With the advent of globalisation and ever changing technologies, the need for increased attention to information security is becoming more and more vital. Organisations are facing all sorts of risks and threats these days. It therefore becomes important for all business stakeholders to take the appropriate proactive measures in securing their assets for business survival and growth. Information is today regarded as one of the most valuable assets of an organisation. Without a proper information security framework, policies, procedures and practices, the existence of an organisation is threatened in this world of fierce competition. Information security policies stand as one of the key enablers to safeguarding an organisation from risks and threats. However, writing a set of information security policies and procedures is not enough. If one really aims to have an effective security framework in place, there is a need to develop and implement information security policies that adhere to established standards such as BS 7799 and the like. Furthermore, one should ensure that all stakeholders comply with established standards, policies and best practices systematically to reap full benefits of security measures. These challenges are not only being faced in the international arena but also in countries like Mauritius. International researches have shown that information security policy is still a problematic area when it comes to its implementation and compliance. Findings have shown that several major developed countries are still facing difficulties in this area. There was a general perception that conditions in Mauritius were similar. With the local government's objective to turn Mauritius into a "cyber-island" that could act as an Information Communication & Technology (ICT) hub for the region, there was a need to ensure the adoption and application of best practices specially in areas of information security. This dissertation therefore aims at conducting a research project in Mauritius and assessing whether large Mauritian private companies, that are heavily dependent on IT, have proper and reliable security policies in place which comply with international norms and standards such as British Standard Organisation (BSO) 7799/ ISO 17799/ ISO 27001. The study will help assess the state of, and risks associated with, present implementation of information security policies and practices in the local context. Similarities and differences between the local security practices and international ones have also been measured and compared to identify any specific characteristics in local information security practices. The findings of the study will help to enlighten the security community, local management and stakeholders, on the realities facing corporations in the area of information security policies and practices in Mauritius. Appropriate recommendations have been formulated in light of the findings to improve the present state of information security issues while contributing to the development of the security community / Computing / M.Sc. (Information Systems)

Threats to computerised information systems are always on the rise and compel organisations to invest a lot of money and time amongst other technical controls in an attempt to protect their critical information from inherent security risks. The computerisation of information systems in secondary schools has effectively exposed these organisations to a host of complex information security challenges that they have to deal with in addition to their core business of teaching and learning. Secondary schools handle large volumes of sensitive information pertaining to educators, learners, creditors and financial records that they are obliged to secure. Computerised information systems are vulnerable to both internal and external threats but ease of access sometimes manifest in security breaches, thereby undermining information security. Unfortunately, school managers and users of computerised information systems are ignorant of the risks to their information systems assets and the consequences of the compromises that might occur thereof. One way of educating school managers and users about the risks to their computerised information systems is through a risk management programme in which they actively participate. However, secondary schools do not have the full capacity to perform information security risk management exercises due to the unavailability of risk management experts and scarce financial resources to fund such programmes. This qualitative case study was conducted in two secondary schools that use computerised information systems to support everyday administrative operations. The main objective of this research study was to assist secondary schools that used computerised information systems to develop a set of guidelines they would use to effectively manage information security risks in their computerised information systems. This study educated school managers and computerised information systems users on how to conduct simple risk management exercises. The Operationally Critical Threats, Assets and Vulnerability Evaluation for small-scale organisations risk management method was used to evaluate the computerised information systems in the two schools and attain the goals of the research study. Data for this study were generated through participatory observation, physical inspections and interview techniques. Data were presented, analysed and interpreted qualitatively. This study found that learners‟ continuous assessment marks, financial information, educators‟ personal information, custom application software, server-computers and telecommunication equipment used for networking were the critical assets. The main threats to these critical assets were authorised and unauthorised systems users, malware, system crashes, access paths and incompatibilities in software. The risks posed by these threats were normally led to the unavailability of critical information systems assets, compromise of data integrity and confidentiality. This also led to the loss of productivity and finance, and damage to school reputation. The only form of protection mechanism enforced by secondary schools was physical security. To mitigate the pending risks, the study educated school managers and users in selecting, devising and implementing simple protection and mitigation strategies commensurate with their information systems, financial capabilities and their level of skills. This study also recommended that secondary schools remove all critical computers from open-flow school networks, encrypt all critical information, password-protect all computers holding critical information and train all users of information systems of personal security. The study will be instrumental in educating school managers and computerised information systems users in information security awareness and risk management in general. / Science Engineering and Technology / M.Sc. (Information Systems)

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a technological trend which individuals of all ages are embracing. BYOD involves an employee of an organisation using their own mobile devices to access their organisations network. Several incremental risks will arise as a result of adoption of a BYOD program by an organisation. The research aims to assist organisations to identify what incremental risks they could potentially encounter if they adopt a BYOD program and how they can use a framework like COBIT 5 in order to reduce the incremental risks to an acceptable level. By means of an extensive literature review the study revealed 50 incremental risks which arise as a result of the adoption of a BYOD program. COBIT 5 was identified as the most appropriate framework which could be used to map the incremental risks against. Possible safeguards were identified from the mapping process which would reduce the incremental risks to an acceptable level. It was identified that 13 of the 37 COBIT 5 processes were applicable for the study.

