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Characterising and Mitigating Exploitation of Security Services by State of the Art Ransomware and Extortion
Get PDFIn today's interconnected digital world, the Internet has revolutionised the way we communicate, conduct business, and access information. However, this remarkable advancement has also exposed us to a new breed of cyber threats that can wreak havoc on individuals, businesses, and even entire nations. One such malicious software (malware) that has gained notoriety in recent history is ransomware. Ransomware encrypts victims' files or locks their systems until a ransom is paid, with attackers promising to provide a decryption key upon payment. This form of digital extortion has evolved into a sophisticated and pervasive threat, impacting individuals, organisations, and governments globally.This thesis explores the integration of decentralised blockchain technologies with emerging Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) to understand how attackers could leverage these technologies to enhance their ransomware operations. This understanding will inform the development of security measures against ransomware, providing a coherent perspective on future defences. Initially, we analyse the key management strategies employed by contemporary ransomware. This includes the development and evaluation of RansomClave, a proof-of-concept designed to assess the feasibility of generating cryptographic keys within secure enclaves using TEEs like Intel Software Guard Extensions (SGX). By dissecting this proof-of-concept malware, we aim to preemptively identify vulnerabilities that attackers might exploit and to develop strategies to mitigate these threats.Transitioning from traditional ransomware attacks to extortion tactics within blockchain environments, the second part of this thesis explores the security dynamics of various Proof-of-Stake (PoS) systems, with a focus on Ethereum. Building on the initial analysis of how blockchain technologies can be leveraged by ransomware, this section examines the implications of ransomware for blockchain users. Using game-theoretic modelling, we evaluate how attackers can perform ransomware attacks on blockchain participants by exploiting compromised validator signing keys. Validators, the entities responsible for verifying transactions and maintaining the blockchain, are particularly vulnerable to such attacks. This approach helps identify the strategic decisions of attackers and victims, providing insights into the economic incentives driving these malicious activities. We examine the impact of slashing penalties, which are punitive measures against validators for malicious behaviour, and explore scenarios where validators might be extorted into paying ransoms to avoid financial and reputational damage.In the third part of this thesis, based on the vulnerabilities identified earlier, we propose and evaluate a preventive strategy to defend against ransomware and extortion threats in blockchain environments. This strategy includes the development of REVOKE, a decentralised key revocation mechanism designed to mitigate the impact of extortion attacks on Ethereum validators. REVOKE enables validators to change their signing key without withdrawing their stake, thereby reducing their vulnerability to slashing penalties while maintaining the security of the blockchain. Our analysis covers the design, implementation, and evaluation of REVOKE, demonstrating its potential to address the risks posed by compromised signing keys. Additionally, we address the challenge of atomic revocation and propose a revocation reward system to incentivise proposers to prioritise revocation requests over slashing evidence. This comprehensive evaluation highlights the potential of REVOKE to enhance overall blockchain security.Finally, this thesis demonstrates the practical impact of the proposed mechanisms, including REVOKE and the game-theoretic modelling, on enhancing blockchain security. Our research reveals that validators are more willing to pay ransoms under specific conditions, highlighting the need for more robust security measures tailored to these scenarios. By informing the design of blockchain security implementations that specifically address attack vectors targeting validators, our findings contribute to the development of more resilient and secure digital infrastructures. These insights not only advance the current understanding of ransomware and extortion threats but also lay the groundwork for future research aimed at further strengthening the security and resilience of blockchain systems and other digital environments
Can cutting pay be an alternative to cutting people when maintaining work attitudes is a concern? It can be if employees trust you
Get PDFHealthy prison cultures:Factors influencing male prisoners’ engagement in exercise and subsequent healthy behaviours
