Engineering Commons^™

Throughput Of Ascon Compared With Popular Iot Encryption Algorithms, Mitchel R. Harvey (Ryan), Andrew M. Kaiser, Garrett W. Hoiness

Military Cyber Affairs

No abstract provided.

Anomaly Detection Of Network Layer Attacks Against Cyber Physical Systems Using Machine Learning And Deep Learning Techniques, James Alger, Michael Tu

Military Cyber Affairs

This research paper presents the analysis of using machine learning and deep learning algorithms on detecting anomalous network traffic in Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS). Using a real PLC CPS-based system, normal and anomalous network traffic will be captured using Wireshark. The research analyzes a DDoS attack. The focus of the research is to identify the most effective feature combinations and evaluate them on ML and DL models. The emphasis is on enhancing detection strategies rather than exploiting device vulnerabilities. The detection of network attacks often involves handling a vast array of high-level features. Previous studies (Li & Chasaki, 2022) apply machine …

Characterizing Caldera’S Cyber Attack Emulation Capabilities, Caleb Chang, Matthew Cao, Kenyou Teoh, Ekzhin Ear, Shouhuai Xu

Military Cyber Affairs

Autonomous cyber attack emulation can aid cyber defenders to identify and remediate cyber risks. MITRE’s Caldera software is the state-of-the-practice for automated attack emulation. Yet, it has not been systematically analyzed, putting its performance and effectiveness into question. This paper systematically characterizes Caldera’s architecture, abilities and use cases, and assesses its strengths and weaknesses. It draws useful insights, such as: Caldera excels in stealthy access and execution tactics to pilfer data against Windows operating systems. It also discusses two directions for Caldera improvement: module-level automation and end-to-end attack emulation.

The Digital Battlefield: Safeguarding Military Drones Against Cyberattacks, Jason Ashong, Arun Venkitanarayanan, Benjamin Yankson

Military Cyber Affairs

The Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT) is an advanced network of interconnected devices that significantly enhance military operations through real-time data exchange and situational awareness. While IoBT offers tactical advantages like improved surveillance, reconnaissance, and operational effectiveness, it also introduces substantial cybersecurity risks. Adversaries can exploit vulnerabilities within these networks, potentially compromising mission integrity and national security. This research examines the cybersecurity measures of commercial drone controllers and their correlation with military devices. It aims to enhance future vulnerability assessments with advanced tools and approaches to better secure critical military operations. The study highlights the need for robust security architectures …

Using Blockchain Technology To Help Secure America's Defense Critical Infrastructure, Vimal Buck, Aerin Krebs, Brynn Hillard, Jakob Gerha, Joseph Lutma, Srikar Maduposu, Ted Allen

Military Cyber Affairs

Critical water infrastructure in the United States faces increasing cybersecurity threats from state-sponsored actors, with potentially devastating consequences for national security, economic stability, and public health. (Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, 2025). This infrastructure supports defense critical assets and is actively being targeted by various state-sponsored hacking groups, which poses a major concern for civilians and military alike. K. Herath (personal communication, February 24, 2025) reported being aware of two attacks on Ohio water systems during his tenure as Cybersecurity Strategic Advisor to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.

Water is essential to everyday life and defense and presents as a high-value …

Network And Multipath Traceroute Visualization, Cameron Makowski

Military Cyber Affairs

TraceCam introduces a new paradigm in network path analysis, leveraging GPU-accelerated WebGL visualization, advanced traceroute integrations, and AI-driven insights to transform complex routing data into actionable intelligence. Early prototypes have demonstrated significant improvements in performance, clarity, and multi-path discovery, overcoming traditional limitations in traceroute analysis. By incorporating retrieval-augmented language models and enriched metadata sources like IPinfo.io, TraceCam enables automated anomaly detection, contextual explanations, and rapid root-cause analysis, enhancing operational efficiency. The platform’s architecture ensures scalability and adaptability, supporting deeper investigations and real-time situational awareness. Future development will focus on clustering-based anomaly detection, expanded geographic visualizations, and enhanced AI-generated analysis to …

Quantifying Adversary Military Forces’ Susceptibility To Cognitive Attacks, Bonnie Rushing, Cole Nelson, Shouhuai Xu, Christofer “Raven” O’Keefe, Olga Karpoyan

Military Cyber Affairs

This paper introduces a method to quantify international populations’ susceptibility to cyber cognitive attacks using press freedom and media trust metrics. We present the Cognitive Influence Calculator, a tool that estimates susceptibility (𝑆) based on Press Freedom Scores (PFS) and media trust levels. Findings show that while authoritarian regimes are harder to reach, successful cognitive attacks have greater impacts due to higher trust in state-controlled narratives. Using U.S. wargaming data and international trust metrics, we compute susceptibility scores for the U.S., Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. Results show an inverse relationship between PFS and media susceptibility, with local/allied …

Forward, Amy Hamilton

Military Cyber Affairs

No abstract provided.

