Cybersecurity Commons^™

Enhancing Password Security And Memorability Using Machine Learning And Linguistic Patterns, Jared Wise

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

In the digital age, text-based passwords remain a primary method for securing online accounts. Yet, users frequently face a dilemma between creating passwords that are easy to remember and sufficiently secure against cyberattacks. This research introduces an approach to password generation that bridges this gap by utilizing linguistic patterns, particularly song lyrics, to develop highly secure and naturally memorable passwords. Using large lyric datasets gained from web scrapes from popular song lyric websites (AZ Lyrics, Genius), features are extracted from a corpus of over 5 million lyrics using sentence structure and natural language processing in a novel way. In using …

Real-Time Network Simulations For Ml/Dl Ddos Detection Using Docker, Luis D. Garcia

Master's Theses

As the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) within cybersecurity continues to

grow, machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) models are increasingly used to

detect cyber attacks. However, these models are rarely evaluated in real-time attack

scenarios to see how subtle changes from the real networking environment can affect

their predictions. To address this issue, we propose a scalable, platform-independent

Docker testbed specifically designed for simulating real-time Distributed Denial of

Service (DDoS) attack scenarios that allows researchers to deploy and evaluate their

pre-trained, ML and DL detection models. Our framework is simple to configure

and can run across Intel and …

First Amendment Roadblock? Regulating The Misuse Of Generative Ai Technologies: Impersonation And Appropriation Of Likeness Without Permission, Muhammad Rabiu

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

This paper initially explores the misuse of generative AI technologies, particularly their role in impersonating or appropriating individuals' likeness without consent. It will then analyze technical and legal mitigation strategies and propose recommendations to address this issue in light of the First Amendment’s constitutional Freedom of Speech provision.

Challenges, Countermeasures, And Forward-Looking Technologies For Cyber Society Governance From System Security Perspective, Hongbin Pei, Jingxin Hai, Pinghui Wang, Xiaohong Guan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

With the rapid development and widespread application of artificial intelligence and information technologies, the cyber society has evolved into a new form featuring human-machine integration, mass interaction, and intelligent interconnection. While transforming human life and production, it has also brought security risks such as cyberattacks, privacy breaches, online rumors, and information cocoons, posing serious challenges to social order. Cyber society governance has thus become a key component of national governance modernization. This study proposes the STC governance paradigm from a system security perspective, covering three key dimensions: security (cyber infrastructure security), trustworthiness (credibility of cyber entity identities), and controllability (content …

Bi-Directional Transformers Vs. Word2vec: Discovering Vulnerabilities In Lifted Compiled Code, Gary Mccully, John Hastings, Shengjie Xu, Adam Fortier

Research & Publications

Detecting vulnerabilities within compiled binaries is challenging due to lost high-level code structures and other factors such as architectural dependencies, compilers, and optimization options. To address these obstacles, this research explores vulnerability detection using natural language processing (NLP) embedding techniques with word2vec, BERT, and RoBERTa to learn semantics from intermediate representation (LLVM IR) code. Long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks were trained on embeddings from encoders created using approximately 48k LLVM functions from the Juliet dataset. This study is pioneering in its comparison of word2vec models with multiple bidirectional transformers (BERT, RoBERTa) embeddings built using LLVM code to train neural …

The Psychological Impacts Of Algorithmic And Ai-Driven Social Media On Teenagers: A Call To Action, Sunil Arora, Sahil Arora, John Hastings

Research & Publications

This study investigates the meta-issues surrounding social media, which, while theoretically designed to enhance social interactions and improve our social lives by facilitating the sharing of personal experiences and life events, often results in adverse psychological impacts. Our investigation reveals a paradoxical outcome: rather than fostering closer relationships and improving social lives, the algorithms and structures that underlie social media platforms inadvertently contribute to a profound psychological impact on individuals, influencing them in unforeseen ways. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced among teenagers, who are disproportionately affected by curated online personas, peer pressure to present a perfect digital image, and the …

Confronting The Reproducibility Crisis: A Case Study Of Challenges In Cybersecurity Ai, Richard H. Moulton, Gary A. Mccully, John D. Hastings

