Technology and Innovation Commons^™

Hierarchical Multi-Level Llm Agent Swarms For Financial Research Synthesis And Trading Decision Support In Multi Strategy Hedge Funds, Puneet Gandhi, Rishab Gulati

Proceedings of the Cognitive Innovation Conference (CognoCon)

"There will be no software in the future that's not agentic. And so, it is absolutely true that every software company will become an agentic company.”- Nvidia’s Jensen Huang. As various companies grapple with agentic architectures suitable to their firm environments, we present a hierarchical agentic architecture geared towards Multi Strategy hedge funds. Multi-strategy hedge funds operate within highly complex and rapidly evolving information environments. Trading decisions emerge from layered organizational structures in which sector specific teams continuously consume heterogeneous data sources. Sr. Portfolio Managers synthesize information to allocate capital towards high-conviction opportunities. As the volume and diversity of financial …

Creating It Capabilities In Workflow Automation With Unstructured Data, Gary J. Braswell

Proceedings of the Cognitive Innovation Conference (CognoCon)

Service organizations increasingly seek to automate customer service workflows, yet most customer communications arrive as unstructured data, such as email and chat. Although large language models (LLMs) offer new possibilities for interpreting such data, their non-deterministic behavior creates reliability risks that can undermine automation performance, as error rates as low as 10% can cause automated flows to perform worse than manual ones. This research discusses how firms can build IT capabilities that convert LLM-based interpretation of unstructured data into reliable automated customer service workflows. Using the Resource-Based View (RBV) as the theoretical lens, the study examines how knowledge sharing and …

Trust Migration In The Digital Era: Information Regimes And The Transformation Of Buyer–Seller Relationships, Stephen C. Carlson

Atlantic Marketing Journal

Business-to-business selling is being reshaped by rapid advances in digital platforms, enterprise systems, analytics, and artificial intelligence. Organizational buyers increasingly rely on algorithmic tools, peer communities, institutional certifications, and automated evaluation systems before engaging directly with sales representatives. Yet much of the buyer–seller trust literature continues to emphasize interpersonal communication quality, listening behaviors, and individual credibility as primary drivers of relational success.

This article argues that the central transformation in contemporary selling is not the erosion of trust, but its relocation. As technological infrastructures evolve, trust progressively migrates from individual sales representatives to organizational systems, platforms, governance mechanisms, and algorithmic …

The Digital Divide And Participation In Financial Services: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective, Melissa A. Cunningham-Sereque

Dissertations

The global financial technology (FinTech) market reached nearly $395 billion in 2025 and is projected to surpass $1 trillion within the next decade (Fortune Business Insights, 2025). As digital technologies become increasingly embedded in banking and financial services, this dissertation responds to calls within the Information Systems (IS) discipline to better understand digital access, inclusion, and participation in financial systems (PFS). Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, this study used prominent dimensions from extant digital divide literature to build a digital resource domain consisting of connectability, affordability, usability, mentality, and skill. These dimensions are proposed to influence intrinsic motivation, …

Application Identification With Pfsense, Snort, And Openappid In Academic Lab Networks, Minh-Khanh Vu

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This paper evaluates the practical capabilities and limitations of a widely used open-source network security stack—pfSense firewall, Snort Intrusion Detection System (IDS), and OpenAppID detectors—in academic cy- bersecurity laboratories and small-to-medium enterprise (SME)-like environments. In a controlled virtual testbed, we measure application-level and feature-level identifi- cation performance for major applications (Facebook, YouTube, Zoom) using the pfSense/Snort/OpenAppID configuration. The stack achieves 97% application-level identification accuracy for these applications in our lab dataset, drawing on a library of 3,374 OpenAppID detectors. However, our experiments reveal a substan- tial feature-level detection gap: specific functions such as Zoom file transfers and Facebook messaging can- …

Ceo Integrity's Influence On Firm Digital Orientation: How Cmos And Ad Intensity Drive Digital Orientation, Prachi B. Gala, Saim Kashmiri, Iason Koufodontis, Heather Morgan

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Smart Compassion: Engaging Donors With Virtual Reality To Donating Cash For Disaster Relief, Hee Yoon Kwon, Koray Ozpolat, Anis Triki, James Bezjian

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Chatgpt In Higher Ed: How To Navigate And Incorporate, Emory Hiott, Darin Gerdes

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

The New Norm For Sales Professionals: Impact Of Technology During Environmental Turbulence, Michael Rodriguez, Stefanie Boyer

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Video Streaming Services And Marketing Theory, Stephen Carlson