Understanding Russia’S Cyber Policies, Strategies, And Doctrines, Bryan Hancock, Hanh Nguyen, Olga Karpoyan, Ekzhin Ear, Shouhuai Xu

Military Cyber Affairs

This study analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of Russia’s cyber policies, strategies, and doctrines through a systematic set of attributes, leading to key insights: (i) Russia has proactively adapted its cyber policies, strategies, and doctrines to its evolving environment; (ii) Russia actively conducts cognitive warfare, but remains equally vulnerable to it; and (iii) Russia’s cyber posture faces significant challenges, including a limited technological base, shortage of skilled personnel, and restrictive approach to information control, all of which undermine the effectiveness of its strategies. These insights offer valuable implications for US Cyber Command and the Department of Defense.

Characterizing Cyberattacks Against Operational Technology Infrastructures Through The Lens Of Attack Flows, Sherman Kettner, Caleb Chang, Ekzhin Ear, Shouhuai Xu

Military Cyber Affairs

Operational Technology (OT) infrastructures play a critical role in modern society and economy. However, their increasing connectivity with public networks such as the Internet has made them vulnerable to cyberattacks, much like traditional Information Technology (IT) systems. In particular, cyberattacks against OT infrastructures remain relatively underexplored and little understood. In this paper, we aim to deepen our understanding of cyberattacks against OT infrastructures. For this purpose, we propose a methodology, including novel cybersecurity metrics to analyze the attack flows of these attacks in an end-to-end fashion, which allows us to draw useful insights. We demonstrate the utility of the methodology …

The Evolution Of Global Gold And Copper Trade Networks, Oleksandr Hulianskyi

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

Gold and copper have emerged as two of the most vital commodities in global trade. Despite serving distinct purposes, their international trade networks reveal interconnected patterns, critical to understanding the dynamics of global economics. This paper studies these attributes and their evolution during the last 36 years for both metals and finds correlations between them. The first part of the research is focused on the sustainability of networks through efficiency and robustness indexes; the second part is dedicated to interconnectedness – the Louvain and Bayesian SBM algorithms, partition, and modularity instruments are used. Community detection algorithms provide valuable insights into …

Exploring The Potential Of Large Language Models (Llms) To Simulate Social Group Dynamics: A Case Study Using The Board Game "Secret Hitler", Kaj Hansteen Izora, Christof Teuscher

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

This study explores the capacity of large language model-powered agents to simulate human-like behavior in multi-agent social systems. Using Secret Hitler — a hidden-role board game centered on trust, deception, and strategic communication — we evaluate how LLM agents navigate dynamic group interactions. Our findings show that agents exhibit human-like behaviors, including strategic temporal adaptation, contextual reasoning, and complex social cognition such as theory of mind and implicit coordination. Notably, 85% of agent decisions factored in at least two other players’ mental states, highlighting their capacity for multi-agent mental state inference. However, they struggled with key aspects of human gameplay, …

High Field Performance Of Si-Doped N-Aln Layers Grown Using Pulsed Mocvd, Abdullah Al Mamun Mazumder, Tariq Jamil, Mafruda Rahman, Muhammad Ali, Grigory Simin, Asif Khan

Faculty Publications

We report on the study of high-field performance of Si-doped n-AlN layers that were grown using a pulsed metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (PMOCVD) process. In the past we showed this pulsed doping approach to lead to doping efficiency superior to that in the conventional MOCVD process. Here using them as the drift layer for a quasi-vertical conduction Schottky barrier, we show their ability to withstand high reverse bias voltages and sustain an electrical field as high as 9.9 MV cm−1. Our study thus demonstrates the viability of the PMOCVD growth and doping approach to yield n-AlN layers suitable …

