Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University, 2005. / Advisor: Dr. Graham Knight. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 225-240). Also available via World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Wisconsin--La Crosse, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 50-52).

In today's digital age, computer systems are prime targets for adversaries due to the vast amounts of sensitive information stored digitally. This ongoing cat-and-mouse game between programmers and adversaries forces security researchers to continually develop novel security measures. Widely adopted schemes like NX bits have safeguarded systems against traditional memory exploits such as buffer overflows, but new threats like code-reuse attacks quickly bypass these defenses. Code-reuse attacks exploit existing code sequences, known as gadgets, without injecting new malicious code, making them challenging to counter. Additionally, input-based vulnerabilities pose significant risks by exploiting external inputs to trigger malicious paths. Languages like C and C++ are often considered unsafe due to their tendency to cause issues like buffer overflows and use-after-free errors. Addressing these complex vulnerabilities requires extensive research and a holistic approach. This dissertation initially introduces a methodology for verifying the functional equivalence between an original binary and its diversified version. The Verification of Diversified Binary (VDB) algorithm is employed to determine whether the two binaries—the original and the diversified—maintain functional equivalence. Code diversification techniques modify the binary compilation process to produce functionally equivalent yet different binaries from the same source code. Most code diversification techniques focus on analyzing non-functional properties, such as whether the technique improves security. The objective of this contribution is to enable the use of untrusted diversification techniques in essential applications. Our evaluation demonstrates that the VDB algorithm can verify the functional equivalence of 85,315 functions within binaries from the GNU Coreutils 8.31 benchmark suite. Next, this dissertation proposes a binary-level tool that modifies binaries to protect against control-flow hijacking attacks. Traditional approaches to guard against ROP attacks either introduce significant overhead, require hardware support, or need intimate knowledge of the binary, such as source code. In contrast, this contribution does not rely on source code nor the latest hardware technology (e.g., Intel Control-flow Enforcement Technology). Instead, we show that we can precisely restrict control flow transfers from transferring to non-intended paths even without these features. To that end, this contribution proposes a novel control-flow integrity policy based on a deny list called Control-flow Restriction (CFR). CFR determines which control flow transfers are allowed in the binary without requiring source code. Our implementation and evaluation of CFR show that it achieves this goal with an average runtime performance overhead for commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) binaries in the range of 5.5% to 14.3%. In contrast, a state-of-the-art binary-level solution such as BinCFI has an average overhead of 61.5%. Additionally, this dissertation explores leveraging the latest hardware security primitives to compartmentalize sensitive data. Specifically, we use a tagged memory architecture introduced by ARM called the Memory Tagging Extension (MTE), which assigns a metadata tag to a memory location that is associated with pointers referencing that memory location. Although promising, ARM MTE suffers from predictable tag allocation on stack data, vulnerable plain-text metadata tags, and lack of fine-grained memory access control. Therefore, this contribution introduces Shroud to enhance data security through compartmentalization using MTE and protect MTE's tagged pointers' vulnerability through encryption. Evaluation of Shroud demonstrates its security effectiveness against non-control-data attacks like Heartbleed and Data-Oriented Programming, with performance evaluations showing an average overhead of 4.2% on lighttpd and 2% on UnixBench. Finally, the NPB benchmark measured Shroud's overhead, showing an average runtime overhead of 2.57%. The vulnerabilities highlighted by exploits like Heartbleed capitalize on external inputs, underscoring the need for enhanced input-driven security measures. Therefore, this dissertation describes a method to improve upon the limitations of traditional compartmentalization techniques. This contribution introduces an Input-Based Compartmentalization System (IBCS), a comprehensive