Threats to computerised information systems are always on the rise and compel organisations to invest a lot of money and time amongst other technical controls in an attempt to protect their critical information from inherent security risks. The computerisation of information systems in secondary schools has effectively exposed these organisations to a host of complex information security challenges that they have to deal with in addition to their core business of teaching and learning. Secondary schools handle large volumes of sensitive information pertaining to educators, learners, creditors and financial records that they are obliged to secure. Computerised information systems are vulnerable to both internal and external threats but ease of access sometimes manifest in security breaches, thereby undermining information security. Unfortunately, school managers and users of computerised information systems are ignorant of the risks to their information systems assets and the consequences of the compromises that might occur thereof. One way of educating school managers and users about the risks to their computerised information systems is through a risk management programme in which they actively participate. However, secondary schools do not have the full capacity to perform information security risk management exercises due to the unavailability of risk management experts and scarce financial resources to fund such programmes. This qualitative case study was conducted in two secondary schools that use computerised information systems to support everyday administrative operations. The main objective of this research study was to assist secondary schools that used computerised information systems to develop a set of guidelines they would use to effectively manage information security risks in their computerised information systems. This study educated school managers and computerised information systems users on how to conduct simple risk management exercises. The Operationally Critical Threats, Assets and Vulnerability Evaluation for small-scale organisations risk management method was used to evaluate the computerised information systems in the two schools and attain the goals of the research study. Data for this study were generated through participatory observation, physical inspections and interview techniques. Data were presented, analysed and interpreted qualitatively. This study found that learners‟ continuous assessment marks, financial information, educators‟ personal information, custom application software, server-computers and telecommunication equipment used for networking were the critical assets. The main threats to these critical assets were authorised and unauthorised systems users, malware, system crashes, access paths and incompatibilities in software. The risks posed by these threats were normally led to the unavailability of critical information systems assets, compromise of data integrity and confidentiality. This also led to the loss of productivity and finance, and damage to school reputation. The only form of protection mechanism enforced by secondary schools was physical security. To mitigate the pending risks, the study educated school managers and users in selecting, devising and implementing simple protection and mitigation strategies commensurate with their information systems, financial capabilities and their level of skills. This study also recommended that secondary schools remove all critical computers from open-flow school networks, encrypt all critical information, password-protect all computers holding critical information and train all users of information systems of personal security. The study will be instrumental in educating school managers and computerised information systems users in information security awareness and risk management in general. / Science Engineering and Technology / M. Sc. (Information Systems)

