Department of Computer Sciencehttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11837/1582024-03-29T13:02:21Z2024-03-29T13:02:21ZThe classification performance of Bayesian networks classifiers : a case study of detecting Denial of Service (DoS) attacks in cloud computing environmentsMoyo, Lindanihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11837/8352018-02-15T10:51:37Z2016-01-01T00:00:00ZThe classification performance of Bayesian networks classifiers : a case study of detecting Denial of Service (DoS) attacks in cloud computing environments
Moyo, Lindani
In this research we propose a Bayesian networks approach as a promissory classification technique for detecting malicious traffic due to Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. Bayesian networks have been applied in numerous fields fraught with uncertainty and they have been proved to be successful. They have excelled tremendously in classification tasks i.e. text analysis, medical diagnoses and environmental modeling and management. The detection of DoS attacks has received tremendous attention in the field of network security. DoS attacks have proved to be detrimental and are the bane of cloud computing environments. Large business enterprises have been/or are still unwilling to outsource their businesses to the cloud due to the intrusive tendencies that the cloud platforms are prone too. To make use of Bayesian networks it is imperative to understand the ―ecosystem‖ of factors that are external to modeling the Bayesian algorithm itself. Understanding these factors have proven to result in comparable improvement in classification performance beyond the augmentation of the existing algorithms. Literature provides discussions pertaining to the factors that impact the classification capability, however it was noticed that the effects of the factors are not universal, they tend to be unique for each domain problem. This study investigates the effects of modeling parameters on the classification performance of Bayesian network classifiers in detecting DoS attacks in cloud platforms. We analyzed how structural complexity, training sample size, the choice of discretization method and lastly the score function both individually and collectively impact the performance of classifying between normal and DoS attacks on the cloud. To study the aforementioned factors, we conducted a series of experiments in detecting live DoS attacks launched against a deployed cloud and thereafter examined the classification performance in terms of accuracy of different classes of Bayesian networks. NSL-KDD dataset was used as our training set. We used ownCloud software to deploy our cloud platform. To launch DoS attacks, we used hping3 hacker friendly utility. A live packet capture was used as our test set. WEKA version 3.7.12 was used for our experiments. Our results show that the progression in model complexity improves the classification performance. This is attributed to the increase in the number of attribute correlations. Also the size of the training sample size proved to improve classification ability. Our findings noted that the choice of discretization algorithm does matter in the quest for optimal classification performance. Furthermore, our results indicate that the choice of scoring function does not affect the classification performance of Bayesian networks. Conclusions drawn from this research are prescriptive particularly for a novice machine learning researcher with valuable recommendations that ensure optimal classification performance of Bayesian networks classifiers.
2016-01-01T00:00:00ZDeveloping SOA wrappers for communication purposes in rural areaSamalenge, Jimmyhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11837/7192018-02-15T10:51:37Z2010-01-01T00:00:00ZDeveloping SOA wrappers for communication purposes in rural area
Samalenge, Jimmy
The introduction of Web Services as a platform upon which applications can communicate has contributed a great deal towards the expansion of World Wide Web technologies. The Internet and computing technologies have been some of the factors that have contributed to the socio-economic improvement of urban and industrial areas. This research focuses on the application of Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Web Services technologies in Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) contexts. SOA is a style used to design distributed systems, and Web Services are some of the common realizations of the SOA. Web Services allow the exchange of data between two or more machines in a simple and standardized manner over the network. This has resulted in the augmentation of ways in which individuals in a society and in the world communicate. This research aims to develop a SOA-based system with services that are implemented as Web Services. The system is intended to support communication activities of Dwesa community members. The communication methods identified as the most commonly used in the Dwesa community are Short Message Services (SMSs) and voice calls. In this research we have identified further methods (i.e. Multimedia Message Service, Electronic mail and Instant Messaging) to augment communication activities in Dwesa.
The developed system, therefore, exposes SMS Web Service, MMS Web Service, Email Web Service and IM Web Service that are consumed in machine-to-machine, machine-to-person and person-to-person types of communication. We have also implemented a one-stop communication shop, through a web portal which provides interfaces to the different communication modules.
Elaborate functional and usability testing have also been undertaken to establish the viability and end-user acceptance of the system respectively. This research has provided the initial validation of the effectiveness of the SOA-based system in ICT4D contexts.
2010-01-01T00:00:00ZBuilding a semantic web-based e-health component for a multi-purpose communication centreHlungulu, Bulumkohttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11837/7142018-02-15T10:51:37Z2010-01-01T00:00:00ZBuilding a semantic web-based e-health component for a multi-purpose communication centre
Hlungulu, Bulumko
Rural communities have limited access to health information which is made available on the internet. This is due to poor infrastructure (i.e., lack of clinics or Internet access) and that gives them problems in accessing information within the domain of health. The availability of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in a rural community can provide the community with a number of beneficial solutions to their problems as they maximize the potential of knowledge sharing and delivery. This research seeks to make use of ICTs deployed in the community of Dwesa, in order to contribute to improving the health standards of the community. It seeks to accomplish this by carrying out an investigation and literature review with the aim of understanding health knowledge sharing dynamics in the context of marginalized communities. The knowledge acquired will then be used in the development and implementation of a semantic web-based e-Health portal as part of the Siyakhula Living Lab (SLL) project. This portal will share and deliver western medical knowledge, traditional knowledge and indigenous knowledge. This research seeks to make use of a combination of Free and/or Open Sources Software in developing the portal to make it affordable to the community.
2010-01-01T00:00:00ZRural internet connectivity: a deployment in Dwesa-Cwebe, Eastern Cape, South AfricaMandioma, Martinhttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11837/6542018-02-15T10:51:37Z2007-01-01T00:00:00ZRural internet connectivity: a deployment in Dwesa-Cwebe, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Mandioma, Martin
This thesis presents aspects of Internet connectivity in rural South Africa. The
work looks at government initiatives being undertaken to connect rural
communities to up-to-date information networks. Various projects that seek to
connect rural areas of South Africa, as well as other remote areas around the
world, are discussed. These projects present many novel ideas that have been
successfully used to link rural communities in remote areas with the information
age. In particular, wired and wireless access technologies that can be
implemented to connect remote communities to the Internet are discussed. A
field test utilizing GPRS, VSAT and WiMAX was implemented in Dwesa-Cwebe,
Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. VSAT proved to offer better Internet
connectivity in terms of throughput and latency. WiMAX was then successfully
implemented to relay the signal over the remote area of Dwesa-Cwebe, thus
effectively providing Internet connectivity to an area with limited cell phone
coverage and no telephone lines.
2007-01-01T00:00:00Z