multithreading. A general-purpose GPU (GPGPU) is a GPU that has its threads and memory repurposed on a software level to leverage the multithreading made possible by the GPU’s hardware, and thus is an extremely strong platform for intense computing – there is no hardware difference between GPUs and GPGPUs. Deep learning is one such example of intense computing that is best implemented on a GPGPU, as its hardware structure of a grid of blocks, each …
Integrating Blockchains And Intelligent Agents In The Pursuit Of Artificial General Intelligence, Benjamin Fluharty
Integrating Blockchains And Intelligent Agents In The Pursuit Of Artificial General Intelligence, Benjamin Fluharty
Senior Honors Theses
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is the next greatest technological milestone. AGI can be defined as a realized artificial intelligence (AI) with the ability to understand and solve problems of various scope within constantly changing environments. To take steps toward this goal, a baseline of information will be provided regarding surrounding topics and the current state of AGI, itself. Through the culmination of swarms of highly optimized narrow AI agents, a collaborative effort will be extended toward general intelligence. Blockchains have been selected to facilitate this connection. A software deliverable will accompany this thesis to illustrate how this idea might be …
Assessing Security Risks With The Internet Of Things, Faith Mosemann
Assessing Security Risks With The Internet Of Things, Faith Mosemann
Senior Honors Theses
For my honors thesis I have decided to study the security risks associated with the Internet of Things (IoT) and possible ways to secure them. I will focus on how corporate, and individuals use IoT devices and the security risks that come with their implementation. In my research, I found out that IoT gadgets tend to go unnoticed as a checkpoint for vulnerability. For example, often personal IoT devices tend to have the default username and password issued from the factory that a hacker could easily find through Google. IoT devices need security just as much as computers or servers …
Understanding Student Perspective Of Undergraduate Cybersecurity Programs And Experiences Across Christian Colleges And Universities, Brandon P. Grech
Understanding Student Perspective Of Undergraduate Cybersecurity Programs And Experiences Across Christian Colleges And Universities, Brandon P. Grech
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The number of Christian colleges and universities that are offering cybersecurity four-year degrees is rising. The workforce is in dire need of cybersecurity professionals; however, has anybody asked the new cybersecurity professionals in the workforce how their recent academic experience prepared them for such a global need? Research is well-documented about what industry currently needs in cybersecurity professionals; however, this research focused on asking graduates what students need for the workforce. The purpose of this explorative qualitative study was to gain an understanding of the phenomena of the holistic experience (technical, nontechnical, and whole-person) strengths and shortcomings (if any) recent …
The Effects Of Advanced Analytics And Machine Learning On The Transportation Of Natural Gas, Bj Stigall
The Effects Of Advanced Analytics And Machine Learning On The Transportation Of Natural Gas, Bj Stigall
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This qualitative single case study describes the effects of an advanced analytic and machine learning system (AAML) has on the transportation of natural gas pipelines and the causes for failure to fully utilize the advanced analytic and machine learning system. This study's guiding theory was the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model and Transformation Leadership. The factors for failure to fully utilize AAML systems were studied, and the factors that made the AAML system successful were also examined. Data were collected through participant interviews. This study indicates that the primary factors for failure to fully utilize …
Software-Based Side Channel Attacks And The Future Of Hardened Microarchitecture, Nathaniel Hatfield
Software-Based Side Channel Attacks And The Future Of Hardened Microarchitecture, Nathaniel Hatfield
Senior Honors Theses
Side channel attack vectors found in microarchitecture of computing devices expose systems to potentially system-level breaches. This thesis consists of a comprehensive report on current exploits of this nature, describing their fundamental basis and usage, paving the way to further research into hardware mitigations that may be utilized to combat these and future vulnerabilities. It will discuss several modern software-based side channel attacks, describing the mechanisms they utilize to gain access to privileged information. Attack vectors will be exemplified, along with applicability to various architectures utilized in modern computing. Finally, discussion of how future architectural changes must successfully harden chips …
Game-Based Learning In Science: Can Video Games Simplify Organic Chemistry?, Rachel Israel
Game-Based Learning In Science: Can Video Games Simplify Organic Chemistry?, Rachel Israel
Senior Honors Theses
Organic chemistry has been taught in the same way for decades, and students still have difficulty understanding and comprehending the subject material. Perhaps it is time to change the methods by which this subject is taught. Video games have been successfully used in education to create learning environments that increase student motivation and engagement as well as challenge students and promote collaboration. It is difficult for students to maintain a growth mindset in organic chemistry within the classroom. However across different genres, video games create a unique environment where an individual is encouraged to try again when they fail. This …
Factors Influencing Small Construction Businesses From Implementing Information Security: A Case Study, Carl Andrew Mayes
