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Tracking for Good: Finding Behavioral Biometrics on the Web using Static Taint Analysis
No full textBehavioral biometric technologies have emerged as powerful tools for enhancing digital
security by analyzing unique user interactions such as keystrokes, mouse movements, and
touch gestures. This thesis provides a systematic exploration and empirical measurement
of behavioral biometric scripts deployed across the web, particularly focusing on their
prevalence and implications in critical interactions such as user authentication and fraud
prevention.
Our comprehensive approach begins with manual and automated identification and char-
acterization of scripts from major behavioral biometric providers including BioCatch, Be-
havioSec, TransUnion’s Iovation, and Mastercard’s NuData, among others. Leveraging an
advanced static taint analysis framework utilizing Visible V8, we effectively trace behav-
ioral biometric data flows within JavaScript, accurately identifying sensitive data collection
and transmission points. To reliably detect login webpages containing behavioral biomet-
ric scripts, we developed LoginGPT, a state-of-the-art web crawler enhanced by Large
Language Models (LLMs), significantly outperforming existing heuristic-based solutions in
identifying login pages.
Furthermore, we develop a supervised machine learning approach using Random Forest
classifiers trained on vendor-agnostic static analysis features, achieving robust accuracy
and strong generalization to previously unseen vendors. Our comprehensive empirical
evaluation spans 9,502 U.S. banking websites and the Chrome User Experience (CrUX)
top 100,000 domains, revealing that behavioral biometric scripts are deployed on 15.8%
of banking domains with discoverable login pages and 1.79% of general web domains
with discoverable login pages. Our findings demonstrate the strategic deployment of these
technologies on high-risk interfaces such as authentication pages, uncover distinct vendor
deployment patterns across industries, and highlight significant privacy concerns stemming
from extensive behavioral data collection practices.
This thesis contributes a robust framework and critical insights for detecting, character-
izing, and understanding behavioral biometric technologies on the web, offering valuable
perspectives for researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers engaged in digital
security and privacy protection
Local Theories and Efficient Partial Quantifier Elimination
No full textQuantifier elimination is used in various automated reasoning tasks, including quantified SMT solving, exists/forall solving, program synthesis, model checking, and constrained Horn clause (CHC) solving. Complete quantifier elimination, however, is computationally intractable for many theories. The recent algorithm QEL shows a promising approach to approximate quantifier elimination, which has resulted in improvements in solver performance. QEL performs partial quantifier elimination with a completeness guarantee that depends on a certain semantic property of the given formula.
In this thesis, we study local theories, focusing on their proof theoretic and semantic characterization. We identify a subclass of local theories in which partial quantifier elimination can be performed efficiently. By considerably generalizing the previous approach, we present T-QEL, a parametrized polynomial time algorithm that is relatively complete for this class of theories. The algorithm utilizes the proof theoretic characterization of the theories, which is based on restricted derivations. Finally, we prove for T-QEL, soundness in general, and relative completeness with respect to the identified class of theories
Healthy living by design : Exploring the blue zones as a framework for a multi-generational housing typology
No full textThis thesis begins by examining the pervasive urban sprawl in Toronto, analyzing the profound health impacts associated with suburban living—challenges such as social isolation, poor walkability, and a general decline in well-being. While the city has responded to housing pressures with mid-rise densification, many existing problems persist and are often intensified: smaller living spaces and inadequate community infrastructure continue to undermine both physical and mental health. In response, the research turns to the Blue Zones—regions where people consistently enjoy longer, healthier lives, largely free from the chronic health issues prevalent in suburban and urban environments. By closely investigating the architectural and spatial qualities of these communities, the thesis explores the fundamental role of design and space in fostering well-being. The study identifies key overlaps between the principles found in Blue Zones and the recommendations outlined in age-friendly and World Health Organization guidelines. These shared values inform strategies aimed at addressing the underlying health concerns of both suburban and densified urban contexts. Central to this approach is a re imagining of housing: specifically, promoting multi generational homes and neighborhood designs that support aging in place, encourage social cohesion, and create opportunities for intergenerational connection.This thesis advances alternative models of housing and community development—drawing on co-housing and co-living precedents from Canada and the Nordic countries—that respond more effectively to Toronto’s climate and cultural context. Instead of pursuing density as an end in itself, the proposed designs emphasize creating environments where people of all ages can flourish, maintain strong social connections, and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives
Argus: Detecting Access Control Vulnerabilities in Android Framework using Large Language Models
No full textAccess control (AC) inconsistencies in Android’s framework APIs are a persistent security challenge, especially in customized ROMs. While convergence-based and probabilistic tools have made progress in detecting these inconsistencies, they suffer from either high false positive rates or limited coverage due to reliance on domain-knowledge and manually defined inference rule. Large Language Model (LLMs) offer promise but tend to overprotect APIs when operating without sufficient Android specific context. In this work, we present Argus, a novel hybrid LLM-driven pipeline that combines static code analysis, code embeddings, and context-aware prompting to improve AC recommendations for Android APIs. Argus begins by extracting path-sensitive summarized program paths from decompiled ROMs and uses rule-based prompting to guide LLMs in identifying focal functionality (i.e., security-relevant sinks). These sinks, along with their known AC, are embedded and stored in a code embedding. Given a target API, Argus ’s retrieval system queries this database to identify similar functionalities with known AC levels. These aligned examples are then incorporated into a second, detailed prompt that instructs the LLM to consider relevance, sensitivity rankings, and Android-specific context; enabling precise, context-aware AC recommendations. We evaluate Argus on five custom ROMs and demonstrate its effectiveness in uncovering previously undocumented AC vulnerabilities. Among these are unauthorized camera parameter modification and spoofing of system crash reports (Vivo Y33s), exposure of SIM
lock state (Vivo Y33s), unprotected refresh rate customization and retrieval of all package names (OnePlus 12), and unrestricted access to Wi-Fi hotspot management APIs, such
as setting client blocklists (Infinix Smart 8). Several findings have been acknowledged by vendors, highlighting Argus ’s practical impact
Organizational support and management of volunteer coaching pathways for girls in community sport
No full textVolunteer coaches play a crucial role in teaching skills, guiding athlete development, and leading community sport programs (Cassidy et al., 2023). However, there is a notable underrepresentation of women and girl volunteer coaches in community sport, necessitating further research into their recruitment and support. Currently, little is known about the experiences of girl youth athletes related to coaching pathways and the support available to enter volunteer coaching roles despite this population representing an important pipeline of future sport coaches (LaVoi & Boucher, 2021). This dissertation explores organizational support as it relates to the management of volunteer coaching pathways for girl ice hockey players in community sport. Guided by an interpretivist approach, this dissertation is presented in an integrated article format, comprised of three manuscripts that collectively contribute to the lack of research on women and girls in volunteer sport coaching roles at the community level (Baxter et al., 2021).
This qualitative study draws on data collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with nineteen self-identified girl ice hockey players ages 12 to 17 years old and ten leaders of nonprofit community ice hockey organizations located in South-Western Ontario, Canada. Data were collected to maintain the overarching purpose of the dissertation while addressing the separate research objectives of each manuscript. Subsequently, data were analyzed following Braun et al.’s (2021) reflexive thematic analysis techniques and guided by the aims and theoretical assumptions identified in each of the respective manuscripts.
Theoretically, this research draws on perceived organizational support (POS) theory (Eisenberger et al., 1986). POS refers to the general belief that organizational members (e.g., employees, volunteers) hold, regarding the extent to which an organization cares about their well-being and values their contributions (Eisenberger et al., 1986). Members with positive assessments of POS tend to have higher rates of retention and commitment to an organization. In addition, the third manuscript (Chapter 4), draws on Ryan and Deci’s (2000) self-determination theory (SDT) to provide an additional analytic lens related to volunteer well-being. SDT suggests that well-being consists of three psychological needs, including the need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.
The purpose of the first manuscript (Chapter 2) was to examine perceived organizational supports for girl volunteer coaches in community sport and identify what support processes are needed to generate pathways and develop girls into sport coaching roles. The findings reveal girls' altruistic coaching intentions, the importance of relatability and communication in coaching pathways, preferences for resource equity, and the availability of coaching pathways. The research highlights girls’ aspiration to give back as future coaches despite limited awareness of coaching certification processes.