toolchain that utilizes user input to identify data for memory protection automatically. Based on user inputs, IBCS employs hybrid taint analysis to generate sensitive code paths and further analyze each tainted data using novel assembly analyses to identify and enforce selective targets. Evaluations of IBCS demonstrate its security effectiveness through adversarial analysis and report an average overhead of 3% on Nginx. Finally, this dissertation concludes by revisiting the problem of implementing a classical technique known as Software Fault Isolation (SFI) on an x86-64 architecture. Prior works attempting to implement SFI on an x86-64 architecture have suffered from supporting a limited number of sandboxes, high context-switch overhead, and requiring extensive modifications to the toolchain, jeopardizing maintainability and introducing compatibility issues due to the need for specific hardware. This dissertation describes x86-based Fault Isolation (XFI), an efficient SFI scheme implemented on an x86-64 architecture with minimal modifications needed to the toolchain, while reducing complexity in enforcing SFI policies with low performance (22.48% average) and binary size overheads (2.65% average). XFI initializes the sandbox environment for the rewritten binary and, depending on the instructions, enforces data-access and control-flow policies to ensure safe execution. XFI provides the security benefits of a classical SFI scheme and offers additional protection against several classes of side-channel attacks, which can be further extended to enhance its protection capabilities. / Doctor of Philosophy / In today's digital age, cyber attackers frequently target computer systems due to the vast amounts of sensitive information they store. As a result, security researchers must constantly develop new protective measures. Traditional defenses like NX bits have been effective against memory exploits, but new threats like code-reuse attacks, which leverage existing code without introducing new malicious code, present new challenges. Additionally, vulnerabilities in languages like C and C++ further complicate security efforts. Addressing these issues requires extensive research and a comprehensive approach. This dissertation introduces several innovative techniques to enhance computer security. First, it presents a method to verify that a diversified program is functionally equivalent to its original version, ensuring that security modifications do not alter its intended functions. Next, it proposes a technique to prevent control-flow hijacking attacks without requiring source code or advanced hardware. Then, the dissertation explores leveraging advanced hardware, such as ARM's Memory Tagging Extension, to protect sensitive data, demonstrating robust security against attacks like Heartbleed. Recognizing that adversaries often use external inputs to exploit vulnerabilities, this dissertation introduces Input-Based Compartmentalization to automatically protect memory based on user input. Finally, an efficient implementation of a well-known security technique called Software Fault Isolation on x86-64 architecture ensures safe execution with low overhead. These advancements collectively enhance the robustness of computer systems against modern cyber threats.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T20:15:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2007- Ana Luisa Perrone Poerner.pdf: 1459894 bytes, checksum: 00367d6cd6bb2110295c0fa6aad7546d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-02-22 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico / The objectives of this study were to understand the characteristics of human rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) in Center-South Region of Rio de Janeiro State and analyze PEP trends against epidemiologic situation of canine rabies, indirectly analyzing integration between control actions developed in the area. Data from 4310 patients who visited health services because of animal aggressions between years 2000 and 2005 were obtained in Health State Department, as well as canine vaccination coverage information. In this paper, descriptive analysis was used to study variables like: method and source of exposure occurrence, patients age and sex, health conditions and species of the animal aggressor, PEP interruption, characteristics of the wounds and previously PEP prescription. Data related to animal exposure incidences, PEP prescription incidence, dogs density, dog/human rate and canine vaccination coverage were also studied. Simple linear regression was carried out to obtain human rabies prescription and canine vaccination trends. c? test was used to verify significant difference (r ? 