Insider threats--trusted members of an organization who compromise security--are considered the greatest security threat to organizations. Because of ignorance, negligence, or malicious intent, insider threats may cause security breaches resulting in substantial damages to organizations and even society. This research helps alleviate the insider threat through developing mitigation strategies and detection techniques in three studies. Study 1 examines how security controls--specifically depth-of-authentication and training recency--alleviate non-malicious insider threats through encouraging secure behavior (i.e., compliance with an organization's security policy). I found that `simpler is better' when implementing security controls, the effects of training diminish rapidly, and intentions are poor predictors of actual secure behavior. Extending Study 1's finding on training recency, Study 2 explains how different types of training alleviate non-malicious insider threat activities. I found that just-in-time reminders are more effective than traditional training programs in improving secure behavior, and again that intentions are not an adequate predictor of actual secure behavior. Both Study 1 and Study 2 introduce effective mitigation strategies for alleviating the non-malicious insider threat; however, they have limited utility when an insider threat has malicious intention, or deliberate intentions to damage the organization. To address this limitation, Study 3 conducts research to develop a tool for detecting malicious insider threats. The tool monitors mouse movements during an insider threat screening survey to detect when respondents are being deceptive. I found that mouse movements are diagnostic of deception. Future research directions are discussed to integrate and extend the findings presented in this dissertation to develop a behavioral information security framework for alleviating both the non-malicious and malicious insider threats in organizations.

Σε ένα γραμμικό υπόδειγμα βοηθητικών μεταβλητών η ασθενής συσχέτιση των βοηθητικών μεταβλητών με τις ενδογενείς ερμηνευτικές μεταβλητές είναι γνωστή στη βιβλιογραφία ως το ζήτημα των ασθενών βοηθητικών μεταβλητών. Στην παρούσα εργασία διερευνώνται διάφορες πτυχές του εν λόγω ζητήματος και επισημαίνονται πιθανές μέθοδοι για την αντιμετώπισή του. Επίσης, μελετάται η απόδοση των εκτιμητών OLS, TSLS, BTSLS, LIML και Fuller-k κάτω από την υπόθεση των ασθενών βοηθητικών μεταβλητών, μέσω ενός πειράματος Monte Carlo, με τα αποτελέσματα να τεκμηριώνουν τη δυσκολία λήψης αξιόπιστων σημειακών εκτιμήσεων. / Weak instruments arise when the instruments in linear instrumental variables (IV) regression are weakly correlated with the included endogenous variables. We review most of the recent studies on weak instruments and point to several methods that have been proposed to deal with such instruments. Using a Monte Carlo experiment we study the performance of OLS, TSLS, BTSLS, LIML and Fuller-k estimators under weak instruments. Our results indicate the difficulty of obtaining reliable point estimates.

No description available.

Computer models or simulators are becoming increasingly common in many fields in science and engineering, powered by the phenomenal growth in computer hardware over the past decades. Many of these simulators implement a particular mathematical model as a deterministic computer code, meaning that running the simulator again with the same input gives the same output. Often running the code involves some computationally expensive tasks, such as solving complex systems of partial differential equations numerically. When simulator runs become too long, it may limit their usefulness. In order to overcome time or budget constraints by making the most out of limited computational resources, a statistical methodology has been proposed, known as the "Design and Analysis of Computer Experiments". The main idea is to run the expensive simulator only at a relatively few, carefully chosen design points in the input space, and based on the outputs construct an emulator (statistical model) that can emulate (predict) the output at new, untried locations at a fraction of the cost. This approach is useful provided that we can measure how much the predictions of the cheap emulator deviate from the real response surface of the original computer model. One way to quantify emulator error is to construct pointwise prediction bands designed to envelope the response surface and make assertions that the true response (simulator output) is enclosed by these envelopes with a certain probability. Of course, to be able to make such probabilistic statements, one needs to introduce some kind of randomness. A common strategy that we use here is to model the computer code as a random function, also known as a Gaussian stochastic process. We concern ourselves with smooth response surfaces and use the Gaussian covariance function that is ideal in cases when the response function is infinitely differentiable. In this thesis, we propose Fast Bayesian Inference (FBI) that is both computationally efficient and can be implemented as a black box. Simulation results show that it can achieve remarkably accurate prediction uncertainty assessments in terms of matching coverage probabilities of the prediction bands and the associated reparameterizations can also help parameter uncertainty assessments.