The purpose of the second manuscript (Chapter 3) was to examine current challenges, strategies, and opportunities amongst club leader’s for the recruitment of girl youth ice hockey coaches in community sport clubs. The findings also reveal the lack of organizational support sport club volunteers felt from provincial and national sport organizations as acknowledged in the challenges they face in relation to the recruitment of girls and women as ice hockey coaches. Challenges include a lack of specific targets and informal strategies related to recruitment of women and girl coaches, club leaders perceived lack of interest in coaching amongst women and girls, and prioritization of elite-level sport by provincial and national sport organizations. Despite these challenges, leaders describe opportunities for engaging girl youth volunteer coaches including through the engagement of alumni networks, encouragement of volunteerism amongst current athletes, and support of the coach certification process for girl coaches.
The purpose of the third manuscript (Chapter 4) was to examine how the tenets of well-being as proposed by self-determination theory - autonomy, competence, and relatedness - can enhance our understanding of the organizational supports needed to facilitate girls’ transition from players to volunteer coaches. Findings reveal that girls have positive experiences throughout their playing careers that contribute to their sense of well-being, yet there is limited knowledge of how these experiences can facilitate pathways into coaching despite an expressed interest in pursuing coaching opportunities amongst girls.
Together, the three manuscripts that comprise this dissertation offer new insights to help sport governing bodies and clubs consider the importance of club level intervention to promote the recruitment of girl athletes as volunteer coaches who are, according to LaVoi and Boucher (2021), the start of a fruitful “pipeline” of future women and girl coaches. In addition, the use of POS and SDT provides a theoretical understanding of how clubs can create supportive environments to engage girls as volunteer coaches during their playing career and offers an important direction for nonprofit sport organizations seeking to improve capacity, increase the representation of women and girls in coaching and leadership positions, and deliver sustainable, high-quality sport programs in our communities for all participants (Hoye et al., 2019)
A Decentering Other in the Academy: Disrupting the Ordinariness of Racism and English Native Speakerism in Canadian University Education, and in the Study and Teaching of Writing in Canadian Writing Classrooms
No full textAbstract
This study is a part of my decentering/decolonial journey—a journey intended to identify, unravel/unsettle, and challenge the nexus of politics and poetics of whiteness, white supremacy, racism, linguistic imperialism, and other forms of injustices in Canadian University education writ large, and in particular, in the study of writing and the teaching of writing in Canada. It has become increasingly evident that the discriminatory practices have negatively affected students, teachers, staff and other people of colour. Historically, this nexus has been under theorized, under-researched and under-addressed in Canadian writing studies and writing instructional practices because of the continuing legacy of colonial ideology, systemic racism, and white supremacist thinking among mainstream writing scholars. The works of majority of mainstream Canadian scholars reveal that there is a persistent tendency to perform and maintain silence, touristic gaze and lip-service when it comes to dealing with some of the central issues such as politics of whiteness, racism, white supremacy, Eurocentrism, linguistic imperialism, and their toxic effects on the racially and variously Othered people in the field.
While mainstream Canadian writing studies scholars have widely discussed the marginalization of writing studies as a field and collectively advocated for its emerging disciplinary identity, they have not demonstrated the similar interest and willingness to address the problems of ordinariness of racism, linguistic imperialism, white supremacy, native speakerist ideology, and other discriminatory practices. These issues have historically underpinned the epistemic foundations of the field of writing studies and the institutions that house it. Instead, the mainstream scholars in the field have persistently demonstrated native-speakerist, and Eurocentric tendency to tell only single stories of whiteness that befit and benefit its own members. The onus, then, is left upon marginalized students, professors, researchers, and their white allies to theorize this nexus of intersecting discriminations through decentering practices.
Studying and addressing the intersecting discriminations within Canadian university education in general and the teaching and learning of writing studies practices in Canada, necessitates an intersectional approach that incorporates, but is not limited to, stories of lived experiences of racism, CRT informed applied linguistic considerations, and critical historical analyses and/or historicization of the field from the Othered perspectives. The intersectional approach offers a unique perspective and strategy to fight the ongoing nexus of intersecting discriminations within the field of Canadian writing studies.