Get PDFPurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the factors which influence male prisoners’ motivation for, and engagement in, exercise and subsequent healthy behaviours.Design/methodology/approachThe first authors conducted 20 semi-structured interviews with male prisoners inside an English medium-security male prison. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, themes were identified using thematic analysis and a critical realist perspective applied to understand objective processes behind prisoners’ experiences and shared meanings of exercise and engaging in healthy behaviours in prison.FindingsEmerging themes indicate that in the context of healthy behaviours male prisoners aspired to a masculine ideal that was characterised by a culture of either adaptive behaviours, or maladaptive behaviours. The former fostered an adaptive exercise culture which promoted psychological well-being through an autonomy-supportive environment, consequently internalising motivation and minimising perceived barriers to engaging in healthy behaviours. Conversely, a culture of maladaptive behaviours fostered a maladaptive exercise culture which led to negative psychological well-being, underpinned by external forms of motivation which emphasised barriers to engaging in healthy behaviours.Practical implicationsFindings emphasise the need for prisons to promote an internal perceived locus of control for male prisoners when engaging in healthy behaviours.Originality/valueThe authors adopt a rare interdisciplinary approach combining a psychological theory of motivation and criminological perspectives of prison culture to understand how best to minimise the impact of prisons as an institution on the psychological well-being of male prisoners.<br/
The authentic virtual influencer:authenticity manifestations in the metaverse
Get PDFVirtual influencers (VI) are fictional entities operated by third parties (freelance creators, digital agencies, or brands). Despite their increasing popularity, the way people approach these often human-looking yet entirely fictitious creations, and whether they view them as ‘authentic’, remains unclear. Existing conceptualizations of authenticity in the VI literature do not offer sufficient depth and richness to understand this complex phenomenon. Building on the Entity-Referent Correspondence Framework of Authenticity, this paper aims to explore different manifestations of authenticity in the context of VIs. We draw on interviews with consumers (64) and industry experts (11) to unveil different perspectives. Our findings demonstrate how the three types of authenticity—true-to-ideal (TTI), true-to-fact (TTF) and true-to-self (TTS)—apply to and manifest in a virtual influencer context. We conclude with theoretical contributions, with particular attention to the uncanny valley theory, managerial recommendations, and areas for future research
Towards Understanding the Direct and Indirect effects of Borderline Personality Features on Identity Disturbance
Get PDFResearch on borderline personality disorder (BPD) in clinical populations is extensive, and its impact on nonclinical populations is developing importance. The present study examined whether the presence of borderline personality features in nonclinical young adults is associated with identity disturbance, considering the potential mediating roles of anxiety and deliberate self-harm (DSH). A total of 162 participants completed an online survey incorporating four measures: the Borderline Symptoms List-23, Beck Anxiety Inventory, DSH Inventory, and the Self-Concept and Identity Measure. A parallel indirect effects analysis indicated that the indirect effects of BPD features on identity disturbance via anxiety and DSH were not significant. However, BPD features remained a significant predictor of identity disturbance, even after controlling for the influence of anxiety and DSH factors (direct effect)
Introduction One Hundred Years of the Bulletin of Spanish Studies (Bulletin of Hispanic Studies, 1949-2001) 1923-2023
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Coupling Artificial Intelligence Capability and Strategic Agility for Enhanced Product and Service Creativity
Get PDFCreativity is key for organizations’ ability to remain relevant in today’s disruptive world. In this article, we identify new ways in which organizations can use artificial intelligence (AI) more effectively for creativity. Drawing on the resource-based view as a background mechanism, we developed and empirically tested a new integrative model. We collected the research data via a large survey of managers distributed to 600 organizations in China. Our findings show that coupling AI capability with strategic agility can directly support creativity. It also mediates the effects of ambidexterity, customer orientation, and competitor orientation on organizations’ creativity and performance when developing new products and services. In addition, our findings show that coupling AI capability and strategic agility can significantly improve firms’ new product creativity and new service development performance when there is a high level of government institutional support. Our findings provide theoretical and practical implications for academics and practitioners, who are interested in managing AI for organizational creativity
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