Research & Publications

In the rapidly evolving field of cybersecurity, ensuring the reproducibility of AI-driven research is critical to maintaining the reliability and integrity of security systems. This paper addresses the reproducibility crisis within the domain of adversarial robustness—a key area in AI-based cybersecurity that focuses on defending deep neural networks against malicious perturbations. Through a detailed case study, we attempt to validate results from prior work on certified robustness using the VeriGauge toolkit, revealing significant challenges due to software and hardware incompatibilities, version conflicts, and obsolescence. Our findings underscore the urgent need for standardized methodologies, containerization, and comprehensive documentation to ensure the …

How Do Preservice Teachers Learn To Teach Integrated Computational Thinking?: Evidence From Planning, Enactment, And Reflection, Rachael Dektor, Samuel Severance, Kip Téllez

Journal of Computer Science Integration

This study examines pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) beliefs and understandings about computational thinking (CT) integration and lesson implementation over time. Utilizing a design-based research approach, 3 PSTs led the co-design of integrated CT lessons with support from researchers and enacted these CT integrated lessons with K-5 students. All PSTs participated in a whole-group CT workshop and engaged in one-on-one lesson design sessions with a researcher. We utilized a grounded theory approach to qualitatively analyze pre-surveys, semi-structured interviews, and video data of three PSTs enacting their lessons. We found that PSTs’ initial beliefs about CT instruction – including the importance of it …

Securing Tomorrow: Synergizing Change Management And Cybersecurity In The Digital Era, Sharon L. Burton

Publications

In the rapidly evolving business environment of 2024, organizational change management (OCM) leaders face unprecedented challenges driven by technological advancements, digital transformation, the integration of remote work, and a heightened focus on sustainability. This study examines the efficacy of traditional OCM models in addressing these modern complexities. Through a qualitative methodology employing an extensive literature review, the research identifies vital issues such as resistance to change, digital transformation imperatives, the shift to remote and hybrid work models, and the imperative for sustainable and ethical business practices. The study posits that while classical OCM frameworks offer foundational insights, there is a …

Broadening Participation Of Teachers In Computing: Examining Postsecondary Educational Experiences And Prospective Educators’ Cs Teaching Interests, Robert Schwarzhaupt, Alexsandra Galanis, Joanna Goode, Kate Blanchard, Jill Bowdon, Joseph P. Wilson

Journal of Computer Science Integration

Teacher shortages in K–12 computer science (CS) education negatively impact students’ access to CS courses, exposure to CS concepts, and interest in CS-related careers. To address CS teacher shortages, this study seeks to understand factors related to expressing a preference to teach CS among prospective teachers. The study team analyzed data from 27,700 prospective teacher applications accepted into the 2016–2020 Teach For America (TFA) corps (cohorts). The TFA corps is an alternative teacher development program that recruits and prepares participants to obtain their teaching certification while they work for at least two years in underserved communities on a temporary teaching …

Machine Learning Based Intrusion Detection Framework For Can Bus Vulnerabilities In Modern Vehicles, Obinna C. Agbo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The Controller Area Network (CAN) bus is a crucial communication backbone in modern vehicles, connecting various Electronic Control Units (ECUs). However, inherent design weaknesses such as the lack of encryption and authentication make CAN networks vulnerable to cyber-attacks, including spoofing, Denial of Service (DoS), and fuzzing attacks. This thesis thoroughly evaluates these vulnerabilities and the limitations of existing security frameworks like Message Authentication Codes (MACs) and encryption, advocating for the adoption of Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) as a more practical solution for CAN bus security. The proposed IDS leverages advanced machine learning techniques to accurately detect intrusions, even under complex …

Heuristic Machine Learning Approaches For Identifying Phishing Threats Across Web And Email Platforms, Ramprasath Jayaprakash, Krishnaraj Natarajan, J. Alfred Daniel, Chandru Vignesh Chinnappan, Jayant Giri, Hong Qin, Saurav Mallik

Data Science Faculty Publications

Life has become more comfortable in the era of advanced technology in this cutthroat competitive world. However, there are also emerging harmful technologies that pose a threat. Without a doubt, phishing is one of the rising concerns that leads to stealing vital information such as passwords, security codes, and personal data from any target node through communication hijacking techniques. In addition, phishing attacks include delivering false messages that originate from a trusted source. Moreover, a phishing attack aims to get the victim to run malicious programs and reveal confidential data, such as bank credentials, one-time passwords, and user login credentials. …

An Enhanced Real-Time Intrusion Detection Framework Using Federated Transfer Learning In Large-Scale Iot Networks, Khawlah Harahsheh, Malek Alzaqebah, Chung-Hao Chen