0,05) among vaccinated patients proportion in the period. Incidence of animal agression ranged from 10,1/10.000 persons in 2000 to 29,2/10.000 persons in 2005, with an average of 23,7/10.000 persons. Bite exposures accounted for 79,3% of the wounds, dogs were responsible for 86,2% of the cases and most of them were healthy at the moment of the aggression (44,8%). Male patients accounted for 57,5% of the cases. Most of the patients between 1 and 15 years (35%) also were male (62,2%). Most of the wounds were unique (59,7%) superficial (60,8%) and not-provoked (60,1%). Incidence of rabies PEP ranged from 5,1/10.000 persons in 2000 to 23,6/10.000 persons in 2005, reaching an average of 15,2/10.000 persons. Rabies PEP prescription average and estimated canine vaccination coverage in the period was 64,1% and 92,8%, respectively. Estimated relation dog/human in 2005 was 1:5,8 and dog density in the same year was 16,7 dogs/km?. There was significant difference between proportions of vaccinated and non-vaccinated patients in the period. The characteristics of human rabies post-exposure prophylaxis and animal aggressions hadn t changed and there was an ascended trend in human rabies post-exposure prophylaxis prescription, with high proportions and significant difference, despite the high levels of canine vaccination coverage and absence of human and canine rabies notification, indicating a lack of integration between prevention actions developed in the area. / O presente estudo teve como objetivo conhecer as caracter?sticas dos casos de atendimento anti-r?bico humano p?s-exposi??o na Regi?o Centro-Sul do Estado do Rio de Janeiro e analisar a tend?ncia da prescri??o de vacina anti-r?bica a humanos, v?timas de agress?o animal, frente ? situa??o epidemiol?gica da raiva canina, avaliando indiretamente a integra??o das a??es de profilaxia da raiva animal e humana na Regi?o. Os dados referentes ao atendimento anti-r?bico humano p?s-exposi??o de 4310 pacientes e informa??es sobre a cobertura vacinal canina, no per?odo de 2000 a 2005, foram obtidos na Secretaria Estadual de Sa?de. Foi realizada uma an?lise descritiva das vari?veis: tipo e modo de ocorr?ncia da agress?o, esp?cie animal agressora e sua condi??o, circunst?ncias da agress?o, localiza??o, gravidade e caracter?sticas do ferimento, motiva??o para a ocorr?ncia das agress?es, faixa et?ria e g?nero dos indiv?duos expostos, hist?rico de profilaxia anti-r?bica dos pacientes e ocorr?ncia de interrup??o da vacina??o. Foram calculadas a incid?ncia de atendimento antir?bico humano p?s-exposi??o, incid?ncia e percentual de prescri??o de vacina anti-r?bica humana p?s-exposi??o, densidade populacional de c?es, raz?o c?o/homem e cobertura vacinal canina. A regress?o linear simples foi utilizada para obten??o das retas de tend?ncia da prescri??o de vacina anti-r?bica humana e da vacina??o canina. O teste do c? foi utilizado para verificar se a propor??o de pacientes vacinados diferiu significativamente (r ? 0,05) entre os anos analisados. A incid?ncia de atendimentos variou de 10,1/10.000 habitantes em 2000 a 29,2/10.000 habitantes em 2005, com uma incid?ncia m?dia de atendimentos de 23,7/10.000 habitantes. A mordedura foi o principal tipo de agress?o (79,3%) e os c?es foram os principais agressores (86,2%), sendo que a maioria (44,8%) se encontrava sadia no momento da agress?o. A maioria dos pacientes (57,5%) foi do g?nero masculino. Os indiv?duos mais expostos tinham entre 1 e 15 anos de idade (35%), sendo que a maioria tamb?m era do sexo masculino (62,2%). A maior parte das les?es localizou-se nas m?os e p?s (36,6%), sendo que em crian?as menores de 15 anos a maioria das les?es ocorreu na cabe?a e pesco?o (75,6%). Predominaram os ferimentos ?nicos (59,7%), superficiais (60,8%) e n?o-provocados (60,1%). A incid?ncia de prescri??o de vacina anti-r?bica humana variou de 5,1/10.000 habitantes em 2000 a 23,6/10.000 habitantes em 2005, com uma incid?ncia m?dia de prescri??o de vacina de 15,2/10.000 habitantes. O percentual m?dio de pessoas vacinadas foi de 64,1%. A m?dia de cobertura vacinal canina atingida na regi?o foi de 92,8%. A rela??o c?o/homem estimada na regi?o em 2005 foi de 1:5,8 e a densidade populacional canina no mesmo ano foi de 16,7 c?es/km?. A propor??o de pacientes vacinados e n?o vacinados diferiu significativamente no per?odo analisado. As caracter?sticas dos casos de atendimento e dos animais agressores n?o se alteraram em rela??o aos relatados na literatura e observou-se uma tend?ncia ascendente na prescri??o de vacina anti-r?bica humana p?s-exposi??o, com altos percentuais e diferen?as significativas, apesar de altos n?veis de cobertura vacinal canina e aus?ncia de notifica??o de raiva canina e humana, demonstrando uma falta de articula??o entre as a??es do programa de controle na Regi?o.

