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Since the introduction of OpenAI's ChatGPT‐3 in late 2022, conversational chatbots have gained significant popularity. These chatbots are designed to offer a user‐friendly interface for individuals to engage with technology using natural language in their daily interactions. However, these interactions raise user privacy concerns due to the data shared and the potential for misuse in these conversational information exchanges. Furthermore, there are no overarching laws and regulations governing such conversational interfaces in the United States. Thus, there is a need to investigate the user privacy concerns. To understand these concerns in the existing literature, this paper presents a literature review and analysis of 38 papers out of 894 retrieved papers that focus on user privacy concerns arising from interactions with text‐based conversational chatbots through the lens of social informatics. The review indicates that the primary user privacy concern that has consistently been addressed is self‐disclosure. This review contributes to the broader understanding of privacy concerns regarding chatbots the need for further exploration in this domain. As these chatbots continue to evolve, this paper acts as a foundation for future research endeavors and informs potential regulatory frameworks to safeguard user privacy in an increasingly digitized world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rarely any study investigates how information gatekeeping through the solutions and services enabled by algorithms, hereafter referred to as algorithmic technologies (AT), creates negative consequences for the users. To fill this gap, this state‐of‐the‐art review analyzes 229 relevant articles from diverse academic disciplines. We employed thematic analysis to identify, analyze, classify, and reveal the chain reactions among the negative consequences. We found that the gatekeeping of information (text, audio, video, and graphics) through AT like artificial intelligence (e.g., chatbots, large language models, machine learning, robots), decision support systems (used by banks, grocery stores, police, etc.), hashtags, online gaming platforms, search technologies (e.g., voice assistants, ChatGPT), and Web 3.0 (e.g., Internet of Things, non‐fungible tokens) creates or reinforces cognitive vulnerability, economic divide and financial vulnerability, information divide, physical vulnerability, psychological vulnerability, and social divide virtually and in the offline world. Theoretical implications include the hierarchical depiction of the chain reactions among the primary, secondary, and tertiary divides and vulnerabilities. To mitigate these negative consequences, we call for concerted efforts using top‐down strategies for governments, organizations, and technology experts to attain more transparency, accountability, ethical behavior, and moral practices, and bottom‐up strategies for users to be more alert, discerning, critical, and proactive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Big data refers to extremely large data generated at high volume, velocity, variety, and veracity. The nurse scientist is uniquely positioned to leverage big data to suggest novel hypotheses on patient care and the healthcare system. The purpose of this paper is to provide an introductory guide to understanding the use and capability of big data for nurse scientists. Herein, we discuss the practical, ethical, social, and educational implications of using big data in nursing research. Some practical challenges with the use of big data include data accessibility, data quality, missing data, variable data standards, fragmentation of health data, and software considerations. Opposing ethical positions arise with the use of big data, and arguments for and against the use of big data are underpinned by concerns about confidentiality, anonymity, and autonomy. The use of big data has health equity dimensions and addressing equity in data is an ethical imperative. There is a need to incorporate competencies needed to leverage big data for nursing research into advanced nursing educational curricula. Nursing science has a great opportunity to evolve and embrace the potential of big data. Nurse scientists should not be spectators but collaborators and drivers of policy change to better leverage and harness the potential of big data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of global economic integration and Industry 4.0, digital manufacturing has become crucial. As one of the economic cores of China, the digitization process of the manufacturing industry in the Yangtze River Delta is particularly critical to the overall economic growth. Based on the theory of Industry 4.0 and digital manufacturing, this study deeply analyzes the current digital development of the manufacturing industry in the Yangtze River Delta. More importantly, this paper successfully constructs a fuzzy control model to quantitatively evaluate and guide the process of digital transformation of manufacturing industry in this region. The empirical results of the model reveal how key factors such as capital, talent, technology and data security affect the digitization process, and provide concrete and operational transformation strategies for the Yangtze River Delta region. In addition, combined with industrial advantages, policy support, technological progress and market demand, this paper predicts the digital development prospects of the manufacturing industry in the Yangtze River Delta. Overall, the study not only provides in-depth insights on the digitization of manufacturing in the Yangtze River Delta, but also provides practical guidance for actual operation, which has high theoretical and practical value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data culture/s as a research topic has begun to attract attention from a wide range of disciplines, albeit with inconsistent application of definitions, dimensions, and applications. This work builds on a call to investigate data culture/s within the information studies domain as a topic related to, but distinct from, information culture. The purpose of this study is to explore what is known about data culture/s in greater depth. We apply a retroductive approach to select and consider likely dimensions, inputs, and aspects of data culture/s in order to further map this construct to the literature, and thereby highlight gaps and opportunities to add to this body of knowledge. The