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The exponential growth of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has introduced critical security challenges, particularly in scalability, privacy, and resource constraints. Traditional centralized intrusion detection systems (IDS) struggle to address these issues effectively. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes a novel Federated Transfer Learning (FTL)-based intrusion detection framework tailored for large-scale IoT networks. By integrating Federated Learning (FL) with Transfer Learning (TL), the framework enhances detection capabilities while ensuring data privacy and reducing communication overhead. The hybrid model incorporates convolutional neural networks (CNNs), bidirectional gated recurrent units (BiGRUs), attention mechanisms, and ensemble learning. To address the class imbalance, Synthetic …

A Critical Computing Curriculum Design Case: Exploring Tribal Sovereignty For Middle School Students, Kristin A. Searle, Aubrey Rogowski, Colby Tofel-Grehl, Mengying Jiang

Journal of Computer Science Integration

We report on our efforts to design an integrated computing curriculum for middle school students in Montana that is in line with the Kapor Center’s focus on culturally sustaining-revitalizing pedagogies. Montana provides a unique context for doing this work because a state constitutional mandate requires all K-12 students to learn about tribal histories and cultures through Indian Education For All (IEFA). IEFA centers around seven essential understandings about Indigenous peoples in Montana that are integrated across content areas. In addition, implementation of Montana’s CS standards began in the 2021–2022 school year. In the curricular design, we sought to bring together …

Employing An Abolitionist, Critical Race Pedagogy In Cs: Centering The Voices, Experiences And Technological Innovations Of Black Youth, Tiera Tanksley

Journal of Computer Science Integration

This paper proposes a pedagogical extension of culturally responsive praxis called abolitionist, critical race pedagogy in CS. To showcase the power and potentiality of this pedagogy, this paper examines the experiences of 2 cohorts of Black high school students (n = 30) who participated in a critical race technology course that was taught during the dual pandemic of COVID-19 and anti-Black racism. The goal of this summer course was to employ an abolitionist, critical race pedagogy in CS to foster Black students’ ability to critically examine the ubiquity of anti-Black racism within the socio-technical architectures (e.g. code, data, algorithms and …

Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Computational Thinking: Enactment In Elementary Classrooms, Victoria Macann, Aman Yadav

Journal of Computer Science Integration

Technology has increasingly permeated many aspects of everyday life and this evolution raises the need for individuals to understand how the digital world works and what opportunities and risks it brings (Nouri, Zhang, Mannila & Norén, 2019). For this to be an experience for everyone, we need to rethink how we integrate computational thinking (CT) and provide teachers with tools to center their students’ identities, experiences, and cultures in the classroom. In this paper, we present two case studies of primary (elementary) teachers from a full primary (student ages 5–13) semi-rural school in the North Island of New Zealand that …

Teacher Candidates’ Conceptions And Practices Of Computational Thinking For Equity, Heather F. Clark, Symone A. Gyles, Imelda Nava-Landeros

Journal of Computer Science Integration

This study documents novice science and math teachers’ developing pedagogical approaches to integrating computational thinking (CT) and data into their courses to support educational equity and social justice. The 10 novice teacher candidates (TCs) studied were part of an urban teacher residency program that empowered them with an asset-based pedagogy we describe as “CT for Equity.” Drawing on coursework and interviews as data, we asked three questions: What are teachers’ conceptions of CT? What are their CT instructional practices? And how did their students respond to those practices? To explore conceptions of CT, we used Kafai et al.’s (2020) articulation …

Asset-Based Approaches To Multilingual Students’ Computer Science Identity Development, Sharin Rawhiya Jacob, Mark Warschauer

Journal of Computer Science Integration

While computer science identity development has been examined in several studies, there is much to learn about the development of multilingual students’ computer science (CS) identities. To develop strong CS identities, multilingual students must engage in culturally and linguistically sustaining curriculum, pedagogy, and interaction that draws from their rich and varied resources. This theoretical paper is grounded in a justice-centered, asset-based framework that views the traditions and practices in students’ cultures and communities as strong contributors to knowledge construction in STEM. We draw on multiple studies exploring multilingual student CS identity development to better understand how their personal, familial, community-based, …

Wind River Elementary Computer Science Collaborative: Connecting Computer Science And Indigenous Identities And Knowledges On The Wind River Reservation, Joseph P. Wilson, Kathryn M. Rich, Jared O'Leary, Veronica Miller

