Tyson T. Brooks

A failure to communicate: Security vulnerabilities in the GridStreamX Edgeware application

Any communications network is subject to becoming the target of exploitation by criminal hackers looking to gain unauthorized access to an information system. As a computer information infrastructure, the wireless grid Edgeware technology model aims at aggregating ensembles of shared, heterogeneous and distributed wireless resources to provide transparent services of various applications, systems and devices. Currently, there is no research exploring the exploitation of technical vulnerabilities from a hackers attack against a wireless grid Edgeware application. Using a quantitative research method from the theoretical perspective of an anatomy of a network attack, the central premise of this article is to compromise the confidentiality, integrity and availability of a wireless grid called the GridStreamX Edgeware application for vulnerability exploitation through a laboratory experiment within the Syracuse University Wireless Grid Innovation Testbed (WiGiT). The GridStreamX Edgeware application is cloud to ‘worst case scenario’ emergency response wireless Grid resource, which can be utilized as a data communication vehicle during an enterprise network catastrophe and/or failure. This research makes a meaningful theoretical and managerial contribution because it represents the first empirical examination of researching the technical requirements of the open specifications for wireless grid Edgeware technology.

Secure the edge? Understanding the risk towards wireless grids Edgeware technology

This article contributes to the foundational understanding of the security vulnerabilities and risk towards wireless grid Edgeware technology. Since communication networks and devices are subject to becoming the target of exploitation by hackers (e.g., individuals who attempt to gain unauthorised access to computer systems), these individuals are gaining ever-increasing knowledge of the often widely-reported exploitable vulnerabilities in these types of innovative technologies; and thus are able to craft increasingly effective computer network attacks (CNA) against such technologies. This research responds to the overall proposition: what security vulnerability enumerations would contribute to the degradation and risk in using a wireless grid Edgeware application in a virtualised cloud environment? Using supporting research pertaining to cyber-attacks and vulnerabilities towards a wireless cloud (e.g., the integration of a cloud computing and a wireless grid architecture), security vulnerabilities in virtualisation environments and specific vulnerabilities exploited against a wireless grid Edgeware application, this research provides a greater understanding of the practical ways wireless grid Edgeware technology can be attacked and the risk in utilising this technology.

Keynote speaker 4: The Internet of Things: Connected reality

The Internet of Things (IoT) will create a huge network of billions of smart ‘Things/Objects’ communicating each other. In the IoT, smart things/objects are expected to become active participants in business, information and social processes. The IoT will be able to interact and communicate by exchanging data and information sensed about the environment and by reacting autonomously to the real/physical events with or without direct human intervention. The IoT has the purpose of providing an information technology (IT) infrastructure facilitating the exchanges of things in a secure and reliable manner. This keynote will discuss the anatomy of the IoT environment and its use within the home, business and our everyday lives.

ICITST-2013: Keynote speaker 3: Blurred nets: Disruption and the risk to future ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) architectures

The Internet of Things (IoT) is an integrated part of the future Internet with self-configuring capabilities based on interoperable communication protocols where physical and virtual ‘things/objects’ have identities, physical attributes and are seamlessly integrated into the information network. This keynote will address three key themes in this IoT evolution, each defining stages in the evolution of the Internet over the next decade. Over the next few years, the importance of collaboratory participation nets will further increase active creation and passive consumption. By 2015, immersive nets become predominant, integration local tags, wireless networks and smart environments offer a cloud of information accessible and editable both remotely and in-person. After 2017, metaverse nets will take this augmented world and add connections with virtual environments. Although innovative, the risk and disruption to these new architectures will present challenges to the IoT Cyber domain needing to address the very large numbers of ‘things/objects’ handing data in this new global information space.