This research uses data from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to determine dietary and other factors associated with serum 25(OH)-Vitamin D concentration for 5,474 adults age 20 years and older. After multivariate adjustment, we found that serum 25(OH)-Vitamin D concentration was positively associated with diets high in fruits, vegetables, and lean meats, while diets high in processed foods and high-fat meats were inversely associated with vitamin D level. Serum 25(OH)-Vitamin D concentration was also signifi-cantly associated with age, gender, race/ethnicity, BMI, physical activity, supplementation, and the season of survey administration. Self-reported cardiovascular and kidney disease were significantly associated with serum 25 (OH)-Vitamin D concentration after adjustment for significant confounders.

Thesis (M.A.)--Georgia State University, 2008. / Title from file title page. Leonard Teel, committee chair; Kathryn Fuller-Seeley, Holley Wilkin, committee members. Electronic text (158 p.) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed Nov. 18, 2008. Includes bibliographical references (p. 130-158).

Esta tese abrange questões relacionadas ao espaço, ao controle e prevenção de doenças e ao fato destes serem artefatos culturais produtores de saber-­‐poder-­‐subjetivação mundial. Mais precisamente, analisa as maneiras pelas quais o espaço tem sido referido e produzido por meio dos preceitos da saúde, associados ao controle e à prevenção de doenças infectocontagiosas, que são elaborados e divulgados pela Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS). Para isso, foram aproximados conhecimentos dos campos da Educação, da Geografia e da Saúde, sob a perspectiva dos Estudos Culturais, com o objetivo de problematizar as recomendações e as práticas preconizadas pela agência. O conjunto de materiais analisados é composto por diversas publicações oficiais da OMS – 11 principais e 35 complementares – acerca da “segurança da vida”, associada à saúde, em escala global. O trabalho está divido em sete capítulos nos quais são apresentadas questões que motivaram sua elaboração, descrições e discussões que envolvem as estratégias metodológicas que conduziram a pesquisa, bem como, apontamentos conceituais e analíticos. O argumento central refere que os discursos da saúde disparam, em função de seu caráter educativo, transformações culturais significativas que envolvem diversas dinâmicas associadas à produção do espaço. Partindo disso, são destacadas diferentes maneiras pelas quais o espaço tem sido praticado e transformado pelas orientações e ações promovidas pela OMS. Entre estas transformações estão aquelas que, atualmente, consideram a mobilidade de pessoas e doenças no espaço e, portanto, que passam a fazer emergir políticas de imunização. Estas políticas oportunizam o entendimento de que o corpo e o espaço são dimensões complementares no que se refere ao controle e prevenção de doenças. Diante disso, surge a necessidade de novas abordagens educacionais, sobretudo, aquelas direcionadas à formação de profissionais que atuam nos campos da Educação, da Geografia e da Saúde. / This thesis covers issues related to space, control and prevention of diseases and the fact that these producers are cultural artifacts of power ‐ knowledge ‐ subjectivity world. More precisely it examines the ways in which space has been referred to and produced by the precepts of health, associated with the control and prevention of infectious diseases which are developed and disseminated by the World Health Organization (WHO). For that, approximate knowledge of the fields of Education, Geography and Health from the perspective of cultural studies, aiming to discuss the recommendations and practices recommended by the agency. The set of the material analyzed consists of various official WHO publications ‐ 11 main and 35 additional ‐ about the " safety of life " associated with health on a global scale. The work is divided into seven chapters where issues that motivated its development , descriptions and discussions involving the methodological strategies that conducted the research, as well as conceptual and analytical notes are presented. The central argument states that healthcare discourses create, due to their educational caracteristic, significant cultural transformations that involve various dynamics associated with the production of space . It also highlight various ways in which space has been practiced and transformed by the guidelines and actions promoted by the WHO. Among these changes are those that currently consider the mobility of people and diseases in space and, therefore, become emerging immunization policies. These policies nurture the understanding that the body and the space dimensions are complementary with respect to the control and prevention of disease. Therefore, the need arises for new educational approaches, especially those aimed at training professionals working in the fields of Education, Geography and Health.

