A Case Study on the Selection and Evaluation of Software for an Internet Organisation

The author conducted research to determine whether IT managers, IT auditors, users, management, etc. (all decision-makers) use a certain evaluation and selection process to acquire software to meet business objectives and the requirement of users. An argument was used that the more thorough the software evaluation and selection process, the more likely it would be that the organisation will chose software that meets these targets. The main objective of the research was therefore to determine whether Media24 uses evaluation methods and obtains the desired results. The results confirmed that Media24 uses suggested protocol as noted in the theory for software acquisition correctly during most stages.

Issues, Controversies, and Problems of Cybercafés Located in a University Campus

This chapter takes a look at the use of campus cybercafés as a possible solution to the inadequate or lack of Internet facilities in Nigerian university libraries. It argues that campus cybercafés are most likely for now the avenue whereby their faculty, students, researchers, and other members of the university community can have online access to the world’s leading peer-reviewed journals. This is because some of the libraries are yet to have Internet facilities while those that do have, do not have enough to cater for the large population of users. Secondly, these libraries through three or more global initiatives are provided with free online journal access in support of the UN millennium development goals making campus cybercafés partners in the provision of Internet facilities to the university communities in which they are located. The chapter therefore discusses the issues, controversies, and problems of their operations in relation to cyber security in order to know the level of security awareness among their users, identify serious security threats, and to find out the type of anti-virus software used.

Cyber Security of Children

This author discusses issues and threats to children’s cyber security vis-à-vis access to useful children online literature and the implications for sub-saharan Africa. The author points out that whereas the benefits of online children literature are immense especially in Africa where there is paucity of print literature, increasing cyber security and crime targeting children is of growing concern to governments, school teachers, parents, and Internet service providers. The chapter observes that whereas the developed world has made attempts to put in place mechanisms and systems such as acceptable user policies and protection software to mitigate undesirable consequences of online insecurity to which children are the most vulnerable, Africa is lagging behind despite the pervading Internet on the continent. The author notes that censorship of online literature is not the panacea to cyber insecurity, but parents should work closely with teachers and service providers to find pragmatic ways of protecting children online. Africa could learn a lot from developed countries on how to balance between access to useful online information resources against the growing cyber crime targeting children. The author cautions that the future of online security with regard to children’s safety in cyberspace is bound to become more complex as technologies become more advanced and online predators evolve sophisticated ways to circumvent online security measures, calling for the development of a proactive security strategy to protect children online.

Cybercafés of Nepal

The chapter introduces the cybercafés of Nepal and explores the prospect of someone (persons, criminals) exploiting them to commit global cyber crimes. Cybercafés are public places of Internet and are considered important tools of society for access to information and e-services of all kinds. However, by the virtue of being public places, they also stand vulnerable to misuse in terms of cyber crimes. The chapter discusses cybercafés and cyber crimes and introduces them with specific reference to Nepal—a country in south Asia nestled between two information technology giants, India and China. The chapter also discusses the cyber law of the country. Based on research carried out with the objectives of assessing the scenario in which the cybercafés operate in Nepal, it has been argued that they can be easily exploited to commit cyber crimes. Further, in terms of the facts that have emerged from the research, appropriate recommendations have also been derived and presented.

Cyber Laws and Cybercafés

This chapter will discuss the existing cyber laws in some commonwealth countries and the United States. It compares the various definitions accorded to cyber crimes in these countries. It examines and discusses when cyber crime occurs in the various jurisdictions regardless of where it originates, the laws that apply to pornography, the significance of jurisdiction for Internet criminals in all these countries, as well as when cybercafé operators are liable in cyber related crimes.

Computer Virus Phenomena in Cybercafé

The chapter examines the concepts, history, sources, spread, detection, and removal of computer viruses. The increase in the number of computers and accessibility to Internet has made it easy for hackers to invade systems all over the world. Computer viruses have reached epidemic numbers in many computer environments resulting in computer security vulnerabilities. Cybercafés systems/networks are potential objects of virus attacks due to the fact that they are connected to the Net. Cybercafé managers should have a good understanding of the risk and controls associated with various security technologies. It is the hope of the author that adequate awareness and understanding of the destructive devices by cybercafé managers and computer users generally will help secure their systems. It is recommended that cybercafé administrators develop a security policy for both employees and users.

Cybercafé Physical and Electronic Security Issues

An overview of physical and electronic security issues in cybercafés in Ibadan city, Nigeria is presented in this chapter. The security measures taken by cybercafé managers for physical and electronic facilities and clients also, were observed in an in-depth study of sixty cybercafés purposively selected for location, popularity, and wide range of services offered, over a period of 2 months. Participatory observation, in-depth interview, and questionnaire methods were adopted, using trained research assistants. Results of the findings showed that cybercafé operators are having a hard time, some folding up due to activities of criminals, and the war against cyber crime can be better tackled if the operators have skilled staff to man the cafés; security measures like passwords that are hard to break, and especially monitor customers who do overnight browsing. Hackers and spammers caught should be handed over to law enforcement agents who will stick to the rule of law.

Cybercafé Systems Security

This chapter introduces the vulnerability and security issues associated with the use and operations of Internet cafés or cybercafés by demonstrating different methods of launching different attacks especially when using commercial Internet cafés in a way that renders the system or other systems inoperable. It discusses the challenges facing those operating and managing Internet cafes, governments, parents, and even educators to ensure proper preventive measures, guidelines, and laws needed to protect the system against breaches, misuses, and abuses. It also argues that defense mechanism against breaches should be dynamic and strong enough due to the increasing number of new freely available cracking tools and harmful Web sites. In addition, virus, worms, Trojan horse, adware, malware, and spyware are spreading beyond imagination. Further, the chapter discusses different defense mechanisms.

Cybercafés and Prevention of Terrorist Activities

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the use of the Internet by terrorists in cybercafés and explore measures intended to stem the use of cybercafés for terrorist activities. Specifically, the reasons terrorists use of the Internet, how they use the Net, their motivations for utilization of cybercafés, various measures adopted in different countries for combating terrorists’ use of cafés for their acts, impediment to prevention of terrorism via cybercafés, and future trends are set forth.

Malware

In the two decades since its first significant appearance, malware has become the most prominent and costly threat to modern IT systems. This chapter examines the nature of malware evolution. It highlights that, as well as the more obvious development of propagation techniques, the nature of payload activities (and the related motivations of the malware creators) is also significantly changing, as is the ability of the malware to defeat defences. Having established the various facets of the threat, the discussion proceeds to consider appropriate strategies for malware detection and prevention, considering the role of modern antivirus software, and its use alongside other network security technologies to give more comprehensive protection. It is concluded that although malware is likely to remain a significant and ever-present threat, the risk and resultant impacts can be substantially mitigated by appropriate use of such safeguards.