Next-Generation Software Created To Identify Complex Cyber Network Attacks

Next-Generation Software Created To Identify Complex Cyber Network Attacks

Researchers in George Mason University’s Center for Secure Information Systems have developed new software that can reduce the impact of cyber attacks by identifying the possible vulnerability paths through an organization’s networks.

By their very nature networks are highly interdependent and each machine’s overall susceptibility to attack depends on the vulnerabilities of the other machines in the network. Attackers can take advantage of multiple vulnerabilities in unexpected ways, allowing them to incrementally penetrate a network and compromise critical systems. In order to protect an organization’s networks, it is necessary to understand not only individual system vulnerabilities, but also their interdependencies.

Cyber Project Looks to Help IT Professionals With DNS Vulnerabilities

Sandia National Laboratories computer scientist Casey Deccio has developed a visualization tool known as DNSViz to help network administrators within the federal government and global IT community better understand Domain Name System Security (DNSSEC) and to help them troubleshoot problems.

DNSSEC is a security feature mandated to all federal information systems by the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The mandate, issued in 2008, requires that "the top level .gov domain will be DNSSEC-signed, and processes to enable secure delegated sub-domains will be developed."

Manufacturing: Configure Your Own Operating Software

Is the oil pressure in the hydraulic system too high? What's the current condition of the rotor blades on that wind turbine plant? It is important for the people who operate facilities and machines to be able to answer this sort of question at any given time, because malfunctions and failures can prove to be costly.

‘Combinatorial' Approach Squashes Software Bugs Faster, Cheaper

 A team of computer scientists and mathematicians from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Texas, Arlington is developing an open-source tool that catches programming errors by using an emerging approach called "combinatorial testing." The NIST-Texas tool, described at a recent conference, could save software developers significant time and money when it is released next year.

Studying software crashes in a variety of applications from medical devices to Web browsers, NIST researchers obtained hard evidence to support long-held conventional wisdom: most software failures result from simple

Taking The Hard Work Out Of Software

Developing software is a complicated and laborious process. A new European platform automates much of the tricky building and testing phases of programming.

Computer software has come a long way. The first-ever ‘computer program’ was a very short one written by Ada Lovelace in 1842-3 to calculate Bernoulli numbers. In the early days, programming was more often than not an individual effort carried out by enthusiasts.

Today, software development is so complex and sophisticated that entire teams work for years to develop a program. Building, testing and releasing software consumes an ever-growing amount of time and resources. According to one EU-funded project, the answer lies in the automation of these processes.

New Hardware Boosts Communication Speed On Multi-Core Chips

Computer engineers at North Carolina State University have developed hardware that allows programs to operate more efficiently by significantly boosting the speed at which the "cores" on a computer chip communicate with each other.

The core, or central processing unit, is the brain of a computer chip; most chips currently contain between four and eight cores. In order to perform a task more quickly using multiple cores on a single chip, those cores need to communicate with each other. But there are no direct ways for cores to communicate.

New Hardware Boosts Communication Speed On Multi-Core Chips

 

User interface design

User interface design or user interface engineering is the design of computers, gadgets, appliances, machines, mobile communication devices, software applications, and websites with the focus on the user's experience and interaction.

Unlike traditional design where the goal is to make the object or application physically attractive, the goal of user interface design is to make the user's interaction experience as simple and intuitive as possible - what is often called user-centered design.

Where good graphic/industrial design is bold and eye catching, good user interface design is often subtle and invisible.

For more information about the topic User interface design.

New Hardware Boosts Communication Speed On Multi-Core Chips

Computer engineers at North Carolina State University have developed hardware that allows programs to operate more efficiently by significantly boosting the speed at which the "cores" on a computer chip communicate with each other.

The core, or central processing unit, is the brain of a computer chip; most chips currently contain between four and eight cores. In order to perform a task more quickly using multiple cores on a single chip, those cores need to communicate with each other. But there are no direct ways for cores to communicate. Instead, one core sends data to memory and another core retrieves it using software algorithms.

"Our technology is more efficient because it provides a single instruction to send data to another core, which is six times faster than the best state-of-the-art software we could find," says Dr. James Tuck, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at NC State and co-author of a paper describing the research. Tuck explains that the

SOFTWARE

Computer software

Software is a program that enables a computer to perform a specific task, as opposed to the physical components of the system (hardware).

This includes application software such as a word processor, which enables a user to perform a task, and system software such as an operating system, which enables other software to run properly, by interfacing with hardware and with other software.

Practical computer systems divide software into three major classes: system software, programming software and application software, although the distinction is arbitrary, and often blurred. Computer software has to be "loaded" into the computer's storage (such as a hard drive, memory, or RAM).