Journal of Computer Science Integration

Three Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone–serving districts formed a researcher–practitioner partnership with the Wyoming Department of Education, the American Institutes for Research®, and BootUp Professional Development to advance the computer science (CS) education of their elementary students in ways that strengthen their Indigenous identities and knowledges. In this paper, we share experiences from 2019 to 2022 with our curriculum development, professional development (PD), and classroom implementation. The researcher–practitioner partnership developed student and teacher materials to support elementary CS lessons aligned to Wyoming’s CS standards and “Indian Education for All” social studies standards. Indigenous community members served as experts to codesign …

Near Peer Pedagogies For Culturally Sustaining Computer Science And Mathematics, Cliff Freeman, Eli Tucker-Raymond, Juan Gutierrez

Journal of Computer Science Integration

In this study, College STEM Literacy Workers act as co-teachers in 9th and 10th grade classrooms alongside mathematics teachers as they both learn to integrate a 30-hour integrated computer science/mathematics curriculum. As part of the curriculum for educator learning, we adapted the Algebra Project’s “Model of Excellence” for culturally relevant-sustaining pedagogies. We used the framework to explore how teachers understand College STEM Literacy Workers’ contributions in the model as well as College STEM Literacy Workers’ own experiences in the classroom. We found that while teachers and College STEM Literacy Workers did not individually instantiate the model of excellence, they were …

Designing An Equity-Centered Framework And Crosswalk For Integrated Elementary Computer Science Curriculum And Instruction, Carla Strickland, Andrea Ramírez-Salgado, Lauren Weisberg, Latoya Chandler, Jeanne Di Domenico, Elizabeth M. Lehman, Maya Israel

Journal of Computer Science Integration

As computer science (CS) education becomes more prevalent in K-12 instruction, it is critical for educators, researchers, and curriculum developers to identify culturally responsive and pedagogically inclusive approaches that can increase participation, access, and feelings of belonging for students from historically marginalized communities. In response, we developed an equity-centered curricular framework and illustrative crosswalk that synchronizes three distinct pedagogical approaches: culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP), Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and project-based learning (PBL). We describe the framework’s theoretical underpinnings and explain how this framework informed the development of an integrated elementary science+CS curricular unit and provide examples of its implementation. …

Comparing Boys’ And Girls’ Attitudes Toward Computer Science, Danielle Scott, Amiee Zou, Sharin Rawhiya Jacob, Debra Richardson, Mark Warschauer

Journal of Computer Science Integration

Women are severely underrepresented in computer science (CS) degrees and careers. While student interest is a key predictor of success, little is known about how elementary students from underserved groups, such as girls, develop their interest in CS. To address this issue, we examined the differences in attitudes between upper elementary girls and boys towards CS after participating in a yearlong, inquiry-based CS curriculum designed for diverse learners. Pre-and-post surveys on students’ attitudes towards CS (n = 108) were delivered before and after student participation in the curriculum. Results from the survey showed only two demonstrated significant differences between boys …

Examining Early Elementary Computer Science Identity Repertoires Within A Curriculum: Implications For Epistemologically Pluralistic Identities, Eleanor Richard, Shakhnoza Kayumova

Journal of Computer Science Integration

As computer science (CS) enters an increasing number of elementary classrooms, researchers must investigate the representations of what kinds of people are presented as doing computer science within CS curricula. In this paper, we explore a widely used, freely accessible, web-based, early elementary CS curriculum to examine the kinds of identity repertoires (behaviors, actions, skills, and socioemotional norms) that are promoted as representative of being/becoming a CS person. More specifically, we draw on identity studies and employ critical discourse analysis to examine how the kinds of norms and repertoires of CS practice made available in the curricular materials might construct …

Integrating Computing Into Preservice Teacher Preparation Programs Across The Core: Language, Mathematics, And Science, Lauren E. Margulieux, Patrick Enderle, Pier Junor Clarke, Natalie King, Caroline Sullivan, Michelle Zoss, Joyce Many

Journal of Computer Science Integration

This paper describes the beginning of a design-based research project for integrating computing activities in preservice teacher programs throughout a middle and secondary education department. Computing integration activities use computing tools, like programming, to support learning in non-computing disciplines. The paper begins with the motivation for integrating computing that encouraged widespread buy-in, design goals, and design parameters. The primary motivating factor for this work was preparing teachers to use technology to support learning in their classrooms. Involving computing education faculty in the preparation enabled the activities to include computer science and spread computational literacy. The paper also describes the process …