The insider threat problem is extremely challenging to address, as it is committed by insiders who are trusted and authorized to access the information resources of the organization. The problem is further complicated by the multifaceted nature of insiders, as human beings have various motivations and fluctuating behaviours. Additionally, typical monitoring systems may violate the privacy of insiders. Consequently, there is a need to consider a comprehensive approach to mitigate insider threats. This research presents a novel insider threat prevention and prediction model, combining several approaches, techniques and tools from the fields of computer science and criminology. The model is a Privacy- Preserving, Context-Aware, Insider Threat Prevention and Prediction model (PPCAITPP). The model is predicated on the Fraud Diamond (a theory from Criminology) which assumes there must be four elements present in order for a criminal to commit maleficence. The basic elements are pressure (i.e. motive), opportunity, ability (i.e. capability) and rationalization. According to the Fraud Diamond, malicious employees need to have a motive, opportunity and the capability to commit fraud. Additionally, criminals tend to rationalize their malicious actions in order for them to ease their cognitive dissonance towards maleficence. In order to mitigate the insider threat comprehensively, there is a need to consider all the elements of the Fraud Diamond because insider threat crime is also related to elements of the Fraud Diamond similar to crimes committed within the physical landscape. The model intends to act within context, which implies that when the model offers predictions about threats, it also reacts to prevent the threat from becoming a future threat instantaneously. To collect information about insiders for the purposes of prediction, there is a need to collect current information, as the motives and behaviours of humans are transient. Context-aware systems are used in the model to collect current information about insiders related to motive and ability as well as to determine whether insiders exploit any opportunity to commit a crime (i.e. entrapment). Furthermore, they are used to neutralize any rationalizations the insider may have via neutralization mitigation, thus preventing the insider from committing a future crime. However, the model collects private information and involves entrapment that will be deemed unethical. A model that does not preserve the privacy of insiders may cause them to feel they are not trusted, which in turn may affect their productivity in the workplace negatively. Hence, this thesis argues that an insider prediction model must be privacy-preserving in order to prevent further cybercrime. The model is not intended to be punitive but rather a strategy to prevent current insiders from being tempted to commit a crime in future. The model involves four major components: context awareness, opportunity facilitation, neutralization mitigation and privacy preservation. The model implements a context analyser to collect information related to an insider who may be motivated to commit a crime and his or her ability to implement an attack plan. The context analyser only collects meta-data such as search behaviour, file access, logins, use of keystrokes and linguistic features, excluding the content to preserve the privacy of insiders. The model also employs keystroke and linguistic features based on typing patterns to collect information about any change in an insider’s emotional and stress levels. This is indirectly related to the motivation to commit a cybercrime. Research demonstrates that most of the insiders who have committed a crime have experienced a negative emotion/pressure resulting from dissatisfaction with employment measures such as terminations, transfers without their consent or denial of a wage increase. However, there may also be personal problems such as a divorce. The typing pattern analyser and other resource usage behaviours aid in identifying an insider who may be motivated to commit a cybercrime based on his or her stress levels and emotions as well as the change in resource usage behaviour. The model does not identify the motive itself, but rather identifies those individuals who may be motivated to commit a crime by reviewing their computer-based actions. The model also assesses the capability of insiders to commit a planned attack based on their usage of computer applications and measuring their sophistication in terms of the range of knowledge, depth of knowledge and skill as well as assessing the number of systems errors and warnings generated while using the applications. The model will facilitate an opportunity to commit a crime by using honeypots to determine whether a motivated and capable insider will exploit any opportunity in the organization involving a criminal act. Based on the insider’s reaction to the opportunity presented via a honeypot, the model will deploy an implementation strategy based on neutralization mitigation. Neutralization mitigation is the process of nullifying the rationalizations that the insider may have had for committing the crime. All information about insiders will be anonymized to remove any identifiers for the purpose of preserving the privacy of insiders. The model also intends to identify any new behaviour that may result during the course of implementation. This research contributes to existing scientific knowledge in the insider threat domain and can be used as a point of departure for future researchers in the area. Organizations could use the model as a framework to design and develop a comprehensive security solution for insider threat problems. The model concept can also be integrated into existing information security systems that address the insider threat problem / Information Science / D. Phil. (Information Systems)

In the 21st century, information security has become the heartbeat of any organisation. One of the best-known methods of tightening and continuously improving security on an information system is to uniquely and efficiently combine the human aspect, policies, and technology. This acts as leverage for designing an access control management approach which not only avails parts of the system that end-users are permitted to but also regulates which data is relevant according to their scope of work. This research explores information security fundamentals at organisational and theoretical levels, to identify critical success factors which are vital in assessing the organisation’s security maturity through a model referred to as “information security digital divide maturity framework”. The foregoing is based on a developed conceptual framework for information security digital divide. The framework strives to divide end-users, business partners, and other stakeholders into “specific information haves and have-nots”. It intends to assist organisations to continually evaluate and improve on their security governance, standards, and policies which permit access on the basis of each end-user or stakeholder’s business function, role, and responsibility while at the same time preserving the traditional standpoint of confidentiality, integrity, and availability. After a thorough review of a range of frameworks that have influenced the information security landscape, COBITTM was relied upon as a baseline for the development of the framework of the study because of its rich insight and maturity on IT management and governance. To ascertain that the proposed framework meets the required expectation, a survey targeting end-users within three participating organisations was carried out. The outcome revealed the current maturity level of each participating organisation, highlighting strengths and limitations of current information security practices. As such, for new organisations relying on the proposed framework for the first time, the outcome of such an assessment will represent a benchmark to be relied on for further improvement before embarking on the next maturity assessment cycle. In addition, a second survey was conducted with subject matter experts in information security. Data generated and collected through a questionnaire was then analysed and interpreted qualitatively and quantitatively in order to identify aspects, not only to gauge the acceptance of the proposed conceptual framework but also to identify areas for improvements. The study found that there was a general consensus amongst experts on the importance of a framework for benchmarking information security digital divide in organisations. It also provided a range of valuable input relied upon to improve the framework to its final version. / School of Computing / M. Sc. (Computing)

