Background to the study: The Internet is rapidly becoming an important learning tool in academic institutions and workplaces. In academic institutions it plays a pivotal role in meeting information and communication needs of students, academics and researchers. Despite internet becoming an important information gathering and dissemination tool, literature reflects under-utilization both in academic and in practice settings for a number of reasons. This study therefore described the utilization of internet as an academic tool among undergraduate nursing students in a selected University in KwaZulu Natal in order to establish ways of enhancing its utilization. Methodology: A quantitative, non-experimental, descriptive design was used in this study. The population of the study was 222, and the the sample size was 141 of undergraduate nursing students which was calculated using Raosoft sample size calculator. The sample was stratified according to the percentages of the population in the Nursing program and the year of the study of the respondents. However, only 115 agreed to participate in this study and the response rate was rate therefore 81.1%. Data was collected using a survey after obtaining ethical clearance from the university and were analyzed descriptively. Findings: The findings revealed that participants perceived themselves to be at different levels of utilizing the Internet; intermediate level (32.2%) advanced level (19.1%) competent level (29.6%), beginner level (17.4%) and expert level (1.7%). The results reflected traditional university students as better equipped to use the Internet than non-traditional university students. The Internet was used for different purposes including; academic (96.5%); communication (82.6%), pleasure (71.3%), work related activity (53.9%) and shopping (13.9%). Facebook (77.4%) was the most commonly used social network followed by the twitter (24.3%). Challenges cited covered restricted access to certain sites (62.6%), very slow internet connection (55.7%), limited training in the use of the Internet (38.3%), limited number of computers (37.4%). The majority of the participants (89%) singled out training on internet use as priority with specific focus on basic IT skills (72.2%), accessing academic related material (70.4%), using Moodle (51.3%), Turnitin (35.7%) and endnote (33.9%). Conclusion: Contrary to other studies, this study reflected that students do use the Internet for a number of reasons. They however recommend structured support on how to use internet for academic purposes. / Thesis (M.N.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2013.

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.

This study explores the internet experiences of women living in rural and regional Australia, their motives for internet uptake and use, the benefits they gain from using the internet, the difficulties they encounter in using the internet and whether the benefits are affected by technical factors, such as computer equipment and telecommunication infrastructure, availability of opportunities for developing online skills, and perceptions of the internet. Data was collected via an email snowball technique to contact women living in rural and regional Australia, resulting in participation by 40 women from throughout rural and regional areas. The research drew on the literature of internet research and media uses-and-gratifications. Although the internet is a relatively new communication technology, it has attracted a large amount of scholarly interest. However, there has been little research into internet use by individual populations. Women living in rural and regional areas of Australia experience geographical and social isolation, with limited access to goods, services and information, and could be expected, therefore, to gain significant benefits from use of the internet. However, the potential benefits of the internet could be offset by difficulties with internet use in rural and regional areas. A narrative approach was used to determine the motives for internet use by women living in rural and regional Australia, the benefits they gain from using the internet, the difficulties they encounter in using it and whether the difficulties affect the benefits they gain from internet use. The research findings show that, more than anything else, women living in rural and regional Australia use the internet to build and maintain relationships, including keeping in touch with family and friends, re-connecting with friends for the past and making new friends online. They also use the internet to facilitate involvement in community organisations, to contribute to social issues at the national, state and local level and to participate in community projects and events. In addition, women living in rural and regional Australia use the internet to undertake business and education related activities, pursue personal interests, seek emotional support and undertake practical tasks, such as finding and disseminating information, banking and shopping. However, the many benefits of the internet are offset to some extent by the many frustrations encountered in using it, particularly in regard to technical factors and developing online skills. Spam mail and viruses also cause considerable inconvenience.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 47-06, page: 3500. Adviser: Lu-Yu Hwang. Includes bibliographical references.

This study examines the role of the Internet in the life of diasporic women. Twenty-nine qualitative interviews were conducted with Mainland Chinese immigrant women in Montreal, Canada to answer three research questions: (1) what is the use and value of the Internet as perceived by these women; (2) how have they experienced the Internet given their particular social situation as immigrants in Montreal; and (3) what diasporic identities are related to these women's Internet practices. The research found that the Internet was perceived by these women mainly as a tool to obtain information, facilitate communication, and access recreation. Its appropriation reflected their special social situation as immigrants and women. Their Internet experience was largely involved in the reproduction of their identification with China, Canada and the Mainland Chinese diaspora, and in some case, in the production of new cultural positions. The study also suggests directions for future research.

Information technology (IT) has become pervasive in the healthcare industry. Many view the Internet as a strategic healthcare tool. The Medical Records Institute suggests that Internet-based health applications (IHA), for example, electronic health records, e-prescribing, and mobile health are the goals of most healthcare organizations (2002). The use of the Internet for electronic medical records, e-billing and patient scheduling can enable the health care industry to reduce its inefficiencies and errors in care delivery (HlMSS/IBM Leadership Survey, 2000). While the use of IT in healthcare has increased tremendously, key players, specifically physicians still have not fully embraced the valuable resource of the Internet. Despite the purported advantages of lT investments in healthcare many doctors do not widely use Internet-based health applications in their clinical practices. Physicians often misunderstand the functions and full potential of the Internet (Wang & Song, 1997). Health & Health Care 20 I0 report that less than 5% of physicians use computers to record all clinical information for an average patient. The present study examined physicians' intentions to adopt Internet-based health applications for use in their clinical practices. This research reports on the test-retest reliability of the extended Technology Acceptance Model-TAM2 (Venkatesh & Davis, 2000). Data were collected from a survey of pediatricians to evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of the model in the medical environment. Results from the study indicate that TAM2 is appropriate but not completely applicable to the unique characteristic of physicians. The test-retest indicated reliable results with the exception of the result demonstrability construct. The results of multiple regression analyses indicated that perceived ease of use was not significant in predicting physicians' behavioral intentions in this study. As theorized the primary predictor variable perceived usefulness was a strong determinant of intention to use. Results indicate that physicians tend to be pragmatic in their IT acceptance decisions. Physicians focus more on the technology's usefulness rather than its ease of use. This dissertation discusses the implications, limitations and presents possible explanations for the inconsistencies within the extended technology acceptance model when it is applied to a professional group not commonly examined in IS research. / Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-180). / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / xv, 180 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-130). / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / xii, 130 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-06, Section: A, page: 2064. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 175-184).

Thesis (Ed.D. )--Duquesne University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Abstract included in electronic submission form. Includes bibliographical references (p. 148-162) and index.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.