An Analysis Of Android Malware Detection Using Tree Learning Techniques, Kyler D. Dickey

Student Theses and Dissertations

Android malware is a growing threat, coinciding with the increasing adoption of the Android platform. Malware detection methods used to maintain user privacy and system integrity are increasingly becoming the subject of research. Many new methods studied employ learning algorithms to detect malicious programs. This study investigates the use of byte and opcode frequency features as inputs for tree-based machine learning methods. The algorithm is optimized to reduce overfitting given input hyperparameter combinations and is tuned using cross-validation procedures. Lastly, the study deliberates on possible avenues for future research to gather more concrete evidence for the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of …

Machine Learning Approach For Classifying Power Outage In Secondary Electric Distribution Network, Stephan Mgaya, Hellen Maziku

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

Power outage is the problem that hinders social and economic development especially for developing countries like Tanzania. Frequent power outages damage electric equipment, and negatively affect the industrial production process. Power outages cannot be completely eradicated due to uncontrolled cause like natural calamities but technical challenges can be managed and hence reducing power outages. The existing manual methods used to locate power outage like customer calls is inefficient and time consuming. On the other hand, modern method like the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) still faces a challenge in effectively classifying power line outage due to the nature of imbalanced datasets. …

Big Data Analytics Framework For Effective Higher Education Institutions, George Matto

Tanzania Journal of Engineering and Technology (TJET)

There has been an increased dependency on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in undertaking various activities in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) ecosystems. Because of that, huge volumes of data have increasingly been generated. There have been, for instance, considerable amounts of data generated through electronic platforms involved in students’ admission and registration process, students’ academic records management, teaching and learning data, curriculum related data, and several other administrative data. Analysis of data generated from these platforms stands to give students, lecturers, HEIs Management, policy makers and implementers, and other stakeholders useful insights that would help in improving HEIs’ effectiveness. Unfortunately, …

Preparing School Leaders To Advance Equity In Computer Science Education, Julie Flapan, Jean J. Ryoo, Roxana Hadad, Joel Knudson

Journal of Computer Science Integration

Background and Context: Most large-scale statewide initiatives of the Computer Science for All (CS for All) movement have focused on the classroom level. Critical questions remain about building school and district leadership capacity to support teachers while implementing equitable computer science education that is scalable and sustainable.

Objective: This statewide research-practice partnership, involving university researchers and school leaders from 14 local education agencies (LEA) from district and county offices, addresses the following research question: What do administrators identify as most helpful for understanding issues related to equitable computer science implementation when engaging with a guide and workshop we …

Teachers’ Engagement And Self-Efficacy In A Pk–12 Computer Science Teacher Virtual Community Of Practice, Robert Schwarzhaupt, Feng Liu, Joseph Wilson, Fanny Lee, Melissa Rasberry

Journal of Computer Science Integration

Prekindergarten to 12th-grade teachers of computer science (CS) face many challenges, including isolation, limited CS professional development resources, and low levels of CS teaching self-efficacy that could be mitigated through communities of practice (CoPs). This study used survey data from 420 PK–12 CS teacher members of a virtual CoP, CS for All Teachers, to examine the needs of these teachers and how CS teaching self-efficacy, community engagement, and sharing behaviors vary by teachers’ instructional experiences and school levels taught. Results show that CS teachers primarily join the CoP to gain high-quality pedagogical, assessment, and instructional resources. The study also found …

Artificial Intelligence (Ai) And Augmented Reality (Ar): Disambiguated In The Telemedicine / Telehealth Sphere, Sharon L. Burton

Publications

The world is navigating through unfamiliar and incomprehensible times – COVID-19, international economic crisis, and crumbling healthcare systems. The United States (US) healthcare industry is grappling with an increased workload and advancing digitization technological concerns. The failure of organizations to offer suitable cybersecurity controls within the critical infrastructure leads to advanced persistent threat (APT) that could have incapacitating effects on organizations. A keen understanding of cybersecurity is vital for leaders and the need is referenced in US policy that advances a national unity of effort to strengthen and maintain secure, functioning, and resilient critical infrastructure. Akin to the Presidential Policy …