The Cyberspace: Redefining A New World
Author(s): U. M. Mbanaso, PhDand E.S. Dandaura, PhD. | Published date: May, 2015
<strong>Abstract:</strong> The cyberspace driven by information systems and the Internet is transforming our environment in extraordinary ways by enabling economic growth and providing new means by which people connect, interact and collaborate with one another. The continuous evolution of components of information and communications technology (ICT); advances in the underlying digital components (core electronics)and the corresponding reduction in costs suggest that the Internet is increasingly becoming more readily available and accessible worldwide. The outcome is that more and more people around the globe will ultimately rely on the effective functioning of the Internet to survive and prosper. This suggests an unremitting upsurge of the population of cyber citizens globally.Most countries no longer take these emerging trends in the virtual world casually. Aside the evolution of digital economy driven by the extensive use of information space or digital knowledge, most countries are working hard to dominate the information space. As the industrial revolution bifurcated the world, so also is the level of exploitation of the vast opportunities on cyberspace bifurcating nation states. This is simply due to the fact that traditional activities of all sorts are increasingly shifting to this new domain.Certainly, cyberspace has become a new focal point for innovations, enterprises, social networking, criminality and warfare.These factors are reshaping and redefining a new world. Most countries that have recognized cyberspace as the fifth domain, have,equally elevated their perception of the domain as an abstract virtual space to a more concrete space with‘physical boundaries’. This paper explores the different levels at which cyberspace is bringing benefits and risks to mankind, and the factors responsible for the widening gap between ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ nations.
Download pdfThe Cyberspace and Intensification of Privacy Invasion
Author(s): U. Mbanaso, PhD and E.S. Dandaura, PhD | Published date: Apr, 2015
<strong>Abstract: </strong>The widespread adoption of cyberspace for exceptional socio-economic activities, especially as it is connecting populations around the globe in ways never foreseen is raising fresh security issues.What is fueling this embracement, is the pervasiveness of social media and innovative mobile computing devices. This has not only changed our ways of life, but also blurs the lines that define the way governments run, business are conducted as well as the way we use and share information. Yet, these new ways of services and interactions, are raising new threats in terms of privacy, integrity,confidentiality and trust. Cyberspace transactions cut across national boundaries, in many cases,without any form of existing trust relationships of any sort. Again, the explosion in mobile computing is extending the influence of social web; the manner in which content is shared and accessed is now defining a symbol of new global status,affecting and merging the realm of personal and business life. Besides the threats from criminal minded people or group, deliberate efforts by states to dominate (or show supremacy) with the potential to halt other states economically, politically or militarily, lies intensified privacy invasion that is unfamiliar to the unsuspecting technology user.This paper explores the different levels at which users of cyberspace are exposed to privacy invasion, the consequences and manner in which some of the risks can be mitigated even as we continue to record steady upswing of mobile computing by cyberspace users.
Download pdfA Critical Assessment of Nigeria’s Presence on the Cyberspace
Author(s): U. M. Mbanaso, G. A. Chukwudebe & E. E. Atimati | Published date: Dec, 2015
<strong>Abstract</strong>—This paper presents a study of the Nigeria’s presence in Cyberspace. The Cyberspace (Internet) is now critical to every nation’s socio-economic, cultural and political activities. When it is disrupted or fails, can grind a nation to a standstill. On the contrary, its correct functioning and pliability is transforming modern society with exceptional pecuniary and social benefits. With nearly all traditional activities increasingly moving to the Internet, Cyberspace has become a new stage for innovations, enterprises, social networking, criminality and war. For this study, the United Nations (UN) e-governance framework was used, the highlights of the United Nations E-Government Survey report of 2014 was analyzed to show the ranking of the world leaders, West African countries and where Nigeria stands. The Internet penetration growth and evolving Internet infrastructure provisioning in Nigeria were reviewed and a critical assessment of Nigeria’s presence on the Cyberspace was carried out using the UN online presence index methodology between the months of August and September 2015. The web content, interactivity, the currency of information, downloadable documents, etc. were used to compare various sectors of the Nigerian economy; all tiers of government, academia, and the organized private sector. The study revealed that the organized private sector and private educational institutions are doing better than government educational institutions and ministries. Based on international best practices, a list of recommended actions for increasing cyberspace presence and achieving e-governance for improved services and productivity in Nigeria and similar developing countries is proffered.
