arXiv subjects

Nalin Asanka Gamagedara Arachchilage

Publications and source records attributed to Nalin Asanka Gamagedara Arachchilage.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

SoK: Enhancing Privacy-Preserving Software Development from a Developers' Perspective

In software development, privacy preservation has become essential with the rise of privacy concerns and regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. While several tools, guidelines, methods, methodologies, and frameworks have been proposed to support developers embedding privacy into software applications, most of them are proofs-of-concept without empirical evaluations, making their practical applicability uncertain. These solutions should be evaluated for different types of scenarios (e.g., industry settings such as rapid software development environments, teams with different privacy knowledge, etc.) to determine what their limitations are in various industry settings and what changes are required to refine current solutions before putting them into industry and developing new developer-supporting approaches. For that, a thorough review of empirically evaluated current solutions will be very effective. However, the existing secondary studies that examine the available developer support provide broad overviews but do not specifically analyze empirically evaluated solutions and their limitations. Therefore, this Systematic Literature Review (SLR) aims to identify and analyze empirically validated solutions that are designed to help developers in privacy-preserving software development. The findings will provide valuable insights for researchers to improve current privacy-preserving solutions and for practitioners looking for effective and validated solutions to embed privacy into software development.

cs.SE↗

arXiv2024

RAGent: Retrieval-based Access Control Policy Generation

Manually generating access control policies from an organization's high-level requirement specifications poses significant challenges. It requires laborious efforts to sift through multiple documents containing such specifications and translate their access requirements into access control policies. Also, the complexities and ambiguities of these specifications often result in errors by system administrators during the translation process, leading to data breaches. However, the automated policy generation frameworks designed to help administrators in this process are unreliable due to limitations, such as the lack of domain adaptation. Therefore, to improve the reliability of access control policy generation, we propose RAGent, a novel retrieval-based access control policy generation framework based on language models. RAGent identifies access requirements from high-level requirement specifications with an average state-of-the-art F1 score of 87.9%. Through retrieval augmented generation, RAGent then translates the identified access requirements into access control policies with an F1 score of 77.9%. Unlike existing frameworks, RAGent generates policies with complex components like purposes and conditions, in addition to subjects, actions, and resources. Moreover, RAGent automatically verifies the generated policies and iteratively refines them through a novel verification-refinement mechanism, further improving the reliability of the process by 3%, reaching the F1 score of 80.6%. We also introduce three annotated datasets for developing access control policy generation frameworks in the future, addressing the data scarcity of the domain.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2024

SoK: Identifying Limitations and Bridging Gaps of Cybersecurity Capability Maturity Models (CCMMs)

In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, where organisations are increasingly vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, Cybersecurity Capability Maturity Models (CCMMs) emerge as pivotal tools in enhancing organisational cybersecurity posture. CCMMs provide a structured framework to guide organisations in assessing their current cybersecurity capabilities, identifying critical gaps, and prioritising improvements. However, the full potential of CCMMs is often not realised due to inherent limitations within the models and challenges encountered during their implementation and adoption processes. These limitations and challenges can significantly hamper the efficacy of CCMMs in improving cybersecurity. As a result, organisations remain vulnerable to cyber threats as they may fail to identify and address critical security gaps, implement necessary improvements or allocate resources effectively. To address these limitations and challenges, conducting a thorough investigation into existing models is essential. Therefore, we conducted a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) analysing 43 publications to identify existing CCMMs, their limitations, and the challenges organisations face when implementing and adopting them. By understanding these barriers, we aim to explore avenues for enhancing the efficacy of CCMMs, ensuring they more effectively meet the cybersecurity needs of organisational entities.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2024

Why People Still Fall for Phishing Emails: An Empirical Investigation into How Users Make Email Response Decisions

