Computer Sciences Commons^™

An Examination Of Service Level Agreement Attributes That Influence Cloud Computing Adoption, Howard Gregory Hamilton

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Cloud computing is perceived as the technological innovation that will transform future investments in information technology. As cloud services become more ubiquitous, public and private enterprises still grapple with concerns about cloud computing. One such concern is about service level agreements (SLAs) and their appropriateness.

While the benefits of using cloud services are well defined, the debate about the challenges that may inhibit the seamless adoption of these services still continues. SLAs are seen as an instrument to help foster adoption. However, cloud computing SLAs are alleged to be ineffective, meaningless, and costly to administer. This could impact widespread acceptance …

Service Quality And Perceived Value Of Cloud Computing-Based Service Encounters: Evaluation Of Instructor Perceived Service Quality In Higher Education In Texas, Eges Egedigwe

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Cloud computing based technology is becoming increasingly popular as a way to deliver quality education to community colleges, universities and other organizations. At the same time, compared with other industries, colleges have been slow on implementing and sustaining cloud computing services on an institutional level because of budget constraints facing many large community colleges, in addition to other obstacles. Faced with this challenge, key stakeholders are increasingly realizing the need to focus on service quality as a measure to improve their competitive position in today's highly competitive environment. Considering the amount of study done with cloud computing in education, very …

Investigating Categorization Preferences For Online Dating Sites, Scott Morrissette

CCE Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to determine whether a three-category (3C) system for classifying profiles on online dating sites provides advantages over a two-category (2C) system as decision makers evaluate a long list of profiles. Two groups of single heterosexual or bisexual women ages 20 to 30 reviewed a list of 60 male profiles on simulated online dating sites to choose which profiled man they would most like to learn more about. One group (n = 53) evaluated the profiles using a 2C system; the other group (n = 56) used a 3C system. After making their choice, women …

An Information Privacy Examination Of The Practices Of Pharmaceutical Companies Regarding Use Of Information Collected Through Their Websites, Shonda Dellena Brown

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Consumers have begun to take a more proactive approach to their healthcare by accessing pharmaceutical companies Websites to obtain health and drug information, support groups, rebates, coupons, as well as free drug trials. In exchange for these benefits, companies require consumers to voluntarily disclose information. However, research has shown that consumers continue to be concerned about how their information is managed, used, and distributed by companies, especially if accessed via the Web. To date, there has been limited empirical research to examine the actual online practices of companies when it comes to privacy, especially those of pharmaceutical companies. Using Delphi …

Investigating Roles Of Information Security Strategy, Roger V. Seeholzer

CCE Theses and Dissertations

A fundamental understanding of the complexities comprising an information security strategy (ISS) in an organization is lacking. Most ISS implementations in government organizations equate anti-virus or installing a firewall to that of an ISS. While use of hardware and software forms a good defense; neither comprises the essence of an ISS. The ISS best integrates with business and information system strategies from the start, forming and shaping the direction of overall strategy synergistically within large government organizations. The researcher used grounded theory and investigated what a large government organization’s choices were with the differing roles an information security professional (ISP) …

An Empirical Development Of Critical Value Factors For System Quality And Information Quality In Business Intelligence Systems Implementations, Paul Dooley

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Business intelligence (BI) systems have been widely recognized as a leading technology for many years. However, despite the high priority and importance placed on BI, there has been a significant lack of BI system implementation (BISI) success. BI systems are not considered to be conventional information systems (IS) and often rely on the integration of a complex information infrastructure. Consequently, the degree of information quality (IQ) and system quality (SQ) have not met expectations for BISI success.

This study was designed to determine how an organization may gain benefits in the context of BISI by uncovering the antecedents and critical …

The Importance Of A Pictorial Medical History In Assisting Medical Diagnosis Of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities: A Telemedicine Approach, Grace Bonanno

CCE Theses and Dissertations

When face-to-face physical medical exams are not possible, virtual physical exams, in the form of a pictorial medical exam/history, can be substituted, and telemedicine can be the means to deliver these virtual exams. The goal of this work was to determine if presence in the form of a visual and/or pictorial medical history can be of benefit to clinicians in the diagnosis of medical conditions of individuals with developmental disabilities (DDs) and/or intellectual disabilities (IDs), in particular those who cannot, because of their cognitive and/or physical disabilities, verbally relate their illness to a clinician. Virtual exams can also be useful …

Immunology Inspired Detection Of Data Theft From Autonomous Network Activity, Theodore O. Cochran

CCE Theses and Dissertations

The threat of data theft posed by self-propagating, remotely controlled bot malware is increasing. Cyber criminals are motivated to steal sensitive data, such as user names, passwords, account numbers, and credit card numbers, because these items can be parlayed into cash. For anonymity and economy of scale, bot networks have become the cyber criminal’s weapon of choice. In 2010 a single botnet included over one million compromised host computers, and one of the largest botnets in 2011 was specifically designed to harvest financial data from its victims. Unfortunately, current intrusion detection methods are unable to effectively detect data extraction techniques …