initial candidate dimensions explored below include data‐related skills and attitudes, data sharing, data use/reuse, data ethics and governance, and a specific focus on Indigenous perspectives to provide insights on why and how a group may contest the emergent dominant discourse of data culture/s. Our conclusion highlights areas needing further research to fully define and examine the dimensions, inputs, and aspects of data culture/s, and calls for greater understanding and engagement with data culture/s from the information studies community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Taiwan, traditional student assessments, covering academic and extracurricular achievements, have shifted from paper to electronic portfolios (e-portfolios). However, limited trust among institutions restricts students from freely sharing and using their educational data. This paper introduces a self-sovereign identity-based infrastructure aimed at enhancing personal data security within the e-portfolio ecosystem. The proposed system includes two core components: (1) a decentralized identity chain, aligning user identities across platforms and granting users full self-sovereign control; and (2) an e-portfolio application chain to manage user interactions and access permissions within the ecosystem. A trusted educational authority also audits data sources, ensuring data integrity and reliability. This infrastructure empowers users to control who can access their data, safeguarding their security, with the identity chain preventing unauthorized access and the application chain recording authorization statuses to restrict data visibility to approved parties only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information recording and encryption/decryption functions are essential due to the prevalence of counterfeiting activities and information leakage in the current age. However, the development of high‐resolution information recording and multistage information protection systems to achieve high data security levels, such as self‐erasing encrypted data and time‐controlled data handling, remains limited. Herein, inspired by the information‐recording structure of paper, a multiresponsive nanofiber‐reinforced poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) hydrogel (NCPN hydrogel) with improved mechanical properties, solvent‐induced high‐resolution reversible information recording, self‐encryption, and multi‐decryption capabilities, is proposed. Due to the unique hydrophilic and hydrophobic structures of the hydrogel matrix, ethanol and other polar analogs can be applied as special inks to record information by changing the lower critical solution temperature to achieve the repeatable transmittance variation. The recorded information can be erased via water wiping or ethanol volatilization. Additionally, self‐encryption can be achieved and adjusted based on the ethanol volatilization time and concentration difference, and confidential information can be further decrypted in a water environment or under a thermal stimulus. Furthermore, several stable, repeatable, and fast‐response hydrogel‐based information‐recognition systems are designed and investigated. Therefore, the designed hydrogel‐based informational platform provides a universal information‐handling system allowing for the reversible recording of information, with self‐encryption and multidecryption capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Online surveys can align with youths increased use of the internet and can be a mechanism for expanding youth participation in research. This is particularly important during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, when in-person interactions are limited. However, the advantages and drawbacks of online systems used for research need to be carefully considered before utilizing such methodologies. AIM: To describe and discuss the strengths and limitations of an online system developed to recruit adolescent girls for a sexual health research study and conduct a three-month follow up survey. METHODS: This methodology paper examines the use of an online system to recruit and follow participants three months after their medical visit to evaluate a mobile sexual and reproductive health application, Health-E You/Salud iTuTM, for adolescent girls attending school-based health centers (SBHCs) across the United States. SBHC staff gave adolescent girls a web link to an online eligibility and consent survey. Participants were then asked to complete two online surveys (baseline and 3-month follow-up). Surveys, reminders, and incentives to complete them were distributed through short message service (SMS) text messages. Upon completing each survey, participants were also sent an email with a link to an electronic gift card as a thank-you for their participation. Barriers to implementing this system were discussed with clinicians and staff at each participating SBHC. RESULTS: This online recruitment and retention system enabled participant recruitment at 26 different SBHCs in seven states across the United States. Between September 2021 and June 2022, 415 adolescent girls were screened using the Qualtrics online survey platform, and 182 were eligible to participate. Of those eligible, 78.0% (n = 142) completed the baseline survey. Participants were racially, geographically, and linguistically diverse. Most of the participants (89.4%) were non-White, and 40.8% spoke Spanish. A total of 62.0% (n = 88) completed the 3-month follow-up survey. Limitations of this system included reliance on internet access (via Wi-Fi or cell service), which was not universally available or reliable. In addition, an individual unrelated to the study obtained the survey link, filled out multiple surveys, and received multiple gift cards before the research team discovered and stopped this activity. As a result, additional security protocols were instituted. CONCLUSION: Online systems for health research can increase the reach and diversity of study participants, reduce costs for research personnel time and travel, allow for continued study operation when in-person visits are limited (such as during the COVID-19 pandemic), and connect youth with research using technology. However, there are challenges and limitations to online systems, which include limited internet access, intermittent internet connection, data security concerns, and the potential for fraudulent users. These challenges should be considered prior to using online systems for research.

