Spectral Filtering of the Spatial Green\u2019s Function

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Measuring Psychosocial and Behavioural Factors Improves Attack Potential Estimates

Cyber risk assessment standards and methodologies do not consider psychological, social and behavioural parameters in their classifications of the attackers' types, profiles, and competencies. In this paper, we present a holistic, multidimensional approach to examine the likelihood for an attackers' behaviour to occur by considering all influential factors (e.g., technical, social, behavioural, psychological). Furthermore, the quantification of the attackers' behaviours may lead to better estimate attacks' potential

A Socio-Technical Approach to Cyber Risk Assessment

Evaluating the levels of cyber-security risks within an enterprise is most important in protecting its information system, services and all its digital assets against security incidents (e.g. accidents, malicious acts, massive cyber-attacks). The existing risk assessment methodologies (e.g. eBIOS, OCTAVE, CRAMM, NIST-800) adopt a technical approach considering as attack factors only the capability, intention and target of the attacker, and not paying attention to the attacker’s psychological profile and personality traits. In this paper, a socio-technical approach is proposed in cyber risk assessment, in order to achieve more realistic risk estimates by considering the personality traits of the attackers. In particular, based upon principles from investigative psychology and behavioural science, a multi-dimensional, extended, quantifiable model for an attacker’s profile is developed, which becomes an additional factor in the cyber risk level calculation

Transmission line equivalent circuit model applied to a plasmonic grating nanosurface for light trapping

In this paper, we show how light absorption in a plasmonic grating nanosurface can be calculated by means of a simple, analytical model based on a transmission line equivalent circuit. The nanosurface is a one-dimensional grating etched into a silver metal film covered by a silicon slab. The transmission line model is specified for both transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations of the incident light, and it incorporates the effect of the plasmonic modes diffracted by the ridges of the grating. Under the assumption that the adjacent ridges are weakly interacting in terms of diffracted waves, we show that the approximate, closed form expression for the reflection coefficient at the air-silicon interface can be used to evaluate light absorption of the solar cell. The weak-coupling assumption is valid if the grating structure is not closely packed and the excitation direction is close to normal incidence. Also, we show the utility of the circuit theory for understanding how the peaks in the absorption coefficient are related to the resonances of the equivalent transmission model and how this can help in designing more efficient structures

Securing small and medium ports and their supply chain services

This paper argues that small and medium sized ports (SMPs) are as important as larger ones in terms of supply chain service (SCS) management and security, as they can become the weakest links for national and European Union (EU) resilience and security. It focuses on explaining key concepts about SMPs, their characteristics (e.g., size, operational field, infrastructure), potential threats (e.g., interception of sensitive information, illegal access, terrorism) and attacks (cyber, cyber-physical), as well as basic security concepts (e.g., attack path, attack vector, risk). Three SCS attack scenarios for SMPs are described based on different types of threats, which could cause catastrophic impacts, even paralyzing an SMP propagated in its SCS. Finally, a risk management methodology for SCSs that can be used by SMPs, named CYSMET, is presented considering their capabilities, needs and constraints

AI_TAF:A Human-Centric Trustworthiness Risk Assessment Framework for AI Systems

This paper presents the AI Trustworthiness Assessment Framework (AI_TAF), a comprehensive methodology for evaluating and mitigating trustworthiness risks across all stages of an AI system’s lifecycle. The framework accounts for the criticality of the system based on its intended application, the maturity level of the AI teams responsible for ensuring trust, and the organisation’s risk tolerance regarding trustworthiness. By integrating both technical safeguards and sociopsychological considerations, AI_TAF adopts a human-centric approach to risk management, supporting the development of trustworthy AI systems across diverse organisational contexts and at varying levels of human–AI maturity. Crucially, the framework underscores that achieving trust in AI requires a rigorous assessment and advancement of the trustworthiness maturity of the human actors involved in the AI lifecycle. Only through this human-centric enhancement can AI teams be adequately prepared to provide effective oversight of AI systems

Challenges and efforts in managing AI trustworthiness risks: a state of knowledge

This paper addresses the critical gaps in existing AI risk management frameworks, emphasizing the neglect of human factors and the absence of metrics for socially related or human threats. Drawing from insights provided by NIST AI RFM and ENISA, the research underscores the need for understanding the limitations of human-AI interaction and the development of ethical and social measurements. The paper explores various dimensions of trustworthiness, covering legislation, AI cyber threat intelligence, and characteristics of AI adversaries. It delves into technical threats and vulnerabilities, including data access, poisoning, and backdoors, highlighting the importance of collaboration between cybersecurity engineers, AI experts, and social-psychology-behavior-ethics professionals. Furthermore, the socio-psychological threats associated with AI integration into society are examined, addressing issues such as bias, misinformation, and privacy erosion. The manuscript proposes a comprehensive approach to AI trustworthiness, combining technical and social mitigation measures, standards, and ongoing research initiatives. Additionally, it introduces innovative defense strategies, such as cyber-social exercises, digital clones, and conversational agents, to enhance understanding of adversary profiles and fortify AI security. The paper concludes with a call for interdisciplinary collaboration, awareness campaigns, and continuous research efforts to create a robust and resilient AI ecosystem aligned with ethical standards and societal expectations

Vertically-oriented nanoparticle dimer based on focused plasmonic trapping.

We proposed a vertically-oriented dimer structure based on focused plasmonic trapping of metallic nanoparticle. Quantitative FDTD calculations and qualitative analysis by simplified dipole approximation revealed that localized surface plasmon coupling dominates in the plasmon hybridization, and the vertically-oriented dimer can effectively make use of the dominant longitudinal component of the surface plasmon virtual probe thus providing much stronger electric field in the gap. Furthermore, for practical application the top nanoparticle of the dimer can be replaced with an atomic force microscope tip which enables the precise control of the gap distance of the dimer. Therefore the proposed vertically-oriented dimer structure provides both the scanning capability and the extremely-high electrical field necessary for the high sensitivity Raman imaging.This work is partly supported by UK EPSRC Research Grant EP/L019787/1 and EP/K023349/1. Z.S. gratefully acknowledges the financial support from China Scholarship Council (No.201408060330)