In recent years, the advent of Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology as a prominent component of 4G networks and future 5G networks, has paved the way for fast and new mobile web access and application services. With these advantages come some security concerns in terms of attacks that can be launched on such networks. This thesis focuses on the impact of the mobile botnet on LTE networks by implementing a mobile botnet architecture that initiates a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. First, in the quest of understanding the mobile botnet behavior, a correlation between the mobile botnet impact and different mobile device mobility models, is established, leading to the study of the impact of the random patterns versus the uniform patterns of movements on the mobile botnet’s behavior under a DDoS attack. Second, the impact of two base transceiver station selection mechanisms on a mobile botnet behavior launching a DDoS attack on a LTE network is studied, the goal being to derive the effect of the attack severity of the mobile botnet. Third, an epidemic SMS-based cellular botnet that uses an epidemic command and control mechanism to initiate a short message services (SMS) phishing attack, is proposed and its threat impact is studied and simulated using three random graphs models. The simulation results obtained reveal that (1) in terms of users’ mobility patterns, the impact of the mobile botnet behavior under a DDoS attack on a victim web server is more pronounced when an asymmetric mobility model is considered compared to a symmetric mobility model; (2) in terms of base transceiver station selection mechanisms, the Distance-Based Model mechanism yields a higher threat impact on the victim server compared to the Signal Power Based Model mechanism; and (3) under the Erdos-and-Reyni Topology, the proposed epidemic SMS-based cellular botnet is shown to be resistant and resilient to random and selective cellular device failures. / Graduate

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The present thesis deals with the US strategic approach and posture to cybersecurity from a national point of view. On such a topic much has been written already, nonetheless the present work finds a degree of originality by tackling such object of analysis shifting the focus to a ideational perspective. By drawing insights from the meta-theory of Constructivism and the rich research tradition on strategic culture, the present thesis aims at understanding what kind of norms seem to be informing/mirroring what has been labelled the US "cyber strategic culture", and if it is possible to speak of a "shift", or at least track an evolution regarding them, in a historical timeframe that runs from the early 2000s up to the present days. To pursue the stated research agenda, a methodology grounded in discourse and thematic analysis is utilised, with an analytical framework centred around two opposite "thematic normative categories" (themes) called "defensiveness" and "offensiveness", each characterised by a "story" made up by three sub-themes, delineating specific strategic behaviours. A set of official strategies, all tackling cybersecurity and published during the mentioned timeframe by both the White House and the military, form the primary sources to which such methodology is applied, with particular...

Die Zukunft liegt bereits heute schon im Internet der Dinge, Daten, Dienste und Personen. Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien (IKT) beeinflussen vermehrt die alltäglichen Abläufe, übernehmen im Ernstfall lebenserhaltende Körperfunktionen, unterstützen Arbeits- und Produktionsprozesse und halten Einzug in unsere Wohnbereiche. Dabei rückt der Gedanke einer anwendungsnahen und integrierten Sicht von Software zunehmend in den Vordergrund und verlangt deshalb interdisziplinäre Ansätze. Eine frühzeitige technische Abstimmung zwischen Soft- und Hardware sowie unterschiedlichen technischen Öko-Systemen wird dabei notwendiger und fordert Politik, Wissenschaft und Wirtschaft in gleichem Maße. Das Innovationsforum open4INNOVATION2012 am 9.Mai bot dazu Praktikern und Akademikern eine Plattform für den interdisziplinären und fachbereichsübergreifenden Austausch zu neuen und anwendungsnahen IKT-Ansätzen. Unter dem Motto regional kooperativ, global innovativ galt es dabei regional politische, wirtschaftliche und wissenschaftliche Kompetenzen zu bündeln, um globale Märkte erfolgreich zu bestreiten. In dem vorliegenden Tagungsband finden Sie die Beiträge des Fachforums, welches ein Hauptformat der Veranstaltung darstellte. Zusätzlich kam es auf dem Innovationsforum open4INNOVATION2012 erstmals zur aktiven Vernetzung sächsischer Forschergruppen, deren wissenschaftlicher Schwerpunkt die Robotik ist. Auf diesem ersten sächsischen Robotertreffen stand vor allem die Arbeit mit humanoiden Robotern im Mittelpunkt.