Authentication devices transform cheap paper into legitimate documents. They are the sensory, informational, and computational features that make up valuable papers like banknotes and passports, and they provide the confidence required in moments of exchange and passage. These devices – which include techniques like watermarks and specialized threads, proprietary substrates and inks, or RFID chips – are the product of security printing, an industry that continuously reinvents the possibilities of paper. Importantly, these components protect paper things from counterfeiting, allowing it to function as an original and authentic copy and to do the logistical work of connecting quotidian materials to global networks. The value of valuable papers is therefore not purely extrinsic, socially or discursively established, but is also performed through its intrinsic material qualities. These are the authentication devices that are read, assessed, and trusted as paper things are circulated, and they are what securely connects paper to infrastructures of mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Telehealth and mHealth apps become increasingly popular in health professions such as physiotherapy calling for increased awareness on functionality, privacy, and data security. Objectives: This work presents a functionality, privacy, and data-security evaluation of four telehealth services commonly used in physiotherapy. Methods: We examined functionality and features, data protection, privacy implementations and data-security with a questionnaire and performed an in-depth investigation of the services. Results: Privacy and security relevant findings such as use of outdated webservers, problems with certificate renewal as well as questionable GDPR compliance were reported. Conclusion: Due to the privacy and security relevant findings in this analysis it can be concluded that there is a need for improvement in design, development, operation as well as regulation of telehealth apps and services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The omnipresent pervasiveness of personal devices will expand the applicability of the Dynamic Data Driven Application Systems (DDDAS) paradigm in innumerable ways. While every single smartphone or wearable device is potentially a sensor with powerful computing and data capabilities, privacy and security in the context of human participants must be addressed to leverage the infinite possibilities of dynamic data driven application systems. We propose a security and privacy preserving framework for next generation systems that harness the full power of the DDDAS paradigm while (1) ensuring provable privacy guarantees for sensitive data; (2) enabling field-level, intermediate, and central hierarchical feedback-driven analysis for both data volume mitigation and security; and (3) intrinsically addressing uncertainty caused either by measurement error or security-driven data perturbation. These thrusts will form the foundation for secure and private deployments of large scale hybrid participant-sensor DDDAS systems of the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence (AI) software that analyzes medical images is becoming increasingly prevalent. Unlike earlier generations of AI software, which relied on expert knowledge to identify imaging features, machine learning approaches automatically learn to recognize these features. However, the promise of accurate personalized medicine can only be fulfilled with access to large quantities of medical data from patients. This data could be used for purposes such as predicting disease, diagnosis, treatment optimization, and prognostication. Radiology is positioned to lead development and implementation of AI algorithms and to manage the associated ethical and legal challenges. This white paper from the Canadian Association of Radiologists provides a framework for study of the legal and ethical issues related to AI in medical imaging, related to patient data (privacy, confidentiality, ownership, and sharing); algorithms (levels of autonomy, liability, and jurisprudence); practice (best practices and current legal framework); and finally, opportunities in AI from the perspective of a universal health care system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple operational model could allow one person to monitor all around us to ensure security and privacy, while maintaining cost and performance of management and getting it right. This inspection with realtime video monitoring function can be sent to hospitals or nursing homes for the sick and elderly, as well as various people working in important area such as airport. In we decided to use the YOLOv4 (You Only One See One) algorithm, which is the newest and fastest of the total algorithms for fast analysis of actions and accurate results when dealing with complex human behaviour. This method uses a bounding box to indicate the action. In these cases, we collected 4,674 different data from different hospitals or different cases, making the most accurate use of one of the largest datasets used in this type of project. When we research, we divide our actions into three different classes: standing, sitting, and walking. Model can control and analyse the activities of many patients or other normal people, and support can monitor the activities of many. After completing three projects, the model achieved an average accuracy of 94.6667. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digitalisation of healthcare has increased the risk of cyberattacks in this sector, targeting sensitive personal information. In this paper, we conduct a systematic review of existing solutions for data breach mitigation in healthcare, analysing 99 research papers. There is a growing trend in research emphasising the security of electronic health records, data storage, access control, and personal health records. The analysis identified the adoption of advanced technologies, including Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence, alongside encryption in developing resilient solutions. These technologies lay the foundations for addressing the prevailing cybersecurity threats, with a particular focus on hacking or malicious attacks, followed by unauthorised access. The research highlights the development of strategies to mitigate data breaches and stresses the importance of technological progress in strengthening data security. The paper outlines future directions, highlighting the need for continuous technological progress and identifying the gaps in the attack mitigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In the big data era, where corporations commodify health data, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) present a transformative avenue for patient empowerment and control. NFTs are unique digital assets on the blockchain, representing ownership of digital objects, including health data. By minting their data as NFTs, patients can track access, monetize its use, and build secure, private health information systems. However, research on NFTs in healthcare is in its infancy, warranting a comprehensive review. Methods: This study conducted a systematic literature review and thematic analysis of NFTs in healthcare to identify use cases, design models, and key challenges. Five multidisciplinary research databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, IEEE Explore, Elsevier Science Direct) were searched. The approach involved four stages: paper collection, inclusion/exclusion criteria application, screening, full-text reading, and quality assessment. A classification and coding framework was employed. Thematic analysis followed six steps: data familiarization, initial code generation, theme searching, theme review, theme definition/naming, and report production. Results: Analysis of 19 selected papers revealed three primary use cases: patientcentric data management, supply chain management for data provenance, and digital twin development. Notably, most solutions were prototypes or frameworks without real-world implementations. Four overarching themes emerged: data governance (ownership, tracking, privacy), data monetization (commercialization, incentivization, sharing), data protection, and data storage. The focus lies on user-controlled, private, and secure health data solutions. Additionally, data commodification is explored, with mechanisms proposed to incentivize data maintenance and sharing. NFTs are also suggested for tracking medical products in supply chains, ensuring data integrity and provenance. Ethereum and similar platforms dominate NFT minting, while compact NFT storage options are being explored for faster data access. Conclusion: NFTs offer significant potential for secure, traceable, decentralized healthcare data exchange systems. However, challenges exist, including dependence on blockchain, interoperability issues, and associated costs. The review identified research gaps, such as developing dual ownership models and data pricing strategies. Building an open standard for interoperability and adoption is crucial. The scalability, security, and privacy of NFT-backed healthcare applications require further investigation. Thus, this study proposes a research agenda for adopting NFTs in healthcare, focusing on governance, storage models, and perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article the authors present ten bad reasons researchers prefer to publish their papers in hijacked journals, which according to Iranian editor Dr. Mehrdad Jalalian are fake websites that mimic authentic journals to attract submissions. Topics include lack of advanced information technology knowledge, claim of being indexed in scientific databases and an email inbox full of spam invitation to publish, present and join esteemed journal editorial boards.

