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The Intelligent Trap: Markov Decision Process Framework for Dynamic Honeypot
No full textModern adversarial attacks are integrated with AI to target and evade network security solutions such as honeypots. Honeypots aim to learn from attackers’ behaviour. However, most current honeypots are configured and managed statically, wherein prior knowledge about the attackers is mandatory. The current intelligent honeypots, such as HARM proposed by Dowling, have shown limitations in adapting to the evolving automated and repetitive malware attacks, especially those targeting the Internet of Things. Furthermore, QRASSH is another example of an autonomic honeypot designed to address the issue of inadaptability to evolving threats. However, the developers of this project encountered difficulties in integrating machine learning techniques and in formulating effective reward functions for reinforcement learning. Moreover, Heliza faced multiple challenges. These included difficulties in identifying attack types and distinguishing between human-based and automated attacks. The system also struggled to define optimal learning strategies and limitations to adapt to the techniques employed by attackers. In response to these challenges, the main objective of this research is to design a honeypot with autonomous behaviour, enabling the system to make decisions in a dynamic network environment. The first objective of this research is to define the concept of an autonomic honeypot by exploring current autonomic honeypot systems. The second objective is to design a Markov Decision-Making Process (MDP) model to better understand the attackers' actions in different situations. The third objective involves deploying the MDP model for honeypot integration using reinforcement learning algorithms, allowing the honeypot to generate responses while interacting with new attackers autonomously. Finally, the fourth objective focuses on the evaluation of the honeypot's performance in terms of adaptability and learning stability.The first objective of this research focuses on a new class of intelligent honeypots; however, their adaptability characteristics offer greater protection against attackers' detection techniques. This research reviewed the current intelligent honeypot systems using criteria based on the Autonomic Computing Toolkit User’s Guide definition of autonomic systems. This research describes an autonomic honeypot as a system that anticipates attacker behaviour, protects data, supports dynamic response generation and autonomous decision-making capabilities.In the second objective, various experimental studies were conducted in a controlled environment to evaluate the honeypot's behaviour before integration with a modified configuration, and after integration. The first round of experiments undertaken was to focus on identifying attackers’ goals and techniques, and capturing the normal behaviour of attackers. This data allowed us to create a Markov Decision-Making Process (MDP) model for the integration round of the experiments and evaluate Cowrie's adaptive behaviour while interacting with attackers. The MDP model helped to measure the probability of attackers taking action in different situations. This enhances the honeypot with active intelligence-gathering for attackers' unique pattern recognition. The third objective investigated whether an MDP-based model could offer adaptability, intelligent gathering, and dynamic response features while interacting with the attackers. By deploying reinforcement learning techniques, the model achieved significant improvement in identifying unique patterns, adaptability, and dynamic response generation for cryptomining and botnet attack scenarios. The fourth and last objective evaluated the MDP-based honeypot regarding its adaptability in response generation and learning stability toward new evolving threats after its integration.</p
The valve of highway adjacent space 'Mind the Gap'
No full textThis thesis looks to re-orientate the preconceptions of highway adjacent space. Often in Landscape Architecture there is a focus on how to make a space more comfortable and inviting. Hence there is a reluctance to build next to main roadways as their context defines them as noisy and polluted (Gehl & Svarre, 2013). There is a general recognition of the powerful negative effects of highways on surrounding areas. It is often assumed that all a designer can do is to mitigate these effects.Fieldwork as part of this research revealed that the highway that runs along the edge of Wellington produces a type of pedestrian experience adjacent to the highway that seems worthy of attention, experientially and socially. This research investigates how to understand and design with this previously unrecognised pedestrian movement, which I have termed ‘dawdling’.‘To dawdle’ is a walking movement that is facilitated when moving through leftover spaces adjacent to motorways (Figure 1:4). Different types and intensities of dawdling appear within these leftover spaces. This project aims to develop a series of large parks along the length of a section of the inner motorway in Wellington that explore the possibilities of dawdling. This thesis seeks to design a series of parks which challenge existing notions surrounding motorway adjacent pedestrian spaces and produce a unique way for pedestrians to experience the city.</p
