Modern organizations are faced with a host of security concerns despite advances in security research. The challenges are diverse, ranging from malicious parties to vulnerable hardware. One particularly strong pain point for enterprises is the insider threat detection problem in which an internal employee, current or former, behaves against the interest of the company. Approaches designed to discourage and to prevent insiders are multifaceted, but efforts to detect malicious users typically involves a combination of an active monitoring infrastructure and a User Behavior Analytics (UBA) system, which applies Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to learn user behavior to identify abnormal behaviors indicative of a security violation. The principal problem with the aforementioned approach is the uncertainty regarding how to measure the functionality of an insider threat detection system. The difficulty of research in UBA technology hinges on sparse knowledge about the models utilized and insufficient data to effectively study the problem. Realistic ground truth data is next to impossible to acquire for open research. This dissertation tackles those challenges and asserts that predictive UBA models can be applied to simulate a wide range of user behaviors in situ and can be broadened to examine test regimes of deployed UBA technology (including evasive low and slow malicious behaviors) without disclosing private and sensitive information. Furthermore, the underlying technology presented in this thesis can increase data availability through a combination of generative adversarial networks, which create realistic yet fake data, and the system log files created by the technology itself. Given the commercial viability of UBA technology, academic researchers are oft challenged with the inability to test on widely deployed, proprietary software and thus must rely on standard ML based approaches such as Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs), Support Vector Machines (SVMs) and Bayesian Networks (BNs) to emulate UBA systems. We begin the dissertation with the introduction and implementation of CovTrain, the first neuron coverage guided training algorithm that improves robustness of Deep Learning (DL) systems. CovTrain is tested on a variety of massive, well-tested datasets and has outperformed standard DL models in terms of both loss and accuracy. We then use it to create an enhanced DL based UBA system used in our formal experimental studies. However, the challenges of measuring and testing a UBA system remain open problems in both academic and commercial communities. With those thoughts in mind, we next present the design, implementation and evaluation of the Bad User Behavior Analytics (BUBA) system, the first framework of its kind to test UBA systems through the iterative introduction of adversarial examples to a UBA system using simulated user bots. The framework's flexibility enables it to tackle an array of problems, including enterprise security at both the system and cloud storage levels. We test BUBA in a synthetic environment with UBA systems that employ state of the art ML models including an enhanced DL model trained using CovTrain and the live Columbia University network. The results show the ability to generate synthetic users that can successfully fool UBA systems at the boundaries. In particular, we find that adjusting the time horizon of a given attack can help it escape UBA detection and in live tests on the Columbia network that SSH attacks could be done without detection if the time parameter is carefully adjusted. We may consider this as an example of Adversarial ML, where temporal test data is modified to evade detection. We then consider a novel extension of BUBA to test cloud storage security in light of the observation that large enterprises are not actively monitoring their cloud storage, for which recent surveys have security personnel fearing that companies are moving to the cloud faster than they can secure it. We believe that there are opportunities to improve cloud storage security, especially given the increasing trend towards cloud utilization. BUBA is intended to reveal the potential security violations and highlight what security mechanisms are needed to prevent significant data loss. In spite of the advances, the development of BUBA underscores yet another difficulty for a researcher in big data analytics for security - a scarcity of data. Insider threat system development requires granular details about the behaviors of the individuals on its local ecosystem in order to discern anomalous patterns or behaviors. Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have allowed researchers to discover patterns that were never before seen, but mandate large datasets. Thus, systematic data generation through techniques such as Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) has become ubiquitous in the face of increased data needs for scientific research as was employed in part for BUBA. Through the first legal analysis of its kind, we test the legality of synthetic data for sharing given privacy requirements. An analysis of statutes through different lens helps us determine that synthetic data may be the next, best step for research advancement. We conclude that realistic yet artificially generated data offers a tangible path forward for academic and broader research endeavors, but policy must meet technological advance before general adoption can take place.