Factors Influencing Small Construction Businesses From Implementing Information Security: A Case Study, Carl Andrew Mayes
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This qualitative study described the influence of small businesses’ failure to properly implement information security technologies resulting in the loss of sensitive and proprietary business information. A collective case study approach was used to determine the most effective way to gain a holistic picture of how small construction businesses make security technology implementation decisions to support their workforce. The theory guiding this study was the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model which is related to the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Technology Acceptance Model which helped explain the intentions of individuals to use information systems. …
On Studying Distributed Machine Learning, Simeon Eberz
On Studying Distributed Machine Learning, Simeon Eberz
Senior Honors Theses
The Internet of Things (IoT) is utilizing Deep Learning (DL) for applications such as voice or image recognition. Processing data for DL directly on IoT edge devices reduces latency and increases privacy. To overcome the resource constraints of IoT edge devices, the computation for DL inference is distributed between a cluster of several devices. This paper explores DL, IoT networks, and a novel framework for distributed processing of DL in IoT clusters. The aim is to facilitate and simplify deployment, testing, and study of a distributed DL system, even without physical devices. The contributions of this paper are a deployment …
Creating A Culture Of Data-Driven Decision-Making, Kevin Bryan Rogers
Creating A Culture Of Data-Driven Decision-Making, Kevin Bryan Rogers
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Researchers have consistently shown that a supportive culture is one of the most crucial success factors in the implementation of any big data solution. Creating a culture that supports data-driven decision-making is a difficult but ultimately required step in transforming an organization into one that can readily and successfully adopt business intelligence technologies. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand the ways in which organizations can foster a culture of smarter decision-making and accountability so that businesses can improve operational metrics and ultimately profitability. Participants identified three major themes that drive the adoption of a data-driven culture. …
Quantum Computing And Quantum Algorithms, Daniel Serban
Quantum Computing And Quantum Algorithms, Daniel Serban
Senior Honors Theses
The field of quantum computing and quantum algorithms is studied from the ground up. Qubits and their quantum-mechanical properties are discussed, followed by how they are transformed by quantum gates. From there, quantum algorithms are explored as well as the use of high-level quantum programming languages to implement them. One quantum algorithm is selected to be implemented in the Qiskit quantum programming language. The validity and success of the resulting computation is proven with matrix multiplication of the qubits and quantum gates involved.
Achieving Obfuscation Through Self-Modifying Code: A Theoretical Model, Heidi Waddell
Achieving Obfuscation Through Self-Modifying Code: A Theoretical Model, Heidi Waddell
Senior Honors Theses
With the extreme amount of data and software available on networks, the protection of online information is one of the most important tasks of this technological age. There is no such thing as safe computing, and it is inevitable that security breaches will occur. Thus, security professionals and practices focus on two areas: security, preventing a breach from occurring, and resiliency, minimizing the damages once a breach has occurred. One of the most important practices for adding resiliency to source code is through obfuscation, a method of re-writing the code to a form that is virtually unreadable. …
Applications Of Machine Learning To Threat Intelligence, Intrusion Detection And Malware, Charity Barker
Applications Of Machine Learning To Threat Intelligence, Intrusion Detection And Malware, Charity Barker
Senior Honors Theses
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are emerging technologies with applications to many fields. This paper is a survey of use cases of ML for threat intelligence, intrusion detection, and malware analysis and detection. Threat intelligence, especially attack attribution, can benefit from the use of ML classification. False positives from rule-based intrusion detection systems can be reduced with the use of ML models. Malware analysis and classification can be made easier by developing ML frameworks to distill similarities between the malicious programs. Adversarial machine learning will also be discussed, because while ML can be used to solve problems or …
Gradual Program Analysis, Samuel Estep
Gradual Program Analysis, Samuel Estep
Senior Honors Theses
Dataflow analysis and gradual typing are both well-studied methods to gain information about computer programs in a finite amount of time. The gradual program analysis project seeks to combine those two techniques in order to gain the benefits of both. This thesis explores the background information necessary to understand gradual program analysis, and then briefly discusses the research itself, with reference to publication of work done so far. The background topics include essential aspects of programming language theory, such as syntax, semantics, and static typing; dataflow analysis concepts, such as abstract interpretation, semilattices, and fixpoint computations; and gradual typing theory, …
Comparing Security Self-Efficacy Amongst College Freshmen And Senior, Female And Male Cybersecurity Students, Lane H. Melton
Comparing Security Self-Efficacy Amongst College Freshmen And Senior, Female And Male Cybersecurity Students, Lane H. Melton