These This review paper explores the innovative realm of in-home health monitoring for individualities affected by hemiplegia, a enervating condition constantly stemming from neurological conditions analogous as strokes. The paper delves into the development and integration of a comprehensive system with wearable bias designed to empowerindividualities with hemiplegia to manage their health within the comfort of their homes. The system incorporates wearable sensors for real- time monitoring of vital signs, movement, and fall discovery. This system accompanies and provides a user-friendly interface, enabling indefectible communication with healthcare professionals, medicine operation, and substantiated rehabilitation exercises. The paper highlights the implicit impact of Hemicare in enhancing the overall quality of life for individualities with hemiplegia, emphasizing user vacuity, data security, and collaboration with healthcare providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Centralized E-Warranty System with Blockchain Security offers a pioneering solution to the challenges entrenched in conventional warranty management methods. This paper delineates a comprehensive platform leveraging mobile technology and real-time data analytics to elevate operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. By facilitating seamless registration, dealer management, and product assignment for companies, this system ensures immediate access to warranty information through automated e-warranty generation through QR code scanning. Furthermore, the optional integration of blockchain technology enhances data security, immutability, and transparency, fostering heightened trust and integrity. This paper holds profound significance as it empowers companies to optimize warranty management practices, reduce operational overhead and provide valuable data insights. Customers benefit from a simplified method to track product warranties, while dealers experience streamlined tasks. The future recommendations encompass continuous system refinement, expansion of blockchain integration, and proactive adaptation to emerging technological advancements. The Centralized E-Warranty Management System stands poised as a transformative force, set to reshape warranty management practices across industries by offering a unified, secure, and efficient platform for warranty tracking and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of different software systems in the corporate environment represents a key challenge for organizations that want to efficiently manage their information resources. This paper explores the processes, strategies, and technologies used to successfully connect diverse software systems to improve business processes and operational efficiency. Through an analysis of challenges such as platform compatibility, data security, and system scalability, best practices and techniques to overcome these obstacles are considered. Special emphasis is placed on the role of APIs (application programming interfaces) as key tools for integration, along with the research of methodologies for their efficient implementation and change management. Through this research, the goal is to identify key success factors and provide guidance for organizations seeking to optimize their information resources through software system integration. The paper will give examples of successful integration services that enabled the exchange of various data in the critical business processes of Elektroprivreda BiH, as well as the challenges we faced when designing and implementing them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid technological evolve brings grate changes. As technology advances it replaces the old way of working or doing things. With the electronic format of paper work, efforts of organizations are greatly reduces. But it give rise to new problems i.e. how to store, access and update the records. As the data is available online, it may affect data's privacy and security. A health care domain greatly advances with new innovations. The documents can be saved easily and access everywhere. A patient and organization can effectively use this system to access his medical records, medical history and currently prescribe medicines. It gives patient as well as his family to easily access the data, sharing of medical reports and use of signed prescription at pharmacy anytime anywhere. The data should be available but need to take care of data security and privacy. The patient must be the owner of data. Using blockchain technology, data will be available in decentralized manner. Using digitize signature the authentication of data can be verified. With the use of cryptography, data will be secure. While consensuses algorithm used for the reliability in a network. The system provides privacy using privacy agreement storage. Only with the permission from the patient or authorized person the data can be used. Owner will be able to see, who is using his data and for what purpose. The system will be efficient to handle the data electronically as well as effective to confidentiality, authenticity and patient-centric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author discusses papers on synthetic data published in the previous issue of the journal. Topics covered include the common themes identified in the papers which deal with synthetic data according to the definition commonly used in the statistical disclosure control community, a different approach for data protection based on noise infusion discussed in one synthetic data paper, and a discussion on data dissemination.

