Evaluation of Keystroke Dynamics Authentication Systems

Keystroke dynamics authentication systems have shown promising results to be used in e-commerce and banking applications. However, this modality suffers from several limitations decreasing their widespread of use in daily applications. This chapter addresses the evaluation of keystroke dynamics authentication systems. The chapter provides an evaluation framework to be used when designing and comparing such systems. It also provides an analysis study of the collected features using a physical and touch screen keyboards. This chapter is dedicated to researchers and engineers who need to quantify the usability of their developed keystroke dynamics systems.

Assessing the Interactions between Native American Tribes and the U.S. Government in Homeland Security and Emergency Management Policy

The working relationships between Native American tribes, the states, and the federal government have been strained for centuries. These intergovernmental interactions have led to a fragmented system whose attempt to deliver public service is consistently met with opposition. One area where this has become increasingly evident is within homeland security and emergency management policy. This study used a cross sectional survey to gather information about the beliefs tribes held about the various aspects of their working relationships with states and the federal government within the context of homeland security and emergency management. Analysis of the data revealed that the majority of the intergovernmental relationships that existed between tribes and the U.S. government did not possess the characteristics of an effective working relationship. Evidence also suggests that the intergovernmental relationships were actually having a negative impact on the U.S. government's goal to achieve a unified system of homeland security and emergency management on American soil.

Importance of a Versatile Logging Tool for Behavioural Biometrics and Continuous Authentication Research

We present the design and implementation of a Windows operating system based logging tool, which can capture the keystroke, mouse, software interaction and hardware usage simultaneously and continuously. Log data can be stored locally or transmitted in a secure manner to a server. Filter drivers are used to log with high precision. Privacy of the users and confidentiality of sensitive data have been taken into account throughout the development of the tool. Our behaviour logging software is mainly designed for behavioural biometrics research, but its scope could also be beneficial to proactive forensics and intrusion detection. We show the validity of the tool in a study of keyboard and mouse data uses for continuous authentication.

Search Space Reduction in Biometric Databases

Deployment of biometrics for personal recognition in various real time applications lead to large scale databases. Identification of an individual on such large biometric databases using a one-one matching (i.e., exhaustive search) increases the response time of the system. Reducing the search space during identification increases the search speed and reduces the response time of the system. This chapter presents a comprehensive review of the current developments of the search space reduction techniques in biometric databases. Search space reduction techniques for the fingerprint databases are categorized into classification and indexing approaches. For the palmprint, the current search space reduction techniques are classified as hierarchical matching, classification and indexing approaches. Likewise, the iris indexing approaches are classified as texture based and color based techniques.

Battlefield Cyberspace

The threat of cyber terrorism has become a reality with recent attacks such as Stuxtnet, Flame, Sony Pictures, and North Korea's websites. As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to become more hyperconnected it will be imperative that cyber security experts to develop new security architectures for multiple platforms such as mobile devices, laptops, embedded systems, and even wearable displays. The futures of national and international security rely on complex countermeasures to ensure that a proper security posture is maintained during this state of hyperconnectivity. To protect these systems from exploitation of vulnerabilities it is essential to understand current and future threats to include the laws that drive their need to be secured. Examined within this chapter are the potential security related threats with the use of social media, mobile devices, virtual worlds, augmented reality, and mixed reality.

On Using Gait Biometrics for Re-Identification in Automated Visual Surveillance

As surveillance becomes ubiquitous in such modern society due to the immense increase of crimes and the rise of terrorism activities, various government and military funded projects are devoted to research institutions to work on improving surveillance technology for the safety of their citizens. Because of the rapid growth of security cameras and impossibility of manpower to supervise them, the integration of biometric technologies into surveillance systems would be a critical factor for the automation of identity tracking over distributed cameras with disjoint views i.e. Re-Identification. The interest of using gait biometrics to re-identify people over networks of cameras emerges from the fact that the gait pattern can be captured and perceived at a distance as well as its non-invasive and less-intrusive nature.

Border Security and Cooperative Initiatives to Counter Illicit Drug Trafficking

The illegal flow of drugs continues to undermine states border security. The chapter utilizes a document analysis of secondary source data from the USA Homeland Security and border security agencies in Jamaica. It aims to assess the security challenges posed by the Jamaica-USA trafficking of drugs and explores how border security measures function in reducing this problem. The Container Security Initiative, Customs Trade Partnership against Terrorism, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, the Jamaica-USA Maritime Counter Drug Agreement (Shiprider Agreement) and the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative will be explored to assess how these border security initiatives aid in curtailing drug flows to the USA. The chapter discusses the role of border security in detection, deterrence and apprehension via coordinated intelligence driven strategies. It concludes that the trans-border nature of illegal drug flows necessitate increased state-to-state sustained future cooperation especially within the context of globalisation.

Islamic Extremists in Africa

Security is a growing concern on the African continent as the Regional Economic Communities (REC) move toward economic integration. Furthermore, these regions collectively make up the African Union (AU) which has an objective to promote peace, security, and stability on the African continent. In recent years, Africa has been plagued with political uprisings, civil wars, extremists, corrupt politicians, and the battle for natural resources. In particular, Kenya and Nigeria are facing Islamic extremists that threaten the foundation of multiple nations. In both countries, they are using military force to combat these threats. This chapter provides insight into these West and East African nations and their means to provide security assurances to their citizens.

Protection of Critical Homeland Assets

The protection of critical infrastructure assets is vital to every government, organisation, business and person. If the asset forms part of the vital critical infrastructure, the loss could be catastrophic and far reaching with considerable knock-on effects. To avoid such negative outcomes requires a wide range of in-built resilient security structures, plans and operating procedures. A more adaptive, proactive, comprehensive security management process needs to be embraced to: prevent, detect, deter, respond and defeat potential damaging events and incidents. Core to security planning is a full understanding of the potential consequences of worst case scenarios. Adopting a process driven model is a proactive approach and grounded upon current operational procedures used by major international companies in hostile and dangerous environments. By utilizing a clearly defined comprehensive risk management tool, a more systematic Security, Threat, Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (STRVA), process can be developed. This process uses a multi-layered intelligence gathering capabilities.

Defending Information Networks in Cyberspace

The considerations of this chapter intend to address some concerns and highlight some of the major problems affecting the cyberspace. This chapter will focus on defensive attitudes and concerns pertaining to the cybersecurity issues. Part 1: Facing to cyberspace security opens the area of threats and the need of defensive attitudes. Part 2: Remembering Internet issues deals with known internet problems in what concerns cybersecurity as a generic term. In Part 3: Defensive Cybersecurity the focus is on the need to add more defensive features to security policies. Part 4: In the search of better solutions emphasizes the need to invest continuously in scientific research and the creation of more sophisticated processes in order to prevent new forms of attack and mitigate negative results.