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
This study sought to determine if there was a difference in the self-efficacy of freshman and senior, female and male Cybersecurity students relating to threats associated with various information systems. The design for this quantitative study was non-experimental, causal-comparative and known as group comparison used to determine if there was a causal relationship between variables. The method used to make that determination utilized a self-efficacy survey developed by Phelps (2005), to identify the independent variables specific level of self-efficacy. Research was conducted at a small, southern university with total of 33 participants. Each student was enrolled in the Computer Science …
Social Engineering: How U.S. Businesses Strengthen The Weakest Link Against Cybersecurity Threats, Lily J. Pharris
Social Engineering: How U.S. Businesses Strengthen The Weakest Link Against Cybersecurity Threats, Lily J. Pharris
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative study was to investigate how IS professionals working in U.S. businesses make sense of their lives and experiences as they address and prevent vulnerabilities to social engineering attacks. This larger problem was explored through an in-depth study of social engineering and its effect on IS professionals working in U.S. businesses operating within healthcare, financial services, and educational industries across the central and northwest regions of Louisiana. Through its use of a phenomenological research design, the study bridged a gap in the social engineering literature, which was primarily comprised of studies that utilized a …
The Impact Of Leadership Style On The Adoption Of Agile Software Development: A Correlational Study, Mike Kipreos
The Impact Of Leadership Style On The Adoption Of Agile Software Development: A Correlational Study, Mike Kipreos
Doctoral Dissertations and Projects
Public and private organizations continue to rely prohibitively on classic software development methodologies such as the waterfall. Private industry more so than the public sector has shown evidence for a higher rate of success when using agile software development methods. Consequently, the purpose of this quantitative correlation study was to examine variables that best predict the adoption of agile methodologies in software development. The study made use of the UTAUT and MLQ–5X surveys. The primary variable under study was leadership style. Secondary variables included: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating factors. A pilot study (N = 30) was …
Securing Our Future Homes: Smart Home Security Issues And Solutions, Nicholas Romano
Securing Our Future Homes: Smart Home Security Issues And Solutions, Nicholas Romano
Senior Honors Theses
The Internet of Things, commonly known as IoT, is a new technology transforming businesses, individuals’ daily lives and the operation of entire countries. With more and more devices becoming equipped with IoT technology, smart homes are becoming increasingly popular. The components that make up a smart home are at risk for different types of attacks; therefore, security engineers are developing solutions to current problems and are predicting future types of attacks. This paper will analyze IoT smart home components, explain current security risks, and suggest possible solutions. According to “What is a Smart Home” (n.d.), a smart home is a …
Computational Contributions To The Automation Of Agriculture, Micah Nagel
Computational Contributions To The Automation Of Agriculture, Micah Nagel
Senior Honors Theses
The purpose of this paper is to explore ways that computational advancements have enabled the complete automation of agriculture from start to finish. With a major need for agricultural advancements because of food and water shortages, some farmers have begun creating their own solutions to these problems. Primarily explored in this paper, however, are current research topics in the automation of agriculture. Digital agriculture is surveyed, focusing on ways that data collection can be beneficial. Additionally, self-driving technology is explored with emphasis on farming applications. Machine vision technology is also detailed, with specific application to weed management and harvesting of …
Optimaztion Of Fantasy Basketball Lineups Via Machine Learning, James Earl
Optimaztion Of Fantasy Basketball Lineups Via Machine Learning, James Earl
Senior Honors Theses
Machine learning is providing a way to glean never before known insights from the data that gets recorded every day. This paper examines the application of machine learning to the novel field of Daily Fantasy Basketball. The particularities of the fantasy basketball ruleset and playstyle are discussed, and then the results of a data science case study are reviewed. The data set consists of player performance statistics as well as Fantasy Points, implied team total, DvP, and player status. The end goal is to evaluate how accurately the computer can predict a player’s fantasy performance based off a chosen feature …
Quantum Attacks On Modern Cryptography And Post-Quantum Cryptosystems, Zachary Marron
Quantum Attacks On Modern Cryptography And Post-Quantum Cryptosystems, Zachary Marron
Senior Honors Theses
Cryptography is a critical technology in the modern computing industry, but the security of many cryptosystems relies on the difficulty of mathematical problems such as integer factorization and discrete logarithms. Large quantum computers can solve these problems efficiently, enabling the effective cryptanalysis of many common cryptosystems using such algorithms as Shor’s and Grover’s. If data integrity and security are to be preserved in the future, the algorithms that are vulnerable to quantum cryptanalytic techniques must be phased out in favor of quantum-proof cryptosystems. While quantum computer technology is still developing and is not yet capable of breaking commercial encryption, these …