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(1 - 7 of 7)
- Title
- A(&)nbsp;Framework For Modeling Attacker Capabilities with Deception.
- Creator
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Hassan, Sharif, Guha, Ratan, Bassiouni, Mostafa, Chatterjee, Mainak, DeMara, Ronald, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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In this research we built a custom experimental range using opensource emulated and custom pure honeypots designed to detect or capture attacker activity. The focus is to test the effectiveness of a deception in its ability to evade detection coupled with attacker skill levels. The range consists of three zones accessible via virtual private networking. The first zone houses varying configurations of opensource emulated honeypots, custom built pure honeypots, and real SSH servers. The second...
Show moreIn this research we built a custom experimental range using opensource emulated and custom pure honeypots designed to detect or capture attacker activity. The focus is to test the effectiveness of a deception in its ability to evade detection coupled with attacker skill levels. The range consists of three zones accessible via virtual private networking. The first zone houses varying configurations of opensource emulated honeypots, custom built pure honeypots, and real SSH servers. The second zone acts as a point of presence for attackers. The third zone is for administration and monitoring. Using the range, both a control and participant-based experiment were conducted. We conducted control experiments to baseline and empirically explore honeypot detectability amongst other systems through adversarial testing. We executed a series of tests such as network service sweep, enumeration scanning, and finally manual execution. We also selected participants to serve as cyber attackers against the experiment range of varying skills having unique tactics, techniques and procedures in attempting to detect the honeypots. We have concluded the experiments and performed data analysis. We measure the anticipated threat by presenting the Attacker Bias Perception Profile model. Using this model, each participant is ranked based on their overall threat classification and impact. This model is applied to the results of the participants which helps align the threat to likelihood and impact of a honeypot being detected. The results indicate the pure honeypots are significantly difficult to detect. Emulated honeypots are grouped in different categories based on the detection and skills of the attackers. We developed a framework abstracting the deceptive process, the interaction with system elements, the use of intelligence, and the relationship with attackers. The framework is illustrated by our experiment case studies and the attacker actions, the effects on the system, and impact to the success.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2019
- Identifier
- CFE0007467, ucf:52659
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007467
- Title
- Investigative Interviewing: A Team-Level Approach.
- Creator
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Driskell, James, Salas, Eduardo, Joseph, Dana, Mouloua, Mustapha, Burke, Shawn, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
-
To date, the tandem interview approach has yet to be scientifically vetted as an investigative interviewing technique. Specifically, it is unclear what affect the application of two interviewers has on the investigative process. This is alarming considering that this approach is regularly applied under current law enforcement operations. Despite a dearth of research examining the tandem interview approach in investigative interviews, the extensive research on teams would lead us to believe...
Show moreTo date, the tandem interview approach has yet to be scientifically vetted as an investigative interviewing technique. Specifically, it is unclear what affect the application of two interviewers has on the investigative process. This is alarming considering that this approach is regularly applied under current law enforcement operations. Despite a dearth of research examining the tandem interview approach in investigative interviews, the extensive research on teams would lead us to believe that teams should benefit the overall investigative interview process and outperform individuals in detecting lies. Consequently, the goals of this research were to investigate these potential benefits. Findings from a laboratory study consisting of 90 simulated investigative interviews (N = 225) revealed several advantages associated with the application of the tandem interview approach. First, tandem interviewers found conducting the investigative interview to be less cognitively demanding and paid more attention to diagnostic cues to deception. Second, tandem interviewers conducted superior interviews than single interviewers. Specifically, they were able to obtain more information from interviewees, asked more open-ended questions, and asked a greater total number of questions. Despite outperforming single interviewers during the interview, tandem interviewers were unable to detect deception better than single interviewers. Still, overall detection rates were better than previous research. The general findings from this study suggest that tandem interviewers that adopt a rapport-based approach throughout the investigative interview can enhance investigative interviewing outcomes. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and future research are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004992, ucf:49558
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004992
- Title
- DEINDIVIDUATION OF DRIVERS: IS EVERYONE ELSE A BAD DRIVER?.
- Creator
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MacArthur, Keith, Hancock, Peter, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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Deindividuation is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when a given environment reduces the "individuality" or identifiability of a person. These environments may cause a psychological reduction in self-consciousness, potentially leading to violations of sociocultural norms (Festinger, Pepitone, & Newcomb, 1952; Singer, Brush, & Lublin, 1965). The present research sought to empirically test deindividuation theory among automobile drivers utilizing the anonymizing factor of observation....
Show moreDeindividuation is a psychological phenomenon that occurs when a given environment reduces the "individuality" or identifiability of a person. These environments may cause a psychological reduction in self-consciousness, potentially leading to violations of sociocultural norms (Festinger, Pepitone, & Newcomb, 1952; Singer, Brush, & Lublin, 1965). The present research sought to empirically test deindividuation theory among automobile drivers utilizing the anonymizing factor of observation. Participants (N = 31) used a driving simulator and were either in the observed condition or an unobserved condition. Analysis of driving data did not reveal significant results, however self-report data had some interesting trends. Though limited in scope, this research begins to shed light on deindividuation of drivers and may provide a foundation for future research.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2014
- Identifier
- CFH0004644, ucf:45325
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004644
- Title
- Evolution Through the Search for Novelty.
