Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Wright State University, 2016, Computer Science and Engineering PhD

Software defined networking (SDN), a new networking paradigm that separates the network data plane from the control plane, has been considered as a flexible, layered, modular, and efficient approach to managing and controlling networks ranging from wired, infrastructure-based wireless (e.g., cellular wireless networks, WiFi, wireless mesh net- works), to infrastructure-less wireless networks (e.g. mobile ad-hoc networks, vehicular ad-hoc networks) as well as to offering new types of services and to evolving the Internet architecture. Most work has focused on the SDN application in traditional and wired and/or infrastructure based networks. Wireless networks have become increasingly more heterogeneous. Secure and collab- orative operation of mobile wireless ad-hoc networks poses significant challenges due to the decentralized nature of mobile ad hoc wireless networks, mobility of nodes, and re- source constraints. Recent developments in software defined networking shed new light on how to control and manage an ad hoc wireless network. Given the wide deployment and availability of heterogeneous wireless technologies, the control and management of ad hoc wireless networks with the new software defined networking paradigm is offered more flexibility and opportunities to deal with trust and security issues and to enable new features and services. This dissertation focuses on the SDN MANET architecture design issues for provid- ing secure collaborative operation. Specifically, (I) We have proposed four design options for software defined secure collaborative ad hoc wireless network architecture. The de- sign options are organized into (a) centralized SDN controller architecture with controller replication and (b) distributed SDN controller architecture. While these proposed architec- ture options exhibit different characteristics, many common challenges are shared amongst these options. Challenges include fault-tolerance, scalability, efficiency, and security. The unstr (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Bin Wang Ph.D. (Advisor); Yong Pei Ph.D. (Committee Member); Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan Ph.D. (Committee Member); Zhiqiang Wu Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Computer Engineering; Computer Science

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2019, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Information Technology

Blockchain technology is described as the technology that enables digital information to be shared online without creating copies using the basis of digital currency. It acts as a public ledger that grants access to all people without necessarily having a central authority as a control point. It is an empowering technology for people and organizations embraced to promote collaboration, growth of trust and increase of transparency in online transactions. This thesis uses literature review methodology to explore blockchain technology in terms of privacy concerns, security challenges and associated solutions in the modern-day business. The purpose of the review is to give an overview of the sources used during the examination of the topic and to show the readers how the research corresponds to a larger scope of research. It acknowledges that the blockchain technology is currently gaining popularity attributable to the role it plays as the fundamental technology in Bitcoin. Several investigators have had challenges differentiating Bitcoin from Blockchain, although this literature shed more light on the latter. The findings show that the emergence of blockchain technology has brought about the benefits of increased transparency in business, improved security, and better traceability of business dealings and transactions. In addition, it has benefited users of the technology through its improved efficiency and swiftness, along with minimized costs. On the other hand, technology has been attributed to a few limitations, counting complexity and human error, which have been outweighed by the benefits.

Committee: Bilal Gonen Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Chengcheng Li Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Information Technology