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Generational Perception Differences Among Faculty Regarding Smartphones And Tablets In The College Classroom, Ronda G. Henderson

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Innovations And Applications Of Virtual Private Networks And Sustainable Security In Society 5.0 Libraries, Stella Chinnaya Nduka Dr., Adeyinka Tella Prof, Petros Dlamini Dr

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

In order to improve digital resilience, privacy, and access equity in contemporary library environments, this study investigates the role of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in fostering sustainable cybersecurity within the framework of Society 5.0 libraries. It does this by looking at the latest developments, applications, difficulties, moral dilemmas, and tactical methods associated with VPN deployment. Using peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proceedings, white papers, and policy documents published between 2010 and 2024, a methodical approach to literature review was used. The literature that bridges the fields of cybersecurity, library science, and Society 5.0 concepts was the main focus of the review. …

Adopting Artificial Intelligence: Cross-Sector Analysis Of Ai Adoption Risks, Brandon Saari, Yona Berger, Yanett Munoz, Alex Agnick, Paul Wagner, Robert J. Honomichl

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly being adopted across public and private sectors. This offers significant gains in efficiency, decision making, and access to information. At the same time, AI introduces complex risks related to cybersecurity, privacy, bias, transparency, accountability, and equity that existing governance and security frameworks do not fully address. This paper presents a cross-sector literature review and comparative analysis of AI adoption risks and mitigation strategies across four critical domains: the federal government, libraries, K–12 education, and healthcare. Drawing on peer-reviewed research, institutional frameworks, and policy guidance, the study identifies sector-specific challenges alongside shared systemic gaps, including insufficient …

How Website Trust Develops Across Websites Of Different Quality And How Product Involvement Affects That Development: A Visual Processing Perspective, James Coyle, Lee Hillman, Linh Nguyen

Atlantic Marketing Association Proceedings

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Introductory Cybersecurity Learning: A Design-Based Research Case Study, Manny Niri Dr.

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This study employs a design-based research (DBR) framework to examine the impact of a comprehensive curriculum redesign in an introductory Foundations of Security module for undergraduate students in computing and cybersecurity at a UK public university between 2019 and 2025. The redesign aimed to enhance student learning, engagement, and critical thinking through the embodiment of evidence-based pedagogical strategies, including flipped classroom delivery, blended learning, gamified practical exercises, repeated low-stakes mock assessments, and structured problem-solving activities. Student feedback, assessment outcomes, attendance records, and faculty reflections were analysed to evaluate the effectiveness of the redesign. The results indicate substantial improvements in student …

Enhancing Cyber Hygiene Among Communities Through Experiential Cyber-Security Awareness Programs, Dr Atul Bamrara, Partha Roy, Vishwanath Gargote, Khandu Thungon

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Human error remains the most frequently exploited vulnerability in the cyber-security ecosystem. Despite substantial investments in technical safeguards, cybercriminals increasingly rely on social engineering, misinformation, and emotionally manipulative tactics to compromise users. This study examines behavioral changes among participants who underwent structured cyber-security workshops addressing both conventional cyber hygiene practices and emerging digital threats. The training modules covered digital arrest scams, identity theft, sextortion, fake technical support fraud, fake social media profiles, online gaming related risks, and deep fake manipulation. The workshops were designed using interactive simulations, real world case studies, and hands on problem based exercises, with the explicit …

Insights From Ai Tutors In Undergraduate And Graduate Engineering Courses, Billy Kihei, Sheila Hill, Sumit Chakravarty

Proceedings of the Cognitive Innovation Conference (CognoCon)

As large language models become broadly accessible, questions about how to integrate them productively into engineering education have moved from speculative to urgent. This paper presents the design rationale and early deployment experience of 247officehours.com, a faculty-created, faculty-managed platform that grounds AI tutoring in instructor-selected course materials and connects it to assessment, engagement tracking, and targeted instructional intervention. Drawing on deployment across undergraduate and graduate engineering courses, we describe six core platform features, analyze how student interactions map onto Bloom's revised taxonomy, and identify recurring patterns of productive and unproductive AI use. A tutor–tutee inversion activity, in which students must …

Cybersecurity In Higher Education Institutions: Awareness, Policy, And Experience On Employee Behaviour, Abdullahi Abiodun Yusuf, Adriana A. Steyn