Despite technical and non-technical countermeasures, humans continue to be tricked by phishing emails. How users make email response decisions is a missing piece in the puzzle to identifying why people still fall for phishing emails. We conducted an empirical study using a think-aloud method to investigate how people make 'response decisions' while reading emails. The grounded theory analysis of the in-depth qualitative data has enabled us to identify different elements of email users' decision-making that influence their email response decisions. Furthermore, we developed a theoretical model that explains how people could be driven to respond to emails based on the identified elements of users' email decision-making processes and the relationships uncovered from the data. The findings provide deeper insights into phishing email susceptibility due to people's email response decision-making behavior. We also discuss the implications of our findings for designers and researchers working in anti-phishing training, education, and awareness interventions

cs.CR↗

arXiv2023

SoK: Demystifying Privacy Enhancing Technologies Through the Lens of Software Developers

In the absence of data protection measures, software applications lead to privacy breaches, posing threats to end-users and software organisations. Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs) are technical measures that protect personal data, thus minimising such privacy breaches. However, for software applications to deliver data protection using PETs, software developers should actively and correctly incorporate PETs into the software they develop. Therefore, to uncover ways to encourage and support developers to embed PETs into software, this Systematic Literature Review (SLR) analyses 39 empirical studies on developers' privacy practices. It reports the usage of six PETs in software application scenarios. Then, it discusses challenges developers face when integrating PETs into software, ranging from intrinsic challenges, such as the unawareness of PETs, to extrinsic challenges, such as the increased development cost. Next, the SLR presents the existing solutions to address these challenges, along with the limitations of the solutions. Further, it outlines future research avenues to better understand PETs from a developer perspective and minimise the challenges developers face when incorporating PETs into software.

cs.SE↗

arXiv2023

SoK: Access Control Policy Generation from High-level Natural Language Requirements

Administrator-centered access control failures can cause data breaches, putting organizations at risk of financial loss and reputation damage. Existing graphical policy configuration tools and automated policy generation frameworks attempt to help administrators configure and generate access control policies by avoiding such failures. However, graphical policy configuration tools are prone to human errors, making them unusable. On the other hand, automated policy generation frameworks are prone to erroneous predictions, making them unreliable. Therefore, to find ways to improve their usability and reliability, we conducted a Systematic Literature Review analyzing 49 publications, to identify those tools, frameworks, and their limitations. Identifying those limitations will help develop effective access control policy generation solutions while avoiding access control failures.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2023

Evaluation of Game Design Framework Using a Gamified Browser-Based Application

Privacy Policy under GDPR law helps users understand how software developers handle their personal data. GDPR privacy education must be considered a vital aspect of combating privacy threats. In this paper, we present the design and development of a gamified browser-based application aimed at motivating software developers to enhance their secure coding behavior. To evaluate the proposed game design framework through the developed framework, a think-aloud study was carried out along with pre-and post-test. There was an improvement in the software developers' secure coding behaviors through playing the game which had GDPR privacy laws incorporated to enhance their knowledge of privacy.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2023

What You See is Not What You Get: The Role of Email Presentation in Phishing Susceptibility

Phishing is one of the most prevalent social engineering attacks that targets both organizations and individuals. It is crucial to understand how email presentation impacts users' reactions to phishing attacks. We speculated that the device and email presentation may play a role, and, in particular, that how links are shown might influence susceptibility. Collaborating with the IT Services unit of a large organization doing a phishing training exercise, we conducted a study to explore the effects of the device and the presentation of links. Our findings indicate that mobile device and computer users were equally likely to click on unmasked links, however mobile device users were more likely to click on masked links compared to computer users. These findings suggest that link presentation plays a significant role in users' susceptibility to phishing attacks.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2022

Developers' Privacy Education: A game framework to stimulate secure coding behaviour

Software privacy provides the ability to limit data access to unauthorized parties. Privacy is achieved through different means, such as implementing GDPR into software applications. However, previous research revealed that the lack of poor coding behaviour leads to privacy breaches such as personal data breaching. Therefore, this research proposes a novel game framework as a training intervention enabling developers to implement privacy-preserving software systems. The proposed framework was empirically investigated through a survey study (with some exit questions), which revealed the elements that should be addressed in the game design framework. The developed game framework enhances developers' secure coding behaviour to improve the privacy of the software they develop.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2021

Falling for Phishing: An Empirical Investigation into People's Email Response Behaviors

