Robert P. Minch

Issues in the Development of Location Privacy Theory

Robert Minch — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 08:15:54 PST

Issues in the development of location privacy theory are identified and organized based on both technological considerations and more general privacy theories. Three broad categories containing six issues are described: location (including sensing methods and location properties), privacy (including definition and subject identification), and information flows (from location information acquisition through storage, use, and sharing). An influence diagram model is presented which relates these issues in context and may serve as a basis for further theory development, empirical research, and public policy discussion.

User Security Behavior on Wireless Networks: an Empirical Study

Tim Chenoweth et al. — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:36:48 PDT

Wireless networks are rapidly becoming ubiquitous but are often insecure and leave users responsible for their own security. We empirically study whether users are successfully securing their client computers when using wireless networks. Automated techniques are used that scan users’ machines after they associate with a university wireless network. This determines whether a firewall is being used and what TCP ports are open. Results show that over 9% of 3,331 unique computers scanned were not using a properly configured firewall. In addition, almost 9% had at least one TCP port open, with almost 6% having open ports with significant security implications. We also found and discuss cases where connected computers were compromised by Trojan programs such as SubSeven and NetBus. We discuss the generalizability of our results to other potentially insecure wireless networks, and suggestions for further research.

Hypermedia Knowledge Management for Intelligent Organizations

Robert P. Minch — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:36:47 PDT

Using a simple model consisting of individual knowledge bases, organization knowledge bases, organization actions, and environment responses, hypermedia is investigated as a technology for knowledge management in intelligent organizations. Cognitive mapping, issue-based information systems, and generalized hypertext methods are reviewed before proposing desirable features of hypermedia organization knowledge management. These desirable features include a variety of typed hypertext nodes and links, process memory, learning support, and both automated and user-directed manipulation of knowledge bases. Interactions of the knowledge bases with organization actions and environmental responses are also discussed.

Legal and Ethical Implications of Employee Location Monitoring

Gundars Kaupins et al. — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:36:46 PDT

Location technologies allow employers to monitor the location of employees. The technologies range from global positioning systems able to determine outdoor locations worldwide to sensor networks able to determine locations within buildings. Few international laws and no American laws directly address location monitoring. International privacy laws, the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, the USA Patriot Act and other laws involving Internet and e-mail monitoring might provide the pattern for future location monitoring legislation. Ethical considerations such as privacy, accuracy, inconsistency, security, and reputation also may affect future legislation. In writing corporate policies governing location monitoring, the employer’s business interests may outweigh an employee’s privacy interest. However, privacy invasion may be considered when the employer’s monitoring has been physically invasive and has no legitimate business purpose. Future research should investigate management and employee attitudes toward location monitoring and the pattern of location monitoring policies.

Toward a Parsimonious Architecture for Intelligent Organizational Information Systems

Robert P. Minch — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:36:44 PDT

An architecture for intelligent organizational information systems is proposed which consists of three functions: processing, communicating, and memory--any or all of which may be performed by either humans or computers. Processing occurs on a set of communicating processors with access to memory, and is defined as having three sub-functions: sensing, interpreting, and acting. The communicating and memory functions are seen to have certain basic characteristics whether described in terms from human organization or computer organization literature. The architecture may prove a useful guide for future research which begins to consider intelligent organizational information systems with increasingly synergistic roles played by humans and computers.

Research Issues Involving Hypertext in Decision Support Systems

Robert P. Minch — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:36:43 PDT

The term hypertext describes a computerized system which allows the user to browse through a network of nodes, each of which is commonly a collection of text but which may be quantitative models or other entities. A review o f DSS research and applications frameworks in the literature reveals several areas where further research may be valuable in identifying the usefulness and appropriate role of hypertext in DSS. These issues involve user characteristics, decision and problem characteristics, situational and organizational factors, and technological factors. Some areas which appear to be worthy of further investigation include hypertext's support of the human brain's hemispheric specialization, its isomorphism with generalized problem solving paradigms such as the state-space approach, and extensions of the basic model whereby nodes become executable decision models. In addition, hypertext may be self-applied by DSS researchers as a vehicle to simulate and study various user interface techniques and as a process tracing laboratory.

Expanding Views of Technology Acceptance: Seeking Factors Explaining Security Control Adoption

Tim Chenoweth et al. — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:36:42 PDT

Privacy Issues in Location-Aware Mobile Devices

Robert P. Minch — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:36:41 PDT

Location awareness, the ability to determine geographical position, is an emerging technology with both significant benefits and important privacy implications for users of mobile devices such as cell phones and PDAs. Location is determined either internally by a device or externally by systems and networks with which the device interacts, and the resultant location information may be stored, used, and disclosed under various conditions that are described. Thirteen specific privacy issues are enumerated and discussed as examples of the challenges we will face as these technologies and their associated products and services are deployed. Regulation by governments, standards organizations, industry groups, public interest groups, and marketplace forces are discussed as it may help address privacy issues.

Measuring the Effectiveness of Hypertext In Decision Support

Robert P. Minch et al. — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:36:40 PDT

Hypertext is an emerging technology that has not been researched adequately, particularly in organizations that utilize decision support technologies. This paper suggests that developing a set of dependent variables to measure effectiveness of hypertext in decision support is an important first step in a program of research. A review of empirical hypertext research is presented followed by a discussion of research assessing effectiveness of decision support and related systems. The role of hypertext in organizations is conceptually linked to the three main phases of the decision making process: problem structuring, analysis, and problem resolution. A set of six classes of appropriate dependent variables for assessing effectiveness of hypertext is suggested within the context of the decision making phases: information content and function variables are associated with problem structuring; presentation and usage variables are associated with analysis; outcome and perception variables are associated with problem resolution.

An Exploratory Study of Hypermedia Support for Problem Decomposition

Robert P. Minch et al. — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:36:39 PDT

Empirical hypermedia research has concentrated on usability rather than utility, and the research on utility has focused on information access as opposed to problem solving and decision making in organizations. This study, based on problem reduction theory, uses a hypermedia prototype system to support decision processes for solving a financial analysis problem. An exploratory laboratory experiment was conducted to study the feasibility of the prototype for hypermedia support of decision making. The process tracing techniques used suggest that a cognitive map of a decision maker's thought process may be constructed. Results offer a great deal of promise in the use of hypermedia for organizational decision support. The implications of this study for further research are discussed.

Logic Programming as a Paradigm for Financial Modeling

Robert Minch — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:36:38 PDT

Decision Support Systems Process Tracing Using Hypermedia

Robert P. Minch — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 05:36:36 PDT

Two main alternative approaches to analyzing decision processes--implicit input/output inference models and explicit tracing of observable decision process manifestations-are reviewed with emphasis on explicit tracing methods. An emerging technology, hypermedia, is then examined as to how it may facilitate the process tracing method of decision making analysis. Examples are presented of mappings between hypermedia computer/user interface functions (such as mouse movements and mouse clicks) and underlying decision process functions. Issues of data quality, breadth of application, and implementation cost are discussed. Hypermedia process tracing is compared with other process tracing methods, including monitoring of eye movements, verbal protocols, and non hypermedia computerized logging. Advantages and disadvantages of the hypermedia approach are identified. Further directions for the application of hypermedia process tracing include areas related to information retrieval, use of models, study of user interfaces, and the potential for using the techniques to identify and compare cognitive processes of decision makers.