No description available.

Granitic rocks usually exhibit strongly anisotropy due to pre-existing microcracks induced by long-term geological loadings. The understanding of anisotropy in mechanical properties of rocks is critical to a variety of rock engineering applications. In this thesis, the anisotropy of tension-related failure parameters involving tensile strength, flexural strength and Mode-I fracture toughness/fracture energy of Barre granite is investigated under a wide range of loading rates. Three sets of dynamic experimental methodologies have been developed using the modified split Hopkinson pressure bar system; Brazilian test to determine the tensile strength; semi-circular bend method to determine the flexural strength; and notched semi-circular bend method to determine the Mode-I fracture toughness and fracture energy. For all three tests, a simple quasi-static data analysis is employed to deduce the mechanical properties; the methodology is assessed critically against the isotropic Laurentian granite. It is shown that if dynamic force balance is achieved in SHPB, it is reasonable to use quasi-static formulas. The dynamic force balance is obtained by the pulse shaper technique. To study the anisotropy of these properties, rock blocks are cored and labeled using the three principal directions of Barre granite to form six sample groups. For samples in the same orientation group, the measured strengths/toughness shows clear loading rate dependence. More importantly, a loading rate dependence of the strengths/toughness anisotropy of Barre granite has been first observed: the anisotropy diminishes with the increase of loading rate. The reason for the strengths/toughness anisotropy can be understood with reference to the preferentially oriented microcracks sets; and the rate dependence of this anisotropy is qualitatively explained with the microcracks interaction. Two models abstracted from microscopic photographs are constructed to interpret the rate dependence of the fracture toughness anisotropy in terms of the crack/microcracks interaction. The experimentally observed rate dependence of the anisotropy is successfully reproduced.

Granitic rocks usually exhibit strongly anisotropy due to pre-existing microcracks induced by long-term geological loadings. The understanding of anisotropy in mechanical properties of rocks is critical to a variety of rock engineering applications. In this thesis, the anisotropy of tension-related failure parameters involving tensile strength, flexural strength and Mode-I fracture toughness/fracture energy of Barre granite is investigated under a wide range of loading rates. Three sets of dynamic experimental methodologies have been developed using the modified split Hopkinson pressure bar system; Brazilian test to determine the tensile strength; semi-circular bend method to determine the flexural strength; and notched semi-circular bend method to determine the Mode-I fracture toughness and fracture energy. For all three tests, a simple quasi-static data analysis is employed to deduce the mechanical properties; the methodology is assessed critically against the isotropic Laurentian granite. It is shown that if dynamic force balance is achieved in SHPB, it is reasonable to use quasi-static formulas. The dynamic force balance is obtained by the pulse shaper technique. To study the anisotropy of these properties, rock blocks are cored and labeled using the three principal directions of Barre granite to form six sample groups. For samples in the same orientation group, the measured strengths/toughness shows clear loading rate dependence. More importantly, a loading rate dependence of the strengths/toughness anisotropy of Barre granite has been first observed: the anisotropy diminishes with the increase of loading rate. The reason for the strengths/toughness anisotropy can be understood with reference to the preferentially oriented microcracks sets; and the rate dependence of this anisotropy is qualitatively explained with the microcracks interaction. Two models abstracted from microscopic photographs are constructed to interpret the rate dependence of the fracture toughness anisotropy in terms of the crack/microcracks interaction. The experimentally observed rate dependence of the anisotropy is successfully reproduced.

