Information Security Studies

This webpage has a repository of links and files related to the study of information security, information warfare, electronic warfare, and critical infrastructure protection.

Contents

Information Security

Information Operations

Students and Research

Information Security

The importance of information security is rapidly increasing due to the amount of information that is made available on networks that are connected to the internet, and the reliance on the information systems and the data that is stored, manipulated and transported by them. In the last 10-20 years, there has been a significant increase in the amount of cyber-crime, and we have seen the rise of information warfare and the threat of cyber-terrorism, which has prompted many nations to seriously investigate the protection of its critical infrastructures from information or computer based attacks. It is therefore essential to provide security to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the information and information systems.

Information Operations

Information operations encompass a variety of disciplines that may be applied to military, political, and corporate spheres with the aim of gaining a competitive advantage. Information operations may be seen to comprise of the following: information security & information warfare, knowledge management (including intelligence gathering and processing), political & crisis communications, propaganda & perception management, and other disciplines.

Students and Research

Honours Students 2008
Neil Skea – Wireless Network Security
Ryden Pillay - Students’ Attitude Towards Privacy and Trust on Social Networks
Vikendran Naiker - Awareness of Deterrent Anti-piracy Methods in South Africa: The Case of IS&T Honours Students at UKZN
Dheeren Naidoo - A Comparative Study of Students’ Awareness of Information Security

Honours Students 2009
Farhana Ismail - The Extent of Usage and Trust in Social Networking Sites
Mfanafuthi Mlambo - Peer to Peer File Sharing Using the University Network and Its Impact on Software Piracy
Neeanth Madanjit - The User Acceptance of Biometrics within the University of KwaZulu – Natal
Patrick Ndayizigamiye - The Impact of UKZN Information System Security on Students’ Privacy and Information Searching

Completed Masters Students
Harold Arumugam - Managing Computer Fraud and IT Risk in the Public Sector
Nurudeen Ajayi - Information Risk Management within Supply Chains

Current Masters Students
Kesevan Chettiar - To Develop a Conceptual Data Security Management Model for the Contact Centre Industry in South Africa
Sashen Govender - Reading Between the Lines: Cyber Forensic Strategies for Determining the Quality of Ethical Academic Writing
Zahra Bulbulia - The Use of Platform Appropriate Interactive Web 2.0 Tools on User Security Education

Completed PhD Students
Brett van Niekerk - Vulnerability Assessment of Modern ICT Infrastructure from an Information Warfare Perspective

Current PhD Students
Chris Skinner - From Policy to Pracitce: Investigation of Communication Breakdowns in Emergency and Disaster Management Procedures in the Chemical Industry in South Africa
Kiru Pillay - Do Web 2.0 Social Media Impact on Transnational Advocacy? A Study of South African Civil Society and Greenpeace
Nurudeen Ajayi - Information Assurance in Supply Chains

Current PostDoctoral Researchers
Brett van Niekerk - An Information Operation taxonomy and Curriculum for South Africa

Research Output

Ramluckan, T., and van Niekerk, B. (2009) “The Role of the Media in Joint Operations,” Military Information and Communications Symposium of South Africa 2009, Pretoria, 20-24 July.

Ramluckan, T., and van Niekerk, B. (2009) “The Terrorism/Mass Media Symbiosys,” Journal of Information Warfare, vol. 8, issue 2, pp. 1-12.

van Niekerk, B. (2009) “Interoperability in EW and CNO: Considerations for the African Continent,” Military Information and Communications Symposium of South Africa 2009, Pretoria, 20-24 July.

van Niekerk, B. (2009) “Training for Interoperability: The Role of Simulations and Simulators,” Military Information and Communications Symposium of South Africa 2009, Pretoria, 20-24 July.

van Niekerk, B., and Maharaj, M.S. (2009) “The Future Roles of EW in IW,” Aardvark Roost Big Crow Conference, Pretoria, 25-26 August.

van Niekerk, B., and Maharaj, M.S. (2009) “Information Operations Education for South Africa,” 3rd Annual Teaching and Learning Conference, Durban, 21-23 September, pp. 206-224.

