Elsabé Cloete

Special Features: A comparison of Intrusion Detection systems

A computer system intrusion is seen as any set of actions that attempt to compromise the integrity, confidentiality or availability of a resource.^1 The introduction of networks and the Internet caused great concern about the protection of sensitive information and have resulted in many computer security research efforts during the past few years. Although preventative techniques such as access control and authentication attempt to prevent intruders, these can fail, and as a second line of defence, intrusion detection has been introduced. Intrusion detection systems (IDS) are implemented to detect an intrusion as it occurs, and to execute countermeasures when detected. Usually, a security administrator has difficulty in selecting an IDS approach for his unique set-up. In this Report, different approaches to intrusion detection systems are compared, to supply a norm for the best-fit system. The results would assist in the selection of a single appropriate intrusion detection system or combine approaches that best fit any unique computer system.

Reusable and Usable Environment for the Digital Courseware Domain

This paper considers a functional framework that creates a usable authoring support environment (ASE) for digital course design, and outputs reusable components. Within the context of considering the courseware domain as a domain of interactive software systems, we developed an ASE prototype. The objectives of this prototype include the provision of a usable authoring tool to develop interactive courseware, as well as the creation of domain products that are based on open standards to foster large-scale reuse of these products. In this paper we describe the software architecture of the prototype, based on usability requirements.

Design Issues in Ethical Agent Computing

Agent computing, and in particular intelligent mobile agentcomputing, is at present awarded increasing prominence in theliterature. This is partly due to the pervasive nature of availableInternet technologies such as search engines and booking agents. Itis within this context that the importance of investigating variouscharacteristics demonstrated by mobile agent computing is becomingapparent. In order to perform specialized tasks on behalf of theirowners, a certain amount of intelligence in mobile agents is oftenassumed or expected. The attribute intelligent brings with it aconcomitant human characteristic that is assigned to an inanimatetechnological object. In mobile agent systems, communities ofagents (some with embedded intelligence, and some without) alreadyinhabit areas of cyberspace and interact with other agents, humanusers and hosts. Depending on the expected interaction with otherentities, it is plausible to think that such a community canexhibit a social life of its own. This raises issues concerninginformation security as well as the ethical and social behaviour ofmobile agents. In this paper we discuss a framework for dealingwith the security and ethical design issues of this technology.