This book explores the genesis of ransomware and how the parallel emergence of encryption technologies has elevated ransomware to become the most prodigious cyber threat that enterprises are confronting. It also investigates the driving forces behind what has been dubbed the 'ransomware revolution' after a series of major attacks beginning in 2013, and how the advent of cryptocurrencies provided the catalyst for the development and increased profitability of ransomware, sparking a phenomenal rise in the number and complexity of ransomware attacks. This book analyzes why the speed of technology adoption has been a fundamental factor in the continued success of financially motivated cybercrime, and how the ease of public access to advanced encryption techniques has allowed malicious actors to continue to operate with increased anonymity across the internet. This anonymity has enabled increased collaboration between attackers, which has aided the development of new ransomware attacks, and led to an increasing level of technical complexity in ransomware attacks. This book highlights that the continuous expansion and early adoption of emerging technologies may be beyond the capacity of conventional risk managers and risk management frameworks. Researchers and advanced level students studying or working in computer science, business or criminology will find this book useful as a reference or secondary text. Professionals working in cybersecurity, cryptography, information technology, financial crime (and other related topics) will also welcome this book as a reference.

This book consists of refereed selected papers from the International Conference on Security & Privacy - ICSP 2020. The book is focused on the state-of-the-art developments of network security, secure cryptographic protocols, post-quantum cryptography, quantum cryptography, block-chain and cryptocurrency, IoT security and privacy, cloud security, machine learning in cybersecurity, and other disciplines related to security and privacy. In this book, a wide variety of basic security primitives are discussed along with recent developments in some advanced topics like functional encryption, two-party/multi-party computation, bitcoin, cryptocurrency, and post-quantum security.

The two-volume set IFIP AICT 591 and 592 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the International IFIP WG 5.7 Conference on Advances in Production Management Systems, APMS 2020, held in Novi Sad, Serbia, in August/September 2020.The 164 papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 199 submissions. They discuss globally pressing issues in smart manufacturing, operations management, supply chain management, and Industry 4.0. The papers are organized in the following topical sections: Part I: advanced modelling, simulation and data analytics in production and supply networks; advanced, digital and smart manufacturing; digital and virtual quality management systems; cloud-manufacturing; cyber-physical production systems and digital twins; IIOT interoperability; supply chain planning and optimization; digital and smart supply chain management; intelligent logistics networks management; artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies in logistics and DSN; novel production planning and control approaches; machine learning and artificial intelligence; connected, smart factories of the future; manufacturing systems engineering: agile, flexible, reconfigurable; digital assistance systems: augmented reality and virtual reality; circular products design and engineering; circular, green, sustainable manufacturing; environmental and social lifecycle assessments; socio-cultural aspects in production systems; data-driven manufacturing and services operations management; product-service systems in DSN; and collaborative design and engineering Part II: the Operator 4.0: new physical and cognitive evolutionary paths; digital transformation approaches in production management; digital transformation for more sustainable supply chains; data-driven applications in smart manufacturing and logistics systems; data-driven services: characteristics, trends and applications; the future of lean thinking and practice; digital lean manufacturing and its emerging practices; new reconfigurable, flexible or agile production systems in the era of industry 4.0; operations management in engineer-to-order manufacturing; production management in food supply chains; gastronomic service system design; product and asset life cycle management in the circular economy; and production ramp-up strategies for product

Information is a core concept in animal communication: individuals routinely produce, acquire, process and store information, which provides the basis for their social life. This book focuses on how animal acoustic signals code information and how this coding can be shaped by various environmental and social constraints. Taking birds and mammals, including humans, as models, the authors explore such topics as communication strategies for "public" and "private" signaling, static and dynamic signaling, the diversity of coded information and the way information is decoded by the receiver. The book appeals to a wide audience, ranging from bioacousticians, ethologists and ecologists to evolutionary biologists. Intended for students and researchers alike, it promotes the idea that Shannon and Weaver's Mathematical Theory of Communication still represents a strong framework for understanding all aspects of the communication process, including its dynamic dimensions.

