A privacy and security threat assessment framework for consumer health wearables
- Authors: Mnjama, Javan , Foster, Gregory G , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2017
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/429217 , vital:72568 , https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8251776
- Description: Health data is important as it provides an individual with knowledge of the factors needed to be improved for oneself. The development of fitness trackers and their associated software aid consumers to understand the manner in which they may improve their physical wellness. These devices are capable of collecting health data for a consumer such sleeping patterns, heart rate readings or the number of steps taken by an individual. Although, this information is very beneficial to guide a consumer to a better healthier state, it has been identified that they have privacy and security concerns. Privacy and Security are of great concern for fitness trackers and their associated applications as protecting health data is of critical importance. This is so, as health data is one of the highly sort after information by cyber criminals. Fitness trackers and their associated applications have been identified to contain privacy and security concerns that places the health data of consumers at risk to intruders. As the study of Consumer Health continues to grow it is vital to understand the elements that are needed to better protect the health information of a consumer. This research paper therefore provides a conceptual threat assessment framework that can be used to identify the elements needed to better secure Consumer Health Wearables. These elements consist of six core elements from the CIA triad and Microsoft STRIDE framework. Fourteen vulnerabilities were further discovered that were classified within these six core elements. Through this, better guidance can be achieved to improve the privacy and security of Consumer Health Wearables.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Challenges experienced in the first year of implementation of a teaching and learning virtual partnership at the University of Namibia
- Authors: Mufeti, K , Foster, Gregory G , Terzoli, Alfredo
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/431234 , vital:72756 , https://rcetj.org/index.php/rcetj/article/view/178
- Description: Advances in information and communication technologies are enabling higher educa-tion institutions to build virtual partnerships with other institutions. Virtual partner-ships are defined here as collaborations between geographically dispersed institutions, where interaction between these institutions is enabled mainly by electronic modes of communication. This article reports on the participants’ experiences of the implemen-tation of one such partnership from the perspective of a partner in a developing con-text. It uses the SANTED Virtual Classroom Project (VCP), a virtual partnership initia-tive between the Departments of Computer Science at the University of Namibia (UNAM) and Rhodes University (RU), as a case study. In the VCP, the department at RU was tasked with building teaching and human resource capacity in the department at UNAM. The article focuses on the challenges experienced at UNAM during the first year of implementation of the VCP and lessons learned.
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- Date Issued: 2012
The SANTED Virtual Classroom Project: A case study
- Authors: Mufeti, Tulimevava K , Thinyane, Hannah , Terzoli, Alfredo , Foster, Gregory G
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/430784 , vital:72715 , https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/5753006
- Description: The SANTED Virtual Classroom Project is a collaboration initiative of the Departments of Computer Science at Rhodes University and the University of Namibia, conceptualized in 2007 and operational since 2008. The project aims to build capacity in the Computer Science De-partment at the University of Namibia through curriculum development and delivery, staff development and sharing of resources. This paper gives a detailed description of the project, highlighting how it was con-ceived, its aims and objectives, its aspirations and challenges, as well as some of the successes achieved to date.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Rich Representation and Visualisation of Time-Series Data
- Authors: Kerr, Simon , Foster, Gregory G , Irwin, Barry V W
- Date: 2009
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/428130 , vital:72488 , https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Barry-Ir-win/publication/265821926_Rich_Representation_and_Visualisation_of_Time-Series_Data/links/5548a1350cf26a7bf4daefb1/Rich-Representation-and-Visualisation-of-Time-Series-Data.pdf
- Description: Currently the majority of data is visualized using static graphs and ta-bles. However, static graphs still leave much to be desired and provide only a small insight into trends and changes between values. We pro-pose a move away from purely static representations of data towards a more fluid and understandable environment for data representation. This is achieved through the use of an application which animates time based data. Animating time based data allows one to see nuances within a dataset from a more comprehensive perspective. This is espe-cially useful within the time based data rich telecommunications indus-try. The application comprises of two parts-the backend manages raw data which is then passed to the frontend for animation. A play function allows one to play through a time series. Which creates a fluid and dy-namic environment for exploring data. Both the advantages and disad-vantages of this approach are investigated and an application is intro-duced which can be used to animate and explore datasets.