Esta tese abrange questões relacionadas ao espaço, ao controle e prevenção de doenças e ao fato destes serem artefatos culturais produtores de saber-­‐poder-­‐subjetivação mundial. Mais precisamente, analisa as maneiras pelas quais o espaço tem sido referido e produzido por meio dos preceitos da saúde, associados ao controle e à prevenção de doenças infectocontagiosas, que são elaborados e divulgados pela Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS). Para isso, foram aproximados conhecimentos dos campos da Educação, da Geografia e da Saúde, sob a perspectiva dos Estudos Culturais, com o objetivo de problematizar as recomendações e as práticas preconizadas pela agência. O conjunto de materiais analisados é composto por diversas publicações oficiais da OMS – 11 principais e 35 complementares – acerca da “segurança da vida”, associada à saúde, em escala global. O trabalho está divido em sete capítulos nos quais são apresentadas questões que motivaram sua elaboração, descrições e discussões que envolvem as estratégias metodológicas que conduziram a pesquisa, bem como, apontamentos conceituais e analíticos. O argumento central refere que os discursos da saúde disparam, em função de seu caráter educativo, transformações culturais significativas que envolvem diversas dinâmicas associadas à produção do espaço. Partindo disso, são destacadas diferentes maneiras pelas quais o espaço tem sido praticado e transformado pelas orientações e ações promovidas pela OMS. Entre estas transformações estão aquelas que, atualmente, consideram a mobilidade de pessoas e doenças no espaço e, portanto, que passam a fazer emergir políticas de imunização. Estas políticas oportunizam o entendimento de que o corpo e o espaço são dimensões complementares no que se refere ao controle e prevenção de doenças. Diante disso, surge a necessidade de novas abordagens educacionais, sobretudo, aquelas direcionadas à formação de profissionais que atuam nos campos da Educação, da Geografia e da Saúde. / This thesis covers issues related to space, control and prevention of diseases and the fact that these producers are cultural artifacts of power ‐ knowledge ‐ subjectivity world. More precisely it examines the ways in which space has been referred to and produced by the precepts of health, associated with the control and prevention of infectious diseases which are developed and disseminated by the World Health Organization (WHO). For that, approximate knowledge of the fields of Education, Geography and Health from the perspective of cultural studies, aiming to discuss the recommendations and practices recommended by the agency. The set of the material analyzed consists of various official WHO publications ‐ 11 main and 35 additional ‐ about the " safety of life " associated with health on a global scale. The work is divided into seven chapters where issues that motivated its development , descriptions and discussions involving the methodological strategies that conducted the research, as well as conceptual and analytical notes are presented. The central argument states that healthcare discourses create, due to their educational caracteristic, significant cultural transformations that involve various dynamics associated with the production of space . It also highlight various ways in which space has been practiced and transformed by the guidelines and actions promoted by the WHO. Among these changes are those that currently consider the mobility of people and diseases in space and, therefore, become emerging immunization policies. These policies nurture the understanding that the body and the space dimensions are complementary with respect to the control and prevention of disease. Therefore, the need arises for new educational approaches, especially those aimed at training professionals working in the fields of Education, Geography and Health.