This book shows how information theory, probability, statistics, mathematics and personal computers can be applied to the exploration of numbers and proportions in music. It brings the methods of scientific and quantitative thinking to questions like: What are the ways of encoding a message in music and how can we be sure of the correct decoding? How do claims of names hidden in the notes of a score stand up to scientific analysis? How many ways are there of obtaining proportions and are they due to chance? After thoroughly exploring the ways of encoding information in music, the ambiguities of numerical alphabets and the words to be found "hidden" in a score, the book presents a novel way of exploring the proportions in a composition with a purpose-built computer program and gives example results from the application of the techniques. These include information theory, combinatorics, probability, hypothesis testing, Monte Carlo simulation and Bayesian networks, presented in an easily understandable form including their development from ancient history through the life and times of J. S. Bach, making connections between science, philosophy, art, architecture, particle physics, calculating machines and artificial intelligence. For the practitioner the book points out the pitfalls of various psychological fallacies and biases and includes succinct points of guidance for anyone involved in this type of research. This book will be useful to anyone who intends to use a scientific approach to the humanities, particularly music, and will appeal to anyone who is interested in the intersection between the arts and science.With a foreword by Ruth Tatlow (Uppsala University), award winning author of Bach's Numbers: Compositional Proportion and Significance and Bach and the Riddle of the Number Alphabet."With this study Alan Shepherd opens a much-needed examination of the wide range of mathematical claims that have been made about J. S. Bach's music, offering both tools and methodological cautions with the potential to help clarify old problems." Daniel R. Melamed, Professor of Music in Musicology, Indiana University

This volume constitutes the refereed and revised post-conference proceedings of the 5th IFIP WG 5.15 International Conference on Information Technology in Disaster Risk Reduction, ITDRR 2020, in Sofia, Bulgaria, in December 2020.* The 18 full papers and 6 short papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 52 submissions. The papers focus on various aspects and challenges of coping with disaster risk reduction. The main topics include areas such as natural disasters, remote sensing, big data, cloud computing, Internet of Things, mobile computing, emergency management, disaster information processing, disaster risk assessment and management. *The conference was held virtually.

A fascinating work on the history and development of cryptography, from the Egyptians to WWII. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. Hesperides Press are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork Contents Include The Beginings of Cryptography From the Middle Ages Onwards Signals, Signs, And Secret Languages Commercial Codes Military Codes and Ciphers Types of Codes and Ciphers Methods of Deciphering Bibliography

This book describes the efficient implementation of public-key cryptography (PKC) to address the security challenges of massive amounts of information generated by the vast network of connected devices, ranging from tiny Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags to powerful desktop computers. It investigates implementation aspects of post quantum PKC and homomorphic encryption schemes whose security is based on the hardness of the ring-learning with error (LWE) problem. The work includes designing an FPGA-based accelerator to speed up computation on encrypted data in the cloud computer. It also proposes a more practical scheme that uses a special module called recryption box to assist homomorphic function evaluation, roughly 20 times faster than the implementation without this module.

Algebraic & geometry methods have constituted a basic background and tool for people working on classic block coding theory and cryptography. Nowadays, new paradigms on coding theory and cryptography have arisen such as: Network coding, S-Boxes, APN Functions, Steganography and decoding by linear programming. Again understanding the underlying procedure and symmetry of these topics needs a whole bunch of non trivial knowledge of algebra and geometry that will be used to both, evaluate those methods and search for new codes and cryptographic applications. This book shows those methods in a self-contained form.

This is the first book on secure quantum network coding, which integrates quantum cryptography into quantum communication. It summarizes the main research findings on quantum network coding, while also systematically introducing readers to secure quantum network coding schemes. With regard to coding methods, coding models and coding security, the book subsequently provides a series of quantum network coding schemes based on the integration of quantum cryptography into quantum communication. Furthermore, it describes the general security analysis method for quantum cryptographic protocols. Accordingly, the book equips readers with effective tools for researching and applying quantum network coding.

It was formidable, and it was deadly. The nazi Enigma cipher machine, or rather the code that came from it would also have remained indeterminable had an operator not made a very simple error. In this collection of several dozen papers on the machine and its implications in a variety of disciplines, ranging from history to memoir and even foreign r

This book presents a complete and accurate study of arithmetic and algebraic circuits. The first part offers a review of all important basic concepts: it describes simple circuits for the implementation of some basic arithmetic operations; it introduces theoretical basis for residue number systems; and describes some fundamental circuits for implementing the main modular operations that will be used in the text. Moreover, the book discusses floating-point representation of real numbers and the IEEE 754 standard. The second and core part of the book offers a deep study of arithmetic circuits and specific algorithms for their implementation. It covers the CORDIC algorithm, and optimized arithmetic circuits recently developed by the authors for adders and subtractors, as well as multipliers, dividers and special functions. It describes the implementation of basic algebraic circuits, such as LFSRs and cellular automata. Finally, it offers a complete study of Galois fields, showing some exemplary applications and discussing the advantages in comparison to other methods. This dense, self-contained text provides students, researchers and engineers, with extensive knowledge on and a deep understanding of arithmetic and algebraic circuits and their implementation.

