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27 pages, 1100 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Digital Infrastructure as a New Organizational Digital Climate Dimension

by Ziv Avtalion, Itzhak Aviv, Irit Hadar, Gil Luria and Oshri Bar-Gil

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(19), 8592; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14198592 - 24 Sep 2024

Viewed by 1313

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of digital infrastructure on creating an organizational climate conducive to digital transformation. It highlights the critical role of data lakes, network connectivity, and a shared digital language in cultivating an environment that aligns managerial objectives with employee engagement [...] Read more.

This study investigates the influence of digital infrastructure on creating an organizational climate conducive to digital transformation. It highlights the critical role of data lakes, network connectivity, and a shared digital language in cultivating an environment that aligns managerial objectives with employee engagement in digital initiatives. Through grounded theory methodology, the research uncovers how robust digital infrastructure can bridge the gap between leadership’s digital aspirations and employees’ practical use of digital tools, promoting data-driven decision-making and improving organizational performance. The findings suggest that a well-developed digital infrastructure is essential for fostering a digital climate that supports strategic business goals and enhances competitive advantage. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Information Systems)

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14 pages, 279 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cryptanalysis of Ateniese–Steiner–Tsudik-Authenticated Group Key Management Protocol

by Daniel Camazón Portela, Álvaro Otero Sánchez and Juan Antonio López-Ramos

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(18), 8179; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14188179 - 11 Sep 2024

Viewed by 587

Abstract

We present an active attack that targets Ateniese et al.’s authenticated group key agreement, which, as a particular case, includes the well-known multiparty key exchange protocol CLIQUES that allows a group of users to build a common secret using some private values in [...] Read more.

We present an active attack that targets Ateniese et al.’s authenticated group key agreement, which, as a particular case, includes the well-known multiparty key exchange protocol CLIQUES that allows a group of users to build a common secret using some private values in a collaborative and distributed way, naturally extending the foundational key exchange introduced by Diffie and Hellman between two communicating parties that motivated the birth of public key cryptography. Ateniese et al.’s protocol adds some authentication information, allowing the parties to trust the exchanged information, but we show that it is possible to surpass this as well. The attack allows a malicious party to agree on a secret with the rest of the legal members of the group without their knowledge, so all the distributed information can be accessed using this secret. In addition, this is shown under a well-known cryptographic model that, in principle, requires absolute control of group communications, but, in fact, it only requires malicious control of the communications of a single arbitrary user and only for the duration of the key exchange. This means that after the attack, the malicious party does not have to take any other actions that could reveal a clue that an attack occurred and that the distributed information is being illegally accessed, contrary to a typical man-in-the-middle attack where the attacker has to continue the activity, meaning this could be detected at some point. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Information Systems)

20 pages, 2534 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Testing the Quality of the Mobile Application Interface Using Various Methods—A Case Study of the T1DCoach Application

by Marek Milosz, Małgorzata Plechawska-Wójcik and Mariusz Dzieńkowski

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(15), 6583; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14156583 - 27 Jul 2024

Viewed by 938

Abstract

The T1DCoach mobile application is designed to educate patients—children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and their caregivers and diabetes educators. The idea behind the mobile application is that its users perform actions that the patient needs to perform in real life. These include [...] Read more.

The T1DCoach mobile application is designed to educate patients—children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and their caregivers and diabetes educators. The idea behind the mobile application is that its users perform actions that the patient needs to perform in real life. These include measuring blood glucose levels, operating the insulin pump, meal calculation, bolus administration, etc. These in-application activities are performed on the patient’s digital twin. To increase user engagement, gamification elements have been implemented in the application. An important element of the T1DCoach mobile application is its interface, which should be adapted to very different groups of users: children, their caregivers and educators. In addition to presenting the T1DCoach application, the paper presents the stage examining the quality of the interface using three research groups: children, their caregivers and educators. The research was conducted using the scenario method, using eye-tracking, recording activities and thinking aloud. After the application testing sessions, surveys were carried out using the System Usability Scale method and focus group interviews were conducted. The research results are presented in the article along with the most important recommendations for improving the application interface. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Information Systems)

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37 pages, 9684 KiB

Open AccessArticle

PatentInspector: An Open-Source Tool for Applied Patent Analysis and Information Extraction

by Konstantinos Petrakis, Konstantinos Georgiou, Nikolaos Mittas and Lefteris Angelis

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(24), 13147; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132413147 - 11 Dec 2023

Viewed by 3987

Abstract

Patent analysis is a field that concerns the analysis of patent records, for the purpose of extracting insights and trends, and it is widely used in various fields. Despite the abundance of proprietary software employed for this purpose, there is currently a lack [...] Read more.

Patent analysis is a field that concerns the analysis of patent records, for the purpose of extracting insights and trends, and it is widely used in various fields. Despite the abundance of proprietary software employed for this purpose, there is currently a lack of easy-to-use and publicly available software that can offer simple and intuitive visualizations, while advocating for open science and scientific software development. In this study, we attempt to fill this gap by offering PatentInspector, an open-source, public tool that, by leveraging patent data from the United States Trademark and Patent Office, is able to produce descriptive analytics, thematic axes and citation network analysis. The use and interpretability of PatentInspector is illustrated through a use case on human resource management-related patents, highlighting its functionalities. The results indicate that PatentInspector is a practical resource for conducting patent analytics and can be used by individuals with a limited or no background in coding and software development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Information Systems)

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23 pages, 1323 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Methodology of Testing the Security of Cryptographic Protocols Using the CMMTree Framework

by Jacek Piątkowski and Sabina Szymoniak

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(23), 12668; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132312668 - 25 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 989

Abstract

Internet communication is one of the significant aspects of modern civilization. People use banking, health, social, or shopping platforms and send a lot of data. Each communication should be secured and protected against dishonest users’ activities during its transfer via network links. Cryptographic [...] Read more.

