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In an environment where cyber attacks are increasing, both in frequency and complexity, novel ways to shield data, users, and procedures have to be envisioned. Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) are the physical equivalent of one‐way mathematical transformations with the exception that their inherent physical complexity renders them resilient to cloning. One interesting deployment scenario includes PUFs as random key generators. The deterministic nature of their operation alleviates the necessity to store the keys in non‐volatile means. Along the same lines, blockchain is inherently resistant to modification of the data once stored while their overall security depends on the quality and secrecy of users' keys. Here, the authors propose a novel optical PUF implementation that can be combined with private blockchain modalities in order to cyber‐harden Internet of things ecosystems. PUF‐related experimental results are presented, alongside implementation scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is often said that the Internet is ubiquitous in our daily lives, but this holds true only for those who can easily access it. In fact, billions of people are still digitally disconnected, as bringing connectivity to certain zones does not make a good business case. The only solution for these unsatisfied potential users is to directly undertake the building of the infrastructure required to obtaining access to the Internet, typically forming groups in order to share the corresponding cost. This article presents a global classification and a summary of the main characteristics of different Alternative Network deployments that have arisen in recent years with an aim to provide Internet services in places where mainstream network deployments do not exist or are not adequate solutions. The "Global Access to the Internet for All" Research Group of the Internet Research Task Force, where all authors actively participate, is interested in documenting these emerging deployments. As an outcome of this work, a classification has converged by consensus, where five criteria have been identified and, based on them, four different types of Alternative Networks have been identified and described with real-world examples. Such a classification is useful for a deeper understanding of the common characteristics behind existing and emerging Alternative Networks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Delay/disruption-tolerant networking has been exploited in a variety of communication scenarios to provide basic delay-tolerant Internet services. In this paper, we propose a delay/disruption-tolerant networking (DTN)-based architecture for dense urban environments that exploits the existing infrastructure of public transport networks to provide Internet services through applications that can withstand certain delays without significantly affecting user experience. To achieve data delivery within the delay tolerance threshold that each user defines, we couple the proposed architecture with the enhanced connectivity plan routing protocol (CARPOOL+) that includes smart mechanisms for route calculation. In particular, the proposed architecture exploits both scheduled and opportunistic contact opportunities and mitigates the impact of typical delays caused by traffic, road accidents, etc. Our simulation results show that the proposed architecture achieves high delivery ratio with low latency, even when significant delays occur. We also compare CARPOOL+ with the most well-known DTN routing solutions and show that CARPOOL+ achieves the highest delivery ratio with the lowest overhead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increased digitalization of healthcare comes along with the cost of cybercrime proliferation. This results to patients' and healthcare providers' skepticism to adopt Health Information Technologies (HIT). In Europe, this shortcoming hampers efficient cross-border health data exchange, which requires a holistic, secure and interoperable framework. This study aimed to provide the foundations for designing a secure and interoperable toolkit for cross-border health data exchange within the European Union (EU), conducted in the scope of the KONFIDO project. Particularly, we present our user requirements engineering methodology and the obtained results, driving the technical design of the KONFIDO toolkit.Methods: Our methodology relied on four pillars: (a) a gap analysis study, reviewing a range of relevant projects/initiatives, technologies as well as cybersecurity strategies for HIT interoperability and cybersecurity; (b) the definition of user scenarios with major focus on cross-border health data exchange in the three pilot countries of the project; (c) a user requirements elicitation phase containing a threat analysis of the business processes entailed in the user scenarios, and (d) surveying and discussing with key stakeholders, aiming to validate the obtained outcomes and identify barriers and facilitators for HIT adoption linked with cybersecurity and interoperability.Results: According to the gap analysis outcomes, full adherence with information security standards is currently not universally met. Sustainability plans shall be defined for adapting existing/evolving frameworks to the state-of-the-art. Overall, lack of integration in a holistic security approach was clearly identified. For each user scenario, we concluded with a comprehensive workflow, highlighting challenges and open issues for their application in our pilot sites. The threat analysis resulted in a set of 30 user goals in total, documented in detail. Finally, indicative barriers of HIT acceptance include lack of awareness regarding HIT risks and legislations, lack of a security-oriented culture and management commitment, as well as usability constraints, while important facilitators concern the adoption of standards and current efforts for a common EU legislation framework.Conclusions: Our study provides important insights to address secure and interoperable health data exchange, while our methodological framework constitutes a paradigm for investigating diverse cybersecurity-related risks in the health sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]