This book comprehensively covers the important efforts in improving the quality of images in visual cryptography (VC), with a focus on cases with gray scale images. It not only covers schemes in traditional VC and extended VC for binary secret images, but also the latest development in the analysis-by-synthesis approach. This book distinguishes itself from the existing literature in three ways. First, it not only reviews traditional VC for binary secret images, but also covers recent efforts in improving visual quality for gray scale secret images. Second, not only traditional quality measures are reviewed, but also measures that were not used for measuring perceptual quality of decrypted secret images, such as Radially Averaged Power Spectrum Density (RAPSD) and residual variance, are employed for evaluating and guiding the design of VC algorithms. Third, unlike most VC books following a mathematical formal style, this book tries to make a balance between engineering intuition and mathematical reasoning. All the targeted problems and corresponding solutions are fully motivated by practical applications and evaluated by experimental tests, while important security issues are presented as mathematical proof. Furthermore, important algorithms are summarized as pseudocodes, thus enabling the readers to reproduce the results in the book. Therefore, this book serves as a tutorial for readers with an engineering background as well as for experts in related areas to understand the basics and research frontiers in visual cryptography.

This two-volume set of IFIP AICT 617 and 618 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the IFIP WG 8.6 International Working Conference "Re-imagining Diffusion and Adoption of Information Technology and Systems: A Continuing Conversation" on Transfer and Diffusion of IT, TDIT 2020, held in Tiruchirappalli, India, in December 2020.The 86 revised full papers and 36 short papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 224 submissions. The papers focus on the re-imagination of diffusion and adoption of emerging technologies. They are organized in the following parts: Part I: artificial intelligence and autonomous systems; big data and analytics; blockchain; diffusion and adoption technology; emerging technologies in e-Governance; emerging technologies in consumer decision making and choice; fin-tech applications; healthcare information technology; and Internet of Things Part II: diffusion of information technology and disaster management; adoption of mobile and platform-based applications; smart cities and digital government; social media; and diffusion of information technology and systems

This book explores the concepts and techniques of IoT, AI, and blockchain. Also discussed is the possibility of applying blockchain for providing security in various domains. The specific highlight of this book is focused on the application of integrated technologies in enhancing data models, better insights and discovery, intelligent predictions, smarter finance, smart retail, global verification, transparent governance, and innovative audit systems. The book allows both practitioners and researchers to share their opinions and recent research in the convergence of these technologies among academicians and industry people. The contributors present their technical evaluation and compare it with existing technologies. Theoretical explanation and experimental case studies related to real-time scenarios are also included. This book pertains to IT professionals, researchers and academicians working on fourth revolution technologies.

This book analyzes the fundamental issues faced when blockchain technology is applied to real-life applications. These concerns, not only in the realm of computer science, are caused by the nature of technological design. Blockchain is considered the foundation of a wide range of flexible ecosystems; its technology is an excellent mixture of mathematics, cryptography, incentive mechanisms, economics, and pertinent regulations. The book provides an essential understanding of why such fundamental issues arise, by revising the underlying theories. Blockchain theory is thus presented in an easy-to-understand, useful manner. Also explained is the reason why blockchain is hard to adopt for real-life problems but is valuable as a foundation for flexible ecosystems. Included are directions for solving those problems and finding suitable areas for blockchain applications in the future. The authors of this work are experts from a wide range of backgrounds such as cryptography, distributed computing, computer science, trust, identity, regulation, and standardization. Their contributions collected here will appeal to all who are interested in blockchain and the elements surrounding it.

This book offers a comprehensive overview of fading and shadowing in wireless channels. A number of statistical models including simple, hybrid, compound and cascaded ones are presented along with a detailed discussion of diversity techniques employed to mitigate the effects of fading and shadowing. The effects of co-channel interference before and after the implementation of diversity are also analyzed. To facilitate easy understanding of the models and the analysis, the background on probability and random variables is presented with relevant derivations of densities of the sums, products, ratios as well as order statistics of random variables. The book also provides material on digital modems of interest in wireless systems. The updated edition expands the background materials on probability by offering sections on Laplace and Mellin transforms, parameter estimation, statistical testing and receiver operating characteristics. Newer models for fading, shadowing and shadowed fading are included along with the analysis of diversity combining algorithms. In addition, this edition contains a new chapter on Cognitive Radio. Based on the response from readers of the First Edition, detailed Matlab scripts used in the preparation of this edition are provided. Wherever necessary, Maple scripts used are also provided.