O presente estudo tem como objeto o Programa Bolsa Família, buscando captar, junto aos usuários, as suas impressões acerca deste, que é o carro-chefe dos programas sociais do atual governo federal. Com base nos pressupostos de que o Bolsa Família tem forte apelo popular; é legitimado em larga escala por diferentes segmentos sociais e tem centralidade no campo da Assistência Social, a hipótese é de que os usuários, enquanto beneficiários diretos do Programa tendem à sua defesa, apesar de dificuldades e problemas que possam apontar. Muitos estudos têm debatido o Bolsa Família, mas ressentem-se de uma abordagem que coloque em cena os usuários. Para a realização deste estudo, que tem como referência o materialismo histórico-dialético, foram investigados diversos autores acerca do tema Política Social e diversos documentos de fontes primárias, como jornais, legislação e material institucional, bem como, pesquisa junto aos usuários do Bolsa Família que utilizam o Centro de Referência da Assistência Social (CREAS) Arlindo Rodrigues, na Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, como local para aquisição e manutenção do benefício do Programa. A pesquisa, entre outros elementos, aponta para uma aceitação deste, ainda que haja alguns questionamentos e objeções por parte dos usuários. A procura ao CREAS é constante e intensa configurando o centro de referência como espaço central de atendimento ao Bolsa Família. / This study has as object the Bolsa Família Program, seeking to capture users views of this, which is the main program of the current federal government. Based on the assumptions that Bolsa Família has strong popular appeal; is legitimated in large scale by different social segments and reaches a focus in Social Welfare field, the hypothesis is that the users, as direct beneficiaries of the program tend to its defense, despite difficulties and problems that they might point to. Many studies have been debating Bolsa Familia, but suffer from an approach that put users in scene. For this study, which has as reference the historical and dialectical materialism, it was investigated several authors on the subject Social Policy and various documents from primary sources such as newspapers, legislation and institutional material, as well, it was done survey with the users of the program that goes to the Reference Center for Social Welfare (CREAS) Arlindo Rodrigues, in Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro, for acquiring and retaining the benefit of the program. The research, among other things, points to an acceptance of this, although its users make some questions and objections about the Program. The search for CREAS is constant and intense making the reference center a setting to Bolsa Família services.

The thesis Web 2.0 and its impact on business introduces the Web 2.0 concept and its characteristics in the first chapter. Owing to the fact that Web 2.0 is still a controversial theme to a certain extent, the following chapter is focused on the question, whether Web 2.0 is only a marketing label (buzzword) or a conception with a real content. In the third chapter there are examples of concrete web applications and services, which illustrates the areas, where the new Web is successfully established. These representatives are Web 2.0 flagships to a certain degree and for many people synonymous with this term too. The thesis is also concerned with the possibilities of commercial Web 2.0 usage. Web 2.0 has been discussed for several years and since relevant services have been in existence, there have been visible impacts of those new Webs on business. The last but one chapter deals with its possible impacts on selected areas of business. The content of the last chapter is a contemplation on how the Web is going to develop in the next years. There are also discussed social questions connected with quick development of the Internet and Web 2.0.

BACKGROUND: Quality of life is defined by WHO as an individual perception of one's own position in life, taking into account cultural aspects of the society and a system of values in which the individual lives, as well as his/her goals, standard of living and interests. Because quality of life measure is strongly a subjective measure, it can only be assessed by the individual himself/herself. AIMS: The aim of this thesis was to compare of the quality of life of drug users before and after institutional treatment. SAMPLE AND METHODS: WHOQOL- BREF questionnaire was employed to collect the data. A research sample consisted of all clients (both men and women) in the institutional treatment at the department of treatment of dependencies at the Clinic of Addictology, The clients filled the questionnaire in before treatment entry or within the first week after treatment entry, and at the release from the treatment. RESULTS: None of the clients was very satisfied with his/her quality of life before treatment. After treatment, the quality of life was perceived as positive rather by women. After treatment, 44% of women found their quality of life good, whereas it was assessed as very good by 13% of women. The overall perception of the quality of life in the male population has not changed much. Regarding the...

