Adio T. Akinwale

A new two‐tiered strategy to intrusion detection

Researchers have used many techniques in designing intrusion detection systems (IDS) and yet we still do not have an effective IDS. The interest in this work is to combine techniques of data mining and expert systems in designing an effective anomaly‐based IDS. Combining methods may give better coverage, and make the detection more effective. The idea is to mine system audit data for consistent and useful patterns of user behaviour, and then keep these normal behaviours in profiles. An expert system is used as the detection system that recognizes anomalies and raises an alarm. The evaluation of the intrusion detection system design was carried out to justify the importance of the work.

TCP Window Based Congestion Control Slow-Start Approach

Transmission control protocol (TCP) has undergone several transformations. Several proposals have been put forward to change the mechanisms of TCP congestion control to improve its performance. A line of research tends to reduce speed in the face of congestion thereby penalizing itself. In this group are the window based congestion control algorithms that use the size of congestion window to determine transmission speed. The two main algorithm of window based congestion control are the congestion avoidance and the slow start. The aim of this study is to survey the various modifications of window based congestion control. Much work has been done on congestion avoidance hence specific attention is placed on the slow start in order to motivate a new direction of research in network utility maximization. Mathematical modeling of the internet is discussed and proposals to improve TCP startup were reviewed. There are three lines of research on the improvement of slow start. A group uses the estimation of certain parameters to determine initial speed. The second group uses bandwidth estimation while the last group uses explicit request for network assistance to determine initial startup speed. The problems of each proposal are analyzed and a multiple startup for TCP is proposed. Multiple startups for TCP specify that startup speed is selectable from an n-arry set of algorithms. We then introduced the e-speed start which uses the prevailing network condition to determine a suitable starting speed.

Transaction Flow in Card Payment Systems Using Mobile Agents

In this paper, a system for controlling transaction flow in card-based payment systems and its performance benefit using mobile agents is presented. The model consists of the negotiation semantics, the mobile agent module, and three interactive systems in e-payment: the bank, point-of-sale (POS), and the Interswitch. We present a mobile agent-based scenario for e-payment system and discuss the negotiation scheme and techniques that provide security for the model. Our scheme requires no interaction with the originator once the mobile agents are sent out. This is particularly of advantage in a situation when the user cannot stay online for a long period of time. Comparing our model with that of traditional Remote Procedure Call (RPC), the result shows that our scheme is more reliable and faster.

Using Visual Analytics to Develop Situation Awareness in Network Intrusion Detection System

Network Intrusion Detection System (NIDS) is a security system that monitors the network traffic and analyzes activities for possible hostile attacks. A novel collaborative visual analytics application for cognitive overloaded site security officer (SSO) in the network intrusion detection environment is presented. The system was developed for site security officers who need to analyze heterogeneous, complex intrusion under time pressure, and then make predictions and time-critical decisions rapidly and correctly under a constant influx of intrusion alert/alarm. This purpose was achieved by designing system architecture of a Treemaps Visualization on NIDs. The Treemaps Network Intrusion Detection System was implemented using the Java platform. The results of an informal usability of the network system were evaluated by the security experts in the context of Endley’s three levels of situation awareness. The proposed visualization tool has some economic advantages by aiding NID’s SSO to dynamically discover intrusive zone which will reduce cost of manual analysis and high risks, efficient space utilization, interactivity, comprehension and esthetics.

Derivation of Database Keys' Operations

Introduction Designing database is an art process similar to building a house. Database designers always face the problems of designing a relational database that will be free of database anomalies. These anomalies bring repetition of tuples that delay processing time and occupy memory spaces. Suppose that the value of the attribute BUILDER determines values of the attribute MODEL and PRICE, (BUILDER [right arrow] MODEL, PRICE) and that the value for the attribute MODEL determines the value for PRICE, (MODEL [right arrow] PRICE). Grouping these attributes in relation HOUSE(BUILDER, MODEL, PRICE) has several undesirable properties. First the relationship between MODEL and PRICE is repeated in the relation for each BUILDER who builds a particular MODEL of home. This repetition creates difficulties if a BUILDER who happens to be the last BUILDER of a certain MODEL home is deleted from the relation, then the relationship between the MODEL and its PRICE also disappears from the relation. This is called a deletion anomaly. Similarly, if a new builder who happens to be the first BUILDER of a certain MODEL home is added then the relationship between MODEL of a home and its PRICE will also be added. This is called an insertion anomaly. Suppose that the relationship between a MODEL and its PRICE is changed e.g. the price is increased; then the MODEL and PRICE relationship should be affected for every BUILDER of the MODEL. This is called update anomaly. These anomalies are undesirable since the user is not likely to realize the consequence of the insertion, deletion or updating. The user may inadvertently affect a relationship that was not intended to be modified. Consistency, insertion, deletion and updating are not probe effecting all groupings of attributes. If the relation HOUSE(BUILDER, MODEL, PRICE) is normalized then the consistency and anomaly problems disappear. Normalization is a step by step reversible process of replacing a given collection of relations by successive collection in which the relations have a progressively simpler and more regular structure (Date & Darwen, 2000). The reversibility guarantees that the original collection of relations can be recovered and therefore no information has been lost. Codd proposed three normal forms which he called first normal form (1NF), second normal form (2NF) and third normal form (3NF). A stronger definition of 3NF was proposed by Boyce and Codd and is known as Boyce-Codd Normal Form (BCNF). All these normal forms except 1NF are based on the functional dependencies among the attributes of a relation (Elmasri & Navathe, 1994). First normal form relates to the structure of the relation. It requires that every attribute of a relation be based on a simple domain. The database designers have no problem to know if a relation violates first normal form. They can put the relation into first normal form algorithmically by replacing a non-simple domain by its constituent simple domains. In the second (2NF), third (3NF) and Boyce Codd normal form (BCNF), there is a need for the database designers to know the real meaning and application of database keys such as candidate key, primary key, super key, etc,. Problem Statement Database designers always find it difficult to determine these keys from relational database schemas. It has been difficult to motivate students and database designers to derive primary, candidate, alternative and super keys because they think this area is dry and theoretical. There are many algorithms to determine the database keys but they look abstract for students. Many database researchers indicated that relational database model to derive database keys tends to be complex for the average designers. Failure to determine the database keys at times leads to poor design that can generate database anomalies. The database key algorithms often require extensive relational algebraic backgrounds that database designers lack. …

A conceptual analysis and design of a management system for “Ifa” (an African traditional oracle)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to suggest a conceptual analysis and design of knowledge management (KM) system for “Ifa” divination. In previous research, a randomized expert system for “Ifa” was proposed. In the system, the signatures of the divine‐chain are simulated through randomization process from 1 to 16, triggering the inference engine and knowledge base. This system has been experimented and it works.Design/methodology/approach – The paper proposes a conceptual analysis and design of KM system for “Ifa.” In this system, applying KM to “Ifa” oracle consultation plays the core role. Moreover, the formal explanation of the whole process is given.Findings – “Ifa” knowledge visualization was designed with Visual Basic 6.0 and MS‐Access for storing “Ifa” data. The paper presents an application tagged “Ifagraph” – an oracle browser version 1.0.0 that displays the signatures when executed.Originality/value – This is a novel approach that promotes indigenous technology from an African perspective.