Tweaking Ml-Kem (Kyber) And Ml-Dsa (Dilithium), Kumar Rahul

Master’s Dissertations

Lattice-based cryptography is the use of conjectured hard problems on point lattices in Rn as the foundation for secure cryptographic systems. Attractive features of lattice cryptography include apparent resistance to quantum attacks (in contrast with most number-theoretic cryptography), high asymptotic efficiency and parallelism, security under worst-case intractability assumptions, and solutions to long-standing open problems in cryptography. This work surveys the structure, security, and optimization potential of two leading lattice-based cryptographic schemes: ML-KEM (Kyber) and ML-DSA (Dilithium). Special attention is given to their applicability in government-oriented post-quantum cryptographic systems, focusing on performance, implementation considerations, and resilience against known quantum threats. In …

Replicating Associative Learning Of Rodents With A Neuromorphic Robot In An Open-Field Arena, Tianze Liu, Kang Jun Bai, Hongyu An

Michigan Tech Publications

This study emulates associative learning in rodents by using a neuromorphic robot navigating an open-field arena. The goal is to investigate how biologically inspired neural models can reproduce animal-like learning behaviors in real-world robotic systems. We constructed a neuromorphic robot by deploying computational models of spatial and sensory neurons onto a mobile platform. Different coding schemes—rate coding for vibration signals and population coding for visual signals—were implemented. The associative learning model employs 19 spiking neurons and follows Hebbian plasticity principles to associate visual cues with favorable or unfavorable locations. Our robot successfully replicated classical rodent associative learning behavior by memorizing …

Agent-Based Modeling To Stress Test New York State Healthcare Robustness, Brandon Bedenbedner

Northeast Journal of Complex Systems (NEJCS)

This study presents an agent-based model (ABM) to assess the resilience of New York State’s healthcare system during public health crises. The model simulates patient interactions, disease spread, and resource allocation, identifying critical vulnerabilities and evaluating strategies to avoid system collapse. Simulation results indicate that with just 10\% of the population infected, hospitals statewide can reach full capacity within ten days, causing significant care delays and an estimated 32,104 deaths within a 30-day period.

Sensitivity analysis revealed infection rates, base mortality, and travel-related delays as primary drivers of system outcomes. These findings highlight the critical need for expanded surge capacity, …

Limb Light - Interactive Lighting Control, Joseph Pandit, Matthew Tran

Computer Science and Engineering Senior Theses

The progression of stage lighting in the modern age has significantly influenced the immersive experience of the audience. Through events like Daft Punk’s 2006 Cochella performance, lighting has become more pivotal to performances in every genre. However, interactive, customized lighting remains inaccessible to small and mediumscale performers. The cost of hiring a lighting director or pre-programing each song is simply too much. Current cost effective solutions, like sound-activated effects, lack in both quality and real-time emotional responsiveness.

This thesis presents an interactive lighting control system designed to bridge this gap and create a novel creative tool. Our approach integrates MIDI-triggered …

Technical Communication Instruction Partnership With Engineering Faculty, Ashley S. Mcguire, Michael M. Lipscomb

Libraries Professional Work

Graduate students in STEM fields are often expected to communicate – both in writing and orally – at a professional level by the time they submit their theses and dissertations. Unfortunately, many graduate students lack opportunities to learn how to do that in a STEM setting. An informal review of US programs revealed that many offer writing courses modeled on traditional composition courses, which are not necessarily directed to the needs of STEM students. Further, many of these courses provide a series of isolated learning modules with little continuity or encouragement to revise and in which technological writing assistance is …

Study On Reasonable Parameters Of Natural Smoke Exhaust Shafts In Tunnels With Different Longitudinal Slopes, Yang Tao, Zeng Yuekai, Li Peijun, Ren Rui, Deng Min, Zhang Aoyu

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To obtain the reasonable parameters of a smoke exhaust shaft in a tunnel under different longitudinal slope conditions,the temperature,flow velocity,and smoke exhaust efficiency of the tunnel were taken as indexes,and the numerical model was established by using fire dynamics simulator (FDS ) software to study the influence of the longitudinal slope of the tunnel,shaft width,and shaft length on the ventilation and smoke exhaust in case of a fire.The results show that under the longitudinal slope conditions,with the increase in the shaft width and length,the maximum temperature in the tunnel decreases,and the smoke exhaust efficiency of the shaft increases.However,the influence of …