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The digital transformation of higher education institutions (HEIs) has introduced unprecedented connectivity and operational efficiency, but it has also heightened their exposure to cyber threats. South African HEIs, in particular, face increasing vulnerability due to their reliance on technology, openness, and diverse user communities. This study examines the influence of the institutional cybersecurity environment on employee cybersecurity-compliant behaviour (CCB), emphasising the critical roles of awareness, policy engagement, and experience. Drawing on Protection Motivation Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour, a conceptual model was developed to explore how cybersecurity awareness, policy familiarity, and prior experience shape employees’ attitudes, subjective norms, …

Cyber Science Education Meets Healthcare Technology, Angela Spencer

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The research investigates how cyber science education combines with healthcare technology during the digital age to resolve a fundamental research gap in these two advancing areas. A combined approach utilizing extensive surveys and detailed interviews evaluates the functionality of learning platforms as well as cybersecurity measures and potential uses of emerging virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) tools to improve both educational and clinical environments. The research document describes its methodologies thoroughly while. The research documents multiple quantitative and qualitative results before performing its analysis, which leads to strategy development for digit. The researchers worked to find ways that …

Integrating Adversarial Scenarios Into Llm Security Labs: An Experience Report On A Hands-On Approach, Dominic A. Wilson

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This paper presents an exploratory case study detailed as a pedagogical experience report on integrating adversarial Large Language Model (LLM) scenarios into a graduate cybersecurity curriculum. In addition to prompt injection, sophisticated techniques such as jailbreaking and model inversion pose emerging threats that traditional computer security curricula often lack. We present the design and implementation of a structured, hands-on module addressing this gap, utilizing a custom Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) platform with local open-source LLMs. A cohort of 16 graduate students participated in this two-week pilot module, engaging in "red team" activities to actively exploit model alignment and privacy vulnerabilities. The …

The Soft Target Curriculum: Using Nigeria's 2026 Cascading Breaches To Teach Foundational Cybersecurity Failures, Chinedum Amaechi, Doris Asogwa, Samuel Alade

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

SourceURL:file:///home/amaechi/Documents/ *Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice (JCERP)*. **Title:** The Soft Target Curriculum: Using Nigeria's 2026 Cascading Breaches to Teach Foundational Cybersecurity Failures.docx

Background: Between March and April 2026, a single threat actor allegedly compromised four Nigerian institutions across banking, payment infrastructure, government registry, and power distribution sectors. The breaches exposed millions of records and disrupted critical services, yet all four exploited elementary vulnerabilities taught in introductory cybersecurity courses. Objective: This pedagogical case study analyzes the four breaches as a unified phenomenon of "normalized negligence" and provides ready-to-use teaching materials for cybersecurity educators. Methods: Using open-source intelligence analysis of …

Advancing Cybersecurity Practice: Explainable Machine Learning For Network Intrusion Detection, Adam Grabowski, Shengjie Xu

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This research investigates explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) integration within machine learning (ML)-based intrusion detection systems (IDS), focusing on distinguishing malicious from benign network activities. We employed Random Forest and XGBoost models evaluated on widely recognized datasets, including NSL-KDD and UNSW-NB15, using both binary and multi-class classification tasks. The objective was to enhance cybersecurity operations through improved model transparency and interpretability. By integrating SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) and LIME (Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations), the study offers comprehensive global and local insights into model decision-making processes. Results demonstrate SHAP's effectiveness in providing a broad, dataset-wide understanding of feature interactions and importance, while …

Trusted Advisor: Reality Or Fading Myth?, Stephen C. Carlson, Susanna Warnock, Gerald Sullivan, Margaret Ryder

Atlantic Marketing Journal

The role of trusted advisor has long differentiated the role of community banking from traditional national banks in its relationship with small businesses. This study serves two purposes. First is to confirm presence of a trusted advisor relationship and secondly, understand the impact of digital banking services on the community banker – small business owner relationship. Using data collected in a survey of community bankers and small business owners in five southeastern United States, this study assesses the viability of the trusted advisor construct by applying the Integrative Model of Organizational Trust (Mayer, Davis, & Schoorman, 1995, 2007), trust-building behaviors …

Software-Defined Networking Powered By Ai-Driven Anomaly Detection, Dina Moloja, Vusumuzi Malele Prof

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Software Defined Networking (SDN) revolutionizes network control by separating the control plane from the data plane. Although the latter improves SDN agility and scalability, it creates a security hole, particularly in a central control plane, leading to SDN environments becoming high-profile targets for advanced cybersecurity threats. Due to static and signature-based point-in-time behavior, traditional security methods are unable to keep up with modern attacks that are an anomaly to SDNs. Artificial Intelligence (AI) with its different applications and techniques, has the capability of detecting SDN cyber threats’ anomalies. This paper presents the results of a literature scoping exercise that used …