A Organização Mundial de Saúde estima que existam hoje 285 milhões de pessoas com deficiência visual grave em todo o mundo. Com o advento da tecnologia, ambientes virtuais em 3D estão sendo cada vez mais utilizados para diversas aplicações. Muitas destas aplicações, no entanto, não são acessíveis para usuários com deficiência visual, criando uma divisão digital. O objetivo deste trabalho é desenvolver uma nova técnica de interação 3D de baixo custo que permita a identificação de objetos virtuais com autonomia usando apenas propriocepção e retorno de áudio. Foi desenvolvido um protótipo implementando esta técnica e foram realizados primeiramente testes funcionais com usuários com visão para avaliar se o protótipo implementou de fato a técnica proposta. Em seguida foi realizado um pré-teste com um deficiente visual, seguido de aprimoramento do protótipo e um experimento com oito usuários com deficiência em que deveriam diferenciar objetos virtuais usando somente a técnica proposta. Os resultados se mostraram bastante positivos, com cerca de 84\\% de acerto sem nenhum treino anterior. Este resultado sugere que a técnica desenvolvida pode trazer diversos benefícios para a sociedade e para a computação, como uma maior inclusão de pessoas com deficiência visual em tarefas que exijam interação com o objetos virtuais em três dimensões em diferentes áreas de aplicação, inclusive para educação, com boa usabilidade, acessibilidade e dispositivos disponíveis por custos relativamente baixos / The World Health Organization estimates that there are currently 285 million people with severe visual impairment worldwide. With the advent of technology, 3D virtual environments are being increasingly used for several applications. Many of these applications, however, are not accessible to visually impaired users, creating a digital divide. Our goal is to develop a novel and low cost 3D interaction technique to allow the identification of virtual objects with autonomy using only proprioception and hearing. We developed a prototype implementing this technique, which was first tested with sighted users simply to verify whether it correctly implemented the proposed technique. Then we conducted a preliminary experiment with a blind user followed by some prototype improvement and an experiment with eight users with visual impairment in which they were asked to classify tridimensional virtual objects using only the proposed technique. The results were quite positive, with approximately 84\\% correct answers without any prior training. This result suggests that our technique may benefit society and computing, such as a better inclusion of visually impaired users in tasks that require interaction with virtual objects in 3D in different areas of application, including education, with good usability, accessibility and devices available for relatively low costs

As condições fornecidas pelo espaço físico de instituições de ensino são determinantes para o desenvolvimento das atividades de ensino e aprendizado. O presente trabalho dá continuidade às pesquisas do grupo da Linha de Pesquisa em Edificações e Comunidades Sustentáveis do NORIE/UFRGS, objetivando a avaliação das alternativas propostas para escola de ensino fundamental projetada utilizando estratégias sustentáveis, pelo próprio grupo em 2004. Assim, a presente pesquisa teve como objetivo explorar a referia escola, através de uma avaliação do conforto ambiental nos espaços construídos. Para tal, foi realizada uma análise exploratória das características dos materiais que envolvem a escola, além de medições térmicas, acústicas e lumínicas. Também foi verificado o nível de satisfação dos usuários, através de ferramentas quantitativas e qualitativas, buscando verificar como os seus ocupantes respondem à proposta sustentável da edificação e às condições de conforto ambiental oferecidas a seus ocupantes. Os dados térmicos, com monitoramento de maio a dezembro de 2008, foram analisados através de valores máximos e mínimos absolutos, zonas de conforto (considerando temperatura e umidade) e gráficos de graus-hora. Os dados lumínicos, coletados próximos aos solstícios e equinócio de primavera, foram analisados em relação às iluminâncias médias do ambiente, coeficiente de uniformidade e contribuição da luz artificial. Os dados acústicos, coletados em dia específico de atividades na escola, através dos níveis de pressão sonora causados por ruídos externos e o tempo de reverberação dos ambientes. Por fim, também foi verificada a satisfação dos usuários através de aplicação de questionário nos alunos e de grupo de foco, realizado junto aos professores. Através do cruzamento de todas as análises realizadas, concluiu-se que a resposta da edificação escolar, em geral, foi satisfatória, e, portanto, capaz de oferecer condições de conforto ambiental aos seus usuários. Espera-se que esta pesquisa contribua para a melhoria da eficiência energética, conforto ambiental e sustentabilidade de edificações escolares. / The conditions supplied by the physical spaces of educational buildings are very important for the development of learning and teaching activities. The present work gives continuation to the studies developed by the research group on Sustainable Buildings and Communities at NORIE/UFRGS, aiming to evaluate the different alternatives to a primary school building designed with the use of sustainable strategies, as proposed by the same group in 2004. Therefore, the present study had as main aim to carry out the indoor comfort evaluation of the facilities in use within the above mentioned school, through thermal, acoustic and daylighting measurements. After verifying the users satisfaction, by means of quantitative and qualitative tools, the environmental performance of the building was assessed. The collected data were analyzed in different ways. The thermal data, monitored from May to December of 2008, were analyzed through the absolute maximum and minimum temperatures, comfort zone (temperature and relative humidity) and the degree hours. The lighting data, collected on the solstices and at the spring equinox, were analyzed considering the classroom's illuminance, the distribution of illuminance values in the classroom, and the artificial lighting contribution. The acoustical data, collected in a specific day of regular activities in the school, were analyzed by looking at the different sound levels caused by external sound sources, and at the reverberation time of the classrooms. Finally, the users satisfaction was checked by questionnaires applied to the students and by meetings carried out with the teachers of the school. It was concluded, through the comparison of information from the analysis carried out, that the response of the educational building was satisfactory, therefore able to offer indoor comfort conditions to its users. It is expected that the most important contribution of this study will be related to the improvement of the indoor comfort of educational buildings.