Maharaj, M., and Naidoo, D. (2009) "A Comparative Study between Kenyan and South African Students," Business Management Conference, 5-9 November, UKZN.

Maharaj, M. and Pillay, R. (2009) "Students' Attitude Towards Privacy and Trust on Social Networks," Business Management Conference, 5-9 November, UKZN.

Skea, N. and Maharaj, M. (2009) "Wireless Network Security," Business Management Conferece, 5-9 November, UKZN.

van Niekerk, B., and Maharaj, M.S. (2009) “The Future Roles of Electronic Warfare in the Information Warfare Spectrum,” Journal of Information Warfare, vol. 8, issue 3, pp. 1-13.

van Niekerk, B., and Maharaj, M.S. (2010) “Information as a Strategic Asset in an Asymmetric Unconventional Conflict,” International Conference on Information Management and Evaluation, Cape Town, 25-26 March, pp. 413-421.

van Niekerk, B., and Maharaj, M.S. (2010) "Mobile Security from an Information Warfare Perspective," 9th Information Security South Africa Conference, Sandton, 2-4 August.

Ajayi, N., and Maharaj, M.S. (2010) "Mitigating Information Risk Within Supply Chains," International Research Symposium on Service Management, Mauritius, 24-27 August.

van Niekerk, B., and Maharaj, M.S. (2010) "Weaponisation of the Net," 12th Annual Conference on World Wide Web Applications (ZA-WWW 2010), Durban, 21-23 September.

Pillay, K., van Niekerk, B., and Maharaj, M.S. (2010) "Web 2.0 and its Implications for the Military," Workshop on the Uses of ICT in Warfare and the Safeguarding of Peace, Bela-Bela, 11 October.

van Niekerk, B., and Maharaj, M.S. (2011) "Infrastructure Vulnerability Analysis from and Information Warfare Perspective," South African Computer Lecturer's Association (SACLA 2011) Conference, Ballito, 6-8 July 2011.

van Niekerk, B., Ramluckan, T., and Maharaj, M.S., (2011) "Web 2.0 as an Attack Vector Against Strategic Security," 5th Military Information and Communications Symposium of South Africa (MICSSA 2011), Pretoria, 18-21 July 2011.

Skea, N., and Maharaj, M.S., "Wireless Network Security," Alternation, vol. 18, no. 1.

van Niekerk, B., Pillay, K., and Maharaj, M.S., (2011) "Analysing the Role of ICTs in the Tunisian and Egyptian Unrest from and Information Warfare Perspective," International Journal of Communications, vol. 5, pp. 1406-1416, Available at: http://ijoc.org/ojs/index.php/ijoc/article/view/1168/614

van Niekerk, B., and Maharaj, M.S., (2011) "Mobile Malware Trends," Business Management Conference, 28-29 September, UZKN Westville Campus.

van Niekerk, B. and Maharaj, M.S., (2011) "Relevance of Information Warfare Models to Critical Infrastructure Protection," Scientia Militaria, vol. 39, no.2, pp. 99-122, available at: http://scientiamilitaria.journals.ac.za/pub/article/view/114/147

van Niekerk, B. and Maharaj, M.S., (2011) "The IW Life Cycle Model," South African Journal of Information Management, vol. 13, no.1, available at: http://www.sajim.co.za/index.php/SAJIM/article/view/476

van Niekerk, B. and Maharaj, M.S., (2012) "A South Africa Perspective of Information Warfare and Cyber Warfare," in: Ventre, D. (ed.), Cyber Conflict: Competing National Perspectives, ISTE Wiley: London, pp. 279-296.

van Niekerk, B. and Maharaj, M.S., (2012) "Mobile Devices and the Military: Significant Threat or Useful Tool?" Proceedings of the 4th Workshop on ICT Uses in Warfare and the Safeguarding of Peace, 16 August, pp. 21-28.

van Niekerk, B., Leenen, L., Ramluckan, T., and Maharaj, M.S., (2012) Proceedings of the 4th Workshop on ICT Uses in Warfare and the Safeguarding of Peace, 16 August.

