A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. Johannesburg, 2017 / This study examines the application of the investigation process in industry to reduce electrical arc flash incidents. Literature indicates that three streams (policies, completed investigations and investigators) influence the application of the investigation process; however, these are traditionally analysed independently without examining the dynamic influences between them. This study combines and analyses those dynamic interactions, and testing at a steel plant demonstrates that this approach allows industry to identify site specific deficiencies. The investigation process requirements, identified in literature, were used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyse the three streams. The results were interpreted using triangulation. Deficiencies around disseminating reports and using experienced investigators were identified. These plant specific deficiencies are an improvement from generic findings in literature. This study contributed to knowledge in the field of incident investigations by proposing a holistic approach that is operationally ready, and identifies deficiencies specific to the industry in which it is used. / MT 2018

Rapid emergency response decisions from a radiation release are necessary in order to prevent the general public from being exposed to a potential radiation hazard. A one meter exposure rate measurement is all that is necessary to establish relocation and food control areas when the ground is contaminated at the Protective Action Guide minimum response levels. With the results of these calculations, a known one meter exposure rate is all that is necessary to establish relocation and food control areas for a release from the WNP-2 commercial nuclear power plant or a release from a waste tank at the Hanford site. The calculated one meter exposure rate for WNP-2 is 1.32 ��R/hr at twenty-four hours. The calculated one meter exposure rate for the Hanford tanks is 14.97 ��R/hr. / Graduation date: 1995

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations December 2000. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

M.Sc. / Wireless networking is a fairly new technology that is important in information technology (IT). Hotels, Airports, Coffee shops, and homes are all installing wireless networks at a record pace, making wireless networks the best choice for consumers. This popularity of wireless networks is because of the affordability of wireless networks devices, and the easy installation [11]. In spite of the popularity of the wireless networks, one factor that has prevented them from being even more widespread can be summed up in a single word: security. It comes as no surprise that these two – wireless and security – converge to create one of the most important topics in the IT industry today [11]. Wireless networks by nature bring about new challenges unique to its environment. One example of these new challenges is: “Signal overflow beyond physical walls”, and with these kinds of new challenges unique to wireless networks, we have new security risks. Hence wireless networks lend themselves to a host of attack possibilities and risks. That is because wireless networks provide a convenient network access point for an attacker, potentially beyond the physical security controls of the organization [7]. Therefore it is challenging for managers to introduce wireless networks and properly manage the security of wireless networks, Security problems of wireless networks are the main reason for wireless networks not being rolled out optimally [1]. In this dissertation, we aim to present to both specialist and non–specialists in the IT industry the information needed to protect a wireless network. We will first identify and discuss the different security requirements of wireless networks. After that we shall examine the technology that helps make wireless networks secure, and describe the type of attacks against wireless networks and defense techniques to secure wireless networks. The research will concentrate on wireless LANs (Local Area Networks), and leading wireless LAN protocols and standards. The result of the research will be used to create WISP (A Wireless Information Security Portal). WISP will be a tool to support the management of a secure wireless network, and help assure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the information systems in a wireless network environment.

It has been found that many small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) do not comply with sound information security governance principles, specifically the principles involved in drafting information security policies and monitoring compliance, mainly as a result of restricted resources and expertise. Research suggests that this problem occurs worldwide and that the impact it has on SMMEs is great. The problem is further compounded by the fact that, in our modern-day information technology environment, many larger organisations are providing SMMEs with access to their networks. This results not only in SMMEs being exposed to security risks, but the larger organisations as well. In previous research an information security management framework and toolbox was developed to assist SMMEs in drafting information security policies. Although this research was of some help to SMMEs, further research has shown that an even greater problem exists with the governance of information security as a result of the advancements that have been identified in information security literature. The aim of this dissertation is therefore to establish an information security governance framework that requires minimal effort and little expertise to alleviate governance problems. It is believed that such a framework would be useful for SMMEs and would result in the improved implementation of information security governance.

We live today in the information age with users being able to access and share information freely by using both personal computers and their handheld devices. This, in turn, has been made possible by the Internet. However, this poses security risks as attempts are made to use this same environment in order to compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for users and organisations to protect their information resources from agents posing a security threat. Organisations typically spend large amounts of money as well as dedicating resources to improve their technological defences against general security threats. However, the agents posing these threats are adopting social engineering techniques in order to bypass the technical measures which organisations are putting in place. These social engineering techniques are often effective because they target human behaviour, something which the majority of researchers believe is a far easier alternative than hacking information systems. As such, phishing effectively makes use of a combination of social engineering techniques which involve crafty technical emails and website designs which gain the trust of their victims. Within an organisational context, there are a number of areas which phishers exploit. These areas include human factors, organisational aspects and technological controls. Ironically, these same areas serve simultaneously as security measures against phishing attacks. However, each of these three areas mentioned above are characterised by gaps which arise as a result of human involvement. As a result, the current approach to mitigating phishing threats comprises a single-layer defence model only. However, this study proposes a holistic model which integrates each of these three areas by strengthening the human element in each of these areas by means of a security awareness, training and education programme.