Experimental research is a well known research method in biomedicine, technical and physical sciences. Different definitions of an experiment depend on the science where an experiment is used, on the goals of an experiment, how it is organized, etc. One of the urgent problems is the lack of information on planning an experimental research in education. The first part of the dissertation covers scientific research and document analysis that helps to emphasize the place of an experiment among other research methods, to present the variety of experiments, the phases of an experiment, to define the validity and reliability factors of an experiment, and to construct the model of planning of an experiment evaluating validity and reliability. The survey of dissertations defended in 1996-2005 showed that 30 percent of doctoral students use an experiment combining it with other research methods. An experiment is used in research by those doctoral students who come from education institutions preparing their specialists for education activities. Analysis showed that an experiment is often combined with other research results, most often with literature analysis, survey and monitoring. Survey with doctoral students in education showed that the attitude of doctoral students changes towards planning and implementation of research, and students are able to combine different research methods. However, experiment planning is confused with planning and implementation of research. Doctoral... [to full text] / Disertacijoje analizuojamas eksperimentas kaip tyrimo metodas. Pirmojoje dalyje pristatoma mokslinės literatūros ir dokumentų analizė, kurios pagalba išryškinta eksperimento kaip tyrimo metodo vieta kitų tyrimų atžvilgiu, pristatyta eksperimentų įvairovė, eksperimento planavimo etapai, išskirti eksperimento tinkamumo bei patikimumo faktoriai bei sukonstruotas modelis eksperimento planavimui, įvertinant tinkamumą bei patikimumą. Empirinėje dalyje disertacijų, apgintų 1996-2005 metais, analizė, tęstinė doktorantų apklausa bei interviu parodė, kad apie 30 proc. disertantų naudoja eksperimentą, derindami jį su kitais tyrimo metodais. Disertaciniuose darbuose eksperimentą dažniausiai taiko tų aukštųjų mokyklų, kurios rengia specialistus ugdomajai veiklai, doktorantai. Anketinės edukologijos doktorantų apklausos rezultatai rodo, kad studijų eigoje keičiasi doktorantų požiūris į tyrimo planavimą ir vykdymą, studentai geba derinti įvairius tyrimo metodus, ryškėja tendencija naudoti kokybinius tyrimo metodus. Tačiau eksperimento planavimas yra painiojamas su disertacinio tyrimo planavimu bei tyrimo vykdymu. Bandomąjį eksperimentą atlieka ne visi, kai kurie prieš eksperimento atlikimą organizuoja tik apklausas. Planuojant tyrimą dažnai nėra numatomi duomenų apdorojimo metodai. Atvejo analizė rodo, kad pagal sudarytą modelį atlikto tyrimo rezultatai yra patikimi ir tinkami apibendrinimui. Atliktas tyrimas rodo, kad sudarytas išorinio ir vidinio tinkamumo užtikrinimo modelis gali būti... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

A child is a sociable being unable to live in full social isolation, without constant social interaction, collaboration with the other individuals. Socialization process in every stage of age has particular, only for that stage specific features. This is to be told about teenagers. Socialization of a teenager is concurrent from particular sociocultural, economical, and political conditions, so nowadays teenagers are one of the most pregnable social groups not only in Lithuania, but in the whole world, because destructives tendencies increasingly flow in to Lithuania from the other states of abroad, wherewith the most pregnable group of society – teenagers confronts. Neither family, nor school has not acquired resistance for this evil. There is noticeable tendency in a pedagogical process, that not even classical socialization factors, like family, school determines socialization of teenagers, but the problems, which are rising and are being solved among themselves influence their successful socialization. The question is how properly organize the process of socialization in an institution of formal education, diagnosing it successfully, organizing, controlling? The purpose of this work – to traverse socialization of teenagers the peculiarities, is revealing organization and control possibilities of this process. In this work socialization aspects are analyzed theoretically, discussed socialization peculiarities of teenagers investigation of socialization process of... [to full text]

On June 13, 2008 a forest fire affected Eastern Halifax Regional Municipality leading to the evacuation of five hundred homes and eighteen horse facilities. At the time of the June 2008 forest fire not all horses in Nova Scotia were insured. I am using the horse facilities affected by the fire as a natural experiment to answer the following question: Did the June 2008 forest fire cause horse facility operators to change their insurance decisions? To answer this question surveys were completed by horse facilities in the affected (treatment) and unaffected (control) areas. Data collected from horse facilities operators suggest they did change insurance decisions. Given the proximity in time and place to the June 2008 forest fire, horse facilities in both the treatment and control groups felt more at risk and were likely motivated to insure coverage for a low probability but high risk hazard.