In my effort to decenter whiteness, I have taken up Aja Martinez’s hybridizing approach/method to mesh my personal stories of racism with various discursive approaches such as postcolonial theory, CRT informed applied linguistic analysis, historical analysis, and other analytical measures. While this forging of our stories of lived experiences and hybridizing methods are crucial to fight racism, white supremacy, linguistic imperialism, and other discriminatory practices, these methods could face limitations and challenges especially when racial discriminations take more sophisticated and cryptic turns in the future as artificial intelligence of whiteness holds a firm grip in academia or elsewhere. To overcome both old and emerging challenges, nonetheless, our decentering efforts must be unrelenting
Losing One’s self: A Case Study of Disaster Recovery Processes Through an Identity Approach
No full textClimate disasters are characterized by the changes delivered in their wake. Despite the mass disruption brought on by such events, it can only ever be experienced by agents. Ensued by the larger rapid environmental transition, individual agents experience en masse changes to their subjective environments. Through a Symbolic Interactionist lens, these jarring alterations to individuals’ object environments threaten their sense of self as interactional patterned continuity is ruptured. Although such micro-macro relations mark disaster processes’ innate complexity, the interplay of ‘self’ in disaster scenarios is significantly under-researched. Thus, this case study focuses on this interplay within the context of Beira, Mozambique, following Cyclone Idai (2019). Five years post-cyclone landfall, 37 semi-structured interviews were conducted among informal market vendors who experienced temporary or permanent loss of economic livelihood activities. A qualitative thematic analysis, informed by a literature review, was used to analyze the transcribed interviews and to develop a theoretical framework. The theoretical framework proposes multiple propositional relationships that inform mechanisms underpinning the disaster recovery process. To summarize, the vast changes to individuals’ object environments (composed of animate beings, inanimate things, and intangible processes) brought on through the disaster-driven rapid environmental transition may result in identity continuity challenges, leading to agency loss and past-oriented recovery trajectories, resulting in a perpetually liminal recovery process. Findings from this thesis work suggest that the proposed theoretical framework is helpful in identifying and explaining these relations. First, through a Symbolic Interactionist lens, participants’ changes to their livelihood activities, social networks, and time allocation following Cyclone Idai demonstrate significant object environment shifts, insinuating that identity continuity challenges have occurred. Second, participants expressed a positive association of normalcy with their pre-cyclone states, and a desire to return to such a state, implying a past-oriented recovery trajectory. Finally, participants demonstrated low levels of human agency which may have been brought on by failed goal attainment. These findings in combination may illuminate previously untheorized causal mechanisms that impede post-disaster recovery processes. As such, this work contributes to ongoing disaster management research and the emerging space of disaster-induced identity loss
Understanding and Advancing Pro-Environmental Behavior in Hospitality: A Systematic Review and Multi-Method Investigation Using the Fogg Behavior Model
No full textPro-environmental behavior (PEB) has recently emerged as a prominent theme in the hospitality literature, with various scholars applying social-behavioral theories to examine the determinants of environmental behaviors. Nevertheless, few studies have applied predictive models of behavioral change to offer new insights on the interaction between internal and external factors in fostering PEB in the workplace. This dissertation addresses this gap by applying and extending the Fogg Behavioral Model (FBM) to introduce new pathways toward PEB, specifically within the hospitality industry. The dissertation is composed of three studies, which are connected and contribute to the development of theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of PEB.
The first study offers a systematic review of the literature, which considers the current state of research and identifies common themes. Data for the first paper were collected using three database sources: ProQuest, Scopus, and Web of Science. After screening, 104 peer-reviewed articles were included in the study for thematic analysis. This study aims to examine the progress of the current literature in exploring the concept of PEB by answering three primary questions: 1) How has the definition of PEB evolved? 2) What theories have various authors adopted? and 3) What future research recommendations have been identified in the literature? 104 peer-reviewed articles were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results indicate that PEB definitions have been advanced to distinguish between voluntary and involuntary behaviors for employees and acknowledge the psychological effect of hotel guests on their engagement in environmental practices; traditional theories such as the theory of planned behavior and the social-oriented theories remain dominant; and most studies recommend future research to integrate constructional and psychological factors to expand on current research models. Overall, the review can be a useful tool for future studies to identify a more descriptive definition and theoretical lens. Additionally, the review calls for the use of diverse frameworks to deepen our understanding of how PEB unfolds within hospitality settings.