MCom Information Systems Research report 2015 / In today’s age of increasing cyber-attacks, with even national governments interests forming cyber warfare departments to defend their countries, there is no company globally which cannot be prepared for their critical infrastructure or information to be stolen, destroyed, manipulated or be made unavailable from various cyber-attacks. In most organisations, the user of the Information Systems is vital to ensuring that systems are protected by adhering to the Information Security Policy. Failure to comply with the Information Security Policy by end users exposes the company to the risk of the loss of sensitive information which could have major reputational, legal and financial impacts. The study followed a positivist research philosophy using a hypothetical model to test various hypotheses. Through the lens of deterrence theory, using a survey method to gather the information, the hypotheses are tested and analysed to further understand user compliance with an organisation’s Information Security Policy. The findings reveal that some elements of the deterrence theory are strong predictors to ensuring user compliance within a large global mining firm. The certainty of being caught for end users and the celerity of not adhering to the Information Security policy are strong predictors to ensure user compliance. The awareness of severity for not complying with the Information Security Policy or the awareness of being monitored is reflected to not be strong predictors to ensure user compliance. The research is intended to further assist both academics and practitioners to further their understanding of user compliance to the Information Security Policy. / MT2017

Background: Technological advancements in speech acoustic analysis have led to the development of spectral/cepstral analyses due to questions regarding the validity of traditional time-based measures (i.e., Jitter, Shimmer, and Harmonics-to-Noise-Ratio) in objectifying perturbations in dysphonic voices. Aim: This study investigated the validity of time-based measures in discriminating those with Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) from normal voiced (NV) peers when compared to cepstral-spectral measures. Method: A total of 120 sustained vowel phonations from an existing database of 40 participants (20 FA; 20 NV) of the vowels /ɑ/, /i/, and /o/ were analyzed to determine which set of variables (i.e., time-based vs. cepstral-spectral) better predicted group membership. Four variables of time-based measures (Jitter Local %, Jitter RAP, Shimmer Local %, Shimmer APQ11, and HNR) were analyzed via the freeware program PRAAT and compared to four cepstral-spectral measures (Cepstral Peak Prominence, Cepstral Peak Prominence Standard Deviation, Low/High Ratio Standard Deviation, and the Cepstral/ Spectral Index of Dysphonia) extracted from the Analysis of Dysphonia in Speech and Voice (ADSV) software program. Results: Findings from a discriminant analysis showed sensitivity and specificity results to be better for ADSV measures; 100% of those in the FA group were classified correctly (sensitivity), and 95% of members in the NV group were correctly identified (specificity) as compared to PRAAT (70% sensitivity and 85% specificity). Conclusions: Cepstral-spectral measures are much more accurate in discriminating between those with FA and NV peers as compared to time-based estimates.

This study of abstract measure covers classes of sets, measures and outer measures, extension of measures, and planer measure.

A Research Project Abstract submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for Master of Science in Engineering [Electrical]: Telecommunications at the University Of The Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 07 June 2016 / Utilities use Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems as their industrial control system. The architecture of these systems in the past was based on them being isolated from other networks. Now with recent ever changing requirements of capabilities from these systems there is a need to converge with information technology systems and with the need to have these industrial networks communicating on packet switched networks there are cyber security concerns that come up. This research project looks at the whether using encryption in an IP/MPLS core network for SCADA in an OT IT environment has an effect on the performance requirements. This was done through an experimental simulation with the results recorded. The research project also looks at the key literature study considerations. The key research question for the research project of this MSc 50/50 mini-thesis is “whether using encryption in SCADA systems, the services performance requirements are still met in OT/ IT environment over an MPLS core network”? The research project seeks to determine if SCADA performance requirements are met over an encrypted MPLS/IP core network in an OT/IT environment. The key focus area of the research project is only encryption in the whole cyber security value chain versus SCADA services performances. This means that the research project only focused on the encryption portion of the whole cyber security value chain and the scope did not focus on other aspects of the value chain. This suffices for an MSc 50/50 mini-thesis research project as a focus on the whole value chain would require a full MSc thesis. Thus the primary objective for the research project is to research and demonstrate that encryption is essential for secure SCADA communication over a MPLS/IP core network. As aforementioned encryption forms an essential part of the Cyber Security value chain which has to achieve the following objectives. Confidentiality: ensuring that the information source is really from that source. Integrity: ensuring that the information has not been altered in any way. Availability: ensuring that system is not comprised but that it is available. These objectives of encryption should be met with SCADA service performance requirements not violated which is the objective of the research project. / M T 2016