- Creator
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Lehman, Joel, Stanley, Kenneth, Gonzalez, Avelino, Wiegand, Rudolf, Hoffman, Eric, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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I present a new approach to evolutionary search called novelty search, wherein only behavioral novelty is rewarded, thereby abstracting evolution as a search for novel forms. This new approach contrasts with the traditional approach of rewarding progress towards the objective through an objective function. Although they are designed to light a path to the objective, objective functions can instead deceive search into converging to dead ends called local optima.As a significant problem in...
Show moreI present a new approach to evolutionary search called novelty search, wherein only behavioral novelty is rewarded, thereby abstracting evolution as a search for novel forms. This new approach contrasts with the traditional approach of rewarding progress towards the objective through an objective function. Although they are designed to light a path to the objective, objective functions can instead deceive search into converging to dead ends called local optima.As a significant problem in evolutionary computation, deception has inspired many techniques designed to mitigate it. However, nearly all such methods are still ultimately susceptible to deceptive local optima because they still measure progress with respect to the objective, which this dissertation will show is often a broken compass. Furthermore, although novelty search completely abandons the objective, it counterintuitively often outperforms methods that search directly for the objective in deceptive tasks and can induce evolutionary dynamics closer in spirit to natural evolution. The main contributions are to (1) introduce novelty search, an example of an effective search method that is not guided by actively measuring or encouraging objective progress; (2) validate novelty search by applying it to biped locomotion; (3) demonstrate novelty search's benefits for evolvability (i.e. the abilityof an organism to further evolve) in a variety of domains; (4) introduce an extension of novelty search called minimal criteria novelty search that brings a new abstraction of natural evolution to evolutionary computation (i.e. evolution as a search for many ways of meeting the minimal criteria of life); (5) present a second extension of novelty search called novelty search with local competition that abstracts evolution instead as a process driven towards diversity with competition playing a subservient role; and (6) evolve a diversity of functional virtual creatures in a single run as a culminating application of novelty search with local competition. Overall these contributions establish novelty search as an important new research direction for the field of evolutionary computation.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004398, ucf:49390
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004398
- Title
- What We Hide.
- Creator
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Bowcott, Ashley, Thaxton, Terry, Bartkevicius, Jocelyn, Uttich, Laurie, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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What We Hide is a collection of memoir essays that explores the themes of mystery and deception in personal relationships, specifically within familial and romantic ones. Though the essays in the collection explore the decades from early in the narrator's childhood through her move to Florida for graduate school, the narrator's keen discernment of the world around her and her curiosity for what experiences shape a person's character remain constant. Many essays explore the extent of her...
Show moreWhat We Hide is a collection of memoir essays that explores the themes of mystery and deception in personal relationships, specifically within familial and romantic ones. Though the essays in the collection explore the decades from early in the narrator's childhood through her move to Florida for graduate school, the narrator's keen discernment of the world around her and her curiosity for what experiences shape a person's character remain constant. Many essays explore the extent of her father's alcoholism and the consequences of it, as well as the narrator's obsession over the possible sources of his addictions. Other essays examine the narrator's relationships with men beginning when she enters high school and question the extent to which her strained relationship with her father both excuses and/or explains the way she deceives and allows herself to be deceived in these relationships. What We Hide is endlessly implicating and looks for the accountability of these situations from all sources. The narrator delves into the sneakiness of her parents' courtship, the accusations that become commonplace during their divorce, the ways in which the narrator lies to family, friends, and boyfriends for her own selfish motives, and how each of these experiences shapes subsequent ones.What We Hide uses personal experience, emails, and newspaper articles to demonstrate the vulnerability, contradictions, and complications that are inherent in all of us as humans and how these weaknesses manifest themselves in the relationships with those we are closest with.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- CFE0005582, ucf:50240
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005582
- Title
- On RADAR DECEPTION, AS MOTIVATION FOR CONTROL OF CONSTRAINED SYSTEMS.
- Creator
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Hajieghrary, Hadi, Jayasuriya, Suhada, Xu, Yunjun, Das, Tuhin, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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This thesis studies the control algorithms used by a team of ECAVs (Electronic Combat Air Vehicle) to deceive a network of radars to detect a phantom track. Each ECAV has the electronic capability of intercepting the radar waves, and introducing an appropriate time delay before transmitting it back, and deceiving the radar into seeing a spurious target beyond its actual position. On the other hand, to avoid the errors and increase the reliability, have a complete coverage in various...