With the advent of globalisation and ever changing technologies, the need for increased attention to information security is becoming more and more vital. Organisations are facing all sorts of risks and threats these days. It therefore becomes important for all business stakeholders to take the appropriate proactive measures in securing their assets for business survival and growth. Information is today regarded as one of the most valuable assets of an organisation. Without a proper information security framework, policies, procedures and practices, the existence of an organisation is threatened in this world of fierce competition. Information security policies stand as one of the key enablers to safeguarding an organisation from risks and threats. However, writing a set of information security policies and procedures is not enough. If one really aims to have an effective security framework in place, there is a need to develop and implement information security policies that adhere to established standards such as BS 7799 and the like. Furthermore, one should ensure that all stakeholders comply with established standards, policies and best practices systematically to reap full benefits of security measures. These challenges are not only being faced in the international arena but also in countries like Mauritius. International researches have shown that information security policy is still a problematic area when it comes to its implementation and compliance. Findings have shown that several major developed countries are still facing difficulties in this area. There was a general perception that conditions in Mauritius were similar. With the local government's objective to turn Mauritius into a "cyber-island" that could act as an Information Communication & Technology (ICT) hub for the region, there was a need to ensure the adoption and application of best practices specially in areas of information security. This dissertation therefore aims at conducting a research project in Mauritius and assessing whether large Mauritian private companies, that are heavily dependent on IT, have proper and reliable security policies in place which comply with international norms and standards such as British Standard Organisation (BSO) 7799/ ISO 17799/ ISO 27001. The study will help assess the state of, and risks associated with, present implementation of information security policies and practices in the local context. Similarities and differences between the local security practices and international ones have also been measured and compared to identify any specific characteristics in local information security practices. The findings of the study will help to enlighten the security community, local management and stakeholders, on the realities facing corporations in the area of information security policies and practices in Mauritius. Appropriate recommendations have been formulated in light of the findings to improve the present state of information security issues while contributing to the development of the security community / Computing / M.Sc. (Information Systems)

Orientador : Ricardo Dahab. / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Computação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-21T17:02:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 GalloFilho_RobertoAlves_D.pdf: 5999506 bytes, checksum: 6ef66e76246dddb7de30593abff60bc5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo A concepção de sistemas seguros demanda tratamento holístico, global. A razão é que a mera composição de componentes individualmente seguros não garante a segurança do conjunto resultante2. Enquanto isso, a complexidade dos sistemas de informação cresce vigorosamente, dentre outros, no que se diz respeito: i) ao número de componentes constituintes; ii) ao número de interações com outros sistemas; e iii) 'a diversidade de natureza dos componentes. Este crescimento constante da complexidade demanda um domínio de conhecimento ao mesmo tempo multidisciplinar e profundo, cada vez mais difícil de ser coordenado em uma única visão global, seja por um indivíduo, seja por uma equipe de desenvolvimento. Nesta tese propomos um framework para a concepção, desenvolvimento e deployment de sistemas baseados em hardware que é fundamentado em uma visão única e global de segurança. Tal visão cobre um espectro abrangente de requisitos, desde a integridade física dos dispositivos até a verificação, pelo usuário final, de que seu sistema está logicamente íntegro. Para alcançar este objetivo, apresentamos nesta tese o seguinte conjunto de componentes para o nosso framework: i) um conjunto de considerações para a construção de modelos de ataques que capturem a natureza particular dos adversários de sistemas seguros reais, principalmente daqueles baseados em hardware; ii) um arcabouço teórico com conceitos e definições importantes e úteis na construção de sistemas seguros baseados em hardware; iii) um conjunto de padrões (patterns) de componentes e arquiteturas de sistemas seguros baseados em hardware; iv) um modelo teórico, lógico-probabilístico, para avaliação do nível de segurança das arquiteturas e implementações; e v) a aplicação dos elementos do framework na implementação de sistemas de produção, com estudos de casos muito significativos3. Os resultados relacionados a estes componentes estão apresentados nesta tese na forma de coletânea de artigos. 2 Técnicas "greedy" não fornecem necessariamente os resultados ótimos. Mais, a presença de componentes seguros não é nem fundamental. 3 Em termos de impacto social, econômico ou estratégico / Abstract: The conception of secure systems requires a global, holistic, approach. The reason is that the mere composition of individually secure components does not necessarily imply in the security of the resulting system4. Meanwhile, the complexity of information systems has grown vigorously in several dimensions as: i) the number of components, ii) the number of interactions with other components, iii) the diversity in the nature of the components. This continuous growth of complexity requires from designers a deep and broad multidisciplinary knowledge, which is becoming increasingly difficult to be coordinated and attained either by individuals or even teams. In this thesis we propose a framework for the conception, development, and deployment of secure hardware-based systems that is rooted on a unified and global security vision. Such a vision encompasses a broad spectrum of requirements, from device physical integrity to the device logical integrity verification by humans. In order to attain this objective we present in this thesis the following set of components of our framework: i) a set of considerations for the development of threat models that captures the particular nature of adversaries of real secure systems based on hardware; ii) a set of theoretical concepts and definitions useful in the design of secure hardware-based systems; iii) a set of design patterns of components and architectures for secure systems; iv) a logical-probabilistic theoretical model for security evaluation of system architectures and implementations; and v) the application of the elements of our framework in production systems with highly relevant study cases. Our results related to these components are presented in this thesis as a series of papers which have been published or submitted for publication. 4Greedy techniques do not inevitably yield optimal results. More than that, the usage of secure components is not even required / Doutorado / Ciência da Computação / Doutor em Ciência da Computação