Usable Security Using Goms: A Study To Evaluate And Compare The Usability Of User Accounts On E-Government Websites, Amran Din

CCE Theses and Dissertations

The term e-Government refers to providing citizens a series of services that can be conveniently conducted over the Internet. However, the potential to redefine and transform e-Government increasingly relies on citizens successfully establishing and managing a user account profile online. E-Government has not adequately addressed user-centric designs for social inclusion of all citizens on e-Government websites. There is a lack of research on the usability of user account management, and a clear lack of innovation in incorporating user-friendly authentication interfaces to accommodate a diverse user population given the wealth of existing research in web authentication techniques within Identity Management. The …

Building Cloud-Based Information Systems Lab Architecture: Deriving Design Principles That Facilitate The Effective Construction And Evaluation Of A Cloud-Based Lab Environment, Thomas J. Trevethan

CCE Theses and Dissertations

The problem explored in this dissertation report was that at the time of this study, there were no design principles or methodologies based on design science research (DSR) available to use for artifact construction, implementation, and effective evaluation of cloud-based networking lab environments that can be used to foster hands-on technology skills in students. Primarily based on Hevner’s 7 guidelines of DSR, Peffer’s design science research methodology (DSRM), and Gregor’s IS design theory, this study forms the groundwork for the development of procedures and specifications derived from DSR literature to facilitate the construction, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive cloud-based …

Well-Being Technologies: Meditation Using Virtual Worlds, Laura Downey

CCE Theses and Dissertations

In a technologically overloaded world, is it possible to use technology to support well-being activities and enhance human flourishing? Proponents of positive technology and positive computing are striving to answer yes to that question. However, the impact of technology on well-being remains unresolved. Positive technology combines technology and positive psychology. Positive psychology focuses on well-being and the science of human flourishing. Positive computing includes an emphasis on designing with well-being in mind as a way to support human potential. User experience (UX) is critical to positive technology and positive computing. UX researchers and practitioners are advocating for experience-driven design and …

An Investigation Of The Factors Contributing To The Development Of Poorly Defined Is Strategies For Firms In The United States, Karen B. Lacaden

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Although empirical research has shown that a clearly defined information system (IS) strategy has a positive impact to a firm’s performance and a poorly defined IS strategy has a negative impact to a firms’ performance, firms still develop poorly defined IS strategies. Further compounding the problem, research has revealed that 87% of the business executives believe information systems are a critical enabler to their firms' strategic realization, yet only 33% of business executives involve the Chief Information Officer (CIO) in their firm’s business strategy development. The main goal of this research study is to empirically identify factors which impact development …

An Empirical Investigation Into The Role That Boredom, Relationships, Anxiety, And Gratification (Brag) Play In A Driver’S Decision To Text, Nathan White

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Texting while driving is a growing problem that has serious, and sometimes fatal, consequences. Despite laws enacted to curb this behavior, the problem continues to grow. Discovering factors that can reduce such risky behavior can significantly contribute to research, as well as save lives and reduce property damage. This study developed a model to explore the motivations that cause a driver to send messages. The model evaluates the effects that boredom, social relationships, social anxiety, and social gratification (BRAG) have upon a driver’s frequency of typing text messages. In addition, the perceived severity of the consequences and the presence of …

Seniors With Diabetes-Investigation Of The Impact Of Semantic Auditory Distractions On The Usability Of A Blood Glucose Tracking Mobile Application, Jose A. Rivera Rodriguez

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. With the population rapidly aging, it is expected that 1 out of 3 Americans will have diabetes by 2050. Mobile devices and mobile applications have the potential to contribute to diabetes self-care by allowing users to manage their diabetes by keeping track of their blood glucose levels. Usability is important for systems that help people self-manage conditions such as diabetes. Age and diabetes-related cognitive decline might intensify the impact of usability issues for the users who need these mobile applications the most. As highlighted by usability researchers, the …

Incremental Sparse-Pca Feature Extraction For Data Streams, Jean-Pierre Nziga

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Intruders attempt to penetrate commercial systems daily and cause considerable financial losses for individuals and organizations. Intrusion detection systems monitor network events to detect computer security threats. An extensive amount of network data is devoted to detecting malicious activities.

