Taiseera Al Balushi

ElicitO: a quality ontology-guided NFR elicitation tool

Despite the importance of capturing a precise and complete set of requirements in the requirements engineering stage, there are few tools that adequately support requirements analysis in the process of capturing quality related requirements (non-functional requirements). This paper presents ElicitO, a requirements elicitation tool aimed at empowering requirements analysts with a knowledge repository that helps in the process of capturing precise nonfunctional requirements (NFRs) specifications during elicitation interviews. The approach is based on the application of functional and non-functional domain ontologies (quality ontologies) to underpin the elicitation activities. The tool is used as a memory aid to structure elicitation interviews, guide requirements analysts with regard to the important quality aspects relating to a class of applications, and support the development of precise requirements based on characteristics and metrics available in quality model standards.

Eliciting and prioritizing quality requirements supported by ontologies: a case study using the ElicitO framework and tool

As software complexity grows and clients demand higher quality software, quality requirements can no longer be considered to be of secondary importance. Thus, eliciting, specifying, prioritizing and validating quality requirements is a prerequisite to the development of effective and efficient information systems. Despite the critical importance of quality requirements, there is a considerable gap in the breadth and depth of quality requirements engineering (RE) support in most RE approaches. In practice, it is often the case to have quality requirements considered as an afterthought in the systems development process. While there is a wealth of modelling techniques and tools for functional requirements, there is very limited support for quality requirements in RE. Support for quality requirements is usually ad-hoc, without clear guidelines on how to capture, specify and manage quality requirements and also without proper usage of standardized terminologies based on established quality models such as the ISO/IEC 9126 quality model. In this paper, we discuss a quality-driven RE framework and tool that applies knowledge management techniques and quality ontologies to support RE activities. The ontology implements the quality characteristics and metrics prescribed by the ISO/9126 quality model, providing a common vocabulary to address quality concerns/aspects across RE activities. We empirically validate how the framework and tool can be used to effectively support the requirements elicitation and prioritization activities through a case study addressing the development of an intranet portal project at the University of Manchester.

Conceptualization Approach for Accessibility-Aware Framework

For many people, the use of the technology offers opportunities to engage in activities that would otherwise be impossible. However, this potential can only be realised if the technology is designed so that it can support people in achieving their goals. Information access for people with special needs is creating numerous opportunities and challenges within the Information expressway community. A majority of web based information and services are inaccessible to people with certain disabilities, largely due to a lack of awareness of accessibility issues on the part of composers and developers in web engineering. There are many factors that contribute to achieving designs for accessibility, but one important issue is the availability of knowledge about how to design solutions that will take into account users and their diverse characteristics. This research discusses the need for a framework approach to determine the level of accessibility required by people with special needs to access web resources, the results of such an approach should be as meaningful as possible for web applications developers and composers. It is also argued that the current accessibility evaluation approaches are unsatisfactory in the scope and results presentation. This research will outline the groundwork for constructing accessibility aware framework approach where people with distinct needs can access all web applications based on their level of disability. The approach provides guidelines for web developers and composers in the development of accessible web solutions. Blindness and Deafness disability profiles are used as an example to demonstrate the execution of the framework approach and presented implementation architecture.

Exploring the Dimensions of Electronic Government Service Quality.

Information and communication technology is progressively evolving around the world. Organizations and providers of online services, have to keep up with technological advancements when providing services and meet the redoubling expectations of its customers. At a global level there is wider adoption of e-government, a term coined in the recent past to describe the methodology that implements technology efficiently with quality of service for the general public’s administration in a government setting. This research proposes a scale for measuring quality dimension in setting of e-government by an extensive review of literature from last 3 decades and by revising the SERVQUAL scale. The proposed scale is based on 25 items and six quality dimensions namely: reliability, responsiveness, ease of useusability, website designcontent, and security privacy. This research is fruitful for organizations to assess, measure, and improve the quality of service concerning the e-government services they offer. Keywords-component; Service quality, E-service quality, Egovernment service quality, Determinant of quality, measurements of quality, Factors of E-service quality, Measurement of quality

Wireless Sensor Network Security for Cyber-Physical Systems

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have become a prominent technology for many applications due to its various advantages and feasibility. It has been applied in government, military, transport, health care, education, business, and environment applications. WSN makes sensing, tracking, monitoring, and automation much simpler, effective, and efficient as compared to its predecessor technologies. Due to its vast implementations and immense potential, it has also attracted many threats and vulnerabilities along its path to advancement. This chapter reviews the existing literature and discusses the security issues related to WSN and the challenges in addressing them.

Cyber-physical systems security

In recent times, Cyber-Physical Systems (CPSs) have become an emerging paradigm for controlling and managing the ever-growing number of cyber-connected devices and has seen an increased use in different applications. Among the various benefits that CPS provides leading to its wide adaptation, one of them is its ability to seamlessly integrate systems from cyber and physical domain to create value. However, to fully realize such benefits various complementary aspects need to be considered. One such aspect is security, which secures the communication between different devices and ensures the prevention of unauthorized access. This chapter sets the base for the rest of the book by discussing the structure of the CPS and its different associated components. It then discusses some of the various different attacks from which CPS need to be secured and the challenges involved in addressing them.

Embedded systems security for cyber-physical systems

Embedded systems have become a core component in today’s technological era. Embedded systems are a combination of hardware and software specially designed to perform a specific task. They can control many common systems used today which are implemented in variety of field such as transportation, health care, communication, and many more. Embedded systems have also obtained features of functioning using the Internet and this is what is often referred to as cyber-physical systems (CPSs). This chapter aims to study the interrelationships between embedded systems and CPS. It also investigates the key security areas in both fields and highlights some challenges and gaps in these two fields with regards to their complex nature, trade-offs for efficient functioning of such systems and trust and reputation approach.

WSN Security Mechanisms for CPS

Due to their low complexity and robustness in nature, wireless sensor networks are a key component in cyber-physical system. The integration of wireless sensor network in cyber-physical system provides immense benefits in distributed controlled environment. However, the layered structure of cyber-physical system and wireless sensor network make it susceptible to internal and external threats. These threats may lead toward financial or structural losses in networks. The chapter is structured as such to provide classification of layer-to-layer, external and internal attacks to wireless sensor network and cyber-physical system. In addition to that, the chapter identifies the known security detection and possible approaches against the threats for wireless sensor networks and cyber-physical system. Finally, a comparison of approaches to defend wireless sensor network and cyber-physical system against such attacks is presented.

Distributed Control Systems Security for CPS

Distributed control systems (DCSs) are one of the founding technologies of the cyber-physical systems (CPSs), which are implemented in industries and grids. The DCSs are studies from the aspect of design, architecture, modeling, framework, management, security, and risk. From the findings, it was identified that the security of these systems is the most vital aspect among the modern issues. To address the security of DCSs, it is important to understand the bridging features between DCSs and the CPSs in order to protect them from cyberattacks against known and unknown vulnerabilities.

ICS/SCADA System Security for CPS

Cyber-physical systems (CPSs) are a various collection of information communication technology (ICT) and embedded microprocessors which are communicated to the physical world via sensors and actuators. Smart grids are one area of applications of CPS. The remote activities of the smart grid’s CPS are monitored and controlled by specialized computing system called industrial control systems (ICSs) or supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems (ICS/SCADA). Hence, it is crucial to keep ICS/SCADA system safe and secure to prevent any cyberattack causing a physical hazard to the smart grid which might affect the human life, national safety, or economy.