21. 5. 2020 Abstract Securitisation proces of the cyber security in the EU Denis Jiskra Institute of Political Science Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University 2019/2020 The diploma thesis is dealing with the development of the European Union's cyber security policy during the specific time frame since the 1990's until the current time. The thesis is focused on the securitization process, that so, dynamic intersubjective process of threat construction with the aim to find out, to what extent securitization formed the cyber security policy of the European Union. The subject of the thesis is also an analysis of the cyber security narrative topics with the aim to determine which topic leads and if there are changes between them during the research period. In this respect, the model of cyber security discourse variations inspired by the Copenhagen school will be used. In the current thesis will be also introduced the development of cyber threats, its historical contextualization, as well as their gradual globalization.

There is a growing need to understand and identify overarching organizational requirements for cybersecurity defense in large organizations. Applying proper cybersecurity defense will ensure that the right capabilities are fielded at the right locations to safeguard critical assets while minimizing duplication of effort and taking advantage of efficiencies. Exercising cybersecurity defense without an understanding of comprehensive foundational requirements instills an ad hoc and in many cases conservative approach to network security. Organizations must be synchronized across federal and civil agencies to achieve adequate cybersecurity defense. Understanding what constitutes comprehensive cybersecurity defense will ensure organizations are better protected and more efficient. This work, represented through design science research, developed a model to understand comprehensive cybersecurity defense, addressing the lack of standard requirements in large organizations. A systemic literature review and content analysis were conducted to form seven criteria statements for understanding comprehensive cybersecurity defense. The seven criteria statements were then validated by a panel of expert cyber defenders utilizing the Delphi consensus process. Based on the approved criteria, the team of cyber defenders facilitated the development of a Comprehensive Cybersecurity Defense Framework prototype for understanding cybersecurity defense. Through the Delphi process, the team of cyber defense experts ensured the framework matched the seven criteria statements. An additional and separate panel of stakeholders conducted the Delphi consensus process to ensure a non-biased evaluation of the framework. The comprehensive cybersecurity defense framework is developed through the data collected from two distinct and separate Delphi panels. The framework maps risk management, behavioral, and defense in depth frameworks with cyber defense roles to offer a comprehensive approach to cyber defense in large companies, agencies, or organizations. By defining the cyber defense tasks, what those tasks are trying to achieve and where best to accomplish those tasks on the network, a comprehensive approach is reached.