Experts’ Validation Of The Fundamental Cybersecurity Competency Index (Fcci) Using A Commercial Cyber Range Through Human-Generative Artificial Intelligence (Genai) Teaming, Dariusz Witko, Yair Levy, Catherine Neubauer, Greg Simco, Laurie P. Dringus, Melissa Carlton

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The increasing volume of cyber threats, combined with a critical shortage of skilled professionals and rising burnout among practitioners, highlights the urgent need for innovative solutions in cybersecurity operations. Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) offers promising potential to augment human analysts in cybersecurity, but its integration requires rigorous validation of the fundamental competencies that enable effective collaboration of human-GenAI teams. This research study employed a mixed-methods research project designed to evaluate human-GenAI teams, emphasizing the role of expert consensus in shaping the experimental assessment of the Fundamental Cybersecurity Competency Index (FCCI) in a commercial cyber range. We engaged 20 Subject Matter …

Security And Privacy Of Wearable And Implantable Medical Devices: A Course-Based Approach To Medical Device Cybersecurity Education, Michelle M. Ramim

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

As wearable and implantable medical devices become integral to remote patient monitoring and precision medicine, the associated cybersecurity and privacy risks demand urgent attention. These devices are increasingly targeted by cyberattacks, potentially endangering patient safety and data integrity. To address this, we developed an experiential learning course titled Security and Privacy of Wearable and Implantable Medical Devices, designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in health and medical fields. The course immerses students in real-world challenges through lectures, labs, and project-based learning, leveraging wearable devices such as FitBit^TM to analyze and interpret real-time personal health data. The curriculum …

Systematic Review Of Elementary Cybersecurity Education: Curriculum, Pedagogy, And Barriers, Na Liu, Siyu Long, Florence Martin

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Abstract -As children increasingly engage with digital platforms, the need for effective cybersecurity education has become urgent. This systematic review synthesizes 81 studies published between 2017 and 2024 to examine global curricula research focus and topics, pedagogical approaches and assessment methods, and key challenges in elementary cybersecurity education. The findings reveal six major thematic categories: student awareness, parental mediation, teacher engagement, curriculum design, community and policy support, and pedagogical innovation. Among instructional strategies, game-based learning and narrative storytelling emerge as the most frequently explored. Despite this growth, major gaps remain in curriculum consistency, teacher preparation, assessment rigor, and stakeholder coordination. …

Higher Education Cybersecurity: A Vulnerability Assessment Of The U.S. South’S Institutional Websites, Zachary W. Taylor, Vivi Vo

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

As technology continues to advance, it is critical to understand how higher education institutions protect digital information of their stakeholders including students, faculty, and staff through cybersecurity measures. Although conceptual research has articulated various aspects of cybersecurity, no empirical research has explored the cybersecurity of higher education (.edu) websites through a vulnerability scan of these websites via an open PortScan and analysis. To fill a critical gap in the literature, this study conducted a vulnerability scan and open PortScan and analysis of all higher education websites in three of the lowest-income states in the United States: Louisiana (n=112), Mississippi (n=52), …

Impact Of Information Security Awareness Training On Knowledge, Attitude, And Behavior: A K-12 Case Study, Michael S. Robbins, Christopher Robbins

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Abstract— Information security breaches remain a serious threat across all sectors, often exploiting human factors rather than technical flaws. This study examines how a structured Information Security Awareness (ISA) training program influences employees’ knowledge of security policies, attitudes towards those policies, and self-reported security behaviors within a K-12 educational environment. A quantitative pre-test/post-test design was employed with 201 staff members (administrators, teachers, and support personnel) in a public school district. Participants completed the Human Aspects of Information Security Questionnaire (HAIS-Q) before and after undergoing an interactive cybersecurity training program. Statistical analysis revealed a significant improvement in information security knowledge, attitudes, …

Prompt Engineering For Genai In Cybersecurity Incident Response: A Multi-Platform Evaluation Based On Nice Pr-Ir-001, Yuanyuan Liu

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

This study explores the application of prompt engineering in cybersecurity education, mainly by evaluating the performance of different generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) platforms when performing tasks consistent with the NICE framework role pr-ir-001 - Network Defense Incident Responder. The study employed structured prompts designed for a medical technology environment compliant with HIPAA and NIST SP 800-53, while the tasks of the three GenAI models (GPT-4, Gemini, and DeepSeek) were to generate event response scenarios. Their outputs will be evaluated from four aspects: accuracy, relevance, clarity and completeness.

The results show that the three models differ in depth and consistency, but …