Esta tese abrange questões relacionadas ao espaço, ao controle e prevenção de doenças e ao fato destes serem artefatos culturais produtores de saber-­‐poder-­‐subjetivação mundial. Mais precisamente, analisa as maneiras pelas quais o espaço tem sido referido e produzido por meio dos preceitos da saúde, associados ao controle e à prevenção de doenças infectocontagiosas, que são elaborados e divulgados pela Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS). Para isso, foram aproximados conhecimentos dos campos da Educação, da Geografia e da Saúde, sob a perspectiva dos Estudos Culturais, com o objetivo de problematizar as recomendações e as práticas preconizadas pela agência. O conjunto de materiais analisados é composto por diversas publicações oficiais da OMS – 11 principais e 35 complementares – acerca da “segurança da vida”, associada à saúde, em escala global. O trabalho está divido em sete capítulos nos quais são apresentadas questões que motivaram sua elaboração, descrições e discussões que envolvem as estratégias metodológicas que conduziram a pesquisa, bem como, apontamentos conceituais e analíticos. O argumento central refere que os discursos da saúde disparam, em função de seu caráter educativo, transformações culturais significativas que envolvem diversas dinâmicas associadas à produção do espaço. Partindo disso, são destacadas diferentes maneiras pelas quais o espaço tem sido praticado e transformado pelas orientações e ações promovidas pela OMS. Entre estas transformações estão aquelas que, atualmente, consideram a mobilidade de pessoas e doenças no espaço e, portanto, que passam a fazer emergir políticas de imunização. Estas políticas oportunizam o entendimento de que o corpo e o espaço são dimensões complementares no que se refere ao controle e prevenção de doenças. Diante disso, surge a necessidade de novas abordagens educacionais, sobretudo, aquelas direcionadas à formação de profissionais que atuam nos campos da Educação, da Geografia e da Saúde. / This thesis covers issues related to space, control and prevention of diseases and the fact that these producers are cultural artifacts of power ‐ knowledge ‐ subjectivity world. More precisely it examines the ways in which space has been referred to and produced by the precepts of health, associated with the control and prevention of infectious diseases which are developed and disseminated by the World Health Organization (WHO). For that, approximate knowledge of the fields of Education, Geography and Health from the perspective of cultural studies, aiming to discuss the recommendations and practices recommended by the agency. The set of the material analyzed consists of various official WHO publications ‐ 11 main and 35 additional ‐ about the " safety of life " associated with health on a global scale. The work is divided into seven chapters where issues that motivated its development , descriptions and discussions involving the methodological strategies that conducted the research, as well as conceptual and analytical notes are presented. The central argument states that healthcare discourses create, due to their educational caracteristic, significant cultural transformations that involve various dynamics associated with the production of space . It also highlight various ways in which space has been practiced and transformed by the guidelines and actions promoted by the WHO. Among these changes are those that currently consider the mobility of people and diseases in space and, therefore, become emerging immunization policies. These policies nurture the understanding that the body and the space dimensions are complementary with respect to the control and prevention of disease. Therefore, the need arises for new educational approaches, especially those aimed at training professionals working in the fields of Education, Geography and Health.

Class of 2014 Abstract / Specific Aims: The purpose of this study was to assess pharmacists’, pharmacy technicians’, and pharmacy interns’ knowledge of current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) immunization guidelines for pregnant women. Methods: Questionnaires administered to volunteers during the Arizona Pharmacy Association (AzPA) 2013 Annual Convention and Trade Show collected data showing the volunteers’ level of knowledge about current immunization guidelines; data on professional roles (pharmacist, pharmacy intern, or pharmacy technician), years in practice, current immunization certification status and activity, and practice setting were also collected. Main Results: Questionnaires were completed by 112 volunteers, including 48 pharmacists, 25 pharmacy technicians, and 39 pharmacy interns. The overall percentage of correct answers from all participants was 33%. Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy interns had correct answer percentages of 41%, 16%, and 34%, respectively. Pharmacy practitioners who were state certified to perform immunizations performed statistically significantly better than the non-certified group (44.2% correct versus 33% correct, P=0.012). Practitioners who work at a practice site that provides immunizations were compared with practitioners who do not, with results trending toward statistical significance, but falling just short (45.7% correct versus 36% correct, P=0.054). Conclusion: The general level of knowledge about CDC immunization guidelines appears to be inadequate among the volunteer group of pharmacy practitioners, possibly leading to missed opportunities for needed immunizations.