Once the software is loaded, the computer is able to execute the software.

Computers operate by executing the computer program.

This involves passing instructions from the application software, through the system software, to the hardware which ultimately receives the instruction as machine code.

Each instruction causes the computer to carry out an operation -- moving data, carrying out a computation, or altering the control flow of instructions.

Application software

Application software is a defined subclass of computer software that employs the capabilities of a computer directly to a task that the user wishes to perform.

This should be contrasted with system software which is involved in integrating a computer's various capabilities, but typically does not directly apply them in the performance of tasks that benefit the user.

The term application refers to both the application software and its implementation. A simple, if imperfect, analogy in the world of hardware would be the relationship of an electric light - an application - to an electric power generation plant - the system.

The power plant merely generates electricity, itself not really of any use until harnessed to an application like the electric light which performs a service that the user desires.

Typical examples of software applications are word processors, spreadsheets, and media players.

Introduction System

Introduction System

There are number of terms that are associated with building information system. These are data and information.

Data

Data  are raw facts and figures that are set of isolated, unrelated and un-related. Data can be collected from various sources obtained through interview, questionnaire, on-site observation, counting, measuring, weighing, sampling etc. data by them self are useless until it is processed or transformed into information that can be used for decision making. A simple example of data is the class attendance at a school. Here, we records the number of students, and number of the students of the class.

Information 

Information is a set of organized, validated, corrected and collected data. Information is the processed data into a form that is meaningful to the recipients so that decision maker may take necessary actions. Information has to be shaped into a form that is meaningful  and useful to human beings. It will be noted that the users are involved in the transformation of into information. There is a process of thought and understanding involved before the message can be understood. One of the example of information is “Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal”

Definition of Information System

Information system is interrelated components working together to collect data, process it, gives output and store using the resources of hardware, software, people, procedure and control mechanism that helps to support decision making, co-ordination, control, analysis and visualization in an organization. The aim of an information system  is to provide detailed information on a timely basis throughout throughout the organization so that the top management can take proper action and effective decision

The system in which data is converted to information and that information is to the people in an organization is called information system. So data are the major raw material in information system. The information system that uses the computer is called computer based information system (CBIS). A CBIS is an organized integration of software and hardware technologies.   

System Development Concept

System  Development  Concept

Introduction: System, information System

System

The system  is derived fro Greek word “systema”, which means to “place together” i.e. an organized relationship among functioning of all units. A system is a collection of interrelated components, collaboratively work together for a specific purpose. The system is one in which data flow from one person or division to another and it can include telephone links to computer system that generate periodic reports for various user.

1.      A  system is a collection of elements or components that are organized  for common purpose in order to facilitate the flow of information.

2.      A system can be defined as any set of objects and ideas, and their interrelationships, which are ordered to a common goal or purpose.

3.      A system is a set of elements joined together for a common objective.

4.      A system can be also defined as a combination of people, device, process, and method interrelated in working towards a common goral. E.g business organization, school, college, water supply, electrical distribution, banking, all these are the examples of the system.

The system has three basic interacting components or functions:

1)     Input: It involves capturing and assembling elements that enter the system to be processed. For example, raw materials, energy, data, and human effort must be secured and organized for processing.

2)     Processing : It involves transformation processes that convert input into out put. Example is a manufacturing process, the human breathing process, or mathematical calculation.

3)     Output: It involves transferring elements that have been produced by a transformation process to their ultimate destination. Example is a manufactured product.

4)     System structure composed of following components:

1.      Goal setting: the goal setting is abstract to a system, which defines exactly what the system is supposed to do.

2.      System boundary:  The system boundary is known as the system and scope of the organization. System components exist inside the boundary and environments exist outside the boundary with which system interacts. The component within the system boundary can be changed during the system design.

3.  System environment: Anything outside the system boundary is known as the system environment. It defines the factors outside the system study that can be affect system behavior.

4.    Subsystems: A system can be made up of any number of subsystem. Subsystem is a part of a system. Each subsystem carries out part of the system function. Subsystems are important because they can help to handle systems complexity and thus improve the understanding of the by passing message between themselves. A  good system will be made up of high independent  subsystems with minimum flow  between them. Minimum flow in turn minimizes complexity and simplifies the system.

5.     Feedback: Feedback is the idea of monitoring the current system output and comparing it to the system goal. It can be defined as using variations from system goal to change system behavior. Any variations from the goal are the feedback into the system and use to adjust to ensure that it meets its goal. For this it is necessary to monitor the system whether it is meeting its goal or not.

6.     Monitoring: Monitoring is abstract to a system, which checks made to see if a system is meeting its goal.