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- Date Issued: 2009
Designing a framework for animal identification
- Authors: Krijer, Hans , Foster, Gregory G , Bangay, Shaun D
- Date: 2008
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432726 , vital:72895 , https://www.cs.ru.ac.za/research/g99k3906/hans.pdf
- Description: The conventional methods of animal identification can be replaced with a semi-automatic image analysis tool, which distinguishes individuals based on their unique markings. A flexible framework for the analysis must encompass a combination of relevant features with interchangeable animal-specific modules. Developing a Java-ImageJ plug-in alleviates routine functionality, but enforces some degree of conformity. Zebra photographs are used as the initial data under consideration. De-interlacing, adaptive thresholding, smoothing and sharpening are identified as beneficial pre-processing steps. Binarisation and sequential thinning are discussed as essential processing stages. Pattern extraction and matching is based on vectors relative to a manually defined region of interest. Provision for enhancing the system to allow fully automatic processing must be made.
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- Date Issued: 2008
Zebra fingerprints: towards a computer-aided identification system for individual zebra
- Authors: Foster, Gregory G , Krijer, Hans , Bangay, Shaun D
- Date: 2007
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/433482 , vital:72973 , https://doi.org/10.1145/1108590.1108616
- Description: The article presents a study which investigates the development of a computer-aided system for individual zebra identification based on the lateral side stripe pattern. The model proposed for individual animal identification is based on a combination of image processing and fingerprint identification technology. About 20 minutes of zebra footage was filmed at the Amakhala Game Reserve in South Africa. The study indicates that there is sufficient variation in lateral stripe patterns to differentiate individual animals.
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- Date Issued: 2007
The identification of mammalian species through the classification of hair patterns using image pattern recognition
- Authors: Moyo, Thamasanqa , Bangay, Shaun D , Foster, Gregory G
- Date: 2006
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/432938 , vital:72914 , https://doi.org/10.1145/1108590.1108619
- Description: The identification of mammals through the use of their hair is important in the fields of forensics and ecology. The application of computer pattern recognition techniques to this process provides a means of reducing the subjectivity found in the process, as manual techniques rely on the interpretation of a human expert rather than quantitative measures. The first application of image pattern recognition techniques to the classification of African mammalian species using hair patterns is presented. This application uses a 2D Gabor filter-bank and motivates the use of moments to classify hair scale patterns. Application of a 2D Gabor filter-bank to hair scale processing provides results of 52% accuracy when using a filter-bank of size four and 72% accuracy when using a filter-bank of size eight. These initial results indicate that 2D Gabor filters produce information that may be successfully used to classify hair according to images of its patterns.
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- Date Issued: 2006
Intertidal population structure of the edible mollusc Turbo sarmaticus (Vetigastropoda) at an unexploited and exploited sites along the coast of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
- Authors: Foster, Gregory G , Hodgson, Alan N
- Date: 2000
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/447403 , vital:74622 , https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2000.11657088
- Description: The intertidal population structure of the large edible gastropod Turbo sarmaticus was examined at four sites along the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. One site was free from exploitation, two were subjected to low levels of exploitationand one was heavily exploited. Within the intertidal zone at all sites there was a size-related distribution, with smalleranimals being found towards the upper mid-shore and larger animals occurring in a downshore direction. The mean shore densities (1.2–animals/m2) and biomass (4.4–9.4 g/m2) of T. sarmaticus at the sites where there was no, or minimal, exploitation of animals were not significantly different (P0.001). However, the largest animals (up to 110mmshell length) were found at the unexploited site, an offshore island. The lowest density (0.2 animals/m2) and biomass (0.4 g/m2) of T. sarmaticus was recorded at the site where the exploitation of this gastropod was intense. In addition, no animals of a legally exploitable size (>70 mm shell length) were found. It is suggested that intense over-exploitation is threatening the population at this site.
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- Date Issued: 2000
Feeding, tentacle and gut morphology in five species of southern African intertidal holothuroids (Echinodermata)
- Authors: Foster, Gregory G , Hodgson, Alan N
- Date: 1996
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/447392 , vital:74621 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/AJA00445096_757
- Description: Compares the structure of the tentacles and digestive tracts of four species of intertidal dendrochirote, and one species of aspidochirote holothuroid by using light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Gut contents were sieved to determine the size of the particulate matter ingested. Concludes that there appears to be a relationship between tentacle morphology and the size and type of food ingested. Gut length, the thickness of the digestive epithelial layer and the number of vesicles present in the enterocyte cells of the digestive epithelium also differ in relation to the food ingested. Illustrates with several photographs.
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- Date Issued: 1996