No presente trabalho é apresentado um diagnóstico coletivo em Jaú, sob a ótica da qualidade, bem como feitas algumas propostas em nível estratégico para a melhoria desse sistema de transporte na cidade. A avaliação da qualidade é feita de forma abrangente, através da comparação das características do sistema existente com padrões de qualidade considerados satisfatórios no meio técnico e aplicação de pesquisa com os usuários, pessoas da comunidade e membros de governo municipal. O diagnóstico mostra que os parâmetros acessibilidade à rede de linhas e comportamento dos operadores apresentam boa qualidade; os parâmetros tempo de viagem, freqüência nos períodos de pico, lotação e estado de vias, qualidade regular; e os parâmetros frequência nos períodos normais, características dos veículos, características dos pontos de partida, sistema de informação aos usuários e transbordabilidade, qualidade insatisfastória. De maneira geral, a qualidade do sistema de transporte coletivo de Jaú pode ser classificada como regular. As principais diretrizes estabelecidas para a melhoria do sistema são: readequação do desenho de rede de linhas; colocação de rádios de comunicação nos ônibus e implementação de uma central de controle operacional; renovação da frota com aquisição de ônibus com \"design\" moderno e tecnologia mais apropriada; sinalização adequada dos pontos de parada e colocação de abrigo e bancos nos locais de maior movimento; colocação do número e do nome das linhas e horários nos pontos de parada; distribuição gratuita de folhetos com os horários e itinerários das linhas; implementação de um novo terminal central fechado para proporcionar integração física e tarifária no sistema; suavizar as valetas e as lombadas mais pronunciadas localizadas nos trajetos dos ônibus e sinalizar adequadamente as vias por onde circulam os ônibus. / In the present work a diagnosis of the collective public transportation in Jaú is presented, under the quality optics, as well some proposed in strategic level for the improvement of that transport system in the city are made. The evaluation of the quality is made in an including way, through the comparison of the existent system characteristics with quality patterns considered satisfactory in the technical area and research application with the users, the community\'s people and the municipal government\'s members. The diagnosis shows that the parameters network accessibility of lines and behavior of the operators presents good quality; the parameters time of trip, frequency in the peak periods, capacity and state of the roads, regular quality; and the parameters frequency in the normal periods, characteristics of the vehicles, characteristics of the bus stop, system of information forsers and transbordability, unsatisfactory quality. In a general way, the quality of the public transportation system of Jaú can be classified as regular. The main established guidelines for the system improvement: readapt of the network drawing; install radio communication in the buses and implementation of a operational control headquarters; renewal of the fleet with the bus acquisition with modern \"design\" and more appropriate technology; appropriate traffic signs in the bus stop and shelter placement and banks in the places of higher movement; placement of the number and of the name of the tines and schedules in the bus stop; free distribution of pamphlets with the schedules and itineraries of the lines; implementation of a new central terminal closed to provide physical and tariff integration in the system; to soften the gutters and more pronounced ramps in the itineraries of the buses and to sign the roads appropriately through circulate the buses.