Today's environment is filled with the proliferation of cyber-attacks that result in losses for organizations and individuals. Hackers often use compromised websites to distribute malware, making it difficult for individuals to detect. The impact of clicking through a link on the Internet that is malware infected can result in consequences such as private information theft and identity theft. Hackers are also known to perpetrate cyber-attacks that result in organizational security breaches that adversely affect organizations' finances, reputation, and market value. Risk management approaches for minimizing and recovering from cyber-attack losses and preventing further cyber-attacks are gaining more importance. Many studies exist that have increased our understanding of how individuals and organizations are motivated to reduce or avoid the risks of security breaches and cyber-attacks using safeguard mechanisms. The safeguards are sometimes technical in nature, such as intrusion detection software and anti-virus software. Other times, the safeguards are procedural in nature such as security policy adherence and security awareness and training. Many of these safeguards fall under the risk mitigation and risk avoidance aspects of risk management, and do not address other aspects of risk management, such as risk transfer. Researchers have argued that technological approaches to security risks are rarely sufficient for providing an overall protection of information system assets. Moreover, others argue that an overall protection must include a risk transfer strategy. Hence, there is a need to understand the risk transfer approach for managing information security risks. Further, in order to effectively address the information security puzzle, there also needs to be an understanding of the nature of the perpetrators of the problem – the hackers. Though hacker incidents proliferate the news, there are few theory based hacker studies. Even though the very nature of their actions presents a difficulty in their accessibility to research, a glimpse of how hackers perpetrate attacks can be obtained through the examination of their knowledge sharing behavior. Gaining some understanding about hackers through their knowledge sharing behavior may help researchers fine-tune future information security research. The insights could also help practitioners design more effective defensive security strategies and risk management efforts aimed at protecting information systems. Hence, this dissertation is interested in understanding the hackers that perpetrate cyber-attacks on individuals and organizations through their knowledge sharing behavior. Then, of interest also is how individuals form their URL click-through intention in the face of proliferated cyber risks. Finally, we explore how and why organizations that are faced with the risk of security breaches, commit to cyberinsurance as a risk management strategy. Thus, the fundamental research question of this dissertation is: how do individuals and organizations manage information security risks?

The general aim of this research is to develop a conceptual privacy governance framework (CPGF) that can be used to develop a valid and reliable information privacy governance questionnaire (IPGQ) to assess the perception of employees of how effective the organisation governs privacy. The CPGF was developed to incorporate a comprehensive set of privacy components that could assist management in governing privacy across an organisation. IPGQ statements were derived from the theory of the sub-components of CPGF, evaluated by an expert panel and pre-tested by a pilot group. A quantitative mono method research was followed using a survey questionnaire to collect data in a financial institution in South Africa. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was used to determine the underlying factorial structure and the Cronbach Alpha was used to establish the internal reliability of the factors. From the initial item reduction of the constructs, four factors were derived to test the privacy perception of employees. The IPGQ consisted of 49 valid and reliable questions. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used, and three significant differences were discovered among the demographical groups for the age groups and two for the employment status groups (organisational commitment and privacy controls). The CPGF and IPGQ can aid organisations to determine if organisations are effectively governing the privacy in the organisations in order to assist them in meeting the accountability condition of the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). / Computing / M. Sc. (Information Systems)