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Användningen av molntjänster är utbredd bland företag idag, där den flexibilitet och tillgänglighet som erbjuds i molntjänster har påskyndat övergången från lokal datalagring och mjukvara. Tillämpningen av en tredjepartsleverantör för datalagring och användning av tjänster i molnet har skapat vissa farhågor om säkerhet och tillhörande risker. Därför syftar denna uppsats till att öka kunskapen om cybersäkerhet och tillhörande risker i molntjänster för användare och tjänsteleverantörer. För att uppnå det uttalade målet ställdes följande forskningsfråga: Vilka är säkerhetsriskerna i molntjänster idag, är det skillnad mellan molntjänstanvändare och molntjänstleverantörer i upplevda säkerhetsrisker? För att besvara forskningsfrågan har avhandlingen framför allt använt sig av tematisk analys av data som samlats in via semistrukturerade intervjuer och mailintervjuer. Intervjuerna har genomförts på ett urval av molntjänstleverantörer (två företag) och slutanvändare av molntjänster (två företag). Utifrån analysen av den insamlade empiriska datan fann avhandlingen att användare och leverantörer av molntjänster uppfattar insiderrisk som den mest kritiska säkerhetsrisken. För användare av molntjänster ansågs dataläckage, särskilt relaterat till kunddata, vara den högsta risken. Detta skiljer sig från molntjänstleverantörer, de är oroliga för konsekvenserna av ett dataläckage. För molntjänstleverantörer handlar det om att kunna visa att man tar en insider attack som en stor säkerhetsrisk och motarbetar den på ett förebyggande sätt för att öka förtroendet hos de företag som väljer att använda molntjänster. Samtidigt behövs fortsatt fokus på utvecklingen av säkerheten mot olika typer av hackerattacker och intrångsförsök som tas upp i studien för att inte försumma de säkerhetsrisker som ändå bör tas på allvar. / The use of cloud services is widespread among companies today, where the flexibility and availability offered in cloud services has sped up the transition from local data storage and software. The application of a third-party provider for data storage and the use of services in the cloud has created some concerns about security and associated risks. Therefore, this thesis aims to increase knowledge about cyber security and associated risks in cloud services for users and service providers. To achieve the stated aim the following research question was raised: What are the security risks in cloud services today, is there a difference between cloud service users and cloud service providers in perceived security risks? To answer the research question, the thesis predominantly made use of thematic analysis of data collected via semi-structured interviews and email-interviews. The interviews were conducted on a sample of cloud service providers (two companies) and end-users of cloud services (two companies). From the analysis of the collected empirical data, the thesis found out that cloud service users and providers perceive insider risk as the most critical security risk. For cloud service users, data leakage, particularly related to customer data, was considered to be the highest risk. This differs from cloud service providers; they are worried about the consequences of a data leakage.For cloud service providers, it is about being able to demonstrate that you take an insider attack as a major security risk and work against it in a preventive way in order to increase the trust of the companies that choose to use cloud services. At the same time, continued focus is needed on the development of security against various types of hacker attacks and intrusion attempts addressed in the study in order not to neglect the security risks that should still be taken seriously.

This thesis examined the relationship between cyber operations and armed attacks to determine when the right of self-defence is triggered by cyber operations. The research question for this thesis was under what circumstances a cyber operation is considered a cyber attack and what kind of self-defence the targeted victim State can use.  The thesis concluded that it is not the weaponry used, but the scale and effects of an operation that determines whether it amounts to an armed attack or not. Thus, cyber operations can be amount to armed attacks i.e., cyber attacks if the scale and effects caused by the operations are severe enough. However, the thesis concluded that there are certain challenges regarding the determination of the severity threshold of operations through cyberspace that do not exist for operations of kinetic nature. Specifically regarding whether cyber operations that cause disruption of critical infrastructure can amount to a cyber attack. The thesis concluded that it is unclear whether these kinds of effects can be comparable to the effects caused by traditional military force. However, cyber operations that result in mere economic damages do not reach the scale and effects needed to amount to cyber attacks.  The thesis concluded that an imminent threat of a cyber attack triggers the right of self-defence. The meaning of imminence is ‘the last possible window of opportunity’ to repel the cyber attack, as this meaning coheres with the purpose of being able to resort to force in self-defence against an attack that has yet occurred.  The issue of responsibility of non-State actors was addressed in the thesis. The essay demonstrated that the questions regarding non-State actors are even more relevant for operations carried out in cyberspace. It was concluded that although the high threshold of attribution becomes even more challenging in cyberspace, the threshold is necessary in order to maintain international peace and security. Regarding independent non-State actors, it was concluded that State practice has shown acceptance of resorting to force against non-State actors without attribution to the territorial State. To balance opposed interests, this thesis concluded that the doctrine of unwilling and unable should be followed when a victim State considers resorting to force against a non-State actor.  Regarding the principles of necessity and proportionality, this thesis could conclude that the means used against a cyber attack, whether kinetic or cyber, are not vital to determine whether the self-defence used is legal or not. Instead, force used in self-defence used must be a means of last resort and cannot exceed the force needed to repel the attack.

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