William Hutchinson

Cyber attacks against supply chain management systems: a short note

Supply chain management (SCM) is increasingly dependent on electronic systems. At the same time, the vulnerability of these systems to attack from malicious individuals or groups is growing. This paper examines some of the forms such attacks can take, and their relevance to the supply function. Provides examples of attacks. Concludes that companies should consider the security aspects of electronic commerce before developing their systems.

Information Warfare and Deception

This paper examines the history of the phenomenon of Information Warfare and the increasingly dominant role that deception is taking within its framework. The concept of information warfare began as a technology oriented tactic to gain information dominance by superior command and control. This soon developed into a realization of the power of information as both a ‘weapon’ as well as a ‘target’. The importance of information rather than its associated vehicle – information technology − created a situation where influence became a critical factor in conflict. As the nature of conflict changed to being an almost ongoing situation, control over mass communication became a high priority task for governments as well as the military. As such, the manipulation of information became an essential function. Thus, the world of deception became an integral part of official communications between governments and their constituency.

A Security Evaluation Criteria

Computer security is now recognised as an important consideration in modern business, with a variety of guidelines and standards currently available to enable different business environments to be properly protected. However, financial and operational constraints often exist which influence the practicality of these recommendations. New baseline security methods such as Australian and New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS) 4444 and British Standard (BS) 7799 represent minimal standards which organisations can use to improve their security. The aim of the paper is to look at the effectiveness of baseline security standards through the use of an evaluation criteria, which assesses their effectiveness.

A security risk management approach for e‐commerce

E-commerce security is a complex issue; it is concerned with a number of security risks that can appear at either a technical level or organisational level. This paper uses a systemic framework, the viable system model (VSM) to determine the high level security risks and then uses baseline security methods to determine the lower level security risks.

Information security - An e-learning problem

The paper describes the issues relating to the security of e-learning systems. The security perspective in e-learning systems is often ignored. This paper introduces the major information security issues as a primer for the research being carried out by the authors into the developing of generic, baseline information security standards for the e-learning environment.

System survivability : a critical security problem

Purpose – This paper seeks to delve into the concept of determining the survivability of critical infrastructure in society, especially information‐based networks.Design/methodology/approach – Discusses the need for and the importance of an analysis language called EASEL, which aids in determining the survivability of critical systems through the use and creation of emergent simulations.Findings – Much of what has been presented here is still in its conceptual and research stage. There is still much to determine and define in this new research discipline of survivability. The survivability of critical systems can be determined by utilizing EASEL simulations to describe security situations.Originality/value – Armed with the knowledge gained in this paper, it is hoped that organizations can adopt strategies to protect their information systems and make them resilient and survivable.

Concepts in information warfare

This paper examines the fundamental concepts needed to understand the broad spectrum of activities encompassed by the information warfare phenomenon. It provides a theoretical background to these activities, and examines the social context in which these are most effective.

Truth, lies, reality and deception: an issue for e-commerce

E-commerce relies upon two key elements authenticity and the integrity of data. To function effectively, an electronic based system must trust that the users on it are who they should be, and that the data has not been corrupted. The digital medium has the benefit of flexibility of change, but this very characteristic is the one that makes it vulnerable to those who wish to deceive. This paper examines types of deception and how they relate to the digital world.

Deception: a tool and curse for security management

With the proliferation of electronic information systems over the last two decades, the integrity of the stored data and its uses have become an essential component of effective organisational functioning. This digitised format, used in input, output, processing, storage, and communication, has given those wishing to deceive new opportunities. This paper examines the nature of deception and its potential as a new security risk in the information age.

Information Warfare: Fact or Fiction?

The aim of the paper to explore what Information Warfare is and the impact that it could have upon a country. The paper will then discuss the impact that information warfare could have upon Australia. This assessment will take the form of evaluating two national studies undertaken within Australia into Information Warfare and look at the risks that could effect E-commerce. The paper will also describe the steps that some countries are taking to protect themselves against the threat of Information Warfare.