Study On Salt Release Mechanism Of Self-Melting Ice Asphalt Mixture And Its Impact On Road Performance, Li Tao, Zhang Xiu ’Ang

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To study the long-term salt release characteri stics of self-melting ice asphalt mixture and the impact of the complete salt release on pavement durability,an accelerated salt release method was developed using a Los Angeles abrasion tester.The salt release mechanism under varying asphalt types,deicing agent contents,and gradation types was revealed.The impact of the complete salt release on road performance was analyzed.Results show that the Los Angeles abrasion tester-based salt release method achieves 91 times and 114 times higher salt release efficiency than the magnetic stirrer and natural immersion methods,respectively.SBS-modified asphalt mixture exhibits a longer salt release duration.The salt release duration is …

Research On Size Effect On Cubic Compressive Strength Of Ground Granulated Blast Furnace Slag-Fly Ash Stabilized Large-Size Macadam, Liu Qunyan, Liu Liping, He Miao, Yuan Lingqing, Zhang Liang

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To analyze the effect of specimen size on the compressive strength of ground granulated blast furnace slag-fly ash (GGBFS-FA ) stabilized large-size macadam,the 200 mm × 200 mm × 200 mm cubic specimen and 3 d compressive strength were designated as a reference specimen and strength in this study,and numerical simulations of compressive strength were performed by using a discrete element method for GGBFS-FA stabilized large-size macadam specimens with a maximum particle size (dmax) of 73 mm and five side lengths of 2.0dmax,2.5dmax,3.0dmax,3.5dmax,and 4.0dmax.The size effect mechanism on the mixture ’s compressive strength was revealed from the perspective of energy.By …

Effect Of Mineral Admixtures On Properties Of Shotcrete, Ma Kaikai, Zhao Feng, Sun Rongxiao, Han Song, Hu Peng, Wang Kun

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To study the influence of different mineral admixtures on the properties of shotcrete,the effects of four kinds of mineral admixtures including fly ash,silica fume,metakaolin,and carbon black on the rebound rate,one-shot thickness,and compressive strength of shotcrete were analyzed through tests on concrete rebound rate,one-shot thickness,and compressive strength.The results show that:① as the content of carbon black,silica fume,and metakaolin increases from 5% to 10%,the rebound rate of shotcrete decreases by 25.76%,16.46%,and 16.70%,respectively;② carbon black and silica fume have a good effect on increasing the one-shot thickness of concrete.When the content of carbon black and silica fume is 10%,the one-shot thickness exceeds 35 …

Study On Rheological Properties Of Basalt Fiber Asphalt Mastic Modified With Silane Coupling Agent, Liu Yuande, Zheng Nanxiang, Zhang Xiang, Gao Haiwei, Zhang Bowen

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To investigate the rheological properties of basalt fiber asphalt mastic,a silane coupling agent was used as a modifier for basalt fibers,and the effects of varying fiber contents were analyzed. Cone penetration tests,bending beam rheological tests,and dynamic shear rheometer tests were conducted to evaluate the rheological properties of asphalt mastic consistency, high-temperature stability,and low-temperature cracking resistance under different temperatures and fiber contents.The findings show that the silane-coupled basalt fibers enhance the shear strength and consistency of asphalt mastic.After modification,the phase angle decreases;elastic response increases,and complex modulus improves.Adsorption capacity between fibers and asphalt increases significantly,enhancing high-temperature deformation resistance and low-temperature cracking resistance …

Analysis Of Mechanical Properti Es Of Integral Jacking Basket Arch Bridge During C Onstruction, Chen Tao, Qiu Jingkui, Wang Ji

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Taking the Xindian Bridge in Ni ngbo as the background,this paper analyzed the mechanical properties of the integral jacking basket arch bridge during construction.Midas finite element software was used to establish the spatial model of the main bridge,and the deviation of the suspender force and support reaction force of the completed bridge from the design was 1.84% and 1.8%,respectively.The maximum deviation of the displacement calculation of the tie beam at the bridge completion stage was 22 mm,and the maximum deviation of the displacement of the arch rib at the same stage was ‒ 12 mm,which showed that the finite element …

Internal Force Optimization In Com Pleted Stage And Construction Alignment Control Of Super Long-Span Extradosed Cable-Stayed Bridge, Ba Wenpeng