For nearly 200 years, an individual's personal papers enjoyed near-absolute protection from government search and seizure. That is no longer the case. With the widespread adoption of cloud-based information processing and storage services, the third-party doctrine operates to effectively strip our digital papers of meaningful Fourth Amendment protections. This Article presents a new approach to reconciling current third-party doctrine with the technological realities of modern personal information processing. Our most sensitive data is now processed and stored on cloudcomputing systems owned and operated by third parties. Although we may consider these services to be private and generally secure, the law does not currently require the government to obtain a warrant to access our stored information. The third-party doctrine creates a sweeping exception to the warrant requirement for any information exposed to a third party--even where that third party is an automated computing system rather than a human. As a result, our personal papers now receive no more protection than any other piece of potential evidence. In practical terms, they receive less. This ahistorical approach undermines the essential balance between an individual's interest in privacy and the public's interest in law enforcement. Many have identified and tried to rectify the privacy problems created by the shift to third-party cloud-computing systems, but it has proven difficult to articulate a limitation to the third-party doctrine that is both consistent with existing principles and feasible in practice. This Article begins with the intimate connection among freedom of thought, privacy of thought, and the longstanding enumeration of "papers" as a distinct object of Fourth Amendment protection. This historical understanding of the relationship between human thought and private papers, which prior generations recognized intuitively, now finds strong support in contemporary cognitive science. Modern models of human cognition reveal how papers serve as cognitive artifacts performing cognitive tasks. These models furnish a set of proxy characteristics for reliably singling out those personal papers whose protection would most likely serve constitutional values. The result is a coherent and workable method for bringing needed discipline to the third-party doctrine and restoring equilibrium to information privacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As data and protocols are increasingly generated, accessed, and manipulated electronically, many labs are shifting to storing data in electronic laboratory notebooks (ELNs). ELNs provide clear advantages in readability, shareability, searchability, accessibility, and data security over their paper counterparts. Our interdisciplinary program implemented ELNs across several sections of our gateway molecular biology laboratory course and analyzed the impact on 384 students (13 sections total from Fall 2016 to Spring 2018) using surveys, focus groups, and grade data. We found that students prefer the electronic format, citing the ease of transitioning to lab reports and the longevity of their data. Course grades overall were not affected by the change. Based on our experience, we offer suggestions for smoothing the transition to an ELN system in undergraduate and graduate laboratory courses, including use during remote teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we show that the communication channel known as writing in memory with defective cells is a relevant information-theoretical model for a specific case of passive warden steganography when the sender embeds a secret message into a subset C of the cover object X without sharing C with the recipient. The set C, which is also called the selection channel, could be arbitrary, determined by the sender from the cover object using a deterministic, pseudo-random, or a truly random process. We call this steganography "writing on wet paper" and realize it using a simple variable-rate random linear code that gives the sender a convenient flexibility and control over the embedding process and is thus suitable for practical implementation. The importance of the wet paper scenario for covert communication is discussed within the context of adaptive steganography and perturbed quantization steganography. Heuristic arguments supported by tests using blind steganalysis indicate that the wet paper steganography provides improved steganographic security and is less vulnerable to steganalytic attacks compared with existing methods with shared selection channels. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For the time being, many government or private organizations for recruitment of staff or educational institutions moving towards online based tests. The online examination system is a software application used for conducting examination using computer systems. It helps to the recruitment agency or any govt. or private organizations for conducting any job recruitment examinations transparently. Due to this system results are processed without delay and efficiently evaluated to assess the candidates abilities. But the biggest challenge for online examination system is data integrity, security and privacy. The current system is resolving the privacy issue by providing authentication credentials such as user name, password to the candidates. So that only authorized users with proper credentials can login to the system and attempt the exam. But the data confidentiality and integrity are biggest challenges for the system. As the data stored in system database is in plain text format, hence it may be modified or misused by the internal staff of the organization. This paper presents the frame work for secure storage and management of candidates data using encryption scheme, distributed databases in cloud database system. The proposed framework enhances the data confidentiality, integrity and avoids any cheating by internal staff or third party institutions. This paper conducts experimental work on proposed framework and analyses the results of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is the guest editors' introduction to a special issue of the Journal of Computer Security (JCS) based on selected papers from the 36th Annual IFIP WG 11.3 Conference on Data and Applications Security and Privacy (DBSec 2022). Four papers from the conference have been included in this issue after additional reviews. The papers cover topics such as securing blockchain-based timed data release, analyzing and classifying traffic in IoT, addressing data imbalance in tabular security data, and improving attribute-based encryption for access control in cloud computing. The editors believe that this special issue will be valuable to readers interested in computer security research. [Extracted from the article]