Show moreThis thesis studies the control algorithms used by a team of ECAVs (Electronic Combat Air Vehicle) to deceive a network of radars to detect a phantom track. Each ECAV has the electronic capability of intercepting the radar waves, and introducing an appropriate time delay before transmitting it back, and deceiving the radar into seeing a spurious target beyond its actual position. On the other hand, to avoid the errors and increase the reliability, have a complete coverage in various atmosphere conditions, and confronting the effort of the belligerent intruders to delude the sentinel and enter the area usually a network of radars are deployed to guard the region. However, a team of cooperating ECAVs could exploit this arrangement and plans their trajectories in a way all the radars in the network vouch for seeing a single and coherent spurious track of a phantom. Since each station in the network confirms the other, the phantom track is considered valid. This problem serves as a motivating example in trajectory planning for the multi-agent system in highly constrained operation conditions. The given control command to each agent should be a viable one in the agent limited capabilities, and also drives it in a cumulative action to keep the formation.In this thesis, three different approaches to devise a trajectory for each agent is studied, and the difficulties for deploying each one are addressed. In the first one, a command center has all information about the state of the agents, and in every step decides about the control each agent should apply. This method is very effective and robust, but needs a reliable communication. In the second method, each agent decides on its own control, and the members of the group just communicate and agree on the range of control they like to apply on the phantom. Although in this method much less data needs to communicate between the agents, it is very sensitive to the disturbances and miscalculations, and could be easily fell apart or come to a state with no feasible solution to continue. In the third method a differential geometric approach to the problem is studied. This method has a very strong backbone, and minimizes the communication needed to a binary one. However, less data provided to the agents about the system, more sensitive and infirm the system is when it faced with imperfectionalities. In this thesis, an object oriented program is developed in the Matlab software area to simulate all these three control strategies in a scalable fashion. Object oriented programming is a naturally suitable method to simulate a multi-agent system. It gives the flexibility to make the code more close to a real scenario with defining each agent as a separated and independent identity. The main objective is to understand the nature of the constrained dynamic problems, and examine various solutions in different situations. Using the flexibility of this code, we could simulate several scenarios, and incorporate various conditions on the system. Also, we could have a close look at each agent to observe its behavior in these situations. In this way we will gain a good insight of the system which could be used in designing of the agents for specific missions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2013
- Identifier
- CFE0004857, ucf:49683
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004857
- Title
- Novelty-Assisted Interactive Evolution of Control Behaviors.
- Creator
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Woolley, Brian, Stanley, Kenneth, Hughes, Charles, Gonzalez, Avelino, Wu, Annie, Hancock, Peter, University of Central Florida
- Abstract / Description
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The field of evolutionary computation is inspired by the achievements of natural evolution, in which there is no final objective. Yet the pursuit of objectives is ubiquitous in simulated evolution because evolutionary algorithms that can consistently achieve established benchmarks are lauded as successful, thus reinforcing this paradigm. A significant problem is that such objective approaches assume that intermediate stepping stones will increasingly resemble the final objective when in fact...
Show moreThe field of evolutionary computation is inspired by the achievements of natural evolution, in which there is no final objective. Yet the pursuit of objectives is ubiquitous in simulated evolution because evolutionary algorithms that can consistently achieve established benchmarks are lauded as successful, thus reinforcing this paradigm. A significant problem is that such objective approaches assume that intermediate stepping stones will increasingly resemble the final objective when in fact they often do not. The consequence is that while solutions may exist, searching for such objectives may not discover them. This problem with objectives is demonstrated through an experiment in this dissertation that compares how images discovered serendipitously during interactive evolution in an online system called Picbreeder cannot be rediscovered when they become the final objective of the very same algorithm that originally evolved them. This negative result demonstrates that pursuing an objective limits evolution by selecting offspring only based on the final objective. Furthermore, even when high fitness is achieved, the experimental results suggest that the resulting solutions are typically brittle, piecewise representations that only perform well by exploiting idiosyncratic features in the target. In response to this problem, the dissertation next highlights the importance of leveraging human insight during search as an alternative to articulating explicit objectives. In particular, a new approach called novelty-assisted interactive evolutionary computation (NA-IEC) combines human intuition with a method called novelty search for the first time to facilitate the serendipitous discovery of agent behaviors. In this approach, the human user directs evolution by selecting what is interesting from the on-screen population of behaviors. However, unlike in typical IEC, the user can then request that the next generation be filled with novel descendants, as opposed to only the direct descendants of typical IEC. The result of such an approach, unconstrained by a priori objectives, is that it traverses key stepping stones that ultimately accumulate meaningful domain knowledge.To establishes this new evolutionary approach based on the serendipitous discovery of key stepping stones during evolution, this dissertation consists of four key contributions: (1) The first contribution establishes the deleterious effects of a priori objectives on evolution. The second (2) introduces the NA-IEC approach as an alternative to traditional objective-based approaches. The third (3) is a proof-of-concept that demonstrates how combining human insight with novelty search finds solutions significantly faster and at lower genomic complexities than fully-automated processes, including pure novelty search, suggesting an important role for human users in the search for solutions. Finally, (4) the NA-IEC approach is applied in a challenge domain wherein leveraging human intuition and domain knowledge accelerates the evolution of solutions for the nontrivial octopus-arm control task. The culmination of these contributions demonstrates the importance of incorporating human insights into simulated evolution as a means to discovering better solutions more rapidly than traditional approaches.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- CFE0004462, ucf:49335
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- PURL
- http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004462