Neste trabalho são apresentados os resultados de avaliação do transporte público urbano por ônibus na cidade de São Carlos, sob a ótica da qualidade dos serviços. O primeiro método de avaliação consistiu na aplicação de pesquisa aos usuários do sistema, onde foram avaliados o desempenho e a importância dos principais fatores de qualidade. A segunda forma de avaliação considerou a metodologia utilizada pela Prefeitura Municipal de São Carlos no acompanhamento do serviço prestado pela empresa operadora do transporte. No terceiro método foram entrevistados três especialistas que procederam a avaliação dos fatores considerando os padrões estabelecidos por Ferraz e Torres. Com base nessas avaliações, sobretudo nos resultados da pesquisa de opinião com os usuários, foram identificados os principais aspectos positivos e negativos do transporte coletivo. À luz desses fatos, é apresentado um conjunto de ações para melhoria do sistema. Essas ações, basicamente, se resumem no seguinte: regularizar o pavimento das vias por onde circulam os coletivos, melhorar a sinalização vertical e horizontal, instalar mais abrigos com bancos, disponibilizar informações das linhas e horários nos pontos de embarque, colocar maior quantidade de ônibus no horário de pico e fazer um reestudo no traçado das linhas atuais diminuindo o intervalo entre atendimento em alguns locais específicos / The results of a three-step level of service evaluation of the public transportation service by bus in the city of São Carlos are presented in this work. The first evaluation was carried out directly with the system users through a field survey, in which the performance and the weights of the main level of service indicators were quantitatively measured. A second evaluation strategy made use of a methodology applied by the municipality of São Carlos to assess the quality of the service provided by the private bus operator. The third and final evaluation was based on quality standards specifically defined by Ferraz and Torres to assess the bus service in medium-sized cities. In that case, interviews with three experts were conducted. The analysis of the three evaluation methods provided elements to identify the main positive and negative aspects of the transit service in São Carlos and also suggestions for the system improvement. Those suggestions can be summarized as follows: improvement of street signs (vertical and horizontal), installation of more bus shelters with seats, up-to-date posting of transit routes and schedules at bus stops, more buses operating in peak periods, and redesign of the current routes for reducing the bus headways in specific areas of the city

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:23:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Kelly Kalynka D Cruz.pdf: 11304210 bytes, checksum: f86784b3333ce953829883f824c4a96a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-09-01 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This work aimed at studying the cognitive differences between cyberspace users, according to their typology and immersion levels. Differences were systematized and situated on a process which begins with perception and renews on generation of new synapses, according to Interationist and Neo- Darwinist theories which had Lev Vigotski and Gerald Edelman as precursors. Vigotski's interactionism and Eldeman's Neural Selection Groups (NSG) are presented in this work as logical paths to explain the environmental and culture influence, in this case the cyberspace, on human cognition. Twenty individuals between with ages between 15 and 17 years and which had on any certain level, experiences with the cyberspace. This scientific research used interviews, questionnaires and a set of computerized cognitive evaluation christened Cogstate . Regarding the type, users were identified as players and navigators . As for the levels, users were classified as occasional , excessive , extreme . Last, based on this classification, tests comparative tests were carried out between occasional and excessive users. It has been demonstrated that users classified as excessive are faster, pay more attention, are more synchronized and, due to their fastness and anticipation are more impatiens and, therefore, prone to commit mistakes / Este trabalho objetivou estudar as diferenças cognitivas entre os usuários de ciberespaço, de acordo com suas tipologias e níveis de imersão. Procurou-se sistematizar essas diferenças, de modo a situálas em um processo que se iniciasse na percepção e se renovasse na geração de novas sinapses, de acordo com as teorias interacionistas e neodarwinistas, as quais tiveram como precursores Lev Vigotski e Gerald Edelman. O interacionismo de Lev Vigotski e a Teoria da Seleção de Grupos Neurais (TSGN) de Gerald Edelman são apresentados nesse trabalho como caminhos lógicos traçados para se explicar a influência do meio e de sua cultura, neste caso o ciberespaço, sobre a cognição humana. Foram estudadas 20 pessoas entre 15 e 17 anos, que, em algum nível, lidassem com a imersão no ciberespaço. Esta pesquisa científica utilizou entrevistas, questionários e uma bateria computadorizada de avaliação cognitiva chamada Cogstate. Em relação ao tipo, os usuários foram identificados como "jogadores" e "navegadores". Quanto ao nível, foram classificados como usuários "ocasionais", usuários "excessivos" e usuários "extremos". Por fim, a partir desta classificação foram realizados testes comparativos entre os usuários "ocasionais" e usuários "excessivos". Demonstrou-se com esta investigação que os usuários excessivos são mais rápidos, mais atentos, mais sincronizados e que, por conta de sua rapidez e antecipação, são mais impacientes e, portanto, propensos a erros