Internet of Things (IoT) enabled wireless body area network (WBAN) is a novel technology that combines medical, wireless, and non-medical devices for healthcare management applications. Indoor healthcare institutions, such as hospitals, may employ IoT devices to manage medical equipment, maintain inventory, and monitor patients. In addition to monitoring temperature, humidity, and air quality, IoT sensors may help prevent the spread of sickness. The data generated by small sensor devices need strong security methods for secure transmission over a public network. Security of the data sent from source to destination is handled by transport layer security (TLS) protocol and prevent message loss or reordering. The most difficult component of TLS is determining how to handle reliability. Low-power wireless networks employ the Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) protocol to solve this problem. But if the Server is exposed to a malicious attack (i.e., flooded with ClientHello messages, the DTLS protocol may no longer serve the purpose) as it may lead to Denial-of-Service (DoS). The paper proposes an intelligent gateway-based verification and approval system to protect health data from IoT wearable devices, a key worldwide data security risk. Paper used Contiki Network Simulator for designing an advanced smart gateway-based constrained application Improved DTLS (CoAP I-DTLS) security protocol. To assess the effectiveness of the proposed work, the packet loss ratio is computed for the CoAP, CoAP-DTLS, and CoAP I-DTLS protocols. To assess the effectiveness of the improved CoAP I-DTLS, calculations are also made for data transfer and handshake time. Paper will also look at ways to increase security by integrating the CoAP I-DTLS protocol with the Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA-256) and utilizing Certificate Authority (CA) improvements. Evaluation parameters such as Packet loss ratio, Data transmission time, and Energy consumption average are considered and detailed simulation results have been presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study conducts a bibliometric analysis to map key trends in the digitalization of medicine, a rapidly evolving field that incorporates advancements such as artificial intelligence, telemedicine, and Big Data. The analysis aims to identify the most prolific authors, highly cited works, leading countries, and contributions from research institutions, while also exploring emerging trends through keyword analysis. Methods: A dataset comprising 2606 scientific papers was retrieved from the Web of Science database. The analysis was performed using bibliometric techniques and VOSviewer software to evaluate citation patterns, author productivity, country activity, and institutional contributions. Results: The findings reveal a substantial increase in research activity on the digitalization of medicine, with notable contributions from Germany, the USA, and China. These countries host leading academic institutions actively driving the field. Keyword analysis highlights emerging trends in artificial intelligence, telemedicine, and Big Data. Extensive international collaborations further underscore the global nature of this research domain. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution and current trends in the digitalization of medicine. Conclusions: It highlights the significant role of international collaboration and identifies key areas of development, offering valuable insights for future research directions in this dynamic sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of 6G networks, the rapid proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, coupled with their decentralized and heterogeneous characteristics, presents substantial security challenges. Conventional centralized systems face significant challenges in effectively managing the diverse range of IoT devices, and they are inadequate in addressing the requirements for reduced latency and the efficient processing and analysis of large-scale data. To tackle these challenges, this paper introduces a zero-trust access control framework that integrates blockchain technology with inner-product encryption. By using smart contracts for automated access control, a reputation-based trust model for decentralized identity management, and inner-product encryption for fine-grained access control, the framework ensures data security and efficiency. Firstly, smart contracts are employed to automate access control, and software-defined boundaries are defined for different application domains. Secondly, through a trust model based on a consensus algorithm of node reputation values and a registration-based inner-product encryption algorithm supporting fine-grained access control, zero-trust self-sovereign enhanced identity management in the 6G environment of the Internet of Things is achieved. Furthermore, the use of multiple auxiliary chains for storing data across different application domains not only mitigates the risks associated with data expansion but also achieves micro-segmentation, thereby enhancing the efficiency of access control. Finally, empirical evidence demonstrates that, compared with the traditional methods, this paper's scheme improves the encryption efficiency by 14%, reduces the data access latency by 18%, and significantly improves the throughput. This mechanism ensures data security while maintaining system efficiency in environments with large-scale data interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the digital adoption across India, it simultaneously opened the doors to cybercriminals. With people increasingly becoming dependent on online banking, UPI and mobile apps, scamsters manipulated the vulnerabilities in the digital system. As people moved away from paper and started sharing most of their critical information on emails, India recorded unprecedented digital growth. But with this shift, the scammers too shifted their ways and began targeting the important information hidden in the attachments of these emails, using the weaknesses that came along with going digital. This paper examines recent cyber incidents where healthcare institutions suffered data breaches due to intercepted email attachments. Highlighting vulnerabilities like unsecured email transmissions and insufficient cybersecurity protocols, the study suggests countermeasures such as PyMinizip for encryption, AWS S3 signed URLs, and multifactor authentication to protect sensitive patient information. Implementing these solutions could radically reduce risks, enhancing the security of email communications and safeguarding people's personal data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]