The motivation of this edited book is to generate an understanding about information, related concepts and the roles they play in the modern, technology permeated world. In order to achieve our goal, we observe how information is understood in domains, such as cosmology, physics, biology, neuroscience, computer science, artificial intelligence, the Internet, big data, information society, or philosophy. Together, these observations form an integrated view so that readers can better understand this exciting building-block of modern-day society. On the surface, information is a relatively straightforward and intuitive concept. Underneath, however, information is a relatively versatile and mysterious entity. For instance, the way a physicist looks at information is not necessarily the same way as that of a biologist, a neuroscientist, a computer scientist, or a philosopher. Actually, when it comes to information, it is common that each field has its domain specific views, motivations, interpretations, definitions, methods, technologies, and challenges. With contributions by authors from a wide range of backgrounds, Understanding Information: From the Big Bang to Big Data will appeal to readers interested in the impact of 'information' on modern-day life from a variety of perspectives.

Cryptographic Boolean Functions and Applications, Second Edition is designed to be a comprehensive reference for the use of Boolean functions in modern cryptography. While the vast majority of research on cryptographic Boolean functions has been achieved since the 1970s, when cryptography began to be widely used in everyday transactions, in particular banking, relevant material is scattered over hundreds of journal articles, conference proceedings, books, reports and notes, some of them only available online. This book follows the previous edition in sifting through this compendium and gathering the most significant information in one concise reference book. The work therefore encompasses over 600 citations, covering every aspect of the applications of cryptographic Boolean functions. Since 2008, the subject has seen a very large number of new results, and in response, the authors have prepared a new chapter on special functions. The new edition brings 100 completely new references and an expansion of 50 new pages, along with heavy revision throughout the text.

This book presents covert, semi-covert and overt techniques for communication over printed media by modifying images, texts or barcodes within the document. Basic and advanced techniques are discussed aimed to modulate information into images, texts and barcodes. Conveying information over printed media can be useful for content authentication, author copyright, information and piracy product deterrent, side information for marketing, among other applications. Practical issues are discussed and experiments are provided to evaluate competitive approaches for hard-copy communication. This book is a useful resource for researchers, practitioners and graduate students in the field of hard-copy communication by providing the fundamentals, basic and advanced techniques as examples of approaches to address the hard-copy media distortions and particularities.

This two-volume set of IFIP AICT 617 and 618 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the IFIP WG 8.6 International Working Conference "Re-imagining Diffusion and Adoption of Information Technology and Systems: A Continuing Conversation" on Transfer and Diffusion of IT, TDIT 2020, held in Tiruchirappalli, India, in December 2020.The 86 revised full papers and 36 short papers presented were carefully reviewed and selected from 224 submissions. The papers focus on the re-imagination of diffusion and adoption of emerging technologies. They are organized in the following parts: Part I: artificial intelligence and autonomous systems; big data and analytics; blockchain; diffusion and adoption technology; emerging technologies in e-Governance; emerging technologies in consumer decision making and choice; fin-tech applications; healthcare information technology; and Internet of Things Part II: information technology and disaster management; adoption of mobile and platform-based applications; smart cities and digital government; social media; and diffusion of information technology and systems

A new class of provably capacity achieving error-correction codes, polar codes are suitable for many problems, such as lossless and lossy source coding, problems with side information, multiple access channel, etc. The first comprehensive book on the implementation of decoders for polar codes, the authors take a tutorial approach to explain the practical decoder implementation challenges and trade-offs in either software or hardware. They also demonstrate new trade-offs in latency, throughput, and complexity in software implementations for high-performance computing and GPGPUs, and hardware implementations using custom processing elements, full-custom application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and field-programmable-gate arrays (FPGAs). Presenting a good overview of this research area and future directions, High-Speed Decoders for Polar Codes is perfect for any researcher or SDR practitioner looking into implementing efficient decoders for polar codes, as well as students and professors in a modern error correction class. As polar codes have been accepted to protect the control channel in the next-generation mobile communication standard (5G) developed by the 3GPP, the audience includes engineers who will have to implement decoders for such codes and hardware engineers designing the backbone of communication networks.

The topics covered in this book, written by researchers at the forefront of their field, represent some of the most relevant research areas in modern coding theory: codes and combinatorial structures, algebraic geometric codes, group codes, quantum codes, convolutional codes, network coding and cryptography. The book includes a survey paper on the interconnections of coding theory with constrained systems, written by an invited speaker, as well as 37 cutting-edge research communications presented at the 4th International Castle Meeting on Coding Theory and Applications (4ICMCTA), held at the Castle of Palmela in September 2014. The event's scientific program consisted of four invited talks and 39 regular talks by authors from 24 different countries. This conference provided an ideal opportunity for communicating new results, exchanging ideas, strengthening international cooperation, and introducing young researchers into the coding theory community.