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

This paper is based on a super long-span extradosed cable-stayed bridge with a main span of 400 m.In view of the technical challenges of high negative bending moment at the quarter point of the bridge and large deformation during the cantilever assembly process in the non-cable area,a systematic solution was proposed in combination with the entire construction process.This paper proposed three schemes:permanent cable over-tensioning,temporary cable setting,and large segment closure.The bending moment ratio (λM) and structural deformation were used as quantitative indicators,and a finite element model was established to compare the three schemes.The results show that all three schemes can improve …

Comparative Study On Differences In Asphalt Pavement Design Between China And Southern Africa, Wang Qing, Lin Yangyang, Yan Hongxiang, Zhao Bin, Xia Moxuan, Li Ning, Si Wei

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To facilitate the successful implementation of projects in the Southern Africa region and promote the application and internationalization of China ’s standards,this study compared the asphalt pavement design systems,construction materials,design parameters,and structural design methods of both regions based on the main asphalt pavement design specifications currently in use in China and Southern Africa.The results show that among Southern African countries,South Africa has a comprehensive and widely applied standard system,while other Southern African countries adopt more varied and less theoretical standards.In contrast,China ’s standard system is complete and highly practical.Due to differences in regional climates,the selection principles and mechanical requirements for …

Discontinuous Deforma Tion Analysis Of Progressive Toppling Of Rock Slopes With Fractured Slab Structure, Yuan Sifan, Li Tonglu, Haider Mumtaz, Zhang Changliang, Li Ping

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Progressive toppling of rock sl opes with fractured slab structures is quite common in the slopes of hydropower and highway engineering,posing a potential safety risk during both construction and operational phases.The field investigation found that progressive toppling mostly occurs on slopes with concentrated tectonic stress,intense river incision,and high steepness.Typically,these slopes are composed of hard,thinly-layered,and overthrusted rock mass with a fractured slab structure.From a macroscopic point of view,progressive toppling failure is neither a collapse nor a slide but a form of discontinuous deformation.The traditional limit equilibrium method for slope stability analysis is not suitable for evaluating such slopes.In this paper,by taking …

Prediction For Humidity Adjustment Factor And Dry-Wet Cycle Reduction Factor Of Resilient Modulus Of Subgrade Soil Based On Ann, Wang Xufeng, Fu Wei, Peng Junhui, Hu Jiankun, Zhang Junhui, Li Zhiguang

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Existing methods for determining the humidity adjustment factor and dry-wet cycle reduction factor of the resilient modulus of subgrade soil are mostly based on laboratory tests that consume a large amount of manpower and time,and the prediction accuracy is limited due to the constraints of specification value ranges.In order to achieve fast and accurate prediction of these two factors,the effects of stress state,moisture content,and the number of dry-wet cycles on the resilient modulus of subgrade soil were investigated through laboratory dynamic triaxial tests.Based on existing literature,physical parameters,state parameters,and stress parameters of subgrade soil were selected,and an artificial neural network prediction …

Semi-Flexible Pavement Structure Analysis Based On Double Modulus Theory, Pan Qinxue, Zhou Shurui, Hu Jia, Zhang Long, Song Xiaojin, Liu Hongfu

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Semi-flexible pavement materials have significant differences in tension and compression.If the mechanical response analysis of pavement structures is conducted by using the traditional linear elastic theory with a single modulus,there will be a considerable deviation from actual situations.To analyze and optimize semi-flexible pavement structures,this paper compared the changes in key mechanical responses of pavement structures under six different semi-flexible layer positions and thickness combinations based on the double modulus theory.The results show that there is a significant difference in the calculation results of key mechanical responses of the pavement based on the double modulus theory and the single modulus theory,with …

Structural System Reliability Analysis Method For Cable-Supported Bridges Based On Deep Belief Networks, Chen Zhenyu, Xie Bo, Lu Naiwei

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

Aiming at the high-precision reconstruction of structural function functions caused by the strong nonlinearity of cable load-bearing bridge structures,this study presented a structural system reliability analysis method based on a deep belief network (DBN ).A long-span suspension bridge was used as the engineering background to identify the dominant fault path of the structural system and analyze the law of structural fault path transfer caused by the deterioration of the suspender strength.Numerical analysis results show that DBN can capture the nonlinear mechanical behavior of the finite element model of the suspension bridge,thereby making the implicit statically indeterminate functional function explicit and …