Storing, processing, and analyzing the massive volume of data is costly and indicate the need to find efficient methods to perform network data reduction that does not require the data to be first captured and stored. A better approach allows the extraction of useful variables from data streams in real time and in a single pass. The removal of irrelevant attributes …

Motivations Of Students In The Open-Ended Use Of Mobile Computing In Lecture-Based Classrooms, Jeffrey Kimball

CCE Theses and Dissertations

While research supports the integration of mobile computing into instruction, there is disagreement concerning the unstructured use of mobile devices in lecture-based college classrooms. Research supports the argument that unstructured use creates distraction and decreased academic performance. Research also suggests that unstructured use actually supports lecture instruction through personalized learning situations. In either case, the motivations of students to use mobile device is often unclear. This study sought to investigate the motivations for students’ acceptance of mobile devices. The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) was utilized to identify the factors leading to college students’ adoption of …

Police Opinions Of Digital Evidence Response Handling In The State Of Georgia: An Examination From The Viewpoint Of Local Agencies’ Patrol Officers, Tanya Macneil

CCE Theses and Dissertations

This research examined opinions of local law enforcement agencies’ patrol officers in the State of Georgia regarding preparedness and expectations for handling of digital evidence. The increased criminal use of technology requires that patrol officers be prepared to handle digital evidence in many different situations. The researcher’s goal was to gain insight into how patrol officers view their preparedness to handle digital evidence as well as their opinions on management expectations regarding patrol officers’ abilities to handle digital evidence. The research focused on identifying whether a gap existed between patrol officers’ opinions of digital evidence and the patrol officers’ views …

Use Of Entropy For Feature Selection With Intrusion Detection System Parameters, Frank Acker

CCE Theses and Dissertations

The metric of entropy provides a measure about the randomness of data and a measure of information gained by comparing different attributes. Intrusion detection systems can collect very large amounts of data, which are not necessarily manageable by manual means. Collected intrusion detection data often contains redundant, duplicate, and irrelevant entries, which makes analysis computationally intensive likely leading to unreliable results. Reducing the data to what is relevant and pertinent to the analysis requires the use of data mining techniques and statistics. Identifying patterns in the data is part of analysis for intrusion detections in which the patterns are categorized …

Designing An Effective Information Security Policy For Exceptional Situations In An Organization: An Experimental Study, George S. Antoniou

CCE Theses and Dissertations

An increasing number of researchers are recognizing the importance of the role played by employees in maintaining the effectiveness of an information security policy. Currently, little research exists to validate the relationship between the actions (behaviors) taken by employees in response to exceptional situations (antecedents) regarding an organization’s information security policy, the impact (consequences) those actions have on an organization, and the motives that prompt those actions. When these exceptional situations occur, employees may feel compelled to engage in behaviors that violate the terms of an information security policy because strict compliance with the policy could cause the organization to …

Virtue Ethics: Examining Influences On The Ethical Commitment Of Information System Workers In Trusted Positions, John Max Gray

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Despite an abundance of research on the problem of insider threats, only limited success has been achieved in preventing trusted insiders from committing security violations. Virtue ethics may be an approach that can be utilized to address this issue. Human factors such as moral considerations impact Information System (IS) design, use, and security; consequently they affect the security posture and culture of an organization. Virtue ethics based concepts have the potential to influence and align the moral values and behavior of information systems workers with those of an organization in order to provide increased protection of IS assets. An individual’s …

Feature Selection And Classification Methods For Decision Making: A Comparative Analysis, Osiris Villacampa

CCE Theses and Dissertations

The use of data mining methods in corporate decision making has been increasing in the past decades. Its popularity can be attributed to better utilizing data mining algorithms, increased performance in computers, and results which can be measured and applied for decision making. The effective use of data mining methods to analyze various types of data has shown great advantages in various application domains. While some data sets need little preparation to be mined, whereas others, in particular high-dimensional data sets, need to be preprocessed in order to be mined due to the complexity and inefficiency in mining high dimensional …

An Electroencephalogram (Eeg) Based Biometrics Investigation For Authentication: A Human-Computer Interaction (Hci) Approach, Ricardo J. Rodriguez

CCE Theses and Dissertations

Encephalogram (EEG) devices are one of the active research areas in human-computer interaction (HCI). They provide a unique brain-machine interface (BMI) for interacting with a growing number of applications. EEG devices interface with computational systems, including traditional desktop computers and more recently mobile devices. These computational systems can be targeted by malicious users. There is clearly an opportunity to leverage EEG capabilities for increasing the efficiency of access control mechanisms, which are the first line of defense in any computational system.

Access control mechanisms rely on a number of authenticators, including “what you know”, “what you have”, and “what you …

Approaches For Developing A Model For Information And Communication Technology (Ict) Implementation In The Higher Education Environment, Thomas Edward Kurtz

CCE Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates approaches for the development of an implementation model for ICT systems in the higher education environment. ICT systems have been implemented in various education settings, but have been narrowly focused in nature. There lacks a generalizable model to implement these systems in higher education settings. The research questions in this study sought to identify the criteria that can be used to develop and evaluate the implementation model.

The design science research methodology selected for this study used product criteria defined in a literature review to guide the development of the model. An expert panel consisting of administrators, …