Integrating life cycle thinking in the analyses of energy transitions: The case of electricity generation supply in Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textTransitioning to sustainable energy systems and phasing out fossil fuels are crucial for mitigating climate change. To this end, countries like Aotearoa New Zealand have been planning pathways towards a low-carbon energy future. However, the complexity of electricity systems, and the associated material flows, and life cycle impacts, are often overlooked.This PhD thesis addresses these challenges by integrating life cycle thinking into the analysis of the national electricity transition, with a particular focus on the material requirements, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy implications of deploying different solar and wind generation systems in Aotearoa New Zealand. Technologies used in renewable electricity generation systems, such as wind turbines and solar photovoltaic modules, require substantial amounts of diverse materials. Processing the needed materials and manufacturing the technologies are energy-intensive, with significant GHG emissions. Despite their relevance, the role of material flows and the life cycle environmental performance of renewable electricity systems, together with future pathways for the electricity transition, remain underexplored in a single framework.This thesis addresses this gap by integrating (1) renewable energy deployment, (2) material and resource implications, and (3) environmental impact assessments in one framework. By combining diffusion theory, logistic growth models, prospective material flow analysis (pMFA), life cycle assessments (LCAs), and prospective LCAs (pLCAs), this thesis offers a comprehensive analysis of the energy-resource nexus. The approach proposed in this thesis builds up on each of those modelling techniques.A key contribution of this thesis is developing scenarios for onshore wind, offshore wind, utility-scale solar, and distributed solar PV deployments, in which a disruptive scenario might be required to achieve more ambitious sustainability strategies. The thesis also contributes to developing and updating LCAs for renewable generation systems, incorporating current data and reflecting technological and industrial advancements. It highlights the importance of regularly updating LCA data to reflect evolving impacts and benefits. Material demands are quantified for renewable electricity systems, recycling alleviates the need for primary material only in the long term, thus, primary materials are needed to build up the infrastructure of new electricity systems in the coming years. The prospective environmental impact analysis shows that renewable generation systems have higher emissions during the initial years of implementation, with significant reductions over time as they reach net-positive energy generation. The findings underscore the long-term environmental benefits of renewables and support the strategic planning of scalable renewable generation deployments. The thesis provides insights for shaping climate, resource, and energy policies and strategies, aligning Aotearoa New Zealand's energy transition with broader global sustainability goals.</p
Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) and the Notion of ‘Cooperation’ in International Law
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The conflict and convergence of mātauranga Māori-derived inventions with the IP system: a case study of hāngī patents
No full textAbstract
Indigenous peoples’ use of the patent system is often discussed in a binary fashion, in either a celebratory manner of ‘success cases’ or to discuss why Indigenous peoples cannot use the patent system. This article tackles this binary by examining how Māori (an Indigenous people of New Zealand) might use the patent system and how this might benefit their businesses in some cases, but this apparent convergence does not mean that there is no conflict of knowledge systems. The article uses hāngī (earth oven cooking) related patents in New Zealand as a case study to expose the apparent convergences but conflicts, in particular, with respect to how patents are prosecuted in a patent office and interpreted and assessed for validity by the courts
Effects Of Additives and The Volumetric Variation on Thermal Properties and Heat Transfer Characteristics of Clay Bricks
No full textThis study investigates the production of porous, lightweight clay bricks with improved thermal insulation and mechanical properties, targeting applications in energy-efficient construction. Utilising oat husk, an organic waste product, as an additive, this research aims to overcome the longstanding challenges associated with incorporating additives in energy-brick production. By employing an innovative pre-treatment process, both the mechanical strength and thermal conductivity of the fired clay bricks were enhanced, crucial for building applications.In this study, raw materials, including oat husk in normal and ash-converted forms, were selected, pre-treated, and blended with clay at varying additive concentrations up to 30% by volume. The semi-dry mixtures were then mechanically compressed, dried, and fired over 12 hours, reaching a peak temperature of approximately 800°C. Both experimental and modelling approaches were employed to evaluate the thermophysical properties of the resulting samples, specifically thermal conductivity and compressive strength.The results indicated that the addition of oat husk created porous, lightweight bricks with strong insulating qualities. Notably, the 30% additive sample achieved a thermal conductivity of approximately 0.41 W/mK, showing a reduction of over 31% compared to the control sample (0.60 W/mK), though with a decrease in compressive strength. An optimal balance was observed in samples with a 5% oat husk additive, which exhibited a compressive strength of 6.05 MPa, exceeding the control sample's 5.24 MPa by more than 15%, and retained a favourable thermal conductivity of approximately 0.566 W/mK.These findings suggest that oat husk pre-treated with hydrochloric acid (HCl) can be effectively utilised to produce energy-efficient fired clay bricks with enhanced mechanical and thermal properties. This research contributes a viable solution for sustainable construction, addressing the challenge of organic additive incorporation in energy-brick production for building technology.</p
Pūrākau, place and digital learning: helping tauira share their stories
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Investigating Factors Associated with COVID-19 Vaccination Attitudes