Despite sophisticated phishing email detection systems, and training and awareness programs, humans continue to be tricked by phishing emails. In an attempt to better understand why phishing email attacks still work and how best to mitigate them, we have carried out an empirical study to investigate people's thought processes when reading their emails. We used a scenario-based role-play "think aloud" method and follow-up interviews to collect data from 19 participants. The experiment was conducted using a simulated web email client, and real phishing and legitimate emails adapted to the given scenario. The analysis of the collected data has enabled us to identify eleven factors that influence people's response decisions to both phishing and legitimate emails. Furthermore, based on the user study findings, we discuss novel insights into flaws in the general email decision-making behaviors that could make people susceptible to phishing attacks.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2021

I'm all Ears! Listening to Software Developers on Putting GDPR Principles into Software Development Practice

Previous research has been carried out to identify the impediments that prevent developers from incorporating privacy protocols into software applications. No research has been carried out to find out why developers are not able to develop systems that preserve-privacy while specifically considering the General Data Protection Regulation principles (GDPR principles). Consequently, this paper aims to examine the issues, which prevent developers from creating applications, which consider and include GDPR principles into their software systems. From our research findings, we identified the lack of familiarity with GDPR principles by developers as one of the obstacles that prevent GDPR onboarding. Those who were familiar with the principles did not have the requisite knowledge about the principles including their techniques. Developers focused on functional than on privacy requirements. Unavailability of resourceful online tools and lack of support from institutions and clients were also identified as issues inimical to the onboarding of GDPR principles.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2020

Designing a Serious Game: Teaching Developers to Embed Privacy into Software Systems

Software applications continue to challenge user privacy when users interact with them. Privacy practices (e.g. Data Minimisation (DM), Privacy by Design (PbD) or General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)) and related "privacy engineering" methodologies exist and provide clear instructions for developers to implement privacy into software systems they develop that preserve user privacy. However, those practices and methodologies are not yet a common practice in the software development community. There has been no previous research focused on developing "educational" interventions such as serious games to enhance software developers' coding behaviour. Therefore, this research proposes a game design framework as an educational tool for software developers to improve (secure) coding behaviour, so they can develop privacy-preserving software applications that people can use. The elements of the proposed framework were incorporated into a gaming application scenario that enhances the software developers' coding behaviour through their motivation. The proposed work not only enables the development of privacy-preserving software systems but also helping the software development community to put privacy guidelines and engineering methodologies into practice.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2020

Why are Developers Struggling to Put GDPR into Practice when Developing Privacy-Preserving Software Systems?

The use of software applications is inevitable as they provide different services to users. The software applications collect, store users' data, and sometimes share with the third party, even without the user consent. One can argue that software developers do not implement privacy into the software applications they develop or take GDPR (General Data Protection Law) law into account. Failing to do this, may lead to software applications that open up privacy breaches (e.g. data breach). The GDPR law provides a set of guidelines for developers and organizations on how to protect user data when they are interacting with software applications. Previous research has attempted to investigate what hinders developers from embedding privacy into software systems. However, there has been no detailed investigation on why they cannot develop privacy-preserving systems taking GDPR into consideration, which is imperative to develop software applications that preserve privacy. Therefore, this paper investigates the issues that hinder software developers from implementing software applications taking GDPR law on-board. Our study findings revealed that developers are not familiar with GDPR principles. Even some of them are, they lack knowledge of the GDPR principles and their techniques to use when developing privacy-preserving software systems

cs.CR↗

arXiv2020

Understanding phishers' strategies of mimicking uniform resource locators to leverage phishing attacks: A machine learning approach