Internet communication is one of the significant aspects of modern civilization. People use banking, health, social, or shopping platforms and send a lot of data. Each communication should be secured and protected against dishonest users’ activities during its transfer via network links. Cryptographic protocols provide such security and protection. Because of the evolution of the vulnerabilities and attackers’ methods, the cryptographic protocols should be regularly verified. This paper presents a methodology for testing the security of cryptographic protocols using the CMMTree framework. We developed and adapted a software package for analyzing cryptographic protocols regarding compatibility with the CMMTree framework using a predicate according to the approach described in Siedlecka-Lamch et al.’s works. We optimized and strengthened the mentioned approach with tree optimization methods and a lexicographic sort rule. Next, we researched the well-known security protocols using a developed tool and compared and verified the results using sorted and shuffled data. This work produced promising results. No attacks on the tested protocols were discovered. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Information Systems)

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24 pages, 7639 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Compiling Requirements from Models for Early Phase Scope Estimation in Agile Software Development Projects

by Lina Bisikirskienė, Lina Čeponienė, Mantas Jurgelaitis, Linas Ablonskis and Eglė Grigonytė

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(22), 12353; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132212353 - 15 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1544

Abstract

Inadequate early scope estimation is a common problem in software projects, leading to failures in meeting project requirements. Agile projects usually do not concentrate on a comprehensive requirements analysis and specification before the start of the project, making scope assessment difficult. This paper [...] Read more.

Inadequate early scope estimation is a common problem in software projects, leading to failures in meeting project requirements. Agile projects usually do not concentrate on a comprehensive requirements analysis and specification before the start of the project, making scope assessment difficult. This paper presents the methodology for facilitating a more accurate early estimation of project scope, based on requirements information gathered in various forms (requirements models and textual descriptions) during the requirements workshop. The requirements from different sources are compiled into one list and reconciled, since they are prepared by a number of participants in the requirements workshop using different notations (UML diagrams, SysML models, Story map) and may have differences in the vocabulary. Reconciliation encompasses the unification of vocabulary, as well as the identification and the removal of overlaps in requirements. The final list of requirements is used to estimate the scope of the project in story points. The estimate can be presented to the client and used as a basis for the project contract. A case study on the application of the proposed methodology is presented, using the animal shelter information system as a development project. It demonstrates that the methodology is viable and can facilitate the gathering of a more extensive set of requirements, thus ensuring a more detailed scope estimation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Information Systems)

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Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 4009 KiB

Open AccessReview

How Has the Concept of Air Traffic Complexity Evolved? Review and Analysis of the State of the Art of Air Traffic Complexity

by Francisco Pérez Moreno, Víctor Fernando Gómez Comendador, Raquel Delgado-Aguilera Jurado, María Zamarreño Suárez, Bruno Antulov-Fantulin and Rosa María Arnaldo Valdés

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(9), 3604; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14093604 - 24 Apr 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1065

Abstract

Air traffic complexity is an indicator that allows air traffic controllers to understand the airspace situation. Controllers need support tools to reduce their workload. For this reason, complexity is a parameter that is being studied more and more, as it makes it possible [...] Read more.

Air traffic complexity is an indicator that allows air traffic controllers to understand the airspace situation. Controllers need support tools to reduce their workload. For this reason, complexity is a parameter that is being studied more and more, as it makes it possible to know a large amount of information about air traffic. In this article, we perform a bibliometric analysis in the field of air traffic complexity. Through Web of Science (WoS), a collection of complexity-related articles from 2001 to 2022 is compiled. Subsequently, the bibliometric analysis itself is performed. Then, a summary of five main contributions is presented, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the contributions, and thus the topic. The results of the bibliometric analysis show that future air traffic complexity indicators should consider aircraft trajectories but also take into account other aspects, such as regulations. In addition, future complexity indicators should introduce artificial intelligence predictions to foresee areas of conflict in airspace but taking into account the main limitations, such as uncertainty of the air traffic trajectories. This study helps in the study of complexity due to being able to know previous studies in a summarised form and being able to draw conclusions on future lines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Information Systems)

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19 pages, 2728 KiB

Open AccessReview

Exploring a Multidisciplinary Assessment of Organisational Maturity in Business Continuity: A Perspective and Future Research Outlook

by Nelson Russo, Henrique São Mamede, Leonilde Reis, José Martins and Frederico Branco

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(21), 11846; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132111846 - 30 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1814

Abstract

In a competitive business landscape heavily reliant on information and communication technology, organisations must be prepared to address disruptions in their business operations. Business continuity management involves effective planning for the swift reestablishment of business processes in the short term. However, there are [...] Read more.

In a competitive business landscape heavily reliant on information and communication technology, organisations must be prepared to address disruptions in their business operations. Business continuity management involves effective planning for the swift reestablishment of business processes in the short term. However, there are still obstacles to implementing business continuity plans, which can be justified by various factors. The purpose of this study is to present the perspectives and future research paths based on a systematic literature review from the peer-reviewed literature published from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2021. This systematic literature review adheres to the guidelines established by evidence-based software engineering and leverages the Parsifal online tool. The primary research results identify and establish connections between the common components and activities of business continuity management as defined in international standards and frameworks to identify gaps in the existing knowledge. These findings will contribute to the development of a framework that provides a practical approach applicable to organisations of all sizes, taking into account each aspect of business continuity management, with a particular emphasis on information and communication technology systems. This paper’s contribution lies in offering insights from a systematic literature review regarding the strategic principles for designing and implementing a business continuity plan, along with a comprehensive overview of related research. Furthermore, it presents a path forward to guide future research efforts aimed at addressing the gaps in the literature concerning continuity planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Information Systems)

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