Download pdfThe Use of Social Networking Service among Nigerian Youths between Ages16 and 25 Years
Author(s): U. M. Mbanaso, PhD; E. S. Dandaura PhD; G. N. Ezeh PhD; U. C. Iwuchukwu | Published date: Dec, 2015
<strong>A</strong><strong>bstract-</strong> This paper presents an investigation of the use of social networking service among youths aged 16 through 25 years, in Nigeria.The convergence of information systems and networks, the Internet and mobility has brought about a fundamental shift on how people generate and share information. Specifically, social media has emerged as a powerful tool in a digitally connected world, touching every aspect of human existence. This paradigm swing cuts across people of diverse age albeit affects each age category differently. This work presents the outcome of a study conducted in select towns in central part of Nigeria between January and June 2015. The focus was to determine how youths (age 16 through 25) use social media platforms in terms of the frequency, and purposes of social networking site usage. The survey revealed that, 99% of the respondents have social media accounts out of which 95.2% use smartphones to access various social media platforms. 46.4% from the respondents fall under the category of those very likely to use social platforms in a week, while 26.8% account for those who are extremely likely to use the social networking service within same time frame. Only 0.7% of the respondents were not likely to use social networking service within a week. Among the twelve social media platforms surveyed, Facebook ranked top as the most commonly used social networking channel with 91%, followed by WhatsApp (87%) and Tango ranked last at 1%. Based on the analysis of the result, it is highly likely that social media may have severe impact on young people who have no form of restrains with consequences of huge distractions and privacy intrusions. Conversely, the fact that social media is rapidly building social and communications habits into the youths point to its potential to enhance their learning habits if properly harnessed and formalized to aid pedagogy at secondary and tertiary levels.
Download pdfPrivacy Preserving Trust Authorization Framework Using XACML
Author(s): U.M. Mbanaso, G.S. Cooper, D.W.Chadwick and Seth Proctor | Published date: Mar, 2015
<span style="left:81.7px;top:261.729px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(1.09681);"><strong>Abstract</strong></span><span style="left:142.1px;top:258.87px;font-size:19.45px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(0.999528);"><strong>:</strong> </span><span style="left:157.5px;top:261.729px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(1.01969);">Nowadays many organisations share sensitive </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:280.929px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(0.967413);">services through open network systems and this raises the </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:299.628px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(0.977711);">need for an authorization framework that can interoperate </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:318.328px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(0.994893);">even when the parties have no pre-existing relationships. </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:336.928px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(1.03011);">Trust Negotiation is the process used to establish these first </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:355.529px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(0.984848);">relationships, through the transfer of attributes, embedded </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:374.228px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(1.00441);">in digital credentials, between the two parties. However, </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:392.829px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(0.943881);">these attributes may themselves be considered sensitive and </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:411.429px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(0.98328);">so may need protection from disclosure. In some </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:430.129px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(1.00738);">environments, the policies that govern the protected services </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:448.729px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(0.973817);">may also be considered sensitive and their release to </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:467.428px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(1.03445);">arbitrary strangers may leak confidential business </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:486.029px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(0.963327);">information. Thus, the electronic services, the policies that </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:504.629px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(0.968055);">control access to them, and the digital credentials used to </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:523.329px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(1.00295);">gain access may all be sensitive and require access </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:542.028px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(1.00308);">protections. This paper describes how to unify the protection </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:560.528px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(0.975389);">of services, sensitive credentials and policies in a </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:579.228px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(1.00288);">synchronised trustworthy manner. We propose a trust </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:597.927px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(1.00231);">authorization framework (TAF) that builds on the </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:616.427px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(0.935965);">capabilities of XACML to support the bilateral exchange of </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:635.126px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(0.987627);">policies and credentials through trust negotiation. Our </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:653.727px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(1.01388);">framework addresses privacy and trust issues, and considers </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:672.426px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(1.01083);">services, credentials, and authorization policies protected </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:691.027px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(0.983318);">resources whose access is subject to credential proof and </span><span style="left:81.6999px;top:709.627px;font-size:16.2407px;font-family:serif;transform:scaleX(1.0049);">trust level validation </span>
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