van Niekerk, B. and Maharaj, M.S., (2012) "Vulnerability of South African Mobile Infrastructure to Information Warfare Attacks" Information Security South Africa (ISSA) Conference, 15-17 August.

van Niekerk, B. and Maharaj, M.S., (2012) "Mobile Devices and the Military: Significant Threat or Useful Tool?" Journal of Information Warfare, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 1-11.

van Niekerk, B. (2012) "Managing and Analysing Social Media Campaigns and Events," Invited Paper: ZA-WWW 2012 Conference, 7-9 November.

Documents and Files

Web 2.0 as an Attack Vector Against Strategic Security- MICSSA 2011 Presentation Presentation Slides 1.21MB .PDF

Web 2.0 and its Implications for the Military - Workshop on the Uses of ICT in Warfare and the Safeguarding of Peace Colour Slides 2.17MB .PDF

Weaponisation of the Net - ZA-WWW 2010 Colour Slides 0.9MB .PDF

Mobile Security from an Information Warfare Perspective - 9th Information Security South Africe Conference Colour Slides 1.3MB .PDF

Information as a Strategic Asset in Asymmetric Unconventional Conflicts - International Conference on Information Management and Evaluation 2010 Colour Presentation Slides 2.53MB .PDF Grayscale Slides with Notes 1.34MB .PDF

Information Security Podcast - Business Managament Conference 13.5MB .MOV (Podcast)

Wireless Network Security - Business Management Conference 19.1MB .MOV (Podcast)

Vulnerability Assessment of Modern ICT Infrastructure from and Information Warfare Perspective Podcast: IPod Mobile

Information Operations Education for South Africa - Teaching and Learning Conference 2009 0.3MB .PDF

The Future of EW in IW - Aardvark AOC Conference August 2009 1.2MB .PDF

The Role of the Media in Joint Operations - MICSSA Conference 2009 0.2MB .PDF

Interoperability in CNO and EW - MICSSA Conference 2009 0.1MB .PDF

Proceedings of the 4th Workshop on ICT Uses in Warfare and the Safeguarding of Peace 3.2MB .PDF

Please Login for documents from the Aardvark AOC Novemeber 2009 Conference.

Please contact us to request access.

Links

Information Security Group Africa

eCrime Website Tracking eCrime in South Africa

Interntational Conference on Information Management and Evaluation 27-28 April 2011

Information Security South Africa Conference Website 14-16 August 2013

ZA-WWW 2011 Conference Website 14-16 September 2011

Aarvark Roost - The South African Chapter of the Association of Old Crows Electronic Warfare Advocacy Group

Computer Security Institute

MIT Open Courseware Website

ITWeb Security Blog

ITWeb Security Summit 7-9 May 2013

Infosec Island

Security Engineering by Ross Anderson - Download the first edition of the book and preview the second edition.

Simply Security Website - Information security, information warfare and cyberwarfare podcasts by Winn Schwartau.

RF GlobalNet Electronic Warfare Solution Center

SC Magazine IT Security News

Wired Magazine

Information Warfare Monitor

Air University Cyberspace & Information Operations Study Center

IO Sphere Magazine/Journal Air University Cyberspace & Information Operations Study Center

Information Security Resources

US Dept. Homeland Security: Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources

Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence

International Journal of Communications and Information Security

OpenNet Initiative Internet Censorship and Surveillance Research

African Computer Emergency Response Teams:

ANSI / tunCERT Tunisian Computer Emergency Response Team

CERT-Africa

CERT-MU Mauritius Computer Emergency Response Team

CSIRT-KENYA Kenyan Computer Security Incident Response Team

Contact

Prof Manoj Maharaj

Tel: +27 (0)31 260 8003

Fax: +27 (0)31 260 7251

Dr Brett van Niekerk

Tel: +27 (0)31 260 8521

Fax: +27 (0)31 260 7251

Information Security Studies

This webpage has a repository of links and files related to the study of information security, information warfare, electronic warfare, and critical infrastructure protection.