No full textVaccines are essential in preventing and managing diseases, such as COVID-19. However, vaccine hesitancy remains a concern in public health as it can hinder the effective control and eradication of life-threatening diseases. Understanding relevant factors that can facilitate vaccination are essential to support strategies aimed at addressing the negative effect of pandemics, epidemics, and Pathogen X. My thesis aimed to investigate factors linked to attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination. The first study of my thesis was a systematic review on vaccination willingness during the current pandemic, uncovering a lack of cross-country exploration of the complex interplay between biopsychosocial variables and vaccination attitudes. Current research is also predominantly relying on ordinal scores that lack precision. Therefore, seven studies included in my thesis used advanced methods such as Rasch analysis to cross-culturally adapt, validate, and improve scales assessing psychological constructs relevant to vaccination attitudes and public health. All validated psychometric measures (e.g., measures of vaccination attitudes, compassion, and life orientation) demonstrated good reliability and validity across countries for assessing relevant constructs. Acceptable parameters for each measure facilitated the development of conversion algorithms to transform ordinal scores into interval-level scores for each scale, thereby enhancing their precision and suitability for parametric statistical analysis. Further, three studies of the thesis applied novel network analysis and stepwise regression to examine the interactive networks of biological, psychological, and social factors linked to vaccination attitudes. These studies adopted the biopsychosocial model and used the enhanced scales to ensure reliability and validity of the results. The network analysis showed that COVID-19 origin-related infodemics promoted vaccination attitudes, while religious-related infodemics negatively impacted vaccination attitudes. The results also demonstrated that psychological factors, controlling for country of residence, significantly influenced individual attitudes towards vaccination. Positive psychological factors acted as a buffer against negative emotions, which, in turn, were linked to better self-reported immune status, emphasising their protective role in shaping vaccination attitudes and potentially enhancing immune resistance to infectious diseases. The impact of sociodemographic variables, however, displayed inconsistent patterns across countries, suggesting unique cultural influences on vaccination attitudes. Overall, this thesis analysed data from nearly 2,000 participants from four countries across four continents. Studies included in my thesis offer practical solutions and novel approaches for improving the reliability and validity of psychometric measures, and for investigating psychological factors related to vaccination and public health research. This thesis underscores the importance of public health campaigns in promoting emotional well-being during pandemics, epidemics, and Pathogen X, and highlights the need to counter misinformation and identify contextual factors affecting vaccination attitudes. These efforts are vital for minimising the negative effects of health crises and promoting individual well-being.</p
Middle ground
No full textAmong New Zealand’s aging population, there has emerged a growing dissatisfaction with traditional retirement villages. Typically located on suburban peripheries and enclosed by high fences, these institutions limit intergenerational interaction, while simultaneously isolating residents and increasing loneliness among older adults. The subsequent growing preference for ageing in place highlights the need for alternative solutions that better cater to the needs of elderly individuals.This research explores how contemporary architectural design in multigenerational suburban retirement communities may promote intergenerational interactions, thus reducing loneliness among the aging population. Well-designed outdoor spaces are central to this goal, by integrating residents of all ages into the social fabric of the community and providing opportunities for spontaneous connections.A mixed-methods approach, incorporating a literature review and case studies, guides an integrative design process. The research progresses through three stages: decreasing in scale and complexity; site-wide, community-level, and neighbourhood-level. Insights from each phase shape the next, ensuring a dynamic and responsive process and outcomes. The three stage proposal promotes an alternative and contemporary vision for retirement living through the introduction of multigenerational communal spaces that enable meaningful and socially enriching experiences for all generations.</p
Queeriosities of Space
No full textQueeriosities of Space explores the cross-cultural expressions and interpretations of queer spaces in the Philippines and Aotearoa New Zealand. The queer cultures of these countries reveal evident differences. In the Philippines, same-sex marriage remains prohibited, and there are no legal protections against public discrimination. In contrast, New Zealand recognises marriage equality and enforces anti-discrimination laws under the Human Rights Act 1993. However, despite these protections, living in New Zealand unmasked the presence of exclusion, particularly in private spaces promoted online, raising questions about the strength of queer acceptance in Aotearoa. The notions of ‘queer’ and ‘queer spaces’ are explored through theories that critique and challenge traditional architecture, historically shaped by gender binaries of men and women. Cross-cultural differences and similarities in queer cultures are examined through engagement with queer communities in both countries. These insights are further supported by stories of lived experiences, which serve as stepping stones towards creating safe and inclusive spaces. This research takes a design-led, speculative approach, presenting two distinct design outcomes that reflect the queer communities in the Philippines and Aotearoa. Each outcome explores its own unique programmatic use, scale and site.These projects highlight how human experiences can influence creating queer spaces, as well as how these spaces resist or adapt to heteronormative norms. Through the queer lens, this thesis reimagines architectural design as a tool to welcome inclusivity and belonging, challenging the traditional image of space-making. By employing a methodology that blends ethnographic research, spatial analysis and speculative design, Queeriosities of Space positions queer spaces as sites of resilience, creativity and self-expression. This research ultimately aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the intersections between spatial occupation and identity, offering new perspectives for designing inclusive built environments.</p
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