3 research outputs found
Strategic Implications of Responses to Security and Privacy Challenges
No full textThis dissertation investigates strategic implications of information security and privacy for organizations and society in the contexts of ransomware and mobile apps. The first study examines how organizations’ disclosures of responses to ransomware attacks affect ransomware strain survival. Ransomware attacks force organizations to make consequential decisions regarding disclosure—whether to reveal ransom payments, negotiation attempts, or coordination with external stakeholders. This study investigates how these disclosure choices influence the survival of ransomware strains. Drawing on disclosure theory and institutional theory, we theorize that disclosure behavior is shaped by dual logics and audiences: strategic signaling towards attackers and institutional conformity aimed at regulators and professionals. Public ransom payment disclosures unintentionally signal profitability to attackers, reinforcing strain persistence. In contrast, disclosures of coordination with law enforcement reflect institutional compliance and bolster collective cybersecurity defenses. Disclosures of negotiation efforts serve as legitimacy signals that may attenuate the signaling impact of ransom payments. We test these mechanisms using a longitudinal dataset of 388 publicly disclosed ransomware attacks between 2018 and 2023 and estimate strain survival via Cox proportional hazards modeling. Results show that ransom payment disclosures increase strain survival, while coordination disclosures reduce it. Negotiation disclosures weaken the signaling effect of payments. Our study contributes to information systems and cybersecurity research by demonstrating how strategically and institutionally motivated disclosures influence adversarial dynamics and threat persistence. We offer implications for organizational disclosure strategy and cybersecurity governance.
The second study leverages Apple’s introduction of app tracking transparency to the iOS platform as an exogenous shock to estimate the impacts of mobile app platform transparency policy on apps’ in-app advertising and performance. Mobile apps use in-app advertising to attract new users in the hypercompetitive app platform marketplace. In-app advertising is highly targeted and relies on detailed user data, raising privacy concerns. In response, app platforms implement transparency policies requiring apps to disclose their data collection practices and seek user consent for tracking. This study examines how advertiser apps alter their ad platform scope, which is the extent to which an advertiser’s app uses different ad platforms for in-app advertising, in response to a platform transparency policy. We find that implementing iOS app tracking transparency significantly reduces advertiser apps’ ad platform scope, which reduces advertiser apps’ new downloads. We find that treatment effects on ad platform scope are heterogeneous, i.e., significant for (1) ad platforms that use alternative user tracking identifiers but not for those that update their advertising approaches, (2) higher cost ad platforms, and (3) apps with higher complexity. We rule out alternative explanations at the app level (i.e., an app’s targeted advertising capability and innovation capability) and ad platform level (i.e., ad platform reach).
Collectively, these studies provide an understanding of the challenges organizations face when responding to information security and privacy events. This dissertation clarifies the strategic landscape for organizations and provides a roadmap for responses that bolster cybersecurity and competitiveness
Stiffness and Strength of an Artificially Cemented Waste-PET-Shred Reinforced Clay
No full textPublisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.This study explores whether the polyethylene terephthalate bottle shreds (PETBS), could be a viable alternative additive in order to reduce the usage of traditional cement in geotechnical and transportation projects. Through a comprehensive study, clayey soil was stabilized with varying quantities (0.1–1% of solid mass) of PETBS of two different size ranges. Optimal dosages were chosen, followed by additional tests incorporating small amounts of (5, 7 and 10% of solid mass) cement enhancement. After curing periods of 7 and 28 days, California bearing ratio (CBR) tests and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) test results revealed that the addition of PETBS enhanced CBR values and initial shear modulus (G0) in both plain and cement treated samples. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images also affirmed the improvement of strength at the microstructural level. Notably, PETBS of size 2–4.75 mm exhibited superior performance compared to size 0.42–0.841 mm, with an optimal content range of 0.6–0.8%. It was observed that the addition of PETBS to artificially cemented soil improved CBR values by up to 35%, while also modifying stiffness and brittleness, rendering the soil more ductile. Ultimately, a regression model was proposed to facilitate estimates of CBR and G0 in PETBS-reinforced cemented clay, to accommodate varying PETBS grading and content. The suggested approach promotes cost-effective and eco-friendly solutions by reducing pavement thickness and enhancing soil stability, demonstrating the potential of repurposing PET waste as a sustainable strategy in various engineering projects.Peer reviewe
The development of a methodology for the evaluation of installed CAPM system’s effectiveness and efficiency
No full textThe objective of this work was to design, develop and evaluate an audit for a Computer Aided Production Management (CAPM) system. Such systems, despite their costs of purchase and implementation, find wide application in industry but there is still considerable debate as to their contribution to the overall performance of a company. A variety of possible methodologies were explored. However, it was found that most of the existing analytical techniques tended to focus on a comparison of systems with respect to best practice or to require data that a company was unlikely to have. Best practice is not an absolute measure, nor does it take account of different company types and their individual requirements. A flexible methodology, 'the CAPM Audit', designed to establish the effectiveness and efficiency of any installed CAPM system, has been developed. The audit is a development of the Delphi approach and is designed to establish the contribution of the CAPM system to the company's overall competitive position. In its development, a generic model for any CAPM system was devised to facilitate analysis without reference to any particular technology, management mode, or manufacturing control system. The audit developed (in the form of a workbook) consists of four stages: stage one establishes the context; stage two determines the underlying architecture of the system; stage three quantifies the contribution to the company's competitive position; and stage four identifies the causes of any failure of the CAPM system. The design of the audit is such that: it enables a systematic investigation of the effectiveness and efficiency of an installed CAPM system to be completed; it enables the CAPM system's contribution to the company to be identified; and it also enables any inadequacies to be determined