A tese propõe-se a analisar e a interpretar a representação social do usuário sobre a assistência social. Para tanto, foi utilizada a metodologia dos círculos epistemológicos, inspirados na teoria pedagógica dos círculos de cultura de Paulo Freire, que procura superar a dicotomia entre pesquisador-pesquisando. Como nos círculos de cultura, os pesquisandos participam ativamente do processo de pesquisa. Foram realizados nove círculos epistemológicos com os usuários, em três Centros de Referência de Assistência Social – CRAS de Porto Alegre RS, três em cada CRAS. Após a realização dos nove círculos epistemológicos, todas as informações foram transcritas, lidas, categorizadas a partir de sua dimensão semântica e analisadas à luz da Teoria das Representações Sociais. Da análise dos dados, foram construídos mapas representacionais com as categorias e subcategorias que revelaram os elementos centrais que constituem tal representação. Os resultados foram interpretados a partir de aportes teóricos de autores que trabalharam temáticas ligadas à assistência social. As contribuições dos usuários pesquisandos foram levadas em consideração na produção final da tese. A tese compõe-se de quatro capítulos organizados em forma de artigo. O primeiro apresenta o referencial teórico das representações sociais e discute a metodologia dos círculos epistemológicos mostrando as conexões entre eles. O segundo artigo, também teórico, trata da formação do Estado brasileiro e como sua estruturação influenciou as políticas de assistência social. O terceiro apresenta os resultados empíricos da representação social da assistência social na perspectiva dos usuários. Tal representação apresenta-se como contraditória revelando duas dimensões centrais, uma ideológica e outra crítica. No quarto e último artigo, também empírico, é enfatizada uma dimensão específica da representação social que se destacou das informações colhidas e que se julgou oportuno aprofundá-la: a representação social que os usuários revelaram sobre si mesmos. Tal representação revelou duas dimensões contraditórias, mas inter-relacionadas: por um lado os usuários discriminam-se como “bons” e “maus”; por outro, se reconhecem como iguais pertencentes a um mesmo grupo social e deixam entrever sinais de solidariedade, que oferece condições para a emergência de uma cidadania para além dos direitos. / The dissertation proposes to analyze and interpret the social representation of the user about social assistance. The methodology of epistemological circles inspired by the educational theory of cultural circles of Paulo Freire was used, which seeks to overcome the dichotomy between researcher and research subject. As in the circles of culture, the research subjects actively participate in the research process. Nine epistemological circles were conducted with users in three reference centers of Social Assistance-CRAS of Porto Alegre RS, three in each CRAS. After the completion of the nine epistemological circles , all the information was transcribed, read, categorized from its semantic dimension and analyzed in the light of the theory of social representations. From the data analysis, representational maps were constructed with the categories and subcategories which revealed the central elements that constitute such representation. The results were interpreted from theoretical contributions of authors who worked on welfare-related themes. Research subject users ' contributions were taken into consideration in the production end of the dissertation. The dissertation consists of four chapters arranged in article form. The first presents the theoretical framework of social representations and discusses the methodology of the epistemological circles demonstrating the connections between them. The second article, also theoretical, deals with the formation of the Brazilian State and how its structure influenced the policies of social assistance. The third presents the empirical results of social representation of social assistance from the perspective of the users. Such representation is presented as contradictory revealing two central dimensions, an ideological one and another critical one. In the fourth and last article, also empirical, emphasized a specific dimension of social representation that stood out from the information collected which was deemed appropriate to deepen into: social representation that users reveal about themselves. Such representation revealed two contradictory but interrelated dimensions: on the one hand users discriminate as "good" and "bad"; on the other, recognize each other as equals belonging to the same social group and they see signs of solidarity, which provides conditions for the emergence of a citizenship beyond rights.