To respond to this call, the second study adopts the FBM as a new behavioral framework to explain how employees’ motivation and ability, along with hotels’ environmental management practices (EMP), interact to influence workplace PEB. The third study extends the FBM by positioning organizational trust (OT) as a contextual-psychological factor that is influenced by behavioral change elements to enhance employees’ engagement in PEB. Thus, it offers a novel perspective on the development of PEB within organizational contexts. Data for the second and third studies were collected through Qualtrics from 337 hotel employees in the United States and Canada. Structural equation modeling—path analysis was used to test the proposed hypotheses in studies 2 and 3. The results indicate that extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, ability, EMP, and OT are key factors for fostering PEB. Firstly, environmental motivation influences PEB directly and through employees’ perceived ability and hotels’ EMP. Secondly, ability mediates the relationship between motivation and hotels’ EMP. Thirdly, EMP mediates the relationship between ability and PEB and has a positive and direct impact on PEB. Last but not least, OT is a full and partial mediator that facilitates the relationship between both ability and hotels’ EMP and PEB.
Based on the outcomes, this dissertation sheds light on the important role of motivation as a powerful element in the behavioral change process, driving employees to develop a positive perception of their ability, which subsequently enhances their responsiveness to hotels’ EMP and thereby increases engagement in PEB. Nonetheless, the relationship between motivation and OT turns out to be complex and may require another factor, such as organizational support, to bridge the two constructs. However, OT plays a primary role in workplace behavior, bridging employees’ ability and hotels’ EMP (behavioral triggers) with PEB. Therefore, this dissertation contributes to the advancement of theories by utilizing the Fogg Behavioral Model as an integrative and action-oriented model that defines the interrelationship between behavioral elements in a simple, straightforward context; it reconceptualizes the role of hotels’ EMP as a catalyst that transforms employees’ motivation and ability into PEB; and it extends the FBM by positioning OT as a key component in the behavioral change process that translates employees’ confidence and hotels’ structural environmental management practices into PEB
Forbidding odd K3,3 as a graft minor
No full textA graph is odd−K5 free if K5 cannot be obtained by deleting edges and then contracting all edges in a cut. odd − K5 free graphs play an important role in the study of multi-commodity flows. A graph is odd − K3,3 free if K3,3 cannot be obtained by contracting edges and then deleting all edges in an eulerian subgraph. A long-standing conjecture of Paul Seymour predicts that postman sets pack in odd − K3,3 free graphs. We study odd − K3,3 free graphs that are almost planar in this thesis and discuss the relation to Seymour’s conjecture
Bridging Early and Modern Lattice Cryptosystems: A Theoretical Journey through SVP, LWE and Kyber
No full textThis thesis offers an in-depth theoretical study of lattice-based cryptography, tracing its evolution from early foundational systems to modern standardized constructions.
Initially, we examine and emphasize the significance of the Ajtai-Dwork cryptosystem and its foundational worst-case to average-case reductions based on lattice problems.
The thesis then details Regev's Learning with Errors (LWE) problem and shows its impact on the development of practical public-key schemes while maintaining the security guarantees from the well-studied worst-case lattice problems.
Further, we discuss the structured variants such as Ring-LWE and Module-LWE, showing how they improve the efficiency and scalability of the lattice-based schemes while maintaining the security foundations of the worst-case to average-case reductions. This analysis then culminates in the study of ML-KEM, a lattice-based scheme recently standardized by NIST, examining its specific design choices, optimizations, and security proofs.
Finally, we investigate algorithmic methods for solving the fundamental lattice problems, analysing exact Shortest Vector Problem (SVP) solvers including Kannan's enumeration algorithm and the AKS sieve algorithm, in order to understand their implications on the hardness assumptions underlying the lattice-based cryptographic security.
In summary, this work shows that lattice-based cryptography offers a secure and efficient foundation for (post-quantum) cryptographic schemes, with strong theoretical bases and practical implementations