Phishing is a type of social engineering attack with an intention to steal user data, including login credentials and credit card numbers, leading to financial losses for both organisations and individuals. It occurs when an attacker, pretending as a trusted entity, lure a victim into click on a link or attachment in an email, or in a text message. Phishing is often launched via email messages or text messages over social networks. Previous research has revealed that phishing attacks can be identified just by looking at URLs. Identifying the techniques which are used by phishers to mimic a phishing URL is rather a challenging issue. At present, we have limited knowledge and understanding of how cybercriminals attempt to mimic URLs with the same look and feel of the legitimate ones, to entice people into clicking links. Therefore, this paper investigates the feature selection of phishing URLs (Uniform Resource Locators), aiming to explore the strategies employed by phishers to mimic URLs that can obviously trick people into clicking links. We employed an Information Gain (IG) and Chi-Squared feature selection methods in Machine Learning (ML) on a phishing dataset. The dataset contains a total of 48 features extracted from 5000 phishing and another 5000 legitimate URL from web pages downloaded from January to May 2015 and from May to June 2017. Our results revealed that there were 10 techniques that phishers used to mimic URLs to manipulate humans into clicking links. Identifying these phishing URL manipulation techniques would certainly help to educate individuals and organisations and keep them safe from phishing attacks. In addition, the findings of this research will also help develop anti-phishing tools, framework or browser plugins for phishing prevention.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2020

Why Johnny can't rely on anti-phishing educational interventions to protect himself against contemporary phishing attacks?

Phishing is a way of stealing people's sensitive information such as username, password and banking details by disguising as a legitimate entity (i.e. email, website). Anti-phishing education considered to be vital in strengthening "human", the weakest link in information security. Previous research in anti-phishing education focuses on improving educational interventions to better interact the end user. However, one can argue that existing anti-phishing educational interventions are limited in success due to their outdated teaching content incorporated. Furthermore, teaching outdated anti-phishing techniques might not help combat contemporary phishing attacks. Therefore, this research focuses on investigating the obfuscation techniques of phishing URLs used in anti-phishing education against the contemporary phishing attacks reported in PhishTank.com. Our results showed that URL obfuscation with IP address has become insignificant and it revealed two emerging URL obfuscation techniques, that attackers use lately, haven't been incorporated into existing anti-phishing educational interventions.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2019

That's Not Me! Designing Fictitious Profiles to Answer Security Questions

Although security questions are still widely adopted, they still have several limitations. Previous research found that using system-generated information to answer security questions could be more secure than users' own answers. However, using system-generated information has usability limitations. To improve usability, previous research proposed the design of system-generated fictitious profiles. The information from these profiles would be used to answer security questions. However, no research has studied the elements that could influence the design of fictitious profiles or systems that use them to answer security questions. To address this research gap, we conducted an empirical investigation through 20 structured interviews. Our main findings revealed that to improve the design of fictitious profiles, users should be given the option to configure the profiles to make them relatable, interesting and memorable. We also found that the security questions currently provided by websites would need to be enhanced to cater for fictitious profiles.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2019

On the Impact of Perceived Vulnerability in the Adoption of Information Systems Security Innovations

A number of determinants predict the adoption of Information Systems (IS) security innovations. Amongst, perceived vulnerability of IS security threats has been examined in a number of past explorations. In this research, we examined the processes pursued in analysing the relationship between perceived vulnerability of IS security threats and the adoption of IS security innovations. The study uses Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method to evaluate the practice involved in examining perceived vulnerability on IS security innovation adoption. The SLR findings revealed the appropriateness of the existing empirical investigations of the relationship between perceived vulnerability of IS security threats on IS security innovation adoption. Furthermore, the SLR results confirmed that individuals who perceives vulnerable to an IS security threat are more likely to engage in the adoption an IS security innovation. In addition, the study validates the past studies on the relationship between perceived vulnerability and IS security innovation adoption.

cs.CR↗

arXiv2019

Engaging Users with Educational Games: The Case of Phishing

Phishing continues to be a difficult problem for individuals and organisations. Educational games and simulations have been increasingly acknowledged as enormous and powerful teaching tools, yet little work has examined how to engage users with these games. We explore this problem by conducting workshops with 9 younger adults and reporting on their expectations for cybersecurity educational games. We find a disconnect between casual and serious gamers, where casual gamers prefer simple games incorporating humour while serious gamers demand a congruent narrative or storyline. Importantly, both demographics agree that educational games should prioritise gameplay over information provision - i.e. the game should be a game with educational content. We discuss the implications for educational games developers.

cs.CY↗